Erich Segal – författare

They were Harvard '58, the class who thought they could change the world.Danny, the musical prodigy, risks all for Harvard, even a break with his domineering father. Yet his real problems are too much fame too soon - and too many women.Ted spends four years as an outsider. He is obsessed with climbing to the top of the academic ladder, whatever the cost.Jason, the golden boy - handsome, charismatic, athletic - learns at Harvard that he cannot ignore his Jewish background. Only in tragedy will he find his true identity.George, a Hungarian refugee, comes to Harvard with the barest knowledge of English. But with ruthless determination he masters not only the language but the power structure of his new country.Andrew is haunted by three centuries of Harvard ancestors who cast giant shadows on his confidence.It is not until their dramatic 25th reunion that the men must confront their classmates, and the value of their lives.

From the fifth to the second century BC, innovative comedy drama flourished in Greece and Rome. This collection brings together the greatest works of Classical comedy, with two early Greek plays: Aristophanes' bold, imaginative Birds, and Menander's The Girl from Samos, which explores popular contemporary themes of mistaken identity and sexual misbehaviour; and two later Roman comic plays: Plautus' The Brothers Menaechmus - the original comedy of errors - and Terence's bawdy yet sophisticated double love-plot, The Eunuch. Together, these four plays demonstrate the development of Classical comedy, celebrating its richness, variety and extraordinary legacy to modern drama.

The most consistent of all series in terms of language control, length, and quality of story.David R. Hill, Director of the Edinburgh Project on Extensive Reading.

Classics, modern fiction, non-fiction and more. Written for secondary and adult students the Oxford Bookworms Library has seven reading levels from A1-C1 of the CEFR.This is a love story you won't forget. Oliver Barrett meets Jenny Cavilleri. He plays sports, she plays music. He's rich, and she's poor. They argue, and they fight, and they fall in love. So they get married, and make a home together. They work hard, they enjoy life, they make plans for the future. Then they learn that they don't have much time left. Their story has made people laugh, and cry, all over the world.

'We certainly need in English a book devoted to Plautus alone and here we have it.' PhoenixThis reissue of virtually the only book in English devoted to the work of the Roman comedy writer Plautus (c. 254-184 BC) includes a new preface and additional appendices covering the plays Amphitryon and Captivi.

This book presents seven fresh and original views of Caesar Augustus, as the authors of the papers collected here consider the image which he presented of himself, how poets and historians reacted to him, the nature of his rule, and the representation of the newly established monarch among his subjects in the provinces. The contributors are well-known historians and scholars: Zvi Yavetz (Tel Aviv), Fergus Millar (Oxford), Claude Nicolet (Paris), Emilio Gabba (Pavia), Werner Eck (Cologne), Glen Bowersock (Princeton), and Jasper Griffin (Oxford).These papers were first given at a colloquium held at Wolfson College, Oxford, to celebrate the eightieth birthday of the late Sir Ronald Syme, author of The Roman Revolution (OUP 1939) and other seminal works. A substantial amount of documentation has been added in the notes, but the main texts retain the form in which they were given as lectures, and with it a freshness and immediacy in approaching a central moment in history from a number of new angles.

Twenty-nine of the finest modern essays on Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides in a selection made accessible to both professional scholar and student; all Greek quotations have been translated.

Twenty-nine modern essays on Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides in a selection made accessible to both professional scholar and student; all Greek quotations have been translated.

This anthology should be a 'must' for all serious students of Aristophanes. It brings together for the first time in one volume all the most important contributions to the study of Aristophanes published over the last several decades - providing an ideal resource for anyone studying the plays. Aristophanes is the only surviving author of Greek Attic comedy who has left us more than fragments, and his eleven surviving plays reflect the spirit of Athens in the golden age - and its unique freedom of speech. The book deals not only with the better known comedies like Clouds and Birds, but also the later, more unusual works like The Assemblywomen and Wealth, which represent important stages towards the evolution of modern comedy. Subjects range from the classic question of Aristophanes' relationship to contemporary politics to more modern issues such as feminism, gender, performance context, and the interaction between fifth century comedy and tragedy. Many of the contributions are not otherwise readily available to students and teachers, coming from foreign journals and books, difficult to obtain. All the Greek has been translated for the benefit of students reading the plays in English.

