Author: Peter Ackroyd
Publisher: Anchor
ISBN: 030738702X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 226
Book Description
From the author of Chatterton and Shakespeare: A Biography comes a gripping novel set in London that re-imagines an infamous 19th-century Shakespeare forgery. Charles and Mary Lamb, who will in time achieve lasting fame as the authors of Tales from Shakespeare for Children, are still living at home, caring for their dotty and maddening parents. Reading Shakespeare is the siblings’ favorite reprieve, and they are delighted when an ambitious young bookseller comes into their lives claiming to possess a ‘lost’ Shakespearea play. Soon all of London is eagerly anticipating opening night of a star-studded production of the play not knowing that they have all been duped by charlatan and a fraud.
The Lambs of London
Author: Peter Ackroyd
Publisher: Anchor
ISBN: 030738702X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 226
Book Description
From the author of Chatterton and Shakespeare: A Biography comes a gripping novel set in London that re-imagines an infamous 19th-century Shakespeare forgery. Charles and Mary Lamb, who will in time achieve lasting fame as the authors of Tales from Shakespeare for Children, are still living at home, caring for their dotty and maddening parents. Reading Shakespeare is the siblings’ favorite reprieve, and they are delighted when an ambitious young bookseller comes into their lives claiming to possess a ‘lost’ Shakespearea play. Soon all of London is eagerly anticipating opening night of a star-studded production of the play not knowing that they have all been duped by charlatan and a fraud.
Publisher: Anchor
ISBN: 030738702X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 226
Book Description
From the author of Chatterton and Shakespeare: A Biography comes a gripping novel set in London that re-imagines an infamous 19th-century Shakespeare forgery. Charles and Mary Lamb, who will in time achieve lasting fame as the authors of Tales from Shakespeare for Children, are still living at home, caring for their dotty and maddening parents. Reading Shakespeare is the siblings’ favorite reprieve, and they are delighted when an ambitious young bookseller comes into their lives claiming to possess a ‘lost’ Shakespearea play. Soon all of London is eagerly anticipating opening night of a star-studded production of the play not knowing that they have all been duped by charlatan and a fraud.
The works of Charles and Mary Lamb, ed. by E.V. Lucas
Author: Charles Lamb
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 544
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 544
Book Description
The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb
Author: Charles Lamb
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 542
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 542
Book Description
The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb: Letters, 1821-1834
Author: Charles Lamb
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Authors, English
Languages : en
Pages : 544
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Authors, English
Languages : en
Pages : 544
Book Description
Delphi Complete Works of Charles and Mary Lamb (Illustrated)
Author: Charles Lamb
Publisher: Delphi Classics
ISBN: 1786560720
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 3766
Book Description
In the early years of the nineteenth century, Charles and Mary Lamb published several children’s books, including the famous ‘Tales from Shakespeare’, which would have a lasting influence on the course of children’s literature. Charles Lamb is also notable for his essays under the pseudonym Elia for the London Magazine. His style is highly personal and mannered, conjuring nostalgic scenes with humour and pathos. This comprehensive eBook presents Charles and Mary Lamb’s complete works, with numerous illustrations, rare texts appearing in digital print for the first time, informative introductions and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1) * Beautifully illustrated with images relating to the authors’ lives and works * Concise introductions to the famous texts * Images of how the books were first published, giving your eReader a taste of the original texts * Excellent formatting of the texts * Famous works such as ‘Tales from Shakespeare’ and ‘The Adventures of Ulysses’ are fully illustrated with their original artwork * Special chronological and alphabetical