From Publishers WeeklySo little evidence of Shakespeare's life exists that biographers have had to resort to sometimes far-fetched guesswork to flesh out a vivid chronicle of his days. Many of them would benefit from the healthy dose of common sense evident in Honan's latest critical study. As a leading biographer of Robert Browning and Jane Austen, Honan brings a sensible eye to the Sisyphean task of sifting through what is now called the "Shakespeare Industry." Synthesizing documentary material on Renaissance England with the latest scholarship?be it Helen Vendler on the sonnets or Leeds Barroll on politics and plague in Elizabethan London?Honan attempts to link, perhaps a little too closely, the Bard's life experiences with his literary representations. In an examination of Shakespeare's schooling, Honan refutes the oft-cited remark that he had "small Latin and less Greek" and finds analogies to his student years in such plays as The Merry Wives of Windsor and Hamlet. Honan vibrantly depicts Renaissance urban life, where "the theatre [was] a quick-paced, disenchanting funfair; with jigs, dancing, dumb-shows and clowns' acts interlaced with drama." Despite his insistence on historical context, however, Honan reserves most of his critical energies for the poet's high tragedies. In Hamlet, "pathos arises from his hero's idealization of a prior normalcy"; Othello contains a "flawless structure of feeling"; and Antony and Cleopatra investigates "non-literal truth, in myth, fable, and implicit connections between historical epochs." Studies of Shakespeare frequently reflect hotly contested trends in literary criticism; this biography's value, by contrast, lies in its responsibly researched, unflinching look at what is indisputably the artist's real achievement: "Far from soothing an audience," Honan writes, "Shakespeare depicts human nature in ways that are at once truthful and deeply troubling."Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library JournalHonan (English, emeritus, Univ. of Leeds), author of biographies of Jane Austen, Matthew Arnold, and Robert Browning, aims to create the most up-to-date and accurate narrative of the bard's life yet penned. Dismissive of other writers who, in his view, have imagined moments and motives in Shakespeare's life, he tries to rely on documentary and contextualized fact. The result is a blow-by-blow account of Shakespeare's life from birth to death, with some attention paid to the historical, political, and social world Shakespeare inhabited. Extensive notes and a study of the biographical writings on Shakespeare to date conclude the work. At times this biography is overwritten for its target audience, the general public, and it can be slow reading. However, as the most up-to-date biography of Shakespeare, and certainly one of the most complete linear narratives, it is useful and therefore recommended for academic and larger public libraries.?Neal Wyatt, Chesterfield Cty. P.L., VACopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. Views: 43
Erotica/Romance. 15390 words long. First published in 2007, 2007 Views: 43
Dive into another exciting magical adventure for girls -- will you answer the call of Silver Dolphins?It's the Spring holidays and there's a surprise visit from Cai's parents from Australia. But they've got unwelcome news -- Antonia is devastated to learn that best friend Cai might be emigrating to Australia or moving back to the city.Cai faces an impossible choice: does he move to the city so he can still visit Antonia but give up being a Silver Dolphin or does he learn to answer the call in Australia without his best friend?Meanwhile a minke whale keeps getting stranded in the estuary. Antonia and Cai join forces with the local fishermen and the coast guard to try to save the whale but it keeps returning. Can there be another reason for its strange behaviour? And could this really be the end of Silver Dolphins for Cai? Views: 43
At the precipice of a major disarmament plan, Soviet intrigue threatens to tip the world into all-out war The treaty is so simple that the American president can hardly believe his luck. In exchange for a few million tons of grain, the Russians, gripped by famine, will withdraw all troops and missiles from Eastern Europe. What's more, this great success comes in an election year! It's too good to be true—and something is about to go wrong. As soon as the first grain shipments arrive, the Politburo plans to disrupt the disarmament talks, allowing them to tactfully back out of their half of the bargain. The whole Soviet plan rests on the shoulders of KGB Agent Altmann, a Holocaust survivor who's much cleverer than his handlers realize. Altmann knows that the KGB is wary of him, and one way or another, this lone spy is about to change the world. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Brian Freemantle including rare photos from the author's personal collection. Views: 43
STOP. You should not have touched this flyer with your bare hands. NO, don't put it down. It's too late. They're watching you. My name is David Wong. My best friend is John. Those names are fake. You might want to change yours. You may not want to know about the things you'll read on these pages, about the sauce, about Korrok, about the invasion, and the future. But it's too late. You touched the book. You're in the game. You're under the eye. The only defense is knowledge. You need to read this book, to the end. Even the part with the bratwurst. Why? You just have to trust me.
The important thing is this: The drug is called Soy Sauce and it gives users a window into another dimension. John and I never had the chance to say no. You still do. I'm sorry to have involved you in this, I really am. But as you read about these terrible events and the very dark epoch the world is about to enter as a result, it is crucial you keep one thing in mind: None of this was my fault. ________________________________
David Wong has updated the Lovecraft tradition and infused it with humor that rather than lessening the horror, increases it dramatically. Views: 43
Before TV's warrior princess, before the golden lasso, fiction's first major Warrior-Woman was Bradamant, the heroine of Ludovico Ariosto's classic 16th century poem, "Orlando Furioso." In 7th century Europe of myths, gods and monsters, Bradamant vanquishes evil knights, rescues the unfortunate, fights black magic and destroys entire armies in her adventurous quest for her lost lover, Roggero, an enemy knight she once rescued at the risk of her own life. Roggero in turn must battle monsters, giants and evil sorceresses in his quest to bo reunited with Bradmant in this epic retelling of her story, with new, original illustrations by the author and by Gustave Dore from his classic 19th century edition of "Orlando Furioso."** Views: 43
A science-fiction spinoff. Views: 42
EDITORIAL REVIEW:
THE FIREBRAND OF FREEDOM VALLEY
Since Kylie Bennett's return to her hometown, Michael Cusack had been painfully conscious of her metamorphosis from girl to lush woman, and of his need to belong to a close family like the Bennetts. Kylie's teenage crush on him had gone untested, for Michael was a protector of women and had refused to sacrifice her innocence. Now Kylie played "not interested"...but her kisses revealed hidden fires. Could it be that she still carried a torch for him? And, like his own slow fever, had it been simmering intensely for all these years...? Views: 42
The Thief When Trevor Claremont was blind-sided by a pickpocket on the docks beside his clipper ship, he tracked down the culprit--only to face a feisty, emerald-eyed beauty who stirred his hungriest desires. Seeing a solution to his pressing problem of finding a bride to please his dying grandmother, he offered her a deal: marriage to him...or prison, never imaging that this little cut-purse would also steal his heart.The Sea CaptainKristen Johnstone realized she’d been outfoxed by this handsome Englishman and reluctantly agreed to a marriage in name only. Soon, she traded rags for resplendent gowns, black alleys for drawing rooms, and fury for fiery passion in the arms of her new husband. But when the scandalous secrets of her past came to light, she would risk everything, including her heart to save a love more precious than gold. Views: 42
