"Guerra y paz" se centra en la invasión de Rusia por Napoleón en 1812 y sigue a tres de los personajes más conocidos de la literatura: Pierre Bezukhov, el hijo ilegítimo de un conde que lucha por su herencia y anhela la realización espiritual; el príncipe Andrei Bolkonsky, quien deja atrás a su familia para combatir en la guerra contra Napoleón; y Natasha Rostov, la hermosa hija de un noble, que intriga a ambos hombres. A medida que el ejército de Napoleón invade, Tolstói sigue vívidamente a personajes de diversos orígenes—campesinos y nobles, civiles y soldados—mientras lidian con los problemas únicos de su época, su historia y su cultura. Con el avance de la novela, estos personajes trascienden su especificidad, convirtiéndose en algunas de las figuras más conmovedoras y humanas de la literatura mundial.
John Bayley Libros
John Bayley fue un distinguido crítico literario y novelista británico, cuya obra es celebrada por sus agudas percepciones sobre la literatura. Sus escritos profundizan en el análisis textual y la intención autoral, combinando hábilmente el rigor académico con un estilo de prosa accesible. A través de sus ensayos críticos y novelas, Bayley revela una profunda comprensión de las tradiciones literarias y las complejidades de la psique humana. Su amplitud intelectual y su enfoque sensible cimentaron su reputación como una voz significativa en el discurso literario británico.






This centenary edition features a new Introduction by Robert Shaughnessy that places Bradley's work in the critical, intellectual and cultural context of its time. Shaughnessy summarises the content and argumentative thrust of the book, outlines the critical debates and counter-arguments that have followed in the wake of its publication and, most importantly, prompts readers to engage with Bradley's work itself. Book jacket.
The Portable Tolstoy
- 888 páginas
- 32 horas de lectura
The greatest of Russian novelists believed that "whatever the artist depicts - saints, robbers, kings, or lackeys - we seek and see only the artist's own soul". The soul that shines through the work of Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy (1828-1910) is a vast and contradictory thing. It generates the narrative floodtides of War and Peace and Anna Karenina and short stories so intimate that we seem to inhabit their characters rather than just observe them. Tolstoy's soul is that of a consummate artist who despises artfulness and seeks to approximate the disorder of life, of a sensualist who aspires to sainthood, of an aristocrat who identifies fiercely with the small and humble.All the aspects of Tolstoy's work and character are on display in this masterful anthology. The Portable Tolstoy includes a complete short novel, The Kreutzer Sonata; passages from the author's fictional memoirs of his childhood, youth and military life; excerpts from The Cossacks; The short stories "The Wood-Felling,""Master and Man," and "How Much Land Does a Man Need?"; the play "The Power of Darkness"; selections from such philosophic, social and critical writings as "A Confession" and "What Is Art?"; and a chronology, bibliography and critical introduction by the renowned scholar John Bayley. The result is a splendid and authoritative volume of work by a writer whose moral vision, narrative powers, and stylistic range all but defy containment.
Iris Murdoch, who died in 1999, was the author of 26 novels, including The Bell, A Fairly Honourable Defeat, The Black Prince, and the Booker Prize-winning The Sea, The Sea. In The Saint and the Artist, now fully revised and updated, distinguished literary critic Peter J. Conradi offers a lively and valuable critical appreciation of her works of fiction. He traces the way in which the zest and buoyant high spirits of her early novels gave way to a more deeply and darkly comic achievement in the novels of the 1970s. Conradi, who knew Murdoch well, suggests how her own life, wonderfully transmuted into high art, provided the raw material for her novels; he also argues that they should be read as serious entertainments and as important fictions in the Anglo-Russian tradition, and not as disguised philosophy. Peter J. Conradi is the author of the highly acclaimed biography Iris Murdoch: A Life.
In this frank memoir, John Bayley describes the life he has shared with his wife, Iris Murdoch, afflicted with Alzheimer's disease. He explains how he has coped emotionally and practically with the illness that has beset the woman he loves and cherishes.
