Other books that might interest you

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  The Mines of Falun

  E. T. A. Hoffmann

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  E. T. A. Hoffmann (1776 – 1822), was a German Romantic author of fantasy and horror as well as a jurist, composer, music critic, draftsman and caricaturist.His stories were highly influential during the 19th century, and he is one of the major authors of the Romantic movement."The Mines of Falun" tells the story of Elis Fröbom, a sailor, who returns from the East Indies to Gotherburg in Sweden, only to discover that his mother has died and he is alone in the world. He tells his story to an old miner who befriends him on the quay, and the miner tells him about the magical mines of Falun and urges him to become a miner. Soon after this, he sets out on a journey, and constantly sees the mysterious old miner ahead of him, showing him the way, and he realises that he is on the way to Falun.Once there he is taken into the house of the mine owner, Pehrson Dahlsjö, and falls in love with his lovely daughter, Ulla Dahlsjö. But the ghostly old miner will not permit Elis to be distracted from mining by his love for an earthly woman, and Elis is torn between his love for Ulla and his obsession with the underground world of fires and minerals. It is this obsession, and the pull of the ghost of the miner, which leads to his destruction.

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  The Thorn in the Flesh

  D H Lawrence

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  ‘The Thorn in the Flesh’ was written by D H Lawrence in 1914.  The story can be read in tandem with 'The Prussian Officer' which was written in the same year and has a similar setting and theme. In this story, the young soldier fights against his own shortcomings as a soldier and as a man. He flees the scene of his crime into the arms of his lover where he finds solace and comfort but he cannot escape the inevitable military machine that Lawrence hated.

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  Nonsense Verses

  Edward Lear

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  Edward Lear was the greatest nonsensicalist of all time. He was the inventor of the limerick and created the Jumblies and The Owl and the Pussycat. This complete edition of Lear's nonsense verse—including the limericks, longer verses, alphabets and his own illustrations—is lovingly restored and beautifully presented, for adults and children to enjoy together.

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  The Cats of Ulthar

  H.P. Lovecraft

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  Howard Lovecraft is an American writer, who became famous for his works of horror fiction. Nowadays he is considered as one of the best 20th-century authors in his genre.  "The Cats of Ultar" is a story of one city, where it was forbidden to kill cats. It was first published in the journal Tryout in 1920. This tale was Lovecraft’s favorite as he was a cat lover. It is one of the most popular stories by the writer. There was an old couple in the city Ultar who liked to trap and kill their neighbors’ cats. Nobody knew exactly, why they did this, but it was a pleasure for them. Once a caravan of dark strangers came through the city. With the caravan came a boy orphan Menes. The only friend he had was a little black kitten. One morning Menes didn’t find his precious kitten and villagers told him about the man and his wife and strange sounds heard the night before. The boy started to pray and the clouds in the sky started to take weird shapes. What happened then? You will recognize when you read the story. But for sure the old couple got what they deserved.A SmartTouch Media production.

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  The Gift of the Magi

  O. Henry

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  This is a short story about a poor, young, married couple who both sell their most prized possession in order to purchase a holiday gift for the other. A lesson in sacrifice and the true meaning of giving is beautifully told in this classic tale with a heart wrenching ending.

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  Better Never Than Late

  Chika Unigwe

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  Religious fervour culminates in an exorcism for one unfortunate maid. A harrowing encounter on a train haunts Añuli. A mother abandons her child in search of personal freedom. A wife joins her husband, only to be met with news that threatens their relationship.
  
  This richly imagined collage of interconnected stories follows Prosperous and Agu, and the motley community of Nigerian expats who gather at their apartment each week. Their reality is one of dashed hopes, twisted love and the pain of homesickness, even as they fight to make their way in this new world.
  Better Never Than Late is a layered and affecting portrayal of the everyday absurdities and adversities of migrant life.

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