Daedalus Books

One of the world's most celebrated authors, Margaret Atwood has penned a collection of smart and entertaining fictional essays, in the genre of her popular books Good Bones and Murder in the Dark, punctuated with wonderful illustrations by the author. Chilling and witty, prescient and personal, delectable and tart, these highly imaginative, vintage Atwoodian mini-fictions speak on a broad range of subjects, reflecting the times we live in with deadly accuracy and knife-edge precision. In pieces ranging in length from a mere paragraph to several pages, Atwood gives a sly pep talk to the ambitious young; writes about the disconcerting experience of looking at old photos of ourselves; gives us Horatio's real views on Hamlet; and examines the boons and banes of orphanhood. Bring Back Mom: An Invocation explores what life was really like for the perfect homemakers of days gone by, and in The Animals Reject Their Names, she runs history backward, with surprising results. Chilling and witty, prescient and personal, delectable and tart, The Tent is vintage Atwood. Enhanced by the author's delightful drawings, it is perfect for Valentine's Day, and any other occasion that demands a special, out-of-the-ordinary gift.

This comprehensive collection showcases Oscar Wilde's brilliant story-telling skills and his amazing stylistic versatility, ranging from fairy tales and ghost stories to detective yarns and comedies of manners. It includes the complete texts of The Happy Prince and Other Tales, A House of Pomegranates, Lord Arthur Savile's Crim and Other Stories, Poems in Prose, and the critical essay «The Portrait of Mr. W. H.» Originally published in the late 1880s and early 1890s, these tales predate Wilde's fame as a dramatist. When he wrote them, he was best known among fashionable London society as a drawing-room raconteur. Many of the character types now familiar from his comedies first emerged in these stories, along with his gifted use of parady, melodrama, paradox, and irony. Even more significantly, they reflect the author's preoccupation with opposites — idealistic love and desire, art and life, sincerity and artifice, innocene and sin, altruism and greed, and honesty and deceit — offering captivating expressions of the themes that dominated Wilde's life and thought.

Inspired by Sigmund Freud's only, traumatic visit to America (a society of savages, he was to claim), Jed Rubenfeld's novel is an intricate tale of murder and the mind's dangerous mysteries. On a sweltering August evening in 1909 Freud disembarks from a steamship in New York City, accompanied by his protégé and rival Carl Jung. Across town, a debutante is found dangling from a chandelier, whipped, mutilated, and strangled. The next day, a second beauty—a rebellious heiress—barely escapes the killer, but is hysterical and can remember nothing. American Freudian Stratham Younger calls on his idol to analyze the spirited girl. «As The Interpretation of Murder races past ravished damsels, sinister aristocrats, architectural marvels (the building of the Manhattan Bridge), hysterical symptoms, a Hamlet-Freud nexus and downright criminal wordplay ('there are more things in heaven and earth, Herr Professor, than are dreamt in your psychology'; 'sometimes a catarrh, I’m afraid, is only a catarrh'), it cobbles together its own brand of excitement. That excitement is as palpable as it is peculiar».

After years of research, Shields has brought to life the warmhearted, high-spirited, and occasionally hardheaded woman who created two of American literatures most unforgettable characters — Atticus Finch and his daughter, Scout. Scout — and who contributed to the success of her lifelong friend Truman Capote's masterpiece, In Cold Blood. At the center of the book is Lee's struggle to create her famous novel. But her life contains many other highlights: her girlhood as a tomboy in overalls in tiny Monroeville, Alabama; the murder trial that made her father's reputation and inspired her great work; her journey to Kansas as Capote's ally and research assistant on the story of the Clutter murders; the surrogate family she found in New York City.

This sturdy picture book is used for teaching samples in The Teacher's Gude to the Four Blocks-Grade 1. Perfect for emerging readers, this title uses pictures and simple text to portray the thoughts of one, young cat lover.

This is a book about how language works, not about how the study of language works. Each chapter is designed as a self-contained unit, and there are many cross-references to associated chapters. This is the book's distinctive feature. Though above all, the book is a personal account without much ado about the methodology of linguistic inquiry. With a short bibliography.