contents tables for the poetry * Easily locate the poems you want to read * Includes Lamb’s complete prose works * Features Charles and Mary Lamb’s letters - spend hours exploring the authors’ personal correspondence * Special criticism section, with 9 essays evaluating Charles Lamb’s contribution to literature * Features four biographies, including Gilchrist’s seminal work on Mary Lamb - discover the authors’ intriguing lives * Scholarly ordering of texts into chronological order and literary genres Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of exciting titles CONTENTS: The Collaborative Works JOHN WOODVIL TALES FROM SHAKESPEARE MRS. LEICESTER’S SCHOOL POETRY FOR CHILDREN Charles Lamb’s Fiction A TALE OF ROSAMUND GRAY AND OLD BLIND MARGARET THE ADVENTURES OF ULYSSES Charles Lamb’s Plays MR H.; OR BEWARE A BAD NAME THE PAWNBROKER’S DAUGHTER THE WITCH THE WIFE’S TRIAL Charles Lamb’s Non-Fiction ON THE TRAGEDIES OF SHAKESPEARE WITCHES AND OTHER NIGHT FEARS ELIA AND THE LAST ESSAYS OF ELIA RECOLLECTIONS OF CHRIST’S HOSPITAL MISCELLANEOUS PROSE Charles Lamb’s Poetry POEMS FROM BLANK VERSE THE KING AND QUEEN OF HEARTS PRINCE DORUS SATAN IN SEARCH OF A WIFE ALBUM VERSES MISCELLANEOUS POEMS The Poems LIST OF POEMS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER LIST OF POEMS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER Mary Lamb’s Essay ON NEEDLE-WORK BY ‘SEMPRONIA’ The Letters THE LETTERS OF CHARLES AND MARY LAMB The Criticism CHARLES LAMB by Thomas de Quincey ELIA, AND GEOFFREY CRAYON by William Hazlitt CHARLES LAMB by Walter Pater CHARLES LAMB by Arthur Symons CHARLES LAMB by John Cowper Powys CHARLES LAMB by Charles Edwyn Vaughan CHARLES LAMB by S. P. B. Mais CHARLES LAMB by Hattie Tyng Griswold CHARLES LAMB by Augustine Birrell THE LETTERS OF CHARLES LAMB by Augustine Birrell CHARLES LAMB by A. St. John Adcock The Biographies CHARLES LAMB by Walter Jerrold CHARLES LAMB: A MEMOIR by Barry Cornwall CHARLES LAMB by Alfred Ainger MARY LAMB by Mrs. Gilchrist Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of exciting titles or to purchase this eBook as a Parts Edition of individual eBooks
Publisher: Delphi Classics
ISBN: 1786560720
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 3766
Book Description
In the early years of the nineteenth century, Charles and Mary Lamb published several children’s books, including the famous ‘Tales from Shakespeare’, which would have a lasting influence on the course of children’s literature. Charles Lamb is also notable for his essays under the pseudonym Elia for the London Magazine. His style is highly personal and mannered, conjuring nostalgic scenes with humour and pathos. This comprehensive eBook presents Charles and Mary Lamb’s complete works, with numerous illustrations, rare texts appearing in digital print for the first time, informative introductions and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1) * Beautifully illustrated with images relating to the authors’ lives and works * Concise introductions to the famous texts * Images of how the books were first published, giving your eReader a taste of the original texts * Excellent formatting of the texts * Famous works such as ‘Tales from Shakespeare’ and ‘The Adventures of Ulysses’ are fully illustrated with their original artwork * Special chronological and alphabetical contents tables for the poetry * Easily locate the poems you want to read * Includes Lamb’s complete prose works * Features Charles and Mary Lamb’s letters - spend hours exploring the authors’ personal correspondence * Special criticism section, with 9 essays evaluating Charles Lamb’s contribution to literature * Features four biographies, including Gilchrist’s seminal work on Mary Lamb - discover the authors’ intriguing lives * Scholarly ordering of texts into chronological order and literary genres Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of exciting titles CONTENTS: The Collaborative Works JOHN WOODVIL TALES FROM SHAKESPEARE MRS. LEICESTER’S SCHOOL POETRY FOR CHILDREN Charles Lamb’s Fiction A TALE OF ROSAMUND GRAY AND OLD BLIND MARGARET THE ADVENTURES OF ULYSSES Charles Lamb’s Plays MR H.; OR BEWARE A BAD NAME THE PAWNBROKER’S DAUGHTER THE WITCH THE WIFE’S TRIAL Charles Lamb’s Non-Fiction ON THE TRAGEDIES OF SHAKESPEARE WITCHES AND OTHER NIGHT FEARS ELIA AND THE LAST ESSAYS OF ELIA RECOLLECTIONS OF CHRIST’S HOSPITAL MISCELLANEOUS PROSE Charles Lamb’s Poetry POEMS FROM BLANK VERSE THE KING AND QUEEN OF HEARTS PRINCE DORUS