Alasdair Gray

A collection of some of Alasdair Gray's greatest works, this book includes samples of his long and short plays for stage, radio and television (acted between 1956 and 2009); an unperformed opera libretto; excerpts from the Lanark storyboard; and full film script of the novel Poor Things. With a range of Gray's dramatic works, this book is a great introduction to the portfolio of one of Scotland's most talented writers.

Anotatsija "Bidolashni stvorinnja", Alasder GrejArchibald Maksvichnem rozpovidaje istoriju svogo rannogo zhittja, koli vin buv bidnim studentom-medikom. V instituti junak znajomitsja z genialnim j nadzvichajno divnim vchenim Bogvinom Baksterom. Archibald vidchajdushno khoche diznatisja sekreti nastavnika, adzhe pidozrjuje, scho togo reanimuvali abo stvorili tak samo jak Frankenshtejna. Odnogo razu vchenij zaproshuje studenta do sebe dodomu, de toj zustrichaje Bellu, divnu j privablivu zhinku. Junak odrazu zakokhujetsja v neji, popri nezvichnu istoriju jiji pojavi na tsej svit. Nastupnogo razu voni zustrichajutsja cherez bagato misjatsiv, adzhe Bella bula u navkolosvitnij podorozhi zi svojim tvortsem. Vona doslidzhuvala tsej svit u vsikh jogo aspektakh, vkljuchajuchi j seks i stosunki z cholovikami j zhinkami. Archibald nazhakhanij, ale vse odno khoche buti iz zhinkoju. Prote z neju ne vse tak legko, jak mozhe zdatisja.Pro knigu "Bidolashni stvorinnja"Na Bellu chekajut vidkrittja prijemnikh i zhakhlivikh rechej tsogo svitu. Krim nasolod, vona diznajetsja pro bidnist i nerivnist. Tse vplivaje na formuvannja jiji svidomosti, j vona znakhodit svij shljakh, popri sprobi cholovikiv, scho jiji otochujut, virostiti z neji zruchnu suputnitsju chi vikoristati jiji zaradi svojikh tsilej. Ale j na chitachiv chekaje vidkrittja, adzhe, jakscho podivitisja na istoriju z inshoji storoni, vse nabuvaje zovsim inshogo znachennja.Fantasmagorichnij roman "Bidolashni stvorinnja" shotlandskogo pismennika j khudozhnika Alasdera Greja mav najbilshij komertsijnij uspikh sered robit mittsja. U tsej postmodernistskij perekaz gotichnogo romanu zhakhiv "Frankenshtejn" Meri Shelli avtor dodaje chornij gumor i grotesk, jakij vikoristovujetsja jak bukvalno, tak i simvolichno dlja kritiki sotsialnikh norm. Grej navmisno imituje viktoriansku prozu, dodajuchi satiri do neji. Jak khudozhnik, vin dopovnjuje rozpovid vlasnimi iljustratsijami, stvorjujuchi ob'jemnu istoriju. Dizajn obkladinki zberigaje originalne zobrazhennja avtora.Roman pronizanij politichnimi narativami, zokrema schodo feminizmu, sotsializmu, imperializmu ta klasovoji nerivnosti, sponukajuchi do rozdumiv pro bazhannja cholovikiv i nezalezhnist zhinok, rujnivni suspilni ustroji ta ideologiji. Avtor rozmirkovuje pro prirodu identichnosti, sub'jektivnist realnosti ta silu formuvannja rozuminnja svitu, sebe ta ljudej. Takozh u knizi rozgljadajutsja pitannja seksualnosti j podvijnikh standartiv, jaki zastosovujutsja do cholovikiv i zhinok, temi etichnosti u nautsi ta meditsini. Roman zatsikavit fanativ odnojmennogo filmu 2023 roku j shanuvalnikiv bagatosharovoji, satirichnoji, provokativnoji postmodernoji khudozhnoji literaturi. Perekladach Olena Oksenich

