本书是作者的第一部短篇集，全书以音乐为线索，由五个看似独立却又相互关联的故事组成。故事的主要人物都同音乐情牵相关：郁郁不得志的餐厅乐手，风光不再的过气歌星，孤芳自赏的大提琴手，为求成功被迫整容的萨克斯手等等，多是对音乐一往情深，对生活却满腹牢骚。情节或荒诞不经，或令人唏嘘，借音乐人生这个主题，表现了作者一贯的对现代人生存状态的反思：理想与现实的差距，命运的嘲弄，才华的折磨，以及庞大社会机器控制下被压抑的情感…… 值得一提的是，书中大量出现的音乐家、歌手、歌名，绝大部分都是真实的，令人仿若置身于上世纪五十至八十年代的当红歌手和经典曲目之中；而音乐，恰是作者年轻时曾经涉足，并浸淫于其中，乃至立志从事的。

On a hike during a white-hot summer break on the Greek island of Hydra, Naomi and Samantha make a startling discovery: a man named Faoud, sleeping heavily, exposed to the elements, but still alive. Naomi, the daughter of a wealthy British art collector who has owned a villa in the exclusive hills for decades, convinces Sam, a younger American girl on vacation with her family, to help this stranger. As the two women learn more about the man, a migrant from Syria and a casualty of the crisis raging across the Aegean Sea, their own burgeoning friendship intensifies. But when their seemingly simple plan to help Faoud unravels all must face the horrific consequences they have set in motion. In this brilliant psychological study of manipulation and greed, Lawrence Osborne explores the dark heart of friendship, and shows just how often the road to hell is paved with the best of intentions.

Arguing that the Tintin books' characters are as strong and their plots as complex as any dreamed up by the great novelists, Tom McCarthy asks a simple question: Is Tintin literature? Taking a cue from Tintin himself who spends much of his time tracking down illicit radio signals, entering crypts, and decoding puzzles McCarthy suggests that we too need to tune in” and decode if we want to capture what's going on in Hergé's extraordinarily popular work. What emerges from McCarthy's examination of Tintin is a remarkable story of illegitimacy and deceit, in both Hergé's work and his own family history. McCarthy's irresistibly clever, tightly constructed book shows how the themes Tintin generates expulsion from home, violation of the sacred, the host-guest relationship turned sour, and anxieties around questions of forgery and fakes are the same that have fueled and troubled writers from the classical era to the present day.

Klara and the Sun, the first novel by Kazuo Ishiguro since he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, tells the story of Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities, who, from her place in the store, watches carefully the behavior of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass on the street outside. She remains hopeful that a customer will soon choose her. Klara and the Sun is a thrilling book that offers a look at our changing world through the eyes of an unforgettable narrator, and one that explores the fundamental question: what does it mean to love? In its award citation in 2017, the Nobel committee described Ishiguro's books as "novels of great emotional force" and said he has "uncovered the abyss beneath our illusory sense of connection with the world."

Sonchai has seen just about everything on his beat in Bangkok's crime-riddled District 8. But the video he's sent anonymously is something else. What he watches is a snuff film, and the person he sees die is Damrong, a woman he once loved and whom he still dreams about. And there's more: a twist at the end that turns the film into murder, and Sonchai into a man obsessed and - it becomes increasingly clear - literally haunted. His investigation forms a dizzying route from his own apartment - where he sleeps next to his pregnant wife while his fantasies deliver him up to Damrong; through the office of his corrupt and worldly wise boss, Captain Vikorn; to the backstreets of Phnom Penh where street gangs are only the most visible threats; to the gilded rooms of the most exclusive men's club in Bangkok, whose members will do anything to protect their identity, and to explore their own darkest fantasies. Caught in a multi-dimensional web of intrigue and deception, Sonchai confronts the terrifying consequences of a lesson he should have learned long ago. In Bangkok nothing is as it seems... From the Inside Flap Detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep has seen just about everything on his beat in Bangkok's crime-riddled District 8. But the video he's been sent anonymously is something else: it’s a snuff movie, and the person who dies is Damrong, the beautiful woman he once loved and whom he still dreams about. And there's more: slayings turn the ensuing investigation into a murder inquiry, and Sonchai into an obsessed and haunted man. Sonchai’s inquiries follow a dizzying route from his own apartment, where he sleeps next to his pregnant wife while his fantasies deliver him up to Damrong; through the office of his corrupt and worldly wise boss, Captain Vikorn; to the backstreets of Phnom Penh, where street gangs are only the most visible threats; to the gilded rooms of the most exclusive men's club in Bangkok, whose members will do anything to protect their identities while exploring their darkest fantasies. Caught in a multi-dimensional web of intrigue and deception, Sonchai confronts the terrifying consequences of a lesson he should have learned long ago. In Bangkok nothing is as it seems ... From the Back Cover ‘Few crimes make us fear for the evolution of our species. I am watching one right now…’ Detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep has seen just about everything in Bangkok's crime-riddled District 8.But the terrifying snuff movie he's been sent is something else: the person who dies is Damrong, the beautiful woman he once loved and whom he still dreams about. And there's more: slayings turn the ensuing investigation into a murder enquiry, and Sonchai into an obsessed and haunted man. Sonchai’s enquiries form a dizzying route from his own apartment, where he sleeps next to his pregnant wife while his fantasies deliver him up to Damrong; to the backstreets of Phnom Penh where street gangs are only the most visible threats; to the gilded rooms of the most exclusive men's club in Bangkok, whose members will do anything to explore their darkest fantasies… ‘A wonderful mystery series that is at once sprightly and densely layered’Washington Post ‘Spellbinding … unique’ Boston Globe

