Ancient & Classical in Literary Theory & Criticism & Fiction & Literature eBooks

Penelope’s Bones

A New History of Homer’s World through the Women Written Out of It

by Emily Hauser ...

Weaving together literary and archaeological evidence, Emily Hauser illuminates the rich, intriguing lives of the real women behind Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey.Achilles. Agamemnon. Odysseus. Hector. The lives of these and many other men in the greatest epics of ancient Greece have been pored over endlessly in the past three millennia. But these are not just tales about heroic men. There are scores ... Read more

$2.99 USD

Weaving together literary and archaeological evidence, Emily Hauser illuminates the rich, intriguing lives of the real women behind Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey.Achilles. Agamemnon. Odysseus. Hector. The lives of these and many other men in the greatest epics of ancient Greece have been pored over endlessly in the past three millennia. But these are not just tales about heroic men. There are scores
... Read more
The Satyricon: the Apocolocyntosis

by Petronius, Seneca ...

Perhaps the strangest - and most strikingly modern - work to survive from the ancient world, The Satyricon relates the hilarious mock epic adventures of the impotent Encolpius, and his struggle to regain virility. Here Petronius brilliantly brings to life the courtesans, legacy-hunters, pompous professors and dissolute priestesses of the age - and, above all, Trimalchio, the archetypal self-made ... Read more

$12.59 USD

Perhaps the strangest - and most strikingly modern - work to survive from the ancient world, The Satyricon relates the hilarious mock epic adventures of the impotent Encolpius, and his struggle to regain virility. Here Petronius brilliantly brings to life the courtesans, legacy-hunters, pompous professors and dissolute priestesses of the age - and, above all, Trimalchio, the archetypal self-made
... Read more
Monstrous Tales

Stories of Strange Creatures and Fearsome Beasts from around the World

Monstrous Tales is a collection of traditional folktales about bewitching and bloodthirsty creatures.Translated and transcribed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, these tales celebrate the diversity of—and surprising resonances among—folklore traditions around the world.Welcome to a world of magical adventure: a mysterious wolf pursues a bridegroom through a dark forest, a princess is ... Read more

$1.99 USD

Monstrous Tales is a collection of traditional folktales about bewitching and bloodthirsty creatures.Translated and transcribed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, these tales celebrate the diversity of—and surprising resonances among—folklore traditions around the world.Welcome to a world of magical adventure: a mysterious wolf pursues a bridegroom through a dark forest, a princess is
... Read more
Metamorphoses

by A. D. Melville ...

Translated by E. J. Kenney ...

Series series Oxford World's Classics
The modern, unacademic idiom of A.D. Melville's translation opens the way to a fresh understanding of Ovid's unique and elusive vision of reality. ... Read more

$5.99 USD

The modern, unacademic idiom of A.D. Melville's translation opens the way to a fresh understanding of Ovid's unique and elusive vision of reality.
... Read more
Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea

Journeys Through Ancient Literature

by Emily Wilson ...

**INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER"An enthralling and profoundly relevant book." —Salman Rushdie"I adored reading these joyful, illuminating, and engrossing journeys through ancient literature." —Madeline MillerMost Anticipated Books of Fall: Goodreads, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus ReviewsFrom the most celebrated translator of our time comes a visionary exploration of how translation reshapes and ... Read more

$13.69 USD

**INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER"An enthralling and profoundly relevant book." —Salman Rushdie"I adored reading these joyful, illuminating, and engrossing journeys through ancient literature." —Madeline MillerMost Anticipated Books of Fall: Goodreads, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus ReviewsFrom the most celebrated translator of our time comes a visionary exploration of how translation reshapes and
... Read more
Sa'iba

by Alis al-Bustani ...

Translated by Marilyn Booth ...

Series series Oxford World's Classics
'Let us go on, then! And I will tell you the story of my sister and her daughter, from beginning to end.' Alis al-Bustani's Sa'iba (1891) is one of the earliest known novels authored in Arabic by a female writer. Written when the Arabic novel was only in its third or fourth decade, it takes up the leading fictional theme of the era: the question of young people's choices in marriage in a society ... Read more

$6.99 USD

'Let us go on, then! And I will tell you the story of my sister and her daughter, from beginning to end.' Alis al-Bustani's Sa'iba (1891) is one of the earliest known novels authored in Arabic by a female writer. Written when the Arabic novel was only in its third or fourth decade, it takes up the leading fictional theme of the era: the question of young people's choices in marriage in a society
... Read more
Turning Away

The Poetics of an Ancient Gesture

by Benjamin A. Saltzman ...

