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The Beautiful and Damned, F. Scott Fitzgerald's second novel, tells the story of Anthony Patch, a 1920s socialite and presumptive heir to a tycoon's fortune. Anthony and his wife Gloria are young and gorgeous, rich and leisured, and dedicate their lives to the reckless pursuit of happiness.But this intimate story turns tragic, as their marriage disintegrates under the weight of their expectations, dissipation, jealousy and aimlessness. Fitzgerald skilfully portrays the east-coast elite as the Jazz Age begins its ascent, engulfing all classes into what will soon be known as Cafe Society. As with all of Fitzgerald's novels, it is a brilliant character study written in breathtaking prose.It is also a gripping account of the complexities of marriage, largely based on Fitzgerald's relationship with his wife, Zelda. This Macmillan Collector's Library edition features an afterword by Ned Halley. Designed to appeal to the booklover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautiful gi

This collection of Poe's work contains some of the most exciting and haunting stories ever written. They range from the poetic to the mysterious to the darkly comic, yet all possess the genius for the

Forced to move from the rural tranquillity of southern England to the turbulent northern mill town of Milton, Margaret Hale takes an instant dislike to the dirt and noise that seems to characterize he

Crime and Punishment is the story of a brutal double murder and its aftermath. Raskolnikov, a poor student, kills a pawnbroker and her sister, and then has to face up to the moral consequences of his

This mesmerising, macabre collection contains Edgar Allan Poe's best-known poetry, including 'The Raven', 'Annabel Lee' and 'Lenore', and a selection of his very best stories, along with his finest ta

A tour de force of wit and sparkling dialogue, Pride and Prejudice shows how the headstrong Elizabeth Bennet and the aristocratic Mr Darcy must have their pride humbled and their prejudices dissolved

Two sisters of opposing temperament but who share the pangs of tragic love provide the subjects for Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. Elinor, practical and conventional, the epitome of sense, desir

Jane Austen’s best-loved novel is a memorable story about the inaccuracy of first impressions, about the power of reason, and above all, about the strange dynamics of human relationships and emotions

George Orwell, perhaps one of the most perceptive writers of the twentieth century, wrote extensively about English life and politics. This selection of his essays and journalism brings together his m

A literary sensation from its first publication, The Master and Margarita is considered a masterpiece of twentieth-century Russian literature.Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library, a series of stu

Why has the mild mannered Dr Jekyll suddenly begun to associate with the ugly and violent Mr Hyde? And why are they never seen together? When Jekyll's old friend Utterson tries to solve these mysterie

The Prince and the Pauper is a classic adventure of mistaken identity set in Tudor London and told with Mark Twain’s trademark humour and concern for social justice.Part of the Macmillan Collector’s L

William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and of Experience includes some of the visionary poet’s finest and best-loved poems such as 'The Lamb', 'The Chimney-Sweeper' and 'The Tiger'. Part of the Macmillan

Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto, first printed just before the French revolution of 1848, is his most accessible and famous work. In his powerful call to arms, Marx expounds his famous theory that cla

Rollo Martins, a failing novelist, is invited to Vienna by his best friend, Harry Lime. The city he arrives in is unrecognisable - torn apart by the Second World War and shared between the occupying A

A young governess is employed to look after two orphaned siblings in a grand country house. Isolated and inexperienced, she’s at first charmed by the children but gradually she suspects that they may

My Family and Other Animals is Gerald Durrell's hilarious account of five years in his childhood spent living with his family on the island of Corfu. With snakes, scorpions, toads, owls and geckos com

Alice in Wonderland is one of the best-loved children’s stories in the world and has been translated into nearly fifty languages, and in several cases more than once. Sir John Tenniel’s beautiful illu

Sanditon, Lady Susan, & The History of England: The Juvenilia and Shorter Works of Jane Austen is a rare collection is a must for all Jane-ites, representing what Richard Church regarded as Jane A

Science and adventure are electrifying accomplices in Jules Verne's classic Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. This epic and enduring tale anticipates not just wonders such as electric light and s

Thomas Hardy saw himself, first and foremost, as a poet and he composed poetry throughout his prolific and acclaimed novel-writing years. In 1896, dismayed by the criticism he received on publication

All legends begin somewhere, and the two novels here are where one of the world's best-loved legends began. In A Study in Scarlet, Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson first meet and investigate a seemingly

E. M. Delafield's largely autobiographical novel takes the form of a journal written by an upper-middle-class lady living in a Devonshire village.Written with humour, this charming novel is full of the peculiarities of daily life. The Provincial Lady of the title attempts to avoid disaster and prevent chaos from descending upon her household. But with a husband reluctant to do anything but doze behind The Times, mischievous children and trying servants, it's a challenge keeping up appearances on an inadequate income, particularly in front of the infuriating and haughty Lady Boxe.As witty and delightful today as when it was first published in 1930, Diary of a Provincial Lady is a brilliantly observed comic novel and an acknowledged classic. This beautiful Macmillan Collector's Library edition features an introduction by author and journalist Christina Hardyment. Designed to appeal to the book lover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautiful gift-editions of much loved c

Richard, Duke of Gloucester - the bitter, deformed brother of the King - is secretly plotting to seize the throne of England. Charming and duplicitous, powerfully eloquent and viciously cruel, he is p

The Iliad has had a far-reaching impact on Western literature and culture, inspiring writers, artists and classical composers across the ages. Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of st

A novel of social and moral themes, Hard Times is the archetypal Dickens novel, filled with family difficulties, estrangement, rotten values and unhappiness. Published in 1854, it is set in the imagin

One of Charles Dickens's most renowned and enjoyable novels, Great Expectations tells the story of Pip, an orphan boy who wishes to transcend his humble origins and finds himself unexpectedly given th

The most famous example of invasion literature and first published in 1898, The War of the Worlds has inspired countless science fiction stories and novels. After a dramatic series of shooting stars a

The orphaned Jane Eyre suffers under cruel guardians, a harsh employer and a rigid social order. But her plain appearance belies her indomitable spirit, sharp wit and great courage. When she goes to T

Peter, Phyllis and Roberta’s lives change overnight when their father is taken away by two strangers. They move from the comfort of their London home to a small country cottage, and are left to their

On board the whaling ship Pequod a crew of wise men and fools, renegades and seeming phantoms is hurled through treacherous seas by crazed Captain Ahab, a man hell-bent on hunting down the mythic Whit

After being chased from the home of an upper-class young girl called Ellie, chimney-sweep Tom falls asleep and tumbles into a river. There he is transformed into a 'water-baby' and his adventures trul

Mary Lennox is sent from an India as an orphan to live at Misselthwaite Manor. She arrives as a sour-faced, sickly and ill-tempered little madam but becomes friends with local lad Dickon and her poorl

In The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, one of the best-known and best-loved poems in the English language, a grizzled old sailor stops a man on his way to a wedding and tells a terrifying story. He speak