Classics Books

Book SynopsisChildren of the Ghetto: A Study of a Peculiar People (1892) is a novel by Israel Zangwill. Raised in London by parents from Latvia and Poland, Zangwill understood the plight of the city’s Jewish community firsthand. Having risen through poverty to become an educator and author, he dedicated his career to the voiceless, the oppressed, and the needy, advocating for their rights and bearing witness to their suffering in some of the most powerful novels and stories of the Victorian era. “People who have been living in a Ghetto for a couple of centuries, are not able to step outside merely because the gates are thrown down, nor to efface the brands on their souls by putting off the yellow badges. The isolation imposed from without will have come to seem the law of their being.” As a Jewish immigrant who grew up in poverty in London, Israel Zangwill knows that the condition of life in the ghetto changes not just lives, but mentalities. Even if the Jews living in squalor on the East End of London were given the same rights as native Britons, they would still live with fear and doubt every day of their lives. In the first novel of his Ghetto series, Zangwill explores the day to day existence of these very people, illuminating their hopes and their dreams, illustrating their struggle to uphold traditions threatened by assimilation and the increasing secularism of modern life. The tales of Jewish life in Children of the Ghetto: A Study of a Peculiar People earned Zangwill comparisons to Dickens upon publication, and helped to establish him as an author with a gift for intensive character study and a passion for political themes. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Israel Zangwill’s Children of the Ghetto: A Study of a Peculiar People is a classic of British literature reimagined for modern readers.

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Book SynopsisThe Delight Makers (1890) is a novel by Adolph Francis Alphonse Bandelier with an introduction by Charles Fletcher Lummis. Written after nearly a decade of research spent living among the Pueblo tribes of New Mexico, The Delight Makers attempts to recreate the past through a blend of fiction and historical analysis. This unique anthropological novel, although naturally limited in scope due to Bandelier’s western worldview, is nevertheless a fascinating example of creative scholarship and a well-intentioned project by an important preservationist of America’s indigenous history. “It is a narrow valley, nowhere broader than half a mile; and from where it begins in the west to where it closes in a dark and gloomy entrance, scarcely wide enough for two men to pass abreast, in the east, its length does not exceed six miles. Its southern rim is formed by the slope of a timbered mesa, and that slope is partly overgrown by shrubbery.” Set in the beautiful landscape of New Mexico, The Delight Makers is the story of the Queres, ancestors of the modern Pueblos. Once a powerful people ruled by the secretive Koshare, or “Delight Makers,” the Queres faced opposition between local clans and eventually engaged in a catastrophic war with the Tehua tribe. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Delight Makers is a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers.

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Book SynopsisThe Novels of Frances Harper (2021) collects four works of fiction by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, a pioneering figure in African American literature. Minnie’s Sacrifice (1869), originally serialized in the Christian Recorder, addresses such themes as miscegenation, passing, and the institutionalized rape of enslaved women using the story of Moses as inspiration. Sowing and Reaping (1876) is a novel concerned with the cause of temperance in a time when Black families were frequently torn apart by alcoholism. Trial and Triumph (1888-1889) is a politically conscious novel concerned with an African American community doing its best to overcome hardship with love and solidarity. Iola Leroy, or Shadows Uplifted (1892) is a story of liberation set during the American Civil War that deals with such themes as abolition, miscegenation, and passing. Minnie’s Sacrifice begins on a plantation in the American South. A slave named Miriam mourns the untimely death of her only daughter, Agnes, who succumbed while giving birth to a baby boy, leaving her son in her mother’s care. Visiting Miriam’s cabin later that day, Camilla, the master’s daughter, discovers a blond-haired, blue-eyed boy. Bringing this to the attention of her father, Camilla proposes that the boy be sent away from the plantation to be brought up as white. Trial and Triumph is the story of a young orphan girl. With few opportunities for education, and despite her affinity for reading, Annette faces prejudice and indifference from her community, who remain either cautiously protective of their children or too involved with their own problems to pay heed to another struggling youth. Sowing and Reaping is a tale of friendship and tragedy exploring the concerns of the temperance movement. Paul—whose father died young from alcoholism—always places morality ahead of opportunity, while John, a pragmatist at heart, decides to open a saloon. Iola Leroy, or Shadows Uplifted is the story of Iola Leroy, a free-born woman who was forced into slavery due to her mixed racial heritage. Her father Eugene, a wealthy slaveowner, set Iola’s mother free in order to marry her and start a family. When he died from a sudden illness, Eugene left his family in grave danger, and Marie and her children were soon torn from freedom by Eugene’s spiteful relatives. These novels by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, a groundbreaking nineteenth century writer, inspired such figures as Zora Neale Hurston and Ida B. Wells. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Novels of Frances Harper is a classic of African American literature reimagined for modern readers.

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Book SynopsisJane’s Career: A Story of Jamaica (1913) is a novel by H. G. de Lisser. Born and raised in Jamaica, H. G. de Lisser was one of the leading Caribbean writers of the early twentieth century. Concerned with issues of race, urban life, and modernization, de Lisser dedicated his career to representing the lives and concerns of poor and middle-class Jamaicans. In Jane’s Career: A Story of Jamaica, the first West Indian novel to feature a Black protagonist, de Lisser captures the hope and struggle of a young woman leaving home for the first time. “‘Jane,’ he continued impressively after a pause, ‘Kingston is a very big an’ wicked city, an’ a young girl like you, who de Lord has blessed wid a good figure an’ a face, must be careful not to keep bad company.’” Preparing to send young Jane off to the Jamaican capital, village elder Daddy Buckram attempts to offer her advice on how to keep herself safe from Satan and sinners alike. Despite his serious tone and gloomy portrait of urban life, all Jane can think of is the wonder and excitement waiting for her in Kingston. Raised in the countryside, brought up in a conservative Christian family, Jane sees her new job as a means of achieving independence and establishing her own identity as a proud black woman, of forging her own path in a new, modern Jamaica. In spite of her dreams, however, Jane finds herself subjected to the cruelties of her employer Mrs. Mason, who threatens to send a letter to her parents alleging all sorts of imagined misdeeds. Through it all, she tries to maintain a sense of pride, hopeful that hard work—and even romance—will set her free. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of H. G. de Lisser’s Jane’s Career: A Story of Jamaica is a classic of Jamaican literature reimagined for modern readers.

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Book SynopsisTwo hundred years have not dimmed Fielding's realism. His humor is closer to our own than that of any other writer before the present century.”-Kingsley Amis “An exquisite picture of human manners.”-Edward Gibbon “The plotting is complex, astonishing and perfect. It brims with good nature and generosity of spirit....it's full of jokes, suspense, cliffhangers, narrative reversals and pathos.”-Jonathan Cole The History of Tom Jones is Henry Fielding's greatest work and one of literature's earliest examples of a fully realized protagonist, with both virtues and vices on abundant display. The picaresque story of the orphan Tom, his exile, then subsequent adventures and loves is bristling with the spirit of mid-18th century Britain yet remains a deeply ambitious novel.The frank portrayal of human nature and innovative narrative structure of this classic continues to entice readers hundreds of years after it's publication. When Mr. Allworthy, a kind country squire, returns from London he finds a baby boy in one of the beds of his estate. Through his inquiry, he determines that the mother is a local woman named Jenny Jones. Allworthy sends her away from the country, and decides to raise the boy, named Tom Jones, with his unmarried sister in their home. Soon after, Allworthy's sister marries and gives birth to her own boy, known as Blifil. He initially appears to be virtuous, yet as he grows it becomes apparent he inherently deceitful. Years later, when Squire Allworthy falls ill Blifil betrays Tom, and he is banished from the house. In his exile, Tom's adventures across his country begin. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The History of Tom Jones is both modern and readable.

