The classic tale of a man shipwrecked on a remote island, and his struggle to retain his humanity against the forces of nature, as well as do battle with his own fears and loneliness.
Adopted at more than 1,000 colleges and universities, Bedford/St. Martin’s innovative Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism series has introduced more than a quarter of a million students to li
With an introduction by W.H. Auden and commentary from Helen Vendler, among others, this volume presents all of Shakeseare's non-dramatic poetry in one place.
Engaged to marry socialite May Welland, Newland Archer meets Countess Ellen Olenska, a woman unbound by convention and surrounded by scandal, and is forced to decide between happiness and the social c
A sparkling love story set at a seaside resort-now in a new package When the man whose proposal she rejected returns from his long military tour at sea, Anne Elliot is forced to face the decision she
Possibly the best student of hypocrisy since Voltaire This portrait of a golden-tongued evangelist-who lives a life of hypocrisy, sensuality, and self-indulgence-is also the chronicle of a reign of
A rare look at the hidden side of Victorian life From his precocious childhood to the end of what he calls his "amatory career," an adventurous Victorian known only as "Walter" records a breathtakin
A republication of the author's most autobiographical novel tells the story of a young opera singer who, leaving behind the dull values of her small hometown, is determined to shape her own destiny, d
THE GREATEST ADVENTURE OF ALL TIME Richly imagined by the blind bard around 900 B.C.E., Homer's story follows Odysseus on a decade-long journey as he flees Cyclops, angers his gods, resists the Sirens
Two classic science fiction novels in one handsome volume. Here are two masterpieces of irony and imaginative vision from the father of science fiction. The Time Machine propels the Time Traveller int
The original vampire Since its publication in 1897, Dracula continues to terrify readers with its depiction of a vampire with an insatiable thirst for blood and the group of hunters determined to end
Six classic stories-one volume This indispensible anthology collects the short novels of Henry James, offering readers the full range of his skill and vision-the singular art and imagination of an aut
A gentle linen weaver is accused of a heinous crime. Exiling himself, he becomes a recluse, only to find redemption in his love for an abandoned child who mysteriously appears one day in his isolated
Spirited, beautiful young American Isabel Archer journeys to Europe to, in modern terms, "find herself." But what she finds there may prove to be her undoing, especially when an infinitely sophisticat
Here are Masters's dramatic monologues written in free verse about a fictional Midwestern town called Spoon River. The dead, "sleeping on the hill" in their village cemetery, awaken to tell the trut
Includes: The Tempest - A Midsummer Night's Dream - The Winter's Tale - Much Ado About Nothing - As You Like It - Cymbeline - The Two Gentlemen of Verona - The Merchant of Venice - King Lear - Macbeth
One of the most famous travel books ever written by an American, here is an irreverent and incisive commentary on the "New Barbarians'" encounter with the Old World. Twain's hilarious satire impales w
Inspired by an actual attempt in 1894 to blow up London's Greenwich Observatory, here is a chillingly prophetic examination of contemporary terrorism-and the literary precursor to today's espionage t
LORD ARTHUR SAVILE'S CRIMETHE HAPPY PRINCETHE BIRTHDAY OF THE INFANTA In Dorian Gray, Wilde's full-length novel, a fashionable young man sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty. Also included in t
Discusses the life and work of Andrew Carnegie, describing how he left Scotland at age thirteen, began a menial job at a bobbin factory, and eventually amassed a fortune, most of which he gave to char
THE INSPIRATION FOR THE CLASIC FILM"Follow the yellow brick road!"Since it first appeared in 1900, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has brought joy to generations. In it, a girl's dream world comes to life
The thrilling and timeless legend, masterfully illustrated. The story of the incomparable Arthur, the lovely Guinevere, the wicked Morgana le Fey, and the magical Merlin has enthralled and delighted r
The life and times of Everyone's favorite thief Filled with action, villains, and surprises, the legend lives on. Days of old bursting with pageantry, knights, and beautiful maidens return in a superb
A masterpiece of modern fiction, James Joyce’s semiautobiographical first novel follows Stephen Dedalus, a sensitive and creative youth who rebels against his family, his education, and his country by
Stendhal's most famous work, this is at once a brilliant portrait of French society after the Revolution and a profound psychological study of a young man's struggle to cope with opposing and often u
For nearly two decades before Mark Twain published his finest novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, he was refining his craft and winning tremendous popularity with his short stories and sketches. Th
The creator of such quintessentially American fiction as "Rip Van Winkle," Irving earned his preeminence with the masterpieces in miniature collected here: dozens of short stories, travel essays, bio
Based on the life of her brother, this unforgettable book chronicles the life and times of Jacob Flanders-and remains an important work in the development of the novel form, and a shining example of W
When Maggie was published, society was unprepared for its grim and stark tale of a pretty young girl's fall in New York's Bowery, and its criticism of the irresponsibility of men toward women. Stephe
Written entirely in letters, this novel conveys the nuances and tensions only present in personal epistolary form. The virtuous but self-deceiving Clarissa and the charming villain Lovelace haunt the
Dr. Moreau, a scientist expelled from his homeland for cruel experiments, finds a deserted island where he can create hideous creatures with manlike intelligence. But as the rigid order on Moreau's i
The Jungle Books can be regarded as classic stories told by an adult to children. But they also constitute a complex literary work of art in which the whole of Kipling's philosophy of life is express
Named a ""national institution"" by George Orwell, Dickens offers his most popular tale, of the orphan who is reared in a workhouse and runs away to London-a novel of social protest, a morality tale
The foremost dramatist of his age, Ibsen changed theatre forever with his realistic dialogue and depiction of contemporary social problems. Here are four of his greatest works: Ghosts, An Enemy of th
Considered by some to be her finest work, Edith Wharton's "Summer" created a sensation when first published in 1917, as it was one of the first novels to deal honestly with a young woman's sexual awak
"Come away, Come away!" is Peter Pan's irresistible call to the Darling children -- and to generations of readers who have traveled with him to Neverland and all the secret places in a child's heart.
1 Henry VI was the Rose Theatre's great draw in the spring of 1592, a dramatic tale of the lives of soldiers, diplomats, kings, and insurrectionists. It centres on the fractious instability of the cou