世界狂销300万册的烧脑悬疑神作！ 多少看似完美的夫妻，都在等待杀死对方的契机。 —————— 杀死丈夫时，艾丽西亚33岁。 她往丈夫脸上连开五枪，从此不再说一个字。她被精神诊所收容，成为臭名昭著的“沉默的病人”，唯一留给外界的，只有一副诡异的自画像。 我，心理治疗师西 奥，被她的故事所吸引，希望能通过心理 治疗，帮助她走出沉默的死局。我确信，只有她能述说真相，只有我能使她开口。 哪怕艾丽西亚的沉默背后，是远超我想象的黑暗深渊，正引诱我步步深入，直到万劫不复…… 当她真的开始述说真相，我又真的有胆量倾听吗？ —————— 多少看似完美的夫妻，都在等待杀死对方的契机。 一起残酷的谋杀，一则诡异的希腊神话；一段漫长的沉默，一场致命的心理治疗！ - ◆霸占《纽约时报》畅销榜整整392天！ ◆出版1年来，发行102个版本，热销45国，世界范围内销量突破300万册！ ◆2019年美国亚马逊年度图书、年度悬疑佳作； ◆2019年《出版人周刊》年度悬疑佳作； ◆2019年Goodreads读者票选年度悬疑佳作，12万册书评疯狂推荐！ ◆伏线千里◆细思极恐◆极限反转 翻开本书，直面300万读者口中的“烧脑神作”！ —————— 【媒体评价】 ◆这本独特、布局精致的心理悬疑小说，建立了麦克利兹的一线地位。──《出版人周刊》 ◆藉由向希腊神话、艺术以及爱情的致敬，成功模糊了精神变态与理智之间的界线。──《书讯》 【名家评价】 ◆亚历克斯·麦克利兹的《沉默的病人》是我有史以来看过的所有心理悬疑小说中的佼佼者。这部小说拥有绝对出人意料的结局，它是一场压力沉重的偏执梦魇。——布莱克·克劳奇（《人生复本》作者） ◆实在太诡谲独特，应该自成一个类型才是。我花了两个晚上就看完了，所有优美的文字、恐怖的相会、惊奇的转折，都让我回味不已。指尖急速翻阅的摩擦力，将会让你的书着火！──大卫·鲍尔达奇（《纽约时报》畅销书作者）

HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics. 'Is Mr. Heathcliff a man? If so, is he mad? And if not, is he a devil?' Set on the bleak moors of Yorkshire, Lockwood is forced to seek shelter at Wuthering Heights, the home of his new landlord, Heathcliff. The intense and wildly passionate Heathcliff tells the story of his life, his all-consuming love for Catherine Earnshaw and the doomed outcome of that relationship, leading to his revenge. Poetic, complex and grand in its scope, Emily Bronte's masterpiece is considered one of the most unique gothic novels of its time.