This anthology should be a `must' for all serious students of Aristophanes. It brings together for the first tinme in one volume all the most important contributions to the study of Aristophanes published over the last several decades - providing an ideal resource for anyone studying the plays. Aristophanes is the only surviving author of Greek Attic comedy who has left us more than fragments, and his eleven surviving plays reflect the spirit of Athens in the golden age - and its unique freedom of speech. The book deals not only with the better known comedies like Clouds and Birds, but also the later, more unusual works like The Assembywomen and Wealth, which represent important stages towards the evolution of modern comedy. Subjects range from the classic question of Aristophanes' relationship to contemporary politics to more modern issues such as feminism, gender, performance context, and the interaction between fifth century comedy and tragedy. Many of the contributions are not otherwise readily available to students and teachers, coming from foreign journals and books, difficult to obtain. All the greek has been translated for the benefit of students reading the plays in English.

This book documents the origins of modern comedy by examining the evolution of 'New Comedy', the Greek genre of which the works of Menander are the only surviving example. Earlier authors like Aristophanes wrote in a completely different style: raucous, bawdy, fantastical, and vaudeville. Menander (of whom Plutarch said, 'what other reason would a cultivated man have to go to the theatre?') and his contemporaries presented civilised, urban comedies based on the themes of quiet domestic dramas.The Romans adapted these comedies giving them their own farcical spin. Though they based their comedies on Greek originals, Plautus referred to them as 'barbarian versions'; they were mockeries on Hellenistic themes.Terence, by contrast, is more like Menander, whose plays he followed with some fidelity, but without success. The Romans did not crave realism, they wanted a good laugh and Terence- though he could have done so- refused to pander to their vulgar tastes. Yet he got his revenge. It was Terence who provided the touchstone boy-meets-girl plots which still appear today in various guises on the silver screen.An authoritative Introduction sets the papers, which are by leading experts in their field, in context and explores connections between them thus examining the legacy for modern comedies. All Latin and Greek is translated.

This book documents the origins of modern comedy by examining the evolution of 'New Comedy', the Greek genre of which the works of Menander are the only surviving example. Earlier authors like Aristophanes wrote in a completely different style: raucous, bawdy, fantastical, and vaudeville. Menander (of whom Plutarch said, 'what other reason would a cultivated man have to go to the theatre?') and his contemporaries presented civilised, urban comedies based on the themes of quiet domestic dramas.The Romans adapted these comedies giving them their own farcical spin. Though they based their comedies on Greek originals, Plautus referred to them as 'barbarian versions'; they were mockeries on Hellenistic themes.Terence, by contrast, is more like Menander, whose plays he followed with some fidelity, but without success. The Romans did not crave realism, they wanted a good laugh and Terence- though he could have done so- refused to pander to their vulgar tastes. Yet he got his revenge. It was Terence who provided the touchstone boy-meets-girl plots which still appear today in various guises on the silver screen.An authoritative Introduction sets the papers, which are by leading experts in their field, in context and explores connections between them thus examining the legacy for modern comedies. All Latin and Greek is translated.

Plautus was the single greatest influence on Western comedy. Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors and Molière's The Miser are two subsequent classics directly based on Plautine originals.Plautus himself borrowed from the Greeks, but his jokes, rapid dialogue, bawdy humour, and irreverent characterizations are the original work of an undisputed genius. The comedies printed here show him at his best, and professor Segal's translations keep their fast, rollicking pace intact, making these the most readable and actable versions available. His introduction considers Plautus' place in ancient comedy, examines his continuing influence, and celebrates his power to entertain. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

In a grand tour of comic theater over the centuries, Erich Segal traces the evolution of the classical form from its early origins in a misogynistic quip by the sixth-century B.C. Susarion, through countless weddings and happy endings, to the exasperated monosyllables of Samuel Beckett. With fitting wit, profound erudition lightly worn, and instructive examples from the mildly amusing to the uproarious, his book fully illustrates comedy's glorious life cycle from its first breath to its death in the Theater of the Absurd.An exploration of various landmarks in the history of a genre that flourished almost unchanged for two millennia, The Death of Comedy revisits the obscenities and raucous twists of Aristophanes, the neighborly pleasantries of Menander, the tomfoolery and farce of Plautus. Segal shows how the ribaldry of foiled adultery, a staple of Roman comedy, reappears in force on the stages of Restoration England. And he gives us a closer look at the schadenfreude--delight in someone else's misfortune--that marks Machiavelli's and Marlowe's works.At every turn in Segal's analysis--from Shakespeare to Molière to Shaw--another facet of the comic art emerges, until finally, he argues, "the head conquers and the heart dies": Letting the intellect take the lead, Cocteau, Ionesco, and Beckett smother comedy as we know it. The book is a tour de force, a sweeping panorama of the art and history of comedy, as insightful as it is delightful to read.

