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Anna Szóstak's book is a special work, an advanced and complete study in sociology, psychology, and philosophy of religion, using as its source material the virtual world of Terry Pratchett, the recently deceased famous fantasy writer. Pratchett's world, considered by the Author from various perspectives ("Seven Looks"), is to a significant degree a figure of extraliterary reality and phenomena taking place in it, which are considered together with their broad cultural background and referred to the historical inheritance of societies of our cultural circle. Szóstak's book employs interdisciplinary methodology, present also in her other publications, which allows her to step outside a traditional analysis and interpretation of the work: an interpenetration of literary studies, anthropology, religion, philosophy, psychology, and sociology of religious beliefs - all of these are referred to Pratchett's virtual world. This is significant, since the methodology proposed by the author is without doubt the future of literary studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magris’s text addresses the circuitous and lengthy creative process that led to the conceptualization and writing of his latest novel Alla cieca (2005; Blindly, 2010). It offers, at same time, a reflection on the core dialectical binary of the work: the relation between inventing History and creating History and thus on the relationship between History and the contemporary novel. Magris sheds light on his own formal and stylistic approach to his text and on his ethical quest among the ideological utopias and individual tragedies of pre- and post-WWII Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]