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The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman: Volume 3 Of The Florida Edition Of The Works Of Laurence Sterne (Florida Edition Of The Works Of Laurence Sterne Ser. #Vol. Iii)
by Laurence SterneSterne's utterly original novel - the meandering, maddening 'autobiography' of one of literature's oldest comic characters.Doomed to become the ‘sport of fortune’ by an interruption at the crucial moment of conception, Tristram Shandy’s life lurches from one mishap to another: his nose crushed by the doctor’s forceps during birth, christened with the wrong name, an unfortunate incident involving a slamming sash window… Discover the anti-autobiography of the hilarious Tristram Shandy. WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY TOM MCCARTHY ‘Tristram Shandy is one of the funniest novels in the English language. It's also one of the first great experimental literary works’ Independent
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman: Volume 3 Of The Florida Edition Of The Works Of Laurence Sterne (Florida Edition Of The Works Of Laurence Sterne Ser. #Vol. Iii)
by Laurence Sterne'L-d! said my mother, what is all this story about? - A COCK and a BULL, said Yorick - And one of the best of its kind, I ever heard'Laurence Sterne's great masterpiece of bawdy humour and rich satire defies any attempt to categorize it, with a rich metafictional narrative that might classify it as the first 'postmodern' novel. Part novel, part digression, its gloriously disordered narrative interweaves the birth and life of the unfortunate 'hero' Tristram Shandy, the eccentric philosophy of his father Walter, the amours and military obsessions of Uncle Toby, and a host of other characters, including Dr Slop, Corporal Trim and the parson Yorick. A joyful celebration of the endless possibilities of the art of fiction, Tristram Shandy is also a wry demonstration of its limitations.The text and notes of this volume are based on the acclaimed Florida Edition, with a critical introduction by Melvyn New and Christopher Ricks's introductory essay from the first Penguin Classics edition.'The book that I would never tire of ... Sterne was about 250 years ahead of his time'Roy Porter, author of Enlightenment: Britain And The Creation Of The Modern World
The Life and Opinions of Zacharias Lichter
by Breon Mitchell Norman Manea Matei Calinescu Adriana CalinescuA new translation of the only novel by lauded Romanian literary critic Matei CălinescuAn NYRB Classics Original Ugly, unkempt, a haunter of low dives who begs for a living and lives on the street, Zacharias Lichter exists for all that in a state of unlikely rapture. After being engulfed by a divine flame as a teenager, Zacharias has devoted his days to doing nothing at all—apart, that is, from composing the odd poem he immediately throws away and consorting with a handful of stray friends: Poldy, for example, the catatonic alcoholic whom Zacharias considers a brilliant philosopher, or another more vigorous barfly whose prolific output of pornographic verses has won him the nickname of the Poet. Zacharias is a kind of holy fool, but one whose foolery calls in question both social convention and conventional wisdom. He is as much skeptic as ecstatic, affirming above all the truth of perplexity. This of course is what makes him a permanent outrage to the powers that be, be they reactionary or revolutionary, and to all other self-appointed champions of morality who are blind to their own absurdity. The only thing that scares Zacharias is that all-purpose servant of conformity, the psychiatrist.This Romanian classic, originally published under the brutally dictatorial Ceauşescu regime, whose censors initially let it pass because they couldn’t make head or tail of it, is as delicious and telling an assault on the modern world order as ever.
The Life and Opinions of the Tomcat Murr
by E.T.A. HoffmannTomcat Murr is a loveable, self-taught animal who has written his own autobiography. But a printer's error causes his story to be accidentally mixed and spliced with a book about the composer Johannes Kreisler. As the two versions break off and alternate at dramatic moments, two wildly different characters emerge from the confusion - Murr, the confident scholar, lover, carouser and brawler, and the moody, hypochondriac genius Kreisler. In his exuberant and bizarre novel, Hoffmann brilliantly evokes the fantastic, the ridiculous and the sublime within the humdrum bustle of daily life, making The Life and Opinions of the Tomcat Murr (1820-22) one of the funniest and strangest novels of the nineteenth century.