The Remains of the Day is a profoundly compelling portrait of the perfect English butler and of his fading, insular world postwar England. At the end of his three decades of service at Darlington Hall, Stevens embarks on a country drive, during which he looks back over his career to reassure himself that he has served humanity by serving ;a great gentleman. ; But lurking in his memory are doubts about the true nature of Lord Darlington's ;greatness ; and graver doubts about his own faith in the man he served. A tragic, spiritual portrait of a perfect English butler and his reaction to his fading insular world in post-war England. A wonderful, wonderful book.

Tourists come to Bangkok for many reasons: a night of love, a stay in a luxury hotel, or simply to disappear for a while. Lawrence Osborne comes for the cheap dentistry, and then stays when he finds he can live off just a few dollars a day. Osborne's Bangkok is a vibrant, instinctual city full of contradictions. He wanders the streets, dining on insects, trawling through forgotten neighbourhoods, decayed temples and sleazy bars. Far more than a travel book, Bangkok Days explores both the little-known, extraordinary city and the lives of a handful of doomed ex-patriates living there, 'as vivid a set of liars and losers as was ever invented by Graham Greene' (New York Times).

The year is 1989, the Reagan presidency has just come to an end, and detective Philip Marlowe--now in his seventy-seventh year--is on the case again. What country is this for old men? For Marlowe, this is his last roll of the dice, his swan song, and he is back on his home turf. Set between the border and badlands of Mexico and California, Marlowe's final assignment is to investigate the disappearance of Donald Zinn: supposedly drowned off his yacht in Mexico and leaving his much-younger wife a very rich woman. But is Zinn actually alive, and are the pair living off the spoils?

Set in battle-scarred Europe during and immediately after World War II, this intriguing first novel deals with a man's obsession with a younger woman. While convalescing in a French hospital, British soldier Jamie Lovecraft meets Ania Malina, a hospitalized Polish girl. Letters to his sister mention Ania only briefly at first, but later dwell obsessively on the girl and her physican, Dr. Kessler. As the story shifts seamlessly into first-person narrativefirst by Jamie, later by AniaJamie is discharged and moves to Paris. Re-introduced to Ania by Kessler, he finds that the young woman's existence now centers on dancing and drinking. The more shabbily she treats Jamie, the stronger his preoccupation grows. The sensual imagery (which occasionally verges on the grotesque), pervasive sense of doom and lacings of French may limit the novel's appeal somewhat, but its polished prose and fine characterizations merit attention.

Adrift in Cambodia and eager to side-step a life of quiet desperation as a small-town teacher, 28-year-old Englishman Robert Grieve decides to go missing. As he crosses the border from Thailand, he tests the threshold of a new future. And on that first night, a small windfall precipitates a chain of events-- involving a bag of “jinxed” money, a suave American, a trunk full of heroin, a hustler taxi driver, and a rich doctor’s daughter-- that changes Robert’s life forever. Hunters in the Dark is a sophisticated game of cat and mouse redolent of the nightmares of Patricia Highsmith, where identities are blurred, greed trumps kindness, and karma is ruthless. Filled with Hitchcockian twists and turns, suffused with the steamy heat and pervasive superstition of the Cambodian jungle, and unafraid to confront difficult questions about the machinations of fate, this is a masterful novel that confirms Lawrence Osborne’s reputation as one of our finest contemporary writers.

When Coraline steps through a door to find another house strangely similar to her own (only better), things seem marvelous. But there's another mother there, and another father, and they want her to stay and be their little girl. They want to change her and never let her go. Coraline will have to fight with all her wits and courage if she is to save herself and return to her ordinary life.

Tourists come to Bangkok for many reasons - a sex change operation, a night with two prostitutes dressed as nuns, and a stay in a luxury hotel. Lawrence Osborne comes for the cheap dentistry. Broke - but no longer in pain - he finds that he can live in Bangkok on a few dollars a day. Osborne's is a visceral experience of Bangkok, whether he's wandering the canals that fill the old city; dining at the No Hands Restaurant, where his waitress feeds him like a baby; or launching his own notably unsuccessful career as a gigolo. A guide without inhibitions, Osborne takes us to a feverish place where a strange blend of ancient Buddhist practice and new sexual mores has created a version of modernity only superficially indebted to the West. "Bangkok Days" is a love letter to the city that revived Osborne's faith in adventure and the world. 'Thailand inspires such enthralled romanticism that it also invites great cynicism and it is a feat to acknowledge all its complexities and graces, as Osborne does, without ever quite surrendering to them' - Pico Iyer, "Los Angeles Times".

