Sylvia Townsend Warner navigiert meisterhaft durch die Komplexität der menschlichen Psyche und befasst sich dabei oft mit Themen wie Magie, Sexualität und gesellschaftlichen Normen. Ihr Stil zeichnet sich durch scharfen Verstand und originelle Ironie aus, der den Lesern eine einzigartige Perspektive auf die Welt bietet. Warner erforscht die Spannung zwischen Individuum und Gesellschaft, wobei sie häufig fantastische Elemente einsetzt, um die Realität zu beleuchten. Ihr Werk zielt darauf ab, zum Nachdenken anzuregen und konventionelle Wahrnehmungen in Frage zu stellen.
T H White, author of the much-loved The Sword in The Stone, The Once and Future King, The Goshawk, and many other works of English literature, died in Greece from a heart attack in 1964, aged 57. Warner treats White's repressed homosexuality and his sexual predilections with humane understanding in this wise portrait of a tormented literary giant.
Set in the early 20th century, this novel explores the life of Lolly Willowes, a woman who defies societal expectations by embracing her independence and pursuing a life of her own in the English countryside. Through humor and wit, the story delves into themes of feminism, identity, and the clash between tradition and self-discovery. Warner's unique narrative style and character development offer a fresh perspective on women's roles in society, making it a compelling read for those interested in early feminist literature.
Set in the early 20th century, this novel follows the life of Lolly Willowes, a woman who defies societal expectations by seeking independence and fulfillment outside of traditional roles. With a blend of humor and keen observation, the story explores themes of individuality, rebellion, and the pursuit of personal happiness. Lolly's journey leads her to unexpected encounters and a deeper understanding of herself, making it a delightful and thought-provoking read.
This Christmas, bask in these 'diminutive masterpieces' (Guardian) by the English genius behind Lolly Willowes. "One of our finest writers." -- Neil Gaiman "One of the most shamefully under-read great British authors of the past 100 years. " -- Sarah Waters "Diminutive masterpieces ... Hand yourself over to be enchanted." -- Guardian "Extraordinary, lucid wildness." -- Helen MacDonald Decades after her divorce, a lady returns to the village of her tumultuous marriage. A railway carriage hosts a charged schoolboy encounter. A murder raises fears of blackmail. A woman waits anxiously in a café before eloping to Paris. Another steals a friend's kitchen knife. In these bittersweet tales, the author of Lolly Willowes reveals her mastery of the short story, celebrated by the New Yorker for decades. Sylvia Townsend Warner is a tragicomic chronicler of the heart's entanglements, from marriages and affairs to widowhood; and a champion of outsiders, whether single women, the elderly or wartime refugees. Witty and subversive, her stories meld tradition and transgression, with secret sins and fetishes as much a feature of English life as eccentric aunts, country houses and parish churches.
The book features a protagonist whose extraordinary talent sets her apart, capturing the attention of those around her. As she navigates the complexities of her life, her genius becomes both a gift and a burden, influencing her relationships and aspirations. The narrative delves into themes of creativity, identity, and the struggles of living up to high expectations, exploring how her exceptional abilities shape her journey and impact those who admire her.
'The kind of novelist who inspires an intense sense of ownership in her fans ... her sympathies tended naturally to the marginal, the vulnerable, the exploited, the obscure' Sarah Waters Sukey Bond, a sixteen-year-old orphan, is sent to work as a servant at a farm on the remote Essex Marshes. There she falls in love with gentle, unworldly Eric, the son of the rector's wife, only for them to be separated when their relationship is discovered. But nothing will deter Sukey in her quest to be reunited with her true love, even if it means seeking the help of Queen Victoria herself. 'One of our most idiosyncratic, courageous and versatile writers' Hermione Lee 'One can't be too thankful that Miss Townsend Warner has lived to discover the alchemist's secret of transmuting the past into pure gold' Hilary Spurling
'A comic masterpiece' Patrick Gale, Guardian Pillar of society and stern upholder of Victorian values, god-fearing Norfolk merchant John Barnard presides over a large and largely unhappy family. This is their story - his brandy-swilling wife, their hapless offspring and their changing fortunes - over the decades. Sylvia Townsend Warner's last novel, The Flint Anchor gloriously overturns our ideas of history, family and storytelling itself. 'A novel created with solidity and subtlety of feeling, a fusion of warmth, wit and quietly biting shrewdness that are reminiscent of Jane Austen' Atlantic Review 'As a sustained work of historical imagination, it has few rivals ... one of the most acute and intelligent writers of her age' Claire Harman
The 23 stories in Of Cats and Elfins encompass scholarship, black humour, the Gothic, and the anthropomorphic cats of The Cat's Cradle Book (1940), which enact Warner's preoccupation with the dark forces at large in Europe in the later 1930s. This is a major fantasy collection for a new generation of fantasy enthusiasts and Warner fans.
Out of Time by Sylvia Sigurdson is set in both current times and 1700s France, and weaves together the lives of seemingly unconnected people. Tensions bubble just below the surface between Marc and Nate Bouchard, forcing them to look more closely at what lies underneath. Nate's girlfriend, Sabine, is trying desperately not to get dragged into the turmoil that is affecting her life as well. More than two hundred and fifty years earlier, a young girl is orphaned on the streets of Paris and is taken in by the mesmerising Madame, altering the course of her life in unexpected and shocking ways. But can Madame and the young girl predict what Armand, a wealthy Parisian merchant, is planning that will impact them both and his spoiled wife as well?
Chronicles the genesis, production, box-office debacle, resurrection, near- canonization, and lasting influence of director Monte Hellman's 1971 existentialist car-racing movie. Sylvia Townsend conducts a comprehensive examination of the film, its reception, and the resurgence of interest it has more recently generated.