Bounty Hunters, Forty Lashes Less One, and Gunsights comprise this collection of great western stories by the author of Get Shorty.

    But after her mysterious death, Bibi watches aghast from her ghostly perch as the travelers veer off her itinerary and embark on a trail paved with cultural gaffes and tribal curses, Buddhist illusions and romantic desires. On Christmas morning, the tourists cruise across a misty lake and disappear.With picaresque characters and mesmerizing imagery, Saving Fish from Drowning gives us a voice as idiosyncratic, sharp, and affectionate as the mothers of The Joy Luck Club. Bibi is the observant eye of human nature–the witness of good intentions and bad outcomes, of desperate souls and those who wish to save them. In the end, Tan takes her readers to that place in their own heart where hope is found.

    Her friends at Rhododendron High School—all girls from semi-royal and other rich families—will soon be going abroad, but she, with second-division marks in her final exams, might have to settle for a grimy little college in town. Her parents, plodding away in middle-class Kathmandu, are deeply disappointed, and all their hopes are now pinned on Numa, her sister. Sundry cousins from their village in far-off Lungla—driven out by poverty and the warring Maoists—come to live with the family, trample upon her privacy, and wage kitchen politics with Boju, her foul-tongued grandmother. Other relatives embarrass her with their gauche village ways. And, worst of all, Sagar, Sumnima’s US-returned RJ boyfriend, for whom she has been lying, sneaking around and stealing money from home, keeps her waiting for his phone calls.Employing a rich cast of characters, The Wayward Daughter tells the story of a young girl seeking out love, finding herself and her own spaces in life. Equally, it draws a telling portrait of Kathmandu—its class and caste divisions, its cosmopolitanism which exists alongside conservative attitudes, and its politics due to which a civil war looms. Written with humour, empathy and skill, this novel is a must-read.

    After leaving her friend's house, she decides she's going to prove to her brother that "The Lady on the Road " urban legend is just that...

    "It is indeed unlikely that you could condescend to stop and listen to the foolish words of such an insignificant and altogether deformed person as myself. Nevertheless, if you will but retard your elegant footsteps for a few moments, this exceedingly unprepossessing individual will endeavour to entertain you." This is a collection of Kai Lung's entertaining tales, told professionally in the market places as he travelled about; told sometimes to occupy and divert the minds of his enemies when they were intent on torturing him.

    Instead of ascribing to the Communist Party's goal of "spiritual civilization", he shunned the heroic models common in Chinese literature. Playing for Thrills is the first book published in English from the man whom Newsweek calls "China's literary bad boy" and The Washington Post acclaims as "the irreverent voice of a disillusioned generation".With shades of Chandler and Kerouac, Playing for Thrills is a dark, disembodied, yet compelling story of an anti-hero's search for the truth about a mysterious murder. As the narrator drifts through the seamy underside of Beijing and its environs, he meets a handful of incredibly varied characters as jaded and enigmatic as himself.

    Intended as a starting point for a better understanding and appreciation of literature, each analysis also imparts information about the author, the social and historical background, structure and traditions of literary genres, facts about characters, and a bibliography to encourage further intellectual exploration. Esta colección es una herramienta indispensable para el estudio y análisis de obras clásicas de la literatura universal. Los libros de formato agradable y presentación moderna ofrecen un análisis crítico, información sobre los personajes y los géneros literarios, una bibliografía, y un compendio de la obra en particular junto a un estudio del autor y su época.

    However, he lost his life during the battle with Sage Emperor and the six deity ranked beasts. His soul was then returned back in time to when he is still 13. Although he is the weakest in his class with the lowest talent of only a red soul realm, with the aid of the vast knowledge he had accumulated from his previous life, he shall train faster then anyone.This time he will try to protect Glory City which, in the coming future, would be assaulted by beasts and ends up being destroyed, as well as protecting his lover, friends and family who died by that beast assault. And to destroy the Sacred family whom abandoned their duty and betrayed Glory City in his past life.

    W. Norton changed the way world literature is taught by introducing The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces, Expanded Edition. Leading the field once again, Norton is proud to publish the anthology for the new century, The Norton Anthology of World Literature, Second Edition. Now published in six paperback volumes (packaged in two attractive slipcases), the new anthology boasts slimmer volumes, thicker paper, a bolder typeface, and dozens of newly included or newly translated works from around the world. The Norton Anthology of World Literature represents continuity as well as change. Like its predecessor, the anthology is a compact library of world literature, offering an astounding forty-three complete longer works, more than fifty prose works, over one hundred lyric poems, and twenty-three plays. More portable, more suitable for period courses, more pleasant to read, and more attuned to current teaching and research trends, The Norton Anthology of World Literature remains the most authoritative, comprehensive, and teachable anthology for the world literature survey.