1937年1月，在外人免入的北平使馆区里，外侨们紧张地等待着达摩克利斯之剑落下。日军已经占领东北，准备挥师南下。据说，蒋介石和他摇摇欲坠的南京政府已准备与东京达成协议，让北平自生自灭。 就在此时，一个寒风刺骨的夜晚，一具支零破碎的尸体被遗弃在古老城楼的角楼之下。下等外侨活跃的法外之地“恶土”就在附近，那里挤满了鸦片窟、妓院、舞场、低等旅店、廉价酒吧，就像一块吸引罪恶的磁石。 死者是不到二十岁的帕梅拉，著名汉学家、前英国驻华领事倭讷的女儿。当其极度血腥残忍的死亡细节被公之于众时，举城震惊。悲伤的父亲誓要揭露真相，哪怕是孤军奋战。然而，战争迫近，中英两国当局携手阻碍了调查推进。 七十五年后，保罗•法兰奇用一批被人遗忘的文件，还原了案件的真相，揭露了凶手的身份。这是一部记录真实犯罪的经典之作，从头到尾都扣人心弦，令人不忍释卷。同时，它也极具感召力地呈现了那个行将结束的时代，那片腐败堕落的“恶土”。 ★ 非常引人入胜……堪称有史以来描绘两次世界大战间的中国的最佳文学作品。 ——《华尔街日报》 ★ 终于来了！名副其实的悬疑元素，侦探小说般扑朔迷离的剧情……风格堪与雷蒙德•钱德勒比肩。 ——《文学评论》 ★法兰奇不仅成功解决了这起案件，还还原了那个同时充满光明与邪恶的时代。正如读者将会领略到的，那个时代从来都不以沉闷著称。 ——《经济学人》

