Now How Beautiful It Is And How Easily It Can Be Broken reveals all at once the enormous stature of Mendelsohn's achievement and demonstrates why he is considered one of our greatest critics. Writing with a lively intelligence and arresting originality, he brings his distinctive combination of scholarly rigor and conversational ease to bear across eras, cultures, and genres, from Roman games to video games.His interpretations of our most talked-about films—from the work of Pedro Almodóvar to Brokeback Mountain, from United 93 and World Trade Center to 300, Marie Antoinette, and The Hours—have sparked debate and changed the way we watch movies. Just as stunning and influential are his dispatches on theater and literature, from The Producers to Jeffrey Eugenides' Middlesex, from The Lovely Bones to the works of Harold Pinter. Together these thirty brilliant and engaging essays passionately articulate the themes that have made Daniel Mendelsohn a crucial voice in today's cultural conversation: the aesthetic and indeed political dangers of imposing contemporary attitudes on the great classics; the ruinous effect of sentimentality on the national consciousness in the post-9/11 world; the vital importance of the great literature of the past for a meaningful life in the present.How Beautiful It Is And How Easily It Can Be Broken makes it clear that no other contemporary thinker is as engaged with as many aspects of our culture and its influences as Mendelsohn is, and no one practices the vanishing art of popular criticism with more acuity, humor, and feeling.

    Scott Fitzgerald wrote the works that brought him instant fame, mastering the glittering aphoristic prose and keen social observation that would distinguish all his writing. Celebrating the riotous energy and naïve optimism of a generation that believed itself liberated from the past, Fitzgerald’s early works, which are collected in this Library of America volume, also sound a plaintive strain beneath the era’s wild cacophony, a lament for the wasted potential of youth. They remain the fullest literary expression of one of the most fascinating eras in American life.This Side of Paradise (1920) gave Fitzgerald the early success that defined and haunted him for the rest of his career. Offering in its Princeton chapters the most enduring portrait of college life in American literature, this lyrical novel records the ardent and often confused longings of its hero’s struggles to find love and to formulate a philosophy of life.Flappers and Philosophers (1920), a collection of accomplished short stories, includes such classics as “Dalyrimple Goes Wrong,” “Bernice Bobs Her Hair,” and “The Ice Palace.”Fitzgerald continues his dissection of a self-destructive era in his second novel, The Beautiful and Damned (1922), as the self-styled aristocrat Anthony Patch and his beautiful wife, Gloria, are cut off from an inheritance and forced to endure the excruciating dwindling of their fortune. Here New York City, playground for the pleasure-loving Patches and brutal mirror of their dissipation, is portrayed more vividly than anywhere else in Fitzgerald’s work.Tales of the Jazz Age (1922), his second collection of stories, includes the novella “May Day,” featuring interlocking tales of debutantes, soldiers, and socialists brought together in the uncertain aftermath of World War I, and “A Diamond as Big as the Ritz,” a fable in which the excesses of the Jazz Age take the hallucinatory form of a palace of unfathomable opulence hidden deep in the Montana Rockies.

    It will also include FREE the full length novel 2nd Kill and the short story Denial when they upload in late 2014. A $19.00 value for $3.99!!! **Warning, this collection includes GRAPHIC crime scenes and taut thrills. Please do not buy this collection unless you have a strong stomach and don't scare easily! Praise for the Darc Murders Collection... "I really really like this series.....not my usual reading, as I normally read paranormal romance/HEA stories... work is a refreshing break for me of my usual reading material. Definitely not for the faint of heart---gory and violence is graphically described, possibly giving you not-so-nice dreams. This is a great deal for all the books included." L.Ludwig Amazon Reviewer "This series of books really captivated me. I have always loved murder mysteries and would definitely recommend the Darc Collection to all... delivers 5 Stars in each of these books... has become one of my all time favorite authors, because no matter what book I read by her I am never disappointed!!!" Guinevere Amazon Reviewer Overview: The collection includes... Devolved - the prequel/crossover short story to the Harbinger Series and 3rd Body 3rd Body - Just try not to lose your head Detached*exclusive to the collection - the bridge short story between 3rd Body and 2nd Kill 2nd Kill*exclusive to the collection - the full-length sequel to 3rd Body (will upload late 2014) Denial *exclusive to the collection- the bridge short story between 2nd Kill and 1st Body More Praise for the Darc Murders Collections... "WOW, just WOW! I don't think I've ever come across such a gruesome series of crime scenes! Further knowing each of the scenes were booby trapped, had me cringing and then to read the full spectre of the carnage, left me in equal parts awe and queasiness of the macabre imaginings of the writers! They pulled out the big guns! There was gore galore! Luckily, I like that in a thriller, it makes the suspense that much higher and the take down of the bad guy that much more satisfying. What I didn't expect was to be so enchanted by the characters. I loved the eclectic mix, from the brilliant but emotionally challenged Detective with Aspergers to his laid back empathetic partner plus the razor sharp mind of the child psychologist consultant and the adorable and brave sole survivor, little Janey. All these nuances and traits give a rich tapestry to the book and endear you to the clever writing of... Ben." Kizzle79 Amazon Reviewer "I definitely recommend the Darc Murders Collection. The character development is phenomenal, story development is superb-- I thoroughly enjoyed reading both 9th Circle and 7th Sin; the story telling entwined with the characteristics of Darc's aspergers is incredibly entertaining. Not for the faint of heart, lots of gore and suspense, great mysteryseries." Tetch Amazon Reviewer If you are a fan of characters such as Alex Cross and Hannibal or movies like 7 and Saw, The Darc Murders Collection is sure to shock and satisfy. **If you were looking for Hopkin's latest crime thriller collection, search under The Nursery Rhyme Murders Collection. **If you were looking for The #1 Police Procedural/Hard Boiled mystery series that includes the blockbuster, Plain Jane search under The Harbinger Collection