SATAN IN SEARCH OF A WIFE ALBUM VERSES MISCELLANEOUS POEMS The Poems LIST OF POEMS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER LIST OF POEMS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER Mary Lamb’s Essay ON NEEDLE-WORK BY ‘SEMPRONIA’ The Letters THE LETTERS OF CHARLES AND MARY LAMB The Criticism CHARLES LAMB by Thomas de Quincey ELIA, AND GEOFFREY CRAYON by William Hazlitt CHARLES LAMB by Walter Pater CHARLES LAMB by Arthur Symons CHARLES LAMB by John Cowper Powys CHARLES LAMB by Charles Edwyn Vaughan CHARLES LAMB by S. P. B. Mais CHARLES LAMB by Hattie Tyng Griswold CHARLES LAMB by Augustine Birrell THE LETTERS OF CHARLES LAMB by Augustine Birrell CHARLES LAMB by A. St. John Adcock The Biographies CHARLES LAMB by Walter Jerrold CHARLES LAMB: A MEMOIR by Barry Cornwall CHARLES LAMB by Alfred Ainger MARY LAMB by Mrs. Gilchrist Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of exciting titles or to purchase this eBook as a Parts Edition of individual eBooks
A Different Kind of Normal
Author: Cathy Lamb
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp.
ISBN: 0758279930
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 416
Book Description
From acclaimed author Cathy Lamb comes a warm and poignant story about mothers and sons, family and forgiveness--and loving someone enough to let them be true to themselves. . . Jaden Bruxelle knows that life is precious. She sees it in her work as a hospice nurse, a job filled with compassion and humor even on the saddest days. And she sees it in Tate, the boy she has raised as her son ever since her sister gave him up at birth. Tate is seventeen, academically brilliant, funny, and loving. He's also a talented basketball player despite having been born with an abnormally large head--something Jaden's mother blames on a family curse. Jaden dismisses that as nonsense, just as she ignores the legends about witches and magic in the family. Over the years, Jaden has focused all her energy on her job and on sheltering Tate from the world. Tate, for his part, just wants to be a regular kid. Through his blog, he's slowly reaching out, finding his voice. He wants to try out for the Varsity basketball team. He wants his mom to focus on her own life for a change, maybe even date again. Jaden knows she needs to let go--of Tate, of her fears and anger, and of the responsibilities she uses as a shield. And through a series of unexpected events and revelations, she's about to learn how. Because as dear as life may be, its only real value comes when we are willing to live it fully, even if that means risking it all. Beautifully written, tender and true, A Different Kind of Normal is a story about embracing love and adventure, and learning to look ahead for the first time. . .
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp.
ISBN: 0758279930
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 416
Book Description
From acclaimed author Cathy Lamb comes a warm and poignant story about mothers and sons, family and forgiveness--and loving someone enough to let them be true to themselves. . . Jaden Bruxelle knows that life is precious. She sees it in her work as a hospice nurse, a job filled with compassion and humor even on the saddest days. And she sees it in Tate, the boy she has raised as her son ever since her sister gave him up at birth. Tate is seventeen, academically brilliant, funny, and loving. He's also a talented basketball player despite having been born with an abnormally large head--something Jaden's mother blames on a family curse. Jaden dismisses that as nonsense, just as she ignores the legends about witches and magic in the family. Over the years, Jaden has focused all her energy on her job and on sheltering Tate from the world. Tate, for his part, just wants to be a regular kid. Through his blog, he's slowly reaching out, finding his voice. He wants to try out for the Varsity basketball team. He wants his mom to focus on her own life for a change, maybe even date again. Jaden knows she needs to let go--of Tate, of her fears and anger, and of the responsibilities she uses as a shield. And through a series of unexpected events and revelations, she's about to learn how. Because as dear as life may be, its only real value comes when we are willing to live it fully, even if that means risking it all. Beautifully written, tender and true, A Different Kind of Normal is a story about embracing love and adventure, and learning to look ahead for the first time. . .
