- Table View
- List View
Student Companion to Arthur Miller (Student Companions to Classic Writers)
by Susan C. AbbotsonThis critical introduction to Arthur Miller provides an indispensable aid for students and general readers to understand the depth and complexity of some of America's most important dramatic works. Beginning with a discussion of his life, this work traces not only Miller's theatrical career, but his formulative experiences with the Great Depression, the Holocaust, and the House Un-American Activities Committee. Detailed discussions of eight important plays are organized around the social and moral themes Miller derived from such events; these themes are evident in such works as Death of A Salesman, The Crucible, A View from the Bridge, and All My Sons. By placing Miller, within the context of his times, this discussion reveals how he was influenced by and reacted to the major events in his own life and in American culture. Analysis of his more recent works such as The American Clock, Broken Glass and The Ride Down Mt. Morgan illustrate the consistency of Miller's strong moral vision, and his continuing innovative contributions to American theatre.A fascinating biographical chapter takes readers from Miller's childhood, through the Depression years, through three marriages; and from his theatrical apprenticeship, to eventual fame and critical acclaim for his plays and other literary and cinematic projects. The literary heritage chapter outlines Miller's literary and dramatic precursors, and considers the major aspects of his dramatic impact. The six chapters discussing his major plays are systematically presented to allow the reader to easily grasp the intricacies of their plots, characterizations, stylistic devices, and themes. In addition, each chapter offers a view of the social and/or historical context that influenced the plays' thematic development, as well as an alternate critical reading that demonstrates the richness of Miller's work. Lastly, the bibliography provides information on Miller's published works, including his screenplays and essays, biographical information, selected general criticism, and both contemporary reviews and critical studies of the plays discussed.
The Upright Piano Player
by David AbbottHenry Cage seemed to have it all. A successful business career, considerable wealth, and a reputation for being a just and principled man. But public virtues can conceal private failings, and as Henry faces retirement, his well-ordered life begins to unravel. On the eve of the new millennium he is the victim of a random act of violence which soon escalates into a prolonged persecution, with tragic consequences. Family secrets are revealed, and when his ex-wife Nessa summons Henry to Palm Beach, he realises that there is little time to redress the mistakes of the past. The Upright Piano Player explores with a tender, yet unflinching eye the small but devastating flaws in human nature that can shape our destinies.
A Shakespearian Grammar: An Attempt to Illustrate Some of the Differences Between Elizabethan and Modern English
by E. A. AbbottThe finest and fullest guide to the peculiarities of Elizabethan syntax, grammar, and prosody, this volume addresses every idiomatic usage found in Shakespeare's works (with additional references to the works of Jonson, Bacon, and others). Its informative introduction, which compares Shakespearian and modern usage, is followed by sections on grammar (classified according to parts of speech) and prosody (focusing on pronunciation). The book concludes with an examination of the uses of metaphor and simile and a selection of notes and questions suitable for classroom use. Each of more than 500 classifications is illustrated with quotes, all of which are fully indexed. Unabridged republication of the classic 1870 edition.
Flatland: Large Print (Penguin Science Fiction)
by Edwin AbbottThe book that influenced writers from Carl Sagan to Stephen Hawking, Flatland is set in a two-dimensional world where life exists only in lines and shapes - until one of its inhabitants, 'A. Square', has his perspective transformed forever. This brilliantly eccentric classic is an invitation to see beyond our own reality.'At once a playful brainteaser about geometry, a pointed satire of Victorian manners - and a strangely compelling argument about the greatest mysteries of the Universe' Wall Street Journal'Flatland could lead to very profound thought about our Universe and ourselves' Isaac Asimov
Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions (Oxford World's Classics)
by Edwin A. AbbottFlatland follows the journeys of A. Square, a mathematician and resident of the two-dimensional Flatland, where women - thin, straight lines - are the lowliest of shapes, and where men may have any number of sides, depending on their social status.Through strange occurrences that bring him into contact with a host of geometric forms, Square has adventures in Spaceland (three dimensions), Lineland (one dimension) and Pointland (no dimensions) and ultimately entertains thoughts of visiting a land of four dimensions-a revolutionary idea for which he is returned to his two-dimensional world.
