Literature (The New Critical Idiom) - Peter Widdowson

Advantages: A great read, unbelievable stories
Disadvantages: overlooks the build up to the New Wave

...to the point, this is just the build up to what I promise is an exciting climax). Once again I found the spoken word interesting, more than interesting it was educational and enjoyable. Having relinquished my fear of reading I set about finding as many media related books that may one day might come in useful. Easy Riders, Raging Bulls jumped out at me (initially because the cover is quite colourful) the blurb offered me the tantalising taste of the true story of Hollywood’s ‘sex and drugs and Rock & Roll period’ and I was not disappointed. The book written by film critic and Hollywood know it all, Peter Biskind, is a fascinating trawl through the seediest portion of Hollywood history. The book charts the rise and spectacular fall of the American New Wave cinema. The beauty of the book is that it spares no detail, no matter how scandalous... Read review

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Advantages: Intense story of jealousy & betrayal
Disadvantages: Requires a good imagination

...been done in Mozart's day. * * * * * Critics have noted: "Shaffer works out his tremendous, his colossal, theme in language of great strength…those who go to it prepared to understand what it is about will have an experience that far transcends even its considerable value as drama" - Bernard Levin in 'The Times' "A marvellously engrossing and often amusing costume-thriller, a feast for the eye and the ear" - Steve Grant in the 'Observer' "Glorious…Amadeus may be a play inspired by music and death, but it fills the theatre with that mocking heavenly silence that is the overwhelming terror of life" - 'The New York Times' "He is dealing with the very nature of art; with immortality itself…Shaffer paints his heady subject on a wide and spectacular canvas" - Jack Tinker in the 'Daily Mail' * * * * * I highly recommend... Read review

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Advantages: Comprehensive, good reference material
Disadvantages: Expensive

...taken from today's best-seller shelf: - Anglo-Indian Literature - Simon Armitage - Kate Atkinson - Louis de Bernieres - Censorship - Ben Elton - Gay and lesbian literature - Hypertext - A. L. Kennedy - Lad's literature - Literature of science - New Criticism - New Irish Playwrights - Carol Shields - Travel writing This sample listing of the latest entries is representative of the more established categories, in that the entries (encyclopedic in character) include articles under the broad headings of Authors, Subjects, Titles, Events, Characters and Critical Theory. The entries are unsigned (an ever-controversial practice in reference works such as this) -- well over a hundred contributors assisted in this volume, including the likes of Matthew Sweet, Salman Rushdie, Ceridwen Lloyd-Morgan, Katherine Duncan... Read review

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