Classics Books

Book SynopsisWhen Emily Inglethorp is poisoned the police are certain they’ve found the killer, but Hercule Poirot is not so easily satisfied. The sleuth digs deep into a tangled mystery in his debut appearance as the detective hero of Christie’s classic crime series.Agatha Christie’s first mystery novel marks the initial appearance of her renowned Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot, known for his impeccably neat appearance, fine mustache, and ability to cut to the core of some of the most complex and puzzling mysteries ever conceived. Summoned to investigate a murder in an elegant English country house, Poirot begins assembling clues and finding reasons to doubt the apparently obvious culprit was actually responsible for the murder. Riddles and secrets multiply as documents vanish, secret alliances are unveiled and the seemingly unsolvable is broken wide open. Deliberately conceived and written to puzzle devoted mystery fans, The Mysterious Affair at Styles has delighted readers since its first publication in 1920 and marks a perfect entry point for those new to the author or her unforgettable sleuth.With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Mysterious Affair at Styles is both modern and readable.

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Book Synopsis“Holmes has taken on a life of his own in the hearts and minds of a modern world” -The Times “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 Valley of Fear (1915) is the fourth and final installment of the Sherlock Holmes crime novels. This work of riveting suspense and intrigue is loosely based on the infamous 18th Century Irish secret society, The Molly Maguires. First published in serial form in The Strand Magazine in 1914 and 1915, this novel brings Sherlock Holmes face-to-face with the evil Professor Moriarty, one of the most nefarious characters of crime fiction. The Valley of Fear, much like the first Sherlock Holmes novel (A Study in Scarlet) is told in two parts; the first is the bewildering mystery of a murder at a remote English estate, and the second section is told by the man initially thought to be the murder victim, set in the Midwest of the United States. When Sherlock Holmes receives a cipher message at Baker Street, he quickly deciphers its message- that John Douglas, the resident of a remote estate in Sussex is in danger. Soon after decoding the letter Holmes is visited by a policeman and friend who informs him that Douglas has been murdered at Birlstone, the estate. When Holmes and Watson arrive at the scene they are met with a bewildering array of clues, including a disfigured body, bloody footprints, and a missing dumb-bell. When the house servants are interrogated it becomes clear that there is a conspiracy that extends to a secret society called The Freeman, in a Western coal mining town in the United States. The second part of the book moves to the story of the mafia-like gang in the wild west, and ultimately to Holmes’s nemesis, the infamous Professor Moriarty. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Valley of Fear is both modern and readable.

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Book SynopsisOn his deathbed, John Bergson, the head of a Swedish American family, decided to will the family farm to his daughter, Alexandra, instead of her two older brothers. Though it upset his sons, John was firm in his decision, knowing that the conditions in Nebraska required discipline and strength to strive. Alexandra, already a strong-willed woman, accepted the farm and devoted herself to it. Through droughts and depression, Alexandra’s neighbors give up and move away, but Alexandra is determined to make the farm succeed and prove that her father made the right decision. A time jump in the narrative affirms Alexandra’s goals, but invites troubles to rival those presented by the harsh realities of the Nebraska plains. Carl Lindstrum, an old friend and neighbor, comes back into town after his abrupt departure years before, stirring an old flame between he and Alexandra. Emil, Alexandra’s younger brother, also returns home after going to a state college. The two Bergson siblings, Alexandra and Emil, soon find themselves in forbidden relationships. With the pressure of secret love, unpredictable weather, murder, and scandal, Alexandra and Emil must persevere to protect their family and preserve their happiness. Separated into five sections, The Wild Land, Neighboring Fields, Winter Memories, The White Mulberry Tree, and Alexandra, Willa Cather’s O Pioneers! depicts neighborly disputes, forbidden love, family drama, and murder, all to the backdrop of pioneer Nebraska. With themes of feminism and innovation, O Pioneers inspires perseverance and participation in new inventions and ideas. O Pioneers! is the first of the critically acclaimed and commercially praised Great Plains trilogy, entertaining with its drama and sentiment while enlightening audiences with visceral depictions of pioneer life in the early origins of midwestern America. With a new eye-catching cover design and reprinted in an easy-to-read font, this edition of O Pioneers! , written by the esteemed author Willa Cather, is now accessible and appealing for a modern audience.

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Book SynopsisFifteen vivid stories set in Europe and Mansfield’s native New Zealand populate this selection of tales inspired by the complex nature of the human condition. The author delivers an insightful look at modern behavior post-World War I. The Garden Party and Other Stories features multiple tales highlighting the highs and lows of contemporary life. The title story, “The Garden Party,” centers on a wealthy young woman struggling with the concept of mortality, while “The Daughters of the Late Colonel” follows two sisters debating their livelihood after their father’s death. These stories present bold questions and internal conflicts that profoundly affect each character. This selection is an enduring part of Katherine Mansfield’s legacy. Written during her final years, The Garden Party and Other Stories is one of her most viable and celebrated works. It’s a delightful collection of short stories fueled by the intricacies of human nature. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Garden Party and Other Stories is both modern and readable.

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Book Synopsis”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 “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 His Last Bow: Some Reminiscences of Sherlock Holmes(1917) is an outstanding collection of some of the later stories and most dramatic exploits of Detective Holmes and Dr. Watson. These stories were composed between 1908 and 1917, with the exception of the infamous tale “The Cardboard Box”, which was written in 1893. Six of these adventures were initially published The Strand magazine, and the final titular story was published in 1917, in Collier’s magazine. 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. His Last Bow includes a short preface written Dr. Watson, then moves to other highlights including the espionage story “The Adventure of the Bruce Partington Plans”, featuring Sherlock Holmes’s brother, Mycroft; “The Adventure of the Red Circle”, the evocative case of a mysterious tenant and abduction that leads to an Italian criminal syndicate; and final story, “The Last Bow”, a favorite among fans as it features Holmes coming out of his retirement as a detective to work as an undercover agent on the eve of the First World War. This classic of crime literature is a must-have collection for Sherlock Holmes fans. 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 Synopsis“No plainer manifestation of the modernist trend in contemporary English fiction may be found than in Virginia Woolf’s Jacob’s Room”-The New York Times“I have seldom read a cleverer book…it is exquisitely written, but the characters do not vitally survive in the mind because the author has been obsessed by details of originality and cleverness.”-Arnold BennettVirginia Woolf’s third novel, Jacob’s Room (1922), is a penetrating look at one man’s life from childhood until his untimely death in the first World War. On the surface, this could be considered an anti-war novel, yet it is a wildly inventive experimental work that dispels traditional forms of narration. The nebulous central character, Jacob Flanders, is strangely is absent from the novel, yet the spaces he traversed are not. In telling the story of Jacob through the perspective of the characters he encountered through his short life, Woolf has created an exceptional contemplation of memory, time, and identity. Subverting the bildungsroman genre, Jacob’s Room recounts a short and unsettled life through related incidents, fleeting impression, and delirious stream-of-conscience passages. Through an almost cinematic lens, glimpses of Jacob’s early life are recollected through his mother; the idyllic time spent with her children and her uneasy experiences living a widower’s life. Through other voices, Jacob arrives at Cambridge, where he is able to socially integrate despite his humble upbringings. After graduating, he leaves for London, where he interacts with a wide range of individuals, both impoverished and from the wealthy class; yet he never fully connects to a meaningful human relationship. Jacob, questioning whether he is a failure, decides to leave London and travels to Greece. Fortunes abroad turn precarious, and he returns to London only to be sent off to the war, where he is killed in action. As E.M. Forester remarked at the publication of Jacob’s Room, “A new type of fiction has swum into view.” Woolf has created a transformative reading experience conveying the emptiness of one individual’s life by leaving out the traditional elements of plot and character, yet she manages to question the ways we fail to see each other as we actually are.With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Jacob’s Room is both modern and readable.