Baudelaire in Song: 1880-1930
by Helen AbbottWhy do we find it hard to explain what happens when words are set to music? This study looks at the kind of language we use to describe word/music relations, both in the academic literature and in manuals for singers or programme notes prepared by professional musicians. Helen Abbott's critique of word/music relations interrogates overlaps emerging from a range of academic disciplines including translation theory, adaptation theory, word/music theory, as well as critical musicology, métricométrie, and cognitive neuroscience. It also draws on other resources-whether adhesion science or financial modelling-to inform a new approach to analysing song in a model proposed here as the assemblage model. The assemblage model has two key stages of analysis. The first stage examines the bonds formed between the multiple layers that make up a song setting (including metre/prosody, form/structure, sound repetition, semantics, and live performance options). The second stage considers the overall outcome of each song in terms of the intensity or stability of the words and music present in a song (accretion/dilution). Taking the work of the major nineteenth-century French poet Charles Baudelaire (1821-67) as its main impetus, the volume examines how Baudelaire's poetry has inspired composers of all genres across the globe, from the 1860s to the present day. The case studies focus on Baudelaire song sets by European composers between 1880 and 1930, specifically Maurice Rollinat, Gustave Charpentier, Alexander Gretchaninov, Louis Vierne, and Alban Berg. Using this corpus, it tests out the assemblage model to uncover what happens to Baudelaire's poetry when it is set to music. It factors in the realities of song as a live performance genre, and reveals which parameters of song emerge as standard for French text-setting, and where composers diverge in their approach.
Baudelaire in Song: 1880-1930
by Helen AbbottWhy do we find it hard to explain what happens when words are set to music? This study looks at the kind of language we use to describe word/music relations, both in the academic literature and in manuals for singers or programme notes prepared by professional musicians. Helen Abbott's critique of word/music relations interrogates overlaps emerging from a range of academic disciplines including translation theory, adaptation theory, word/music theory, as well as critical musicology, métricométrie, and cognitive neuroscience. It also draws on other resources-whether adhesion science or financial modelling-to inform a new approach to analysing song in a model proposed here as the assemblage model. The assemblage model has two key stages of analysis. The first stage examines the bonds formed between the multiple layers that make up a song setting (including metre/prosody, form/structure, sound repetition, semantics, and live performance options). The second stage considers the overall outcome of each song in terms of the intensity or stability of the words and music present in a song (accretion/dilution). Taking the work of the major nineteenth-century French poet Charles Baudelaire (1821-67) as its main impetus, the volume examines how Baudelaire's poetry has inspired composers of all genres across the globe, from the 1860s to the present day. The case studies focus on Baudelaire song sets by European composers between 1880 and 1930, specifically Maurice Rollinat, Gustave Charpentier, Alexander Gretchaninov, Louis Vierne, and Alban Berg. Using this corpus, it tests out the assemblage model to uncover what happens to Baudelaire's poetry when it is set to music. It factors in the realities of song as a live performance genre, and reveals which parameters of song emerge as standard for French text-setting, and where composers diverge in their approach.
Between Baudelaire and Mallarmé: Voice, Conversation and Music
by Helen AbbottAs the status of poetry became less and less certain over the course of the nineteenth century, poets such as Baudelaire and Mallarmé began to explore ways to ensure that poetry would not be overtaken by music in the hierarchy of the arts. Helen Abbott examines the verse and prose poetry of these two important poets, together with their critical writings, to address how their attitudes towards the performance practice of poetry influenced the future of both poetry and music. Central to her analysis is the issue of 'voice', a term that remains elusive in spite of its broad application. Acknowledging that voice can be physical, textual and symbolic, Abbott explores the meaning of voice in terms of four categories: (1) rhetoric, specifically the rules governing the deployment of voice in poetry; (2) the human body and its effect on how voice is used in poetry; (3) exchange, that is, the way voices either interact or fail to interact; and (4) music, specifically the question of whether poetry should be sung. Abbott shows how Baudelaire and Mallarmé exploit the complexity and instability of the notion of voice to propose a new aesthetic that situates poetry between conversation and music. Voice thus becomes an important process of interaction and exchange rather than something stable or static; the implications of this for Baudelaire and Mallarmé are profoundly significant, since it maps out the possible future of poetry.