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Book SynopsisWhile the plague ravishes major cities, a group of Italian men and women seek shelter at a countryside estate telling stories to pass the time. Giovanni Boccaccio’s imaginative writing style elevates the multilayered novellas ranging from romance to satire. Seven young women and three men have isolated themselves in a villa hoping to avoid the looming disease that’s consumed their nation. Every day, as a form of entertainment, each person tells a story to the group. It must fit a specific theme, keeping the concept fresh and inspired. The storytelling consists of romance and humor as well as death and deception. It’s a vibrant display of the author’s skill as he produces 100 captivating tales over the course of 10 days. The Decameron is a timely interpretation of isolation in the midst of a global pandemic. It starts quaint but builds into a massive narrative that spans genres and themes. With surprising twists and turns, the book is an engaging text that will keep readers guessing. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Decameron is both modern and readable.

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Book Synopsis”Dumas is a master of ripping yarns full of fearless heroes, poisonous ladies and swashbuckling adventurers.”-The Guardian “I do not say there is no character as well-drawn in Shakespeare (as D’Artagnan). I do say that there is none that I love so wholly.”-Robert Louis Stevenson “a masterpiece which remains as fresh and living as if it were written yesterday.”-J. Lucas-Dubreton With it’s extraordinary and intoxicating narrative Alexandre Dumas’s The Three Musketeers(1844) has captivated the imaginations of readers for hundreds of years. The deliriously robust adventure follows the journey of a swaggering young Gascon who yearns to become an elite Musketeer of the guard of the Ancien Régime of 17th century France. This timeless novel of intrigue and romance, initially published in French as Les Trois Mousquetaires in 1844, begins as the young hero D’Artagnan journeys from his home in the province of Gascony to Paris to fulfill his dream of seeking a fortune. A skillful swordman, noble and intelligent, he is given a letter of introduction to the head of the King’s Musketeers, the distinguished Monsieur de Treville. During his first stop at an inn, D’Artagnan is involved in a fight, and his letter is stolen. Undeterred by his setback, he meets Treville at his headquarters, and is given a post as a King’s Guard to prove his worthiness of becoming a Musketeer. After a contentious run-in with three of the most notable of the King’s Musketeers, he agrees to a duel. The bout with the distinguished Athos, the reticent Aramis, and the brash Portos result in a remarkable friendship between the four men. The masterful story of the intrigues and the adventure of D’Artagnan and the three Musketeers, is a timeless classic and has been the inspiration of numerous film, television, and stage adaptations. /p> With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Three Musketeers is both modern and readable.

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Book SynopsisAn embattled inheritance, accusations of madness, scheming villainy and much more tie into the labyrinthine plot of one of the most celebrated and sensational novels of the Victorian era.” A young man just beginning a new job in London meets with a strange woman on a moonlit road, offers her assistance getting into the city and then finds she may have just escaped an asylum. Hidden connections are unveiled between the family that employs the young man and the mysterious woman, pulling the reader into a suspenseful web of plots within plots, theft, betrayal, mistaken identities and attempted murder. Punctuating his dramatic narrative with sharp suspense and sudden moments of revelation that provide shock and understanding in equal measure, Wilkie Collins was pioneer of the literary thriller. In 1859, when serialized in Charles Dickens magazine, All the Year Round, crowds lined up to buy each installment of The Woman in White. Modern readers will be grateful to have the entire text at hand as the author’s remarkable storytelling skills retain their power to ensnare, enchant and keep the pages turning toward the unpredictable conclusion. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Woman in White is both modern and readable.

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Book SynopsisLost Illusions (1837-1843) is a novel by French author Honoré de Balzac. Written as part of his La Comédie humaine sequence, Lost Illusions looks at scenes of Parisian and provincial life involving friendship, desire, and literary ambition. Inspired by his own experiences as a journalist and publisher, Balzac sought to tell a story adjacent to his own, a story concerning a young man for whom talent is abundant but recognition is woefully scarce. The novel’s protagonist, Lucien Chardon, features in Balzac’s work A Harlot High and Low, as does the villain Vautrin, who appears toward the end of Lost Illusions and throughout Father Goriot, one of author’s most popular and enduring works. The son of a middle-class father and aristocratic mother, Lucien Chardon is a promising young poet. He lives in Angoulême with his now-impoverished mother—who is also a widow—and his sister Ève. In the province, he spends his days with his loyal friend David Séchard, who encourages his literary lifestyle while studying to be a scientist. David’s eventual marriage to Ève only brings the two friends closer together, but when Lucien meets the wealthy and influential Mme. de Bargeton, with whom he flees to Paris, their friendship is lost to Lucien’s unstoppable ambition. In the city, abandoned by Mme. de Bargeton and living under his mother’s maiden name, Lucien de Rubempré sacrifices morality, friendship, and family at the altar of poetry, slowly becoming another person altogether. Lost Illusions is one of Balzac’s most sustained character studies, a novel which critiques humanity and high society as much as it does his own commercial interests as a professional writer. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Honoré de Balzac’s Lost Illusions is a classic of French literature reimagined for modern readers.

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Book Synopsis”The greatest writer of his time.”-Edmund Wilson “One of the great poets of the novel, a genius of his art”-Edgar Johnson ”His characters are marvelous, his insights wonderful…you don’t expect reality but you get something bigger and better.”-Ruth Rendell The Old Curiosity Shop was initially published in a weekly serial, “Master Humphrey’s Clock”, between 1840 and 1841. Charles Dickens’ story of the frail and innocent orphan had become such a phenomenon that New Yorkers stormed to the wharf in expectation of the ship carrying the final episode from England. The Old Curiosity Shop, ultimately published in book form in 1841, is considered a lesser known work from Dickens, yet its moving story is one of the finest examples of sentimental Victorian literature. Nell Trent, the protagonist of this novel, is an overwhelmingly good little girl who is orphaned into the care of her Grandfather, the purveyor of an odds and ends shop. Her grandfather is a benevolent man, yet he hides behind a dark secret; he has been consumed with the habit of gambling; eventually he gambles away his shop to his creditor Daniel Quilp, one of the most heinous of all of Dickens’ villains. Nell and her grandfather flee London and, in their pursuit, they encounter a range of characters that are both goodhearted and the embodiment of evil. The Old Curiosity Shop is an insightful tragedy of sorrows that that brilliantly paints the range of human intention. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Old Curiosity Shop is both modern and readable.

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Book SynopsisA sharp-witted detective investigates the mystery of a gem, plundered from India and now vanished in England, and discovers shifting motives, unreliable testimony and growing danger in this foundational classic of mystery fiction. The Moonstone justly occupies an exalted position as a groundbreaking novel that opened the way for a great deal of genre fiction, mysteries and thrillers, but it is far more than simply an influence upon later works. This is an epistolary novel with a number of diverse and clearly incised viewpoints, displaying the author’s skill with both character and the unveiling of the elements of a mystery plot. One of the characters is the detective charged with finding the thief who stole the Moonstone, a huge diamond with a bloody history, and he is a clear precursor to A.C. Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. Another character, much remarked upon at the novel’s original release, suffers from opium addiction, depicted with frightening clarity by Collins, who dealt with that issue firsthand. The plot is sensational but relayed realistically and builds to one of the most unusual plot twists in mystery literature, made all the more remarkable by virtue of appearing in the genre’s earliest days. Initially serialized in Charles Dickens magazine All The Year Round, The Moonstone was published in 1868 and has never been out of print since. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Moonstone is both modern and readable.

