The child that books built by francis spufford and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The novel may have risen in the 18th century but it didnt really spread. A highly personaland unconventionaldefense of belief in christian doctrine. Unapologetic by francis spufford overdrive rakuten. Spufford knows how to write, but he also teaches writing for a living, and it shows. It is not just because he chimes with the countless numbers who loved c s lewis books despite the likes of philip pullman and polly toynbee. Francis spuffords unapologetic is a wonderfully pugnacious defense of. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. In spuffords acknowledgments he describes the book as a colonial counterpart to joseph andrews or david simple, the novels by henry and. This francis spufford book looks at the late 1950s, those heady moments in history during which the ussr system thrived and manifested fruit.
It is in part a counterblast at what he sees as oversimplification by atheists such as dawkins and hitchens. Click and collect from your local waterstones or get free uk delivery on orders over. Spufford uses profanity sparsely to make his hardest points about the messed up state of our world and of many churches and christians. Francis spuffords unapologetic revives christianitys. Oct 15, 20 the authors have created a sort of anti book of virtues in this encyclopedic compendium of the ways and means of power. Francis spufford and the inner life of belief crooked timber.
Oct 15, 20 francis spufford s unapologetic is a wonderfully pugnacious defense of christianity. Refuting critics such as richard dawkins, sam harris, and the new atheist crowd, spufford, a former atheist and fellow of the royal society of literature, argues that christianity is recognizable, drawing on the deep and deeply ordinary vocabulary of human feeling, satisfying those who. The chatto book of cabbages and kings, 1989, about lists used as a literary device, the chatto book of the devil, 1993, and the antarctic, 2008. Dec 12, 2017 july 10, 2017 francis spuffords historical novel is set in 1746 lower manhattan, a world of spies, thieves, card sharks and crooked bankers. Born in 1963 and the son of esteemed historians margaret and peter spufford, francis spufford studied english literature at trinity hall, cambridge and earned a ba in 1985.
Francis spuffords book unapologetic is published in the us by harperone. Jul 27, 2012 francis spuffords new book, unapologetic, is much more personal and polemical than anything he has written before. Francis spufford is currently considered a single author. Popular writers like anne lamott traveling mercies have in recent decades used humour and. Francis spuffords first book, i may be some time, won the writers guild award for best nonfiction book of 1996, the banff mountain book prize and a somerset. It was followed by the child that books built, backroom boys, red plenty which was translated into nine languages, and most. I also discovered megan whalen turners young adult series the queens thiefbrilliant, tricksy novels of romance and intrigue set in the. Fans of red plenty, of whom there clearly are many in view of the online seminar we had here recently, will be interested to know that francis spufford has a new book out. Francis spufford introduces his novel, red plenty unless otherwise stated, this interview was conducted at the time the book was first published, and is reproduced with permission of the publisher. Sep 18, 2012 the first session of the st pauls forum autumn series the case for god held under the dome of st pauls cathedral. Jan 03, 2017 elybased author francis spufford gobsmacked to be shortlisted for 2016 costa book of the year award golden hill is the cambridge university graduates sixth published book, but his first. Refuting critics such as richard dawkins, sam harris, and the new atheist crowd, spufford, a former atheist and fellow of the royal society of literature, argues that christianity is recognizable, drawing on the deep and deeply ordinary vocabulary of human feeling, satisfying those who believe in it by. If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author. It was a time of promise, where moscow would eventually leave manhattan in the dust.
The child that books built offers a bit of childpsychology, from bettelheim to piaget, and a good deal of storytelling theory. It was built on the 20thcentury magic called the planned economy, which was going to gush forth an abundance of good things. Within minutes of deboarding from the brig henrietta in new york harbor, anno domini 1746, richard smith seems to attract trouble. This interview may not be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the holder. Spufford adds to the diversity of his bibliography, this time. Francis spufford pens unauthorised narnia novel books. The crack in everything spufford defines for modern readers christian notions of sin, evil, guilt, and judgment. Unapologetic, has been translated into three languages. His first book, i may be some time, won the writers guild award for best nonfiction book of 1996, the banff mountain book prize, and a somerset maugham award. The book, which looked at sputnik and the soviet union, blends historical facts with fiction in a manner that francis spufford hadnt experimented with before. For me, though, the standout of francis spuffords reading memoir the child that books built is the chapter entitled the island. In his new book, francis spufford has made a significant contribution to the genre.