最新消息 罗琳于2月1日更新了她的官方网站，里面登出了Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 《哈利波特与死圣》的出版日期。哈利波特7将于今年7月21日英国夏令时间00：01分开始发售。当然，今年也是《哈利波特与魔法石》的发售十周年纪念。 太阳报消息，罗琳在 Balmoral 旅馆的大理石像后边写下了下面的内容：“罗琳于2007年1月11日在此房间(652) 内完成Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 《哈利波特与死圣》的写作。”现在这条消息目前已经得到了BBC的证实。 The latest news about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows March 29th Bloomsbury Publishing Plc is delighted to release the book jacket images for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K.Rowling, to be published on 21st July 2007. The cover illustration for the children’s edition is by Jason Cockcroft, who drew the cover illustrations for the previous two Harry Potter books: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The cover design for the adult edition is from a photograph by Michael Wildsmith, who has photographed all the adult edition jackets. These covers will be used throughout the world on the English language editions excluding the USA. Scholastic US have also released their cover images of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Bloomsbury will publish the children’s edition, adult edition, special edition, audio (read by Stephen Fry) and large print editions on 21st July 2007. The RNIB will publish the Braille edition simultaneously. The book jackets and all the pages will be printed on 100% Ancient Forest Friendly pulp, made from a mixture of FSC pulp and Post-Consumer Waste recycled pulp. Fast Fact About Harry Potter 7 * The last chapter was written back in 1999; it dealt with "what happens to the survivors afterward"; the last word is scar; this chapter will still be tweaked * The book will contain a lot of the back story of the Potters * Aunt Petunia has never performed magic, and never will, but there's more to her than meets the eye; the letter left with Harry on the doorstep was not the first one Dumbledore sent Petunia * The Sorting Hat is not a horcrux, but there's more to it than what we've read in the first books * "Ravenclaw will have their day" * No book character has returned from the future * There is significance to the fact that Harry has his mother's eyes * Book 7 will be released on July 21, 2007 * There is a frighteningly large universe of Harry Potter fan sites which, among other things, collect and analyze interviews with JK Rowling Publisher Comments : New York, NY (February 1, 2007) — Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final book in the bestselling series by J. K. Rowling, has been scheduled for release at 12:01 a.m. on July 21, 2007, it was announced today by Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education, and media company. In making the announcement, Lisa Holton, President of Scholastic Children's Books said, "We are thrilled to announce the publication date of the seventh installment in this remarkable series. We join J. K. Rowling's millions of readers — young and old, veterans and newcomers — in anticipating what lies ahead." Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Rowling's sixth Harry Potter book, was released on July 16, 2005, and was the fastest-selling book in history, with 6.9 million copies sold in the first 24 hours. All six Harry Potter books, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince have been number one bestsellers in the United States, the U.K., and around the world. There are currently over 120 million copies of the Harry Potter books in print in the United States alone. Wikipedia Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be the seventh book in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling. It will feature the final adventures of Harry Potter as he attempts to bring an end to his nemesis, Lord Voldemort. The book title was announced on 21 December, 2006 via the publisher and a special Christmas-themed "hangman" puzzle on J.K. Rowling's website. Rowling has stated that the final volume relates so closely to the previous book in the series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, that "I feel almost as though they are two halves of the same novel." Rowling has also stated that she has no intention of writing any further stories about the Harry Potter characters. However, she might produce an encyclopedia of the Wizarding world based on her copious notes, possibly for charity as in the case of her two other Harry Potter books (Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them). As of 2007, she has been working on the Harry Potter stories for over 17 years. On 1 February, 2007, it was officially announced that Book 7 will be released in English-speaking countries around the world at 00:01 British Summer Time on 21 July, 2007. In the USA, however, the book will be released at 00:01 local time. Rowling left a signed statement written on a marble bust of Hermes in her room at the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh saying; "JK Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in this room (652) on 11th Jan 2007". The book reached the top spot on both the Amazon and Barnes and Noble best-seller lists just a few hours after the date was announced. The meaning of hallows Hallow is a word usually used as a verb, meaning "to make holy or sacred, to sanctify or consecrate, to venerate". However, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the word hallows appears as a noun. In modern English, the word is used as a noun in "All Hallows' Day" or "All Saints' Day," which is the day after Hallowe'en or "All Hallows' Eve". Hallows can refer to saints, the relics of saints, or the relics of gods. One story where hallows play a crucial role is in the grail legend, where the Fisher King is the guardian of the four hallows, which include the Grail itself, the serving dish/or stone, the sword or dagger, and the spear. Many scholars have since identified the connection of these four hallows with four treasures of the Tuatha de Danaan, which include a chalice (Grail), a baton or wand (spear), a pentacle (serving dish), and a sword. There has been much speculation from many Harry Potter fans about whether the grail legend might play a part in the final Harry Potter book. Many Harry Potter fans have seen a connection between the four founders of Hogwarts, their relics, and the four hallows in the grail legend. It is known from the books that Godric Gryffindor's relic is a sword, Helga Hufflepuff's relic is a cup (chalice), and Salazar Slytherin's relic is a locket (pentacle), presumably leaving Rowena Ravenclaw's relic as a spear or wand. In addition, many scholars have argued that the four hallows in the Grail legend symbolize the four natural elements (earth, fire, water, and air). J. K. Rowling has explicitly stated that the four Hogwarts founders represent the four natural elements. Presumably Helga Hufflepuff and her house Hufflepuff connects with earth (the house's symbol is a Badger), Rowena Ravenclaw and Ravenclaw with air (the symbol is a bird), Salazar Slytherin and Slytherin with water and Godric Gryffindor and Gryffindor with fire (fire is often associated with protection from evil in Harry Potter, for example it is used to combat Inferi). This