Series series Thinking Literature
A sweeping account of how we are at our most human when we turn away from the pains of the world.Why do we look away from the suffering of others? Why do we cover our faces in shame? Why do we lower our heads in grief? Few gestures are as universal as the averted gaze. Fewer still are as ambivalent and inscrutable. In this incisive study, Benjamin A. Saltzman reveals how the kaleidoscopic ... Read more

$21.59 USD

A sweeping account of how we are at our most human when we turn away from the pains of the world.Why do we look away from the suffering of others? Why do we cover our faces in shame? Why do we lower our heads in grief? Few gestures are as universal as the averted gaze. Fewer still are as ambivalent and inscrutable. In this incisive study, Benjamin A. Saltzman reveals how the kaleidoscopic
... Read more
The Pregnant Male as Myth and Metaphor in Classical Greek Literature

by David D. Leitao ...

This book traces the image of the pregnant male in Greek literature as it evolved over the course of the classical period. The image - as deployed in myth and in metaphor - originated as a representation of paternity and, by extension, 'authorship' of ideas, works of art, legislation, and the like. Only later, with its reception in philosophy in the early fourth century, did it also become a way ... Read more

$51.99 USD

This book traces the image of the pregnant male in Greek literature as it evolved over the course of the classical period. The image - as deployed in myth and in metaphor - originated as a representation of paternity and, by extension, 'authorship' of ideas, works of art, legislation, and the like. Only later, with its reception in philosophy in the early fourth century, did it also become a way
... Read more
Early Greek Alphabetic Writing

A Linguistic Approach

by Natalia Elvira Astoreca ...

Series Book 5 - Contexts of and Relations between Early Writing Systems (CREWS)
Despite the flourishing of epichoric studies on the Archaic Greek scripts in the 1960s, embodied by archaeologists Lilian Hamilton Jeffery and Margherita Guarducci, most scholarship on early alphabetic writing in Greece has focused on questions around the origin of ‘the Greek alphabet’ instead of acknowledging the diversity of alphabetic systems that emerged in Geometric and Archaic times. The ... Read more

$23.99 USD or Free with Kobo Plus

Despite the flourishing of epichoric studies on the Archaic Greek scripts in the 1960s, embodied by archaeologists Lilian Hamilton Jeffery and Margherita Guarducci, most scholarship on early alphabetic writing in Greece has focused on questions around the origin of ‘the Greek alphabet’ instead of acknowledging the diversity of alphabetic systems that emerged in Geometric and Archaic times. The
... Read more
The Iliad

A New Translation by Peter Green

by Homer ...

One of the oldest extant works of Western literature, the Iliad is a timeless epic poem of great warriors trapped between their own heroic pride and the arbitrary, often vicious decisions of fate and the gods. Renowned scholar and acclaimed translator Peter Green captures the Iliad in all its surging thunder for a new generation of readers.Featuring an enticingly personal introduction, a detailed ... Read more

$10.99 USD

One of the oldest extant works of Western literature, the Iliad is a timeless epic poem of great warriors trapped between their own heroic pride and the arbitrary, often vicious decisions of fate and the gods. Renowned scholar and acclaimed translator Peter Green captures the Iliad in all its surging thunder for a new generation of readers.Featuring an enticingly personal introduction, a detailed
... Read more
Etymology and the Invention of English in Early Modern Literature

by Hannah Crawforth ...

How did authors such as Jonson, Spenser, Donne and Milton think about the past lives of the words they used? Hannah Crawforth shows how early modern writers were acutely attuned to the religious and political implications of the etymology of English words. She argues that these lexically astute writers actively engaged with the lexicographers, Anglo-Saxonists and etymologists who were carrying out ... Read more

$38.99 USD

How did authors such as Jonson, Spenser, Donne and Milton think about the past lives of the words they used? Hannah Crawforth shows how early modern writers were acutely attuned to the religious and political implications of the etymology of English words. She argues that these lexically astute writers actively engaged with the lexicographers, Anglo-Saxonists and etymologists who were carrying out
... Read more
Vita Nuova

by Dante Alighieri ...

Translated by Barbara Reynolds ...

A unique treatise by a poet, written for poets, on the art of poetry, LA VITA NUOVA is elaborately and symbolically patterned, consisting of a selection of Dante's early poems, interspersed with his own prose commentary.The poems themselves tell the story of his love for Beatrice, from their first meeting at a May Day party in her father's house, through Dante's sufferings and his attempts to ... Read more

$12.99 USD

A unique treatise by a poet, written for poets, on the art of poetry, LA VITA NUOVA is elaborately and symbolically patterned, consisting of a selection of Dante's early poems, interspersed with his own prose commentary.The poems themselves tell the story of his love for Beatrice, from their first meeting at a May Day party in her father's house, through Dante's sufferings and his attempts to
... Read more
Ka

Stories of the Mind and Gods of India

by Roberto Calasso ...

