Philippe Djian Knihy

Spisovatel středního věku, který přišel při leteckém neštěstí o rodinu, řeší svou bolest i tvůrčí problémy sexuálním běsněním se spolupracovnicemi. Na pozadí společensky složitého, intrikářského světa "velké" literatury, francouzských nakladatelství i mezinárodního "literárního provozu" se rozvíjí příběh nepříliš úspěšného spisovatele, který o hranicích svých schopností ví. Rodinná tragédie zlikviduje jeho schopnost normálního uvažování. Přestože dál pracovně komunikuje, existuje jen jediný prostor, v němž je schopen činnosti, a tím je sex. Provozuje jej tedy se zoufalou úpěnlivostí naprosto neustále, kdekoli a s kdekým až do sebezničení. Autor nevynechává jedinou podrobnost z hrdinových prožitků v tomto směru a s naprostou otevřeností líčí všechna zákoutí hrdinova libida i veškeré detaily všech nápadů, které se svými partnerkami během této činnosti realizuje. Doslov hovoří o velké úspěšnosti a vysoké umělecké kvalitě tohoto nepokrytě pornografického textu s tím, že se jedná o pornografii uměleckou a hluboce filosoficky, sociologicky a morálně podloženou. Odkazy na Henryho Milera ostatně nacházíme i v textu samotném.

V románu rozděleném do pěti kapitol spisovatel na prahu středního věku bilancuje svůj život a hledá lidské porozumění. Bezejmenný vypravěč se zpovídá ze svého životního příběhu v pěti etapách, po desetiletích. Třecích ploch je mnoho a je o čem povídat: těsné sepětí s matkou, nechuť k jejím milencům, vyřizování účtů s otcem, vlastní manželské problémy i milostné avantýry, konflikty s dcerou; tragické i směšné události, všechny krásné i vypjaté okamžiky jsou nám podávány přímočaře, mnohdy s groteskním úšklebkem. Náročný čtenář si tohoto autora s pověstí bouřliváka plně vychutná: žádné zbytečné psychologizování, výtečné dialogy, sevřený příběh. Přímo generační výpověď životem poučeného hrdiny z literární branže, který se střídavým úspěchem bojuje s neovladatelným osudem, ale nikdy to nevzdává.... celý text

In the West, legendary explorers like Christopher Columbus, Ernest Shackleton and Sir Edmund Hillary are a recognized part of our history. But in China, that legend belongs to the great explorer Zheng He (1371-1433), who lived during China's renowned Ming Dynasty. Zheng He, the Great Chinese Explorer is a bilingual (English and Chinese) tale of his adventures. When he was a child, Zheng He dreamed of foreign lands, his imagination was inspired by the travels of his father and grandfather and the wonderful items they brought back from trading trips to the West. A simple but exotic porcelain vase in cobalt, a color not found in China at the time, drove Zheng He to discover the origins of this unique color--and become one of the most famous explorers in China's history. From military brilliance to sea captain and diplomat, Zheng He's life was never quiet! After serving the Emperor in the military and helping China achieve peace and prosperity, Zheng He was chosen to command great sea voyages, engaging in trade and establishing relations with foreign governments. Over the course of 28 years, Zheng He made seven major expeditions by sea to South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and even reaching as far as the east coast of Africa. And after all that travel, his childhood dream finally came true. On the Arabian Peninsula he discovered the beautiful color for which he had been searching, and this unique shade of blue became a trademark of the porcelain of the Ming Dynasty.

They were predicting storms for the end of the day but the sky stayed blue and the wind died down. I went to take a look in the kitchen - make sure things weren't getting clogged up in the bottom of the pot. Everything was just fine. I went out onto the porch armed with a cold beer and stayed there for a while, my face in the sun. It felt good. It had been a week now that I'd been spending my mornings in the sun, squinting like some happy idiot - a week now since I'd met Betty.' BETTY BLUE remains a cult book and film nearly twenty years since its first outing. The extraordinary story of an erotic, doomed love affair has transfixed hundreds of thousands of readers around the world.

Set in long-ago China, this is the story of a nomadic family who, through a drawing on the back of their white horse, learn how to plant their crops in alignment with the changing seasons, leading them to have bountiful harvests year after year. Illustrations.

This fancifully illustrated multicultural children's book tells a famous Chinese myth about a young boy's quest to save his village. Long ago, in a remote village in China, there lived a kind and generous little boy. He spent his days in the forest, collecting wood to trade for food. One day, the boy made a wondrous discovery: a magic stone that caused his money jar and rice crocks to overflow, both of which he shared with the poor villagers. But strange things began to happen. It no longer rained. The crops died. The rivers dried up. A terrible drought had struck and would not release its grip. The brave young boy, full of dreams of a white, water-spewing Dragon, took his magic stone on a journey--and discovered how to save his village.

Now a Major Motion Picture - Paul Verhoeven's film adaption has been nominated/won multiple awards at the Oscars and Golden Globes

In this electrifying psychological drama, two veterans readjusting to civilian life find their friendship tested when ugly truths come to light. Yemen. Iraq. Afghanistan. After returning from combat to a quiet garrison town, Dan and Richard struggle in their different ways to regain a sense of normality. Dan, desperate to prove to his bourgeois neighbors that he isn’t the violent, unstable veteran they’d expect, sticks to a rigorous routine and keeps his head down. Richard, on the other hand, doesn’t resist his impulses, repeatedly flouting the law and spending money he doesn’t have. All the while, his home life is gradually falling apart—unbeknownst to him, his wife has been having an affair, and his teenaged daughter is becoming increasingly distant and even hostile. The arrival of Richard’s sister-in-law, Marlene—a woman with a reputation for sleeping around and bringing bad luck wherever she goes—threatens to destroy what little peace the two men have, calling into question their seemingly unbreakable bond.

A college professor finds himself in a harrowing situation when he wakes up next to the lifeless body of a student. As the plot unfolds, the tension escalates, leading to a gripping exploration of guilt, morality, and the consequences of one's actions. This literary thriller delves into the chaos that ensues, revealing the darker aspects of human nature and the complexities of the professor's life as he grapples with the aftermath of this shocking event.

Long long ago, the world was a colourless, gray place. It had stayed that way for thousands of years. People never expected anything different until one day, the colourful Snake Goddess, Nuwa, fell from the sky. She was determined to bring colour and beauty to the gray nothingness of the earth, but all the colours kept running out through a giant hole in the sky. To fix the hole and bring colour to the world, Nuwa would have journey near and far to find the five magical coloured stones that were her only hope for fixing the sky. Join the Snake Goddess on her journey to bring colour to a desolate world.