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Pure PleasureA Guide to the 20th Century's Most Enjoyable Books

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In Pure Pleasure, John Carey, one of Britain's most respected literary critics, introduces us to what he believes are the fifty most enjoyable books of the twentieth century based on sheer reading pleasure. Mixing fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, Carey includes literary heavyweights like James Joyce, Thomas Mann, and T. S. Eliot, as well as more populist writers like Arthur Conan Doyle, Kingsley Amis, and John Updike. Carey also discusses masterpieces like F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby and Gunter Grass's The Tin Drum, alongside lesser-known works like D. H. Lawrence's Twilight in Italy and George Orwell's Coming Up for Air.

In a series of intelligent and fast-moving essays -- each devoted to a single book -- Carey mixes criticism, biography, and cultural context about each selection with illuminations on the author's inspiration and how each work was written. The end result is a book that no one who is passionate about reading should be without.

Genre: Reviews
Format: Paperback
Published: 2000
Pages: 173
Publisher: Faber
ISBN: 9780571204489

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Our conditions mean the following:

  • New - a brand new book
  • Almost New - appears new but is actually secondhand.
  • Very Good - only minor imperfections such as minor scuffs to edge or cover or a price written in pencil or shop sticker.
  • Standard Secondhand - Clearly been read before, but not too bad. We do not recommend these for gifting. Spines usually creased. Could also include creases or folds to cover, some writing such as in the cover or elsewhere, underlining or highlighting, but might not do. Possibly some stains or marks. Similar in general to books in any secondhand shop or charity shop.
  • Poor Condition - Usually this will have a specific problem such as writing inside, water damage, missing dust jacket, heavy staining, large creases or cuts. These are readable copies but not nice ones. On other websites this condition is called 'Acceptable' or 'Fair' , but we want to be more honest.
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