The bestselling story of a king’s crusade to vanquish the Devil and to defeat the monster in each of us. A visiting lecturer is lured to the remote, gothic mansion of an estranged professor and his only son, who is described as a monster. But soon, the visitor enters an enchanting new world when he begins reading the son’s hidden manuscript. Part history, part myth, the story conjures a sixteenth-century Sweden in which good and evil clash for the ultimate prize. To attain the throne, the protagonist, Gustav Vasa, accepts the Devil’s counsel, but to remain in power and rule justly, he must drive the Devil underground. This sweeping, masterful tale transports us from the wasted mining hills of Dalarna to the frozen northern country of the Lapps — and into the very heart of the struggle over what it means to be human. This ebook features a new illustrated biography of John Gardner, including original letters, rare photos, and never-before-seen documents from the Gardner family and the University of Rochester Archives

An intricately woven fable filled with magical creatures — and astonishing surprises. In this wonderful fantasy, John Gardner weaves tales within tales to bring a magical world to vivid life. When three travelers on their way to the Suicide Mountains meet an enigmatic man, the Abbot of the Ancient Monastery, they begin a series of wild adventures in which they must confront mystical creatures — and come to terms with the roles fate has determined for each of them. Superbly imagined and brimming with philosophical insight, In the Suicide Mountains is a tribute to Gardner’s passion for medieval storytelling, and an unforgettable novel in its own right

A mythological masterpiece about dedication and the disintegration of romantic affection. In this magnificent epic poem, John Gardner renders his interpretation of the ancient story of Jason and Medeia. Confined in the palace of King Creon, and longing to return to his rightful kingdom Iolcus, Jason asks his wife, the sorceress Medeia, to use her powers of enchantment to destroy the tryrant King Pelias. Out of love she acquiesces, only to find that upon her return Jason has replaced her with King Creon’s beautiful daughter, Glauce. An ancient myth fraught with devotion and betrayal, deception and ambition, Jason and Medeia is one of the greatest classical legends, and Gardner’s masterful retelling is yet another achievement for this highly acclaimed author

John Gardner's most poignant novel of improbable love. At the heart of John Gardner's Nickel Mountain is an uncommon love story: when at 42, the obese, anxious and gentle Henry Soames marries seventeen-year-old Callie Wells — who is pregnant with the child of a local boy — it is much more than years which define the gulf between them. But the beauty of this novel is the gradual revelation of the bond that develops as this unlikely couple experiences courtship and marriage, the birth of a son, isolation, forgiveness, work, and death in a small Catskill community in the 1950s. The plot turns on tragic events — they might be accidents or they might be acts of will — involving a cast of rural eccentrics that includes a lonely amputee veteran, a religious hysteric (thought by some to be the devil himself) and an itinerant "Goat Lady." Questions of guilt, innocence, and even murder are eclipsed by deeds of compassion, humility, and redemption, and ultimately by Henry Soames' quiet discovery of grace. Novelist William H. Gass, a friend and colleague of the author, has written an introduction that shines new light on the work and career of the much praised but often misunderstood John Gardner

The setting is a farm on Prospect Mountain in Vermont. The central characters are an old man and an old woman, brother and sister, living together in profound conflict

Gardner’s relentlessly honest and moving portrayal of a broken marriage, and his ambitious unfinished masterpiece — a metafictional mystery centering around one man’s struggle to recover his lost identity — together in one accomplished volume Stillness: Martin and Joan Orrick — distant cousins who have known each other since early childhood — are in the final throes of a failing marriage. Martin is a compulsive drinker who obsesses about his writing, and Joan is struggling with a debilitating physical condition. Together they search for some type of collective identity, and identify where the dissolution of their love began. Inspired by therapy sessions Gardner experienced with his first wife, Stillness is an insightful portrait of one couple’s struggle for fulfillment in a tumultuous world. Private detective Gerald Craine is pursuing an unknown murderer. At the same time, he himself is the target of an unknown person’s pursuit. Stumbling through an alcohol-soaked haze, Craine desperately seeks meaning and understanding in a world fraught with fragmented narratives. Shadows: John Gardner’s friend Nicholas Delbanco has supplemented this unfinished novel with seven sections from Gardner’s original manuscript that provide critical insight into Gardner’s approach to developing the novel and its characters, giving a rare glimpse inside the creative process of one of the twentieth century’s most inventive writers. This ebook features a new illustrated biography of John Gardner, including original letters, rare photos, and never-before-seen documents from the Gardner family and the University of Rochester Archives

The first collection in seven years from one of America's most celebrated and admired writers-ten wonderful short (and long) stories that allow us to explore and enjoy once again the many facets of John Gardner's unique fictional world. Here are enchanting tales about queens and kings and princesses in magical, timeless lands; marvelously warm and funny stories that move, amuse, and enlighten us as they probe the mysterious and profound relation between art and life

An iconic collection that showcases Gardner as a master craftsman navigating an uncertain world. In this exceptional book, author John Gardner explores the literary form as a vehicle of vision, and creates heroes that personify his tremendous artistic ideals: A Boston schoolmaster abandons his dreams of owning a farmhouse in rural Illinois only to be taken on a voyage across the seas and into self-discovery, faith, and love; an artist’s rapturous enthusiasm inspires an aging university professor to approach life’s chaotic moments as opportunities for creation. Each of these stories is wonderful in its own right, and provides valuable insight into the author’s literary beliefs. Written just prior to his critical masterwork, On Moral Fiction, The King’s Indian is a must-read for those interested in learning more about Gardner’s highly controversial artistic philosophies. This ebook features a new illustrated biography of John Gardner, including original letters, rare photos, and never-before-seen documents from the Gardner family and the University of Rochester Archives

