Oxford University Press

'Rus! Russ!...Everything within you is open, desolate, and flat; your squat towns barely protrude above the level of your wide plains, marking them like little dots, like specks; here is nothing to entice and fascinate the onlooker's gaze. Yet whence this unfathomable, uncanny force that draws me to you?' Although Dead Souls (1842) was largely composed by Gogol during self-imposed exile in Italy in the late 1830s, his last work remains to this day the most essentially Russian of all the great novels in Russian literature. As we follow its hero Chichikov, a dismissed civil servant turned unscrupulous confidence man, about the Russian countryside in pursuit of his shady enterprise, there unfolds before us a gallery of characters worthy in comic range of Chaucer, Rabelais, Fielding and Sterne. With its rich and ebullient language, ironic twists and startling juxtapositions, Dead Souls stands as one of the most dazzling and poetic masterpieces of the nineteenth century. This brilliant new translation by Christopher English is complemented by Top page a superb introductory essay by the pre-eminent Gogol scholar, Robert Maguire.

'To love him was not enough for me after the happiness I had felt in falling in love. I wanted movement and not a calm course of existence. I wanted excitement and danger and the chance to sacrifice myself for my love.' Leo Tolstoy, known to the world for his famous novels, also created throughout his sixty-year career as a writer a significant body of works of shorter ficiton. These fictions, like his novels, tend toward a uniqueness in form, even as they explore a set of themes common in the longer works. The four novellas selected here stand closest to the novels, and represent Tolstoy at his creative best, exploring in a specific and focused way his characteristic themes: life understood as a journey of the discovery of identity and vocation, the meaning of one's life in the face of death, and the redemptive role of suffering and compassion. Family Happiness (1859) traces the psychology of failed married love yet is written against the tradition of the novel of romance, marriage and adultery. The Kreutzer Sonata (1889) recounts a husband's addictions, jealousy, sinister guilt and subsequent isolation, while The Cossacks (1863) focuses on the experiences of a young Russian on in the Caucusus whose quest for romantic love becomes one for the love of 'the whole of God's world'. Finally, the superbly crafted Hadji Murad (1905) juxtaposes the military and civilian worlds, and relates a tale of the human violation of the natural through a series of parallel episodes. Written over a period of almost fifty years, these works display Tolstoy's changing views on art and sexuality, women and marriage, nationalism and ethnicity, war and empire. All four novellas develop, each in its own unique way, the central Tolystoyan theme of love. This edition, which updates a classic Top page translation, has explanatory notes and a substantial introduction based on the most recent scholarship in the field.

In 1836 the 23-year-old Dickens was invited by his publishers to write 'a monthly something' illustrated by sporting plates. Thus the Pickwick Club was Top page born: its supposed 'papers' soom outgrew their origins and became a brilliantly comic novel, still among Dicken's most popular works.

In The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes we read the last twelve stories Conan Doyle was to write about Holmes and Watson. They reflect the disillusioned world of the 1920s in which they were written, and he can be seen to take advantage of new, more open conventions in fiction. Suicide as a murder weapon and homosexual incest are some of the psychological tragedies whose consequences are unravelled by the mind of Holmes before the eyes of Watson. That said, the collection also includes some of the best turns of wit in the series, and indeed in the whole of English literature. The editor of this volume, W.W. Robson, is Emeritus David Masson, Professor of English Literature at the University of Edinburgh and the author of Modern English Literature. The general editor of the Oxford Sherlock Holmes, Owen Dudley Edwards, is Reader in History at the University of Edinburgh and author of The Quest for Sherlock Holmes. A Biographical Study of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

'The first and greatest of English detective novels' of T.S.Eliot. A fabulous yellow diamond becomes the dangerous inheritance of Rachel Verinder. Outside her Yorkshire country house watch the Hindu priests who have waited for many years to reclaim their ancient talisman, looted from the holy city of Somnauth. When the Moonstone disappears the case looks simple, but in mid-Victorian England no one is what they seem, and nothing can be taken for granted. Witnesses, suspects, and detectives take up the story in turn. The bemused butler, the love-stricken housemaid, the enigmatic detective Sergeant Cuff, the drug-addicted scientist, each speculate on the mystery as Collins weaves their narratives into a masterpiece of construction and suspense. But The Moonstone is more than just a detective novel or a murder mystery and this new edition features a fascinating introduction by John Sutherland which discusses the themes of Imperialism, Sensationalism and Mesmerism and the way in which they operate in the novel and within its cultural context.