Between Baudelaire and Mallarmé: Voice, Conversation and Music
by Helen AbbottAs the status of poetry became less and less certain over the course of the nineteenth century, poets such as Baudelaire and Mallarmé began to explore ways to ensure that poetry would not be overtaken by music in the hierarchy of the arts. Helen Abbott examines the verse and prose poetry of these two important poets, together with their critical writings, to address how their attitudes towards the performance practice of poetry influenced the future of both poetry and music. Central to her analysis is the issue of 'voice', a term that remains elusive in spite of its broad application. Acknowledging that voice can be physical, textual and symbolic, Abbott explores the meaning of voice in terms of four categories: (1) rhetoric, specifically the rules governing the deployment of voice in poetry; (2) the human body and its effect on how voice is used in poetry; (3) exchange, that is, the way voices either interact or fail to interact; and (4) music, specifically the question of whether poetry should be sung. Abbott shows how Baudelaire and Mallarmé exploit the complexity and instability of the notion of voice to propose a new aesthetic that situates poetry between conversation and music. Voice thus becomes an important process of interaction and exchange rather than something stable or static; the implications of this for Baudelaire and Mallarmé are profoundly significant, since it maps out the possible future of poetry.
The Never King
by James AbbottA new legend begins in The Never King, a thrilling fantasy adventure by James Abbott.Xavir Argentum is rotting in gaol. Sentenced to life in the squalor of Hell’s Keep, punishment for an atrocity he didn’t commit, the once legendary commander is all but forgotten. His elite band of warriors are dead – and the kingdom he was poised to inherit is oppressed by the tyrant who framed him. For half a decade now, Xavir has ruled nothing but a prison gang.Yet vengeance comes to those who wait. When a former spymaster infiltrates the Keep, bearing news of his old enemy’s treachery, plans are forged. A few are compelled to restore peace – an exiled queen, an outcast witch, and an unlikely alliance of rogues and heroes. But peace and vengeance make poor companions. And first, Xavir must make his escape . . .
Adrenaline (Sam Capra #1)
by Jeff AbbottSam Capra - brilliant CIA agent, loving husband, expectant father - loses everything that matters to him in a horrifying moment in London. An unknown enemy has set him up as a traitor. But that enemy has targeted the wrong man. Escaping from the CIA, Sam goes on a desperate hunt for the killer who stole his family and to save his kidnapped wife and child. But the destruction of Sam's life was only step one in an extraordinary plot - and now Sam Capra must become a new kind of hero.
Black Jack Point (Whit Mosley #2)
by Jeff AbbottThey found Whit Mosley's missing friends at Black Jack Point - dead and buried, along with bones and relics from a legendary past. When Whit opens an inquest into the murders, he's plunged into a shadowy world of ruthless treasure hunters and double-crossing tycoons - all chasing a long-lost fortune in emeralds and gold. His only ally, police detective Claudia Salazar, is kidnapped at sea and held hostage in a deadly game of betrayal and greed. To survive, both Claudia and Whit must stay one step ahead of their common enemy - a desperate killer far more dangerous than any pirate of old...
