William Golding

'Visionary.' Bettany Hughes'Tremendous.' Ben Okri'Luminous.' Rose TremainEven when he leapt from the parapet he talked. Ancient Egypt. The Prince is set to marry Pretty Flower, his sister, in the Great House's incestuous society. But the Liar speaks a truth that transforms everything . A primitive matriarchal society. While mothers raise children in the bucolic Place of Women, Chimp is tormented by the Leopard Men in their brutal hunts, until he gains new wisdom . Imperial Rome. In an era of invention and exploration, the emperor realises he loves his illegitimate grandson more than his own loutish heir .

'Marvellous.' A. S. Byatt'Astonishing.' John Gray'Luminous.' Rose TremainI could take whichever I would of these paths. Sammy Mountjoy is an artist who has risen from poverty to see his pictures hung in the Tate Gallery. Swept into World War II, he is captured as a German prisoner of war, threatened with torture and locked in a cell of total darkness. He emerges transfigured by his ordeal, realising how his choices have made him the author of his life, interrogating religion and rationality, early loves and formative beliefs - and questioning freedom itself.

Introduced by Helen Castor, lose yourself in an epic naval journey in the second novel in the Booker Prize-winning historical fiction Sea Trilogy by the author of Lord of the Flies. This tropical nowhere was the whole world - the whole imaginable world. A decrepit warship is becalmed halfway to Australia, stilled in an ocean wilderness of heat and sea mists. In this surreal, fête-like atmosphere, a ball is held with a passing ship: the passengers dance and flirt, while beneath them seaweed like green hair spreads omniously over the hull. Half-mad with fear, drink, love and opium, both vessel and passengers feel themselves going to pieces: and the very planks seem to twist themselves alive as the ship comes apart at the seams . . . 'Fantastic ... Gems tumble off the pages ... A strong sense of drama ... Much of the pleasure of reading his work is his original imagery.' Annie Proulx'No living writer has represented the fragility of man's experience so marvellously as Golding.' AS Byatt'It is in Golding's magnificent, therapeutic, terrifying descriptions of seascapes that the deepest meanings can be found.' Kate Mosse'Stunning . . . As exciting as any thriller.' Sunday Times'A feat of imaginative reconstruction, as vivid as a dream.' Daily Mail'Tells an utterly absorbing tale, in language of immense force and subtlety.' Financial TimesTo The Ends of the Earth: A Sea Trilogy - Book Two

Introduced by Annie Proulx, lose yourself in an epic naval journey in this Booker Prize-winning historical novel: the first in the acclaimed Sea Trilogy by the author of Lord of the Flies. I grow a little crazy, I think, like all men at sea who live too close to each other and too close thereby to all that is monstrous under the sun and moon . . . Edmund Talbot is sailing to Australia in the early nineteenth century. In his journal, he records mounting tensions aboard the ancient, stinking warship, as officers, sailors, soldiers and emigrants jostle in the cramped darkness below decks. But when something happens to Reverend Colley that brings him into a 'hell of self-degradation', it seems that shame is a force deadlier than the sea itself . . .'It is the emotional veracity of life at sea that powers Golding's exceptional writing ... The fury, mystery and challenge.' Kate Mosse 'Golding writes the past as present [with] uncanny skill and tremendous intuition.' Ben Okri'A master at the full stretch of his age and wisdom - necessary, provoking, urgent, rich, complex and rare.' The Times'Golding's best and most accessible story since Lord of the Flies.' Melvyn Bragg'An extraordinary novel.' Observer'A truly noble achievement'. Patrick O'BrienTo The Ends of the Earth: A Sea Trilogy - Book One

Introduced by Kate Mosse, lose yourself in an epic naval journey in the final novel in the Booker Prize-winning historical fiction Sea Trilogy by the author of Lord of the Flies. I think there has been death in my hands. On the last stretch of its epic voyage from England to Australia, a disintegrating warship inches towards land. But there are still trials ahead, as the vessel is smashed against an ice cliff and blasted by a great storm, while the claustrophobic passengers battle erotic desires, masculine rivalry and violent power struggles - all experiencing a sea change in their natures. And when an unseen fire begins to smoulder below decks, the other side of the world has never seemed further away ...'Fantastic ... Gems tumble off the pages ... A strong sense of drama ... Much of the pleasure of reading his work is his original imagery.' Annie Proulx 'A truly noble achievement'. Patrick O'Brien'The best novel I've read this year ... The language fizzes and spits.' Daily Telegraph'Reeks and resounds with authenticity ... The epic imaginative enterprise [is] as formidable a feat as the year-long odyssey it charts.' Sunday Times'Golding writes the past as present [with] uncanny skill and tremendous intuition.' Ben OkriTo The Ends of the Earth: A Sea Trilogy - Book Three