For generations, privileged young men have attended St. Oswald's Grammar School for Boys, groomed for success by the likes of Roy Straitley, the eccentric Classics teacher who has been a fixture there for more than thirty years. But this year the wind of unwelcome change is blowing. Suits, paperwork, and information technology are beginning to overshadow St. Oswald's tradition, and Straitley is finally, and reluctantly, contemplating retirement. He is joined this term by five new faculty members, including one who — unbeknown to Straitley and everyone else — holds intimate and dangerous knowledge of St. Oswald's ways and secrets. Harboring dark ties to the school's past, this young teacher has arrived with one terrible goal: to destroy St. Oswald's. As the new term gets under way, a number of incidents befall students and faculty alike. Beginning as small annoyances — a lost pen, a misplaced coffee mug — they are initially overlooked. But as the incidents escalate in both number and consequence, it soon becomes apparent that a darker undercurrent is stirring within the school. With St. Oswald's unraveling, only Straitley stands in the way of its ruin. The veteran teacher faces a formidable opponent, however — a master player with a bitter grudge and a strategy that has been meticulously planned to the final move, a secret game with very real, very deadly consequences. A harrowing tale of cat and mouse, this riveting, hypnotically atmospheric novel showcases New York Times bestselling author Joanne Harris's astonishing storytelling talent as never before.

The Chronicles of Narnia are classics of children's literature — firm favourites with adults as well as children. Colin Duriez weaves together information and interpretation of Lewis's life and his writing, centring on the Chronicles of Narnia but drawing on his other fictional and non-fiction works. The world of Narnia involves a carefully created history where the old world, not dominated by machines and weapons of mass destruction, can be opened to the modern world. Colin Duriez reveals the influences which shaped Lewis's thinking, the rich web of interconnections within the Chronicles and the events in Lewis's own life which found echoes in the books (including his grandfather's hand-craved oak wardrobe). Whether this is your first visit to C. S. Lewis's wonderful fantasy world or you have been there many times, you'll want to bring along this handy companion to the landscape and inhabitants of Narnia, including an A to Z guide to its characters, places, objects, and events. A Field Guide to Narnia tells the reader more about the mind behind Narnia; how Narnia relates to other imaginative worlds and children's literature; the history within the stories of Narnia; and how Narnia fits into Lewis's other works.

The Poema de Mio Cid recounts the adventures of Rodrigo Diaz, an 11th-century hero of Islamic Spain. The Cid and his legendary exploits were already the subjects of ballads, songs, and children's tales by the time of this 12th-century epic poem. The sole dual-language edition currently available.

For lovers of words and seekers of wisdom, a lively history of aphorisms — the shortest and oldest written art form — and the intriguing people who have penned them, from the Buddha to Emily Dickinson. Starting with the ancient Chinese and ending with contemporary Europeans and Americans, «The World in a Phrase» tells the story of the aphorism through spirited and amusing biographies of some of its greatest practitioners: Americans like Ambrose Bierce, Emily Dickinson, and Mark Twain and Dorothy Parker; great French aphorists like Montaigne, La Rochefoucauld, and Chamfort; philosophers like Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, and Wittgenstein; as well as prophets and sages like the Buddha, Lao Tzu, and Jesus. Though it's an ancient art form, the aphorism is as spritely and as apposite as ever. Challenging and subversive, aphorisms deliver the short, sharp shocks of old forgotten truths. They are literature's hand luggage: they're light and compact, you can take them anywhere, and they contain everything you need to get through a rough day at the office or a dark night of the soul. But more than just a literary history, «The World in a Phrase» is a personal memoir of how aphorisms changed Geary's life — and how, if not for an aphorism by W.H. Auden, he might never have met his wife. In our modern age of drive-through culture, pre-digested soundbites, and manufactured sentiment, «The World in a Phrase» explores how aphorisms still retain the power to instigate and inspire, enlighten and enrage, entertain and edify.

A splendid, new, magical adventure from Diana Wynne Jones, set in the worlds of Chrestomanci! Conrad is young, good at heart, and yet is apparently suffering from the effects of such bad karma that there is nothing in his future but terrible things. Unless he can alter his circumstances — well, to be brutally honest, he is DOOMED. Conrad is sent in disguise to Stallery Mansion, to infiltrate the magical fortress that has power over the whole town of Stallchester, and to discover the identity of the person who is affecting his Fate so badly. He has to put an end to them, or he wont last the year. But can any plan really be that simple and straightforward? Of course it can't! And things start to go very strangely for Conrad from the moment he meets the boy called Christopher! This is trademark DWJ — packed with laugh-aloud humour, insane logic, spot-on observations, organised chaos, and all wrapped up in a rattling good adventure which oozes magic from every seam. Literally.