Blame: The addictive psychological thriller that grips you to the final twist
by Jeff AbbottA breathtaking psychological thriller about one girl's search for justice, perfect for fans of JP Delaney's The Girl Before and Michelle Frances's The Girlfriend. IF YOU WERE INNOCENT, YOU'D REMEMBER . . . WOULDN'T YOU?'This story is in the hands of a true thriller master. And the payoff is glorious'Daily MailThe crash that killed himTwo years ago, Jane Norton crashed her car on a lonely road, killing her friend David and leaving her with amnesia. At first, everyone was sympathetic. Then they found Jane's note: I wish we were dead together. A girl to blameFrom that day the town turned against her. But even now Jane is filled with questions: why were they on that road? Why was she with David? Did she really want to die? The secrets she should forgetMost of all, she must find out who has just written her an anonymous message . . . I know what really happened. I know what you don't remember.A gripping and emotional psychological thriller, perfect for fans of JP Delaney, Michelle Frances, TM Logan, Rachel Abbott, Patricia Gibney and Paula Hawkins.Praise for Jeff Abbott'An instant classic' Lee Child'One of the best thriller writers of our time' Harlan Coben'Jeff Abbott has put together a hell of a page turner' Michael ConnellyJeff Abbott is a master storyteller. Blame is a great introduction to his talents for the first-time Abbott reader. Rest assured that when you finish his latest, you'll be hooked.Mystery People'Impossible to put down. A one-sit read that'll have readers up way past their bedtimes, Blame is Jeff Abbott's best novel so far' The Real Book Spy blog
Cut And Run (Whit Mosley #3)
by Jeff AbbottThirty years ago, Ellen Mosley vanished into the criminal underworld with $500,000 of the Mob's money, leaving behind her husband and young children. With his father near death, Judge Whit Mosley launches a search for his mother and finds her framed for murder and in trouble for stealing money from crime lords again - this time millions of dollars. He has one impossible chance to save Ellen - now known as Eve: take her on the run, outsmart a gang of sophisticated killers, and find the missing millions. Caught in a nightmare of double crosses and vicious schemers, Whit turns his back on law and order for the one person he most wants to trust but knows the least - a dangerous woman who may be plotting the cruellest deception of all.
Downfall: Number 3 in series (Sam Capra #3)
by Jeff Abbott'Help me.'When a young woman rushes into Sam Capra's San Francisco bar and whispers these desperate words, Sam feels compelled to help. A moment later she is attacked by two killers. With Sam's aid, she manages to overpower the men, saving his life in the process before vanishing into the night. On discovering that one of the attackers is no mere thug, but, shockingly, one of the most powerfulinvestors in America, Sam searches for the beguiling young woman who asked for help and unearths a deadly network run by some of the most powerful and influential people in the world...A gripping, addictive and exhilarating thriller from international bestseller Jeff Abbott, Downfall will keep you on the edge of your seat from the first page to the very last line.
Fear
by Jeff AbbottI killed my best friend. I didn't mean to, but I did. This is my story.'Miles Kendrick is in a witness protection program, hiding from the mob and constantly haunted by his best friend's death. With the aid of psychiatrist Allison Vance, Miles is trying to hold onto his sanity and to recall the events of that tragic night. But when Allison is blown to pieces by a bomb planted in her office, Miles becomes caught up in a deadly conspiracy way beyond his worst nightmares. Pursued by an ex-FBI detective turned hitman and helped by a mentally broken ex-soldier and a reclusive woman whose life has been destroyed by violence, Miles is in a battle to get his life back - or just stay alive. A gripping, breakneck-paced thriller, FEAR will not let you go until the last bullet flies.
The First Order (Sam Capra #5)
by Jeff AbbottSix years ago, Sam Capra watched his brother, Danny, executed by extremists.It was the darkest day of his life.But what if Danny was still alive?When evidence surfaces that Danny might be leading a secret, hidden life while the world believes him to be dead, Sam uncovers a different side to the brother he thought he knew. Could Danny be plotting a murder that could change history - the assassination of the Russian president?Determined to stop his brother from committing a murder that may cause a terrible war, Sam goes undercover in a one-man mission to save the world, but how far will he go to save his brother?Packed full of action and twists, The First Order is an addictive, exhilarating thriller that shows international bestseller Jeff Abbott at the height of his powers.
The Inside Man (Sam Capra #4)
by Jeff AbbottWhen Sam Capra's best customer - and friend - is murdered outside his Miami bar, Sam decides to seek justice. Determined to figure out the connection between his friend's death and a beautiful stranger, Sam infiltrates the Varelas, one of Miami's most prominent - and dangerous - families. He faces a powerful but unstable mastermind intent on dividing his business empire between his three very different adult children. It's not long before he realises that these formidable siblings may hold murderous secrets of their own.Sam is inexorably drawn into this shadowy family drama, amplifying painful echoes of his own shattered relationships as he goes undercover. And in his quest to unearth the killer before his cover is blown, Sam discovers one of the world's 'dark corners'; a place where laws are inconsequential, and no amount of money or power can save you...
