Search results for ""Real Reads""

‘Send the brat home? Oh no we won’t! Her mother must have met some rich man – we can make a load of money out of this.’

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Carruthers is looking forward to a relaxing holiday when he sets off for the Baltic Sea. Instead he finds himself at the centre of a complicated and deadly plot. Will Carruthers and his friend Arthur Davies discover why the sinister and mysterious Herr Dollmann is so interested in their little yacht, the Dulcibella? What does Clara Dollmann know about her father’s plans? What secret scheme has brought Commander von Brüning of the Imperial German Navy to the East Frisian Islands? Can Carruthers and Davies solve the riddle of the sands?

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In a brilliant reworking of the tale of Beauty and the Beast, Hugo creates a host of unforgettable characters ? amongst them, Quasimodo, the hunchback of the title, hopelessly in love with the gypsy girl Esmeralda, the satanic priest Claude Frollo, Clopin Trouillefou, king of the beggars, and Louis X1, King of France. Over the entire novel, both literally and symbolically, broods the Cathedral of Notre-Dame.

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Before you start, here are a few tips. To be a good detective you need the same skills as a good card-player. You must consider and examine every detail, not just the obvious ones. You have to observe every change in a person’s face, everything they say, everything they do and you must always expect the unexpected. And finally, you must remember it all. In this most strange tale, you’ll see a friend of mine at work. He has an astonishingly analytical mind. So, pit your own powers of analysis against his – and against mine. Can you solve the mystery of the murders in the Rue Morgue?

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Achilles, the greatest of Greek heroes, is angered by Agamemnon and decides to withdraw from the battle. What is the reason for his wrath? Is there anything that will make him change his mind and return to the battlefield? Both armies have suffered tremendous losses, and the long war seems to be heading towards a stalemate. The Greeks, however, have an ingenious stratagem that may well determine the outcome of the war. Brave warriors, noble heroes, women of divine beauty and envious gods moved by human passions come alive in this wonderful retelling of the most famous epic war story of all time.

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Catherine Morland has little experience of the world. When a neighbour takes her to visit the fashionable city of Bath, her naiveté leaves her vulnerable. Who should Catherine trust? Whose friendship is genuine and whose will be harmful? Catherine’s adventure becomes sinister when she visits Northanger Abbey. What is hidden in the locked cabinet? Why are the General’s children afraid of him? What terrible secrets does he keep in his dead wife’s bedroom? Guided only by the gothic horror stories she so loves reading, Catherine stumbles through her adventures. Will hers be a happy ending? Will she find a hero to share her ‘happily ever after’?

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‘At 5 o’clock on the evening of November 21st, after the ice had drawn back like pall bearers at a funeral, Endurance slipped lower in the water, her stern pointing skywards. We stood in silence while she said her last farewell. A cacophony of cracking timber and rushing water signalled her end and then she was silent, slipping into the watery grave. The bravest ship, she had struggled to the bitter end and now she was gone. Endurance – well named.’

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Among the crew is Ishmael, the novel's narrator, ordinary sailor, and extraordinary reader. Digressive, allusive, vulgar, transcendent, the story Ishmael tells is above all an education: in the practice of whaling, in the art of writing. Expanding to equal his ‘mighty theme’ – not only the whale but all things sublime – Melville breathes in the world's great literature. Moby Dick is the greatest novel ever written by an American.

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The arrival of a gold bug leads the three men on an exciting adventure towards skeletons, a skull and a hunt for buried treasure.

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Little Nell Trent’s childhood is over. Her grandfather’s mind is failing, his dark secret makes him sad and distracted, and he has nobody to care for him but Nell. The grotesque Daniel Quilp is out to cause trouble. What plans does he hatch with the dreadful Sampson and Sally Brass? What use can he hope to make of the foolish Dick Swiveller? Is Nell’s one true friend, Kit, a match for Quilp’s villainous mind? Nell and her grandfather must disappear or be separated forever, and so they begin their lives as beggars. When a mysterious gentleman arrives in London, determined to track them down, it becomes a race against time and against the evil of Quilp. Can Little Nell keep her grandfather safe? Who will protect Nell? Will the mysterious gentleman find them before it is too late?