'An era-defining romance' - Daily MailOver 21 million copies soldTranslated into 33 languages worldwideThe inspiration for the number-one box office hit film, which was named one of the 100 most romantic films of all time by the American Film Institute.Meet Oliver Barrett IV, a rich jock from a stuffy WASP family on his way to a Harvard degree and a career in law, and Jenny Cavilleri, a wisecracking working-class beauty studying music at Radcliffe.Oliver and Jenny - kindred spirits from different worlds ? talk, question, answer and fall for each other so deeply that no one, themselves included, can understand it. So instead of trying to understand it, they embrace it. Until something happens that will turn their new, perfect world upside down.This is their story: a story of two young people and a love so uncompromising it will bring joy to your heat and tears to your eyes. Further praise for LOVE STORY:'Iconic . . . tissues at the ready!' - My Weekly'Beautifully written, profoundly moving' - Sunday Express'A lump forms in the throat and starts growing until it feels like a football coming up sideways. You either fight it or let it out' - New York Times'We loved it and we think you'll love it too' - Sun'Incredible . . . A poignant novel of nostalgia and romance' - Washington Post

Oliver Barrett IV found his true soulmate when he met and fell in love with Jenny Cavilleri. Their love was magical, exhilarating . . . though heartbreakingly brief, it was enough to last a lifetime. Or so Oliver told himself.Two years have passed since Jenny was taken from him, and Oliver truly believes he will never love again. Then one day Marcie - beautiful and mysterious - enters his world . . . and suddenly the future holds a golden new promise.With all the excitement and emotion that made LOVE STORY a worldwide bestseller, here is a stirring romantic novel that sweeps from New York's fashionable East Side to a snowy Christmas in Massachusetts to a shattering moment of truth in exotic Hong Kong - the story of one young man's journey out of sadness and into love.

Bob and Sheila Beckwith had everything: rewarding careers, two wonderful daughters, and a perfect marriage . . . almost perfect. For what Sheila didn't know was that Bob had once been unfaithful - only once, ten years ago during a business trip to France. What Bob didn't know was that his brief affair had produced a son. Now a tragic accident - and one fateful phone call - will change Bob and Sheila's life forever . . .

Barney Livingstone and Laura Castellano are childhood neighbours who share an unforgettable friendship. From the crucible of med school's merciless training, through the demanding hours of internship and residency to the triumphs - and sometimes tragedies - of their daily professional lives, we follow Barney and Laura to unsettling celebrity and unsatisfying love . . . until their friendship ripens into passion.But they have yet to learn the ultimate lesson: that their devotion to each other, even their outstanding medical gifts, may not be enough to save the one life they treasure above all others . . .

In the arena of life and death, the world's most brilliant doctors and scientists vie desperately - and ruthlessly - for the ultimate prize: the Nobel.Adam Coopersmith is a gifted and compassionate physician. Trapped in an unhappy marriage, he meets Anya, a Russian émigrée, and falls in love for the first time - only to have his career nearly destroyed.Sandy Raven is a cutting-edge researcher whose devotion is matched only by his genius. Yet as he makes his greatest discovery, he experiences his most profound betrayal. Will he choose to live a lie or abandon his dream to seek new, more worldly prizes?Isabel da Costa. A child prodigy, she owes all her success to her father, but though she becomes a brilliant physicist, she can't capture her lost childhood. Ultimately she is torn between her father and the young man who holds the key to her happiness, until a shocking revelation explodes her world.

They met as children, innocents from two different worlds. And from that moment their lives were fated to be forever entwined.Timothy: abandoned at birth, he finds a home and a dazzling career within the Catholic church. But the vows he takes cannot protect him from one soul-igniting passion.Daniel: the scholarly son of a great rabbi, he is destined to follow in his father's footsteps. And destined to break his father's heart.Deborah: she was raised to be docile and dutiful - the perfect rabbi's wife - but love will lead her to rebellion. And into worlds the patriarch would never dare imagine.Reaching across more than a quarter of a century, from the tough streets of Brooklyn to ultramodern Brasilia to an Israeli kibbutz, this is an unforgettable story of three extraordinary lives . . . and one forbidden love.

1978. A group of idealistic young doctors join a mission of mercy to Africa. Two of them, Matthew and Silvia, fall in love. They have one year together before they are swept apart by bloodshed and violence. Matthew has been in mourning ever since.The present. A pioneer in genetic therapy at the very top of his field, Matthew is appealed to by a rich man whose wife's brain tumour has been declared inoperable by every other surgeon. When she walks through the door he sees that it is Silvia, as beautiful as ever - still his 'only love'. It's as if the years have never passed. He must save her life. And if he does . . . what then?