A Kiss Gone Bad (Whit Mosley #1)
by Jeff AbbottJudge Whit Mosley is called out in the middle of the night to certify a body - but when he discovers that the dead man on the yacht is none other than the son of the powerful Senator Lucinda Hubble, Whit knows all hell is going to break loose. Ignoring pressure from all sides to rule the death as suicide, Whit and Detective Claudia Salazar peel away the layers of corruption and cover-up behind Pete Hubble's death, despite the danger to their careers - and their lives. But more dangerous than the shocking truth they discover is the obsessed killer who has already chosen his next victim...
The Last Minute (Sam Capra #2)
by Jeff AbbottThey framed me.They abducted my wife.They took my child.I want him back.Sam Capra has one reason to live: to reclaim his baby son from the people who kidnapped him. Teaming up with a young mother whose daughter went missing, he tracks his child across the country in a dangerous, desperate race against time.From the internationally bestselling author of Panic, The Last Minute is the most heart-stopping thriller of the year, from 'one of the best thriller writers of our time' (Harlan Coben).
Never Ask Me: The heart-stopping thriller with a twist you won't see coming
by Jeff AbbottHow far would you go to protect your family?From the internationally bestselling Jeff Abbott, Never Ask Me is a gripping and claustrophobic psychological thriller about the dark side of a small town and the secrets that lie at the heart of a perfect family . . . ____________Danielle Roberts has the perfect life. An adoption worker, beloved girlfriend and doting mother, she is a cherished pillar of the community, and nobody is closer to her than the Pollitt family who live two doors down.So when Danielle's body is discovered on a park bench it sets off a chain reaction of intrigue and suspicion: who in this small town would want her dead, and why? There are questions that nobody can answer, and everyone is a suspect.The Pollitts thought they would always be there for each other, but they are all hiding secrets. And when they begin to suspect each another of the unimaginable, they discover that you can never truly know someone. Not even your own family . . .____________Praise for Jeff Abbott 'I could not tear myself away from Jeff Abbott's mesmerising, gripping and claustrophobic novel' Harlan Coben 'An instant classic' Lee Child 'Jeff Abbott has put together a hell of a page turner' Michael Connelly'A true thriller master' Daily Mail
Panic
by Jeff Abbott***Discover the half-a-million-copy-selling debut smash and prepare to hold... your... breath...***'Panic is an instant classic'Lee Child'A sleak, smart thriller. No question: Jeff Abbott is THE new name in suspense'Harlan CobenThings are going well for young film-maker Evan Casher - until he receives an urgent phonecall from his mother, summoning him home. He arrives to find her brutally murdered body on the kitchen floor and a hitman lying in wait for him.It is then he realises his whole life has been a lie. His parents are not who he thought they were, his girlfriend is not who he thought she was, his entire existence an ingeniously constructed sham. And now that he knows it, he is in terrible danger.So he is catapulted into a violent world of mercenaries, spies and terrorists. Pursued by a ruthless band of killers who will stop at nothing to keep old secrets buried, Evan's only hope for survival is to discover the truth behind his past.An absolute page-turner, Panic has been acclaimed as one of the most exciting thrillers of recent years.
Run (Whit Mosley Ser. #3)
by Jeff AbbottOne balmy Texas evening, widowed financier Ben Fosberg answers the door to two Homeland Security agents. From the minute he lets them in, his life spirals out of control. A businessman has been killed in a hit gone wrong and Ben's card is in the dead hitman's pocket. The agents have a thousand questions for which he has no answers, but the evidence is still piling up against him when a mysterious stranger, known as Pilgrim, snatches him away from the agents and sets them both on a dangerous journey. Pilgrim's boss has been abducted by a man to whom destroying Ben's life is merely a task for the day. Ben and Pilgrim flee across the US with a hoard of agents and killers on their trail. Ben is still mourning his wife, cruelly murdered two years ago on their honeymoon. He is about to get answers to his questions about Emily's death - but they won't be the ones he was expecting. As betrayal and danger dog them at every turn, Ben and Pilgrim have to uncover a deadly plan and save their own lives - before it's too late...
Sam Capra's Last Chance (Sam Capra #2)
by Jeff AbbottA new short story - available exclusively as an ebook - featuring the star of Jeff Abbott's hit series, Sam Capra. Sam Capra's Last Chance exclusively chronicles Sam's desperate days between the cliffhanger ending of Adrenaline and the opening chapter of The Last Minute.