The Collected Works of Charles Lamb and Mary Lamb
Author: Charles Lamb
Publisher: Good Press
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 3752
Book Description
This eBook edition of "The Collected Works of Charles Lamb and Mary Lamb" has been formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. Essays of Elia is a collection of essays written by Charles Lamb, first published in book form in 1823, with a second volume, Last Essays of Elia, issued in 1833. The essays in the collection first began appearing in The London Magazine in 1820 and continued to 1825. The personal and conversational tone of the essays has charmed many readers. Lamb himself is the Elia of the collection, and his sister Mary is "Cousin Bridget." Charles first used the pseudonym Elia for an essay on the South Sea House, where he had worked decades earlier; Elia was the last name of an Italian man who worked there at the same time as Charles, and after that essay the name stuck. Tales from Shakespeare is an English children's book written by Charles and Mary Lamb in 1807. The book is designed to make the stories of Shakespeare's plays familiar to the young. Mary Lamb was responsible for the comedies, while Charles wrote the tragedies; they wrote the preface between them. Volume 1: Curious fragments, extracted from a commonplace-book which belonged to Robert Burton, the famous Author of "The Anatomy of Melancholy" Early Journalism Characters of Dramatic Writers, Contemporary with Shakspeare On the Inconveniences Resulting from Being Hanged On the Danger of Confounding Moral with Personal Deformity: with a Hint to those who have the Framing of Advertisements for Apprehending Offenders... Volume 2: Essays of Elia Last Essays of Elia Volume 3: Tales from Shakespeare The Adventures of Ulysses Mrs. Leicester's School The King and Queen of Hearts Poetry for Children Three Poems Not in "Poetry for Children" Prince Dorus Volume 4: Rosamund Gray, Essays, Etc. Poems Album Verses, With a Few Others Volume 5: The Letters of Charles and Mary Lamb (1796-1820) Volume 6: The Letters of Charles and Mary Lamb (1821-1842)
Publisher: Good Press
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 3752
Book Description
This eBook edition of "The Collected Works of Charles Lamb and Mary Lamb" has been formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. Essays of Elia is a collection of essays written by Charles Lamb, first published in book form in 1823, with a second volume, Last Essays of Elia, issued in 1833. The essays in the collection first began appearing in The London Magazine in 1820 and continued to 1825. The personal and conversational tone of the essays has charmed many readers. Lamb himself is the Elia of the collection, and his sister Mary is "Cousin Bridget." Charles first used the pseudonym Elia for an essay on the South Sea House, where he had worked decades earlier; Elia was the last name of an Italian man who worked there at the same time as Charles, and after that essay the name stuck. Tales from Shakespeare is an English children's book written by Charles and Mary Lamb in 1807. The book is designed to make the stories of Shakespeare's plays familiar to the young. Mary Lamb was responsible for the comedies, while Charles wrote the tragedies; they wrote the preface between them. Volume 1: Curious fragments, extracted from a commonplace-book which belonged to Robert Burton, the famous Author of "The Anatomy of Melancholy" Early Journalism Characters of Dramatic Writers, Contemporary with Shakspeare On the Inconveniences Resulting from Being Hanged On the Danger of Confounding Moral with Personal Deformity: with a Hint to those who have the Framing of Advertisements for Apprehending Offenders... Volume 2: Essays of Elia Last Essays of Elia Volume 3: Tales from Shakespeare The Adventures of Ulysses Mrs. Leicester's School The King and Queen of Hearts Poetry for Children Three Poems Not in "Poetry for Children" Prince Dorus Volume 4: Rosamund Gray, Essays, Etc. Poems Album Verses, With a Few Others Volume 5: The Letters of Charles and Mary Lamb (1796-1820) Volume 6: The Letters of Charles and Mary Lamb (1821-1842)
The Complete Works of Charles Lamb and Mary Lamb. Illustrated
Author: Charles Lamb
Publisher: Strelbytskyy Multimedia Publishing
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 4307