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Book SynopsisVillette (1853) is a novel by English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was the third and final novel she published in her lifetime, followed only by The Professor, her posthumously released first novel which was largely reconceived and rewritten as Villette. Inspired by Brontë’s experience traveling and teaching English in Brussels, where she went at the age of 26 with her sister Emily before returning alone the following year, Villette is the story of an Englishwoman abroad and contains the themes of loneliness, secrecy, romance, and tragedy which circulate throughout much of her work. Following a family tragedy, Lucy Snowe becomes employed as a caregiver by an elderly woman named Miss Marchmont, who treats her kindly and shares stories of life and lost love. When Miss Marchmont dies, Lucy—now without family, home, or employment—decides to leave England for Labassecour, a fictional country based on Brontë’s experience of Belgium. She is hired to teach English at a boarding school in the city of Villette, where she meets a strangely familiar English doctor and falls in love with M. Paul Emanuel, a local professor. Although he is a widower, M. Paul faces pressure from family members and religious authorities alike, and is forced to choose between a life of social acceptance and a life with the woman he loves. Amidst these circumstances, and haunted by repeated encounters with a nun rumored to be a ghost, Lucy Snowe must rely on her wits and courage as she suffers through not only intense loneliness, but a lack of control over the events which shape her life. Charlotte Brontë’s Villette is a compelling gothic novel which explores the psychological effects of a lack of agency on its protagonist while illuminating the horrors which loom over everyday life. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Charlotte Brontë’s Villette is a classic of English literature reimagined for modern readers.

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Book Synopsis“Uncle Tom’s Cabin is the most powerful and enduring work of art ever written about American slavery”-Alfred Kazin “To expose oneself in maturity to Uncle Tom’s cabin may…prove a startling experience”-Edmund Wilson In Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe created America’s first black literary hero as well as the nation’s antecedent protest novel. The novel’s vast influence on attitudes towards African American slavery was considered an incitation towards the American Civil War; conjointly, its powerful anti-slavery message resonated with readers around the world at its time of publication. With unashamed sentimentality and expressions of faith, Harriet Beecher Stowe, in Uncle Tom’s Cabin tells the story of the lives of African American slaves from a Kentucky plantation; The master’s maid, Eliza; her son, Henry; and, of course, Uncle Tom, the righteous and kind protagonist at the center of the book. When Arthur Selby, a Kentucky slave-owner decides to sell his slaves due to dire financial turns, Eliza runs away with her son, and Tom is sold to a slave trader named Haley. On a Mississippi river boat, Tom’s fortunes are revered after he rescues Eva, a young white girl, from drowning. Eva’s kind father is so moved by Tom’s bravery that he buys him from Haley and brings him into his New Orleans home. In the series of calamitous events that follow, Tom ultimately finds himself in the bondage of the diabolical master Simon Legree. Still provoking controversies to this day, this is one of American literature’s most important works of social justice. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Uncle Tom’s Cabin is both modern and readable.

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Book Synopsis Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe is a Saxon knight whose allegiance to King Richard and love for Lady Rowena severely damages his relationship with his father. He is disinherited from his family and must find a respectable way to re-enter society. In twelfth-century England, tensions between the Saxons and Normans are at an all-time high. Following the Third Crusade, Sir Wilfred Ivanhoe, a Saxon knight, offers his support to the Norman King Richard, which pits him against his father, Cedric. Ivanhoe is also in love with the beautiful Lady Rowena, whom Cedric has promised to another. Due to his actions, the knight loses his family claim and is left to fend for himself. Ivanhoe chooses to conceal his identity, entering a tournament to regain his honor and the admiration of Lady Rowena. A classic tale informed by historical events, Ivanhoe is one of Sir Walter Scott’s most enduring stories. It was famously adapted in 1952 as a feature film starring Robert Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor and Joan Fontaine. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Ivanhoe is both modern and readable.

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Book Synopsis Born in a small Colorado town, Thea Kronborg’s aspirations to be a famed musician makes it difficult for her to fit in. With the reputation of being different and strange, Thea has a challenging time getting along with her siblings and peers, though her mother and Aunt are supportive of her dreams. When Thea’s piano instructor is run out of town over a scandal, Thea takes over his business at age fifteen. She is also forced by her father to play the organ at their church because he believes this new devotion to a job would make her less pious. Despite her new jobs and outlet for her musical ability, Thea feels unsatisfied in Colorado, but when tragedy strikes, she finally gets an opportunity to chase her dreams. After the death of a local conductor that had been enamored by her, Thea inherits enough money to pursue a formal music education in Chicago. During her piano training, and with the help of some of her Chicago friends and mentors, Thea realizes that she has an impressive singing voice. After feeling inspired by a visit to the orchestra, Thea decides to pursue a career as an opera singer. With a new dream and drive, Thea struggles to achieve her goals without compromising her values and independence. Willa Cather’s The Song of the Lark breaks the conventions of its time with the depiction of an independent woman protagonist with aspirations outside of the home. Cather also challenged the typical depiction of small-town country life by presenting realities such as the common uniformity and intolerance sometimes expressed within rural communities. The Song of the Lark remains to be a fascinating look into 19th century rural life, with an unadulterated view on the journey of an artist. This edition of The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather is accommodating to a contemporary audience with a modern font and stunning new cover design.

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Book SynopsisOriginally published in Robin Goodfellow magazine, Lady Audley's Secret is the essential work of Mary Elizabeth Braddon and is considered a staple of sensation fiction. The story centers on a mysterious woman, whose dark past slowly comes to light. Lady Audley is a former governess who marries the wealthy widower, Sir Michael Audley. She thoroughly enjoys the life of privilege and status associated with her new husband. Although she appears beautiful and polished, Lady Audley is more than meets the eye. She has a dark secret that could jeopardize everything she’s worked for. To maintain her façade, she plots and schemes to silence those who threaten her happiness. Lady Audley will stop at nothing to maintain her comfortable lifestyle, including murder. Lady Audley is driven by desperation and fear. Her outlandish behavior leads to an unpredictable narrative taking the reader on a journey full of twists and turns. A combination of melodrama, crime and romance, Lady Audley's Secret is an extreme commentary on Victorian gender and class. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Lady Audley's Secret is both modern and readable.

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Book SynopsisCousin Bette (1846) is a novel by French author Honoré de Balzac. Part of Balzac’s La Comédie humaine sequence, the novel is recognized as being the author’s last fully-realized work, and features several characters who appear elsewhere throughout his legendary series. It has inspired several film and television adaptations, as well as earned comparisons to Shakespeare’s Othello and Tolstoy’s War and Peace. The novel focuses on the life and exploits of Bette Fischer, a 42-year-old woman whose bitterness at remaining unmarried—despite several proposals by men she deemed unworthy—drives her to ruin the reputations and lives of her extended family. After rescuing the young sculptor Wenceslas Steinbock from suicide, Bette develops a complex affection for the man. When he falls in love with Hortense, the daughter of Bette’s cousin Adeline, she hatches a plan to gain revenge for this perceived personal slight. She recruits the young and beautiful Valérie Marneffe—an unhappily married woman—to seduce Adeline’s husband, Baron Hector Hulot, whose uncontrolled desires and extensive vanity both test his family’s loyalty and stretch their finances to the furthest possible limit. Cousin Bette is an intense psychological drama and character study that burns with the fire of Balzac’s critique of French society. While exposing the depths of human immorality—particularly where money is made the center of personal relationships—Balzac manages to remind us that what makes us human is not what drives us apart, but the lengths to which we will go to cultivate love despite our basest impulses. To read Cousin Bette is to observe the hopes, flaws, and desires of the people of nineteenth century France, but to ultimately judge ourselves. This final masterpiece of Honoré de Balzac is a testament to the skill and dedication of one of history’s finest literary minds. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Honoré de Balzac’s Cousin Bette is a classic of French literature reimagined for modern readers.

