Jane Austen And Shelley In The Garden

Author : Janet Todd
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781909572270
Total Pages : 304 pages
Book Rating : 4.76/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Jane Austen and Shelley in the Garden written by Janet Todd and published by . This book was released on 2021-07-09 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Eccentric Fran wants a second chance. Thanks to her intimacy with Jane Austen, and the poet Shelley, she finds one. Jane Austen is such a presence in Fran's life that she seems to share her cottage and garden, becoming an imaginary friend. Fran's conversations with Jane Austen guide and chide her - but Fran is ready for change after years of teaching, reading and gardening. An encounter with a long-standing English friend, and an American writer, leads to new possibilities. Adrift, the three women bond through a love of books and a quest for the idealist poet Shelley at two pivotal moments of his life: in Wales and Venice. His otherworldly longing and yearning for utopian communities lead the women to interrogate their own past as well as motherhood, feminism, the resurgence of childhood memory in old age, the tensions and attractions between generations. Despite the appeal of solitude, the women open themselves social to ways of living - outside partnership and family. Jane Austen, as always, has plenty of comments to offer. The novel is a (light) meditation on age, mortality, friendship, hope, and the excitement of change.

Author : Janet Todd
Publisher : Bitter Lemon Press
ISBN 13 : 190852460X
Total Pages : 352 pages
Book Rating : 4.07/5 ( download)

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Download or read book A Man of Genius written by Janet Todd and published by Bitter Lemon Press. This book was released on 2016-03-10 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Strange and haunting, a gothic novel with a modern consciousness." —Philippa Gregory "A haunting, sophisticated story about a woman discovering the truth about herself and the elusive, possibly illusive, nature of genius." —Sunday Times "Mesmerizing, haunting, imbued with a complete sense of historical verisimilitude" —Times Literary Supplement "A psychologically haunting and disturbing tale as full of mystery, exotic foreign places, and questions of parentage as any penned by her protagonist." —Library Journal "Thrilling and heartbreaking, a gothic novel with emotional heart and depth." —Foreword Reviews "A darkly mischievous novel about love, obsession and the burden of charisma, played out against the backdrop of Venice's watery, decadent glory." —Sarah Dunant "A mesmerizing story of love and obsession in nineteenth-century Venice: dark and utterly compelling." —Natasha Solomons Set in bustling Regency England and decaying Venice, A Man of Genius portrays a psychological journey from safety into secrecy and obsession. After a troubled childhood, Ann achieves independence earning her living as an author of Gothic novels. Within a group of male writers, she meets and is enthralled by the supposed poetic genius, Robert James. They become uneasy lovers. Ann and Robert travel from London through a Europe exhausted by the Napoleonic Wars. They arrive in a Venice of spies and intrigue, where their relationship becomes tortuous and Robert descends into near madness. Forced to flee with a stranger, Ann delves into her past to be jolted by a series of revelations about her lover, her parentage, the stranger, and herself.

Author : Janet Todd
Publisher : A&C Black
ISBN 13 : 1448212545
Total Pages : 830 pages
Book Rating : 4.45/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Secret Life of Aphra Behn written by Janet Todd and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2013-09-19 with total page 830 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'All women together ought to let flowers fall upon the tomb of Aphra Behn; for it was she who earned them the right to speak their minds,' said Virginia Woolf. Yet that tomb, in Westminster Abbey, records one of the few uncontested facts about this Restoration playwright, poet, novelist and spy: the date of her death, 16 April 1689. For the rest secrecy and duplicity are almost the key to her life. She loved codes, making and breaking them; writing her life becomes a decoding of a passionate but playful woman. Janet Todd draws on documents she has rediscovered in the Dutch archives, and on Behn's own writings, to tell a story of court, diplomatic and sexual intrigue, and of the rise from humble origins of the first woman to earn her living as a professional writer. Aphra Behn's first notable employment was as a Royal spy in Holland; she had probably also spied in Surinam. It was not until she was in her thirties that she published the first of the 19 plays and other works which established her fame (though not riches) among her 'good, sweet, honey-candied readers'. Many of her works were openly erotic, indeed as frank as anything by her friends Wycherley and Rochester. Some also offered an inside view of court and political intrigues, and Todd reveals the historical scandals and legal cases behind some of Behn's most famous 'fictions'.