Series series Vintage International
**In "the very best book about Hindu mythology that anyone has ever written" (The New Republic)Calasso plunges Western readers into the mind of ancient India. He begins with a mystery: Why is the most important god in the Rg Veda, the oldest of India's sacred texts, known by a secret name—"Ka," or Who?What ensues is not an explanation, but an unveiling. Here are the stories of the creation of mind ... Read more

$13.99 USD

**In "the very best book about Hindu mythology that anyone has ever written" (The New Republic)Calasso plunges Western readers into the mind of ancient India. He begins with a mystery: Why is the most important god in the Rg Veda, the oldest of India's sacred texts, known by a secret name—"Ka," or Who?What ensues is not an explanation, but an unveiling. Here are the stories of the creation of mind
... Read more
TROILUS & CRESSIDA

Enriched edition. Including The Classic Biography: The Life of William Shakespeare

by William Shakespeare, Todd Ramsey ...

William Shakespeare's play 'Troilus & Cressida' is a complex and dark tragedy that delves into themes of love, war, honor, and betrayal. Set during the Trojan War, the play intricately weaves together the stories of the titular characters, Troilus and Cressida, against the backdrop of a larger conflict. The language is rich and poetic, showcasing Shakespeare's mastery of dramatic dialogue and ... Read more

$1.99 USD or Free with Kobo Plus

William Shakespeare's play 'Troilus & Cressida' is a complex and dark tragedy that delves into themes of love, war, honor, and betrayal. Set during the Trojan War, the play intricately weaves together the stories of the titular characters, Troilus and Cressida, against the backdrop of a larger conflict. The language is rich and poetic, showcasing Shakespeare's mastery of dramatic dialogue and
... Read more
Beneath the Moon

Fairy Tales, Myths, and Divine Stories from Around the World

by Yoshi Yoshitani ...

Powerful and universal retellings of seventy-eight divine stories, legends, and myths from around the world, each accompanied by a gorgeous illustration from acclaimed artist Yoshi Yoshitani.Many of the lessons we learn are shared stories passed among cultures and generations. In this riveting collection of fables and folktales from cultures across the globe, characters from beloved fairytales, ... Read more

$5.99 USD

Powerful and universal retellings of seventy-eight divine stories, legends, and myths from around the world, each accompanied by a gorgeous illustration from acclaimed artist Yoshi Yoshitani.Many of the lessons we learn are shared stories passed among cultures and generations. In this riveting collection of fables and folktales from cultures across the globe, characters from beloved fairytales,
... Read more
Gilgamesh

A New Verse Translation

A propulsive and lyrical version of ancient Mesopotamia’s greatest adventure–tale, by the bestselling translator of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.Originating nearly four thousand years ago in ancient Mesopotamia, the epic of Gilgamesh tells the story of a tyrannical king and his wild counterpart, Enkidu, spawned by the gods to rein in the king’s cruel tendencies. They face off in a violent ... Read more

$17.09 USD

A propulsive and lyrical version of ancient Mesopotamia’s greatest adventure–tale, by the bestselling translator of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.Originating nearly four thousand years ago in ancient Mesopotamia, the epic of Gilgamesh tells the story of a tyrannical king and his wild counterpart, Enkidu, spawned by the gods to rein in the king’s cruel tendencies. They face off in a violent
... Read more
Plato and the Stoics

Edited by A. G. Long ...

Plato was central both to the genesis of Stoic theory and to subsequent debates within the Stoa. These essays provide new and detailed explorations of the complex relationship between Plato and the Greek and Roman Stoic traditions, and together they show the directness and independence with which Stoics examined Plato's writing. What were the philosophical incentives to consulting and then ... Read more

$38.99 USD

Plato was central both to the genesis of Stoic theory and to subsequent debates within the Stoa. These essays provide new and detailed explorations of the complex relationship between Plato and the Greek and Roman Stoic traditions, and together they show the directness and independence with which Stoics examined Plato's writing. What were the philosophical incentives to consulting and then
... Read more
The Literature of Wales

by Dafydd Johnston ...

Series Book 1 - Pocket Guides
A concise and authoritative survey of both the Welsh- and English-language literatures of Wales from the earliest period up to the present day. This illustrated guide, containing extracts from original texts with English translations, is a revised version of Professor Dafydd Johnston's volume in the University of Wales's Pocket Guide series, and includes a new chapter on contemporary writing. ... Read more

$18.99 USD or Free with Kobo Plus

A concise and authoritative survey of both the Welsh- and English-language literatures of Wales from the earliest period up to the present day. This illustrated guide, containing extracts from original texts with English translations, is a revised version of Professor Dafydd Johnston's volume in the University of Wales's Pocket Guide series, and includes a new chapter on contemporary writing.
... Read more
Pandora's Jar