John Gardner’s sweeping portrait of the collision of opposing philosophical perspectives in 1960s America, centering on the appearance of a mysterious stranger in a small upstate New York town. One summer day, a countercultural drifter known only as the Sunlight Man appears in Batavia, New York. Jailed for painting the word “LOVE” across two lanes of traffic, the Sunlight Man encounters Fred Clumly, a sixty-four-year-old town sheriff. Throughout the course of this impressive narrative, the dialogue between these two men becomes a microcosm of the social unrest that epitomized America during this significant historical period — and culminates in an unforgettable ending. Beautifully expansive and imbued with exceptional social insight, The Sunlight Dialogues is John Gardner’s most ambitious work andestablished him as one of the most important fiction writers in post — World War II America

Laid to waste by drink, Agathon, a seer, is a shell of a man. He sits imprisoned with his apprentice, Peeker, for his presumed involvement in a rebellion against the Spartan tyrant Lykourgos. Confined to a cell, the men produce extraordinary writings that illustrate the stories of their lives and give witness to Agathon’s deterioration and the growth of Peeker from a bashful young apprentice to a self-assured and passionate seer. Captivating and imaginative, The Wreckage of Agathon is a tribute to author John Gardner’s passion for ancient storytelling and those universal themes that span the course of all human civilization

В сборник вошли повести и рассказы известных зарубежных писателей прошлого и настоящего: Т. Готье, К. Чапека, А. Стриндберга, Б. Шоу, С. Моэма, Дж. Болдуина, Э. Мёрике, Дж. Пристли, Дж. Апдайка и др

Будучи профессиональным исследователем средневековой английской литературы, Гарднер с особенным интересом относился к шедевру англо-саксонской поэзии VIII века, поэме «Беовульф». Роман «Грендель» создан на литературном материале этой поэмы. Автор использует часть сюжета «Беовульфа», излагая события с точки зрения чудовища Гренделя. Хотя внешне Грендель имеет некоторое сходство с человеком, он — не человек. С людьми его роднит внутренний мир личности, речь и стремление с самореализации. В этом смысле его можно рассматривать как некий мифический образ, в котором олицетворяются и материализуются нравственные и духовные проблемы, существенные для каждой человеческой личности

Опубликовано в журнале «Иностранная литература» № 7, 1976 ...Рассказ «Джон Нэппер плывет по вселенной» взят из сборника «Староиндийская защита» («The King's Indian», 1974)

Книга Джона Гарднера представляет собой серьезное документированное и одновременно увлекательное жизнеописание английского средневекового поэта Джеффри Чосера. Из нее мы узнаем, в чем поэт был традиционен, отдавая дань господствующим этическим, религиозным, философским воззрениям, в чем проявлял самобытность и оригинальность, что сделало его гениальным художником слова. Мир средневековой Англии, в которой жил Чосер, ее люди, культура, традиции и нравы предстают удивительно ярко и ощутимо. Рекомендуется широкому кругу читателей

В основу данного сборника легла книга «Искусство жить» и другие рассказы» (1981). События иных историй этой книги вполне реальны, других - фантастичны, есть здесь и просто сказки; но их объединяет в единое целое очень важная для Гарднера мысль - о взаимной связи искусства и жизни, о великом предназначении Искусства

Два знаменитых романа одного из самых ярких представителей современной литературы США Дж. Ч. Гарднера (1933–1982), погибшего в автокатастрофе. На уникальном материале автор строит занимательные сюжеты, пронизанные размышлениями о человеке и его предназначении. Действие романа «Крушение Агатона» происходит в Древней Спарте, обретающей могущество под властью Ликурга. В «Гренделе» изложен сюжетный эпизод из «Беовульфа», англосаксонской эпической поэмы VIII века, с точки зрения ужасного чудовища Гренделя. В обоих произведениях, ВПЕРВЫЕ переведенных на русский язык, затрагиваются коренные проблемы человеческого бытия

Проза Джона Гарднера — значительное и своеобразное явление современной американской литературы. Актуальная по своей проблематике, она отличается философской глубиной, тонким психологизмом, остротой социального видения; ей присущи аллегория и гротеск. В сборник, впервые широко представляющий творчество писателя на русском языке, входят произведения разных жанров, созданные в последние годы. Послесловие Г. Злобина

Роман крупнейшего американского прозаика отмечен высоким художественным мастерством. Сталкивая в едином повествовании две совершенно различные истории – будничную, житейскую и уголовно-сенсационную, писатель показывает глубокую противоречивость социально-психологического и нравственного климата сегодняшней Америки и ставит важные вопросы жизни, искусства, этики

Современная американская новелла. 70—80-е годы: Сборник. Пер. с англ. / Составл. и предисл. А. Зверева. — М.: Радуга, 1989. — 560 с. Наряду с писателями, широко известными в нашей стране (Дж. Апдайк, Дж. Гарднер, У. Стайрон, У. Сароян и другие), в сборнике представлены молодые прозаики, заявившие о себе в последние десятилетия (Г. О’Брайен, Дж. Маккласки, Д. Сантьяго, Э. Битти, Э. Уокер и другие). Особое внимание уделено творчеству писателей, представляющих литературу национальных меньшинств страны. Затрагивая наиболее примечательные явления американской жизни 1970—80-х годов, для которой характерен острый кризис буржуазных ценностей и идеалов, новеллы сборника примечательны стремлением их авторов к точности социального анализа