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Book Synopsis“The style of Hawthorne is purity itself. His tone is singularly effective-wild, plaintive, thoughtful, and in full accordance with his themes.”- Edgar Allan Poe “To this little book we would say ‘Live ever, sweet, sweet book.’ It comes from the hand of a man of genius.”-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Twice-Told Tales is a spectacularly rich collection of thirty-nine penetrating stories. With a rare purity of style, these tales chronicle both familiar life and haunted specters through a lens of subtle mysticism and deep melancholy. The title is a nod to Shakespeare’s line “Life is a tedious as a twice-told tale/Vexing the ear of a drowsy man.”; it furthermore is Hawthorne’s acknowledgment that these stories all had been previously published in various magazines and newspapers of the day. Never one to shy from exploring themes of darkness and morality, these stories beg for repeated readings in order to fully grasp their true richness; yet, there is a sheer enjoyment in the subtle, truly imaginative beauty in each one. Amongst this collection are the tales “The Ambitious Guest,” “The Minister’s Black Veil,” “The May-Pole of Merry Mount,” “The Hollow of Three Hills,” “The Haunted Mind,” and “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment” which was adapted into the 1963 Horror Film starring Vincent Price. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Twice-Told Tales is both modern and readable.

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Book Synopsis“The White Companyis a lively romance, and very good reading for boys and friends of old times and tall knights.” -Andrew Lang “Start a story by Conan Doyle and you cannot stop reading, whether you are ten or sixty.”-Michael Dirda “The immense talent, passion and literary brilliance that Conan Doyle brought to his work gives him a unique place in English letters.”-Stephen Fry Arthur Conan Doyle’s The White Company (1891) is a vivid and action-packed historical adventure novel set against the backdrop of the Hundred Years’ War in 14th century Western Europe. With Doyle’s impeccable eye for historical accuracy, this chivalric tale of a motley gang of Saxon knights en route to battle in France is a breathtaking window into the medieval world. When Alleyne, a young Saxon noble-man who has been raised in a monastery comes of age, he is in accordance with his father’s will, instructed to experience the outside world. As Alleyne travels through England he meets two men in search of adventure; Hordle John and Samkin Aylward. They convince the young lad to join them on their journey to the castle of the enigmatic knight Sir Nigel Loring. When they arrive they learn that Sir Nigel had been chosen to lead the White Company, the English stalwart archers, into battle against the French. Under the banner of Sir Nigel, our valiant heroes fall into increasingly thrilling adventures, including a swashbuckling episode with pirates on the high seas, chivalric battles, and epic feats as the White Company strive in their unswerving appetite for glory in battle. With The White Company readers of all ages will fall under the spell of one of the most thrilling and accurate historical adventures ever penned. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The White Company is both modern and readable.

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Book SynopsisAfter the death of her parents, Christie Devon declares her autonomy and desire to pioneer a new option for women—working. As a single woman, Christie wants to maintain her independence and work outside the home. She begins her journey discouraged to find that as a woman, her upbringing has failed her in that she was not taught a trade, as men often were, but rather the duties of a housewife. Christie first works as a maid, knowing there was no shame in the work itself. However, society was keen on making the work typical of women humiliating, and Christie soon finds that her pride cannot handle being a maid. Next, Christie works as an actress. She enjoys this work, though is discouraged by some of the “unvirtuous” aspects of the job. When she doesn’t obtain the success she was hoping for, Christie begins factory work. In the face of endless dilemmas, discouragement, and discrimination, Christie becomes even more determined not only to pave a path of success and independence for herself, but to inspire it for other women as well. Accompanied by an odd but lovable assortment of friends, including a radical priest, a prostitute, and a freed slave, Christie nurtures her ambition while keeping her values, becoming an advocate for women in the workplace. On the frontlines of the start of women working outside the home, Work: A Story of Experience depicts life as a working woman during the Industrial era. As an advocate for women’s rights, Louisa May Alcott demonstrates in her novel that a woman can have both love and work. Alcott’s feminism translates as modern even today, as there are still lingering ideas that a woman who works is selfish. Work: A Story of Experience defies this, depicting Christie, a woman who exudes ambition while maintaining her loving virtues. This edition of Louisa May Alcott’s Work: A Story of Experience is redesigned with an eye-catching new cover and easy-to-read print. Work: A Story of Experience depicts the semi-autobiographical struggles of author Louisa May Alcott as a working women in the 19th century, but also exemplifies feminism and romance that is still both admirable and applicable.

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Book Synopsis “An imaginative, entertaining adventure story.”-E.F. Bleiler “Enchantment is just what this writer exercised; he fixed pictures in our minds that thirty years have been unable to wear away.”-Graham Green She and Allan is one of H. Rider Haggard’s most exciting novels of adventure and romance. In bringing together two of his most compelling characters, Allan Quatermain, the quirky English Big-Game hunter and explorer, and the seductive and iconic supernatural African Queen Ayesha, or popularly know as “she-who-must-be-obeyed”, Haggard has created one of the most exciting stories in his body of work. When Allan Quatermain seeks out the Zulu witch-doctor Zikali in the south of Africa to determine if he can communicate with the dead, he is instructed to travel to a lost kingdom deep in the interior of Africa. Zikali reveals that the truth of his inquiry will only be revealed if Quatermain delivers a message to a mysterious and supernatural white sorceress who rules over a tribe living in the ruins of an ancient city. Quatermain sets out on a perilous journey through uncharted lands full of cannibals, wild beasts, and treacherous brushes with death. When he finally reaches the rubble of the lost kingdom of Kôr, he is summoned into the presence of the immortal Queen Ayesha, “she-who-must-be-obeyed,” and is requested to lead her army into battle against the dreaded kingdom of Rezu. A spellbinding tale of supernatural fiction, She and Allan is one of the most intriguing and exotic works of early 20th century Fantasy. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of She and Allan is both modern and readable.

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Book Synopsis Set in an industrial city in Northern England during the Victorian era, Thomas Gradgrind, a wealthy and retired man, devotes his life to the rationalist philosophy, and raises his children, Louisa and Tom, to never engage in any imaginative activity. The two grow up feeling confused, like something is missing in their lives, yet are unable figure out what exactly that is and affected differently by their upbringing. Louisa struggles to feel joy, and Tom struggles to find ethical standards. When Josiah Bounderby, a crass, rich man, asks for Louisa’s hand in marriage, she cannot find a rational reason not to marry him. He would elevate her social status, was a friend of her father, and employed her brother at his bank. She decides to marry Bounderby, despite feeling no love for him. Meanwhile, Stephen, a poor laborer in one of the city’s factories, who is struggling under the oppression of the upper classes, meets Tom and Louisa, inspiring them in different ways. When the city is shocked by a scandalous and devastating bank robbery, Stephen, Tom, and Louisa’s lives are forever changed, and Gradgrind must question the strict beliefs on which he relies. Hard Times by Charles Dickens is revered not only for its skillfully constructed prose, but also its critique of capitalist and utilitarian philosophy. Dickens’ empathetic portrayal of the effects of such beliefs raises concern and advocates for the conservation of human creativity and joy in a way that is still applicable today. With an eye-catching cover design and a modern font, Hard Times by Charles Dickens is a thought-provoking novel written by the greatest and most influential writers of the Victorian era.