Women in the Greek Myths

by Natalie Haynes ...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER“Funny, sharp explications of what these sometimes not-very-nice women were up to, and how they sometimes made idiots of . . . but read on!”—Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid's TaleThe national bestselling author of A Thousand Ships returns with a fascinating, eye-opening take on the remarkable women at the heart of classical stories Greek mythology from Helen of ... Read more

$14.99 USD

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER“Funny, sharp explications of what these sometimes not-very-nice women were up to, and how they sometimes made idiots of . . . but read on!”—Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid's TaleThe national bestselling author of A Thousand Ships returns with a fascinating, eye-opening take on the remarkable women at the heart of classical stories Greek mythology from Helen of
... Read more
Around the Sun

Stories and Symbols from Across the World

by Yoshi Yoshitani ...

Discover the universal allure of the hero’s journey captured in these global folktales, powerfully retold and gorgeously illustrated by the author and artist behind Tarot of the Divine and Beneath the MoonAround the Sun is a storybook comprised of twelve beautifully illustrated folktales from all around the world and across time, each featuring classic tropes such as a Hero, a Challenge, an ... Read more

$9.99 USD

Discover the universal allure of the hero’s journey captured in these global folktales, powerfully retold and gorgeously illustrated by the author and artist behind Tarot of the Divine and Beneath the MoonAround the Sun is a storybook comprised of twelve beautifully illustrated folktales from all around the world and across time, each featuring classic tropes such as a Hero, a Challenge, an
... Read more
Sir Gawain and The Green Knight

Edited by Helen Cooper ...

Series series Oxford World's Classics
'The finest translation in and for our time' (Kevin Crossley-Holland) Sir Gawain and The Green Knight, with its intricate plot of enchantment and betrayal is probably the most skilfully told story in the whole of the English Arthurian cycle. Originating from the north-west midlands of England, it is based on two separate and very ancient Celtic motifs of the Beheading and the Exchange of Winnings, ... Read more

$6.99 USD

'The finest translation in and for our time' (Kevin Crossley-Holland) Sir Gawain and The Green Knight, with its intricate plot of enchantment and betrayal is probably the most skilfully told story in the whole of the English Arthurian cycle. Originating from the north-west midlands of England, it is based on two separate and very ancient Celtic motifs of the Beheading and the Exchange of Winnings,
... Read more
Happily

A Personal History-with Fairy Tales

by Sabrina Orah Mark ...

WINNER OF THE NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD • A beautifully written memoir-in-essays on fairy tales and their surprising relevance to modern life, from a Jewish woman raising Black children in the American South—based on her acclaimed Paris Review column “Happily”“One of the most inventive, phenomenally executed books I’ve read in decades.”—Kiese Laymon, author of HeavyFINALIST FOR THE SOUTHERN BOOK ... Read more

$13.99 USD

WINNER OF THE NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD • A beautifully written memoir-in-essays on fairy tales and their surprising relevance to modern life, from a Jewish woman raising Black children in the American South—based on her acclaimed Paris Review column “Happily”“One of the most inventive, phenomenally executed books I’ve read in decades.”—Kiese Laymon, author of HeavyFINALIST FOR THE SOUTHERN BOOK
... Read more
The White Goddess

A Historical Grammar of Poetic Myth

by Robert Graves ...

Series series FSG Classics
The White Goddess is perhaps the finest of Robert Graves's works on the psychological and mythological sources of poetry. In this tapestry of poetic and religious scholarship, Graves explores the stories behind the earliest of European deities—the White Goddess of Birth, Love, and Death—who was worshipped under countless titles. He also uncovers the obscure and mysterious power of "pure poetry" ... Read more

$12.99 USD

The White Goddess is perhaps the finest of Robert Graves's works on the psychological and mythological sources of poetry. In this tapestry of poetic and religious scholarship, Graves explores the stories behind the earliest of European deities—the White Goddess of Birth, Love, and Death—who was worshipped under countless titles. He also uncovers the obscure and mysterious power of "pure poetry"
... Read more
Divine Might

Goddesses in Greek Myth

by Natalie Haynes ...

New York Times bestselling author Natalie Haynes returns to the world of ancient Greek myth in this scintillating follow-up to Pandora’s Jar.Few writers today have reshaped our view of the ancient Greek myths more than revered bestselling author Natalie Haynes. Divine Might is a female-centered look at Olympus and the Furies, focusing on the powerful Greek goddesses whose prowess, passions, ... Read more

$14.99 USD

New York Times bestselling author Natalie Haynes returns to the world of ancient Greek myth in this scintillating follow-up to Pandora’s Jar.Few writers today have reshaped our view of the ancient Greek myths more than revered bestselling author Natalie Haynes. Divine Might is a female-centered look at Olympus and the Furies, focusing on the powerful Greek goddesses whose prowess, passions,
... Read more

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