solidifies the connection between the four founders and the four hallows in the Grail legend. It is also known that Harry Potter must find four horcruxes, and that Voldemort wanted a hallow, or relic, from each of the four founders. The Final Chapter The pubdate of the seventh and final Harry Potter book has been announced, and the rumours are already circulating - what are the Deathly Hallows? Who will make it through to the end? This is set to be the best book out of the series, and we at Amazon.co.uk are so excited that we are giving you the chance to pre-order your copy now! We promise to give you our best price before publication even if you order now and do continue to watch this space, as we will keep you up to date with the latest information and news as soon as we hear it. Why We Love Harry Favorite Moments from the Series There are plenty of reasons to love Rowling's wildly popular series--no doubt you have several dozen of your own. Our list features favorite moments, characters, and artifacts from the first five books. Keep in mind that this list is by no means exhaustive (what we love about Harry could fill ten books!) and does not include any of the spectacular revelatory moments that would spoil the books for those (few) who have not read them. Enjoy. The Series of Harry Potter The Harry Potter series was originally published as a children's book by British publisher Bloomsbury, and American publisher Scholastic Press. However, it rapidly became a phenomenal success amongst children and adults alike. The books each chronicle one year at school for the characters concerned and follows a long tradition of children's series about life in schools. Perhaps unlike some of the traditional series of this format, each book has matured and expanded in complexity and scope compared to the last, approximately developing with the age of the principal characters (later books are also significantly darker in tone than earlier ones). Although the author has said that she comprehensively plotted the entire series of books before the first was published, and that this plot remains unchanged, she has also stated that it has undergone a number of revisions as it has progressed. The books started as relatively slim volumes (223 pages Philosopher's Stone UK ed.), but have grown as the series progressed (766 pages Order of the Phoenix UK ed.). The books contain a significant element of fantasy and magic, but this is combined with a detective-novel approach to the story. Each volume contains a complete problem and task for the heroes to complete, but each has also added to the background information about the wizarding world in general and contains many pieces of information whose importance only becomes apparent in later volumes (known as foreshadowing). Thus a considerable fan following has developed of people wanting to discover how the many loose ends and unfinished adventures in the book will finally be completed. The author has stated that, more than with any other book in the series, the final volume continues the unfinished story in book six. She has also stated that she doesn't have plans for any other novels concerning Harry Potter. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone * Harry's first trip to the zoo with the Dursleys, when a boa constrictor winks at him. * When the Dursleys' house is suddenly besieged by letters for Harry from Hogwarts. Readers learn how much the Dursleys have been keeping from Harry. Rowling does a wonderful job in displaying the lengths to which Uncle Vernon will go to deny that magic exists. * Harry's first visit to Diagon Alley with Hagrid. Full of curiosities and rich with magic and marvel, Harry's first trip includes a trip to Gringotts and Ollivanders, where Harry gets his wand (holly and phoenix feather) and discovers yet another connection to He-Who-Must-No-Be-Named. This moment is the reader's first full introduction to Rowling's world of witchcraft and wizards. * Harry's experience with the Sorting Hat. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets * The de-gnoming of the Weasleys' garden. Harry discovers that even wizards have chores--gnomes must be grabbed (ignoring angry protests "Gerroff me! Gerroff me!"), swung about (to make them too dizzy to come back), and tossed out of the garden--this delightful scene highlights Rowling's clever and witty genius. * Harry's first experience with a Howler, sent to Ron by his mother. * The Dueling Club battle between Harry and Malfoy. Gilderoy Lockhart starts the Dueling Club to help students practice spells on each other, but he is not prepared for the intensity of the animosity between Harry and Draco. Since they are still young, their minibattle is innocent enough, including tickling and dancing charms. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban * Ron's attempt to use a telephone to call Harry at the Dursleys'. * Harry's first encounter with a Dementor on the train (and just about any other encounter with Dementors). Harry's brush with the Dementors is terrifying and prepares Potter fans for a darker, scarier book. * Harry, Ron, and Hermione's behavior in Professor Trelawney's Divination class. Some of the best moments in Rowling's books occur when she reminds us that the wizards-in-training at Hogwarts are, after all, just children. Clearly, even at a school of witchcraft and wizardry, classes can be boring and seem pointless to children. * The Boggart lesson in Professor Lupin's classroom. * Harry, Ron, and Hermione's knock-down confrontation with Snape. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire * Hermione's disgust at the reception for the veela (Bulgarian National Team Mascots) at the Quidditch World Cup. Rowling's fourth book addresses issues about growing up--the dynamic between the boys and girls at Hogwarts starts to change. Nowhere is this more plain than the hilarious scene in which magical cheerleaders nearly convince Harry and Ron to jump from the stands to impress them. * Viktor Krum's crush on Hermione--and Ron's objection to it. * Malfoy's "Potter Stinks" badge. * Hermione's creation of S.P.E.W., the intolerant bigotry of the Death Eaters, and the danger of the Triwizard Tournament. Add in the changing dynamics between girls and boys at Hogwarts, and suddenly Rowling's fourth book has a weight and seriousness not as present in early books in the series. Candy and tickle spells are left behind as the students tackle darker, more serious issues and take on larger responsibilities, including the knowledge of illegal curses. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix * Harry's outburst to his friends at No. 12 Grimmauld Place. A combination of frustration over being kept in the dark and fear that he will be expelled fuels much of Harry's anger, and it all comes out at once, directly aimed at Ron and Hermione. Rowling perfectly portrays Harry's frustration at being too old to shirk responsibility, but too young to be accepted as part of the fight that he knows is coming. * Harry's detention with Professor Umbridge. Rowling shows her darker side, leading readers to believe that Hogwarts is no longer a safe haven for young wizards. Dolores represents a bureaucratic tyrant capable of real evil, and Harry is forced to endure their private battle of wills alone. * Harry and Cho's painfully awkward interactions. Rowling clearly remembers what it was like to be a teenager. * Harry's Occlumency lessons with Snape. * Dumbledore's confession to Harry. