John Boynton Priestley was een romanschrijver en dramaturge die bekend stond om zijn meesterlijke beheersing van de Engelse taal. Zijn werken doken vaak in sociale kwesties en het leven van gewone mensen, allemaal weergegeven in zijn kenmerkende, botte Yorkshire-stijl. Tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog werd hij een populaire en invloedrijke radio-omroeper, die het publieke debat vormgaf met zijn doordachte commentaren. Priestley liet een productieve en gevarieerde literaire nalatenschap na, met romans, essays en toneelstukken, en blijft een blijvende inspiratie voor aanstormende auteurs.
Set in a crumbling mansion during a storm, five travelers encounter unsettling residents who create a tense atmosphere. As they engage in conversational games, the characters reveal their innermost thoughts, offering deep psychological insights and fostering empathy. The blend of dark humor and menacing undertones crafts a compelling narrative that explores fear and human connection, leading the reader into a shadowy realm of suspense and emotional depth.
On his way to work at the bank one morning, the manager Mr Kettle freaks out. He goes back home changes into his casual clothes and sets about enjoying himself. No one apart from Mrs Kettle can understand him and why he is behaving in this way. Mrs Kettle joins him in his rebellion. The bank officials employ a doctor to hypnotise Mr Kettle and get him back to his former self.|3 women, 6 men
Angel Pavement is one of the great London novels. First published in 1930, it is a social panorama of the city of London seen largely through the eyes of the employees of the firm Twigg & Dersingham, on the first floor of No. 8, Angel Pavement (a small cul-de-sac in the heart of London's commercial district).
Disillusioned scriptwriter Gregory Dawson is holed up in a Cornish hotel writing a script he must finish. A chance encounter in the bar sends him back in time to the doomed world of his youth before the slaughter of The First World War.
Exploring the uncanny, this collection features nine unsettling tales that showcase J. B. Priestley's mastery of the weird genre. In "The Grey Ones," a man confronts the possibility that demons are disguised as humans, while "Guest of Honour" turns a banquet speech into a nightmare as the speaker faces monstrous attendees. "The Leadington Incident" reveals a Cabinet minister's chilling realization about those around him. Each story combines fantastic elements with psychological tension, highlighting Priestley's unique storytelling prowess.
Disillusioned playwright Martin Cheveril, on the verge of a career change, is thrust into the past after discovering an old pamphlet about the tragic actress Jenny Villiers. As he falls asleep, he is transported to her era, becoming a witness to her life and the events leading to her untimely death. This journey reveals the lasting impact of her tragedy, intertwining the past with his present, and forcing him to confront his own disillusionment with the theatre.
A classic murder mystery: Dr. Salt and Maggie Culworth team up to discover what has happened to two people who have disappeared.
Chronicles the desperate marching, fighting, command decisions, and suffering as depicted in the letters, memoirs, diaries, and postwar recollections of the men from both armies who struggled to control that hallowed ground.
In the months before the First World War, Richard Herncastle joins his Uncle's illusionist act on the Music Hall stage wherehe comes into contact with larger than life, garish and outrageous characters. číst celé