NOW THE OSCAR-WINNING MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING EMMA STONE, RAMY YOUSSEF, MARK RUFFALO, AND WILLEM DAFOE, DIRECTED BY YORGOS LANTHIMOS."Witty and delightfully written" (New York Times Book Review), Alasdair Gray's Poor Things echoes Mary Shelley's Frankenstein in this novel of a young woman freeing herself from the confines of the suffocating Victorian society she was created to serve. Winner of the Whitbread Award and the Guardian Fiction PrizeIn the 1880s in Glasgow, Scotland, medical student Archibald McCandless finds himself enchanted with the intriguing creature known as Bella Baxter. Supposedly the product of the fiendish scientist Godwin Baxter, Bella was resurrected for the sole purpose of fulfilling the whims of her benefactor. As his desire turns to obsession, Archibald's motives to free Bella are revealed to be as selfish as Godwin's, who claims her body and soul.But Bella has her own passions to pursue. Passions that take her to aristocratic casinos, low-life Alexandria, and a Parisian bordello, reaching an interrupted climax in a Scottish church. Exploring her station as a woman in the shadow of the patriarchy, Bella knows it is up to her to free herself--and to decide what meaning, if any, true love has in her life."Gray has the look of a latter-day William Blake, with his extravagant myth-making, his strong social conscience, his liberating vision of sexuality and his flashes of righteous indignation tempered with scathing wit and sly self-mockery." --Los Angeles Times Book Review "This work of inspired lunacy effectively skewers class snobbery, British imperialism, prudishness and the tenets of received wisdom."--Publishers Weekly

WINNER OF FOUR ACADEMY AWARDS, FIVE BAFTAS, and TWO GOLDEN GLOBES. STARRING EMMA STONE, FROM THE DIRECTOR OF THE FAVOURITEWinner of the Whitbread Novel Award and the Guardian Fiction PrizeA life without freedom to choose is not worth having.Godwin Baxter's scientific ambition to create the perfect companion is realised when he finds the drowned body of the beautiful Bella, who he brings back to life in a Frankenstein-esque feat. But his dream is thwarted by Dr. Archibald McCandless's jealous love for his creation . . .But what does Bella think?This story of true love and scientific daring whirls the reader from the private operating-theatres of late-Victorian Glasgow through aristocratic casinos, low-life Alexandria and a Parisian bordello, reaching an interrupted climax in a Scottish church.________________________'A magnificently brisk, funny, dirty, brainy book' London Review of Books'Visionary, ornate and outrageous' The Independent'Witty and delightfully written' New York Times'A brilliant marriage of technique, intelligence, and art.' Kirkus Reviews'The greatest Scottish novelist since Sir Walter Scott' Anthony Burgess'Those who, like me, are unsure if they are Alasdair Gray fans or not, ought to fall on Poor Things with delight, and not just because of the almost excessive beauty of its appearance' Philip Hensher, Spectator

Gertsog Griffin, vovsju naslazhdavshijsja svoej reputatsiej legkomyslennogo povesy, chto nazyvaetsja, doigralsja - ten etoj skandalnoj slavy pala na ego mladshikh sester-bliznjashek, i teper bednjazhkam ne sdelat khoroshej partii, esli dlja nikh srochno ne podobrat ne prosto respektabelnuju, a bezuprechnuju kompanonku... kak raz takuju, kak Esmeralda Svift.Odnako krasota Esmeraldy nemedlenno probuzhdaet v neispravimom Griffine okhotnichij azart soblaznitelja, i on nachinaet osadu etoj nepristupnoj kreposti. Nepristupnoj - potomu chto bednaja, no gordaja i reshitelnaja devushka pokljalas nikogda ne darit svoe serdtse muzhchine, kotoryj ne poljubit ee vsej dushoj...

