Reading Groups

Nikolai Leskov – Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and other stories. Highly regarded by Tolstoy and Chekhov, but often unaccountably overlooked amongst the great Russian writers of the Nineteenth Century, Leskov was the master of the long story. Usually based upon real events transformed through a distinctive authorial viewpoint, his tales are remarkable for their impressive balance of realistic observation and high style. This collection presents five of his best, including the title story which inspired Shostakovich’s notorious opera.

 

Melissa Harrison – Clay

Melissa Harrison is one of the most exciting new voices in British fiction. Clay, her debut novel, is a powerful and affecting story which owes as much to  nature writing as to literary traditions of town and country. Lyrical ,precise and ultimately deeply moving.