{"title":"John Sutherland","description":"\u003cp\u003eJohn Sutherland’s works explore the rich tapestry of literature and culture with clarity and wit. From insightful guides like \u003cem\u003e50 Literature Ideas You Really Need to Know\u003c\/em\u003e to engaging historical perspectives in \u003cem\u003eA Little History of Literature\u003c\/em\u003e, his writing invites readers to deepen their appreciation of literary art and its enduring impact.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBlending thoughtful commentary with accessible storytelling, Sutherland also delves into fiction, as seen in titles such as \u003cem\u003eThe History of Mr Polly\u003c\/em\u003e. His books appeal to those who delight in the conversation between classic and contemporary voices within \u003cstrong\u003eArts \u0026amp; Culture\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eGeneral Fiction\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-history-of-mr-polly-by-h-g-wells-9780141441078","title":"The History of Mr Polly","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe History of Mr Polly\u003c\/em\u003e tells the story of Mr Polly, an ordinary middle-aged man exhausted by his wife's nagging and his monotonous job as the owner of a regional gentleman's outfitters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eConfronted with the looming threat of bankruptcy, Mr Polly decides that the only escape from his frustrating existence is to burn down his shop and take his own life. However, unexpected events intervene, leading the bewildered Mr Polly towards a bright new future.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAfter saving a life, faking his death, and slipping away to a more fulfilling existence, Mr Polly embarks on a journey filled with heroism, hope, and ultimate happiness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46533106270444,"sku":"9780141441078","price":22.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9212763482238.jpg?v=1749369526"},{"product_id":"a-little-history-of-literature-by-john-sutherland-9780300283419","title":"A Little History of Literature","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA vibrant guide to the world of literature, from dramatic plays to engrossing novels.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLiterature has inspired every civilisation, from Greek myth to today's graphic novels. John Sutherland, who has researched, taught, and written on the entire glorious span of human literary activity, guides readers on a journey 'through the looking glass' to show how literature from across the world can transport us, transfix us, and teach us about ourselves.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHe introduces key works, from the \u003cem\u003eEpic of Gilgamesh\u003c\/em\u003e and Shakespeare to T.S. Eliot, George Orwell, and Margaret Atwood, and looks afresh at literature's links to power, identity, and taste. From the rude jokes within Anglo-Saxon riddles to the guilty pleasures of potboilers and fan fiction, this celebratory guide offers wit, humour, and deep learning to all who enjoy literature and who want to understand it anew.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLittle Histories\u003c\/em\u003e – Inspiring Guides for Curious Minds\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"John Wiley and Sons Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46796034179308,"sku":"9780300283419","price":24.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/24831933482294.jpg?v=1757073977"},{"product_id":"how-to-be-well-read-by-john-sutherland-9781529157291","title":"How to be Well Read","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA guide to the best novels ever written, and why they matter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRanging all the way from \u003cem\u003eAaron's Rod\u003c\/em\u003e to \u003cem\u003eZuleika Dobson\u003c\/em\u003e, via \u003cem\u003eThe Devil Rides Out\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eMiddlemarch\u003c\/em\u003e, literary connoisseur and sleuth John Sutherland offers his very personal guide to the most rewarding, most remarkable and, on occasion, most shamelessly enjoyable works of fiction ever written.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHe brilliantly captures the flavour of each work and assesses its relative merits and demerits. He shows how it fits into a broader context and offers endless snippets of intriguing information—did you know, for example, that the Nazis banned \u003cem\u003eBambi\u003c\/em\u003e or that William Faulkner wrote \u003cem\u003eAs I Lay Dying\u003c\/em\u003e on an upturned wheelbarrow; that Voltaire completed \u003cem\u003eCandide\u003c\/em\u003e in three days, or that Anna Sewell was paid €20 for \u003cem\u003eBlack Beauty\u003c\/em\u003e? It is also effectively a history of the novel in 500 or so wittily informative, bite-sized pieces.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEncyclopaedic and entertaining by turns, this is a wonderful dip-in book, whose opinions will inform and on occasion, no doubt, infuriate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Generous, enjoyable and well informed.'\u003c\/em\u003e Observer\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Anyone hooked on fiction should be warned—this book will feed your addiction.'\u003c\/em\u003e Mail on Sunday\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'500 expertly potted plots and personal comments on a wide range of pop and proper prose fiction.'\u003c\/em\u003e The Times\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47078762807532,"sku":"9781529157291","price":30.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/11994633482732.jpg?v=1765221079"},{"product_id":"50-literature-ideas-you-really-need-to-know-by-john-sutherland-9781529432183","title":"50 Literature Ideas You Really Need to Know","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn a series of 50 accessible essays, John Sutherland introduces and explains the important forms, concepts, themes and movements in literature, drawing on insights and examples from both classic and popular works.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom postmodernism to postcolonialism, William Shakespeare to Jane Austen, \u003ci\u003e50 Literature Ideas You Really Need to Know\u003c\/i\u003e is a complete introduction to the most important literary concepts in history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47423661539564,"sku":"9781529432183","price":24.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/61kbz3XN4SL._SL1500.jpg?v=1774427861"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.pro\/collections\/john-sutherland.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}