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Book SynopsisFirst published in 1947, In Due Season broke new ground with its fictional representation of women and of Indigenous people. Set during the dustbowl 1930s, this tersely narrated prize-winning novel follows Lina Ashley, a determined solo female homesteader who takes her family from drought-ridden southern Alberta to a new life in the Peace River region. Here her daughter Poppy grows up in a community characterized by harmonious interactions between the local Métis and newly arrived European settlers. Still, there is tension between mother and daughter when Poppy becomes involved with a Métis lover. This novel expands the patriarchal canon of Canadian prairie fiction by depicting the agency of a successful female settler and, as noted by Dorothy Livesay, was ""one of the first, if not the first Canadian novel wherein the plight of the Native Indian and the Métis is honestly and painfully recorded."" The afterword by Carole Gerson and Janice Dowson provides substantial information about author Christine van der Mark and situates her under-acknowledged book within the contexts of Canadian social, literary, and publishing history.

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Book SynopsisA sailor called Ishmael narrates the obsessive quest of Ahab, captain of the whaler Pequod, for revenge on Moby Dick, a white whale which on a previous voyage destroyed Ahab''s ship and severed his leg at the knee. Although the novel was a commercial failure and out of print at the time of the author''s death in 1891, its reputation as a Great American Novel grew during the 20th century. William Faulkner confessed he wished he had written it himself, and D. H. Lawrence called it "one of the strangest and most wonderful books in the world", and "the greatest book of the sea ever written."Moby Dick is considered as an outstanding work of Romanticism. The product of a year and a half of writing, the book draws on Melville''s experience at sea, on his reading in whaling literature, and on literary inspirations such as Shakespeare and the Bible. The detailed and realistic descriptions of whale hunting and of extracting whale oil, as well as life aboard ship among a culturally diverse crew, are mixed with exploration of class and social status, good and evil, and the existence of God. In addition to narrative prose, Melville uses styles and literary devices ranging from songs, poetry and catalogs to Shakespearean stage directions, soliloquies and asides.This case laminate collector''s edition includes a Victorian inspired dust-jacket. 

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Book SynopsisCandide is living a sheltered life in an Edenic paradise and being indoctrinated with Leibnizian optimism (or simply "optimism") by his mentor, Professor Pangloss. Voltaire describes the abrupt cessation of this lifestyle, followed by Candide''s slow, painful disillusionment as he witnesses and experiences great hardships in the world. Voltaire concludes with Candide, if not rejecting optimism outright, advocating a deeply practical precept, "we must cultivate our garden", in lieu of the Leibnizian mantra of Pangloss, "all is for the best" in the "best of all possible worlds."As expected by Voltaire, Candide has enjoyed both great success and great scandal. Immediately after its secretive publication, the book was widely banned because it contained religious blasphemy, political sedition and intellectual hostility hidden under a thin veil of naïveté. However, with its sharp wit and insightful portrayal of the human condition, the novel has since inspired many later authors and artists to mimic and adapt it. Today, Candide is recognized as Voltaire''s magnum opus and is often listed as part of the Western canon; it is among the most frequently taught works of French literature. The British poet and literary critic Martin Seymour-Smith listed Candide as one of the 100 most influential books ever written.This case laminate collector''s edition includes a Victorian inspired dust-jacket. 

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Book SynopsisCrime and Punishment follows the mental anguish and moral dilemmas of Rodion Raskolnikov, an impoverished ex-student in St. Petersburg who formulates and executes a plan to kill an unscrupulous pawnbroker for her cash. Raskolnikov, in attempts to defend his actions, argues that with the pawnbroker''s money he can perform good deeds to counterbalance the crime, while ridding the world of a vermin. He also commits the murder to test a theory of his that dictates some people are naturally capable of such actions, and even have the right to perform them.Several times throughout the novel, Raskolnikov compares himself with Napoleon Bonaparte and shares his belief that murder is permissible in pursuit of a higher purpose. Dostoyevsky''s literary works explore human psychology in the troubled political, social, and spiritual atmosphere of 19th century Russia. Many literary critics rate him as one of the greatest psychologists in world literature.This case laminate collector''s edition includes a Victorian inspired dust-jacket. 

