{"title":"July Birthday Series","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"kafka-castle","title":"Vintage Kafka: Castle","description":"'He is the greatest German writer of our time. Such poets as Rilke or such novelists as Thomas Mann are dwarfs or plaster saints in comparison to him' Vladimir Nabokov\n\nThe story of K. and his arrival in a village where he is never accepted, and his relentless, unavailing struggle with authority in order to gain entrance to the castle that seems to rule it. K.'s isolation and perplexity, his begging for the approval of elusive and anonymous powers, epitomises Kafka's vision of twentieth-century alienation and anxiety.","brand":"Vintage Classics","offers":[{"title":"New","offer_id":32686182301781,"sku":"9780749399528N","price":6.59,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2481\/5790\/products\/9780749399528.jpg?v=1598879468"},{"product_id":"pablo-neruda-twenty-love-poems-a-song","title":"Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair","description":"\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"1\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"1\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eThis stunning collection showcases the early genius of Chilean writer Pablo Neruda, widely regarded as the greatest and most prolific Latin American poet of the twentieth century.\u003c\/b\u003e Originally published in 1924 when the author was just nineteen years old, \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"1\" data-index-in-node=\"254\"\u003eVeinte Poemas de Amor y una Cancion Desesperada\u003c\/i\u003e quickly attracted international acclaim and established his assured, deeply distinctive voice. Capturing the intense emotional landscapes of youth, passion, and heartbreak, it remains one of the most celebrated and widely read volumes of erotic poetry published in the last hundred years, with well over a million copies sold worldwide.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"2\"\u003eThe narrative of this collection charts the volatile highs and lows of romantic devotion, masterfully balancing sensual imagery with the bittersweet ache of distance and loss. Neruda’s verse blends the physical beauty of the natural world with the deeply personal geography of human desire, culminating in the hauntingly beautiful \"Song of Despair.\" Serving as a defining touchstone of Spanish-language literature that eventually contributed to Neruda receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1971, this timeless volume is an essential addition for anyone seeking to experience the raw power, vulnerability, and lyrical beauty of classic love poetry.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Vintage Publishing","offers":[{"title":"New - Paperback","offer_id":32689540235349,"sku":"9780224074414N","price":5.39,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2481\/5790\/files\/51Qvh2Q-MUL._SL1274.jpg?v=1778837167"},{"product_id":"vintage-hesse-glass-bead-game","title":"Vintage Hesse: The Glass Bead Game","description":"\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eA Profound and Timeless Masterpiece of Intellect and Spirit\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"2\"\u003eIn the remote, intellectual Kingdom of Castalia, the scholars of the Twenty-Third Century devote themselves to playing the Glass Bead Game (known as \u003ci\u003eMagister Ludi\u003c\/i\u003e). This elaborately coded game is a fusion of all human knowledge—of mathematics, music, philosophy, science, and art—representing the ultimate spiritual and intellectual pursuit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"3\"\u003eIntrigued as a schoolboy, Joseph Knecht becomes consumed with mastering the Game as an adult, fulfilling his lifelong quest to become the revered Magister Ludi. However, as Knecht achieves the pinnacle of the intellectual life, he must contend with unexpected moral dilemmas and the deep longing for a purposeful life beyond the ivory tower.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"4\"\u003eThis monumental 20th-century classic is Hermann Hesse's final novel, a profound exploration of the relationship between mind and body, theory and action, and the pursuit of truth versus the needs of the world. It is the ultimate immersive read for the thoughtful, ambitious reader.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Vintage Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39661438533717,"sku":"9780099283621N","price":6.59,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2481\/5790\/products\/11abe9c3-5fe8-41ee-a58b-d12c967ee2d6.jpg?v=1644248131"},{"product_id":"hunger-a-memoir-of-my-body","title":"Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"I ate and ate and ate in the hopes that if I made myself big, my body would be safe... I was trapped in my body, one that I barely recognized or understood, but at least I was safe,\" writes Roxane Gay in this bracingly candid and vulnerable memoir.\u003c\/b\u003e With extreme intimacy and sensitivity, the bestselling author uses her own emotional and psychological struggles to explore shared anxieties over pleasure, consumption, appearance, and health. Casting a critical eye on her childhood, teens, and twenties—including a devastating act of violence that acted as a turning point in her young life—Gay brings readers into the present realities, pains, and joys of her daily life as a woman navigating a society where the bigger you are, the less you are truly seen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaster a heartbreakingly honest exploration of the tension between desire and denial, self-comfort and self-care, in a world obsessed with policing bodies. Readers will navigate the complex psychological aftermath of trauma and the defensive walls built by physical transformation, gaining deep insight into what it truly means to inhabit a body that feels \"wildly undisciplined\" while learning to confront the systemic biases surrounding weight, visibility, and human dignity.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Corsair","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39666227609685,"sku":"9781472153791N","price":7.79,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2481\/5790\/files\/71Q8zb3HfeL._SL1500.jpg?v=1781953823"},{"product_id":"bad-feminist","title":"Bad Feminist","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Pink is my favourite colour. I used to say my favourite colour was black to be cool, but it is pink - all shades of pink... I read Vogue, and I'm not doing it ironically,\" writes Roxane Gay in this remarkably honest and funny essay collection.\u003c\/b\u003e Taking readers on a brilliant journey through her own evolution as a woman of color alongside a sharp ride through contemporary culture, Gay effortlessly dissects everything from \u003ci\u003eSweet Valley High\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Help\u003c\/i\u003e to \u003ci\u003eGirls\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eDjango Unchained\u003c\/i\u003e, while fearlessly commenting on the state of modern feminism, reproductive rights, and public culture. The portrait that emerges is a deeply insightful look at the ways in which the entertainment and media we consume ultimately become who we are, serving as a sincere, inspiring call-to-arms for all the ways we still need to do better.