Short Stories for Students contains concise synopses of the story's plot, characters and themes, along with a brief author biography, a discussion of the story's cultural and historical significance and excerpted criticism geared specifically towards the high school student. Researchers will also find information on media adaptations of the story, discussion questions and suggestions on what to read next.
Added by: zryciuch_83 | Karma: 392.36 | Fiction literature | 3 July 2011
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Silmarillion [Illustrated ebookThe collection begins with the "Ainulindale," a creation myth, proceeds to the "Valaquenta," an elvan account of the Powers (Valar and Maiar), then to "The Silmarillion," and finally to two short pieces, the "Alkallabeth" and a short legend bridging this collection and "The Lord of the Rings," entitled "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age."
Perhaps the greatest value to The Silmarillion is the cosmology that Tolkien uses to establish his world. There is certainly a very Christian element to it, with Eru (God) casting down the powerful, but prideful Melkor. But Tolkien also makes extensive use of Finnish, Norse, and Greek influences.
Mordant, mirthful, and unrelenting in their lampoon of aristocratic mischief, Evelyn Waugh's novels have earned him a permanent place in the literary pantheon. But this cantankerous master--the scion, by the way, of a decidedly middle-class family of publishers and writers--was no less adept when it came to the short form. Indeed, Waugh first broke into print in 1926 with "The Balance: A Yarn of the Good Old Days of Broad Trousers and High Necked Jumpers," an early story that suggests a modernized and misanthropic P.G. Wodehouse. And he continued to write short fiction throughout the rest of his career, all of which has now been collected in the delectable Complete Stories of Evelyn Waugh.
Eleven recent short stories and an impromptu poem with autobiographical commentaries reveal the storytelling wizardry of Asimov and his profound understanding of current times. Appearing originally in publications ranging from the New York Times (its first science fiction tale ever published!) to the former If magazine (its last!), with themes leading from Women’s Liberation to “Feminine Intuition,” from the Bicentennial to “Death at the Tercentennial,” and from mathematical games to life-and-death struggles, these short stories examine the Asimovian landscape with typical wit and understanding.
In this absorbing introduction, Ian Shaw, one of the foremost authorities on Ancient Egypt, describes how our current ideas about Egypt are based not only on the thrilling discoveries made by early Egyptologists but also on fascinating new kinds of evidence produced by modern scientific and linguistic analyses. He also explores the changing influences on our responses to these finds, by examining the impact of Egyptology on various aspects of popular culture such as literature, cinema, opera, and contemporary art.
