LGBT

Love is a map, not a destination. That's why there is no such thing as "they all lived happily ever after"How do we love? With romance. With work. Through heartbreak. Throughout a lifetime. As a means, but not an end. Love in all its forms has been an abiding theme of Jeanette Winterson’s writing. Here are selections from her books about that impossible, essential force, stories and truths that search for the mythical creature we call Love.Selected from the books of Jeanette WintersonVINTAGE MINIS: GREAT MINDS. BIG IDEAS. LITTLE BOOKS.A series of short books by the world’s greatest writers on the experiences that make us human

A lay community of thoroughly mixed-up people is encamped outside Imber Abbey, home of an order of sequestered nuns. A new bell is being installed when suddenly the old bell, a legendary symbol of religion and magic, is rediscovered. And then things begin to change. Meanwhile the wise old Abbess watches and prays and exercises discreet authority. And everyone, or almost everyone, hopes to be saved, whatever that may mean. Originally published in 1958, this funny, sad, and moving novel is about religion, sex, and the fight between good and evil.

Humour and poignancy are intricately entwined in this novel about Vamana, a dwarf, abandoned by his parents and adopted by Maji, a woman who sees beyond the child's deformity to the humanity within. As Vamana grows older, he realises that he is always going to be an outcast, despite his magical gift for storytelling. Drawn to the dark, seedy and dangerous underworld of Delhi, Vamana makes himself a home alongside the pimps, pickpockets, prostitutes and hjiras (eunechs) who populate its depths.With his unique storytelling skills he achieves a level of fame amongst this motley cast of characters, causing him to refuse all offers of redemption and acceptance from the 'normal' world. Vamana enjoys his notoriety and, despite craving acceptance, he refuses to give up his infamous reputation and once again become an object of ridicule.It is not the dereliction of his life that brings his downfall, but love 埰erceiving a threat to the object of his desires, Vamana reacts with violence, and must pay the consequences.

"The Story of You" by Katy Regan is a beautifully written coming-of-age novel that delves into the complex relationships and experiences that shape us into who we are. Through captivating storytelling, Regan highlights the transformative power of first love, growth, and heartbreak. The novel's unique feature is its ability to engage readers in personal introspection as they relate to the characters' experiences.

Synopsis:
HarperCollins UK Audio Classics presents abridged and unabridged readings of the world's favorite literary masterpieces. Among the distinguished readers are Christopher Lee, Derek Jacobi, Simon Callow, Linus Roache, Elizabeth McGovern, Terry Jones, Peter Firth, and Rufus Sewell. Each package of cassettes in the Audio Classics series is beautifully packaged and shrink-wrapped.

Review:

A lush, cautionary tale of a life of vileness and deception or a loving portrait of the aesthetic impulse run rampant? Why not both? After Basil Hallward paints a beautiful, young man's portrait, his subject's frivolous wish that the picture change and he remain the same comes true. Dorian Gray's picture grows aged and corrupt while he continues to appear fresh and innocent. After he kills a young woman, "as surely as if I had cut her little throat with a knife," Dorian Gray is surprised to find no difference in his vision or surroundings. "The roses are not less lovely for all that. The birds sing just as happily in my garden." As Hallward tries to make sense of his creation, his epigram-happy friend Lord Henry Wotton encourages Dorian in his sensual quest with any number of Wildean paradoxes, including the delightful "When we are happy we are always good, but when we are good we are not always happy." But despite its many languorous pleasures, The Picture of Dorian Gray is an imperfect work. Compared to the two (voyeuristic) older men, Dorian is a bore, and his search for ever new sensations far less fun than the novel's drawing-room discussions. Even more oddly, the moral message of the novel contradicts many of Wilde's supposed aims, not least "no artist has ethical sympathies. An ethical sympathy in an artist is an unpardonable mannerism of style." Nonetheless, the glamour boy gets his just deserts. And Wilde, defending Dorian Gray, had it both ways: "All excess, as well as all renunciation, brings its own punishment."

Author: Oscar Wilde
Format: Hardback
Number of Pages: 240
Publisher: Playmore Inc
Publication Date: 01 Jun 1995