Other books that might interest you

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  20000 Leagues under the Sea

  Jules Verne

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  "Around the World in 80 Days" is a classic adventure novel written by Jules Verne, first published in 1872. The story follows Phileas Fogg, a wealthy and precise Englishman, who makes a daring bet that he can circumnavigate the globe in just 80 days. Accompanied by his loyal valet, Passepartout, Fogg embarks on a whirlwind journey using various modes of transportation, from trains and ships to elephants. Along the way, they face numerous obstacles and challenges, including being pursued by a detective who mistakenly believes Fogg is a bank robber. The novel is a thrilling tale of adventure, ingenuity, and perseverance.

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  Clarence

  Bret Harte

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  Clarence is a lesser-known but engaging novel by Bret Harte that explores themes of identity, class, and moral dilemmas in post-Civil War America. The story follows Clarence Dermott, a young man of humble origins who discovers he is the heir to a vast estate, thrusting him into a world of wealth, privilege, and social expectations. As he navigates this new life, Clarence must reconcile his modest upbringing with the demands of high society, all while facing romantic entanglements, family secrets, and ethical challenges. Set against the backdrop of small-town America and infused with Harte’s signature blend of sentiment, irony, and regional realism, the novel offers a thoughtful examination of integrity, self-discovery, and the true measure of character in a rapidly changing world.

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  Antony and Cleopatra

  William Shakespeare

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  Antony and Cleopatra (First Folio title: The Tragedie of Anthonie, and Cleopatra) is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play was first performed, by the King's Men, at either the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre in around 1607; its first appearance in print was in the Folio of 1623.
  The plot is based on Thomas North's 1579 English translation of Plutarch's Lives (in Ancient Greek) and follows the relationship between Cleopatra and Mark Antony from the time of the Sicilian revolt to Cleopatra's suicide during the Final War of the Roman Republic. The major antagonist is Octavius Caesar, one of Antony's fellow triumvirs of the Second Triumvirate and the first emperor of the Roman Empire. The tragedy is mainly set in the Roman Republic and Ptolemaic Egypt and is characterized by swift shifts in geographical location and linguistic register as it alternates between sensual, imaginative Alexandria and a more pragmatic, austere Rome.
  Many consider Shakespeare's Cleopatra, whom Enobarbus describes as having "infinite variety", as one of the most complex and fully developed female characters in the playwright's body of work. She is frequently vain and histrionic enough to provoke an audience almost to scorn; at the same time, Shakespeare invests her and Antony with tragic grandeur. These contradictory features have led to famously divided critical responses. It is difficult to classify Antony and Cleopatra as belonging to a single genre. It can be described as a history play (though it does not completely adhere to historical accounts), as a tragedy (though not completely in Aristotelian terms), as a comedy, as a romance, and according to some critics, such as McCarter, a problem play. All that can be said with certainty is that it is a Roman play, and perhaps even a sequel to another of Shakespeare's tragedies, Julius Caesar.
  Among the most significant works William Shakespeare: Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, Orpheus, Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Troilus and Cressida, The Tempest, Venus and Adonis, Antony and Cleopatra, Measure for Measure, The Winter's Tale and many more.

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  The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone