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Book Synopsis “An imaginative, entertaining adventure story.”-E.F. Bleiler “Enchantment is just what this writer exercised; he fixed pictures in our minds that thirty years have been unable to wear away.”-Graham Green There are few equals to the thrilling adventure-fantasy novels of H. Rider Haggard, and of all of his series the Ayesha novels have been the favorites of his fans. In this final chronological installment of the novels, Ayesha: The Return of She (1905) the adventures of intrigue, the supernatural, and love continue, yet this time in the deep exotic wilds of the Asian continent. After the immortal African Queen Ayesha, or “She”, apparently perishes in a tower of fire, the Englishman Horace Holly and his adopted son Leo Vincey return home from their African journey. Twenty years later, the pair are still haunted by the strange memories of the beautiful but cruel supernatural being “She”, and eventually Leo is afflicted by powerful visions of her presence. In agreement that she is still roaming the earth, Holly and Leo set out for Asia, and eventually to “Thibet”, where they make perilous journeys through the jungles and mountainous peaks of the uncharted wild. Through battles with immortals, death-hounds and sorceresses they are finally re-united with Ayesha. As Holly and Leo are pulled further into the world of the occult it becomes clear that the Queen’s ambitions are nefarious, yet they have inexplicably fallen into the allure of her powers. A classic of gothic-fantasy literature, this final installment of the Ayesha series succeeds at creating one of the most exotic and mysterious mythical worlds ever created.

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Book SynopsisGulliver’s strange adventures in some of the most unusual lands ever imagined have made this one of the rare classics with an enduring and wide-ranging appeal to all ages. Gulliver’s bad luck at sea not only gets him shipwrecked and castaway, but repeatedly throws him into strange societies of even stranger people. Readers are likely aware of Gulliver’s experiences in Lilliput, where he meets a kingdom of six-inch-tall people with a set of prejudices that are as rigid as they are ridiculous. They may be less familiar with Gulliver’s time among the giants of Brobdingnag, the science-obsessed residents of the flying island of Laputa or the horse-like and thoughtful Houyhnhnms, all of which are much less well known despite being every bit as inventive and thought-provoking. Swift’s straightforward narrative style adds both realism and a kind of deadpan humor to his outrageous flights of the imagination. The fantastical nature of Gulliver’s adventures have led the book, especially the section taking place in Lilliput, to be seen by some as a story for children, but the tale’s political and philosophical underpinnings are not hidden and cast a decidedly skeptical eye on humanity. Seen as a collection of delightful fairy tales or as fables that probe the nature of society, Gulliver’s Travels occupies a unique position in the canon of English literature and will undoubtedly be reinterpreted, and enjoyed, as long as books are read. Included in this Mint Edition is Swift’s fierce satirical essay, A Modest Proposal. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Gulliver’s Travels is both modern and readable.

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Book SynopsisFather Goriot (1835) is a novel by French author Honoré de Balzac. An early work in his La Comédie humaine sequence, Father Goriot has since become one of Balzac’s most critically and commercially successful novels. It contains several characters who appear throughout his other books and is considered to be the first novel in which he perfected his hallmark realist style. The novel, set in Paris, follows Eugène de Rastignac, a young law student who lives at a boarding house owned by a widow named Madame Vauquer. Her other residents include Jean-Joachim Goriot, a retired businessman whose fortune has been spent on his two adult daughters, and Vautrin, a hardened and mysterious criminal. As Rastignac navigates urban life, he develops a fascination with high society that soon turns into an unhealthy obsession with joining the ranks of the wealthy. Although he falls in love with Goriot’s daughter Delphine, a married woman, Rastignac is pressured by Vautrin to court the young unmarried Victorine. Proposing they attempt to steal her family’s fortune—for which he offers to have her brother murdered—Vautrin does his best to corrupt the young and ambitious Rastignac, who will gradually be forced to choose between a life of luxury and a life of moral decency. In the background of their plotting, the story of Father Goriot unfolds, a tragic portrait of a man who gives everything to his family while wanting nothing more than their love and respect in return. Father Goriot is a complex yet effective novel. Criticized for extensive pessimism upon publication, its reputation for brutal honesty and social realism have aided its reception in recent years, and it is now considered one of Balzac’s most important works. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Honoré de Balzac’s Father Goriot is a classic of French literature reimagined for modern readers.

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Book Synopsis"[James] is the most intelligent man of his generation." -T. S. Eliot "Reading Henry James is like putting a new faculty to the test. This is the true morality.” -Anita Brookner “A very modern story about aimless lives and messy marriages”- Paul Theroux Henry James’ What Maisie Knew (1897) is one of the author's most piercing works of fiction, am impassioned look at the events of a young girls life as she is shuffled between her self-absorbed divorced parents. In this astonishingly modern novel, the damaging constructs of society and the illusions of respectability are seen through the perspective of an unforgettable child from her earliest years until a teenager. Maisie Farange, only six-years old at the onset of the novel, is a child of two narcissistic parents: Beale and Ida, who are only using the young child as a pawn in their own egomaniacal games. As the bitter divorce of her parents is settled in split custody, the emotional cruelty only increases. She is cared for by two governesses; the homely Mrs. Wix at her Mother’s house, and the beautiful Miss Overmore at her father’s home. As each parent re-marries much younger spouses, and those relationship in turn fail, Maisie is entangled in a web of moral corruption and psychological abuse. James’s tragic story of an innocent child caught between the corruption of the adult world is a thought-provoking and devastating meditation on failed responsibility.

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Book SynopsisTarzan of the Apes is the first story and origin of one of modern fiction’s most enduring and mythic heroes. Raised in the savage jungle, young Lord Greystoke must reckon with brutal beasts and still crueler civilized enemies to understand and claim his human heritage. Viscount and Lady Greystoke survive a shipwreck on the jungle coast of Africa where their son is born. The couple perishes but the boy is taken in by a mother ape who recently lost her own child. Raised among apes and utterly unfamiliar with his humanity, young Tarzan discovers the cabin his father built and learns something of who he is and why he is so different from his ape companions. Pitted against a steady stream of daunting challenges, Tarzan will rise to rule his tribe of apes and encounter fellow humans at last, when another shipwreck maroons lovely Jane Porter and her comrades on his shore. By couching his extravagant imagination in clear, direct prose the author balances his novel on a razor edge between realistic drama and pure fairy tale. Tarzan remains a unique and indelible character, capable of terrifying acts of bestial violence or noble acts of loyalty and self-sacrifice. Originally serialized in a magazine in 1912, Tarzan of the Apes was issued in book form in 1914, the first volume in what would become a series of 24 books and a pop culture legacy that would encompass film, radio, television, comics and more. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Tarzan of the Apes is both modern and readable.