'I am Heathcliff — he's always, always in my mind...' Discovered on the streets of Liverpool, Heathcliff is rescued by Mr Earnshaw and taken to the remote Yorkshire farmhouse of Wuthering Heights. Earnshaw's daughter Catherine rapidly forms a passionate attachment to him, but when Catherine's brother takes over the Heights, Heathcliff is lowered to the position of a barely-tolerated farmhand. When Catherine decides to marry the refined Edgar Linton instead, Heathcliff turns revenger. He determines to degrade not only those who sought to degrade him, but their children after them. Wuthering Heights is one of the most famous love stories in the English language. It is also, as the Introduction to this edition explores, one of the most potent revenge narratives. Its ingenious narrative structure, vivid evocation of landscape, and the extraordinary power of its depiction of love and hatred have given it a unique place in English literature. This edition reproduces the authoritative Clarendon text, with revised and expanded notes and a selection from the poems of Emily Bronte.

Did you know that 'flavour of the month' originated in a marketing campaign in American ice-cream parlours in the 1940s, when a particular flavour would be specially promoted for a month at a time? And did you know that 'off the cuff' refers to the rather messy practice of writing impromptu notes on one's shirt cuff before speaking in public? These and many more idioms are explained and put into context in this third edition of the Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms. The volume takes a fresh look at the idiomatic phrases and sayings that make English the rich and intriguing language that it is. This major new edition contains entries for over 6,000 idioms, including 700 entirely new entries, based on Oxford's language monitoring and the ongoing third edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. These include a range of recently established idioms such as 'the elephant in the corner', 'go figure', 'like a rat up a drainpipe', 'sex on legs', 'step up to the plate', 'too posh to push', 'a walk in the park', 'win ugly'. This edition also features a greatly increased number of cross-references, making it ideal for quick reference. Many entries include additional features which give more detailed background on the idiom in question. For example, did you know that 'taken aback' was adopted from nautical terminology that described a ship unable to move forward because of a strong headwind pressing its sails back against the mast? Anyone interested in the colourful side of the English language will get hours of fun browsing from this fascinating and informative volume.

This unique and authoritative reference work contains around 2,000 clear and concise entries on all aspects of modern and contemporary art. Its impressive range of terms includes movements, styles, techniques, artists, critics, dealers, schools, and galleries. There are biographical entries for artists worldwide from the beginning of the 20th century through to today's globalized art world, from conservatives and academics to the most controversial of the avant-garde, from household names to a host of lesser known figures. There are indications of public collections and publicly sited works, and in-depth entries for key topics (for example, Cubism, abstract art, and Conceptual art): this dictionary is a fascinating and thorough guide for anyone with an interest in modern and contemporary culture, amateur or professional. Formerly the Dictionary of 20th Century Art, the text has been completely revised and updated for this major new edition. Over 300 entries have been added and it now contains entries on photography in modern art as well as the new media such as installation and Performance which are such a crucial element of the contemporary scene. With emphasis on recent art and artists, for example Ai Weiwei, Tracey Emin, and Damien Hirst, it has an exceptionally strong coverage of art from the 1960s onwards, which makes it ideal for contemporary art enthusiasts. Further reading is provided at entry level to assist those wishing to know more about a particular subject. In addition, this edition features recommended web links for many entries, which are accessed and kept up to date via the Dictionary of Modern and Contemporary Art companion website. The perfect companion for the desk, studio, bedside table, or gallery visits, A Dictionary of Modern and Contemporary Art is an essential A-Z reference work for art students, artists, and art lovers.

Drawing on the unique resources of the Oxford English Dictionary and offering coverage of over 6,000 slang words and expressions from the Cockney 'abaht' to the American term 'zowie', this is the most authoritative dictionary of slang from the 20th and 21st centuries. The Oxford Dictionary of Modern Slang is a fascinating and entertaining collection, packed with illustrative quotations and providing full details of origins and dates of first printed use. The text contains expressions from around the English-speaking world such as 'dork' and 'cockamamie' (North America) and 'giggle-house' and 'Jimmy Woodser' (Australia). As well as the A-Z listing of terms, the book contains a comprehensive thematic index, enabling users to home in on particular areas of interest, such as the body, food and drink, and human behaviour. Full of surprises, this is an essential read for word lovers and anyone with an interest in language.

