Altri libri che potrebbero interessarti

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  The Whale - (or Moby Dick)

  Herman Melville

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  "Moby Dick" (or "The Whale" as it was one known) is the unforgettable story of Captain Ahab’s quest to avenge the whale that ‘reaped’ his leg.  The quest and the novel is a story of how man can become blindly obsessed.  The tale is also a testament to democracy and liberation, as the ship's crew work together for a common end. 
  Ishmael, the novel’s narrator is a young, ordinary sailor learning the practice of whaling. 
  Moby Dick is one of the greatest novels ever written and a timeless classic.

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  At Christmas Time - From their...

  Anton Chekhov

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  Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was born on 29th January 1860 in Taganrog, on the south coast of Russia.  
  His family life was difficult; his father was strict and over-bearing but his mother was a passionate story-teller, a subject Chekhov warmed to. As he later said; ‘our talents we got from our father, but our soul from our mother’.  
  At school Chekhov was distinctly average. At 16 his father mis-managed his finances and was declared bankrupt. His family fled to Moscow. Chekhov remained and eked out a living by various means, including writing and selling short sketches to newspapers, to finish his schooling. That completed and with a scholarship to Moscow University obtained he rejoined his family. 
  He was able to help support them by selling satirical sketches and vignettes of Russian lifestyles and gradually obtained further commissions. In 1884, he qualified as a physician and, although it earned him little, he often treated the poor for free, he was fond of saying ‘Medicine is my lawful wife, and literature is my mistress.’ 
  His own health was now an issue as he began to cough up blood, a symptom of tuberculosis.  Despite this his writing success enabled him to move the family into more comfortable accommodation.  
  Chekhov wrote over 500 short stories which included many, many classics including ‘The Kiss’ and ‘The Lady with a Dog’.  His collection ‘At Dusk’ won him the coveted Pushkin Prize when was only 26.  
  He was also a major playwright beginning with the huge success of ‘Ivanov’ in 1887.   
  In 1892 Chekhov bought a country estate north of Moscow. Here his medical skills and money helped the peasants tackle outbreaks of cholera and bouts of famine. He also built three schools, a fire station and a clinic.  It left him with less time for writing but the interactions with real people gained him detailed knowledge about the peasantry and their living conditions for his stories.  
  His most famous work, ‘The Seagull’ was received disastrously at its premiere in St Petersburg. It was later restaged in Moscow to highlight its psychological aspects and was a huge success. It led to ‘Uncle Vanya’, ‘The Three Sisters’ and ‘The Cherry Orchard’.  
  Chekhov suffered a major lung hemorrhage in 1897 while visiting Moscow. A formal diagnosis confirmed tuberculosis and the doctors ordered changes to his lifestyle.  
  Despite a dread of weddings the elusive literary bachelor quietly married the actress Olga Knipper, whom he had met at rehearsals for ‘The Seagull’, on 25th May 1901. 
  By May 1904 with his tuberculosis worsening and death imminent he set off for the German town of Badenweiler writing cheerful, witty letters to his family and assuring them his health was improving.  
  On 15th July 1904 Anton Chekhov died at Badenweiler.  He was 44.

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  The Search After Happiness - A...

  Charlotte Brontë

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  The Search After Happiness is a 1829 novel by Charlotte Brontë. Written when the author was just thirteen years old, it is a disturbing tale of mysterious men and enslaving creatures that poses many questions but answers few. An uncanny insight into the mind of a young literary genius, "The Search After Happiness" is not to be missed by those who have read and enjoyed other works by this author. Charlotte Brontë (1816 - 31 March 1855) was an English novelist and poet, and the oldest sister in the world-famous trio of literary sisters. Along with her sisters', her novels have become irrefutable classics of English literature still read and enjoyed by people of all ages the world over.

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  Great Expectations

  Charles Dickens

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  "Great Expectations" is a novel by Charles Dickens, first published in serialized form between 1860 and 1861. The story follows the life of an orphan named Pip, who rises from humble beginnings thanks to an anonymous benefactor. Set in Victorian England, the narrative explores themes of social class, personal development, and the complexity of human emotions, as Pip navigates love, ambition, and moral dilemmas. The novel is considered one of Dickens's greatest works and a classic of English literature.

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  Madeline in London

  Ludwig Bemelmans

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  "Madeline in London" is a charming addition to Ludwig Bemelmans' beloved Madeline series, first published in 1961. This delightful story follows the spirited and fearless Madeline and her classmates as they embark on an exciting journey from their Parisian boarding school to the bustling city of London. The girls are visiting their friend Pepito, the son of the Spanish Ambassador, who has recently moved to the British capital. As they explore iconic landmarks like Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London, their adventure is filled with the enchanting whimsy and captivating illustrations that characterize Bemelmans' work. "Madeline in London" continues to capture the hearts of readers with its blend of adventure, friendship, and the timeless charm of Madeline's world.

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  Browdean Farm - From their pens...

  A M Burrage

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  Alfred McLelland Burrage was born in Hillingdon, Middlesex on 1st July, 1889. His father and uncle were both writers, primarily of boy’s fiction, and by age 16 AM Burrage had joined them.  The young man had ambitions to write for the adult market too.  The money was better and so was his writing. 
  From 1890 to 1914, prior to the mainstream appeal of cinema and radio the printed word, mainly in magazines, was the foremost mass entertainment.  AM Burrage quickly became a master of the market publishing his stories regularly across a number of publications. 
  By the start of the Great War Burrage was well established but in 1916 he was conscripted to fight on the Western Front. He continued to write during these years documenting his experiences in the classic book War is War by Ex-Private X. 
  For the remainder of his life Burrage was rarely printed in book form but continued to write and be published on a prodigious scale in magazines and newspapers.  In this volume we concentrate on his supernatural stories which are, by common consent, some of the best ever written.  Succinct yet full of character each reveals a twist and a flavour that is unsettling…..sometimes menacing….always disturbing.

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