Author:Charlotte Bronte

'That evening more firmly than ever fastened into my soul the conviction that Fate was of stone, and Hope a false idol - blind, bloodless, and of granite core. I felt, too, that the trial God had appointed me was gaining its climax, and must now be turned by my own hands, hot, feeble, trembling as they were'
With neither friends nor family, Lucy Snowe sets sail from England to find employment in a girls' boarding school in the small town of Villette. There she struggles to retain her self-possession in the face of unruly pupils, an initially suspicious headmaster and her own complex feelings, first for the school's English doctor and then for the dictatorial professor Paul Emmanuel. Drawing on her own deeply unhappy experiences as a governess in Brussels, Charlotte Brontë's last and most autobiographical novel is a powerfully moving study of isolation and the pain of unrequited love, narrated by a heroine determined to preserve an independent spirit in the face of adverse circumstances.
The Penguin English Library - 100 editions of the best fiction in English, from the eighteenth century and the very first novels to the beginning of the First World War.
Waterhouse’s return to Who is long overdue... as he marks a period of transition between the reign of Tom Baker and the arrival of Davison, as well as offering a fresh voice to add to those actors already involved in various audio releases. Let’s hope we hear more from him soon.
—— Matt Adams , http://www.elystandard.co.ukChipper is the word: Gibbons's heroines are plucky, determined and quietly hedonistic. But she can do melancholy with the best of them, too, not to mention melodrama
—— GuardianStella Gibbons…an exception to that old canard: women can't make us laugh
—— IndependentThe Jane Austen of the 20th century
—— Lynne TrussStella is stellar
—— Sunday HeraldStella Gibbons’s gift is very special
—— Daily ExpressBurgess's ambitious study of 20th-century history centers on the stormy relationship between an effete, popular novelist and a Faustian priest
—— Publishers WeeklyEach image of Sharon Olds' searing Stag's Leap brands itself on retina and heart - how will I ever forget the "Tiny Siren" found by accident in the washing machine?
—— Gerda Stevenson , Morning StarThe most powerful piece of writing I've encountered in decades... The raw emotion of break up transcends every known cliché thanks to her generosity of spirit and the awe-inspiring choreography of her language.
—— Laura George , Image MagazineI read this poetry collection with my heart in my mouth.
—— Jamie Quatro , GuardianI treasure this collection of poems: so beautiful, so personal, so revolutionary. Every time I return to this book I find a line, a stanza that I understand better, differently, appreciate just a little more.
—— Cherie Jones , GuardianA devastating tale of subterfuge, poverty and privilege set in the cobbled streets of Victorian London.
—— Daily RecordMagnificent, bringing the Dickensian streets to grubby, teeming life
—— Eithne Farry , Daily MailCements his reputation as an accomplished and challenging novelist… Though it takes place 130 years ago, the questions that The Streets poses about how, as a society and individuals, we tackle deprivation arguably remain just as pertinent
—— Peter Stanford , IndependentQuinn blends his history, his political concerns, his ideals, his plot and his characters elegantly, with a light hand and the pace of a thriller
—— Louisa Young , Daily TelegraphQuinn’s most mature novel yet… His picture of poverty’s shaming, dehumanizing effect is powerful, and the recurrent call for pity heartfelt. Ms Eliot and Mr Dickens would surely approve
—— Holly Kyte , Sunday TelegraphAnthony Quinn is a terrific storyteller. He has a thrilling knack for turning familiar periods of history into something surprising and often shocking, and for making the fortunes and misfortunes of his characters matter
—— Juliet Nicholson , Evening StandardDisplays the unsentimental yet powerful flair for romance that characterized his previous novel, Half of the Human Race. Perhaps most exciting of all, there is a sense that he is still writing within himself
—— Tom Cox , Sunday TimesQuinn brings the period in question vividly to life: his research is exemplary, and his subject absorbing
—— Lucy Scholes , ObserverAll the ingredients of an upmarket page-turner
—— Max Davidson , Mail on SundayAmbitious, gripping and disturbingly well done
—— Kate Saunders , The TimesBeyond its splendid feel for the era’s chat and patter, the novel pits philanthropy and opportunism, ideals and selfishness, bracingly at odds
—— Boyd Tonkin , IndependentThis novel is refreshingly different and contains a cornucopia of wonderful material and evocative descriptions
—— Good Book GuideThe best book I’ve read in ages… You have to read it.
—— Hilary Rose , The Times