The Greatest Books You'll Never Read: Unpublished masterpieces by the world's greatest writers
Language: English
Published by Octopus Publishing Group, 2015
- Softcover
- Used

Seller: World of Books Inc, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.World of Books Inc
AbeBooks seller since March 23, 2026
Condition: Used - Good
£ 6.37
Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketItem description from seller
Why was Thomas Hardy's first novel never published? What happened to the manuscript of the long promised 'magnum opus' that Truman Capote never delivered? Why did Heinrich Boll abandon his Paradise Lost? These and many other intriguing mysteries are uncovered in this comprehensive guide to literature's lost and unfinished masterpieces.
Seller Inventory # CIN1844037932G
- Title
- The Greatest Books You'll Never Read: Unpublished masterpieces by the world's greatest writers
- Author
- Bernard Richards
- Publisher
- Octopus Publishing Group
- Publication year
- 2015
- Condition
- Good
- Binding
- Soft cover
- Language
- English
- ISBN 10
- 1844037932
- ISBN 13
- 9781844037933
From a creative crisis to a dissatisfied editor, and from a bizarre twist of fate to an untimely death, behind each unpublished book lies a unique and compelling story. One of the giants of modern literature, Ernest Hemingway, saw three years of work, including a novel and several short stories, vanish when his wife's suitcase was stolen in the Gare de Lyon in Paris. Evelyn Waugh, on the other hand, burned the manuscript of his first novel and attempted to drown himself after a friend gave it a bad review.
Covering an eclectic range of international authors, both living and dead, The Greatest Books You'll Never Read unearths an alternative literary history that is fascinating and heartbreaking in equal measure.
Each ill-fated book, from Karl Marx's comic novel Scorpion and Felix to Stephenie Meyer's Twilight spin-off Midnight Sun, is examined in an in-depth essay, with selected entries featuring manuscript extracts.
Specially commissioned covers by acclaimed designers illustrate each entry, bringing to life these lost literary wonders.
At once entertaining and enlightening, The Greatest Books You'll Never Read will be loved by bookworms everywhere.
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About the Author
"About the title" may belong to another edition of this title.
World of Books Inc
Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
AbeBooks seller since March 23, 2026
Shipping rates within U.S.A.
| Item | 4 to 12 business days | 3 to 6 business days |
|---|---|---|
| First item | £ 0.00 | £ 8.28 |
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Founded in 2002, World of Books is a leading online destination for buying and selling both preloved and new books, committed to making sustainable reading accessible to all. With a mission to help people read more and waste less, World of Books offers a huge range of affordable, high-quality books — giving both new and preloved titles a second life. The company also operates World of Books – Sell Your Books, an easy-to-use platform that allows customers to trade in unwanted books for cash, helping to keep books in circulation while promoting sustainability. As a Certified B Corp, World of Books is driven by a vision to become the world’s largest and most sustainable dedicated online bookstore. The company measures its success through the positive environmental impact it creates, the value it provides to customers, and its ability to operate profitably while supporting its sustainable mission …
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