Tales of extraordinary experience


Book Description

These Tales of Extraordinary Experience detail encounters with spirit-beings and other supernatural occurrences, as related by the Nuu-Chah-Nulth of Vancouver Island’s west coast. They were recorded primarily in the area of Port Alberni between 1910 and 1923 by the famous linguist Edward Sapir and by his chief interpreter, Alexander Thomas.




Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls


Book Description

THE SENSATIONAL NO.1 BESTSELLER 'The definitive book of the year in our house, for both parents and offspring' Maggie O'Farrell, Guardian Books of the Year 'Absolutely beautiful - get one for yourself and one to inspire a woman in your life' Stylist 'In an ideal world, not only would mothers read this aloud to their daughters, but teachers would read it to schoolboys' Sunday Times What if the princess didn't marry Prince Charming but instead went on to be an astronaut? What if the jealous step sisters were supportive and kind? And what if the queen was the one really in charge of the kingdom? Illustrated by sixty female artists from every corner of the globe, Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls introduces us to one hundred remarkable women and their extraordinary lives, from Ada Lovelace to Malala, Amelia Earhart to Michelle Obama. Empowering, moving and inspirational, these are true fairy tales for heroines who definitely don't need rescuing.




World Tales


Book Description

No ordinary collection of tales, this anthology was the result of extensive research that led Shah to conclude that there is a certain basic fund of human fictions which recur again and again throughout the world and never seem to lose their compelling attraction. This special paperback version of World Tales concentrates on the essentials, the text of the stories, and omits the illustrations which were part of a previous edition.




The Adventures of Dick Maitland A Tale of Unknown Africa


Book Description

Harry Collingwood's sea tale "The Adventures of Dick Maitland" may be very thrilling because it follows the main individual, Dick Maitland, on numerous thrilling adventures. Maitland is a brave and professional swimmer who's at the middle of the tale. On the excessive seas, he receives into a whole lot of risky conditions and courageous stories. In the tale, Maitland faces difficult situations that test his power, which include fights with cruel pirates, herbal screw ups, and perilous seas. The story takes region within the global of the nautical worldwide. Maitland desires to achieve success at sea with the aid of being brave, innovative, and exact at handling humans. Living at sea is one of the accurate and bad matters that happen to him on his journey. Collingwood expertly weaves a tapestry of a sea trip full of quick actions, smart making plans, and the friendship between sailors. Not handiest does the story show what existence is like at sea, however it also shows how robust and clever human beings want to be to live to tell the tale within the unpredictable and often dangerous marine international. With its bright descriptions of lifestyles at sea and the thrilling memories of a brave sailor, "The Adventures of Dick Maitland" is an interesting and immersive tale that attracts readers in. It takes you on a thrilling journey via the risks and advantages of being at sea.




The Story of Myth


Book Description

Greek myths have long been admired as beautiful, thrilling stories but dismissed as serious objects of belief. For centuries scholars have held that Greek epics, tragedies, and the other compelling works handed down to us obscure the “real” myths that supposedly inspired them. Instead of joining in this pursuit of hidden meanings, Sarah Iles Johnston argues that the very nature of myths as stories—as gripping tales starring vivid characters—enabled them to do their most important work: to create and sustain belief in the gods and heroes who formed the basis of Greek religion. By drawing on work in narratology, sociology, and folklore studies, and by comparing Greek myths not only to the myths of other cultures but also to fairy tales, ghost stories, fantasy works, modern novels, and television series, The Story of Myth reveals the subtle yet powerful ways in which these ancient Greek tales forged enduring bonds between their characters and their audiences, created coherent story-worlds, and made it possible to believe in extraordinary gods. Johnston captures what makes Greek myths distinctively Greek, but simultaneously brings these myths into a broader conversation about how the stories told by all cultures affect our shared view of the cosmos and the creatures who inhabit it.




Travels in the Netherworld


Book Description

In Travels in the Netherworld, Bryan J. Cuevas examines a fascinating but little-known genre of Tibetan narrative literature about the délok, ordinary men and women who claim to have died, traveled through hell, and then returned from the afterlife. These narratives enjoy audiences ranging from the most sophisticated monastic scholars to pious townsfolk, villagers, and nomads. Their accounts emphasize the universal Buddhist principles of impermanence and worldly suffering, the fluctuations of karma, and the feasibility of obtaining a favorable rebirth through virtue and merit. Providing a clear, detailed analysis of four vivid return-from-death tales, including the stories of a Tibetan housewife, a lama, a young noble woman, and a Buddhist monk, Cuevas argues that these narratives express ideas about death and the afterlife that held wide currency among all classes of faithful Buddhists in Tibet. Relying on a diversity of traditional Tibetan sources, Buddhist canonical scriptures, scholastic textbooks, ritual and meditation manuals, and medical treatises, in addition to the délok works themselves, Cuevas surveys a broad range of popular Tibetan Buddhist ideas about death and dying. He explores beliefs about the vulnerability of the soul and its journey beyond death, karmic retribution and the terrors of hell, the nature of demons and demonic possession, ghosts, and reanimated corpses. Cuevas argues that these extraordinary accounts exhibit flexibility between social and religious categories that are conventionally polarized and concludes that, contrary to the accepted wisdom, such rigid divisions as elite and folk, monastic and lay religion are not sufficiently representative of traditional Tibetan Buddhism on the ground. This study offers innovative perspectives on popular religion in Tibet and fills a gap in an important field of Tibetan literature.