The Life and Opinions of the Tomcat Murr (Penguin Classics)
by E. T. A. HoffmanTomcat Murr is a loveable, self-taught animal who has written his own autobiography. But a printer's error causes his story to be accidentally mixed and spliced with a book about the composer Johannes Kreisler. As the two versions break off and alternate at dramatic moments, two wildly different characters emerge from the confusion - Murr, the confident scholar, lover, carouser and brawler, and the moody, hypochondriac genius Kreisler. In his exuberant and bizarre novel, Hoffmann brilliantly evokes the fantastic, the ridiculous and the sublime within the humdrum bustle of daily life, making The Life and Opinions of the Tomcat Murr (1820-22) one of the funniest and strangest novels of the nineteenth century.
The Life and Times of the Last Kid Picked
by David Benjamin"Awjeezma!" was the universal dissent, whined--repeatedly if necessary--at an unreasonable mother who wanted the vacuuming done now-not-next-year or a pile of encrusted dishes washed or the sputtering heater refueled. "Awjeezma! Do I gotta?" "If I have to tell you one more time--" "Awjeezma! Awright! Jeez!" Through the telling of his own madcap childhood, David Benjamin pays homage to the exuberance of countless untamed boys who grew up in Middle America in the 1950s. Whether he's stalking frogs through the bogs of Tomah, Wisconsin, playing four-kid baseball with his bothersome little brother and two favorite cousins, or sneaking into the theater to watch Saturday afternoon Westerns, Benjamin is the kind of little kid who eagerly would have fallen in with the redoubtable Tom Sawyer. His tales--including one about a truly sorry incident with Snappy, the snapping turtle, and another about a run-in with a particularly fiendish squirrel--are by turns hysterically funny, caustic, aggrieved, and movingly sincere. Traversing the nooks and crannies of kidhood, from ballfields to swimming holes, The Life and Times of the Last Kid Picked captures a moment in twentieth-century American life, as Benjamin magically recalls the myriad scrapes, intrepid adventures, and wanderlust that once made childhood such an exhilarating enterprise.
The Life of Fly
by Magnus MuhrWhen they re not buzzing in our ears or ruining our picnics, flies have lives of their own. Until now, their tiny world has remained completely unknown to humankind. In this engaging study, photographer Magnus Muhr carefully documents the world of the common housefly and reveals that when we re not around, flies behave pretty much like we do. Playing golf or soccer, sunbathing, partying, dating, singing, and even fly fishing anything s possible in the fascinating (if brief) Life of Fly. Featuring the best of Muhr s spooky yet surprisingly sweet creations, this macabre collection is sure to captivate humans like no fly has done before.
The Life of Lee
by Lee EvansLee Evans is one of the best-loved comedians in the country; a Hollywood star able to sell out arenas in the blink of eye. But he was not always such a roaring success. The Life of Lee is an utterly hilarious and very moving autobiography charting his ups and downs on the way to the top. Lee takes us on a darkly humorous journey through his childhood spent running wild on a Bristol housing estate and his unconventional school days, when he was publicly derided as 'a failure' by a sadistic teacher. In this brilliantly entertaining and engaging tale, he also guides us through a grim teenage period of numerous dead-end jobs. When he was cleaning toilets and plucking turkeys, he could never have imagined that one day he would be playing to thousands of adoring fans at the O2 Arena. The book also reveals how as a boy Lee got his first taste of showbiz, living out of a suitcase and accompanying his entertainer father around the smoky, rowdy, unforgiving working-men's club and theatre circuit. Desperately struggling to be accepted, this quiet young loner always saw himself as an outsider. But he finally met the love of his life and accidentally discovered the one place where he felt at home: the stage. The Life of Lee is a story that is like its subject: compelling, touching, charming and, above all, fantastically funny.
