Briefly traces Greene's life, examines the major themes of his novels, and discusses his outlook on life

Graham Greene (Contemporary Writers Series)

John Spurling

METHUEN

The Ten Thousand Things

Literature & Fiction

Literary

Gerald Duckworth Co Ltd

A vibrant, gripping and often grisly retelling of Greek myths by the author of The Ten Thousand Things, winner of the 2015 Walter Scott Prize.Over the centuries, legendary figures and mythic monsters have inspired art, literature, and drama. They have persisted in classic Greek tales, violent stories of murder, power, revenge, love, lust and dysfunctional family relationships. Although ancient in origin, they are contemporary in their portrayal of human character and motivation. Master of historical fiction (Kirkus) John Spurling freshly reimagines key narratives from the Greek canon including tales of the doomed house of Atreus, of the sun god Apollo, Theseus scourge of the minotaur, the Twelve Labours of Heracles and Perseus, rescuer of Andromeda. Inspired by the great poets and playwrights - from Homer to Euripides - this exemplary recounting for a new generation of readers young and old tells us much about these human archetypes in a lively and contemporary style.

Arcadian Nights: Greek Myths Reimagined

Science Fiction & Fantasy

Fantasy

'Arcadian Nights is a brilliant, riveting book that leaves its competitors behind, blinking into the distance, as surely as Theseus left Ariadne' TLS\nSitting on the terrace of his house in Arcadia on the coast of the Peloponnese, the award-winning playwright and novelist John Spurling reimagines the stories of Apollo, Herakles, Theseus, Perseus and Agamemnon, and the gods, demi-gods, monsters and humans who shaped their destinies.\nAncient as they are, the Greek myths as refined by Homer, Hesiod, Herodotus and the great Greek dramatists still resonate at the core of our literature and culture, and may well reveal more about human nature and the world in which we live than reality can ever do. Yet they are less familiar to us today than they once were, or should be, and Arcadian Nights is a vibrant, gripping and spirited interpretation of these timeless tales for both those who have never heard them before, and those who wish to bring them back to mind.\nJohn Spurling is the author of the novels The Ten Thousand Things (winner of the 2015 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction), The Ragged End, After Zenda and A Book of Liszts. He is also a prolific playwright whose plays have been performed on television, radio and stage, including at the National Theatre and the author of two critical books on Graham Greene's novels and Samuel Beckett's plays (with John Fletcher). He has been a frequent reviewer for newspapers, magazines and BBC Radio, and was for twelve years the art critic of the New Statesman. He lives in London and Arcadia, Greece, and is married to the biographer Hilary Spurling.

Arcadian Nights

Beneath the rotting floorboards of a ruined house, an 18th-century memoir is discovered…\nIt reveals the life story of William Congreve, acclaimed English playwright and poet of the Restoration period. The lost manuscript is penned by his faithful servant, Jeremy, who explores memories of his former master and sketches the political background of that crucial period in British history: the beginning of the Glorious Revolution and the fierce rivalry of a parliament divided.\nUpon his death, a monument in Stowe is erected to honour Mr. Congreve. Atop a slender pyramid sits a monkey peering into a mirror, a court wit seeing reflected the ironies of polite society folding in on itself as Whigs and Tories feud with scant ground for compromise.\nThrough the prisms of memory and art, award-winning author John Spurling reimagines this tumultuous period and brings to life historical figures Dryden, Vanbrugh, Swift, Pope and Lady Mary Wortley Montagu as never before.

Mirror For Monkeys

Duckworth (an imprint of Prelude Books ltd)

The Greek myths, refined by the great poets and playwrights of Ancient Greece, distil the essence of human life: its brief span; its pride, courage and insecurity, its anxious relationship with the natural world - earth, see and sky, represented by powerful gods and monsters.\nTaking inspiration from the incomparably beautiful and intense poetry of Homer, Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, John Spurling - a lifelong classicist and an award-winning playwright and historical novelist - spins five foundational myths for contemporary readers. These captivating tales centre on male-female pairs - Prometheus and Pandora with her box, handsome Jason and the sorceress Medea, Oedipus and his daughter Antigone, Achilles and his mother Thetis, wandering Odyssesus and steadfast Penelope - that destroyed dynasties, raised and felled heroes, and sealed the fates of men.

Arcadian Days

Duckworth Books Ltd

The classical Greek intellectual tradition pervades nearly every aspect of our modern Western civilization. Our logic and science, our philosophy, politics, literature, architecture, and art are all indebted to the ancient inhabitants of the small mountainous Mediterranean country. And the powerful myths of the Greeks, refined by Homer, Hesiod, Herodotus, and the great Greek dramatists, still resonate at the core of our culture.\nTaking as his starting point many of the famous tourist sites in the Peloponnese, where the stories are set, John Spurling, winner of the 2015 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction, freshly imagines key narratives from the Greek canon, including tales of the doomed house of Atreus (notably Agamemnon, leader of the Greeks at Troy, murdered by his wife in his palace bathroom); of the god Apollo; goddess Athene; Theseus, scourge of the Minotaur; the Twelve Labors of Heracles; and Perseus, rescuer of Andromeda.\nIn this vibrant, gripping and often grisly retelling of the Greek myths, stories of murder, power, revenge, love, and traumatic family relationships are made new again for our time with wit and relish by a gifted author. Spurling has added scene, dialogue, and context, while always staying true to the spirit of the original myth.

Arcadian Nights: Gods, Heroes and Monsters from Greek Myth - from the Winner of the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction

Politics & Social Sciences

Social Sciences

Duckworth Books

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by John Spurling. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by John Spurling