    That's what Harriet and Arthur Bloomsbury think, but that comforting feeling is a fiction. Hiding among the stone walls, picturesque barns, and hay bales is a horror they can't imagine. It's deadly, impossible -- maybe even paranormal. This short story isn’t your average murder mystery, because this time, the threat isn’t quite so clear. Is it the serial killers hunting you? Your own paranoia? Or the very laws of nature? The suspense is free.

    Carol Shields' first novels, "Small Ceremonies" and "The Box Garden," each told from the viewpoint of a sister, published as one.

    . . Every story here is cut like a stone."—Chicago Sun-Times), National Book Award–winning Ha Jin gives us a collection that delves into the experience of Chinese immigrants in America.  With the same profound attention to detail that is a hallmark of his previous acclaimed works of fiction, Ha Jin depicts here the full spectrum of immigrant life and the daily struggles—some minute, some grand—faced by these intriguing individuals.  A lonely composer takes comfort in the antics of his girlfriend's parakeet; young children decide to change their names so that they might sound more "American," unaware of how deeply this will hurt their grandparents; a Chinese professor of English attempts to defect with the help of a reluctant former student. All of Ha Jin's characters struggle in situations that stir within them a desire to remain attached to be loyal to their homeland and its traditions as they explore and avail themselves of the freedom that life in a new country offers.  In these stark, deeply moving, acutely insightful, and often strikingly humorous stories, we are reminded once again of the storytelling prowess of this superb writer.

    Throughout the realm, magic lies dormant, sleeping, almost forgotten until Zollin discovers that he is a wizard. While he revels in his new powers and the realization that his life has purpose, malevolent wizards from the Torr, led by the scheming Branock, tirelessly seek him out. When at last they discover Zollin, a confrontation will ensue that will change the five kingdoms forever. Zollin is forced to flee his home and, with a small group of friends, find a way to survive until he can learn to use his powers to protect the people he cares about. Wizard Rising is a coming of age story that dives headfirst into a realm where magic is about to reawaken. So buckle up and hang on; the action comes fast and you won’t be able to put it down. Magic Awakening Power always comes at a price. In the Realm of the Five Kingdoms magic has been strictly controlled for centuries. Only a small group of wizards, known as the Torr, exercise the greatest magical powers, but their quest for control has pushed magic in the Five Kingdoms to the brink of extinction. When a young wizard named Zollin refused to submit his power to the Torr, he started more than just a desperate race for survival, his defiance sparked a magical awakening. As Zollin wrestles to understand and control his amazing powers, the world will change forever. Fantastic creatures will once again roam the Five Kingdoms, prompting a frenzied struggle from the people who seek to exploit Zollin’s power for their own gain. As nations clash and the powerful maneuver for supremacy, no one is safe, especially those closest to Zollin. Will the people he cares for the most be lost? Or can a young wizard, only just beginning to comprehend his purpose, risk everything to save what has become most precious to him? Hidden Fire What does it take to face a dragon? When a young wizard named Zollin begins to awaken the magical world, he also sets events in motion that will change the Five Kingdoms forever. In the north a dragon ravages villages and towns. The King's armies are powerless to stop the beast. Refugees begin fleeing to the larger cities in hope of finding safety. In the south, the Council of Kings plot an invasion. Under the influence of the Torr, a group of wizards who have held the Five Kingdoms in their power for three centuries, they turn their attention to bringing Zollin into their fold. They will stop at nothing to control his power, even if it means the assassination of the Crown Prince. As Zollin and his friends strive to bring peace to the Kingdom of Yelsia, they are faced with harrowing dangers and heart wrenching decisions that threaten to tear them apart.

    Marooned in a strange land.Rescued by a sexy wood elf and her forest friends.Wes has a perilous journey in front of him to reclaim his home, his honor, his future.In a world where political corruption is rife and there are dangers in every direction, the wood elf and her friends might not be what Wes was looking for, but they might be just what he needs.

    One night after working late, he saves an injured cat from a speeding truck. The cat survives, but Eizo does not... Luckily, that cat turns out to be a god-like being who offers him a second chance in another world! Eizo decides that he wants a slower life, one where he can live off the things he creates with his own hands. So, why not become a blacksmith? He does have one other stipulation: a cat companion for his quiet life. These requests are granted, and Eizo is whisked away to a new world and imbued with blacksmithing knowledge. He soon finds out that his abilities are above average—in fact, his new skills are so overpowered that they’re like cheats. On top of that, his cat companion turns out to be a half-tiger girl! Eizo’s blades soon garner attention, and he realizes that he can turn the tides of battle with his forge and hammer. With so much commotion in store, will Eizo truly be able to enjoy a quiet life?