The Life of Reilly
by Paul BurkeSean Reilly seems to have his life sorted: lovely family, beautiful house and lucrative career as a voice-over artist. But he craves the sort of romance and affection that he no longer receives from his wife. When she sets up home in Kent without him he wonders why, once married, women want men to change and hate it when they don't? Whereas men never want women to change and hate it when they do.Lucy Ross, 'caught single' after a career development sends her long-term boyfriend into paroxysms of jealousy, is also looking for romance. She doesn't want Sean to change - she just wants him. Full stop. So could the life of Reilly be sorted after all?
The Life of Reilly
by Paul BurkeSean Reilly seems to have his life sorted: lovely family, beautiful house and lucrative career as a voice-over artist. But he craves the sort of romance and affection that he no longer receives from his wife. When she sets up home in Kent without him he wonders why, once married, women want men to change and hate it when they don't? Whereas men never want women to change and hate it when they do.Lucy Ross, 'caught single' after a career development sends her long-term boyfriend into paroxysms of jealousy, is also looking for romance. She doesn't want Sean to change - she just wants him. Full stop. So could the life of Reilly be sorted after all?
The Life of the Mind: A Novel
by Christine Smallwood&“[A] jewel of a debut . . . abundantly satisfying.&”—Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker A witty, intelligent novel of an American woman on the edge, by a brilliant new voice in fiction—&“the glorious love child of Ottessa Moshfegh and Sally Rooney&” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)As an adjunct professor of English in New York City with no hope of finding a permanent position, Dorothy feels &“like a janitor in the temple who continued to sweep because she had nowhere else to be but who had lost her belief in the essential sanctity of the enterprise.&” No one but her boyfriend knows that she&’s just had a miscarriage, not even her therapists—Dorothy has two of them. Nor can she bring herself to tell the other women in her life: her friends, her doctor, her mentor, her mother. The freedom not to be a mother is one of the victories of feminism. So why does she feel like a failure? Piercingly intelligent and darkly funny, The Life of the Mind is a novel about endings: of youth, of professional aspiration, of possibility, of the illusion that our minds can ever free us from the tyranny of our bodies. And yet Dorothy&’s mind is all she has to make sense of a world largely out of her control, one where disaster looms and is already here, where things happen but there is no plot. There is meaning, however, if Dorothy figures out where to look, and as the weeks pass and the bleeding subsides, she finds it in the most unlikely places, from a Las Vegas poolside to a living room karaoke session. In literature—as Dorothy well knows—stories end. But life, as they say, goes on.
The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F**k: The bestselling book everyone is talking about (A No F*cks Given Guide)
by Sarah KnightThe bestselling book everyone is talking about, revealing the surprising art of caring less and getting more.Are you stressed out, overbooked and underwhelmed by life? Fed up with pleasing everyone else before you please yourself? Finding it hard working from home? Then it's time to stop giving a f**k. This irreverent and practical book explains how to rid yourself of unwanted obligations, shame, and guilt - and give your f**ks instead to people and things that make you happy. From family dramas to having a bikini body, the simple 'NotSorry Method' for mental decluttering will help you unleash the power of not giving a f**k and will free you to spend your time, energy and money on the things that really matter.'The anti-guru' Observer'Absolutely blinding. Read it. Do it.' Mail on Sunday'Genius' Cosmopolitan'I love Knight's book even before I start reading . . . Works a charm' Sunday Times Magazine'Life-affirming . . . The key practice she advocates is devising for yourself a "fuck budget" . . . It's a beautiful way of streamlining your psyche' Lucy Mangan, GuardianALSO AVAILABLE FROM SARAH KNIGHT:YOU DO YOU: how to be who you are and use what you've got to get what you want ANDGet Your Sh*t Together - the New York Times bestseller helping you organise the f**ks you want and need to give
The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F**k: The bestselling book everyone is talking about (A No F*cks Given Guide)
