Published in 1886 and dedicated to the writer’s ally in idling?his pipe?this collection of entertaining essays established Jerome K. Jerome as an eminent English wit. "What readers ask nowadays in a b
In this lesser known classic James explores in miniature the themes of his major fiction, enlivened by a characteristically keen eye for character and a wry appreciation of both pretension and the abs
An entertaining parody of small-town manners and morals, this comic novella is a revelation?When the aging Russian Prince, Prince K., arrives in the town of Mordasov, Marya Alexandrovna Moskaleva, a d
A celebration of the singular female characters to be found in Dickens's works In his novels Dickens presents a series of unrivaled portraits of women, young and old. From Little Nell to Miss Havisham
A new short biography of the author of Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov, by a preeminent Russian scholar?In this compelling new biography Anthony Briggs explores the effect of Dostoevsk
John Donne lived a life of contradiction. Born to a Catholic family of martyrs and exiles, he fought in the war against Spain, converted to Anglicanism and was appointed to a diplomatic position of so
When Charlotte’s brother Branwell was given a set of?12 toy soldiers, an entire new imaginary world opened before them. The Twelves, or Young Men, became a constant source of inspiration for the Bront
Much against his mother's consent, [Sir Kenelm Digby] married that celebrated beauty and courtesan, Mrs Venetia Stanley,... He would say that a handsome lusty man who was discreet might make a virtuou
Offering a woman’s take on life’s preoccupations, Jenny Wren presents her amusing thoughts on matters ranging from love and politics to tea and bills: "Why were such things invented?" Her witty musing
Widely considered the father of German literature, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a polymath whose life and thoughts made a huge impact on European philosophy, science, and literature. This scrupulous
Born in central Russia in 1828, Tolstoy saw action as a soldier before becoming a writer. His two novels, War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are among the best loved in world literature. Anthony Briggs
`Mine-Haha is a fairy tale that morphs into something far more grotesque-a psycho-sexual Expressionist fable. It's so perversely erotic and freaky and anti-society, and that's probably why it's never
Inside its glass dome the One State is a place of mathematical precision, a community where everything?belongs to?everyone, and integrity, clarity, and unerring loyalty reign over all. D-503, Builder
Serving as a perfect introduction to this well-known French writer, Flaubert scholar Meryl Tyers’ work covers the remarkable life of the renowned author of Madame Bovary and A Sentimental Education. A
This new biography of Honore de Balzac presents a compelling portrait of one of literature's great workaholics, of a writer driven by the impossible and overarching ambition of chronicling the whole
Accompanying an engineer down a mine shaft, a wealthy American discovers a series of caverns in which dwell the subterranean Vril-ya race. Not only have the Vril-ya "people" devised the means with wh
Dostoevsky’s Underground Man is a composite of the tormented clerk and the frustrated dreamer of his earlier stories, but his Notes from the Underground is a precursor of his great later novels
A delightful tale of thwarted ambition and forbidden love, A Rogue’s Life follows the fortunes of an endearing young man. Proffering his own take on picaresque storytelling—and with many
Written in a series of letters to the daughter of a friend, Love and Friendship tells of a young girl’s path to betrayal, by way of a seemingly ecstatic marriage. It is accompanied by The Three
This poignant novel, beautifully translated by Simon Beattie, was, in Lampe’s words, "born into a regime where it could not breathe;" he hoped that one day it might rise again. It has
We Want The Author to give us answers when all he can do is give us desiresMarcel Proust's fiction is threaded through with evidence of his belief in the importance of reading. A la recherche du temps
Charlotte Bronte's extraordinary literary talent manifested itself at an early age when she penned a series of imaginative and entertaining tales. Before her untimely death at the age of thirty-eight
Maggie Browne, the daughter of a deceased clergyman, is encouraged to give up her own life and passions and devote herself to her brother Edward. Through the example and guidance of her mother?who dot
`The Garden, My Mother, My Friends, the Man Dressed in Black, the Pictures Lined up Against the Fence...All of These Disappeared, and I Found Myself Inside a Tower, The Tower from the Pictures, with I
On Deception presents the highlights of Houdini's writings on illusions, revealing him to have been a remarkably prescient champion of rationalism and an ardent opponent of the duping of susceptible i
Following a chance meeting with Mr. and Mrs. Parker, Charlotte Heywood accompanies them to their home in Sanditon, which her excitable hosts promise will be the future epicenter of society summers.?On
Born in Hampshire in 1775, Jane Austen was one of seven children and began writing at an early age. In this new biography, leading Austen scholar Fiona Stafford offers a fresh perspective on the life
Joseph Conrad was born in the Ukraine in 1857. After finishing school he became a sailor, an experience that he would later draw upon in novels such as Hear of Darkness.Gavin Griffiths traces the his
An old man walks along deserted railway tracks, long since unused and overgrown; beside him a young, feral boy helps him along. It has been 60 years since the great Red Death wiped out mankind, and t
This volume collects together four of celebrated poet and preacher John Donne's most powerful sermons on death.Dean of St Paul's, John Donne was feted in his day not just as a poet but also as an insp
Published in its entirety for the first time since 1852, this shining collection of Christmas tales was originally selected by Charles Dickens for his periodical Household Words. Each story varies in
The earliest of Chaucer’s major works, this charming and absorbing dream-poem is traditionally read as an allegorical elegy for Blanche of Lancaster, John of Gaunt’s first wife. A sleepless poet lies
A key text in the history of gay literature, Wings was published in 1906 to the scandalized reaction of contemporary society and the generations which followed. Its central theme of aestheticized sen
Reprinted in its entirety for the first time since its original publication in 1862, Somebody's Luggage is a rediscovered gem from Dickens's later life.Stumbling upon some luggage that has been left
A young man in modern America is terrorized by visions of an earlier, primitive life. Across the enormous chasm of thousands of centuries, his consciousness has become entwined with that of Big-Tooth
Carmen?the inspiration for one of the world’s most popular operas?is a story about the dark forces that lurk beneath the façade of civilization, where passions are brutal and erotic love is seductive
From his mythical lineage and portentous birth, it is clear that Pantagruel is destined to be a very special giant. His adventures, his exploits and even his friends - most notably the lecherous, fou
Bawdy and thoroughly risqu&#eacute;, this 16th–century masterpiece is the work of Pietro Aretino, widely regarded as the originator of European pornographic writing. With a Foreword by Paul Bai
Published here for the first time with Conrad’s complete Congo Diary andUpRiver Book, this is a centenary edition of the author’s masterpiecea profound exploration of the human subconscious twinned wi
Written in diary form, The Diary of Adam and Eve is an ingenious, witty, and ultimately delightful retelling of the dawn of human creation with many a grain of truth for today's gender disputes. Mast