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When Rachel Verinder inherits the Moonstone from her uncle on her eighteenth birthday, the wonderful jewel is intended to make her rich and happy. So why is her mother so worried about this valuable gift? Rachel seems very fond of her cousin, Franklin Blake. When trouble strikes, why does she refuse his help? What has he done to offend her? Can Sergeant Cuff, the famous detective, solve the dangerous mystery of the Moonstone before it is too late?

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Jane’s aunt and cousin detest her. Life at Lowood School is cruel and dangerous. What inner strength can the young Jane find? Seeking adventure and independence, Jane sets out alone. Is her new master, Mr Rochester, all that he seems? What secret does he keep locked in the third storey, where strange laughter haunts the nights? In her search for affection, Jane faces horror, cruelty, poverty and temptation. Is she strong enough to do what is right? Will she ever mean anything more to anybody than poor, plain Jane Eyre?

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But planet Earth was not only being watched – soon it would be invaded by monstrous creatures from Mars who strode about the land in great mechanical tripods, bringing death and destruction with them. What can possibly stop an invading army equipped with heat-rays and poisonous black gas, intent on wiping out the human race? This is one man’s story of that incredible invasion, from the time the first Martians land near his home town, to the destruction of London. Is this the end of human life on Earth?

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One night, innocent games of pirates and Robin Hood turn serious when the boys witness a murder in the graveyard. The murderer will kill them if they tell the truth. What should they do? The boys decide to search for the murderer’s treasure. What risks will they take? Who else will they endanger? Will they have the courage and quick thinking to escape from dark caverns, cross the mighty Mississippi, and outwit the criminals? Will they find what they are looking for?

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Ali Baba put down his axe and wondered if the magic words really would have any effect on the massive stone door blocking the entrance to the cave. He stood up tall, and in his loudest and most commanding voice shouted 'Open sesame!'

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Dr Livesey opened up the folded paper – it was a hand-drawn map of a small island. My heart raced as I saw the three crosses in red ink, and next to them the following words: 'Most of the treasure lies here'. After the discovery of the map young Jim Hawkins joins an expedition to the island with Dr Livesey and the squire.

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huge and powerful submarine and its mysterious owner, Captain Nemo.

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Just beyond me on the rocky floor of the volcanic crater was the gaping vertical shaft which marked the starting point of our journey. As I gazed into its fearful depths my hair stood on end and my head swirled with dizziness. Most scientists believed that the fierce heat and tremendous pressure would make a journey to the Earth’s centre impossible. When Professor Lindenbrock decides to prove them wrong it is the beginning of an amazing adventure, full of surprising discoveries and unpredictable threats.

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Nick Carraway’s mysterious neighbour Gatsby gazes across the dark bay at a distant green light.

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When Miss Mary Morstan is invited to meet a secretive stranger, she asks Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson to help her. Captain Morstan has disappeared from his hotel without a trace. Should Miss Morstan dare to hope that her father is still alive? What horrible scene awaits the famous detective and his friend when they break down the door to Bartholomew Sholto’s attic room? Who is the man with the wooden leg, and why is he so full of bitterness and hatred? Will Toby, the cleverest tracker dog in London, help Holmes and Watson solve one of their most difficult cases?

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Can the path to the ultimate truth about human life be found by leaving behind wealth, comfort, family and security?

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Nelly Dean has spent her life serving the inhabitants of Wuthering Heights. She has quite a tale to tell. She wants to tell it to you. Nelly’s story is as wild and stormy as the moors on which it is set. She talks of haunting, hatred, love, grief and the desire for revenge. Her tale begins and ends with the mysterious Heathcliff. Where has this strange, silent boy come from? Will you fear him or pity him? What drives the adult Heathcliff to destroy others, even his own son, and to dig in dark graveyards? Is it love or vengeance, or both? This famous story of Heathcliff and Catherine will thrill you and chill you to the bone.

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The baby in her arms and the bright scarlet letter ‘A’ on her gown are evidence and punishment for the shame she has brought on her religious neighbours. Will Hester continue to conceal the name of the husband who sent her away from Europe years before as well as that of the father of her baby? Will the husband get his revenge on the man who has shamed him? Will that man admit his past and join Hester and her daughter Pearl? Or is the matter out of their hands, waiting to be decided between the forces of the Lord and of Satan?

