One Hundred Best Books (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. With Commentary and an Essay on Books and ReadingBy John Cowper Powys
Length3h 16m
About this audiobook
In One Hundred Best Books, John Cowper Powys offers not a neutral catalogue but a passionate anatomy of reading, selecting works that disclose, for him, the deepest energies of human imagination. Moving from classical and biblical texts through European fiction, poetry, philosophy, and modern literature, the book blends criticism, exhortation, and personal confession. Its style is aphoristic, sensuous, and combative, characteristic of early twentieth-century literary humanism, when canon-making was also a form of spiritual self-definition. Powys, later renowned for his vast novels and idiosyncratic philosophical writings, was already a celebrated lecturer when he composed this work. His recommendations arise from a life spent performing literature aloud, treating books less as academic objects than as living presences capable of intensifying consciousness. His mystical temperament, anti-dogmatic instincts, and profound attachment to individual response shape every judgment, making the volume as revealing of Powys himself as of the authors he praises. This book is recommended to readers interested in literary canons, the history of criticism, and the art of impassioned reading. It remains valuable not because every choice is definitive, but because Powys teaches us to encounter great books with urgency, independence, and imaginative seriousness.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
Audiobook details
GenreLiterary Classics
Length3 hrs 16 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateNov 24, 2023
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1The Greatest Works of Knut Hamsun (Annotated)
2587. OSCAR WILDE. INTENTIONS. THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST. DE. PROFUNDIS.
2Introduction
2690. RUDYARD KIPLING. THE JUNGLE BOOK.
3Historical Context
2792. JOHN GALSWORTHY. THE COUNTRY HOUSE. THE MAN OF PROPERTY.. FRATERNITY.
4Synopsis (Selection)
2895. W. SOMERSET MAUGHAM. OF HUMAN BONDAGE.
5PREFACE
2996. GILBERT CANNAN. ROUND THE CORNER.
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6BOOKS AND READING
3098. OLIVER ONIONS. THE STORY OF LOUIE.
7ONE HUNDRED BEST BOOKS
3199. ARNOLD BENNETT. CLAYHANGER.
822. STRINDBERG. THE CONFESSIONS OF A FOOL.
32100. OXFORD BOOK OF ENGLISH VERSE.
926. THEODORE DREISER. THE TITAN.
33REMINISCENT OF DOSTOIEVSKY
1038. PAUL BOURGET. LE DISCIPLE.
34SHAW'S FALL FICTION
1153. STERNE—TRISTRAM SHANDY.
35QUAKER-BORN, A ROMANCE OF THE GREAT WAR, BY IAN CAMPBELL HANNAH.
1254. JONATHAN SWIFT. TALE OF A TUB.
36THE CHILD OF THE MOAT, A STORY OF 1550, BY I.B. STOUGHTON HOLBORN.
1355. CHARLES LAMB. THE ESSAYS OF ELIA.
37SUSPENDED JUDGMENTS
1456. SIR WALTER SCOTT. GUY MANNERING. BRIDE OF LAMMERMOOR. HEART OF. MIDLOTHIAN.
38G. ARNOLD SHAW, PUBLISHER TO THE UNIVERSITY LECTURERS ASSOCIATION
1559. THACKERAY. THE HISTORY OF HENRY ESMOND.
39THE WAR AND CULTURE
1660. CHARLES DICKENS. GREAT EXPECTATIONS.
40THE SOLILOQUY OF A HERMIT
1761. JANE AUSTEN. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.
41G. ARNOLD SHAW, PUBLISHER TO THE UNIVERSITY LECTURERS ASSOCIATION
1862. EMILY BRONTË. WÜTHERING HEIGHTS.
42BOOKS BY I.B. STOUGHTON HOLBORN
1963. GEORGE MEREDITH. HARRY RICHMOND.
43ARCHITECTURES OF EUROPEAN RELIGIONS
2064. HENRY JAMES. THE AMBASSADORS. THE TRAGIC MUSE. THE SOFT SIDE. THE. BETTER SORT. THE WINGS OF THE DOVE. THE GOLDEN BOWL.
44G. ARNOLD SHAW, PUBLISHER TO THE UNIVERSITY LECTURERS ASSOCIATION
2170. THOMAS HARDY. TESS OF THE D'URBEVILLES. THE RETURN OF THE NATIVE.. THE MAYOR OF CASTERBRIDGE. FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD. WESSEX POEMS.
45OTHER BOOKS BY IAN C. HANNAH
2280. WALTER PATER. MARIUS THE EPICUREAN. STUDIES IN THE RENAISSANCE.. IMAGINARY PORTRAITS. PLATO AND PLATONISM. GASTON DE LATOUR.
46Analysis
2385. GEORGE BERNARD SHAW. MAN AND SUPERMAN.
47Reflection
2486. GILBERT K. CHESTERTON. ORTHODOXY.
48Memorable Quotes
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