Meet the Oracle of Delphi in ancient Greece in this transporting tale of the classical world by the radical Nobel Laureate and author of Lord of the Flies, introduced by Bettany Hughes. Did I believe in what I was doing? Or rather, since I was doing nothing, did I believe in what someone, something was doing to me? It begins with the half-burnt fish, miraculously restored to life, and the healing of the ill child. Young Arieka is an unloved misfit, but as rumours of her spiritual powers reach the High Priest of Apollo, her life is transformed. She is taken to Delphi to become a Pythia: a mouthpiece for the god Apollo, an oracle uttering riddling prophecies from a smoky cave to frenzied crowds. But when this role is dramatically thrust upon her, the priestess must navigate political conspiracy and the threat of the Romans to preserve her belief - and sanity.'A remarkable work ... A compelling storyteller as well as a clear-eyed philosopher of the dangerous puzzles of being human.' The Timesx'A marvellously apt surprise ... Will excite, tantalize and enthral Golding devotees.' Sunday Times'Most brilliantly and hair-raisingly evoked.' Sunday Telegraph'A wonderful central character. The story stretches out as clean and dry and clear as the beach in Lord of the Flies.' Independent

The destinies of three mysterious lost children entwine in this James Tait Black Memorial Prize-winning fable by the radical Nobel Laureate and author of Lord of the Flies, introduced by Nicola Barker. A figure had condensed out of the shuddering backdrop of the glare. He is born in fire: a naked child in the blood-red flames of London's Blitz. Miraculously saved but grotesquely burned, this mysterious orphan is named Matty. Doomed to a life of torment, he becomes a wanderer, a spiritual seeker after unknown redemption. They are also lost children: neglected twins, as exquisitely beautiful as they are loveless and sinful. Toni explores political terrorism; Sophy, sexual dominance and violent criminality. But their destinies will soon collide in an apocalyptic climax - one that illuminates the inner and outer darkness of modern humanity. 'Exceptional ... Irresistibly transcendent ... Golding seduces us, transfixes, bewitches and confounds us.' Nicola Barker'The most powerful, and strangest, of all Golding's novels, and one of the great masterpieces of the twentieth-century.' Philip Hensher'A master craftsman in [his] magic ... Golding's best book ... Wonderfully creepy.' London Review of Books'A vision of elemental reality so vivid we seem to hallucinate the scenes ... Magic.' NYTBR'One of the most moving books I've ever read.' The Times

Don't miss the world's first graphic novel of William Golding's beloved classic. Lord of the Flies: The Graphic Novel is available for pre-order nowThe dystopian classic, introduced by Stephen King. When a group of schoolboys are stranded on a desert island, what could go wrong? ONE OF THE BBC'S '100 NOVELS THAT SHAPED OUR WORLD''The first book with hands - strong ones that reached out of the pages and seized me by the throat. It said to me, 'This is not just entertainment; it's life or death.' ... I've been thinking about it ever since, for fifty years and more.' Stephen King'One of my favorite books - I read it every couple of years.' Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger GamesINTRODUCED BY STEPHEN KING'There aren't any grown-ups anywhere.'A plane crashes on a desert island. The only survivors are a group of schoolboys. By day, they explore the dazzling beaches, gorging fruit, seeking shelter, and ripping off their uniforms to swim in the lagoon. At night, in the darkness of the jungle, they are haunted by nightmares of a primitive beast. Orphaned by society, they must forge their own; but it isn't long before their innocent games devolve into something far more dangerous . . .'Thrills me with all the power a fiction can have ... Exemplary.' Ian McEwan'An existential fable backlit with death's incandescent glare.' Ben Okri'Violently real ... An apocalyptic novelist [who writes with] humanist rage and defiance.' Marlon James'Beautifully written, tragic and provocative.' E. M. Forster'A fragment of nightmare.' New Statesman'A post-apocalyptic, dystopian survivor-fantasy ... [A novel] for all time ... A cult classic.' Guardian'Stands out mightily in my memory ... Such a strong statement about the human heart.' Patricia Cornwell'Terrifying and haunting.' Kingsley AmisWhat readers are saying:'Every real human being should read this ... This is what we are.''It's brilliant, it's captivating, it's thought provoking and brutal and for some, its truly terrifying.''It can be read and re-read many times, and every time something new will appear.''There is a reason why this is studied at school ... Excellent read.''This is one of the few books I've read that I keep on my Kindle to read again.''I revisit this every few years and it's always fresh and impressive ... One of the best books I've ever read.'