Book Description
Dive into the literary world of Charles Lamb and Mary Lamb with this comprehensive collection of their complete works, elegantly illustrated for a delightful reading experience. The anthology features timeless classics such as "Tales from Shakespeare," a captivating retelling of the Bard's plays designed for young readers. The collection also includes Charles Lamb's famous "Essays of Elia," a series of brilliant and personal essays that showcase his wit, humor, and keen observations on life. Readers will be transported to the enchanting realm of Greek mythology with "The Adventures of Ulysses," providing a unique perspective on Homer's epic. The illustrated edition enhances the literary journey, bringing these masterpieces to life with visual interpretations that complement the richness of the prose. Whether you're revisiting beloved tales or discovering the Lamb siblings' works for the first time, this collection is a treasure trove of literary gems that captures the essence of their enduring contribution to English literature. The Collaborative Works JOHN WOODVIL TALES FROM SHAKESPEARE MRS. LEICESTER’S SCHOOL POETRY FOR CHILDREN Charles Lamb’s Fiction A TALE OF ROSAMUND GRAY AND OLD BLIND MARGARET THE ADVENTURES OF ULYSSES Charles Lamb’s Plays MR H.; OR BEWARE A BAD NAME THE PAWNBROKER’S DAUGHTER THE WITCH THE WIFE’S TRIAL Charles Lamb’s Non-Fiction ON THE TRAGEDIES OF SHAKESPEARE WITCHES AND OTHER NIGHT FEARS ELIA AND THE LAST ESSAYS OF ELIA RECOLLECTIONS OF CHRIST’S HOSPITAL MISCELLANEOUS PROSE Charles Lamb’s Poetry POEMS FROM BLANK VERSE THE KING AND QUEEN OF HEARTS PRINCE DORUS SATAN IN SEARCH OF A WIFE ALBUM VERSES MISCELLANEOUS POEMS Mary Lamb’s Essay ON NEEDLE-WORK BY ‘SEMPRONIA’ The Letters THE LETTERS OF CHARLES AND MARY LAMB The Criticism CHARLES LAMB by Thomas de Quincey ELIA, AND GEOFFREY CRAYON by William Hazlitt CHARLES LAMB by Walter Pater CHARLES LAMB by Arthur Symons CHARLES LAMB by John Cowper Powys CHARLES LAMB by Charles Edwyn Vaughan CHARLES LAMB by S. P. B. Mais CHARLES LAMB by Hattie Tyng Griswold CHARLES LAMB by Augustine Birrell THE LETTERS OF CHARLES LAMB by Augustine Birrell CHARLES LAMB by A. St. John Adcock
Publisher: Strelbytskyy Multimedia Publishing
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 4307
Book Description
Dive into the literary world of Charles Lamb and Mary Lamb with this comprehensive collection of their complete works, elegantly illustrated for a delightful reading experience. The anthology features timeless classics such as "Tales from Shakespeare," a captivating retelling of the Bard's plays designed for young readers. The collection also includes Charles Lamb's famous "Essays of Elia," a series of brilliant and personal essays that showcase his wit, humor, and keen observations on life. Readers will be transported to the enchanting realm of Greek mythology with "The Adventures of Ulysses," providing a unique perspective on Homer's epic. The illustrated edition enhances the literary journey, bringing these masterpieces to life with visual interpretations that complement the richness of the prose. Whether you're revisiting beloved tales or discovering the Lamb siblings' works for the first time, this collection is a treasure trove of literary gems that captures the essence of their enduring contribution to English literature. The Collaborative Works JOHN WOODVIL TALES FROM SHAKESPEARE MRS. LEICESTER’S SCHOOL POETRY FOR CHILDREN Charles Lamb’s Fiction A TALE OF ROSAMUND GRAY AND OLD BLIND MARGARET THE ADVENTURES OF ULYSSES Charles Lamb’s Plays MR H.; OR BEWARE A BAD NAME THE PAWNBROKER’S DAUGHTER THE WITCH THE WIFE’S TRIAL Charles Lamb’s Non-Fiction ON THE TRAGEDIES OF SHAKESPEARE WITCHES AND OTHER NIGHT FEARS ELIA AND THE LAST ESSAYS OF ELIA RECOLLECTIONS OF CHRIST’S HOSPITAL MISCELLANEOUS PROSE Charles Lamb’s Poetry POEMS FROM BLANK VERSE THE KING AND QUEEN OF HEARTS PRINCE DORUS SATAN IN SEARCH OF A WIFE ALBUM VERSES MISCELLANEOUS POEMS Mary Lamb’s Essay ON NEEDLE-WORK BY ‘SEMPRONIA’ The Letters THE LETTERS OF CHARLES AND MARY LAMB The Criticism CHARLES LAMB by Thomas de Quincey ELIA, AND GEOFFREY CRAYON by William Hazlitt CHARLES LAMB by Walter Pater CHARLES LAMB by Arthur Symons CHARLES LAMB by John Cowper Powys CHARLES LAMB by Charles Edwyn Vaughan CHARLES LAMB by S. P. B. Mais CHARLES LAMB by Hattie Tyng Griswold CHARLES LAMB by Augustine Birrell THE LETTERS OF CHARLES LAMB by Augustine Birrell CHARLES LAMB by A. St. John Adcock