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Defying his parents, Robinson Crusoe goes to sea. He is captured by pirates but escapes to Brazil. He makes a fortune using slave labour to grow tobacco and sugar. He sails to Africa to bring back more slaves but is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island. Everyone else is drowned. For over twenty years he lives alone. He learns to hunt and fish and make shelter. Then the cannibals arrive. Will this be the end of his adventure – or the chance to escape?

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Can people learn the wisdom of thinking about others, and not just about themselves?

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Alone in a strange country where it isn’t safe to be a single girl, Viola disguises herself as a boy called Cesario and finds work as a servant. But dressing in boy’s clothes doesn’t stop Viola falling in love with a man – who is in love with someone else. Will she ever manage to win his love for herself? And who is this other young man that appears, looking so like Cesario? What confusion will result from his arrival? Perhaps Viola’s brother didn’t drown after all …

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When Walter Hartright meets the woman in white, it is the start of an exciting and dangerous adventure. Who is she, and what does she want? At first Walter is happy at Limmeridge House, teaching painting and drawing to Laura Fairlie and Marian Halcombe, but a wicked plot soon threatens to destroy the woman he loves. Will their courage and determination be enough to defeat the powerful forces ranged against them? Is the mysterious woman in white their friend, or their enemy?

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What he hears will change everything. Egged on by his wife, he decides to kill in order to gain the Scottish crown. How many people will have to die in Macbeth’s pursuit of power? With armies, ghosts and magic against him, will Macbeth survive in this tale of greed and betrayal? Getting the crown is one thing – keeping it is quite another.

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As the guest and prisoner of the sinister Count Dracula, Jonathan is plunged into a terrifying world of ancient evil and unbearable fear. Back in England, Jonathan’s wife Mina is concerned about her friend Lucy who is mysteriously ill and growing weaker by the day. Can Lucy’s friends save her from the worst horror of all, or are they all doomed to a similar fate? Can love, courage and goodness defeat the evil thirst of a vampire? In this fight to the bitter end, who will live, who will die, and who will be doomed to a living death?

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Marianne seeks a man who shares her eager spirit; Elinor is in love with the polite, considerate Edward Ferrars. Their younger sister Margaret watches in bewilderment as Marianne and Elinor experience the joys and heartaches of early adult life. Is Marianne too warm or is Elinor too cold? Whose example should Margaret follow? Margaret records the dangers presented by scheming friends and deceitful lovers. Will Elinor’s sense be strong enough to support both sisters, or will Marianne’s sensibility bring tragedy? What will you learn as you read Margaret’s account?

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In London’s respectable society, Jekyll’s friends grow concerned. Why has Jekyll suddenly changed his will, and what is his connection with the frightening Mr Hyde? In London’s squalour, a child is trampled and an elderly gentleman brutally murdered. Why do all fingers point towards Mr Hyde? Is Jekyll strong enough to resist Hyde’s strange power? Are Jekyll’s friends strong enough to help? In this exploration of two sides of Victorian London and two sides of human nature, the conflict between good and evil has been given a terrifying twist.

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Two men hold the answer to Dorian’s secret. One is the artist, Basil Hallward, who paints Dorian’s portrait. The other is Lord Henry Wotton, who convinces the impressionable Dorian that youth and pleasure are the only things worth living for. Is Dorian Gray really as innocent as he seems? Can love and friendship save him from himself? Or will the secret of the picture of Dorian Gray be a secret he takes to his grave?

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When Paul Bäumer and his classmates join the army, nothing has prepared them for the death and destruction that they witness. Machine guns, huge artillery shells and poison gas create a nightmare world for these young men and their older comrades. For months and years attack is followed by counter-attack. Will any of Paul’s friends survive long enough to return to their families and loved ones? Will there be a place for them at home, when peace finally comes? Can any of these soldiers make sense of the massive conflict in which they are involved?

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New Title from the highly acclaimed series introducing children to the world's classic literature.

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Breaking the well-established routine of his daily life, he immediately sets off for Dover with his astonished valet Passepartout. Passing through exotic lands and dangerous locations, they seize whatever transportation is at hand - whether train or elephant - overcoming set-backs and always racing against the clock.