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince * The introduction of the Horcrux. * Molly Weasley asking Arthur Weasley about his "dearest ambition." Rowling has always been great at revealing little intriguing bits about her characters at a time, and Arthur’s answer "to find out how airplanes stay up" reminds us about his obsession with Muggles. * Harry's private lessons with Dumbledore, and more time spent with the fascinating and dangerous pensieve, arguably one of Rowling’s most ingenious inventions. * Fred and George Weasley’s Joke Shop, and the slogan: "Why Are You Worrying About You-Know-Who? You Should Be Worrying About U-NO-POO--the Constipation Sensation That's Gripping the Nation!" * Luna's Quidditch commentary. Rowling created scores of Luna Lovegood fans with hilarious and bizarre commentary from the most unlikely Quidditch commentator. * The effects of Felix Felicis. About Author J. K. (Jo) Rowling was born in Chipping Sodbury in the UK in 1965. Such a funny-sounding name for a birthplace may have contributed to her talent for collecting odd names. Jo moved house twice when she was growing up. The first move was from Yate (just outside Bristol in the south west of England) to Winterbourne. Jo, her sister and friends used to play together in her street in Winterbourne. Two of her friends were a brother and sister whose surname just happened to be Potter! The second move was when Jo was nine and she moved to Tutshill near Chepstow in the Forest of Dean. Jo loved living in the countryside and spent most of her time wandering across fields and along the river Wye with her sister. For Jo, the worst thing about her new home was her new school. Tutshill Primary School was a very small and very old-fashioned place. The roll-top desks in the classrooms still had the old ink wells. Jo's teacher, Mrs Morgan, terrified her. On the first day of school, she gave Jo an arithmetic test, which she failed, scoring zero out of ten. It wasn't that Jo was stupid - she had never done fractions before. So Jo was seated in the row of desks far to the right of Mrs Morgan. Jo soon realised that Mrs Morgan seated her pupils according to how clever she thought they were: the brightest sat to her left, and those she thought were dim were seated to her right. Jo was in the 'stupid' row, 'as far right as you could possibly get without sitting in the playground'. From Tutshill Primary, Jo went to Wyedean Comprehensive. She was quiet, freckly, short-sighted and not very good at sports. She even broke her arm playing netball. Her favourite subject by far was English, but she also liked languages. Jo always loved writing more than anything. 'The first story that I ever wrote down, when I was five or six, was about a rabbit called Rabbit. He got the measles and was visited by his friends, including a giant bee called Miss Bee. And ever since Rabbit and Miss Bee, I have wanted to be a writer, though I rarely told anyone so. I was afraid they'd tell me I didn't have a hope.' At school, Jo would entertain her friends at lunchtime with stories. 'I used to tell my equally quiet and studious friends long serial stories at lunchtimes.' In these stories, Jo and her friends would be heroic and daring. As she got older, Jo kept writing but she never showed what she had written to anyone, except for some of her funny stories that featured her friends as heroines. After school, Jo attended the University of Exeter in Devon where she studied French. Her parents hoped that by studying languages, she would enjoy a great career as a bilingual secretary. But as Jo recalls, 'I am one of the most disorganised people in the world and, as I later proved, the worst secretary ever.' She claims that she never paid much attention in meetings because she was too busy scribbling down ideas. 'This is a problem when you are supposed to be taking the minutes of the meeting,' she says. When she was 25, Jo started writing a third novel ('I abandoned the first two when I realised how bad they were'). A year later, she went to Portugal to teach English, which she really enjoyed. Working afternoons and evenings, she had mornings free to write. The new novel was about a boy who was a wizard. When she returned to the UK, Jo had a suitcase full of stories about Harry Potter. She moved to Edinburgh with her young daughter and worked as a French teacher. She also set herself a target: she would finish the 'Harry' novel and get it published. In 1996, one year after finishing the book, Bloomsbury bought Jo's first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. 'The moment I found out that Harry would be published was one of the best of my life,’ says Jo. A few months after 'Harry' was accepted for publication in Britain, an American publisher bought the rights for enough money to enable Jo to give up teaching and write full time - her life's ambition! 作者简介： J. K. (Jo) Rowling was born in Chipping Sodbury in the UK in 1965. Such a funny-sounding name for a birthplace may have contributed to her talent for collecting odd names. She was quiet, freckly, short-sighted and not very good at sports. She even broke her arm playing netball. Her favourite subject by far was English, but she also liked languages. Jo always loved writing more than anything. 'The first story that I ever wrote down, when I was five or six, was about a rabbit called Rabbit. He got the measles and was visited by his friends, including a giant bee called Miss Bee. And ever since Rabbit and Miss Bee, I have wanted to be a writer, though I rarely told anyone so. I was afraid they'd tell me I didn't have a hope.' As she got older, Jo kept writing but she never showed what she had written to anyone, except for some of her funny stories that featured her friends as heroines. Jo attended the University of Exeter in Devon where she studied French. When she was 25, Jo started writing a third novel ('I abandoned the first two when I realised how bad they were'). A year later, she went to Portugal to teach English, which she really enjoyed. Working afternoons and evenings, she had mornings free to write. The new novel was about a boy who was a wizard. When she returned to the UK, Jo had a suitcase full of stories about Harry Potter. She moved to Edinburgh with her young daughter and worked as a French teacher. She also set herself a target: she would finish the 'Harry' novel and get it published. In 1996, one year after finishing the book, Bloomsbury bought Jo's first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. 'The moment I found out that Harry would be published was one of the best of my life,’ says Jo. A few months after 'Harry' was accepted for publication in Britain, an American publisher bought the rights for enough money to enable Jo to give up teaching and write full time - her life's ambition!