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Book SynopsisHerland (1915) is a utopian novel by American author and feminist Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Herland was originally published in The Forerunner, a monthly magazine edited by Gilman, before going out of print for the next several decades. The novel was republished with an influential introduction by scholar Ann J. Lane in 1979 and has since been recognized as an important work of science fiction written by a leading feminist of the early twentieth century. A sociologist and his two friends embark on an expedition to discover a rumored land where a lost civilization of women lives apart from the rest of the world. They journey by plane and, upon landing, are quickly captured by a group of women. Taken to town, the men are held in a central fortress where they are treated well and encouraged to learn more about the women’s culture in order to assimilate. They are taught the history of the land, which has been without men for two thousand years, and learn that the women are able to reproduce asexually. Although they recognize the utopian qualities of the society and despite being impressed by the beauty and order of its structures, the men struggle to live without presupposed notions of gender and patriarchy. When an escape attempt goes awry, they are forced to abandon their prejudices, joining the society through marriage. When one of the group fails to respect their hosts’ ideals of gender equality, however, the men are forced to make a decision that could endanger the continued existence of the utopia. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s Herland is a classic of American literature and science fiction reimagined for modern readers.

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Book SynopsisA scientist whose experiments have rendered him invisible veers into madness when he cannot change back in this thrilling and influential cornerstone of science fiction. A mysterious visitor to an inn, bundled up from head to toe and with his face covered in bandages, draws the attention and gossip of locals, but their wildest speculations come nowhere near the bizarre truth. This is the rogue scientist Griffin, who has made himself invisible and will shortly learn he can’t return to normal. Brilliant, unhinged and full of undirected rage at his fate, what outrageous crimes might an invisible man commit? The Invisible Man first appeared in 1897 and has resonated in pop culture ever since, with its title character portrayed as both hero and villain in film, television and graphic novels. The author’s most celebrated contributions to the fledgling literature of science fiction, The Time Machine, The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Invisible Man and The War of the Worlds, appeared over the course of less than five years and mark an extraordinary outpouring of the imagination. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Invisible Man is both modern and readable.

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Book SynopsisThe Conjure Woman (1899) is a collection of stories by African American author, lawyer, and political activist Charles Chesnutt. “The Goophered Grapevine,” the collection’s opening story, was originally published in The Atlantic in 1887, making Chesnutt the first African American to have a story published in the magazine. The Conjure Woman is now considered a masterpiece of African American fiction for its use of folklore and exploration of racist stereotypes of Black Americans, especially those living in the South. In “The Goophered Grapevine,” an old ex-slave named Julius McAdoo—a coachman hired by a white Northerner named John—warns his employer about the land he has decided to purchase. He tells him the story of the vineyard’s previous owner, who hired a woman named Aunt Peggy to put a curse on his famous scuppernong grapes in order to stop his slaves from eating them. Each story in The Conjure Woman follows a similar formula, beginning with a narrative situation involving John and his wife, Annie, before leading to a story from Uncle Julius. “Po’ Sandy,” one of Chesnutt’s most acclaimed tales—and a loose adaptation of Ovid’s Metamorphoses—opens with John deciding to build a new kitchen for his wife. Uncle Julius drives him to the saw mill, where, while watching the saw cut through a log, he is reminded of the story of Sandy, a local man who was turned into a tree by a conjurer in order to escape slavery. The Conjure Woman is a powerful collection of folk takes and stories exploring themes of race, identity, and class in the nineteenth century South. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Charles Chesnutt’s The Conjure Woman is a classic of African American literature reimagined for modern readers.

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Book SynopsisA gifted musician’s decision to navigate society as a white man causes an internal debate about anti-blackness and the explicit nature of intent versus impact. James Weldon Johnson presents a distinct conflict driven by a person’s desires and overwhelming fear. The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man follows the story of an unnamed narrator and his unique experience as a fair-skinned Black person. As a child, he is initially unaware of his race, but his mother soon clarifies their family’s ancestry. The young man’s ability to pass for white allows him to negate the harsh and discriminatory treatment most Black people face. This leads to a series of events that significantly shape the way he views his place in society. James Weldon Johnson delivers a captivating tale of identity politics in the U.S. and abroad. The main character is living a life of omission that provides public gain at a personal cost. This story maintains its relevance as a critical examination of race in society. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man is both modern and readable.

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Book SynopsisFrom the author responsible for the satirical work of genius, A Modest Proposal, Jonathan Swift’s A Tale of a Tub is an allegorical work that follows three brothers after the event of their father’s death. When their father, who meant to be God, dies, the three brothers, Peter, Martin and Jack, inherit his will and each receive a decorative coat. Their father also leaves them instruction not to alter these coats in any way because doing so would be damaging for their futures. Despite this warning, the brothers not only quickly make alterations, they also police each other for their choices. Each brother represents one of the major branches of Christianity. Peter, who represents the Roman Catholic church, is the first to change the coat left to him in the will. He adds many embellishments, claiming that the garment is better because of it. Jack, who represents the Protestant church, and Martin, who represents Anglicans, follow their brother’s lead and also add to the coats. Their actions lead to arguments between the brothers, each feeling that they know what’s best for the coats. Feeling like they are being controlled by Peter, Jack and Martin reject him, and then try to undo the alterations made to their garments, furthering the damage to the clothing and to their relationship with each other. Jonathan Swift created an allegory for the Reformation in his story of the three brothers. With satire and frank representation of the branches of Christianity, A Tale of a Tub addresses issues concerning society’s effect on religion, polluting the original message of its creator. Swift’s satire on the three major branches of Christianity was very controversial and though he wrote under a pseudonym, A Tale of a Tub was traced back to Swift. Even by modern standards, A Tale of a Tub invites controversial conversation that is both relevant and compelling. This edition of Jonathan Swift’s A Tale of a Tub features an eye-catching cover design and is printed in a modern font to appeal to a contemporary audience.