He is the son of the late social historian professor margaret spufford 19352014 and the late economic historian professor peter spufford 19342017. Refuting critics such as richard dawkins, sam harris, and the new atheist crowd, spufford, a former atheist and fellow of the royal society of literature, argues that christianity is recognizable, drawing on the deep and deeply ordinary vocabulary of human feeling, satisfying. Oct 24, 20 francis spuffords books cover a wide variety of subjects, from polar exploration to his childhood reading to a blend of fiction and nonfiction about soviet russia in red plenty, which dwight garner named one of his 10 favorite books of 2012. Francis spuffords true stories and other essays is just such a book. Elybased author francis spufford gobsmacked to be shortlisted for 2016 costa book of the year award golden hill is the cambridge university graduates sixth published book. And though james fenimore cooper and nathaniel hawthorne wrote historical novels about the days before the revolution, it wasnt until the arrival of postmodernism that we got a. It is simply an apologetic on the emotional level rather than the intellectual level.
He studied english literature at trinity hall, cambridge, gaining a ba in 1985 career. Francis spuffords first book, i may be some time, won the writers guild award for best nonfiction book of 1996, the banff mountain book prize and a somerset maugham award. A unique book, cutting its way ruthlessly through thickets of both religious and antireligious sentimentality. Unique because spufford s context is postchristian england, and he is fully aware that he. Despite what francis spufford claims, unapologetic is an apologetic work. Francis spuffords books cover a wide variety of subjects, from polar exploration to his childhood reading to a blend of fiction and nonfiction about soviet russia in red plenty, which dwight garner named one of his 10 favorite books of 2012.
There is a high fourletter quotient throughout unapologetic, a symptom of the prose being pitched to sound young. Dec 22, 2016 despite what francis spufford claims, unapologetic is an apologetic work. Well, not defense of doctrine, exactly, but defense the root meaning of apologia of christian emotions and their grownup dignity. The title, a last quote from one explorer to his party. Smiths derringdo is in keeping with a book alive with risk.
With nikita khrushchevs rash leadership, the soviet union was set to elicit envy from the capitalists of the world. He has also edited two volumes of polar literature. It was followed by the child that books built, backroom boys, and most recently, red plenty. His first book, i may be some time, won the writers guild award for best nonfiction book of 1996, the banff mountain book prize and a somerset maugham award. Oct 07, 2012 but spuffords book starts a few steps prior to these kinds of debates.
Francis spuffords new book, unapologetic, is much more personal and polemical than anything he has written before. There is some subtle and often quite beautiful writing in parts, but the. Sin is the human tendency, the human propensity, to fuck. Over the last year i polished off the last novels i hadnt read by penelope fitzgerald and worked my way one bomb of perceptive wit at a time through lorrie moores stories her latest collection is bark. First, and most immediate, the book shocks us with its language. Spufford began as a writer of nonfiction, though always with a strong element of storytelling. Why, despite everything, christianity can still make surprising emotional sense.
Unique because spuffords context is postchristian england, and he is fully aware. He tells us that he did no research for the book and wrote at. Heres a podcast interview with francis spufford, discussing his acclaimed book on the soviet union and economics, red plenty. In that early church scene, spufford nods to his forebears with the first of. Everyone wants power and everyone is in a constant duplicitous game to gain more power at the expense of others, according to greene, a screenwriter and former editor at esquire elffers, a book packager, designed the volume, with its attractive marginalia. July 10, 2017 francis spuffords historical novel is set in 1746 lower manhattan, a world of spies, thieves, card sharks and crooked bankers.