Author : Janet Todd
Publisher : Fentum Press
ISBN 13 : 9781909572072
Total Pages : 272 pages
Book Rating : 4.71/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Don't You Know There's a War On? written by Janet Todd and published by Fentum Press. This book was released on 2020-05-12 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Joan revisits her life, blighted by WW2, drawing her daughter into her imaginings and desires. The boundaries between them collapse.

Author : Shelley DeWees
Publisher : HarperCollins
ISBN 13 : 0062394630
Total Pages : 235 pages
Book Rating : 4.37/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Not Just Jane written by Shelley DeWees and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2016-10-25 with total page 235 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Not Just Jane restores seven of England’s most fascinating and subversive literary voices to their rightful places in history. Shelley DeWees tells each woman writer’s story with wit, passion, and an astute understanding of the society in which she lived and wrote.” —Dr. Amanda Foreman, New York Times bestselling author of Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire Jane Austen and the Brontës endure as British literature’s leading ladies (and for good reason)—but were these reclusive parsons’ daughters really the only writing women of their day? A feminist history of literary Britain, this witty, fascinating nonfiction debut explores the extraordinary lives and work of seven long-forgotten authoresses, and asks: Why did their considerable fame and influence, and a vibrant culture of female creativity, fade away? And what are we missing because of it? You’ve likely read at least one Jane Austen novel (or at least seen a film one). Chances are you’ve also read Jane Eyre; if you were an exceptionally moody teenager, you might have even read Wuthering Heights. English majors might add George Eliot or Virginia Woolf to this list…but then the trail ends. Were there truly so few women writing anything of note during late 18th and 19th century Britain? In Not Just Jane, Shelley DeWees weaves history, biography, and critical analysis into a rip-roaring narrative of the nation’s fabulous, yet mostly forgotten, female literary heritage. As the country, and women’s roles within it, evolved, so did the publishing industry, driving legions of ladies to pick up their pens and hit the parchment. Focusing on the creative contributions and personal stories of seven astonishing women, among them pioneers of detective fiction and the modern fantasy novel, DeWees assembles a riveting, intimate, and ruthlessly unromanticized portrait of female life—and the literary landscape—during this era. In doing so, she comes closer to understanding how a society could forget so many of these women, who all enjoyed success, critical acclaim, and a fair amount of notoriety during their time, and realizes why, now more than ever, it’s vital that we remember. Rediscover Charlotte Turner Smith, Helen Maria Williams, Mary Robinson, Catherine Crowe, Sara Coleridge, Dinah Mulock Craik, and Mary Elizabeth Braddon.

Author : Sarah Whittingham
Publisher : Shire Publications
ISBN 13 : 9780747807469
Total Pages : 64 pages
Book Rating : 4.69/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Victorian Fern Craze written by Sarah Whittingham and published by Shire Publications. This book was released on 2010-01-19 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fern Fever (or Pteridomania, to give it its official name), hit Britain between 1837 and 1914 and peaked between 1840 and 1890. Although in previous centuries ferns played an important role in customs and folklore, it was only in this period that they were coveted for aesthetic reasons and that man's passion for them reached its zenith. The craze for collecting ferns reached such epidemic proportions that it affected the very existence of some species. The fern craze started to gather momentum in the 1840s; books and magazines maintained that fern growing was a hobby that anyone could enjoy as ferns would grow in the glazed fernery, garden, shady yard, window box or even indoors in Wardian Cases. The mania also spread from the living plant to depicting it in architecture and the decorative arts. Even roads, villas and terraced houses were named after the fern. This book, the first to deal exclusively with the subject for nearly forty years, looks at the how the craze developed, the ways in which ferns were incorporated into garden and home, and the spread of the fern through Victorian material and visual culture.