    

    His aim is not to produce a work of criticism or philosophy, or a mere discussion of poetic technique. As he explains in his introduction, his ambition in these various pieces, published in different times and places, aimed higher than that, in the direction of disclosing poetry itself, the naked poem, the imagination manifesting itself in its domination of words. Stevens proves himself as eloquent and scintillating in prose as in poetry, as he both analyzes and demonstrates the essential act of repossessing reality through the imagination.

    Along with the four novels for which he is famous, this authoritative collection gathers his work in other genres, including stories, poetry, essays and plays, film scripts and treatments, and letters.When West died in a California highway accident in 1940 at the age of thirty-seven, his originality and brilliance were little known outside an intensely admiring circle of fellow writers: William Carlos Williams, Edmund Wilson, S. J. Perelman, and others. Not until West’s four novels were reissued in the late 1950s was he acknowledged as one of the most gifted writers of his generation. His masterpieces Miss Lonelyhearts and The Day of the Locust, with their blending of manic farce and despairing compassion, and their vision of an America awash in its own mass-produced fantasies, read like a prophecy of much that was to come in American literature and life.Each of West’s novels is distinct in style and theme. In the Dada-inspired The Dream Life of Balso Snell (1931), he freely mixes high-flown literary and religious allusions with erotic and scatological humor. Miss Lonelyhearts (1933) presents, in a series of grotesque, starkly etched episodes, the spiritual breakdown of a newspaper columnist overwhelmed by his readers’ suffering. By contrast, A Cool Million (1934) reduces the eternal optimism of Horatio Alger’s novels to a brutal, cartoonish farce. In his last work, The Day of the Locust (1939), West renders with hallucinatory precision the reverse side of the Hollywood dream, as he choreographs a cast of failures, has-beens, and deluded glamour-seekers in what becomes an apocalyptic dance of death.Also included is a generous sampling of West’s other surviving work, ranging from freewheeling improvisations and grotesque comic tales to more mainstream work written with Hollywood or Broadway in mind, and including his anti-war satire Good Hunting and his adaptation of Francis Ile’s famous crime novel Before the Fact. The uncollected West shows him as a writer who embodied the contradictions and crazy-quilt exuberance of American culture—and raises the question of how he might have developed had his career not been cut short. Selected correspondence with William Carlos Williams, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Malcolm Cowley, Bennett Cerf, and others rounds out the volume and sets West’s literary life in fuller context.

    For reasons of space, the Weekly must often slightly truncate the pieces and also sees fit to change the name of the piece. So, what you read there isn’t always what I sent them. This is one of the reasons I wanted to put this book out. Also, knowing there are a lot of people out there without the time to go to some website and read something every week, I thought it would be a good idea to have the articles all in one place. I hope you enjoy the book and thank you. - Henry