  Arthur Conan Doyle

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  The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone is one of 12 Sherlock Holmes short stories by Arthur Conan Doyle in The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes. It was first published in the Strand Magazine in October 1921.Watson arrives in 221B Baker Street where the page boy Billy shows him a wax effigy of Holmes placed near a curtained window in the sitting room. The effigy produces a shadow on the curtain that, when viewed from outside, is the unmistakable profile of Sherlock Holmes. Using this visual trick, Holmes aims to give a perfect target to a would-be murderer with a rifle. Holmes names his murderer as Count Negretto Sylvius, the diamond thief he has been following in disguise. He gives the criminal's address to Watson, then sends the doctor out the back for the police. As the Count arrives, Holmes has Billy invite him inside, then takes him by surprise when he attempts an assault on the effigy. Holmes then offers the Count and his helper, boxer Sam Merton, freedom if they give up the jewel, or jail if not.He invites them to discuss the deal while he plays violin in the next room. When the Count decides to double-cross Holmes and takes the stone from his secret pocket to show Sam in window light, the detective springs from the chair in place of his replica and grabs the £100K jewel. His bedroom has a gramophone and secret passage to behind the curtain.After the police take away the villains, Lord Cantlemere sweeps in. Unlike the Prime Minister and Home Secretary, he did not want Holmes. When tricked into insisting on arrest for whoever is found possessing the diamond, he finds the jewel in his pocket – where Holmes has placed it – and apologizes. Finally, Holmes can eat.Famous works of the author Arthur Conan Doyle: A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of the Four, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Return of Sherlock Holmes, The Valley of Fear, His Last Bow, The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes, Stories of Sherlock Holmes, The Lost World.

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  Meditation - Sounds of...

  H. G. Wells

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  Meditation: Sounds of Thunderstorms – The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells
   
  A Sci-Fi Classic Reimagined in a Storm of Sound
   
  Step into the shadows with Meditation: Sounds of Thunderstorms – The Invisible Man, an immersive digital audio experience that brings H.G. Wells’ legendary tale of science, madness, and mystery to life like never before.
   
  As thunder rumbles and rain falls steadily in the background, this atmospheric reading of The Invisible Man surrounds you with the tension, drama, and eerie isolation that defines this groundbreaking work of early science fiction.
   
  Expert narration paired with the calming power of nature’s storm makes this edition perfect for late-night listening, deep focus, or a truly meditative journey through one of literature’s most unsettling stories.
   
  •	Classic science fiction read with emotion and clarity
   
  •	Thunderstorms add ambiance and psychological depth
   
  •	Ideal for relaxing while still engaging with a gripping story
   
  •	Perfect blend of literature, mood, and mindfulness

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  A Fragment of Stained Glass -...

  D H Lawrence

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  David Herbert Lawrence was born on the 11th September 1885 in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, a coal mining town where the reality of a harsh life was only useful as experiences for future literary works. 
  He was educated at Beauvale Board School and became the first local boy to receive a scholarship to attend Nottingham High School. After 3 years he became a junior clerk in Haywood’s surgical appliances factory. He was also attempting a literary career which, in the short term, led to a teacher training position in Eastwood and later a teaching qualification from University College, Nottingham.  
  Lawrence’s first efforts were poems, short stories and a draft of ‘The White Peacock’. Moving to London and a teaching position in Croydon his writing attracted the attention of Ford Madox Ford, editor of The English Review, and he commissioned him to write ‘Odour of Chrysanthemums’.  
  Wanting to write full-time he now began work on what would become ‘Sons and Lovers.   
  In 1912 he met the older and married mother-of-three Frieda Weekley. They eloped to Germany and here Lawrence could see for himself the growing tensions with France.  So keen was his interest that he was arrested and accused of being a British spy.  
  In early 1914 Frieda obtained her divorce and they returned to Britain to be married just days before the outbreak of war. Owing to her German parentage, and his own public dislike of militarism and violence, the couple were treated with contempt and suspicion throughout the war years.  
  Despite this he continued to write but his reputation in England was so tarnished and, mirrored by his own disdain for the country, he and Frieda left England in November 1919, first for Europe and then America via Ceylon and Australia. 
  They bought a ranch in Taos, New Mexico and visited Mexico several times. The third visit in March 1925 caused a near fatal attack of malaria. To convalesce they moved to Florence. Here he continued work on ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’ which for many years would cause controversy. A renewed interest in oil painting resulted in an exhibition in 1929 which was raided by the police and several works were confiscated.  
  D H Lawrence died of complications arising from a bout of tuberculosis on the 2nd of March 1930 in Vence, France.  He was 44.

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