'Can I bear to leave these blue hills?'
A generous selection from three of the greatest and most enjoyable of Chinese poets
Introducing Little Black Classics: 80 books for Penguin's 80th birthday. Little Black Classics celebrate the huge range and diversity of Penguin Classics, with books from around the world and across many centuries. They take us from a balloon ride over Victorian London to a garden of blossom in Japan, from Tierra del Fuego to 16th century California and the Russian steppe. Here are stories lyrical and savage; poems epic and intimate; essays satirical and inspirational; and ideas that have shaped the lives of millions.
Wang Wei (roughly 699-761). Wang Wei's Poems is available in Penguin Classics. Li Po (701-762). Tu Fu (712-770). Li Po and Tu Fu is available in Penguin Classics.
Johnson succeeds so well as to make one eager for more
—— John Sutherland , London Review of BooksA beautifully tragic chronicle
—— New York MagazineDenis Johnson is one of our most inventive, unpredictable novelists
—— New York Times Book ReviewJohnson knows his people inside out, their lost, lonely, never-had-a-chance lives. He knows how they talk and think, and he makes us know them too
—— Publishers WeeklyOne of the strongest examples of fiction noir since Robert Stone's first work appeared-with an absence of sentimentality and an overall shape that's perfectly judged, this is one of the most impressive first novels of recent seasons - full of a fiery recoiling kick, the dreadful power of inhuman ugliness and misfortune beyond redemption
—— Kirkus ReviewsA must-read novel
—— PrimaBeguiling... An absorbing, entertaining read: one that will see you nicely through a few long dark evenings
—— A Life in BooksAn emotionally powerful, highly charged story... a fascinating story with an intriguing premise
—— CultureFlyLike eavesdropping on a conversation in a bar...This is a really cleverly structured and well-crafted novel
—— We Love This BookAn intriguing drama and romance
—— Daily RecordThis is a harrowing, but gripping love story
—— Good Book GuideWonderfully enticing.
—— Lucian Robinson , Literary ReviewIndividual scenes are often gripping, shocking or moving.
—— John Harding , Daily MailThe bloody horrors of conflict are captured with visceral aplomb in this fine, minimalist novel.
—— iSome of the most vividly evoked battle scenes I've read – he doesn't shy away from taking risks … chilling and touching all at the same time.
—— John Preston , Evening StandardFoulds has the literary intelligence to turn the commonplace on its head.
—— Alberto Manguel , GuardianA high-class thriller … Foulds has a literary novelist's feel for [Sicily's] harsh beauty.
—— Mail on SundayFoulds’ prose is superb… It reads like Catch-22 written by Evelyn Waugh.
—— Good Book GuideIt’s an ambitious book and the writer relates his story with poetic precision
—— i (The paper for today)Told in a language that is both lyrical and stark The Tusk that Did the Damage should win Tania James praise and laurels from those readers who long for a more penetrating look at environmental issues and the moral questions which accompany them’.
—— Joe Phelan , Bookmunch