Hunt, trek, and feast among Neanderthals in this stunning novel by the radical Nobel Laureate and author of Lord of the Flies, introduced by Ben Okri. This was a different voice; not the voice of the people. It was the voice of other. When spring comes, the people leave their winter cave, foraging for honey, grubs, and the hot richness of a deer's brain. They awaken the fire to heat their naked bodies, lay down their thorn bushes, and share pictures in their minds. But strange things are happening: inexplicable scents and sounds. Imaginable beasts are half-glimpsed in the forest; upright creatures of bone-faces and deerskins. What the people do not know is that their day is already over ...'Extraordinary ... Genius ... Remarkable in the literature of the twentieth century.' Ben Okri'A stun gun to read ... Truly a masterpiece.' Monique Roffey'An earthquake in the petrified forests of the English novel.' Arthur Koestler'An astonishing, underrated novel.' Robert MacFarlane'Beautiful, powerful ... A visionary dream . Shakespearean.' Ted Hughes'A master fabulist, and a brilliantly creative interpreter of remote history ... An iconoclast.' John Fowles'A tour de force ... Genius.' Daily Telegraph'Alarming, eye-opening, desolating, mind-invading and unique.' New Statesman'I admire Golding pushing beyond his own experiences to explore ancient worlds and altered states of consciousness.' Rose Tremain

Succumb to a churchman's apocalyptic vision in this prophetic tale by the radical Nobel Laureate and author of Lord of the Flies, introduced by Benjamin Myers (narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch as an audiobook). There were three sorts of people. Those who ran, those who stayed, and those who were built in. Dean Jocelin has a vision: that God has chosen him to erect a great spire. His master builder fearfully advises against it, for the old cathedral was miraculously built without foundations. But Jocelin is obsessed with fashioning his prayer in stone. As his halo of hair grows wilder and his dark angel darker, the spire rises octagon upon octagon, pinnacle by pinnacle, watched over by the gargoyles - until the stone pillars shriek, the earth beneath creeps, and the spire's shadow falls like an axe on the medieval world below ...'Astounding ... So recklessly beautiful, so sad and so strange ... Holds such a place in my soul that it's more or less a sacred text.' Sarah Perry'A kind of miracle ... Genius.' Guardian'A visionary ... Golding at his best.' Benjamin Myers'Quite simply, a marvel.' NYRB'A superb tragedy ... A classic.' Rebecca West'A master fabulist .. An iconoclast.' John Fowles

Strannaja, strashnaja i beskonechno pritjagatelnaja kniga. Istorija blagovospitannykh malchikov, vnezapno okazavshikhsja na neobitaemom ostrove. Filosofskaja pritcha o tom, chto mozhet proizojti s ljudmi, zabyvshimi o ljubvi i miloserdii. Grotesknaja antiutopija, roman-preduprezhdenie i, konechno, napominanie o khrupkosti mira, v kotorom zhivem my vse. Perevodchik: Surits Elena

Lejtenant poterpevshego krushenie torpedonostsa po imeni Kristofer Martin prilagaet titanicheskie usilija, chtoby vzobratsja na nepristupnyj utes, i zatem - vyzhit na golom klochke sushi. V ego soznanii vsplyvajut stseny iz raznykh periodov zhizni, zhalkoj, podlenkoj, - zhizni, kotoroj bolshe podoshlo by slovo "vyzhivanie". Golding govoril, chto ego roman - pritcha o cheloveke, kotoryj lishilsja snachala vsego, k chemu tak stremilsja, a potom "aktom svobodnoj voli prinjal vyzov svoego Boga" i vstupil s nim v sopernichestvo. "Takov obychnyj chelovek: muchimyj i muchajuschij drugikh, veduschij v odinochku muzhestvennuju bitvu protiv Boga".

