This historical fantasy, written by the son of the well-known German novelist Thomas Mann, takes Alexander the Great for its subject, charting his life and career, and examining his obsession with con
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
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
Brief Lives offers short, authoritative biographies of the world's best-known literary figures. Both informative and entertaining, each title introduces the modern reader to the early life, writing ca
Wilkie Collins was one of the most popular writers in Victorian England. Au innovator of detective fiction, Collins secured his fame with sensational novels that feature intricate legal plots, mistake
Poetic Lives offers short, authoritative biographies of the world's best-known poets, illustrated by extracts from their work. Each title traces its subject's youth, writing career and literary legacy
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
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
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
Determined to take the education of his beloved younger sister Pauline in hand, Henri Beyle, better known by his famous nom de plume, 'Stendhal', was obliged, on leaving Grenoble, to continue her tuit
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
As nuanced in her observations of human behavior as she is in her vivid depictions of French landscape and architecture, Wharton fully exploited her unique position as consort to Walter Barry, preside
In this wickedly sharp collection of essays, the eminent wit and perennially popular Jerome K. Jerome muses on various subjects vital to successful living, among them "The Inadvisability of Following
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
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
As an acclaimed novelist, Miles Fanning is well used to the unwanted attentions of his fans as he goes about his daily business. Yet little prepares him for the determination of the gauche Pamela Tarn
Poet, philosopher, and critic, Samuel Taylor Coleridge is now best remembered for the extraordinary "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" and "Kubla Khan." With his friend William Wordsworth he founded t
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Left impoverished upon the death of her aunt, Emma Watson has no option but to be reunited with her estranged father and siblings. Initially delighted with her new life—including the fashionabl
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
Edward IV has recently died, leaving his offspring and potential future monarchs: twelve-year-old Edward, Prince of Wales, and Richard, Duke of York, aged nine. However, disturbing the natural succes
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
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