Inspired by the similarities between human existence and the seasons, Ram, n del Valle-Incln created four modernist stories known as the «Sonatas tetralogy.» From that highly regarded series comes this 1904 tale of innocence betrayed, the most popular of Valle-Incln's works — now in a dual-language edition.

Bad Cat returns in this loopy picture book for readers up to 8, and he's up to his old tricks. The toothy feline runs into a restaurant kitchen to cook himself breakfast, puts his painty paws on an artist's canvas, and climbs up a ladder some thieves are climbing down. Finally he slinks backstage and finds himself the center of a big dance production. Yet somehow everything Bad Cat does «wrong» seems to turn out right, even though it doesn't matter to him one way or the other; «I'm Bad Cat, top hat cat, dancing on my way, to the twinkly lights in Stinkytown, razzle-dazzle hey» he sings in defiant triumph. Tracy-Lee McGuinness-Kelly renders her insouciant hero in jazzy computer-generated collages. «This book is brimming with, well, everything. The computer-assisted artwork is packed with people and shapes that flip and fly across the pages. Sometimes shiny bright, sometimes patterned, and occasionally looking like collage, the images mirror the energy of the text.... A huge dose of silly feline fun».

Anne Taintor celebrates the fine American tradition of shopping in this 5 x 7-inch lined journal. Encouraging captions also appear randomly on the pages, such as: «change your shoes ... change your life»; «darling! let's get deeply into debt»; and «she would show them consumer confidence». The journal is one in a series featuring her hilariously acerbic domestic divas, office gals, and party girls (and the occasional suit), commenting on gender stereotypes, consumerism, and a certain ambiguity about behaving oneself.

On August 12, 2000, the giant Russian submarine Kursk suffered a catastrophic explosion and sank in the icy Barents Sea. As survivors of the 118-man crew struggled to survive, the Russian Navy failed to notice the accident, while Western observers immediately alerted leaders in the United States and Britain. Why then did Western officials fail to alert Vladimir Putin and his new post-Soviet government? And why did the Russians then rebuff international rescue attempts when their own equipment proved woefully inadequate? Ramsey Flynn untangles the deceptions and conspiracies surrounding this disaster, and tells the gripping story of the men aboard Kursk.

Becky Bloomwood, America's favorite shopaholic, is back in a hilarious, heartwarming tale of married life, best friends, and long-lost sisters (and the perils of simply having to own an Angel handbag!). What's a round-the-world honeymoon if you can't buy the odd souvenir to ship back home? Like the twenty silk dressing gowns Becky found in Hong Kong… the hand-carved dining table (and ten chairs) from Sri Lanka… the, um, huge wooden giraffes from Malawi (that her husband Luke expressly forbade her to buy)… Only now Becky and Luke have returned home to London and Luke is furious. Two truckloads of those souvenirs have cluttered up their loft, and the bills for them are outrageous. Luke insists Becky go on a budget. And worse: her beloved best friend Suze has found a new best friend while Becky was away. Becky’s feeling rather blue — when her parents deliver some incredible news. She has a long-lost sister! Becky is thrilled! She's convinced her sister will be a true soulmate. They'll go shopping together, have manicures together... Until she meets Jessica for the first time and gets the shock of her life. Surely Becky Bloomwood’s sister can't…hate shopping?