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Book SynopsisMaria: or, The Wrongs of Woman (1798) is a novel by English writer, philosopher, and feminist Mary Wollstonecraft. Intended as a fictional sequel to A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792), a groundbreaking work of feminism and political philosophy, Maria: or, The Wrongs of Woman was published posthumously by Wollstonecraft’s husband, anarchist philosopher and writer William Godwin.Denied her autonomy, Maria is sent to an insane asylum by her husband, a wealthy aristocrat. Separated from her child and unable to advocate on her own behalf, Maria is fortunate to befriend Jemima, an attendant from the lower classes who empathizes with Maria’s situation. Jemima secretly provides her with books, inadvertently introducing her to the marginalia of Henry Darnford, another inmate at the asylum. The three grow close, sharing their stories with one another. Darnford reveals his troubled past and struggles with alcohol, Jemima discloses her experiences as an abused orphan-turned-prostitute, and Maria discusses her abusive marriage to George Venables. As she turned toward literature and intellectual life to avoid George’s affairs and frequent gambling, Maria found herself desperately looking for a way out. After several escape attempts, George—who had been scheming for years to frame his wife in order to divorce her—conspires to send her to the asylum, taking their child and cutting off contact with Maria. Although unfinished, Maria: or, The Wrongs of Woman explores the themes of her political and philosophical writings while illuminating the injustices suffered by women and lower class individuals in English society. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Mary Wollstonecraft’s Maria: or, The Wrongs of Woman is a classic of English literature reimagined for modern readers.

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Book Synopsis”Holmes and Watson accompany a woman on a quest which leads them through the dark heart of London to a one-legged man, a mysterious and terrifying creature, and an incredible tale of greed and revenge.”-School Library Journal “The immense talent, passion and literary brilliance that Conan Doyle brought to his work gives him a unique place in English letters.”-Stephen Fry ”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 Sign of Four is the second novel in the Sherlock Holmes series, following the enormously successful novel A Study In Scarlet. With the mysterious disappearance of a British Indian army officer, a one-legged hooligan, a stolen treasure, and a nefarious pact between four con-men, this novel of revenge and love is an exquisite classic of crime fiction. In the infamous opening of the novel, Dr. Watson finds Sherlock Holmes in his Baker Street home, bored and in the process of taking cocaine. Dr. Watson finally confronts his friend, and Holmes retorts that he does not do well in moments of tedium; luckily the doldrums are evaporated with the arrival of a beautiful woman at the door of Baker Street; she is Mary Morstan, a character that Sherlock Holmes fans are very acquainted with as she eventually becomes the wife of Dr. Watson. Mary asked for the help in a very strange case; years ago her father disappeared from his post in India as an army officer, a few years later she began receiving an exquisite pearl in the mail on an annual basis for the past six years. Mary revealed a letter to Holmes from the sender of the pearls, asking to meet in person for clues to her father’s disappearance and the motive behind the pearls. When they meet Thaddeus Sholto, Holmes and Watson are snarled into a web of a dangerous hunt and a morass of intrigue including a secret Indian treasure, four ex-cons, a one-legged gangster. The Sign of the Four, one of the most popular of the Sherlock Holmes crime novels, has been adapted into numerous film and TV productions. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Sign of the Four is both modern and readable.

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Book Synopsis“Don Quixote looms so wonderfully above the skylines of literature, a gaunt giant on a lean nag, that the book lives and will live through his sheer vitality…The parody has become a paragon.”-Vladimir Nabokov “A more profound and powerful work than this is not to be met with…The final and greatest utterance of the human mind.”- Fyodor Dostoyevsky Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote is regarded not only as the first modern novel, but also as one of the most important works of fiction ever produced. The subtle and hopeful irony, resplendent variety of characters and its thoroughly entertaining sense of adventure and friendship has dazzled readers for more than four hundred years. It was published in Spain in two volumes, first in 1605 then followed by the second in 1615. Cervantes’ use of realism and everyday language in Don Quixote was revolutionary at the time, and its influence on the development of literature may only be surpassed by the work of Shakespeare. In the opening of this extraordinary book, Alonso Quijano, a noble living in sixteenth-century Spain, has become consumed with the act of reading, and subsequently assumes the identity of the chivalrous knights that he loves to read about. Transformed into Don Quixote, he embarks on his first ill-fated journey as a “knight”. The defeated Quixote returns home, to only prepare himself better for the next adventure of delusion. On his second journey Quixote has enlisted the peasant Sancho Panza to appropriate the role of his squire. Although the duo is ridiculously mismatched in every sense, their inextricable bond is one of the most fascinating of friendships ever created on paper. Between their disordered adventures -of battling windmills and herds of sheep and endless mishaps- are the stories of those who are encountered on the journey. The book eventually becomes a hall of mirrors, and Cervantes explores preconceptions of narrative, reliability, and morality that are strikingly modern. Ultimately, Quixote’s preposterous fantasies become haunting as the reader of this book will surely begin to question what is real and what is not. The story of Don Quixote has been adapted into numerous forms, including opera, musicals, ballets, music and film. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Don Quixote is both modern and readable.

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Book Synopsis“One of the greatest love stories in world literature.”-Vladimir Nabokov “Anna Karenina is a perfect work of art. This novel contains a humane message that has not yet been heeded in Europe and that is much needed by the people of the western world.”-Fyodor Dostoevsky “The truth is we are not to take Anna Karenina as a work of art; we are to take it as a piece of life.”-Matthew Arnold Although love and infidelity are a major themes of Leo Tolstoy’s epic Russian novel Anna Karenina (1877), there is a startling scope of philosophical and theological insight within the pages of this monumental work. The pinnacle of the realist novel, the commonplace lives and frustrations of the characters within Anna Karenina are woven together in parallel subtexts that ask difficult questions. The story of the extramarital affair between Anna Karenina and the young bachelor Count Vronsky is at the center of this complex work of literature. When Anna’s husband discovers the infidelity of his wife, his primary concern is not the well-being of his marriage, but his own self-image. The downward spiral of Anna’s illicit behavior is paralleled with the story of Kitty and Konstantin Levin, who is a wealthy agriculturalist but somewhat socially clumsy figure. Levin and Kitty’s love is unblemished, yet his struggles with faith and his unrelenting philosophical questioning paint a profound portrait of internal anguish. This classic novel examines the depth of the human soul against the backdrop of 19th-century Russia as no other work of literature has done. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Anna Karenina is both modern and readable.

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Book SynopsisThree brothers and their relations in 19th century Russia provide the base for a sweeping epic of human striving, folly and hope. First published in 1880, The Brothers Karamazov is a landmark work in every respect. Revolving around shiftless father Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov are the fates of his three sons, each of whom has fortunes entwined with the others. The eldest son, Dimitri, seeks an inheritance from his father and becomes his rival in love. Ivan, the second son, is so at odds with the world that he is driven near to madness, while the youngest, Alexi, is a man of faith and a natural optimist. These personalities are drawn out and tested in a crucible of conflict and emotion as the author forces upon them fundamental questions of morality, faith, reason and responsibility. This charged situation is pushed to its limit by the addition of the unthinkable, murder and possible patricide. Using shifting viewpoints and delving into the minds of his characters, Dostoevsky adopted fresh techniques to tell his wide-reaching story with power and startling effectiveness. The Brothers Karamazov remains one of the most respected and celebrated novels in all literature and continues to reward readers beyond expectation. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Brothers Karamazov is both modern and readable.