The Oxford Essential Russian Dictionary is a new compact Russian-English and English-Russian dictionary that offers up-to-date coverage of all the essential day-to-day vocabulary with over 40,000 words and phrases and 60,000 translations. This dictionary is easy to use and ideal for travel, work, or study. The latest words in each language have been added, reflecting all aspects of life today, from computing and technology to lifestyle and business. Additional features include guides to Russian and English pronunciation, as well as help with both Russian and English verbs. The Oxford Essential Russian Dictionary is ideal for anyone in need of a handy quick reference. An essential book for the study of Russian.

Advertising is riddled with myths and misunderstandings. It is believed to be both immensely powerful yet immensely wasteful, to increase economic prosperity and to be morally questionable. Neither its historic origins nor its modern operations are well understood. This Very Short Introduction will tell the truth about how advertising works.

The ancient Romans have left us far more information about themselves than has any other Western society until much more recent times. But what we know about them is sometimes bizarre, and hardly fits the conventional view of the Romans as a pragmatic people with a ruthlessly efficient army and a very logical and well ordered language. A Cabinet of Roman Curiosities is a serendipitous collection of odd facts and opinions, carefully gleaned from the wide body of evidence left to us by the Romans themselves. Each highlights a unique and curious feature of life in ancient Rome. Readers will find a plethora of trivial but fascinating facts about Rome, from the fantastical (a description of werewolves) to the quotidian (styles of chamber pots), and from the refined (dining etiquette of Pompeiians) to the crude (punishments for mutineers). The author has organized the entries around major themes — e.g., The Army, Women, Education, Foreigners, Spectacles, etc. — making the book easily accessible for quick browsing or for more deliberate consumption. Throughout, the purpose of the enterprise is to amuse and to stimulate an interest in the ancient world's most remarkable and abundantly documented empire.

What is innovation? How can it be used? Why is failure so common in the process of innovation? This Very Short Introduction looks at what innovation is, what it has done for us, and why it has been so important in the last 150 years.

John Maynard Keynes was one of the most influential economists of the twentieth century. His ideas have had a central influence on many of areas of economics used today, both in theory and practice. In this Very Short Introduction Lord Robert Skidelsky looks at Keynes's life, his philosophy, his theories, and the legacy he left behind.

Cameron debunks the myths about language and the sexes propagated in recent popular writing by drawing on more than 30 years of scientific research in language and gender studies. She explains what the findings really say about men and women and the way they communicate. Essential reading, whatever planet you come from.

Word Origins is the only guide to the science and process of etymology for the layperson. This funny, charming, and conversational book not only tells the known origins of hundreds of words, but also shows how their origins were determined. Liberman, an internationally acclaimed etymologist, takes the reader by the hand and explains the many ways that English words can be made, and the many ways in which etymologists try to unearth the origins of words. Part history, part how-to, and completely entertaining, Word Origins invites readers behind the scenes to watch an etymologist at work.

At the centre of Hide and Seek (1854) a secret waits to be revealed. Why should the apparently respectable painter Valentine Blyth refuse to account for the presence in his household of the beautiful girl known as Madonna? It is not until his young friend Zack Thorpe, who is in rebellion against his repressive father, gets into bad company and meets a mysterious stranger that the secret of Madonna can be unravelled. Wilkie Collins's third novel, dedicated to his life-long friend Dickens, is a story in which excitement is combined with charm and humour. In its mixture of the everyday and the extraordinary, Hide and Seek forms a bridge between the domestic novel and the sensational fiction for which Collins later became famous.

Winnie and Wilbur love their vegetables. They are regulars at the weekly farmers' market to stock up on their greens, but bringing them back home on a broomstick proves to be rather hazardous. So Winnie decides to grow her own and digs a vegetable patch in her garden. Not having the patience of a true gardener, she uses a little magic to speed up the growing process... only to end up with a garden overrun by enormous vegetables. She uses her giant pumpkin to make pumpkin pies, pumpkin scones, creamy pumpkin soup for Wilbur, and dish after dish of roast pumpkin. She invites all her neighbours to help themselves to pumpkin, too. Eventually the yummy orange flesh is all gone but the shell remains. What can Winnie do with it? She waves her wand, shouts 'Abracadabra!', and something amazing happens...