by Sarah KnightA brilliant, hilarious homage to The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, showing how to shed your mental clutter for good. Aimed at overachieving but dissatisfied people everywhere. Sarah's inspirational two-step "NotSorry" program shows how unleashing the power of not giving a fuck will help you shed unwanted guilt and obligations to redirect time, energy, and enthusiasm to your true priorities. Sarah reveals why giving a fuck about what other people think is your worst enemy-and how to stop doing it; how to sort your fucks into four essential categories; simple criteria for whether or not you should give a fuck (i.e. "Does this affect anyone other than me?"); and the two keys to successfully not giving a fuck without also being an asshole.So, get rid of the mental clutter, ditch the perfectionism and create the life you want - for good.(P)2015 Hachette Audio
The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck: How to Stop Spending Time You Don't Have with People You Don't Like Doing Things You Don't Want to Do (A No F*cks Given Guide #1)
by Sarah KnightThe "genius" national bestseller on the art of caring less and getting more -- from the author of Calm the F*ck Down and F*ck No (Cosmopolitan). Are you stressed out, overbooked, and underwhelmed by life? Fed up with pleasing everyone else before you please yourself? It's time to stop giving a f*ck. This brilliant, hilarious, and practical parody of Marie Kondo's bestseller The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up explains how to rid yourself of unwanted obligations, shame, and guilt -- and give your f*cks instead to people and things that make you happy. The easy-to-use, two-step NotSorry Method for mental decluttering will help you unleash the power of not giving a f*ck about: Family drama Having a "bikini body" Iceland Co-workers' opinions, pets, and children And other bullsh*t! And it will free you to spend your time, energy, and money on the things that really matter. So what are you waiting for? Stop giving a f*ck and start living your best life today! Discover more of the magic of not giving a f*ck with The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck Journal.
The Lifespan of a Fact: Now a Broadway Play
by John D'Agata Jim FingalNOW A BROADWAY PLAY STARRING DANIEL RADCLIFFE'Provocative, maddening and compulsively readable' Maggie NelsonIn 2003, American essayist John D'Agata wrote a piece for Harper's about Las Vegas's alarmingly high suicide rate, after a sixteen-year-old boy had thrown himself from the top of the Stratosphere Tower.The article he delivered, 'What Happens There', was rejected by the magazine for inaccuracies. But it was soon picked up by another, who assigned it a fact checker: their fresh-faced intern, and recent Harvard graduate, Jim Fingal. What resulted from that assignment, and beyond the essay's eventual publication in the magazine, was seven years of arguments, negotiations, and revisions as D'Agata and Fingal struggled to navigate the boundaries of literary nonfiction.This book includes an early draft of D'Agata's essay, along with D'Agata and Fingal's extensive discussion around the text. The Lifespan of a Fact is a brilliant and eye-opening meditation on the relationship between 'truth' and 'accuracy', and a penetrating conversation about whether it is appropriate for a writer to substitute one for the other.'A fascinating and dramatic power struggle over the intriguing question of what nonfiction should, or can, be' Lydia Davis
The Lifestyle: A Novel
by Taylor HahnA heartwarming and hilarious novel about swinging, marriage, and complexities of the heart.&“This book is fun as hell. Hilarious, addictive, moving, and sexy. I lost track of time reading it, and I couldn&’t get enough!&” —Jasmine Guillory, bestselling author of While We Were DatingGeorgina Wagman has it all—a great marriage, a great job at a prestigious law firm, and great friends. She&’s living the life she always wanted, and everything is perfect. Until, that is, she walks in on her husband Nathan in a compromising position with a junior associate. Georgina has a moment of crisis. But divorce is not a part of the five-year plan, so she comes up with an idea to save her marriage and recapture the spark. She and Nathan are going to become swingers.Georgina isn&’t going to embark on this adventure alone, though. Her friends Felix and Norah and their respective partners decide to tag along for the ride. They&’ve got relationship woes of their own that swinging just might fix. Georgina, convinced Felix and Norah belong together, is thrilled. What better place to reignite romance between two people destined to be together than a swingers&’ party? Her plan is foolproof, until she runs into a college ex at the first party. When they reconnect, Georgina will find herself torn between her head and her heart, with her very happiness hanging in the balance. Perfect for fans of Jennifer Weiner and Sophie Kinsella, The Lifestyle is a playful homage to Jane Austen's Emma Woodhouse and an outrageously fun summer read.