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Book SynopsisRegarded as one of the author’s finest and most ambitious works, Bleak House all but overflows with the imaginative inventiveness unique to Dickens as it holds the reader fast to his most involved and involving plot. First published in 1853, Bleak House is a Victorian epic with a court case of fiendish difficulty at its center. The legal system’s inability to resolve a will effects the lives of a broad swath of interconnected characters, revealing secrets and drawing out emotions ranging from selfless love to murderous hatred. The author mercilessly satirizes British law of his era while playing out a masterful chain of linked sub-plots. Esther Summerson, the only female narrator the author ever employed, is accompanied by a cavalcade of vivid, living characters as the story sweeps across Victorian society. Comic moments blend with tragic turns, hidden motives and relations come to light, and murder is committed before the question of inheritance is resolved. Arguably a proto-legal thriller and containing a genuine murder mystery, Bleak House is much more than that, and, in truth, much more than most any novel of its era. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Bleak House is both modern and readable.

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Book Synopsis“Few novelists have ever captured more poignantly the feeling of childhood, the brightness and magic and terror of the world as seen through the eyes of a child and colored by his dawning emotions.”-Edgar Johnson “The most perfect of all the Dickens novels” -Virginia Woolf “Like many fond parents, I have in my heart of heart a favorite child. And his name is David Copperfield” -Charles DickensIn Dickens’ first-person narrative about an orphaned boy’s experiences in Victorian England, David Copperfield chronicles the struggles and triumphs of youth. When David’s widowed mother re-marries, his childhood is turned upside-down by his tyrannical stepfather. His unbearable life becomes worse when his Mother dies, and he is forced to work in child labor. David makes his way in the world, and through both the kindness and cruelty of others he forges his self-identity as a man.In his eighth novel, Charles Dickens masterfully fuses the comic and the tragic in exploring grief, recollection, and the social dilemmas of Victorian society. David Copperfield is also an examination of the interior; of an inner life taking shape. With its rich cast of colorful characters, energetic prose, and abundantly quotable text, this is an essential addition to any library. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of David Copperfield is both modern and readable.

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Book SynopsisGeorge Eliot’s most acclaimed work, Middlemarch displays the author at the peak of her powers, weaving multiple plotlines and a memorable collection of characters together to create a wide-ranging novel of remarkable insight. First appearing in 1871, Middlemarch is a historical novel set 42 years before its publication. Political and social concerns of the era are present but serve as background and contrast to four compelling plotlines focused on a set of unforgettable characters striving against circumstance, each other, and themselves. Powerful themes, religion, love, marriage, education, society’s treatment of women and much more, are dealt with as fully fused elements of the story and integral parts of the lives of the characters. The author conveys a sweeping vision of small-town England in the Victorian era, the rich and the poor, the people of the countryside and the people of the city, while unspooling several interlocked storylines full of passion, uncertainty and suspense. Middlemarch received a mixed reaction upon its initial appearance, but has gained in standing among critics and general readers until it is now commonly considered one of the high points of 19th century fiction and even of English literature as a whole. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Middlemarch is both modern and readable.

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Book Synopsis“One of my life’s greatest tragedies is to have already read Pickwick Papers- I can’t go back and read it for the first time.”- Fernando Pessoa “If I must choose only one Dickens then it’s his first novel. It’s wonderfully funny, kind and good-natured- just like dear Mr Pickwick himself.”-Edwina Currie In the picaresque series of sketches in Pickwick Papers, Charles Dickens wrote one of the masterpieces of comic fiction, and presented readers with some of the most colorful and beloved characters of all time. In Dickens’ first novel, initially based on a series of illustrations, members of the eponymous club recount their various experiences and encounters as they travel around England. Without the dark themes that dominated so many of his novels, this is a refreshingly lighthearted and unabashedly fun read. Charles Dickens was 24 years old when he was asked to write the text of a series of illustrations for publication of a serial in nineteen installments. At the center of the novel are the members of The Pickwick Club; notably the head of the establishment, Mr. Samuel Pickwick; he has decided, at the outset of the book, to organize a travel society comprising of four members. At the Pickwick Club the members will be required to recount their exploits in the English countryside. As they venture out, the four men become entangled with a dizzying array of mishaps; including failed romance, debtors’ prison, judicial and social injustice, and mix-ups of gargantuan heights. Warm-hearted and thoroughly entertaining, this is a wild romp through 19th Century England. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Pickwick Papers is both modern and readable.

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Book Synopsis“The first poetess of romantic fiction.”-Sir Walter Scott ““Mrs. Radcliffe is a mistress of hints, suggestions, minute details, breathless pauses, and the hush of suspense.” —The New York Times “Compared to Udolpho, Montoni’s mountain hideaway, Castle Dracula is a country day school.” —Barbara Walker Ann Radcliff’s Mysteries of Udolpho, one of the most famous English gothic novels ever published, was a significant influence on later authors including Mary Shelley, Edgar Allen Poe, and Jane Austen. In combining the supernatural elements of the gothic genre with a deep sensitivity of emotion, this work reveals the height of Radcliffe’s powers as a writer. Living a picturesque life in rural Late-16th Century France, Emily St. Aubert, the novel’s beautiful and sensitive protagonist becomes an orphan when both of her parents die. Adopted by her unaffectionate aunt Madame Cheron, Emily is ultimately imprisoned by Cheron and her cruel husband, the Italian nobleman Signor Montoni. The natural beauty of her life as a young girl in France is contrasted with the seclusion in the eponymous castle where Montoni’s controlling manipulations spin her life into a state of unknowable terror. The hair-raising and strange events that occur within the confines of the dreadful fortress are among the most bone-chilling in all of literature. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Mysteries of Udolpho is both modern and readable.

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Book Synopsis"I hold this book to be the most important expression which the present age has found; it is a book to which we are all indebted, and from which none of us can escape." T.S. EliotUlysses depicts a day in Leopold Bloom’s life, broken into episodes analogous to Homer’s Odyssey and related in rich, varied styles. Joyce’s novel is celebrated for its depth of learning, earthy humor, literary allusions and piercing insight into the human heart. First published in Paris in 1922 Ulysses was not published in the United States until 1934. Immediately recognized as an extraordinary work that both echoed the history of English literature and took it in new, unheralded directions, Joyce’s book was controversial. Its widespread release was initially slowed by censors nitpicking a few passages. The novel is challenging, in that it is an uncommon reader who will perceive all that Joyce has put into his pages upon first reading, but it is uniquely rewarding for anyone willing to follow where the author leads. Far more than a learned exercise in literary skill, Ulysses displays a sense of humor that ranges from delicate to roguish as well as sequences of striking beauty and emotion. Chief among the latter must be the novel’s climactic stream of consciousness step into the mind of the protagonist’s wife, Molly Bloom, whose open-hearted acceptance of life and love is among the most memorable and moving passages in English literature. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Ulysses is both modern and readable.