"Lanark" - eto odna iz glavnykh britanskikh knig XX veka, debjutnyj roman, pisavshijsja bolshe 30 let i javivshij miru novogo mastera pervoj velichiny. "Lanark" - eto odnovremenno roman vospitanija i avantjurnaja khronika, misticheskaja fantasmagorija i kniga o pervoj ljubvi; nechto podobnoe moglo by poluchitsja u Dzhojsa, Kafki i Edgara Po, esli by oni seli vtroem pisat dlja Uolta Disneja stsenarij "Pinokkio" - v Glazgo, vooruzhivshis jaschikom shotlandskogo viski. Zdes nedouchka-student poluchaet zakaz na rospis sobora, ljudi v zagrobnom mire pokryvajutsja krokodilej kozhej, a pravitelstvennye chinovniki sdajut ekzamen na medlennoe ubijstvo nadezhdy."Lanark" porazil menja do samykh pechenok. Na moj vzgljad, eto luchshij shotlandskij roman XX veka" (Ien Benks). Pjat prichin kupit 1 "Lanark. Zhizn v chetyrekh knigakh" - vydajuscheesja proizvedenie shotlandskoj literatury, schitajuscheesja odnoj iz samykh vazhnykh knig XX veka. 2 Kompleksnost. Eto slozhnaja i mnogoslojnaja kniga, sochetajuschaja v sebe elementy sjurrealizma, nauchnoj fantastiki i sotsialnogo kommentarija na temu ustrojstva sovremennogo nam obschestva. 3 V knige mnogo zapominajuschikhsja personazhej. Naprimer, sam Lanark - problemnyj khudozhnik, izo vsekh sil pytajuschijsja najti svoe mesto v obschestve, kotoroe kazhetsja emu vse bolee i bolee otchuzhdennym. 4 Roman polon jarkikh i detalnykh opisanij shotlandskogo goroda Glazgo, kotoryj sluzhit simvolicheskim fonom dlja borby personazhej s okruzhajuschej dejstvitelnostju i samimi soboj. 5 Proizvedenie Greja Alasdara soderzhit shirokij spektr literaturnykh i kulturnykh otsylok, chto, nesomnenno, pridetsja po vkusu vsem, kto ljubit intertekstualnost i alljuzii.Perevodchik: Brilova Ljudmila, Sukharev Sergej

Tridtsat let - vozrast, kogda dazhe zapisnomu povese nastaet vremja pozabyt burnye zabavy junosti i nachat vosstanavlivat pogublennuju reputatsiju. Odnako sposob, kotoryj tetushka predlagaet gertsogu Ratbernu, - vzjat pod opeku sirotku Marlenu Fast i najti ej podkhodjaschego muzha, - eto uzhe kak-to chereschur dazhe dlja nego. Sirotka? Chertenok ona, a ne sirotka! Nepokornaja, derzkaja devchonka budto zadalas tselju dovesti bednjagu Ratberna do belogo kalenija. I, chto samoe interesnoe, chem silnee gertsog zlitsja na junuju buntarku, tem javstvennee probuzhdajutsja v ego dushe chuvstva, kuda bolee pylkie, chem polozheno strogomu opekunu...

In this masterful retelling of one of the greatest works of world literature, Alasdair Gray - in his last work - offers an original translation in prosaic English rhyme. Lyrical and modern, this complete edition brings all three parts of Dante's epic journey through Hell and Purgatory and on to Paradise together in a single volume for the first time.

It is the Swinging Sixties and Kelvin Walker has moved from Scotland to London to make his fortune. Through his wanton ambition, a megalomania surfaces that is unrelieved by his insensitive attempts at friendship and romance. Yet is he all bad, or are the true villains the establishment figures who he tricks and deceives? And, ultimately, does it matter?Gray's twist on the follies of religion, the media and the imperial British centre is as relevant now as ever.

Mungo McGrotty's career in Whitehall is going nowhere. But when he finds the mysterious (and deadly) Harbinger Report, he realises he can blackmail his way to the very top.This twisted Grayian retelling of the Aladdin story under the Thatcher regime sees our hero rise from pawn to power. But at what cost?

