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
Rating★★★★ 3.7 (136)
Includes Goodreads, LibraryThing, Amazon
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)
2Introduction
3Historical Context
4Synopsis (Selection)
5PREFACE
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6BOOKS AND READING
7ONE HUNDRED BEST BOOKS
822. STRINDBERG. THE CONFESSIONS OF A FOOL.
926. THEODORE DREISER. THE TITAN.
1038. PAUL BOURGET. LE DISCIPLE.
1153. STERNE—TRISTRAM SHANDY.
1254. JONATHAN SWIFT. TALE OF A TUB.
1355. CHARLES LAMB. THE ESSAYS OF ELIA.
1456. SIR WALTER SCOTT. GUY MANNERING. BRIDE OF LAMMERMOOR. HEART OF. MIDLOTHIAN.
1559. THACKERAY. THE HISTORY OF HENRY ESMOND.
1660. CHARLES DICKENS. GREAT EXPECTATIONS.
1761. JANE AUSTEN. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.
1862. EMILY BRONTË. WÜTHERING HEIGHTS.
1963. GEORGE MEREDITH. HARRY RICHMOND.
2064. HENRY JAMES. THE AMBASSADORS. THE TRAGIC MUSE. THE SOFT SIDE. THE. BETTER SORT. THE WINGS OF THE DOVE. THE GOLDEN BOWL.
2170. THOMAS HARDY. TESS OF THE D'URBEVILLES. THE RETURN OF THE NATIVE.. THE MAYOR OF CASTERBRIDGE. FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD. WESSEX POEMS.
2280. WALTER PATER. MARIUS THE EPICUREAN. STUDIES IN THE RENAISSANCE.. IMAGINARY PORTRAITS. PLATO AND PLATONISM. GASTON DE LATOUR.
2385. GEORGE BERNARD SHAW. MAN AND SUPERMAN.
2486. GILBERT K. CHESTERTON. ORTHODOXY.
2587. OSCAR WILDE. INTENTIONS. THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST. DE. PROFUNDIS.
2690. RUDYARD KIPLING. THE JUNGLE BOOK.
2792. JOHN GALSWORTHY. THE COUNTRY HOUSE. THE MAN OF PROPERTY.. FRATERNITY.
2895. W. SOMERSET MAUGHAM. OF HUMAN BONDAGE.
2996. GILBERT CANNAN. ROUND THE CORNER.
3098. OLIVER ONIONS. THE STORY OF LOUIE.
3199. ARNOLD BENNETT. CLAYHANGER.
32100. OXFORD BOOK OF ENGLISH VERSE.
33REMINISCENT OF DOSTOIEVSKY
34SHAW'S FALL FICTION
35QUAKER-BORN, A ROMANCE OF THE GREAT WAR, BY IAN CAMPBELL HANNAH.
36THE CHILD OF THE MOAT, A STORY OF 1550, BY I.B. STOUGHTON HOLBORN.
37SUSPENDED JUDGMENTS
38G. ARNOLD SHAW, PUBLISHER TO THE UNIVERSITY LECTURERS ASSOCIATION
39THE WAR AND CULTURE
40THE SOLILOQUY OF A HERMIT
41G. ARNOLD SHAW, PUBLISHER TO THE UNIVERSITY LECTURERS ASSOCIATION
42BOOKS BY I.B. STOUGHTON HOLBORN
43ARCHITECTURES OF EUROPEAN RELIGIONS
44G. ARNOLD SHAW, PUBLISHER TO THE UNIVERSITY LECTURERS ASSOCIATION
45OTHER BOOKS BY IAN C. HANNAH
46Analysis
47Reflection
48Memorable Quotes
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