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Book SynopsisIshmael finds himself on a sprawling, epic hunt for the great white whale in one of the most singular and celebrated novels in American literature. First published in 1851, Moby Dick is narrated by the young seaman Ishmael who takes ship on the whaler Pequod, under the command of Captain Ahab. Once at sea Ahab reveals that their voyage is not aimed at profitable whaling so much as pure vengeance as they are to hunt the white whale that maimed him, leaving him with a single leg. A rich array of memorable characters are introduced as the Pequod sails the sea, encountering other whalers, hunting whales and seeking Moby Dick. Sprawling and discursive, luxuriant and richly textured, Melville’s novel is almost a world unto itself. Life aboard ship, friendships between the diverse collection of sailors and the hazardous adventure of confronting whales on the open sea are captured unforgettably, but all of this is under the shadow of Ahab’s all-consuming hatred of the white whale. As the ship draws nearer to confrontation with her captain’s nemesis, the novel moves toward a devastating climax. Initially greeted with little enthusiasm by American critics, a notable exception being Nathaniel Hawthorne, Moby Dick has since come to be seen as one of the greatest achievements of American fiction and a classic for the ages. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Moby Dick is both modern and readable.

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Book Synopsis“The Portrait of a Lady is entirely successful in giving one the sense of having met somebody far too radiantly good for this world.”-Rebecca West “A fairy tale in reverse.” -The Sunday Times Henry James’s The Portrait of a Lady is regarded as one of the towering works of Victorian literature; an exceptional examination of the disparate nature between Americans and Europeans, and the divides between contentment and money. Isabel Archer, one of the most compelling heroines of American literature, is at the center of this moving story about the manners and mores of 19th Century life. The Portrait of a Lady opens as the beautiful and fiery American Isabel Archer travels to England to visit her wealthy Aunt Touchett. She is introduced her Uncle Touchett, her cousin Ralph, and the local nobleman, Lord Warburton, who wastes no time in asking for Isabel’s hand in marriage. In character with Isabel’s independent spirt, she refuses the proposal, and while on a trip to London receives a second proposal from an American suitor; once again, she refuses. When she learns that her uncle is deathly ill, Isabel returns to the Touchett home, where she inherits a great fortune following his death. Traveling to Italy with her Aunt as a great heiress, she is introduced to Gilbert Osmond, a self-centered and calculating American expatriate. Despite the warnings from her family and friends, Isabel falls for Osborne and in turn is pulled the darkness of deception. The Portrait of a Lady is a tragic yet humane masterpiece of American literature. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Portrait of a Lady is both modern and readable.

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Book SynopsisLovely Esmeralda, haunted by an obsessive would-be lover and unjustly accused of murder, unexpectedly finds a tormented protector in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Quasimodo the hunchback keeps to his duties as bell-ringer of Notre Dame cathedral and stays close to his guardian, the Archdeacon Claude Frollo. His devotion proves misguided when a plan of Frollo’s goes wrong and Quasimodo finds himself abused by a crowd and shown mercy only by the gypsy girl Esmeralda. The hunchback’s love and resolve to protect her leads to desperate action and tragedy when she is falsely accused of murder. Emotions run high as society’s elite falters and fails, and the lowest misfits of society prove their worth in this timeless epic of love, justice and redemption. The novel’s human characters have all but taken on lives of their own, but notice must be made of the author’s treatment of Notre Dame as the cathedral virtually becomes a character itself. The book’s loving descriptions spurred increased appreciation of Notre Dame as a symbol of Paris and inspired its preservation and renovation. The Hunchback of Notre Dame was first published in 1831 and has since been adapted to stage and screen many times, with more than one of the film versions attaining classic status. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Hunchback of Notre Dame is both modern and readable.

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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 ”In Oliver Twist …Dickens attacked English institutions with a ferocity that has never since been approached.”-George Orwell With an incredible cast of characters, and an unvarnished portrayal of the early 1800’s criminal underbelly in Victorian London, Dicken’s second novel is an unforgettable masterpiece of the English language. Oliver Twist begins in a workhouse north of London where a young orphan named Oliver lives a brutal and impoverished life, and is subjected to a series of torments as he is handed off to an undertaker to work as a mourner at funerals. After a succession of maltreatments, Oliver runs away to London for a better life. In London, Oliver unwittingly falls into company of a gang of juvenile pickpockets who are under the spell of the sinister criminal Fagin and makes his home with them. Oliver is mistakenly accused of pickpocketing an older gentleman named Mr. Brownlow and arrested. In the ensuing trial Mr. Brownlow recognizes that Oliver was indeed innocent of the crime and takes him into care at his residence. Just as it appears that his life has improved Oliver is accosted back into the world of Fagin and his band of young miscreants. In the ensuing twists of fate, a great mystery is revealed, and Oliver finally fulfills his retribution. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Oliver Twist is both modern and readable.

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Book SynopsisCensored on its release in 1841, Tess of the d’Urbervilles challenged attitudes with its depiction of a woman forced into a chain of painful circumstances by her social status and by the often cruel treatment of friends, family and the men who loved her. At once a novel of character and a sharply critical novel of society and class, Tess of the d’Urbervilles follows its heroine through a social and emotional gauntlet. The memory of abuse and the stigma of a pregnancy out of wedlock haunt Tess as she struggles with the stern strictures of society, the uncharitable attitudes of those around her and, most formidable of all, her own desires. A steady stream of critical re-interpretations of Tess has only lent strength to her standing as one of the most memorable characters in Victorian fiction. Troubling, intense and possessing a uniquely emotional brand of narrative suspense, the novel has come to be seen as not simply a classic but as Thomas Hardy’s masterpiece. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Tess of the d’Urbervilles is both modern and readable.

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Book Synopsis From what acclaimed novelist Jane Austen wrongly suspected was the least-liked of her protagonists comes a character unlike any other. Emma is the story of a fiercely independent young woman who defines the boundaries of what a conventional lady was supposed to resemble in 19th century Britain. Emma Woodhouse is a bit of an anomaly in her sleepy town of Highbury. Curious, intelligent, and spoiled rotten, Emma is a young lady whose nose is always in other people’s business. With nothing but time on her hands, Emma delights in the chaos of her good intentions gone awry. With an inclination towards matchmaking, she decides this skill is one that must be perfected, even at the expense others. Quickly becoming the self-professed village matchmaker, it isn’t until Emma’s own heart is on the line that she realizes she’s gone perhaps a bit too far.Now a major Hollywood film starring Anya Taylor-Joy as Emma, Johnny Flynn as Mr. Knightly, and Bill Nighy as Mr. Woodhouse, Jane Austen’s Emma continues to resonate with readers of all ages. With an eye-catching new cover, and a cleanly typeset manuscript, this edition of Emma is both modern, and readable.