El Doctor Jivago
- 446 páginas
- 16 horas de lectura
Barcelona. 21 cm. 446 p. Encuadernación en tapa blanda de editorial ilustrada. Colección 'Narrativa actual', numero coleccion(8). Pasternak, Boris Leonidovich 1890-1960. Doktor Zhivago. Revisión a partir del original ruso, Yolanda Martínez. Traducción de: Doktor Zivago. Gutiérrez, Fernando. 1911-1984. Narrativa actual (RBA Editores. 1994). 8 .. Este libro es de segunda mano y tiene o puede tener marcas y señales de su anterior propietario. ISBN: 84-473-0681-X
Iris and the Friends. A Year of Memories
- 288 páginas
- 11 horas de lectura
After more than three years suffering from Alzheimer's disease, the novelist and philosopher Iris Murdoch died in January 1999. Earlier that month she was taken to a home for the terminally ill, and she remained radiant and calm for the last weeks of her life. The last year or so of Iris Murdoch's life provides the framework for this book, but within this structure, John Bayley returns repeatedly to memories of his own earlier life, and of more than 40 years of marriage to Iris. Alzheimer's is a lonely predicament for the carer, and Bayley describes how he coped with the ordeal of watching his wife become terminally ill by forming a growing dependency on memory as a stand-by, consolation and friend.
Marriage as it is and as it Should be
- 180 páginas
- 7 horas de lectura
The book offers a reprint of a classic work originally published in 1857, preserving its historical significance and literary value. It provides readers with an opportunity to explore themes and ideas from the past, reflecting the cultural and societal norms of the time. This edition aims to maintain the integrity of the original text while making it accessible to contemporary audiences, inviting them to engage with its enduring relevance and impact on literature and thought.
Shakespeare and Tragedy
- 236 páginas
- 9 horas de lectura
Focusing on the interplay between character and form, John Bayley analyzes the Roman plays "Troilus and Cressida" and "Timon of Athens," alongside Shakespeare's four major tragedies. He explores how the effectiveness of Shakespeare's tragic narratives relies on the tension between the roles of characters and their contexts, offering insights into the complexities of his dramatic techniques. This examination reveals the intricate layers that contribute to the emotional impact of Shakespeare's work.
Exploring the vibrant cultural and artistic landscape of Italy from the thirteenth to the sixteenth century, this work captures the essence of the Renaissance period and its eventual decline. The author draws from a rich collection of experiences and observations gathered during extended travels across Italy, offering insights into the era's transformative art, architecture, and societal changes. The narrative presents a unique perspective on the interplay between flourishing creativity and the onset of decadence in this pivotal historical period.
Originally published in 1859, this reprint captures the essence of its time with a fresh perspective. The book delves into themes of societal change and personal struggle, reflecting the historical context of its era. Readers will find a rich narrative that explores the complexities of human emotions and relationships, making it a significant work for those interested in classic literature and its enduring relevance.
Widower's House
- 262 páginas
- 10 horas de lectura
With this volume, John Bayley completes his trilogy, looking back on the years in sickness and health which he and Iris spent together, and attempting to come to terms with her absence. As time goes by he finds himself beset with new and alarmingly unfamiliar problems: he suffers equally from the helplessness of being alone and the kindly harassment of well-wishers; discovering too that a widower's life can contain many moments of bizarre comedy.
An Essay on Hardy
- 237 páginas
- 9 horas de lectura
This 1981 book suggests an insightful approach to Hardy as a poet and novelist. With the novels in particular it concentrates not so much on ideas and attitudes as on the texture of the writing, and on the crucial importance in it between one kind of exposition and another. John Bayley starts by establishing a difference between Hardy the private 'noticer' of things and people, and Hardy the professional author committed to interpreting these observations to his readers. The vital ingredients of eroticism and humour are analysed in detail, as are the unusual ways in which passiveness, 'pessimism', and anthropomorphism function in the poems and novels, and an insightful reading of Tess is put forward. Professor Bayley shows that the rewards of reading Hardy are greater than ever, although they are not necessarily those which the reader expects, or has been taught to look for.
This volume brings together John Bayley's books dedicated to the memory of his wife, Iris Murdoch. Bayley's account of his long and loving marriage to the great novelist Iris takes us from their love affair's comical beginnings in Oxford in the early 50s (Bayley courted Iris on account of her unchallenging plain looks and their first date consisted of a revolting dinner followed by a disastrous dance when Iris sprained her ankle) through its slow and painful closure when Iris developed Alzheimer's 40 years later, to a searching analysis of the condition of bereavement and how he built a life for himself after Iris's death.