The Light Fantastic: A Discworld Novel (Wizards #2)
by Terry Pratchett“Humorously entertaining. . . subtly thought-provoking. . . . Pratchett’s Discworld books are filled with humor and with magic, but they're rooted in—of all things—real life and cold, hard reason.”—Chicago TribuneBumbling wizard Rincewind and hapless tourist Twoflower have survived a host of misadventures . . . only to face annihilation as a red star hurtles towards the Discworld in this gloriously funny second installment in Sir Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series (also the second book in the Wizards collection)It’s just one of those days when nothing seems to go right—and a most inopportune time for the first tourist ever to set foot in Discworld—accompanied by the carnivorous Luggage—to extend his already eventful vacation, even if it’s not quite by choice. A monstrous red star is on a direct collision course with the Discworld and the future appears uncertain at best.Discworld needs a hero to save it from total destruction. Unfortunately, it’s got the bumbling Rincewind, still recovering from the trauma of falling off the edge of the world. The alternative couldn’t be much worse. . . .The Discworld novels can be read in any order, but The Light Fantastic is the second book in the Wizards collection. The other books in the collection include:The Color of MagicSourceryEricInteresting TimesThe Last ContinentUnseen Academicals
The Light and Shade of Ellen Swithin
by DG CoutinhoWork can be a killer. But so can she.Ellen is tired of being overshadowed at work. Tired of watching less competent, entitled suits take the promotions she’s earned. But when one of them pushes her too far, things take a murderous turn. And it turns out the darker Ellen goes, the brighter her future starts to look.Business can be murder, but it turns out murder can also be good business for Ellen. Torn between capitalising on her newfound success and desperately covering her tracks she soon discovers that others in the company are also interested in dramatically adjusting its toxic office culture. Will she be able to survive the competition? And how much further is she willing to go to get what she deserves?A fun, subversive thriller for fans of My Sister, the Serial Killer, Sweetpea, The Other Black Girl and Bella Mackie.
The Lighthouse Bookshop: the contemporary romance of the summer
by Sharon GoslingAt the heart of a tiny community in a remote village just inland from the Aberdeenshire coast stands an unexpected lighthouse. Built two centuries ago by an eccentric landowner, it has become home to the only bookshop for miles around. Rachel is an incomer to the village. She arrived five years ago and found a place she could call home. So when the owner of the Lighthouse Bookshop dies suddenly, she steps in to take care of the place, trying to help it survive the next stage of its life. But when she discovers a secret in the lighthouse, long kept hidden, she realises there is more to the history of the place than she could ever imagine. Can she uncover the truth about the lighthouse&’s first owner? And can she protect the secret history of the place?Praise for Sharon Gosling's first novel, The House Beneath the Cliffs:&‘A wonderfully wise and beautifully written story about finding the courage to start over … I loved it!&’ Isabelle Broom'A compelling read with a dramatic sense of place and a caring community at its heart' Heidi Swain, author of A Taste of Home &‘A gorgeously remote and romantic great escape, brimming with foodie passion, friendship and heart&’ Laura Kemp, author of A Year of Surprising Acts of Kindness 'A magical story set in Scotland...An inspiring book of second chances' Woman's Own 'A story to make you long to visit our glorious coastlines' Prima'With a romance that gently simmers, a plot that flows as fast as the North Sea tides, and some gentle reminders of the need to protect our oceans, The House Beneath the Cliffs provides the perfect holiday getaway' Lancashire Post 'Thrilling & romantic' The People's Friend &‘An inspiring book of second chances' Woman 'Packed full of warmth' Cumbria Life
The Lily-Livered Prince: Book 3 (Tales from Schwartzgarten #3)
by Christopher William HillA gruesomely funny series for fans of Roald Dahl and Lemony Snicket.Meet Eugene, the most portly of princes, and Kalvitas, the most courageous of chocolate makers. Theirs is a tale of cakes and cowardice, bullies and battles, as they set out to defeat a terrifying tyrant.The characters are CURSED. The deserts are DEADLY. And people are NOT always as they appear...With cover and chapter head artwork by Chris Riddell.