40th anniversary edition'Probably the greatest novel of the century' ObserverLanark, a modern vision of hell set in the disintegrating cities of Unthank and Glasgow, tells the interwoven stories of Lanark and Duncan Thaw. A work of extraordinary imagination, its playful narrative conveys a profound message, both personal and political, about humankind's inability to love, and yet our compulsion to go on trying.First published in 1981, Lanark established Alasdair Gray as one of Britain's leading writers and kick-started the modern renaissance of Scottish literature.

A man finds a bald patch on the back of his head that looks curiously like a face, then discovers he's splitting in two. A bored student suggests digging a tunnel into the foundations of the art school. An elderly man is healed by hundreds of tiny people working on repairs inside his own head.Unlikely Stories, Mostly is Alasdair Gray's first collection of short stories. Gloriously illustrated, darkly funny, and steeped in myth and fable, they capture Gray's singular imagination.

'Reveals Gray's powers of insight and invention' Guardian'One of the most vital retellings of the poem to date' SpectatorDante, now guided by Beatrice, faces the final third of his epic journey through the wheels of divine justice. Yet as he passes through the spheres of Heaven, he struggles with his faith, striving to understand the scales of good and evil that determine the fate of a human soul.The final book from Alasdair Gray, Paradise is a fitting conclusion to his own irreplaceable body of work, as well as to his masterful retelling of Dante's trilogy.

Gertsog Griffin, vovsju naslazhdavshijsja svoej reputatsiej legkomyslennogo povesy, chto nazyvaetsja, doigralsja - ten etoj skandalnoj slavy pala na ego mladshikh sester-bliznjashek, i teper bednjazhkam ne sdelat khoroshej partii, esli dlja nikh srochno ne podobrat ne prosto respektabelnuju, a bezuprechnuju kompanonku... kak raz takuju, kak Esmeralda Svift.Odnako krasota Esmeraldy nemedlenno probuzhdaet v neispravimom Griffine okhotnichij azart soblaznitelja, i on nachinaet osadu etoj nepristupnoj kreposti. Nepristupnoj, - potomu chto bednaja, no gordaja i reshitelnaja devushka pokljalas nikogda ne darit svoe serdtse muzhchine, kotoryj ne poljubit ee vsej dushoj...

Jock McLeish, failed husband, lover and businessman is alone in a hotel room, drinking whisky, fantasising about sex and contemplating suicide. As he tries to distance himself from reality, his lonely, alcohol-fuelled fantasies are interrupted by a flood of memories, reminding him of his own shortcomings.An unforgettably imaginative book, deeply experimental in its form and charged with a dark humour, 1982, Janine is a searing portrait of male need and inadequacy. Gray's exploration of politics, religion, powerlessness and pornography has lost none of its power to shock and entertain.

In this frank, playful and typically unorthodox collection of essays, Alasdair Gray tells how his early life experiences influenced his writing, including the creation of those landmarks of literature, Lanark and 1982, Janine. He details the inspirations behind his many acclaimed artworks and murals, and makes clear how his moral, social and political beliefs and his work are inextricably linked.Incisive, funny and fired with passion, Of Me and Others is as much about people, place and politics as it is about Gray's own life in art.

One of the masterpieces of world literature, completed in 1320, Dante's La Divina Commedia describes his journey through Hell, Purgatory and his eventual arrival in Heaven. In this new version of Dante's masterpiece, Alasdair Gray offers an original translation in prosaic English rhyme.Accessible, modern and sublimely decorated, this remarkable edition told in three parts yokes two great literary minds, seven hundred years apart, and brings the classic text alive for the twenty-first century.

'Probably the greatest novel of the century' Observer'Remarkable' William BoydLanark, a modern vision of hell, is set in the disintegrating cities of Unthank and Glasgow, and tells the interwoven stories of Lanark and Duncan Thaw. A work of extraordinary imagination and wide range, its playful narrative techniques convey a profound message, both personal and political, about humankind's inability to love, and yet our compulsion to go on trying.First published in 1981, Lanark immediately established Gray as one of Britain's leading writers.