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisWar and Peace charts the history of the French invasion of Russia, and the impact of the Napoleonic era on Tsarist society, through the stories of five Russian aristocratic families. War and Peace is well known as being one of the longest novels ever written. Newsweek in 2009 ranked it first in its Top 100 Books. In 2007, Time magazine ranked War and Peace third in its poll of the 10 greatest books of all time. It is regarded as one of the central works of world literature. According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, "no single English novel attains the universality of Leo Tolstoy''s War and Peace."Tolstoy was instrumental in bringing a new kind of consciousness to the novel. His narrative structure is noted for its "god-like" ability to hover over and within events, but also in the way it swiftly and seamlessly portrayed a particular character''s point of view. His use of visual detail is often cinematic in scope, using the literary equivalents of panning, wide shots and close-ups. These devices are part of the new style of the novel that arose in the mid-19th century and of which Tolstoy proved himself a master.

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Book SynopsisOn an expedition to find a giant sea monster, three men are hurled into the ocean. They are rescued by Captain Nemo in his technologically advanced submarine. In order to keep his submarine a secret, Nemo tells the three companions that they can never leave. Their adventures take them to the submerged land of Atlantis, to the Antarctic ice shelves, and to the ocean floor in diving suits to hunt sharks with air-guns. What follows is a gripping tale of excitement as the companions try to solve Nemo''s deepest secrets.In 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The description of Nemo''s ship, called the Nautilus, was considered ahead of its time, as it accurately describes features on submarines, which at the time were very primitive vessels. In Journey to the Center of the Earth, readers were brought face to face with prehistoric creatures deep within the bowels of the Earth. In Around the World in 80 Days, Jules Verne helped make the world seem a little smaller, and accessible to young adventurers, spurring many to attempt a voyage around the world.This case laminate collector''s edition includes a Victorian inspired dust-jacket. 

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Book SynopsisForced to leave her home in the tranquil, rural south, Margaret Hale settles with her parents in Milton. She witnesses the brutal world wrought by the Industrial Revolution, seeing employers and workers clashing in the first strikes. Sympathetic to the poor, whose courage and tenacity she admires and among whom she makes friends, she clashes with John Thornton: a nouveau riche cotton-mill owner who is contemptuous of his workers.North and South is a social novel set in the fictional industrial town of Milton in the north of England. The story uses a protagonist from southern England to present and comment on the perspectives of mill owners and workers in an industrialising city. The novel traces Margaret Hale''s growing understanding of the complexity of labour relations and their impact on well-meaning mill owners and her conflicted relationship with John Thornton. North and South remains one of Elizabeth Gaskell''s best-known novels and was adapted for television three times.This case laminate collector''s edition includes a Victorian inspired dust-jacket. 

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Book SynopsisThe Importance of Being Earnest is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personæ to escape burdensome social obligations. Working within the social conventions of late Victorian London, the play''s major themes are the triviality with which it treats institutions as serious as marriage, and the resulting satire of Victorian ways.Contemporary reviews all praised the play''s humour, while others foresaw the modern consensus that it was the culmination of Wilde''s artistic career so far. Its high farce and witty dialogue have helped make The Importance of Being Earnest Wilde''s most enduringly popular play.This case laminate collector''s edition includes a Victorian inspired dust-jacket. 

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Book SynopsisOn Robinson Crusoe''s first seafaring voyage, his ship sinks in a violent storm. On his second voyage he is enslaved by pirates. When Crusoe braves the ocean after several years in Brazil, Providence leaves him as the sole survivor of a shipwreck on a deserted island. Confronted by hunger and the elements, Crusoe builds a home, grows crops, tames wild animals, and survives cannibals and mutineers by his wits and the qualities of his cultural upbringing. But while Crusoe has conquered his island, he is affected most by his isolation from civilization.Robinson Crusoe is widely regarded as the first English novel. No book in the history of Western literature had spawned more editions, spin-offs, and translations. Adaptations include The Swiss Family Robinson, the Hollywood film Cast Away, and nbc''s tv series Crusoe. The story was likely influenced by the real-life Alexander Selkirk, a Scottish castaway in 1704 who spent four years and four months on the Pacific island Juan Fernández which was later changed to Robinson Crusoe Island in 1966.This case laminate collector''s edition includes a Victorian inspired dust-jacket. 

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