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Book SynopsisEdgar Huntly, or, Memoirs of a Sleepwalker (1799) is a novel by American author Charles Brockden Brown. Combining the suspenseful style of Gothic fiction with such thematic interests as consciousness, morality, and truth, Brown’s novel shows the profound influence of European literature on his aesthetic while grounding the narrative in a distinctly American setting. Following the murder of his friend Waldegrave, the young Edgar Huntly devotes himself to uncovering the mystery of his death. While walking at night near the scene of the crime, Huntly sees a servant from a nearby farm named Clithero digging in the ground beneath a willow. Initially horrified at the man’s strange behavior and disheveled appearance, Huntly soon becomes suspicious and decides to question Clithero. After realizing that the man is a sleepwalker, he confronts Clithero, who denies murdering Waldegrave but admits his guilt in murdering a man in his native Ireland. Disappointed but eager as ever to find his friend’s killer, Edgar continues his search. When he wakes up in a dark cave, completely disoriented and on the brink of starvation, Edgar must fend off the merciless local wildlife and escape captivity by the Lenni Lenape tribe in order to survive. Charles Brockden Brown’s Edgar Huntly, or, Memoirs of a Sleepwalker is a harrowing work of mystery, horror, revenge, and survival which not only serves as a fine example of Gothic fiction, but as a detailed psychological portrait of settler colonial life. This early masterpiece of American literature, among Brown’s other works, would inspire the novels of James Fenimore Cooper, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and countless other authors whose works employ elements of mystery, suspense, and horror. Brown’s novel is perfect for readers looking for a terrifying tale with philosophical and psychological depth, as well as for those interested in the early days of American fiction. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Charles Brockden Brown’s Edgar Huntly, or, Memoirs of a Sleepwalker is a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers.

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Book Synopsis“The immense talent, passion and literary brilliance that Conan Doyle brought to his work gives him a unique place in English letters.”-Stephen Fry ”Doyle’s modesty of language conceals a profound tolerance of the human complexity”-John Le Carré ”Holmes has a timeless talent, passion and literary brilliance that puts him heads, shoulders and deerstalker above all other detectives.”- Alexander McCall Smith Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes is the quintessential collection of some of the most thrilling exploits of Detective Holmes and Dr. Watson. These eleven stories of literature’s greatest and most popular detective demonstrate Sherlock Holmes’s astounding power of deduction on full display. The stories in this treasured volume were initially published in serial form in The Strand magazine from December 1892 until December 1893, then in book form in late 1893. Set in the foggy moors of England and in the dark alleyways of Victorian London, this classic collection includes some of the best detective yarns ever written. Among the most popular tales within The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes are “Silver Blaze”, infamous for the “curious incident of the dog in the night-time”, and it’s setting in the late-Victorian sporting world; the controversial tale “The Adventure of the Cardboard Box”, originally deemed too inappropriate for publication in the original edition. Of all of the stories in the collection “The Final Problem” is the most notorious; Doyle had made the decision to stop writing about the character of Sherlock Holmes and within this legendary short story, killed off the character of Sherlock Holmes. This resulting outcry of the public was unlike anything else in literary history. Other stories include; “The Adventure of the Yellow Face”, “The Adventure of the Stockbroker’s Clerk”, “The Adventure of the Gloria Scott”, The Adventure of the Mugrave Ritual”, “The Adventure of the Reigate Squire”, “The Adventure of the Crooked Man”, “The Adventure of the Resident Patient”, “The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter”, and “The Adventure of the Navel Treaty”.As this brilliant collection demonstrates, Sherlock Holmes is one of the most engaging literary companions any reader could hope for. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes is both modern and readable.

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Book SynopsisThe Black Arrow, first serialized in 1883, was eventually published as a novel by Robert Louis Stevenson in 1888. Although it was initially written for children, and has since remained relatively undervalued by critics, The Black Arrow has garnered praise from such figures as John Galsworthy for its richly imagined setting and vibrant dialogue. Set in fifteenth-century England during the infamous War of the Roses, The Black Arrow follows the young Richard “Dick” Shelton’s journey of growth and discovery in a time of violence and terror. When the outlaws known as The Black Arrow attack his home, a strange rhyme discovered at the scene leaves Dick curious as to the true nature of his father’s death. Sent to warn Sir Daniel—who has been chosen to care for Tunstall until Dick comes of age—the hero meets the heiress Joanna. The two follow Sir Daniel back to Tunstall, where Dick discovers that his father was murdered by the man appointed to protect him. In order to get revenge, and to rescue Joanna from captivity, Dick joins the outlaws of The Black Arrow and is knighted for his service in battle to the Duke of Gloucester. A classic of adventure and romance, The Black Arrow is a novel in which a young man faces down danger in order to protect what he loves. Published amid what is arguably Stevenson’s most productive decade, The Black Arrow is often overshadowed by such works as Treasure Island and Kidnapped. What makes it worth reading, however, is its timeless tale of perseverance and growth that transports the reader to one of England’s darkest periods. It is both historical and romantic, a story for children and adults alike. To read Stevenson is to enter a world unlike any other, and yet so strangely familiar it might be our own. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this new edition of Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Black Arrow is a classic of literature reimagined for modern readers.

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Book SynopsisEager to learn the rules of magic, Lucius agrees to participate in a shapeshifting spell that suddenly goes awry, transforming the man into a donkey. His life is abruptly upended as he is attacked, stolen and sold multiple times before finding relief through divine intervention. Lucius is enamored with witchcraft and begs a woman to transform him into a bird. Unfortunately, she fails, and he is immediately turned into an ass. This leads to a tumultuous journey that takes Lucius away from his friends and puts him into the hands of strangers. He is sold by thieves, cooks and farmers, forced to engage in strange and laborious tasks. With each owner comes a different set of obstacles and inevitable misunderstandings. A rare text stemming from Roman antiquity, The Golden Ass is infused with mythological elements. The story covers a wide range of topics from witchcraft to adultery and murder. This expansive narrative has enough twists to keep any reader on the edge of their seat. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Golden Ass is both modern and readable.

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Book SynopsisAdolf Verloc is working as a spy in London, when he’s recruited to commit a terrorist act that could endanger the lives of countless citizens. It’s a professional decision that has an unexpected impact on his personal life. Adolf Verloc lives in London and runs a shop where he sells underground books and materials. He’s considered a member of a local anarchist group but is also a spy for a foreign government. His handler, Mr. Vladimir, instructs him to plant a bomb in the Greenwich Observatory. Verloc initially resists but cowers to Mr. Vladimir’s threats. Using a time jump and different perspectives, the novel examines the impact of Verloc’s fateful actions. The Secret Agent is a standout among Joseph Conrad’s stellar bibliography. With its descriptive setting and political themes, the author creates a truly captivating tale. It’s a thrilling account of espionage, betrayal and homegrown terrorism. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Secret Agent is both modern and readable.

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Book SynopsisWieland (1798) is a novel by American author Charles Brockden Brown. Considered the first American Gothic novel, this a story of psychological horror and occult mystery based on the real-life James Yates Murders. The novel follows the Wieland family, whose father immigrated to the American colonies prior to the Revolutionary War in order to found a fanatical religious sect. Following his mysterious death, his children attempt to build normal, prosperous lives—Theodore marries his sister’s childhood friend Catharine Pleyel, and together they have four children, while Clara begins to imagine a life with Henry, Catharine’s brother. After several years, however, they begin to hear voices compelling them to do bizarre and terrible things. Amidst this inexplicable terror, a man named Carwin—who has the gift of multiple voices—appears, changing their lives forever. Wieland by Charles Brockden Brown is a masterpiece of horror and Gothic fiction with emotional depth and psychological intensity, and remains a landmark work of American literature. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Charles Brockden Brown’s Wieland is a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers.