Francis spuffords unapologetic is a wonderfully pugnacious defense of christianity. Francis spuffords unapologetic is a wonderfully pugnacious defense o. Francis spufford explores the british obsession with polar exploration in a book that jan morris, writing in the times, called, a truly majestic work of scholarship, thought and literary imagination. Why, despite everything, christianity can still make surprising emotional sense main by francis spufford isbn. Ice and the english imagination, was awarded the writers guild award for best nonfiction book of 1996 and a somerset maugham award. I badly wanted to like this book since i agree with the authors premise. Explore books by francis spufford with our selection at. Oct 23, 2012 spufford knows how to write, but he also teaches writing for a living, and it shows. Smith, dancing from foot to foot upon deck, that the small mound. Unapologetic is a book for believers who are fed up with being patronized, for nonbelievers curious about how faith can possibly work in the twentyfirst century, and for anyone who feels there is something indefinably wrong, literalistic, antiimaginative and intolerant about the way the atheist case is now being made. The first session of the st pauls forum autumn series the case for god held under the dome of st pauls cathedral.
Professor francis spufford goldsmiths, university of london. Francis spufford is the author of five highly praised books of nonfiction. An anthology of the finest writing on the arctic and the antarctic. His second, the child that books built, gave neil gaiman. He has written many nonfiction books over the course of his 25year career and published his debut novel, the costa first novel awardwinning golden hill, in 2016. Unapologetic is a book for believers who are fed up with being patronized, for. Francis spufford s unapologetic is a wonderfully pugnacious defense of christianity. This sparkling first novel sends a young man through a gantlet of troubles and amusements in 18thcentury manhattan.
How francis spuffords new york novel echoes cervantes. The brig henrietta having made sandy hook a little before the dinner hourand having passed the narrows about three oclockand then crawling to and fro, in a series of tacks infinitesimal enough to rival the calculus, across the grey sheet of the harbour of newyorkuntil it seemed to mr. The first chapter is a relentless, highvolume monologue, but thanks be to mozart, the tone varies in the. First the 24yearold londoner presents a local merchant named lovell with a bill demanding 1,000 pounds sterling. We personally assess every book s quality and offer rare, outofprint treasures.
Spufford adds to the diversity of his bibliography, this time mounting an impassioned argument for, as. May 26, 2016 francis spufford, a former sunday times young writer of the year 1997, has edited two acclaimed literary anthologies and a collection of essays about the history of technology. His third book, backroom boys, was called a beautifully written book. His second book, the child that books built was described as witty, compelling and elegant by the new statesman. Strange as it may seem, the grey, oppressive ussr was founded on a fairytale. Francis spufford primary author only author division. Lewis when he is eleven or twelve the chronicles of narnia were the platonic book of which other books were more or less imperfect. Among his early books are i may be some time, the child that books built, and backroom boys. His book itself is an act of daring, a message from the frontline.
Francis spufford, a former sunday times young writer of the year 1997, has edited two acclaimed literary anthologies and a collection of essays about the history of technology. Francis spufford has taken a break from writing awardwinning adult literature to fill in the details of what exactly went on in narnia before the lion, the witch and the wardrobe. Jun 01, 2016 in spuffords acknowledgments he describes the book as a colonial counterpart to joseph andrews or david simple, the novels by henry and sarah fielding, and in golden hills picaresque. Why, despite everything, christianity can still make surprising emotional sense, and its written by francis spufford, a professor in london. In march of 2019, it was reported that spufford had written a novel, the stone table, set in the universe of c. The first chapter is a relentless, highvolume monologue, but thanks be. The expectations surrounding spuffords exploration of the fiction arena have always been strong primarily because the author has written so widely, producing literary anthologies on. Why narnia matters by quaesitor for me, though, the standout of francis spuffords reading memoir the child that books built is the chapter entitled the island. In 2007 he was elected a fellow of the royal society of literature. Unapologetic and millions of other books are available for instant access.