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaster a witty, razor-sharp exploration of the contradictions that define modern identity and progressive politics. Readers will navigate the complex intersections of race, gender, and pop-culture obsession, learning how to embrace their own flaws and \"bad feminist\" tendencies without compromising their commitment to social change, equality, and radical self-acceptance in an imperfect world.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Little, Brown Book Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39666260705365,"sku":"9781472119735N","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2481\/5790\/files\/71j6T5FoxFL._SL1500.jpg?v=1781953390"},{"product_id":"hesse-demian","title":"Demian","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHermann Hesse's Demian is a profound literary masterpiece that explores the tumultuous journey of youth, dualism, and spiritual awakening.\u003c\/b\u003e It follows the young Emil Sinclair as he navigates the stark conflict between the conventional, safe world of light and the dark, forbidden realm of truth, guided by his enigmatic and charismatic childhood friend Max Demian. Dealing with deep themes of psychoanalysis, morality, and the search for an authentic identity, this brilliant novel captures the painful yet necessary process of breaking free from societal illusions to discover one's true destiny.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaster a profound psychological journey into the depths of the human soul as you explore a classic tale of enlightenment and existential growth. Readers will navigate the complex struggles of individuality and inner conflict, unlocking deep Jungian archetypes, expanding their philosophical boundaries, and discovering the radical path to self-realization through Hesse's timeless, evocative prose.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis brilliant, thought-provoking classic delivers a masterclass in philosophical fiction and literary symbolism. It beautifully balances intense emotional vulnerability with deep spiritual insights, offering an essential, transformative reading experience that is absolutely perfect for seekers of truth, students of world literature, and anyone on a lifelong quest to understand themselves.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin Classics","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40161495220309,"sku":"9780241570449N","price":5.39,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2481\/5790\/files\/91X5KE927XL._SL1500.jpg?v=1781951757"},{"product_id":"haruko-love-poems","title":"Haruko\/Love Poems","description":"\u003cp id=\"p-rc_f2881e1b47684c93-284\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eSelected by Seán Hewitt as a Granta Book of the Year. \u003cspan class=\"citation-1534\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"citation-1534 citation-1535\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"citation-1534 citation-1535 citation-1536\"\u003eIn trailblazing poet, essayist, teacher and activist June Jordan's poems, love is a vision of revolutionary solidarity, crossing borders both emotional and literal with an outstretched hand.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan class=\"citation-1534 citation-1535 citation-1536 citation-end-1536\"\u003e Haruko traces the falteri\u003csup class=\"superscript\"\u003e\u003c!----\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"citation-1534 citation-1535 citation-end-1535\"\u003eng arc of a passionate love affair with another woman while Love Poems encompasses relationships with men and women, political resistance, the need fo\u003csup class=\"superscript\"\u003e\u003c!----\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"citation-1534 citation-end-1534\"\u003er self-care in a demanding, uncaring world and apocalyptic visions of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius that destroyed Pom\u003csup class=\"superscript\"\u003e\u003c!----\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003epeii and Herculaneum. A contemporary of Alice Walker, Toni Morrison and Audre Lorde, June Jordan's spectacular poetry remains profoundly politically potent, lyrically inventive and breathtakingly romantic. First published in 1994, Haruko \/ Love Poems is a vitally important modern classic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaster a profound, dual-natured exploration of intimacy and activism through the lens of one of the twentieth century's most formidable literary voices. Readers will navigate the complex intersections of private desire and public resistance, exploring how vulnerable queer romance, cross-cultural solidarity, and the radical reclamation of the self can serve as powerful tools against systemic oppression and historical devastation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis breathtaking, emotionally raw volume delivers a masterclass in lyrical invention and political potency. It beautifully balances the delicate, heavy-hearted nuances of personal relationships with sweeping, urgent calls for social justice, offering an essential, timeless collection that reaffirms love as an act of courageous, revolutionary defiance.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Profile Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40594171625557,"sku":"9781800814813N","price":5.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2481\/5790\/products\/bcd381d4-b78c-474d-89ef-20843c6163a9.jpg?v=1682329477"},{"product_id":"kafka-metamorphosis-other-stories-1","title":"Vintage Kafka: Metamorphosis","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFranz Kafka's The Metamorphosis remains one of the most chillingly visceral portraits of human isolation and social alienation ever put to page.\u003c\/b\u003e The narrative begins with the unforgettable awakening of Gregor Samsa, a hard-working traveling salesman who finds himself overnight rendered completely unrecognizable to his family and useless to his employers. As Gregor struggles to adapt to his new physical limitations within the confines of his bedroom, the story strips away the thin veneer of domestic affection, exposing the cold underbelly of familial obligation, economic worth, and the crushing weight of societal abandonment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaster an unblinking exploration of the precarious nature of identity and the devastating fragility of human relationships. Readers will navigate the claustrophobic borders of the Samsa household, examining the unsettling shift from pity to resentment among Gregor's loved ones, confronting the deep psychological horror of a mind trapped inside a grotesque form, and witnessing a stark commentary on a society that measures a person's dignity solely by their productivity.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Vintage Classics","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58298937770371,"sku":"9780749399535N","price":5.39,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2481\/5790\/files\/81yRVtWe5tL._SL1500.jpg?v=1781952808"}],"url":"https:\/\/smeikalbooks.co.uk\/collections\/july-birthday-series.oembed","provider":"smeikalbooks","version":"1.0","type":"link"}