Indian Renaissance


Book Description

Indian Renaissance: British Romantic Art and the Prospect of India is the first comprehensive examination of British artists whose first-hand impressions and prospects of the Indian subcontinent became a stimulus for the Romantic Movement in England; it is also a survey of the transformation of the images brought home by these artists into the cultural imperatives of imperial, Victorian Britain. The book proposes a second - Indian - Renaissance for British (and European) art and culture and an undeniable connection between English Romanticism and British Imperialism. Artists treated in-depth include James Forbes, James Wales, Tilly Kettle, William Hodges, Johann Zoffany, Francesco Renaldi, Thomas and William Daniell, Robert Home, Thomas Hickey, Arthur William Devis, R. H. Colebrooke, Alexander Allan, Henry Salt, James Baillie Fraser, Charles Gold, James Moffat, Charles D'Oyly, William Blake, J. M. W. Turner and George Chinnery.




Living the Hero's Quest


Book Description

The author has developed a manual for the easy implementation of the character education program she created. As an added bonus, the book includes an explanation of the action research completed with the original implementation of this program. It includes the necessary lesson plans, eight original hero tales, annotated bibliographies of other applicable tales, assessment pieces, reproducible forms and instructions for implementing the program and the action research piece. It also includes a sampling of the results of her research to date, original student reflections, texts of interviews and analysis. A foreword by well-known young adult fantasy author T. A. Barron, author of the popular Merlin series, is featured.




The Selected Works of Margaret Oliphant, Part I Volume 3


Book Description

Margaret Oliphant (1828-97) had a prolific literary career that spanned almost fifty years. She wrote some 98 novels, fifty or more short stories, twenty-five works of non-fiction, including biographies and historic guides to European cities, and more than three hundred periodical articles. This is the most ambitious critical edition of her work.




The Handy Literature Answer Book


Book Description

Get the most out of reading with this an engaging and fun guide to the deeper meanings in great works of literature! From the epic of Gilgamesh to Aristotle and Cicero, and from Shakespeare and the King James Bible to Wuthering Heights, War and Peace, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and the Nobel-winning lyrics of Bob Dylan, the world of literature is an integral part of our lives. Great literature can shape and form thoughts and opinions as well as influence politics and predict the future. Reading can truly enrich our lives, but it can sometimes be daunting to get the most out of a great work of literature. The Handy Literature Answer Book: Understand and Enjoy Meanings, Symbolism, and Signs in Great Works is an engaging, easy-to-read look at literature basics such as themes, symbols, context, and other literary devices. Different literary forms, including novels, poems, plays, short stories, memoirs, and literary nonfiction are analyzed. Hundreds of important stories and great works are used as illustrative examples. Learn about the five basic questions for any work of literature, including “What is the significance of a title?” “What is conflict?” “What is character development?” “What is point of view?” “How does a setting affect a story?” “What are the different schools of literary criticism?” and many more. Bringing the most out of the reading experience, The Handy Literature Answer Book deciphers and analyzes stories, novels, and verses through insightful in-depth answers to nearly 400 common questions. You will also read about such fascinating tidbits as ... What are the key components of literature? How is reading literature different from other kinds of reading? Why is artful reading so hard? What do poems do? How should a poem be read for its comparisons—metaphors and similes? What, according to Poe, should be the method of the short story writer? How do you recognize the difference between story and plot in a short story? How can you recognize a symbol? What are the defining characteristics of the novel? How did the novel evolve from a popular literary entertainment to the modern novel? What is the difference between drama and theater? What is the best way to understand and appreciate Shakespearean drama? What approaches should you take in reading an essay? What are characteristics of a memoir? This handy primer from two highly regarded experts also includes a glossary of essential literary terms, a timeline, a helpful bibliography, and an extensive index, adding to its usefulness. Making reading more enriching, rewarding, and enjoyable, The Handy Literature Answer Book is a wonderful, eye-opening read!