Black Lamb and Grey Falcon
Author: Rebecca Lamb
Publisher: Canongate Books
ISBN: 1847674739
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 1217
Book Description
With an introduction by Geoff Dyer First published in 1942, Rebecca West’s epic masterpiece is widely regarded as the most illuminating book to have been written on what was once Yugoslavia, essential for anyone attempting to understand the enigmatic history of the Balkan states. ‘West’s masterpiece [is] one of the great twentieth-century books of any genre.’ Independent ‘Impossible to put down, both timeless and of its time—a travel book and epic narrative history brimming with passion, anger, scholarship and intuition, hatred and love.’ Observer ‘Such incandescent writing—you find yourself wanting to mark every sentence in order to go back and relish it again.’ Brian Eno ‘One of the supreme masterpieces of the twentieth century . . . As a book about Yugoslavia it’s a kind of metaphysical Lonely Planet that never requires updating . . . this is history as it might have been written by Ryszard Kapuscinski or Gabriel García Márquez .’ Geoff Dyer, from his introduction ‘It is hard to convey the flavour of a book so rich in observation, history, philosophy, political ideas and ironic humour. West is full of digressions which are extraordinary, but never boring.’ The Times ‘The sheer quality and depth of the writing make it one of the great books of the century.’ Times Literary Supplement
Publisher: Canongate Books
ISBN: 1847674739
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 1217
Book Description
With an introduction by Geoff Dyer First published in 1942, Rebecca West’s epic masterpiece is widely regarded as the most illuminating book to have been written on what was once Yugoslavia, essential for anyone attempting to understand the enigmatic history of the Balkan states. ‘West’s masterpiece [is] one of the great twentieth-century books of any genre.’ Independent ‘Impossible to put down, both timeless and of its time—a travel book and epic narrative history brimming with passion, anger, scholarship and intuition, hatred and love.’ Observer ‘Such incandescent writing—you find yourself wanting to mark every sentence in order to go back and relish it again.’ Brian Eno ‘One of the supreme masterpieces of the twentieth century . . . As a book about Yugoslavia it’s a kind of metaphysical Lonely Planet that never requires updating . . . this is history as it might have been written by Ryszard Kapuscinski or Gabriel García Márquez .’ Geoff Dyer, from his introduction ‘It is hard to convey the flavour of a book so rich in observation, history, philosophy, political ideas and ironic humour. West is full of digressions which are extraordinary, but never boring.’ The Times ‘The sheer quality and depth of the writing make it one of the great books of the century.’ Times Literary Supplement
I Know This Much Is True
Author: Wally Lamb
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780060391621
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 884
Book Description
With his stunning debut novel, She's Come Undone, Wally Lamb won the adulation of critics and readers with his mesmerizing tale of one woman's painful yet triumphant journey of self-discovery. Now, this brilliantly talented writer returns with I Know This Much Is True, a heartbreaking and poignant multigenerational saga of the reproductive bonds of destruction and the powerful force of forgiveness. A masterpiece that breathtakingly tells a story of alienation and connection, power and abuse, devastation and renewal--this novel is a contemporary retelling of an ancient Hindu myth. A proud king must confront his demons to achieve salvation. Change yourself, the myth instructs, and you will inhabit a renovated world. When you're the same brother of a schizophrenic identical twin, the tricky thing about saving yourself is the blood it leaves on your bands--the little inconvenience of the look-alike corpse at your feet. And if you're into both survival of the fittest and being your brother's keeper--if you've promised your dying mother--then say so long to sleep and hello to the middle of the night. Grab a book or a beer. Get