Author : Janet Todd
Publisher : A&C Black
ISBN 13 : 1448212529
Total Pages : 343 pages
Book Rating : 4.21/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Death and the Maidens written by Janet Todd and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2013-09-19 with total page 343 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 1816 was the fateful year when the Romantic poet Shelley and his lover Mary shared a hectic creative and sexual menage in Switzerland with Lord Byron. This intense period drew from the men some of the greatest poetry of the age; from Mary, it elicited the seminal figures of Frankenstein and his Creature. But for other women close to Shelley it was a time of tragedy. At the heart of the story are Fanny Wollstonecraft and Harriet Westbrook, women whose lives were literally overwhelmed by him – and who both committed suicide before the year was out. "Not only a splendid work of feminist history, this is an important addition to late 18th- and early 19-century literary criticism." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Author : John Berendt
Publisher : Vintage
ISBN 13 : 0307538370
Total Pages : 402 pages
Book Rating : 4.76/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil written by John Berendt and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2010-05-12 with total page 402 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THE LANDMARK NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An enormously engaging portrait of a most beguiling Southern city: “Elegant and wicked.... [This] might be the first true-crime book that makes the reader want to book a bed and breakfast for an extended weekend at the scene of the crime." —The New York Times Book Review • 30th Anniversary Edition with a New Afterword by the Author. Shots rang out in Savannah's grandest mansion in the misty,early morning hours of May 2, 1981. Was it murder or self-defense? For nearly a decade, the shooting and its aftermath reverberated throughout this hauntingly beautiful city of moss-hung oaks and shaded squares. John Berendt's sharply observed, suspenseful, and witty narrative reads like a thoroughly engrossing novel, and yet it is a work of nonfiction. Berendt skillfully interweaves a hugely entertaining first-person account of life in this isolated remnant of the Old South with the unpredictable twists and turns of a landmark murder case. It is a spellbinding story peopled by a gallery of remarkable characters: the well-bred society ladies of the Married Woman's Card Club; the turbulent young redneck gigolo; the hapless recluse who owns a bottle of poison so powerful it could kill every man, woman, and child in Savannah; the aging and profane Southern belle who is the "soul of pampered self-absorption"; the uproariously funny black drag queen; the acerbic and arrogant antiques dealer; the sweet-talking, piano-playing con artist; young blacks dancing the minuet at the black debutante ball; and Minerva, the voodoo priestess who works her magic in the graveyard at midnight. These and other Savannahians act as a Greek chorus, with Berendt revealing the alliances, hostilities, and intrigues that thrive in a town where everyone knows everyone else. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a sublime and seductive reading experience. Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, this true-crime book has become a modern classic.

Author : Isabel Sanchez Vegara
Publisher : Frances Lincoln Children's Books
ISBN 13 : 1786037475
Total Pages : 35 pages
Book Rating : 4.73/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Mary Shelley written by Isabel Sanchez Vegara and published by Frances Lincoln Children's Books. This book was released on 2019-10 with total page 35 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: New in the critically acclaimed Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the incredible life of Mary Shelley, the English novelist and creator of Frankenstein. When Mary Shelley was a little girl, she used to write stories beneath the trees in her garden. As an adult, Mary was inspired by this same imagination to create a ghost story, which became the famous novel: Frankenstein. This gripping book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the novelist's life. Little People, BIG DREAMS is a best-selling series of books and educational games that explore the lives of outstanding people, from designers and artists to scientists and activists. All of them achieved incredible things, yet each began life as a child with a dream. This empowering series offers inspiring messages to children of all ages, in a range of formats. The board books are told in simple sentences, perfect for reading aloud to babies and toddlers. The hardcover versions present expanded stories for beginning readers. Boxed gift sets allow you to collect a selection of the books by theme. Paper dolls, learning cards, matching games, and other fun learning tools provide even more ways to make the lives of these role models accessible to children. Inspire the next generation of outstanding people who will change the world with Little People, BIG DREAMS!

Author : Sarah Waters
Publisher : Harper Collins
ISBN 13 : 0062030302
Total Pages : 190 pages
Book Rating : 4.06/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Dancing with Mr. Darcy written by Sarah Waters and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2010-10-19 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “What a wonderful collection! Each story is like a little treasure just waiting to be unwrapped, bringing its own unique and engaging perspective to the Austen mythos. A real treat for Jane Austen fans.” —Syrie James, bestselling author of The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen and Dracula, My Love Dancing with Mr. Darcy is a sterling collection of short stories inspired by beloved novelist Jane Austen and Chawton House, her longtime home. Edited by Sarah Waters, a bestselling author shortlisted for Great Britain’s Booker Prize, this exceptional anthology features the winning entries in the Jane Austen Short Story Award 2009, a literary competition which celebrates the bicentenary of Jane Austen’s arrival in the village of Chawton, where she spent the most productive years of her writing life. Any reader who’s been captivated by Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, or the other unforgettable excursions into Austen’s literary world will find Dancing with Mr. Darcy an unparalleled delight.