William Golding's unforgettable classic of boyhood adventure and the savagery of humanity comes to Penguin Classics in a stunning Graphic Deluxe Edition with a new foreword by Lois Lowry As provocative today as when it was first published in 1954, Lord of the Flies continues to ignite passionate debate with its startling, brutal portrait of human nature. William Golding's compelling story about a group of very ordinary boys marooned on a coral island has been labeled a parable, an allegory, a myth, a morality tale, a parody, a political treatise, and even a vision of the apocalypse. But above all, it has earned its place as one of the indisputable classics of the twentieth century for readers of any age. This Penguin Classics Graphic Deluxe Edition features an array of special features to supplement the novel, including a foreword by Lois Lowry, an introduction by Stephen King, an essay by E. M. Forster, an essay on teaching and reading the novel and suggestions for further exploration by scholar Jennifer Buehler, and an extended note by E. L. Epstein, the publisher of the first American paperback edition of Lord of the Flies. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Christopher Martin, the sole survivor of a torpedoed destroyer, is stranded upon a rock in the middle of the Atlantic. Pitted against him are the sea, the sun, the night cold and the terror of his isolation. To drink there is a pool of rain water; to eat there are weeds and sea anemones. Through the long hours with only himself to talk to, Martin must try to assemble the truth of his fate, piece by terrible piece. While most readers are aware of William Golding as the writer of Lord of the Flies, it is Pincher Martin, his third novel, that speaks most directly to contemporary readers. This shocking, unusual bullet of a book is the definitive survival novel and has an ending that is guaranteed to leave you reeling.

The Inheritors is a novel written by William Golding, the author of Lord of the Flies. The book tells the story of a group of Neanderthals who encounter a tribe of Homo sapiens. The Neanderthals, who are portrayed as simple and peaceful beings, struggle to understand the violent and complex nature of the Homo sapiens. The story is told from the perspective of Lok, a Neanderthal who becomes the unlikely leader of his tribe. As the two groups interact, tensions rise and violence ensues, ultimately leading to the demise of the Neanderthals. The Inheritors explores themes of human evolution, the nature of violence, and the consequences of cultural clashes. Golding's writing style is poetic and evocative, creating a vivid and immersive world that transports readers to a time long ago. The Inheritors is a thought-provoking and haunting novel that challenges readers to consider the darker aspects of human nature. This is a new release of the original 1955 edition. This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

From A to Z, the Penguin Drop Caps series collects 26 unique hardcovers--featuring cover art by Jessica Hische It all begins with a letter. Fall in love with Penguin Drop Caps, a new series of twenty-six collectible and hardcover editions, each with a type cover showcasing a gorgeously illustrated letter of the alphabet. In a design collaboration between Jessica Hische and Penguin Art Director Paul Buckley, the series features unique cover art by Hische, a superstar in the world of type design and illustration, whose work has appeared everywhere from Tiffany & Co. to Wes Anderson's recent film Moonrise Kingdom to Penguin's own bestsellers Committed and Rules of Civility. With exclusive designs that have never before appeared on Hische's hugely popular Daily Drop Cap blog, the Penguin Drop Caps series launches with six perennial favorites to give as elegant gifts, or to showcase on your own shelves. G is for Golding. At the dawn of the next world war, a plane crashes on an uncharted island, stranding a group of schoolboys. At first, with no adult supervision, their freedom is something to celebrate; this far from civilization the boys can do anything they want. Anything. They attempt to forge their own society, failing, however, in the face of terror, sin and evil. And as order collapses, as strange howls echo in the night, as terror begins its reign, the hope of adventure seems as far from reality as the hope of being rescued. Labeled a parable, an allegory, a myth, a morality tale, a parody, a political treatise, even a vision of the apocalypse, Lord of the Flies is perhaps our most memorable tale about "the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart."

William Golding's final novel, left in draft at his death, tells the story of a priestess of Apollo. Arieka is one of the last to prophesy at Delphi, in the shadowy years when the Romans were securing their grip on the tribes and cities of Greece. The plain, unloved daughter of a local grandee, she is rescued from the contempt and neglect of her family by her Delphic role. Her ambiguous attitude to the god and her belief in him seem to move in parallel with the decline of the god himself - but things are more complicated than they appear.