used to Letterman's gap-toothed smile of the absurd, or the view of the bedroom ceiling, or the influence of random selection. Take it from a godless insomniac. Take it from the uncrazy twin--the guy who beat the biochemical rap. Dominick Birdsey's entire life has been compromised and constricted by anger and fear, by the paranoid schizophrenic twin brother he both deeply loves and resents, and by the past they shared with their adoptive father, Ray, a spit-and-polish ex-Navy man (the five-foot-six-inch sleeping giant who snoozed upstairs weekdays in the spare room and built submarines at night), and their long-suffering mother, Concettina, a timid woman with a harelip that made her shy and self-conscious: She holds a loose fist to her face to cover her defective mouth--her perpetual apology to the world for a birth defect over which she'd had no control. Born in the waning moments of 1949 and the opening minutes of 1950, the twins are physical mirror images who grow into separate yet connected entities: the seemingly strong and protective yet fearful Dominick, his mother's watchful "monkey"; and the seemingly weak and sweet yet noble Thomas, his mother's gentle "bunny." From childhood, Dominick fights for both separation and wholeness--and ultimately self-protection--in a house of fear dominated by Ray, a bully who abuses his power over these stepsons whose biological father is a mystery. I was still afraid of his anger but saw how he punished weakness--pounced on it. Out of self-preservation I hid my fear, Dominick confesses. As for Thomas, he just never knew how to play defense. He just didn't get it. But Dominick's talent for survival comes at an enormous cost, including the breakup of his marriage to the warm, beautiful Dessa, whom he still loves. And it will be put to the ultimate test when Thomas, a Bible-spouting zealot, commits an unthinkable act that threatens the tenuous balance of both his and Dominick's lives. To save himself, Dominick must confront not only the pain of his past but the dark secrets he has locked deep within himself, and the sins of his ancestors--a quest that will lead him beyond the confines of his blue-collar New England town to the volcanic foothills of Sicily 's Mount Etna, where his ambitious and vengefully proud grandfather and a namesake Domenico Tempesta, the sostegno del famiglia, was born. Each of the stories Ma told us about Papa reinforced the message that he was the boss, that he ruled the roost, that what he said went. Searching for answers, Dominick turns to the whispers of the dead, to the pages of his grandfather's handwritten memoir, The History of Domenico Onofrio Tempesta, a Great Man from Humble Beginnings. Rendered with touches of magic realism, Domenico's fablelike tale--in which monkeys enchant and religious statues weep--becomes the old man's confession--an unwitting legacy of contrition that reveals the truth's of Domenico's life, Dominick learns that power, wrongly used, defeats the oppressor as well as the oppressed, and now, picking through the humble shards of his deconstructed life, he will search for the courage and love to forgive, to expiate his and his ancestors' transgressions, and finally to rebuild himself beyond the haunted shadow of his twin. Set against the vivid panoply of twentieth-century America and filled with richly drawn, memorable characters, this deeply moving and thoroughly satisfying novel brings to light humanity's deepest needs and fears, our aloneness, our desire for love and acceptance, our struggle to survive at all costs. Joyous, mystical, and exquisitely written, I Know This Much Is True is an extraordinary reading experience that will leave no reader untouched.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780060391621
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 884
Book Description