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During his eventful journey Odysseus comes across all sorts of monsters and mythical creatures, and loses his ships and crew. When he finally reaches his beloved island he finds his queen besieged by suitors who claim his throne. What tricks will Penelope resort to in her effort to avoid them? And how does Odysseus get rid of the impudent suitors and regain his wife and kingdom? The amazing adventures of the legendary hero come alive in this masterful retelling of Odysseus’s epic voyage.

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As the government becomes increasingly incompetent, warlords and nobles battle for power. In the north is the Kingdom of Wei, headed by cunning and manipulative Cao Cao. In the southeast is the Kingdom of Wu, ruled by masterful and charismatic Sun Quan. In the west is the Kingdom of Shu, commanded by kind-hearted and humble Liu Bei. Cao has committed murder and betrayal on his way to glory, only to see his family’s throne overthrown by other scheming crooks. Sun and his advisor Zhou Yu have established a military stronghold, but are no match against Liu’s military strategist Zhuge Liang, who wisely advocates tolerance and mutual respect. Full of thrilling action, sophisticated stratagems, passionate brotherhood and loyalty, The Three Kingdoms sums up all the most important lessons of history.

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Her new employer, Alec d’Urberville, seems charming and kind. Tess has a mind of her own, but she is vulnerable and alone among strangers. Can she trust Alec? A year later Tess meets Angel Clare, and they fall in love. If Angel discovers the truth about Tess’s past, will he still love her? In this gripping story of courage, love and betrayal, Thomas Hardy asks many difficult questions. Are the expectations of women and men the same? Can we ever escape the consequences of our past actions? How much pain can one person live with?

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At the tender age of ten, Fanny Price moves from her poor family home to live with her wealthy cousins at Mansfield Park. Settling into this proud family is only the first of many challenges she will have to face. Can Fanny, uneducated and inexperienced, win any respect or love, or will the spiteful Mrs Norris turn everybody against her? When plays, balls and marriage proposals challenge Fanny’s judgement, will she be strong enough to do what is right? When jealousy, duty and flattery challenge Fanny’s heart, will it be strong enough to guide her towards true love? Just how strong is Fanny Price?

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Rama’s stepmother Kaikeyi longs to see her son Bharata crowned king, and persuades King Dasaratha that Rama, the rightful heir, should be sent into exile for fourteen years. Rama’s beautiful and devoted wife Sita, and Lakshmana his inseparable half-brother, both choose to accompany him. Rama, Sita and Lakshmana live happily in the forest until the demon king Ravana is told by his sister that Sita is the most beautiful princess in the world. He decides to kidnap her, and lures her away to his kingdom in the south. Rama and Lakshmana must rescue Sita, and call on the great monkey army, led by the warrior Hanuman, to help them find her. Rama uses his time in exile to learn the true meaning of devotion and loyalty, but will the lessons earn him the reward he deserves?

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Adventures with Tom Sawyer made Huck rich – but his Pap is a violent drunk and the broad Mississippi is the road to liberty. Huck’s raft can carry him and his friend Jim, a runaway slave, to safety. When they lose their way one foggy night, though, they are headed downriver into dangerous territory. How can one small boy pilot his way through a land of mortal feuds, lynch mobs and tricksters? When life and freedom are at risk, how can Huck figure out the difference between wrong and right?

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An incredible claim by the eccentric Professor Challenger leads to an expedition deep into the Amazon, where an unlikely group of men find themselves on a journey into unknown dangers. Will they have the skills, strength, intelligence and good fortune to survive? Do dinosaurs really exist on the inaccessible plateau? How did a human skeleton become impaled on a bamboo spike? Can humans survive in a land of such primitive powers? If journalist Edward Malone ever returns home to write his newspaper report, will it be to declare Challenger a madman or a genius?

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In the dark, dangerous streets of Victorian London Oliver enters the world of people so poor and desperate that they will take any risk and know no mercy. Relentlessly pursued by the menacing criminal world, who should Oliver trust? Are his true friends strong enough to resist the determined plotting of desperate villains? In this gripping tale of kidnapping, shooting and murder, Charles Dickens shows the threats to a vulnerable boy’s existence and asks the eternal question: which is more powerful, good or evil?

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