Gustave Dore's magnificent engravings for The Rime of the Ancient Mariner are among the later works of the great French illustrator. The intensely evocative poem provided Doré with the long-awaited opportunity to convey limitless space on a gigantic scale, and he exploited the poem's fantastic range of atmosphere to the limits of its possibilities. The terrifying space of the open sea, the storms and whirlpools of an unknown ocean, the vast icy caverns of Antarctica, the hot equatorial sea swarming with monsters, all of the amazing visual elements that make Coleridge's masterpiece one of the most exciting and most memorable poems in the English language are unforgettably engraved in Doré's plates. This edition reproduces all of the plates to perfection, in their original size. The illustrations and the text of the poem appear on facing pages, so that the imaginative kinship of Doré and Coleridge is delightfully evident on every page: the illustrations capture all the moods of the poem in their full intensity, bringing the images evoked by the words into clear visual focus. Unabridged and slightly rearranged republication of the 1878 American edition. Text slightly amended to conform to the authoritative 1834 edition of the poem.

奔宁山脉是英格兰的脊柱，山顶长约四百公里的奔宁步道贯穿了约克郡、诺桑比亚郡，一直延伸至苏格兰境内。诗人阿米蒂奇的故乡就位于步道南端。二〇一〇年夏天，他由北向南徒步回家，身上一文不名，全靠为沿路居民朗诵诗歌来换取旅费，其目的在于“测试我本人的名声，更是测试诗歌在当今世界的地位”。这一壮举为BBC、《卫报》、《独立报》、《每日电讯》等多家媒体争相报道，作者也被誉为“现代行吟诗人”。此书就是诗人自己对这段旅程中所遇风景与人的描绘与感悟。

本书的语言诙谐幽默，情趣盎然，那些形象的、新鲜的、嘲讽的、琢磨不透不说话方式，时不时出现的文字游戏、合成字或空插在故事情节中的打油诗、双关语，甚至玩从查起的词句，常使读者摸不着边际，但却赋予作品一种特别的美感 。其中《爱丽斯镜中游》中的著名诗歌《杰伯沃基》首创将卡罗尔的语言特点推向极至，为世人所赞叹。Jabberwocky这个怪诞的合成词也从此被收进大英辞典中。