S.J. Parris
S.J. Parris writes about her inspiration for Heresy, which masterfully blends true events with fiction into a page-turning murder mystery set on the sixteenth-century Oxford University campus.
Adam Haslett
A conversation with Adam Haslett, author of Union Atlantic, a deeply affecting portrait of the modern gilded age, the first decade of the twenty-first century.
Book Summary
This brilliant, readable synthesis of the history
of mythology and the function it serves to humanity is the launch title
of the groundbreaking publishing event, The Myths. "Human beings have
always been mythmakers." So begins Karen Armstrong's concise yet
compelling investigation into myth: what it is, how it has evolved, and
why we still so desperately need it. She takes us from the Paleolithic
period and the myths of the hunters right up to the "Great Western
Transformation" of the last five hundred years and the discrediting of
myth by science. The history of myth is the history of humanity, our
stories and beliefs, our curiosity and attempts to understand the
world, which link us to our ancestors and each other. Myths help us
make sense of the universe. Heralding a major series of retellings of
international myths by authors from around the world, Armstrong's
characteristically insightful and eloquent book serves as a brilliant
and thought-provoking introduction to myth in the broadest sense -- and
explains why if we dismiss it, we do so at our peril.
Book Reviews:
'Although the book offers no new perspectives or
information on the history of myth, it does provide a functional survey
of mythology's history.' - PW.
Comment: A Short History of Myth is the launch title in UK
publisher Cannongate's new myth series featuring retellings of classic
myths by modern writers - see The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood and Weight
by Jeanette Winterson, also in this issue. It is not surprising that
the reviewer from PW finds that this book offers 'no new perspectives
or information' as its purpose is not to break new ground but rather to
offer an overview of mythology as a whole in order to put the rest of
the series into context.
The series, conceived by Cannongate publisher Jamie Byng, is
being launched by 30 publishers worldwide this Fall. Byng (who
incidentally is the brother of Georgia Byng, author of the Molly Moon
books for children) estimates the series will be completed in 2038!
The information about A Short History of Myth shown above was first featured
in "BookBrowse Previews" - BookBrowse's monthly online-magazine that keeps our members abreast of notable and high-profile books publishing in the coming weeks.
In most cases, the reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication.
If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel
that the reviews shown do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available,
please send us a message with the mainstream media reviews that you would like to see added.
You are about to travel to Edgecombe St. Mary, a small village in the English countryside filled with rolling hills, thatched cottages, and a cast of characters both hilariously original and as familiar as the members of your own family.
The Postmistress is an unforgettable tale of the secrets we must bear, or bury. It is about what happens to love during wartime, when those we cherish leave. And how every story-of love or war-is about looking left when we should have been looking right.
Masterfully blending true events with fiction, this blockbuster historical thriller delivers a page-turning murder mystery set on the sixteenth-century Oxford University campus.
Kostova's masterful new novel travels from American cities to the coast of Normandy, from the late 19th century to the late 20th, from young love to last love. The Swan Thieves is a story of obsession, history's losses, and the power of art to preserve human hope.
Lisa See has written a great book! This story is satisfying on many levels, some scenes horrifying, but seemingly truthful, and her handling of the ...
read more
I was sorry to see that there were so few reviews. I started reading COAL and could not stop. The only thing I am going to say is that I wish ...
read more
The tragedy, the sorrow, the loss, is almost too much for me to recommend this; on the other hand Mistry made me believe I knew these characters. I ...
read more
Amazon 'buy button' rumors abound(Mar 18 2010) Rumors swirled today that Amazon could revoke the buy buttons for books by Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Penguin, or Hachette if the major publishers can't...
Full Story
Amazon's e-pricing threats(Mar 18 2010) With Apple's iPad launch just weeks away, Amazon raised the stakes again when it threatened to stop directly selling the books of some publishers online...
Full Story
A Short History of Myth
RSS feed
