A classic of fantastic literature Leonora Carringtons The Hearing Trumpet" is the occult twin to " Alice in Wonderland" published with an introduction by Ali Smith in Penguin Modern Classics. One of the first things ninety-two-year-old Marian Leatherby overhears when she is given an ornate hearing trumpet is her family plotting to commit her to an institution. Soon she finds herself trapped in a sinister retirement home where the elderly must inhabit buildings shaped like igloos & birthday cakes endure twisted religious preaching & eat in a canteen overlooked by the mysterious portrait of a leering Abbess. But when another resident secretly hands Marian a book recounding the life of the Abbess a joyous & brilliantly surreal adventure begins to unfold. Written in the early 1960s " The Hearing Trumpet" remains one of the most original & inspirational of all fantastic novels. Leonora Carrington (1917-2011) was a British born Surrealist painter & writer described alongside people such as Pablo Picasso & Joan Miro as one of the leading lights of the Surrealist movement. Born in Lancashire to a strict Catholic family she first came into contact with surrealism through her lover Surrealist painter Max Ernst before moving to Mexico in 1942. " The Hearing Trumpet" her most famous piece of writing was first published in France in 1974. If you enjoyed " The Hearing Trumpet" you might like Fernando Pessoas " The Book of Disquiet" also available in Penguin Modern Classics. " Reading " The Hearing Trumpet" liberates us from the miserable reality of our days". (Luis Bunuel). " One of the most original joyful satisfying & quietly visionary novels of the twentieth century". (Ali Smith). " This book is so inspiring...I love its freedom its humour & how it invents its own laws. What specifically do I take from her? Her wig". (Bjork)." ...

Clara Casey has more than enough on her plate. Her daughters are a handful & Clara a senior cardiac specialist has a new job to cope with... For Ania meeting Clara Casey is a miracle: she had never intended to leave her beloved Poland but after the love of her life has turned sour her world seems rather empty. Perhaps a new job in a new country will mend her broken heart? Declan is looking forward to joining the clinic
- but what should have been a straightforward six-month posting brings him far more than he expected. Then theres Father Brian Flynn whose life is turned upside down when his reputation is threatened; & the beautiful cheerful nurse Fiona who cant leave her troubled past behind...
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Clara Casey senior cardiologist & mother of two already has a new job to cope with
- & now her ex-husband wants something from
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Award-winning picture book star Oliver Jeffers explores themes of love & loss in this life-affirming & uplifting tale. Once there was a girl whose life was filled with wonder at the world around her... Then one day something happened that made the girl take her heart & put it in a safe place. However after that it seemed that the world was emptier than before. But would she know how to get her heart back? In this deeply moving story Oliver Jeffers deals with the weighty themes of love & loss with an extraordinary lightness of touch & shows us ultimately that there is always hope. ...

Award-winning picture book star Oliver Jeffers explores themes of love & loss in this life-affirming & uplifting tale. Once there was a girl who was full of wonderment at how the world worked. She shared all her dreams & excitement with her father who always had the answer to every question. That is until one day when his chair was empty not to be filled again
- how would she find the meaning of life now?
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A haunting & hugely influential Modernist masterpiece the Penguin Classics" edition of Joseph Conrads " Heart of Darkness" is edited with an introduction by Owen Knowles. Conrads narrator Marlow a seaman & wanderer recounts his physical & psychological journey in search of the infamous ivory trader Kurtz: dying insane & guilty of unspeakable atrocities. Travelling upriver to the heart of the African continent he gradually becomes obsessed by this enigmatic wraith-like figure. Marlows discovery of how Kurtz has gained his position of power over the local people involves him in a radical questioning not only of his own nature & values but also those of western civilisation. The inspiration for Francis Ford Coppolas Oscar-winning film " Apocalypse Now" " Heart of Darkness" is a quintessentially modernist work exploring the limits of human experience & the nightmarish realities of imperialism. Part of a major series of new editions of Conrads most famous works in " Penguin Classics" this volume contains Conrads " Congo Diary" a chronology further reading notes a map of the Congo a glossary & an introduction discussing the authors experiences in Africa the narrative & symbolic complexities of " Heart of Darkness" & critical responses to the novel. Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) was born in the Ukraine & grew up under Tsarist autocracy. After spending years in the French & later the British Merchant Navy Conrad left the sea to devote himself to writing. In 1896 he settled in Kent where he produced within fifteen years such modern classics as " Youth" " Heart of Darkness" " Lord Jim" " Typhoon" " Nostromo" " The Secret Agent" & " Under Western Eyes". If you enjoyed " Heart of Darkness" you might like E.M. Forsters "A Passage to India" also available in " Penguin Classics". " Seems to reach into the heart of Conrad himself". (Peter Ackroyd)." ...

Heart of Darkness is a chilling tale of horror which as the author intended is capable of many interpretations. Set in the Congo during the period of rapid colonial expansion in the 19th century the story deals with the highly disturbing effects of economic social & political exploitation of European & African societies & the cataclysmic behaviour this induced in some individuals. A very influential story it provided the plot of the film Apocalpyse Now. ...

Harper Collins is proud to present its range of best-loved essential classics. ' The reaches opened before us & closed behind as if the forest had stepped leisurely across the water to bar the way for our return. We penetrated deeper & deeper into the heart of darkness.' At the peak of European Imperialism steamboat captain Charles Marlow travels deep into the African Congo on his way to relieve the elusive Mr Kurtz an ivory trader renowned for his fearsome reputation. On his journey into the unknown Marlow takes a terrifying trip into his own subconscious overwhelmed by his menacing perilous & horrifying surroundings. The landscape & the people he meets force him to reflect on human nature & society & in turn Conrad writes revealingly about the dangers of imperialism. ...

WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY TIM BUTCHER The silence of the jungle is broken only by the ominous sound of drumming. Life on the river is brutal & unknown threats lurk in the darkness. Marlow's mission to captain a steamer upriver into the dense interior leads him into conflict with the others who haunt the forest. But his decision to hunt down the mysterious Mr Kurtz an ivory trader who is the subject of sinister rumours leads him into more than just physical peril. ...

The image of Poland has once again been impressed on European consciousness. Norman Davies provides a key to understanding the modern Polish crisis in this lucid & authoritative description of the nations history. Beginning with the period since 1945 he travels back in time to highlight the long-term themes & traditions which have influenced present attitudes. His evocative account reveals Poland as the heart of Europe in more than the geographical sense. It is a country where Europes ideological conflicts are played out in their most acute form: as recent events have emphasized Polands fate is of vital concern to European civilization as a whole. This revised & updated edition tackles & analyses the issues arising from the fall of the Eastern Block & looks at Polands future within a political climate of democracy & free market. ...