The Limits of Genius: The Surprising Stupidity of the World's Greatest Minds
by Katie SpaldingA hilarious look at how the line between 'genius' and 'extremely lucky idiot' is finer than we'd like to admit.The more you delve into the stories behind history's greatest names, the more you realise they have something in common: a mystifying lack of common sense. Take Marie Curie, famous for both discovering radioactivity and having absolutely zero lab safety protocols. Or Lord Byron, who literally took a bear with him to university. Or James Glaisher, a hot-air balloon pioneer who nearly ended up as the world's first human satellite...From Nikola Tesla falling in love with a pigeon to non-swimmer Albert Einstein's near-fatal love of sailing holidays, The Limits of Genius is filled with examples of the so-called brightest and best of humanity doing, to put it bluntly, some really dumb shit. These are the stories that deserve to be told but never are: the hilarious, regrettable and downright baffling lesser-known achievements of the men and women who somehow managed to bungle their way into our history books.(P) 2023 Headline Publishing Group Ltd
The Limits of Genius: The Surprising Stupidity of the World's Greatest Minds
by Katie SpaldingA hilarious look at how the line between 'genius' and 'extremely lucky idiot' is finer than we'd like to admit.The more you delve into the stories behind history's greatest names, the more you realise they have something in common: a mystifying lack of common sense. Take Marie Curie, famous for both discovering radioactivity and having absolutely zero lab safety protocols. Or Lord Byron, who literally took a bear with him to university. Or James Glaisher, a hot-air balloon pioneer who nearly ended up as the world's first human satellite...From Nikola Tesla falling in love with a pigeon to non-swimmer Albert Einstein's near-fatal love of sailing holidays, The Limits of Genius is filled with examples of the so-called brightest and best of humanity doing, to put it bluntly, some really dumb shit. These are the stories that deserve to be told but never are: the hilarious, regrettable and downright baffling lesser-known achievements of the men and women who somehow managed to bungle their way into our history books.
The Limpopo Academy Of Private Detection (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency #13)
by Alexander McCall SmithTHE THIRTEENTH BOOK IN THE BELOVED NO. 1 LADIES' DETECTIVE AGENCY SERIESThe one where Mma Ramotswe meets her hero . . . Mma Ramotswe, normally a peaceful sleeper, finds her slumbers disturbed by dreams of a tall stranger - but she is not quite ready to learn what this vision portends.Soon even Mma Makutsi has to admit that untoward things are occurring around the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency: at Speedy motors, Fanwell finds himself in trouble with the law, and the indomitable Mma Potokwani disappears from the orphan farm. Armed with courage, kindness and an instinct for the truth, Mma Ramotswe sets out to restore order . . .
The Limpopo Academy Of Private Detection (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency #13)
by Alexander McCall SmithTHE THIRTEENTH BOOK IN THE BELOVED NO. 1 LADIES' DETECTIVE AGENCY SERIESThe one where Mma Ramotswe meets her hero . . . Mma Ramotswe, normally a peaceful sleeper, finds her slumbers disturbed by dreams of a tall stranger - but she is not quite ready to learn what this vision portends.Soon even Mma Makutsi has to admit that untoward things are occurring around the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency: at Speedy motors, Fanwell finds himself in trouble with the law, and the indomitable Mma Potokwani disappears from the orphan farm. Armed with courage, kindness and an instinct for the truth, Mma Ramotswe sets out to restore order . . .
The Limpopo Academy Of Private Detection (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency #13)
by Alexander McCall SmithMma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi have always relied on the advice of the classic guide to their trade, The Principles of Private Detection. But who is the eminent author, Mr Clovis Andersen, and what if he were to come to Botswana? That seems a very unlikely possibility, and yet . . . When Mr Andersen visits Botswana on holiday, he is delighted and intrigued to stumble across a roadside sign that reveals the existence of the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency. Professional courtesy suggests that he call and announce himself. Meanwhile, Mma Makutsi and Phuti Radiphuti are embarking on married life and building a new house - a tricky business under any circumstances but especially hazardous when the name of the contractor is the Joy and Light Building Company.