    Paired up with his grandmother’s companion and charged with bringing Christmas to a lonely house, will he come to believe in himself—and love?The Mistletoe Trap - Eve PendleA spicy-hot story of a heroine with a flair for enterprising embroidery and a botanist single father hero. Can a scandal that compromises Amelia's reputation give their love a second chance?A Most Inconvenient Earl - Claire DelacroixWhen Eurydice Goodenham unexpectedly proposes a marriage of convenience to Sebastian Montgomery, Earl of Rockmorton, the notorious rake is intrigued. Sebastian soon realizes that the unpredictable Eurydice is the perfect match for him—but can he convince his skeptical bride to take a chance on love?The Lady's Guide to Mistletoe and Mayhem - Emmanuelle de MaupassantOn the run until she receives her inheritance, Ursula takes on the identity of an etiquette teacher and heads to Castle Dunrannoch to whip her 'young charge' into shape. But the long-lost heir is a whole lot more than she's bargained for!A Countess for Christmas - Anthea LawsonMiss Cecilia Fairfax dreads the upcoming holidays, especially when her brother brings home an unexpected guest. But of all the blessings of the season, sometimes the most unexpected is love.Miss Isabella Thaws a Frosty Lord - Larissa LyonsMistletoe kisses grant a blind heroine and a frosty hero a chance at happiness during a winter house party.Her Accidental Groom - Nadine MillardLady Natalia Soronsky and Lord Benjamin Strafford started out as enemies and ended up as co-conspirators in a faux betrothal. But the longer they continue the ruse, the more they start to wonder just how false their feelings are.Christmas Spirits - Jane CharlesWhen Benjamin Storm, Earl of Kenley, is sent to Scotland to procure a missing whisky shipment, he encounters the most unusual smuggler.Joy to the World - Nicole ZoltackUnbeknownst to Eliza Berkeley, the man she thought she was going to marry was not Stephen Huntington, the Duke of Wyndale. Will a match formed through deceit blossom into love this Christmas?To Fall for a Duke by Christmas - Sadie BosqueA reluctant duke and a charming commoner devise a plan to serve their own needs. A false relationship is supposed to be their salvation... Until love intervenes.What If I Still Love You - Erica TaylorAfter a failed elopement ten years earlier, Henry, Earl of Carrington, and Anna, the widowed Viscountess Rycroft, are reunited at his aunt’s Twelfth Night party. Can this star-crossed pair find their way back to each other?Christmas Promises - Brenda HiattWhen Lord Vandover leaves for London, he promises his grandmother he will return with a bride. Unfortunately, with each simpering debutante he meets he regrets that promise more—until he encounters the lovely Miss Holly Paxton.

    Love, laughter, and occasional tears - no need to turn on the Hallmark Channel this winter. Snuggle up with this feel-good anthology instead!Warning: reading this anthology may cause cravings for cider sugar donuts, French toast, pimento cheese, cherry cola, and maple syrup ice-cream, as well as happy ever afters

    This stimulating selection of criticism reveals him as a worshipper at the altar of beauty, illuminating his belief that the pursuit of this ideal must be paramount in artistic expression. Reviews of exhibitions discuss works by great painters such as Delacroix and Ingres in fascinating detail, and Of Virtuous Plays and Novels sees Baudelaire as an avenging angel in defence of true art. Writings on Poe, Flaubert and Gautier evoke a profound understanding of fellow artists, while his single excursion into musical criticism, Richard Wagner and Tannhauser in Paris, displays an incisive awareness of the magical power of suggestion in music.

    In the bustling, cluttered arcades, street and interior merge and historical time is broken up into kaleidoscopic distractions and displays of ephemera. Here, at a distance from what is normally meant by "progress," Benjamin finds the lost time(s) embedded in the spaces of things.

    It is not the cool breeze and the scent of pine that whispers your name.No, these things within the forest will rip out your heart and devour your soul. You will tremble as they revel in your madness, taking everything from you and leaving you with nothingDelve inside this anthology of what truly lurks within the shadows of the trees. Created by award-winning horror and fiction authors around the world. We dare you to take this journey with us and find out what horrors await you.The Forest Is Calling. Will you answer?24 terrifying tales ripped straight from your nightmares. There is evil in the forest, and it wants you dead.

    From an intimate account of nursing a loved one in the early days of the pandemic, to a masterful portrait of grieving the loss of a husband as the country grieved the loss of George Floyd, this collection brilliantly shapes the grief, hardship, and hope of a singular year.

    These are worlds undreamt-of by any other mind. Only David Foster Wallace could convey a father's desperate loneliness by way of his son's daydreaming through a teacher's homicidal breakdown ("The Soul Is Not a Smithy"). Or could explore the deepest and most hilarious aspects of creativity by delineating the office politics surrounding a magazine profile of an artist who produces miniature sculptures in an anatomically inconceivable way ("The Suffering Channel"). Or capture the ache of love's breakdown in the painfully polite apologies of a man who believes his wife is hallucinating the sound of his snoring ("Oblivion"). Each of these stories is a complete world, as fully imagined as most entire novels, at once preposterously surreal and painfully immediate. Oblivion is an arresting and hilarious creation from a writer "whose best work challenges and reinvents the art of fiction" (Atlanta Journal-Constitution).Mister squishy --The soul is not a smithy --Incarnations of burned children --Another pioneer --Good old neon --Philosophy and the mirror of nature --Oblivion --The suffering channel

    1408 starred John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson and was a huge box office success in 2007. The short story "Children of the Corn" was adapted into the popular Children of the Corn. The Mangler was inspired by King's loathing for laundry machines from his own experience working in a laundromat. Hearts in Atlantis (based on "Low Men in Yellow Coats," the first part of the novel Hearts in Atlantis) starred Anthony Hopkins. This collection features new commentary and introductions to all of these stories in a treasure-trove of movie trivia.