His lively and very personal letters address an astonishing range of topics, from a deeply moving account of his uncle’s death in the eruption that engulfed Pompeii, to observations on the early Christians – ‘a desperate sort of cult carried to extravagant lengths’ – from descriptions of everyday life in Rome, with its scandals and court cases, to Pliny’s life in the country. Betty Radice’s definitive edition was the forst complete modern translation of Pliny’s letters. In her introduction she examines the shrewd, tolerant and occasionally pompous man who emerges from these letters.

Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus (c. 61-113), better known as Pliny the Younger, and nephew of Pliny the Elder, was born in Como, Italy. Beginning his career at the bar when he was eighteen, Pliny managed to emerge unscathed from Domitian’s ‘reign of terror’, even being appointed an official at the treasury.

In 103 he was awarded a priesthood in recognition of his distinguished public service, and was prominent in several major prosecutions. His nine books of personal letters were selected by Pliny himself and published during his lifetime, while his official correspondence with Trajan was published as a tenth book after his death and contains a celebrated exchange of letters on the early Christians. If you enjoyed The Letters of the Younger Pliny, you might like Tacitus’ The Annals of Imperial Rome, also available in Penguin Classics.

Pochi lettori hanno effettivamente letto il classico dei classici, il Kojiki, noto a tutti i giapponesi. Questa edizione definitiva di questo capolavoro, noto per la sua superba traduzione e amato come la traduzione moderna più facilmente comprensibile, è stata resa ancora più facile da leggere in formato tascabile.

Written in a clear, unsentimental style, full of brusque humour, and wisdom, The Summer Book is a profoundly life-affirming story. Tove Jansson captured much of her own life and spirit in the book, which was her favourite of her adult novels. With a foreword by Esther Freud and an afterword by Sophia Jansson (on whom the child ‘Sophia’ is based) who returns to the island during the pandemic at the point of becoming a grandmother herself.

Includes a 15pp epilogue by Tove’s niece Sophia Jansson – the inspiration for ‘Sophia’ – on a personal and moving return to the island.

While the rest of the country is joining the new HappinessTM cult, Edwin (the wiry, grey-suited, low-level editor at US publisher Panderic Press) is in trouble. A cartel of drug, alcohol, tobacco and drug-rehab bosses have a contract out on him. It’s all the fault of the mysterious Tupac Soiree, and his book What I Learned on the Mountain.

But who is Tupac? And how can Edwin stop the world from succumbing to this plague of HappinessTM?Will Ferguson has created a comic masterpiece, a brutal satire of modern times.

• Mouvement littéraire : Les Lumières et l’Europe
• Genre et registre : Littérature de combat, le conte clandestin
• L’écrivain à sa table de travail : La fabrique du conte
• Groupement de textes : Le mal sans système
• Chronologie : Voltaire et son temps
• Fiche : Des pistes pour rendre compte de sa sa lecture

Recommandé pour les classes de lycée.

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