{"title":"Simon Leys","description":"\u003cp\u003eSimon Leys offers a distinctive blend of \u003cem\u003ehistorical fiction\u003c\/em\u003e and incisive cultural commentary, weaving meticulous research with a sharp, often humorous perspective. His works invite readers to explore history and the arts through essays and narratives that challenge conventional views and illuminate lesser-known stories.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom contemplative essays in \u003cem\u003eThe Hall of Uselessness\u003c\/em\u003e to vivid depictions in \u003cem\u003eThe Death of Napoleon\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Wreck of the Batavia\u003c\/em\u003e, Leys’ writing captivates those interested in \u003cstrong\u003ehistory, military affairs,\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003earts \u0026amp; culture\u003c\/strong\u003e, all enriched by his keen insight and wry wit.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-wreck-of-the-batavia-and-prosper-by-simon-leys-9781863953269","title":"The Wreck of the Batavia and Prosper","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1629, the \u003cem\u003eBatavia\u003c\/em\u003e was wrecked on a coral archipelago fifty miles from the Australian continent. Most of the people on board survived, only to become victims of a visionary psychopath who, with the help of a dozen followers, organised a methodical massacre of the hapless community.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFollowing the wreck's discovery some forty years ago, Simon Leys travelled to the site. This is his riveting account of the shipwreck and its brutal aftermath. As well as a narrative of the disaster, it is also a subtle consideration of the nature of totalitarianism and our susceptibility to its ideologues.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis book also includes Leys' elegiac essay, \u003cem\u003eProsper\u003c\/em\u003e, recalling a summer when he joined the crew of a tuna-fishing boat from Brittany, one of the last boats still working under sail. The remarkable piece vividly evokes the traditions, hardships, and dangers of the oldest and finest form of seamanship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46343715946732,"sku":"9781863953269","price":29.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/17745403482851.jpg?v=1744005409"},{"product_id":"with-stendhal-by-simon-leys-9781863954792","title":"With Stendhal","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWith Stendhal\u003c\/em\u003e is a delightful portrait of the nineteenth-century French novelist Henri Beyle, better known to us as Stendhal. Two linked texts, introduced, annotated and translated into English for the first time by Simon Leys, illuminate the life and mind of the great writer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe first piece is a set of impressions and memories written by Stendhal's famous friend Prosper Merimee. Several vignettes reveal Stendhal's character—charismatic, engaging, frenetic, hyper-romantic—accompanied by amusing anecdotes of him duelling, falling in love, and holding forth in the company of friends.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe second is by Stendhal himself, a fantasy composed one idle afternoon, near the end of his life and for his own pleasure: a whimsical list of the supernatural powers he wished he possessed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWith Stendhal\u003c\/em\u003e is a charming, entertaining insight into the character of one of the world's greatest novelists, written for the enjoyment of all readers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46380342149356,"sku":"9781863954792","price":24.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/17760633482851.jpg?v=1744855781"},{"product_id":"the-death-of-napoleon-by-simon-leys-9781863953344","title":"The Death of Napoleon","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this deliciously sardonic fable, Napoleon Bonaparte escapes from imprisonment on the isle of St. Helena. Leys writes an elegant, precise prose that ironically evokes the Napoleonic age. His exquisite tale, a gem of a book, can be read as a parable on the folly of hero-worship, the perils of self-justifying notions of destiny, and the vanity of all human striving.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Death of Napoleon\u003c\/em\u003e is now a motion picture, and this edition contains a new preface by the author. This is a new edition of the award-winning novel, out of print now for several years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e- Publisher's Weekly\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46553021907180,"sku":"9781863953344","price":29.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/17746153482851.jpg?v=1750061058"},{"product_id":"other-peoples-thoughts-by-simon-leys-9781863954150","title":"Other People's Thoughts","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Most people are other people\", Oscar Wilde remarked, \"their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their life a mimicry, their passions a quotation…\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eOther People's Thoughts\u003c\/em\u003e is a wonderfully entertaining collection of quotations. Simon Leys collects jokes and insights from great artists and thinkers, revealing a unique sensibility.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTopics include adventure, youth, sex, time, toads, wine, epitaphs, and friendship. A perfect gift book, it ranges across cultures and times to provoke and entertain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47431786627308,"sku":"9781863954150","price":32.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781863954150.jpg?v=1774557171"},{"product_id":"the-hall-of-uselessness-collected-essays-by-simon-leys-9781863955850","title":"The Hall of Uselessness: Collected Essays","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSimon Leys' cultural and political commentary has spanned four decades, with no corner of the arts escaping his sharp eye and acerbic wit. \u003cem\u003eThe Hall of Uselessness\u003c\/em\u003e forms the most complete collection yet of Leys' fascinating essays, from Quixotism to China, from the sea to literature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLeys feuds with Christopher Hitchens, ponders the popularity of Victor Hugo and analyses the posthumous publication of Nabokov's unfinished novel. He offers valuable insights into Mao's Cultural Revolution and the Khmer Rouge, and discusses Orwell, Waugh and Confucius.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHe considers the intertwined nature of Chinese art, culture and history alongside the joys and difficulties of literary translation. \u003cem\u003eThe Hall of Uselessness\u003c\/em\u003e is an illuminating compendium from a brilliant and highly acclaimed writer - a long-time resident of Australia who is truly a global citizen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47471783739628,"sku":"9781863955850","price":45.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781863955850-the-hall-of-uselessness-collected-essays.jpg?v=1775254255"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.pro\/collections\/simon-leys.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}