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Book SynopsisAs it is common and necessary in the academic world, students study art and its history, perceiving many, many works over their academic career. However, it is rare that a piece art can be traced back to a student through personal history. Yet, Professor Fletcher’s pupils get this chance as they study a portrait of a woman named Lady Hammerton. First starting with the story of his grandfather’s scandalous marriage to a woman twenty-four years younger than him, Professor Fletcher leads the discussion on the intriguing story behind the portrait, and the colorful personality and accomplishments of the lady immortalized on the canvas. While the students hear of stories both heart-breaking, inspirational, and shocking, they become even more invested when they realize the uncanny resemblance a fellow student, Milly, shares with the woman in the painting. As they learn of their blood connection, the students keep these stories in mind as they continue their studies with a greater perspective. Though not often found in print, The Invader: A Novel by Margaret Louisa Woods is a compelling and thought-provoking read. Through the exploration of topics such as art, history, and ancestry, this dramatic novel allows modern readers a privileged perspective into the culture of the early 20th century, especially concerning the academic world. With captivating characters, and vivid description, The Invader: A Novel is alluring and fascinating. Decorated with Woods’ gorgeous and poem-like prose, The Invader: A Novel intimately depicts characters and scenery that stay imprinted on readers’ minds long after the narrative is finished. This edition of The Invader: A Novel by Margaret Louisa Woods features an eye-catching new cover design and is presented in a font that is both modern and readable. With these accommodations, this edition is accessible and appealing to contemporary audiences, restoring The Invader: A Novel to modern standards while preserving the poetic prose and mastery of Margaret Lousia Woods’ work.

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Book Synopsis Portraying the revolving clash between class ideals, Antic Hay is a stunning cultural critique on life in London circa 1923. With a sharp comedic edge, author Aldous Huxley delivers a novel of ideas aimed at characterizing the unsettling times following the end of World War I. With over-the-top characters, and ensuing brutish conversations, Antic Hay doesn’t follow a typical narrative arc. Huxley’s work portrays a world entirely fabricated on gossip, lies, and one man’s yearning for societal approval. Dripping with prose that brandished Huxley as somewhat of an iconoclast, Antic Hay has been hailed as Huxley’s first masterpiece, paving the way for books with even more controversial subject matter like that of his most popular novel, Brave New World. With an eye-catching cover that mirrors the complexities of Huxley’s world and a professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Antic Hay is both modern and readable. Also included is a new note about the author.

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Book SynopsisCatherine Morland is modest and well mannered, more comfortable reading her novels than socializing with people. When she is unexpectedly invited to the English resort city of Bath for the winter season, where many wealthy families reside, Catherine seizes the opportunity. Eager to create some excitement in her life, Catherine will not miss the doldrums of her home in the countryside. Catherine quickly makes friends with Isabella Thorpe, a coquettish young woman who has a predilection for spreading gossip. Quirky, outspoken, and with her nose in everybody’s business, Isabella is the complete opposite in personality to Catherine. Soon after her arrival in Bath, Catherine is invited by a family called the Tilneys to stay for a few weeks at their home, Northanger Abbey. Excited for the prospect of living out the very same circumstances as in her beloved gothic novels, Catherine is in for a rather rude awakening. From attending dances, to socializing with members of the upper-class, to investigating a mysterious wing of the old manor that no one is allowed to enter, Catherine escapes her sheltered life for one that is crowded with love, mystery, and betrayal. When she is finally forced to return home from Northanger Abbey, she is left with her wild imagination and a longing for her own chance at love. Worried she has spent too much time with her nose in a book, Catherine is faced with a stark reality-check, she must grow up fast or fear ending up alone. Northanger Abbey parodies the traditional gothic novel in subtle ways. With references to Ann Radcliffe’s gothic novels The Romance of the Forest and The Mysteries of Udolpho, Jane Austen created the character of Catherine to remind the reader to be weary of an overactive imagination and that one must exercise caution when decoding what is true as well as what we want to believe is true. With an eye-catching new cover, and a professionally type-set manuscript, this revised edition of Northanger Abbey is both modern and readable. Now in a collectable set, read all the great Austen classics from Mint Editions Books.

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Book SynopsisJulian West is an aristocrat in 19th century America. He has all that he would ever need, a happy engagement, wealth, and a pleasant place to live. Because of his comfortable place in society, Julian is unsympathetic to the plight of the middle and lower class, and even looks to their protests and strikes with distain and contempt. One day, to calm himself, he decides to be put in a hypnotic sleep by his doctor, in his own underground bunker. This was routine for Julian, but when tragedy in the form of a fire strikes, Julian is presumed dead and left in the bunker. A century later, Julian is found, but wakes to a world he could never predict. With the help of the man that found him, Doctor Leete, and Leete’s daughter, Edith, Julian becomes familiar with the 20th century American reality of equality between the sexes, the abolition of poverty, free education, and fair working conditions. Julian must then accept recognize his unempathetic views of the past, now understanding that life is better when people of all genders, classes, and race can be happy. But when Julian finds himself back in the 19th century, he struggles to convince others of his knowledge, and starts to wonder if the ideal 20th century was all a dream. Looking Backward was one of the most commercially successful novels of the 19th century, and upon its publication, inspired mass political movement. With the portrayal of the 20th century, Bellamy advocates for equality, and rejects war and capitalism. By depicting a happy working environment, where citizens had the freedom to choose their occupations, receive fair wages, and are able to retire at a reasonable time, Bellamy raises awareness for the working class. Looking Backward has since inspired the ideology of socialism, and proposes solutions to problems that America still struggles with today. This edition of Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy features a striking new cover design and is reprinted in a readable font. With these changes, the compelling plot and insight of Looking Backward is accessible and worthy of conversation.

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Book Synopsis”Doyle’s modesty of language conceals a profound tolerance of the human complexity”-John Le Carré “Every writer owes something to Holmes.” -T.S. Eliot Although Sherlock Holmes is Arthur Conan Doyle’s most popular character, the introduction of Professor Challenger in The Lost World offers readers one of popular fictions most offbeat characters ever penned; In this thrilling adventure story the eccentric and ornery paleontologist leads an expedition into the deep jungle of the Amazon basin in search of prehistoric creatures. in the process they are taken prisoner by a tribe of ape-men and are caught in the middle of a conflict between their captors and a local indigenous tribe. The Lost World is narrated by the unwavering young reporter Edward Malone, who yearns for a spectacular adventure in order to attract the affections of a love interest. When the journalistic opportunity arises to cover the story of the strange expedition of Professor Challenger, Malone accepts the dangerous assignment. The scientific and professional reputation of Professor Challenger had been compromised by his insistent theory that a long extinct species of prehistoric creatures was thriving deep in the Amazon. In the interest in reclaiming his credibility, Professor Challenger enlists four men, including Malone, to prove his theory. Once in the Amazon, the expedition is joined by a flank of native guides who lead the group through the dangers of the jungle and to the remote plateau, which is completely cut off from the surroundings. When the four British explorers cross on a precarious bridge, one of the local guides destroys the overpass in an act of betrayal, trapping the four men on the mysterious plateau. Professor Challenger, Malone, and the other two men set up a camp, and in very little time discover the existence of the great beasts. Gripped in the fear of the great danger of the creatures, their bad fortunes turn worse when everyone but Malone are taken as prisoners by a strange tribe of Ape-Men who also inhibit the plateau. Still in captivity, the men are caught during a violent conflict between the Ape-men and a rival faction of indigenous inhabitants, yet they also have the opportunity for escape. The Lost World is among Sir Conan Doyle’s finest achievements, a thrilling science-fiction classic that continue to captivate readers. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Lost World is both modern and readable.