In an endearing and amusing photographic account of cats, Jules Farber, with the help of passionate photography curators the world over, has assembled a stunning collection, comprising the works of early photographers such as Felix Nadar, a pioneer of avant-garde photography; Jacques-Henri Lartigue, whose professional recognition at age sixty-nine came long after his photographic debut at six; and the inimitable Man Ray; as well as contemporary shutterbugs such as Robert Capa of Magnum; Willy Ronis of Rapho; celebrity portraitist Philippe Halsman; and Edward Steichen, who curated the groundbreaking exhibition The Family of Man at the MOMA in 1955. Alongside photographs by such world-renowed photographers, are unexpected photographic treasures from artist Pierre Bonnard, author Victor Hugo's son Charles, and several anonymous nineteenth-century experimentalists. The images, which reflect a variety of styles, share one theme: cats. The book is divided into five chapters: At Home portrays cats engaged in domestic activities, from turning somersaults on chairs to sleeping in kitchen pots and lounging with nudes; In the City finds cats roaming and cavorting around the limitless and often surprising urban locales; In the Streets features cats caught in the arms of a fat little boy or snuggled deep within the folds of a bag lady's carriage; In the Country encounters cats enjoying dairy-fresh milk, napping beside contented owners, and peaking the curiosity of their animal counterparts; and At Play uncovers cats in such mischievous undertakings as pushing a dog on a hobby horse and trying a hand (paw?) at the piano. Cat lovers and photography enthusiasts alike will revel in this light-hearted and beautifully produced volume.

Graham Hettlinger's brilliant translations of Bunin's stories in Sunstroke (2002) were widely acclaimed. In The Elagin Affair, Mr. Hettlinger continues to acquaint English-language readers with a Bunin they may not have appreciated. The Elagin Affair contains two of the author's greatest novellas, the title piece and Mitya's Love, as well as a broad range of stories written between 1900 and 1940 and centered on themes of love, loss, and the Russian landscape, including several of Bunin's most haunting stories from his final collection, Dark Avenues.

Time and Transformation brings together a variety of seventeenth-century Dutch paintings and works on paper in a major examination of themes dealing with the transformative effects of time and circumstance. The Dutch were fascinated with this idea and the variety of motifs used to convey it. Included are images of local landscapes with medieval structures left in ruins in the wake of the Spanish wars, depictions of rustic cottages and farmhouses, Dutch Italianate landscapes with Roman ruins, and representations of accidental ruins caused by flood or fire. Non-architectural imagery, such as vanitas still lifes and depictions of ruined trees encourage broader thinking on the meanings and associations of images of the fragmentary. Among the artists included are Rembrandt, Jacob van Ruisdael, Jan van Goyen, Abraham Bloemaert, Willem Kalf, Gerard Dou, and Bartholomaus Breenberg.

Cristian Crisbasan lives and works as an independent Photographer in Bucharest, Rumania. He was working as stylist and editorial journalist at the Playboy Magazine in Rumania, until he dedicated himself to photography and became already a well known name inside the fashion world.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841–1919) was one of the most audacious and original landscape artists of his age. Throughout his career, he continually experimented with composition, light, paint handling, and pictorial structure in innovative new ways that challenged traditional and contemporary painting. He taught himself by working side-by-side with fellow Impressionist masters Monet and Sisley, and in the 1870s began to define his distinctive landscape style of quick, silvery brushstrokes. By the end of the decade he had moved decisively in the direction of unparalleled painterly freedom. This stunning book is the first to examine Renoir’s landscape art in depth, tracing its evolution from the beginning of his career through his Impressionist period and the early 1880s, when he began to incorporate new landscape motifs and new levels of coloristic intensity in paintings after traveling to Algeria and Italy. With over 200 illustrations, a detailed chronology, and bibliography, the book includes essays by highly distinguished scholars that discuss the range and importance of these works and present many fresh discoveries. They also place Renoir’s landscapes in the overall context of the genre in 19th-century France, revealing how his experiments were radical and in ways that have not yet been fully acknowledged influential on the later development of modern art.

In the best tradition of sound-bites and pithily entertaining witticism, the authors gather together essential facts and fascinating insights about William Shakespeare — probably the most famous writer of all time — and the world in which he lived and worked.

Here is the perfect introduction to the work of William Shakespeare for older children. Extracts from his plays, as well as his poetry, are helpfully arranged by themes such as love, mystery, nature and justice. Quotations are used in decorative headings to highlight the content of each spread. Exquisite full-colour illustrations ensure this is a collection that can be referred to with ease and enjoyment and is perfect for dipping into time and again. Deluxe presentation, including linen half-binding and gold blocking, make this beautiful volume a perfect gift for older children and Shakespeare enthusiasts of all ages.

One of the most delightful and witty Russian operas, The Love of Three Oranges was composed by Prokofiev in 1919 and first performed at the Chicago Opera House with Prokofiev conducting in 1921. This complete vocal score includes both Russian and French text and a piano reduction of the orchestral part. Indispensable for recital and rehearsal purposes.