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Book Synopsis“The greatest tragic writer among English novelists.”-Virginia Woolf “There is no other novelist alive with the breadth of sympathy, the knowledge or the power for the creation of Jude." —H. G. Wells Jude the Obscure, the semi-autobiographical final novel from Thomas Hardy explores notions of surprising candor; within the eponymous protagonist lies the tragic truth of failed ambitions and relationships. In a fierce exploration of the darkness of love and the intellect, this is one of the great tragic novels of English literature. Jude Fawley, an earnest boy from a rural English village, dreams of a life of academia despite his working-class background. His childhood schoolmaster has moved away from the village to teach at the University in Christminster. Jude spends his free time self-educating himself with the aspirations of enrolling at Christminster, yet his dreams are thwarted when he falls in love with Arabella, a loutish and deceptive young woman who lures him into a disastrous marriage. After abandoning each other, Jude returns to his dream of becoming a scholar; he moves to Christminster, where he falls in love with his cousin Sue Bridehead, and subsequently abandons all hope of academia. An intricate web of darkness ensues when Arabella returns into his life with a troubled son, who she informs is Jude’s. Trapped in an uncontrollable descent, Jude’s fate delivers him unspeakable tragedy. Jude The Obscure is one of literature's great works that explore the alienation and intricacies of man’s place in the world. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Jude the Obscure is both modern and readable.

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Book SynopsisWhen Fanny Price is sent away from her struggling family to live with her wealthy aunt and uncle, life doesn’t suddenly transform for her. At least, not for the better. From failed marriage proposals to unavoidable class conflicts, Fanny must learn to fit in to a place where she does not always feel welcome. As Fanny grows up in the new house, with new rules, and new consequences, she learns about the trials one faces as they enter adulthood. Having nothing to shield her from the constant abuse of her relatives, Sir Thomas and Lady Bertram, Fanny’s life at Mansfield Park is anything but comfortable. Fanny struggles to keep up with the vicious family dynamic among those coming and going at the manor, finding comfort in her only kind relationship with Edmund, the eldest son of Sir and Lady Bertram. When Henry Crawford and his sister Mary arrive at Mansfield Park, suddenly things start to get complicated. As a web of lies, jealousy, and failed attempts at love circulate through the house, Fanny must set aside her own desires to keep the truth from slipping through her fingers. This edition of Mansfield Park is both modern and readable. With an eye-catching new cover and a professionally type-set manuscript, order your copy and start reading this striking new edition today.

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Book Synopsis“The greatest tragic writer among English novelists.”-Virginia Woolf Far from the Madding Crowd is the first of Thomas Hardy's great novels, and the first to sound the tragic note for which his fiction is best remembered.”-Margaret Drabble Far from the Madding Crowd, the fourth novel written by Thomas Hardy, is a pensive yet pastoral novel that initially appeared in serial form in the late 1800's. It has since become one of the most popular books of English literature, with its rich rhythms of rural life, beautiful and independent heroine, and romantic intrigue. In Wessex, the novel's apocryphal region of rural southwest England, the independent and spirited Bathsheba Everdene has a chance encounter with a virtuous young shepherd named Gabriel Oak; He is taken by her beauty, and proposes marriage, and she refuses. Soon after, Bathsheba moves away to the town of Weatherbury, and Gabriel falls on hard times. Penniless, and roving from town to town seeking employment, he happens to come upon a fire ravaging a farm. Gabriel aids in getting the fire under control, and is stunned to discover that the farm is owned by Bathsheba. Once again, they are reunited, yet now Gabriel is employed as a farmhand. When a second suitor, a local landowner, seeks her affection the inextricable struggles of love and betrayal spins Bathsheba's life into a maze of uncontrollable frenzy and passion. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Far from the Madding Crowd is both modern and readable.

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Book Synopsis“A rousing frontier saga.”-The Washington Post “(Cooper’s) sympathy is large, and his humor is as genuine--and as perfectly unaffected--as his art.”-Joseph Conrad The Last of the Mohicans (1826) is the most popular of James Fenimore Cooper’s Leatherstocking Tales. The continuing adventures of the peerless frontiersman Hawkeye, also known as Natty Bumppo among other monikers, is an unforgettable saga of the frontier life of early America. Set during the French and Indian Wars of mid-eighteenth century, this hair-raising historical novel opens as the French army is attacking Fort William Henry, a British fort in Western New York commanded by the withdrawn Colonel Munro. In the forest between Fort William Henry and another distant British outpost, Munro’s daughters Alice and Cora, are escorted through the dangerous terrain by Major Heyward and a Huron Indian named Magua. When the group crosses their path with the white frontiersman Natty Bumppo and his Indian companions, Heyward is warned that they are being betrayed by Magua, and the group is not being led to Fort William Henry. Magua runs to the woods, and the group is lead to safety by Natty and the two remaining members of the Mohican tribe, Chingachgok and his son Uncas. Next morning, the group is attacked by a gang of the Huron tribe, and all are captured with the exception of Natty Bumppo and the mohicans. In the ensuing events of this extraordinary novel, the conflicts of battle, love, and race are unfolded against a thrilling adventure story. This classic of American literature has been adapted into numerous films, including the 1992 version starring Daniel Day-Lewis. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Last of the Mohicans is both modern and readable.

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Book Synopsis“When people ask me what has happened in my long lifetime I do not refer them to the newspaper files and to the authorities, but to (Sinclair’s) novels.” -George Bernard Shaw “Practically alone among the American writers of his generation, Sinclair put to the American public the fundamental questions raised by capitalism in such a way that they could not escape them.” -Edmund Wilson Upton Sinclair’s 1906 bestseller The Jungle is a startling and powerful novel depicting the plight of Jurgis Rudkus, a Slavic worker who immigrated to the United States in the early 20th Century for a better life. His dream of a finding a job, building a family, and buying a home are initially fulfilled in the Union Stock Yards in Chicago. Work in the meatpacking industry proves to be a harrowing and desperate existence, and his personal life is beset by a succession of hardships and tragedy. As bleak as his journey is, Jurgis finally finds his light in a new-found political ideology. The Jungle is considered profoundly important in its exposure of despair at the margins of working-class life, and the atrocious descriptions of the unsanitary conditions in the meatpacking process. The novel led to revolutionary reform of the industrial food industry and workers’ rights, and powerfully addresses many of the same issues that we are still grappling with today. With a stunning new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Jungle is both modern and readable.

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Book SynopsisIn 1897, Bram Stoker published what has now become one of the most revered horror stories of its time. Dracula has inspired the gothic genre for generations, continuing to this day to frighten and delight its readers for anyone brave enough to face the world of blood thirsty vampires in search of their next mortal victim. In a gripping and sensational work of classic Gothic fiction we discover the infamous Count Dracula. When English lawyer Jonathan Harker travels to an obscure town called Transylvania, the goal of his visit was most certainly not to do business with a vampire. As he makes his way through the village square, Harker is overcome with an eerie sensation that the Count is not who he says he is. Strewn with various charms and trinkets thrown at him from the local village people, Harker comes to find that the weird looks, whispers, and pointed fingers directed at him are not done so in jest at him being a tourist. Rather, they are a clear warning that the Count is perhaps more dangerous than he imagined. Brimming with observations on the eventual paradigmatic shifts of society, Stoker’s intent with Dracula extends much further than the plot of quarreling vampires. With references to the sexual politics of women in the Victorian era to the astute observations following the modernization of society, Stoker’s ideas and writings were insightfully ahead of the times. Dracula has continued to play an influential role in the canon of literature, and for a blood-curdling and frighteningly good reason. With an eye-catching new cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this version of Dracula is simply sensational.