Ronia lives with her father, a robber chieftain, and his band of men in their fortress on the top of a mountain. On the night Ronia was born, a bolt of lightning split the stronghold in two, leaving a huge chasm — Hell's Gap — in between. Soon Ronia is old enough to explore the forest around her, but she must beware of the grey dwarfs and wild harpies that live there. One day she meets Birk, the son of a rival robber leader who has claimed the other side of Hell's Gap, and upon whom Ronia's father instantly declares war. Ronia and Birk develop a friendship that is as indestructible as the mountain fortress itself. But with their families sworn enemies they are forced to keep their friendship a secret until one fateful day when Ronia's father catches Birk... prompting Ronia and Birk to escape into the woods and fend for themselves. How long can Ronia and Birk survive in the magical forest? And will their fathers ever put aside their differences to get their beloved children back?

'If life could write, it would write like Tolstoy.'Isaac Babel Tolstoy's epic masterpiece intertwines the lives of private and public individuals during the time of the Napoleonic wars and the French invasion of Russia. The fortunes of the Rostovs and the Bolkonskys, of Pierre, Natasha, and Andrei, are intimately connected with the national history that is played out in parallel with their lives. Balls and soirees alternate with councils of war and the machinations of statesmen and generals, scenes of violent battles with everyday human passions in a work whose extraordinary imaginative power has never been surpassed. The prodigious cast of characters, both great and small, seem to act and move as if connected by threads of destiny as the novel relentlessly questions ideas of free will, fate, and providence. Yet Tolstoy's portrayal of marital relations and scenes of domesticity is as truthful and poignant as the grand themes that underlie them. In this revised and updated version of the definitive and highly acclaimed Maude translation, Tolstoy's genius and the power of his prose are made newly available to the contemporary reader.

This best-selling dictionary includes more than 3,700 entries covering all aspects of accounting, including financial accounting, financial reporting, management accounting, direct taxation, indirect taxation, auditing, corporate finance, and accounting bodies and institutions. It boasts feature entries on key areas (e.g. Bankruptcy Law and the FTSE share indexes), and its international coverage includes important terms from UK, US, Australia, India, and Asia-Pacific. Over 250 new entries have been added to this edition to reflect the very latest developments in the accounting profession, e.g. the growing importance of International Accounting Standards, recent legislation, UK tax changes, and reliefs and allowances (e.g. Entrepreneurs' Relief, Annual Investment Allowance). In addition, coverage of taxation, finance, and audit has been increased and all entries have been revised to ensure they are up-to-date. With its authoritative and straightforward definitions and its wide-ranging coverage, this dictionary is essential for students and professionals in accounting and finance. It is also an ideal source of reference for anyone seeking a clear guide to the often-confusing world of accountancy terms.

This beautiful book will delight young animal lovers. Through evocative paintings, children are brought face to face with wildlife from around the world. Brian Wildsmith has captured the essence of each animal — from the playfulness of otters to a noisy gathering of parrots. His panoramic pictures also give a real sense of the animals' habitats-from a sun-soaked plain where elephants roam to icy Antarctica where penguins huddle together. Collective nouns — some familiar, others wonderfully surprising — are used to describe each group of animals. This is a book that will inspire a love of nature and a respect for animals from the earliest age.

When Puddle was barely more than an egg, he couldn't wait to start duckling school.' So begins this story about feelings of excitement, anticipation, and understandable nervousness that surround an approaching first day at nursery school. Puddle, a little duckling, is like so many preschool children in desperately wanting to be grown-up enough to go to school and to have his own school bag. But as the day draws nearer, Puddle begins to feel rather wobbly about the whole concept! Luckily Mummy knows just what to do. She packs items into Puddle's school bag that will help him through his first day — one of her softest feathers to remind him she is never far away, some home-made biscuits for him to share with his new friends, his Cuddly for the afternoon nap — and, as the story unfolds, we discover how Puddle's enjoyment of his first day builds each time he finds one of Mummy's tokens in his bag. Puddle spends a happy day counting caterpillars, matching ladybirds, leaping from lily pad to lily pad, and decorating a leafy twig. So, by going-home time, he can put his twig in his bag to take home for Mummy. This is just the right story to boost confidence for those starting preschool, nursery or kindergarten — children will love to share everything about Puddle's first day.

Wobble Bear is learning to talk and his mum is trying to teach him about colours. But the only colour he will say is 'yellow'. Yellow to the pink soap, yellow to the red towel, yellow to his green pyjamas ...until finally he gets it right and says yellow to the harvest moon at bedtime. Parents and toddlers everywhere will love watching Wobble Bear learn and will relate to all his little triumphs and disasters as they follow his antics. A very loveable little bear is ready to entertain in this fun-filled celebration of language — perfect for toddlers who are just starting to build up their own vocabulary and a perfect format for little hands, too!