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Book Synopsis“Mr Wodehouse's idyllic world can never stale. He will continue to release future generations from captivity that may be more irksome than our own. He has made a world for us to live in and delight in.” -Evelyn Waugh “Wodehouse is one of the funniest and most productive men who ever wrote in English. He is far from being a mere jokesmith: he is an authentic craftsman, a wit and humorist of the first water, the inventor of a prose style which is a kind of comic poetry.” -Richard Voorhees First published in 1923, The Inimitable Jeeves follows young Bertie Wooster as he complicates every attempt to aid the easily confused Bingo Little’s pursuit of true love. Disaster surely awaits, unless they can trust in the intervention of Bertie’s serenely competent valet, Jeeves. The Inimitable Jeeves is a chain of short stories masterfully fused into a novel and one of the best-known books about the author’s most famous characters, Bertie Wooster and Jeeves. Well meaning, but often clueless, man-about-town Bertie narrates his adventures with assorted friends and relatives. These deal primarily with his chum Bingo Little’s astounding ability to fall instantly and randomly in love and then conceive of startlingly absurd methods of getting himself into his beloved’s good graces. Wodehouse’s joyous farce showcases his trademark vision of a timeless and comfortable England, a collection of generally less-than-perceptive characters, and most especially his sublime prose- deadpan, precise and ceaselessly inventive. The author’s vision and style have proven uniquely his own, resist any attempt at imitation and will continue to offer readers entrance into a world of charm and urbane hilarity. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Inimitable Jeeves is both modern and readable.

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Book SynopsisImagine a plague so horrific, only forty percent of the population lived to tell the tale. Written as a first-person account of the world’s most dangerous pandemic, the mysterious narrator bears witness to a society that has seemingly given up hope during terrifying times.From mounting death tolls, to horrific bodily ailments, contracting the Black Plague was considered a fate worse than death. Combining his own experiences within each of the two stories, the enigmatic narrator, known only by the initials, H.F., gives a dark and detailed account of one of the most horrific pandemics in human history. H.F. recounts two stories of uniquely different Londoners doing everything in their power to avoid contracting the plague. One story tells of a poor man who takes shelter on his boat, away from his infected wife and child. This man uses his boat to bring provisions to various communities by the water, doing all he can to support sick families. The other story is describes a group of three men, each of different professions, who escape the village in an effort to survive together off the land. Bearing uncanny similarities to the Coronavirus spreading across the globe today, A Journal of the Plague Year is, perhaps, a comforting reminder that times could always be worse. This version contains an informative new note about the author and a professionally typeset manuscript. With a stunning and eye-catching cover, this Mint Edition book is a beautiful edition to any classics bookshelf.

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Book Synopsis"Will writers ever recover that peculiar blend of security and alertness which characterizes Mrs. Wharton and her tradition?” -- E. M. ForsterThe Descent of Man and Other Stories offers the author’s well-known depictions of upper class life in New York, but also exhibits her remarkable talent in tales of humorous irony, history and the supernatural. Originally published in 1904 The Descent of Man and Other Stories features the author’s nuanced prose and sharply observed characters in a chain of unforgettable tales. In several Wharton examines marriage, which was frequently arranged in her era. The author digs deep into her characters to find what can hold a marriage together or slowly pull it apart. The difficulty of establishing and maintaining honest relations in a highly stratified and proper society is a consistent challenge for her characters, especially in the title story in which a man of principle finds himself misunderstood and forced to potentially compromise his beliefs. Wharton also affords glimpses into the trials of being an author, drawing both drama and humor from the profession. There’s a chance to sample the author’s ghostly fiction, which has long been appreciated by aficionados of the macabre. This is a showcase for the author’s range of interests and for her remarkable ability to tell memorable stories that strike to the heart. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Descent of Man and Other Stories is both modern and readable.

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Book SynopsisTarzan and the Jewels of Opar is the fifth adventure in the saga of the jungle lord and features both one of the series most celebrated locations, the lost city of Opar, as well as one of its most celebrated characters, the ruthless, obsessed and fatally beautiful La of Opar. Seeking to make off with some of the lost city of Opar’s treasures, Tarzan survives an earthquake only to take a blow to the head and be stricken with partial amnesia, leaving him more wild beast than man. Tarzan can’t know that the man he rescues from Opar’s Neanderthal inhabitants is actually a deadly foe, or that his wife, Jane, is in mortal danger. Full of entwined plotlines, desperate danger and classic set pieces, Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar features one of the finest lost cities in fiction, a forgotten colony of Atlantis in ruins but still populated by semi-human primitives, full of fabulous treasure, and presided over by La, Opar’s gorgeous and merciless queen. Fashioned in the mold of H. Rider Haggard’s She, La is an unforgettable creation. Her fierce presence and the scenes of Tarzan’s stunning reversion to bestial savagery help make this volume a favorite of many Burroughs aficionados. First appearing in book form in 1918, Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar is part of a rich legacy that includes a series of 24 books and adaptations in film, radio, television, comics and more. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar is both modern and readable.

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Book SynopsisThe Beasts of Tarzan is the third adventure of the jungle lord and displays the author’s mythic hero at his most loyal, as he struggles through terrible trials to reunite his family, and his most savage, as he confronts the men who dared tear his family apart. Edgar Rice Burroughs returns to the chronicles of one of the world’s most celebrated fictional characters, Tarzan of the Apes. Old enemies resurface to torment Tarzan while he’s in England, living as the civilized Lord Greystoke. The kidnapping of his infant son leads to the capture of both parents, and to Tarzan being stranded, unarmed and naked, on the shore of a jungle island. Maddened by a note left by the kidnappers, hinting at a terrible fate for mother and child, and pitted against a savage collection of jungle beasts, Lord Greystoke reverts to his primal self, a savage animal of superhuman ferocity, and the worst opponent a villain could have. Befriending a savage panther and leading a small army of great apes, Tarzan will fight to restore his family and make his enemies pay a heavy price. The author’s vivid imagination and clear prose grants his incredible tale a beguiling verisimilitude, putting the reader into the wild action with the persuasive power of a 20th century myth. Tarzan remains an unforgettable character and a pop culture phenomenon. Originally published in book form in 1914, The Beasts of Tarzan is part of a rich legacy that includes a series of 24 books and adaptations in film, radio, television, comics and more. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Beasts of Tarzan is both modern and readable.

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Book SynopsisEugénie Grandet (1833) is a novel by French author Honoré de Balzac. Written as Balzac began to formulate the grand scale of his La Comédie humaine sequence, Eugénie Grandet was eventually tied into the universe of his epic realist masterpiece, a holistic vision of nineteenth-century French society which sought to observe the consequences of the political, religious, and economic shifts of the Revolution and in its aftermath. This novel looks to the moral failings of a particular nouveau riche family, whose accumulation of wealth has quickly erased any sense of their working-class origins. After the Revolution, master cooper Felix Grandet married the daughter of a successful merchant, ascended in the political and social life of the town of Saumur, and quietly amassed an immense wealth through industry and inheritances from his wife’s family. Now an old man, Felix possesses a fortune he feels no inclination to use, not even to improve the daily lives of his ailing wife and young adult daughter Eugénie, who faces frequent incursions from local suitors intent on marrying her to attain her father’s wealth. When Felix’s nephew Charles arrives from Paris with a letter from the patriarch’s estranged brother Guillaume, tragic circumstances force him to choose between habitual greed and the immense pressure of performing what for anyone else would be a basic act of generosity. Eugénie Grandet is a powerful story of fortune, power, and the ease with which these lead to moral failure. Published at the dawning of Balzac’s most productive and critically-acclaimed period, this novel is not only a good introduction to his lengthy La Comédie humaine sequence, but an irreplaceable work of nineteenth-century realist literature. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Honoré de Balzac’s Eugénie Grandet is a classic of French literature reimagined for modern readers.

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