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Book Synopsis Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice has been hailed as one of the most popular romantic novels in English literature. From tangled love affairs and heart-breaking betrayals, Pride and Prejudice is the story of an unexpected love affair that leaves the entire town buzzing. Brimming with gossip and guile, see why the love story between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy has withstood the test of time. Mrs. Bennet’s only hope in raising five daughters is that they will each find a husband who can provide for them a happy, and financially secure life. When word travels to the family that the neighborhood’s newly arrived and most handsome man, Mr. Bingley, is a bachelor, Elizabeth never expects to find herself tangled in the web of drama he seems to create. Distancing herself from the other girls vying for his attention, Elizabeth knows what she wants, and it is not Mr. Bingley. But what she doesn’t expect is the attraction that ensues after meeting the haughty Mr. Darcy, who she quickly realizes is not at all what he appears. When the chemistry between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy proves undeniable, she must cast aside her judgments—and her family’s protests— and let fate do the rest. Smart, outspoken, and adamant in her views, Elizabeth must come to accept that sometimes love has an agenda of its own. With an eye-catching new cover, and a cleanly typeset manuscript, this revised edition of Pride and Prejudice is both modern, and readable.

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Book Synopsis“Perhaps we identify with Emma because we too feel an emptiness at the center of things—an emptiness we try to fill with books, with fantasies, with sex, with things. Her yearning is nothing more or less than the human condition in the modern world. Her search for ecstasy is ours.”—Erica Jong "Madame Bovaryhas a perfection that not only stamps it, but that makes it stand almost alone: it holds itself with such a supreme unapproachable assurance as both excites and defies judgment."-Henry James When Gustave Flaubert’s debut novel Madame Bovary (1856) was published it had already created a great storm of both repulsion and profound admiration; it is now recognized as one of the most important works of literature ever written. When the story initially appeared in serial form it was attacked as a work of blatant indecency , and Flaubert was thrust into immediate celebrity. In the resulting obscenity trial, the author was acquitted, and by its publication date its existence was well known in France. Immediately a bestseller, the French public embraced the book with polarity; many repugnant with its attack on convention, and many recognizing its great humanity and depth. The novel begins with the introduction of Charles Bovary, an unremarkable man who becomes a country doctor in the north of France. During one of his rounds he falls under the spell of Emma Rouault, the beautiful daughter of one of his patients. When Bovary’s wife unexpectedly passes away, he marries Emma, whose expectation of life becomes increasingly unfulfilled. After the birth of her child, she spins into a series of uncontrollable urges and bad choices that leads to her tragic downfall. With its unique shifting of perspectives, deep humanity, and bleak honesty, Madame Bovary is a classic that must be read. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Madame Bovary is both modern and readable.

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Book SynopsisHowards End (1910) is a novel by English author E.M. Forster. Inspired by his interactions with the famous Bloomsbury Group of writers and intellectuals, as well as by his personal experience growing up with a large inheritance on the family estate of Rooks Nest, Howards End has been recognized as one of the finest novels ever written in English. The story loosely follows the lives of three families: the Wilcoxes, whose wealth derives from the exploitation of British colonies; the Basts, an impoverished couple; and the Schlegels, half-German sisters who find themselves set between the vastly opposing classes of their peers. Much of the novel is set on the Wilcox estate, known as Howards End, a symbol of fortune and a reminder of the generational implications of hoarded wealth. When Ruth Wilcox moves to London, she befriends her neighbor Margaret Schlegel. On her deathbed, and in secret, Ruth leaves a note instructing that Howards End be left to Margaret in her will, bypassing her family entirely. When her son Henry, a widower, finds out, he destroys the note, ensuring that the estate remains within the family. Years later, when the two meet again, Henry proposes to Margaret, bringing the Wilcox and Schlegel families closer together. But when her sister Helen brings the struggling Leonard and Jacky Bast to a party at Howards End, Henry, who recognizes Jacky as a former mistress, believes he is being set up, and breaks off the engagement. Although they reconcile, Margaret is driven apart from her sisters, who resent the Wilcoxes and distrust Henry. But when Helen becomes pregnant by Leonard, and a tragic event destroys several lives, the families are brought together once more, and both Margaret and Henry are forced to choose between the fortune they stand to gain and the love they stand to lose. E.M. Forster’s Howards End is a masterpiece, a brilliant study of family, wealth, romance, and secrecy that captures the depravity of the English aristocracy without losing what sets it apart—an undeterred sense of humanity. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of E.M. Forster’s Howards End is a classic of English literature reimagined for modern readers.

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Book SynopsisTaken aboard the submarine Nautilus by Captain Nemo, the narrator and his companions find themselves captives on a spectacular tour of the world’s oceans, and witnesses to Nemo’s increasingly obsessive hatred of the surface world. Professor Pierre Aronnax was rescued from drowning by Captain Nemo, who insists that in order to protect the secret of his submarine, Aronnax must stay on board the Nautilus for the rest of his life. They explore the oceans, with the inspired author guiding them through a terrific array of undersea wonders, some based on reality and others wholly imagined. Giving his lush imagination free rein Verne describes his characters encountering sunken ships, Antarctic ice, and the drowned city of Atlantis, spicing the action with an unforgettable battle with giant squid. Though it all Aronnax notes Captain Nemo’s hatred for the nations of the surface world, which builds until it borders on madness and Aronnax and his companions realize that they must find a way to escape. First appearing in 1870, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea was an immediate success and has remained one of the author’s most esteemed works ever since. Celebrated for its prescient treatment of the submarine, the novel has also been steadily re-examined by critics who have found political, social and ecological subtexts in the book. Readers will find, as they have for 150 years, a richly engaging adventure story full of thrills, inventiveness and wonder. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is both modern and readable.

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Book SynopsisStranded alone on a remote island, Robinson Crusoe must summon the courage, inventiveness and faith necessary to survive and avoid despair in the midst of savage nature. Initially believed to be a true account, Robinson Crusoe is often seen as the very first English novel. The narrator offers a compelling account of his shipwreck and stranding on a desert isle. Armed with tools and weapons from the wreck, he methodically works to protect himself and better his chances of survival. As time passes, he farms, hunts and builds a fortified shelter. Troubled by the complete lack of human contact, Crusoe begins to contemplate his life and relation to God. He eventually encounters foes, in the form of cannibals who visit the island, as well as an unexpected ally. Often credited as one of the first examples of literary realism, the novel’s almost documentary tone can be credited for providing much of its enduring appeal. The lucid descriptions of Crusoe’s struggles put the reader in his place with great immediacy and creates wonder as to how well we might fare in the same conditions. This is the quintessential castaway story from which all others spring. Imitated and updated many times since its original appearance in 1719, the novel has been adapted into plays, opera, film, comics, television, radio and cartoons, and it has inspired countless other works in virtually all these media. Subject to steady re-interpretation down the years, Robinson Crusoe has been considered as everything from a political allegory of colonialism to a religious novel of Christian salvation, but through any lens it remains one of the most beloved and engaging novels in English. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Robinson Crusoe is both modern and readable.

