Lyre of Orpheus

Robertson Davies

Sinopse

“The final Cornish Trilogy novel from an author who “tells terrific stories that twist around and double back on themselves in surprising ways” (The New York Times). There is an important decision to be made. The Cornish Foundation is thriving under the directorship of Arthur Cornish when Arthur and his beguiling wife, Maria Theotoky, decide to undertake a project worthy of Francis Cornish—connoisseur, collector, and notable eccentric—whose vast fortune endows the Foundation. The grumpy, grimy, extraordinarily talented music student Hulda Schnakenburg is commissioned to complete E.T.A. Hoffmann’s unfinished opera Arthur of Britain, or The Magnanimous Cuckold; and the scholarly priest Simon Darcourt finds himself charged with writing the libretto. Complications both practical and emotional arise: the passion in Maria’s blood rises with a vengeance; Darcourt stoops to petty crime; and various others indulge in perjury, blackmail, and other unsavory pursuits. Hoffmann’s dictum, “the lyre of Orpheus opens the door of the underworld,” seems to be all too true—especially when the long-hidden secrets of Francis Cornish himself are finally revealed. “Davies once again delivers the goods—with this solidly entertaining finale . . . Blending a characteristic knack for wit, esoterica, and snobbery, Davies charges ahead with a buoyant tale of upper-class grantsmanship and modern-day cuckoldry . . . A spry jaunt from an old master—once again in full command of the form.”—Kirkus Reviews “Packed with interesting details of opera history and production . . . intelligent observations and playful allusions.”—Publishers Weekly “With his wonderfully complex yet controlled plot, deft portrayal of eccentric characters, and great wit, Davies effectively satirizes the world of universities and foundations.”—Library Journal

Disponível desde: 23/04/2019.

Comprimento de impressão: 607 páginas.

Outros livros que poderiam interessá-lo

Plum Spooky - A Stephanie Plum...

Janet Evanovich

Evanovich fans rejoice!  Stephanie Plum is back in town, along with her sidekick Lula, her Grandma Mazur, and an ever-widening cast of freaks, criminals, deranged felons, and lunatics looking for love.  And just when Stephanie thinks her life can't get any more complicated, in walks the mysterious Diesel.  A man who seems to show up at the most inconvenient moments.  This time, he's the instigator for Stephanie's new adventure, which involves camping in the Pine Barrens with Lula, and perhaps even a sighting of the Jersey Devil...so hang on for a Stephanie Plum novel that is sure to send chills up your spine—it gives new meaning to the words hilarious, and "spooky."A Macmillan Audio production.

Ver livro

The Fisher King - A Novel

Anthony Powell

Arthurian legend and cruise ship gossip entwine in this “profoundly touching, comic novel” by the celebrated author of A Dance to the Music of Time (Chicago Tribune). 
 
Aboard the Alecto, prolific romance author Valentine Beals ruminates on the ship’s most seemingly incongruous couple: a graceful, ethereal, virginal dancer named Barberina Rookwood and her lover, Saul Henchman, a crippled, emasculated war hero and photographer. Fancifully, Beals imagines Henchman to be the reembodiment of one of the most mysterious Arthurian legends, the Fisher King—the maimed and impotent ruler of a barren country of whom Perceval failed to ask the right questions. 
 
A myth with many permutations—and a blurred borderland between them—the Fisher King legend dovetails the various explanations Powell offers from his competing narrators as to why a talented young dancer would forsake her art to care for a feeble older man. 
 
Ostensibly a novel about gossip on a cruise ship, The Fisher King is much more: a highly stylized narrative infused with Greek mythology, legend, and satire.

Ver livro

Sixes and Sevens - Stories

O. Henry

From America’s favorite storyteller: A rich selection of twenty-five tales by the author of “The Gift of the Magi.”    Writing under the pseudonym O. Henry, William Sydney Porter was an incredibly prolific and popular master of the short story in the early twentieth century. His stories are known for being witty, playful, full of plot twists, and marked by surprise endings. The author had a special fondness for New York City and a deep interest and appreciation for the ordinary folk who populate his timeless tales.   First published in 1911, his eleventh collection features such classics as “The Duplicity of the Hargraves,” about a destitute Confederate major and his spinster daughter in Washington, DC, and their encounter with a vaudeville actor; as well as “Makes the Whole World Kin,” about a thief and a sick old man who form a surprising bond. Once entered, O. Henry’s world becomes an unforgettable destination, and over a century later, readers continue to return—again and again.   Sixes and Sevens includes “The Duplicity of Hargraves,” “Makes the Whole World Kin,” “The Last of the Troubadours,” “Witches’ Loaves,” “The Adventures of Shamrock Jolnes,” “A Ghost of a Chance,” “New York by Camp Fire Light,” “Ulysses and the Dogman,” and more.  This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.

Ver livro

Why Are You So Sad? - A Novel

Jason Porter

"Like a well-stocked IKEA, Why Are You So Sad? Has everything you need for your home and your heart. Jason Porter has written an astute, intelligent, and hilarious book." -Gary Shteyngart, author of Super Sad True Love Story 
Have we all sunken into a species-wide bout of clinical depression? 
Porter's uproarious, intelligent debut centers on Raymond Champs, an illustrator of assembly manuals for a home furnishings corporation, who is charged with a huge task: to determine whether the world needs saving. It comes to him in the midst of a losing battle with insomnia-everybody he knows, and maybe everybody on the planet, is suffering from severe clinical depression. He's nearly certain something has gone wrong. A virus perhaps. It's in the water, or it's in the mosquitoes, or maybe in the ranch-flavored snack foods. And what if we are all too sad and dispirited to do anything about it? Obsessed as he becomes, Raymond composes an anonymous survey to submit to his unsuspecting coworkers-"Are you who you want to be?," "Do you believe in life after death?," "Is today better than yesterday?"-because what Raymond needs is data. He needs to know if it can be proven. It's a big responsibility. People might not believe him. People, like his wife and his boss, might think he is losing his mind. But only because they are also losing their minds. 
Or are they?

Ver livro

Have a Little Pun - An...

Frida Clements

A delightfully illustrated collection of puns for grownups to giggle and groan over. . . .  
 
Artist Frida Clements playfully combines colorfully detailed flora and fauna drawings with funny (and occasionally risqué) hand-lettered wordplay in this collection of beautifully illustrated puns. Honey, bee yourself! Gopher it. Don’t be koi. Like puns? That’s coo, says the pigeon. Hate puns? Birch, please. Bringing a giggle (and sometimes a groan) with each inspired page, this clever volume makes a lovely and lighthearted read for fans of witty humor and illustration. Having a bad hare day? Feeling a little antsy? What the hail, just dill with it, and for fox sake, have a little pun.

Ver livro

The Potluck Club--Trouble's...

Eva Marie Everson, Linda Evans...

Six women. More problems. New secrets. The Potluck Club is back with a yummy casserole of characters, hilarity, and adventure in Summit View, Colorado!Club leader Evie continues to find newcomer Lisa Leann too tough to swallow, especially since the former Texan's new advice column causes rumors to rise faster than her famous instant-yeast cinnamon rolls. When one member stirs things up with a new 'do and a new outlook on life, the girls find themselves in a pickle as gossip takes over the group, a long-awaited romance doesn't go as planned, and the past comes back to haunt the club's youngest member. Seasoned with loads of faith, forgiveness, and friendship, The Potluck Club--Trouble's Brewing gives readers the tasty next serving of friendship fiction that they've hungered for since the debut of this zestful, popular series.

Ver livro