With his stunning debut novel, She's Come Undone, Wally Lamb won the adulation of critics and readers with his mesmerizing tale of one woman's painful yet triumphant journey of self-discovery. Now, this brilliantly talented writer returns with I Know This Much Is True, a heartbreaking and poignant multigenerational saga of the reproductive bonds of destruction and the powerful force of forgiveness. A masterpiece that breathtakingly tells a story of alienation and connection, power and abuse, devastation and renewal--this novel is a contemporary retelling of an ancient Hindu myth. A proud king must confront his demons to achieve salvation. Change yourself, the myth instructs, and you will inhabit a renovated world. When you're the same brother of a schizophrenic identical twin, the tricky thing about saving yourself is the blood it leaves on your bands--the little inconvenience of the look-alike corpse at your feet. And if you're into both survival of the fittest and being your brother's keeper--if you've promised your dying mother--then say so long to sleep and hello to the middle of the night. Grab a book or a beer. Get used to Letterman's gap-toothed smile of the absurd, or the view of the bedroom ceiling, or the influence of random selection. Take it from a godless insomniac. Take it from the uncrazy twin--the guy who beat the biochemical rap. Dominick Birdsey's entire life has been compromised and constricted by anger and fear, by the paranoid schizophrenic twin brother he both deeply loves and resents, and by the past they shared with their adoptive father, Ray, a spit-and-polish ex-Navy man (the five-foot-six-inch sleeping giant who snoozed upstairs weekdays in the spare room and built submarines at night), and their long-suffering mother, Concettina, a timid woman with a harelip that made her shy and self-conscious: She holds a loose fist to her face to cover her defective mouth--her perpetual apology to the world for a birth defect over which she'd had no control. Born in the waning moments of 1949 and the opening minutes of 1950, the twins are physical mirror images who grow into separate yet connected entities: the seemingly strong and protective yet fearful Dominick, his mother's watchful "monkey"; and the seemingly weak and sweet yet noble Thomas, his mother's gentle "bunny." From childhood, Dominick fights for both separation and wholeness--and ultimately self-protection--in a house of fear dominated by Ray, a bully who abuses his power over these stepsons whose biological father is a mystery. I was still afraid of his anger but saw how he punished weakness--pounced on it. Out of self-preservation I hid my fear, Dominick confesses. As for Thomas, he just never knew how to play defense. He just didn't get it. But Dominick's talent for survival comes at an enormous cost, including the breakup of his marriage to the warm, beautiful Dessa, whom he still loves. And it will be put to the ultimate test when Thomas, a Bible-spouting zealot, commits an unthinkable act that threatens the tenuous balance of both his and Dominick's lives. To save himself, Dominick must confront not only the pain of his past but the dark secrets he has locked deep within himself, and the sins of his ancestors--a quest that will lead him beyond the confines of his blue-collar New England town to the volcanic foothills of Sicily 's Mount Etna, where his ambitious and vengefully proud grandfather and a namesake Domenico Tempesta, the sostegno del famiglia, was born. Each of the stories Ma told us about Papa reinforced the message that he was the boss, that he ruled the roost, that what he said went. Searching for answers, Dominick turns to the whispers of the dead, to the pages of his grandfather's handwritten memoir, The History of Domenico Onofrio Tempesta, a Great Man from Humble Beginnings. Rendered with touches of magic realism, Domenico's fablelike tale--in which monkeys enchant and religious statues weep--becomes the old man's confession--an unwitting legacy of contrition that reveals the truth's of Domenico's life, Dominick learns that power, wrongly used, defeats the oppressor as well as the oppressed, and now, picking through the humble shards of his deconstructed life, he will search for the courage and love to forgive, to expiate his and his ancestors' transgressions, and finally to rebuild himself beyond the haunted shadow of his twin. Set against the vivid panoply of twentieth-century America and filled with richly drawn, memorable characters, this deeply moving and thoroughly satisfying novel brings to light humanity's deepest needs and fears, our aloneness, our desire for love and acceptance, our struggle to survive at all costs. Joyous, mystical, and exquisitely written, I Know This Much Is True is an extraordinary reading experience that will leave no reader untouched.