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Book Synopsis“Six generations of readers have found in the story of the March family universal truths about girls, families and growing up.” -The Guardian “A Natural source of stories...she is, and is to be the poet of children.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson “The novelist of children...the Thackeray, the Trollope, of the nursery and the schoolroom.”-Henry James Little Men is the second book in Louisa May Alcott's “Little Women” trilogy of children's books centered around the activities of the March’s, a progressive transcendental New England family. In this novel, a six month period of time during the late 1800's is recounted in the life of Jo Bhaer (née March) at the experimental school she runs with her German husband. A warm and heartfelt classic, Little Men is a delightful novel about the bonds and trust within friendship and family. When a poor orphan boy, Nat, is dropped on the stairs of Plumfield Estate School he is welcomed with open arms. The school is a unique and loving environment for Nat. He is encouraged in his musical talents and is encouraged to explore patience and the virtues of unity through nursery theater. When Dan, an old friend of Nat's arrives at the school, the tranquility of Plumfield is threatened. Through each student who joins the school, Alcott brilliantly portrays the experiences and the lessons learned. With its deceptively simple plot, the adventures and growth of the thirteen boys and two little girls is a beautifully realistic rendering of personal responsibility in the lives of young children. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Little Men is both modern and readable.

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Book SynopsisIn this new edition of Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, re-read the classic love story that has haunted and inspired nearly who’ve come across it. From the burning love between Catherine and Heathcliff, to the estranged family dynamics at Wuthering Heights, Bronte’s novel explores the dangers of a love that remains forever unrequited. Lockwood, a striking young man from the south of England, is only looking for some respite when he decides to rent a mysterious property in Yorkshire. The landlord, a crotchety old man named Heathcliff, tends to Lockwood as he becomes acquainted with the expansive and haunting property. When inclement weather strikes, Lockwood is forced to stay in the manner at Wuthering Heights, the home of Heathcliff himself. When Lockwood suddenly falls ill, Nelly, the housekeeper tends to him, and spills all the dirty secrets that have been concealed there over the years. Learning about the turbulent relationship between Heathcliff and his deceased lover Catherine Earnshaw, Lockwood struggles to piece together what truly happened on the property at Wuthering Heights. The stories concealed within Wuthering Heights have been hailed as completely original in the legacy of Victorian era literature. Emily Bronte created new narrative structures, such as the frame narrative, which had not been seen before. This avant-garde writing style has been celebrated for decades. Wuthering Heights is a love story that will both terrify and enthrall the most daring of readers.Professionally type-set, and including a new section about the author herself, Wuthering Heights is just as riveting today as it was when it was originally published in 1847.

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Book SynopsisThe Marrow of Tradition (1901) is a historical novel by African American author, lawyer, and political activist Charles Chesnutt. Based on the Wilmington Insurrection of 1898—in which a group of white supremacists rioted and overthrew the elected government of Wilmington, North Carolina, killing hundreds of African Americans and displacing thousands more—The Marrow of Tradition follows two interconnected families on opposite sides of the violence. Set in the fictional city of Wellington, the story begins with Major Carteret, a white newspaper owner whose colleagues and powerful peers are growing increasingly outraged by widespread condemnation of local lynchings. At the same time, a black physician named William Miller is establishing a local medical practice while settling into married life with his wife, Janet, the unacknowledged half-sister of Major Carteret’s wife. When Polly Ochiltree, a local white woman, is murdered, a black servant named Sandy Campbell is initially accused. When the identity of the true killer—a white aristocrat—is discovered, however, and when authorities fail to arrest him, the racial tensions dominating Wellington reach their breaking point. The Marrow of Tradition is a harrowing story of family, race, and identity which brilliantly dissects the historical events of the Wilmington Insurrection without sensationalizing them. Although Chesnutt hoped that his book would help to improve race relations in the United States, the book was a commercial and critical failure. For readers today, however, the novel is a picture of how far we have come, and a chilling reminder of how far we have left to go. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Charles Chesnutt’s The Marrow of Tradition is a classic of African American literature reimagined for modern readers.

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Book SynopsisAfter the death of his parents, Jim Burden is sent to live with his grandparents in Nebraska, where he meets his first and most prominent love, Antonia Shimera. As pioneers in Nebraska, the Shimera family expected hardships, but none as devastating as a death in the family. Narrated by Jim Burden, an orphan living with his grandparents next door to the Shimera’s, My Antonia follows the coming of age and life of Jim and Antonia, the eldest daughter in the Shimera family. Starting when Jim and Antonia were young kids, the Burdens and the Shimera’s live as neighbors in the plains of 19th century Nebraska. While the weather was often harsh and the untamed land made it difficult to yield crops, the Shimera family worked hard to maintain a content life. However, when a tragic death strikes the Shimera family, they fall into poverty despite the aid Jim’s grandparents try to offer. As her family’s farm fails, Antonia has to quit school to help out with manual labor. Antonia gets a job as a town girl, helping care for children and households in order to support her family. Meanwhile, Jim moves into town as well for higher education, and is able to reconnect with Antonia, though she does not have as much leisure time as he does. As they both grow into adulthood, Jim witnesses the Shimera’s and Antonia to make difficult choices and somber sacrifices, contrasting their hardships to his own comfortable life. My Antonia earned commercial and critical acclaim soon after its publication, and has inspired film and stage adaptations since. With themes of feminism, insight on lower class Americans, and the use of deep metaphors, Willa Cather’s My Antonia is a classic gem worthy of even more recognition. Now redesigned with an eye-catching cover and printed in an easy-to-read font, this edition of Willa Cather’s My Antonia restores the classic novel to create an engaging experience for modern audiences.

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Book SynopsisPersuasion (1817) is the final novel written by English author Jane Austen—and the first to be attributed to her name. Persuasion was published posthumously to widespread critical acclaim, and has since been recognized as an understated and mature work of fiction from one of history’s finest writers. Like most of Austen’s novels, Persuasion involves an intricate network of characters and relationships, illustrating its author’s peerless attention to the inner workings of aristocratic society and the nuances of human communication. Persuaded by her wealthy family to break off her engagement to the young Frederick Wentworth, Anne Elliot finds herself unmarried nearly eight years later. By now, with the Elliot family all but ruined by the spendthrift Sir Walter and his enabling daughter Elizabeth, the prospect of marriage is not only a distant hope for Anne, but a bitter reminder of what could have been. When chance reunites her with Frederick, now the esteemed Captain Wentworth for his accomplishments in the Napoleonic Wars, she will have to navigate feelings both old and new with the reversal brought on by their opposing fortunes. As the two are drawn closer together, they will have to decide if it is possible to rekindle a love that has lain dormant much longer than their engagement was allowed to last. Jane Austen’s Persuasion is a perceptive and entertaining novel that raises timeless questions regarding the inequity of social life, the disparate opportunities available to men and woman, and the indomitable feelings which work to draw them together—and threaten to drive them apart. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Jane Austen’s Persuasion is a classic of English literature reimagined for modern readers.

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