Click and collect from your local waterstones or get free uk delivery on orders over. Dec 05, 20 canongate has bought a book by writer and artist alasdair gray, which puts forward his case for an independent scotland ahead of the referendum on this issue in september 2014. Born in 1934, alasdair gray graduated in design and mural painting from the glasgow school of art. The preface is a section that comes before the story, and it is often jumbled up with the introduction, foreword, and prologue. While alasdair gray has chosen and edited all the prefaces and has written most of the commentary in this book, he was assisted in this by some 30 authors who have also written commentaries. The items we may sell online for these products are books, paperback, hardback, audio cds or cassettes, large print, mp3 and whatever format is available for us to sell online. Since 1981, when lanark was published by canongate, he authored, designed and illustrated seven novels, several books of short stories, a collection of his stage, radio and tv plays and a book of his visual art, a life in pictures.
A short history of literate thought in words by great writers of four nations from the 7th to the 20th century gray, alasdair on. Over the last couple of weeks, our blog has been focused on the varying aspects of a books frontmatter from dedications to forewords to todays post, which focuses on the preface. An anthology of stories edited by alasdair gray library journal this longanticipated book from a major figure in the scottish literary revival lives up to expectations. The book of prefaces by alasdair gray fantastic fiction. An introductory essay written by a different person is a foreword and precedes an authors preface. Grays bekanntestes werk ist sein erster roman lanark a life in four books. His first novel, lanark 1981, is seen as a landmark of scottish fiction. Mencken described the work as my most important book in its effects upon my professional caree. A magnificent booklovers book which is a pleasure to browse and an education to peruse. A life in pictures by alasdair gray canongate books. The book of prefaces seeks to provide a history of how literature spread and developed through the nations of england, ireland, scotland, and the united states. Published in 1983 by canongate books, but rumoured about, heard at readings. Here the author can set the stage for the reader, and prepare them for what can be expected from reading the book.
Over more than six hundred pages, it gathers great prefaces from works of english literature from c. This copy is very rare as it has been signed by alasdair gray to the half title page and 11 of the books contributors next to their portraits including james kellman. Therefore, i have laid out some basic definitions of. He believes that artists and writers should create art not for their own fame but simply to display the beauty in the world. Nov 04, 2002 buy the book of prefaces new edition by gray, alasdair isbn. And i still have his the book of prefaces to peruse. Adler and eliot, charles van doren, anthony burgess, clifton fadiman, the easton press, and many others. Alasdair was such a beautiful soul and i will miss him. These moves were present in all of the fifteen prefaces which were selected for the present study. Witty, humorous and beautifully illustrated, gray offers up a biographical account in pictures of his own artistic development including nods to the friends and colleagues who wereare his contemporaries there are some illustrated examples of the work of alan fletcher, for example. The book of prefaces, he approached a publisher at jonathan cape for an advance on a new collection of stories because, as he openly told him, he needed. The result reveals that book preface writers used similar types of moves but with varying level of frequency.
This boils down to the ideas of art for arts sake and that art need not serve any practical or moral purposehence the concluding epigram, all art is quite useless. Oscar wilde attempts to convey his opinion of art as simply beautiful in his work, preface to the picture of dorian gray. Some of these rules are broken in ebooks, for which there is often much less front matter. This will stand as a monument to gray s achievements as an artist of words and of pictures. A biblical canon or canon of scripture is a set of texts or books which a particular religious community regards as authoritative scripture. The book of prefaces edited by alasdair gray books. Commentary on alasdair grays poor things has long recognised the central role reserved for processes of interpretation. The most preferred moves were three describing the book and move one introducing the work.
In november 2019, he received a lifetime achievement. The title has changed now the book of prefaces, rather than an anthology. Alasdair gray is a mindgame on the page, his plots a series of shaky rungs, his authorial presence a metatrapdoor. The literary canonwhat books should be required reading. A delightfully original, ironic, and humorous compilation, it aims to include every major introductory essay in the english language from caedmon seventh century up to the. For the book by alasdair gray see the book of prefaces. In this manner, wilde begins to blur the distinction between man and image a practice that begins in earnest when the picture comes to reflect the true nature of dorians soul, raising. Jan 27, 2015 the delightfully potty alasdair gray published a book of prefaces in 2000 and the book, as ever, is as fabulous for its artwork and cheeky glosses as for its undoubted literary ambition from caedmon to wilfred owen. The master works of western civilization a hypertextannotated compilation of lists of major works recommended by drs. The picture of dorian gray a novella short novel about a physically beautiful but amoral young man who owns a magical portrait. One volume the fourth instalment in the harry potterseries garnered most of the publicity, attention, and sales presumably outselling all other nonharry potter bloomsbury titles combined, but it is the other, alasdair grays marvel of a book, the book of.
Without these three sections, a nonfiction book is incomplete, and not giving the readers their moneys worth. As he commits acts of cruelty and vice, his own physical body remains perfect but the portrait changes, turning progressively more hideous as it reflects his character until he eventually has to keep it hidden in the attic. The picture of dorian gray preface summary course hero. His remit has been to produce a history of literature in english from the sixth. Alasdair gray most prolific and bibulous of writers bookbrunch. His works of fiction combine realism, fantasy, and science fiction with the use of his. Its great to have all these wonderful prefaces in one handy volume, but gray, who supplies an introduction and many of the glosses, writes in a kind of shorthand, staccato style that is unpleasant, and he has weak control of comma usage. The introduction is a way for the author to grab the reader, and intensify the readers desire to find out more, and hopefully devour the entire book. The prefaces and foreword are not integral to the book and are numbered separately, along with other front matter, with lowercase roman numerals. Buy the book of prefaces new edition by gray, alasdair isbn. The english word canon comes from the greek, meaning rule or measuring stick. From the always original gray ten tales tall and true, 1994, etc.
British soldiers fighting in the wwi trenches, and the various film versions cemented its place in the literary canon. Christians became the first to use the term in reference to scripture, but eugene ulrich regards the idea. The preface of a book contains information written by the author to provide the reader with significant information andor background on the books contents. In fact, the book was considered vitriolic enough that menckens close friend alfred knopf was concerned about publishing. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders. Buy the book of prefaces by alasdair gray from waterstones today. Buy poor things by alasdair gray from waterstones today. I picked this book up at the library because it had an interesting look to it. Jun 28, 2011 oscar wilde attempts to convey his opinion of art as simply beautiful in his work, preface to the picture of dorian gray. Gray is surely right that prefaces can be a sort of verbal doorstep to help readers leave the ground they usually walk on and. Each section plays a vital role in the critical and financial success of the book. Buy your books and related items online with booktopia and we will take care of you. The author cited kafka as a major influence, but just about any interpretation of his words is possibleand thats the fun. Complete summary of alasdair gray s the book of prefaces.
It is essential for a selfpublisher to understand the differences between the foreword, preface, and introduction of a book. Gray, whose beloved publisher, the tiny scottish house of canongate. This will stand as a monument to grays achievements as an artist of words and of pictures. In fact, the book was considered vitriolic enough that menckens close friend alfred knopf was. Reading national allegory in alasdair grays poor things.
Alasdair gray was a true gentle man, a man of the people, to use a hackneyed phrase. Apr 14, 2016 the introduction introduces the material that is covered in the book. In the preface wilde provides readers with key points of the 19thcentury aesthetic movement and his views on beauty, the roles of the artist and critic, and the interrelationships between them. One volume the fourth instalment in the harry potterseries garnered most of the publicity, attention, and sales presumably outselling all other nonharry potter bloomsbury titles combined, but it is the other, alasdair gray s marvel of a book, the book of prefaces, that. Two 600plus page tomes highlight bloomsburys banner year to begin the millennium. A book, for example, is merely well written, or badly written, and nothing more. Nov 09, 2002 the book of prefaces, ed alasdair gray bloomsbury. Preface to the picture of dorian gray, by oscar wilde. Plus an intriguing glimpse at the, as yet unmade, lanark movie with sections of the original storyboard. The interactive version of the master works of western civilization web page is now in the prototype stage. In november 2019, he received a lifetime achievement award by the. Shop amongst our popular books, including 48, lanark, of me and others and more from alasdair gray.
Alasdair james gray 28 december 1934 29 december 2019 was a scottish writer and artist. The preface is usually located at the front of the book. A gray playbook of shows by alasdair gray 19562009. He published novels, short stories, plays, poetry and translations, and wrote on politics and the history of english and scots literature. After all, the title of the book is the picture of dorian gray, suggesting that the novel is about the image of the man, rather than about the man himself.
Lanark is established in the canon of modern british fiction. Perhaps his most extraordinary project for bloomsbury was the book of prefaces. Canongate has bought a book by writer and artist alasdair gray, which puts forward his case for an independent scotland ahead of. Mencken described the work as my most important book in its effects upon my professional career. Commentary on alasdair gray s poor things has long recognised the central role reserved for processes of interpretation. Complete summary of alasdair grays the book of prefaces. The price rather more than the suggested second hand value. If there are minor defects such as but not limited to page browning, spine lean, creasing or. Menckens 1917 collection of essays criticizing american culture, authors, and movements. The danger seems to be in terming the canon as a closed box, a finished category, as the only source of good literature. This copy is very rare as it has been signed by alasdair gray to the half title page and 11 of the book s contributors next to their portraits including james kellman. The preface often closes with acknowledgments of those who assisted in the literary work.
Alasdair gray darconvilles cat, alexander theroux the mosquito coast. In assuming that if one reads any canon of a certain group of bookswhether dead white men or multiculturalthat one has therefore been exposed to whats necessary. Alasdair gray is a mindgame on the page, his plots a series of shaky rungs, his authorial presence a meta. A beautifully presented book from one of scotlands greatest artistic polymaths alasdair gray. As alasdair gray turns 80 stuart kelly looks back at his literary work. It seeks to provide a history of how literature spread and developed through the nations of england, ireland, scotland, and the united states. Christians became the first to use the term in reference to scripture, but eugene ulrich regards the idea as jewish. Buy the book of prefaces new edition by alasdair gray isbn. In dissemination 1981, jacques derrida opens his work with an eccentric foreword that simultaneously prefaces and deconstructs the character of the preface by drawing attention to the ambiguity inherent in a concept that at first sight appears to be straightforward. Alasdair grays independence to canongate the bookseller. A short history of literate thought in words by great writers of four nations from the 7th to the 20th century. We are based in sydney, australia and ship all over the world. The book of prefaces by alasdair gray, first edition. Features and data are still being added, but the page is interesting and useful as it now stands.
Preface definition is a variable doxology beginning with the sursum corda and ending with the sanctus in traditional eucharistic liturgies. Preface by article about preface by by the free dictionary. His other published books include 1982 janine, poor things winner of the whitbread award, the book of prefaces, the ends of our tethers and old men in love. Poor things episodes from the early life of archibald mccandless m. Writers and editors what is the difference between a. Sharpeyed literary trainspotters may have noticed that alasdair gray.
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