Publisher: Interactive Media
Tarzan and the Golden Lion is a novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs. In the novel, Tarzan travels to Africa to help his friend Paul d'Arnot, who is being held captive by a group of natives. Tarzan eventually rescues d'Arnot and defeats the natives.
"Allan Quatermain" is an 1887 novel by H. Rider Haggard, featuring his recurring character Allan Quatermain. This adventure novel serves as the sequel to Haggard's earlier work, "King Solomon's Mines". Let's delve into the plot of this captivating tale: Background: Haggard wrote "Allan Quatermain" during his summer holiday in 1885, immediately after completing "King Solomon's Mines". The novel was first serialized in Longman's Magazine before being published as a complete work. Plot Summary: At the beginning of the book, Allan Quatermain mourns the loss of his only son and longs to return to the wilderness. He persuades his friends—Sir Henry Curtis, Captain John Good, and the Zulu chief Umslopogaas—to accompany him on an expedition. Their journey takes them from the east coast of Africa into the territory of the Maasai. While staying with a Scottish missionary named Mr. Mackenzie, they encounter a group of Maasai who kidnap Mr. Mackenzie's daughter. The Maasai demand a life as ransom, but instead, the group launches a surprise attack, defeating the Maasai. The adventurers then travel by canoe along an underground river to a sacred lake in the kingdom of Zu-Vendis. In Zu-Vendis, they encounter a warlike race of white-skinned people ruled by two sisters, Nyleptha and Sorais. Both sisters fall in love with Sir Henry Curtis, leading to a civil war. After a victorious battle, Queen Nyleptha becomes the ruler, while Quatermain dies from a wound sustained in the fight. Reception: "Allan Quatermain" is considered one of Haggard's most successful works. It exemplifies the lost-race novel genre, setting the stage for many subsequent works in this subgenre. In this thrilling adventure, Allan Quatermain's courage and loyalty are put to the test as he navigates treacherous lands and encounters powerful queens. "Show book
Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe is a gripping tale of survival, sin, and redemption in 17th-century England. Born in Newgate Prison, Moll narrates her tumultuous life as she strives for security and wealth in a harsh, unforgiving society. Through a series of marriages, thefts, and betrayals, Moll navigates poverty and prosperity, driven by desperation and ambition. Her journey takes her from London to Virginia and back, entangled in moral ambiguity and societal critique. Despite her crimes, Moll’s resilience and wit make her a compelling antiheroine. Ultimately, she seeks redemption after years of vice, reflecting on her choices with a mix of regret and pragmatism. Defoe’s vivid storytelling blends social commentary with an unflinching look at human frailty, making Moll Flanders a timeless exploration of identity, morality, and the pursuit of happiness.Show book
Hercule Poirot thought that retiring to a small village to do some gardening would bring his detective career to a halt. But when Roger Ackroyd's body is found in his study with a knife stabbed into him, Poirot takes on the case. Ackroyd, whose wealthy fiancee had just recently committed suicide, is hosting a dinner party for a swathe of guests one night when a friend comes to him in confidence and reveals that someone had been blackmailing his late fiancee. That is the last time anyone saw Mr. Ackroyd alive. Join one of Agatha Christie's most notable characters in this entertaining and surprising murder mystery.Show book
'A Farewell to Arms'' is Hemingway's classic set during the Italian campaign of World War I. The book, published in 1929, is a first-person account of American Frederic Henry, serving as a Lieutenant ("Tenente") in the ambulance corps of the Italian Army.It's about a love affair between the expatriate American Henry and Catherine Barkley against the backdrop of the First World War, cynical soldiers, fighting and the displacement of populations. The publication of ''A Farewell to Arms'' cemented Hemingway's stature as a modern American writer, became his first best-seller, and is described by biographer Michael Reynolds as "the premier American war novel from that debacle World War I."
Show book
Moby-Dick or The Whale is an 1851 novel by American writer Herman Melville. The book is the sailor Ishmael's narrative of the obsessive quest of Ahab, captain of the whaling ship Pequod, for revenge on Moby Dick, the giant white sperm whale that on the ship's previous voyage bit off Ahab's leg at the knee. A contribution to the literature of the American Renaissance, the work's genre classifications range from late Romantic to early Symbolist. Its reputation as a "Great American Novel" was established only in the 20th century, after the centennial of its author's birth.Show book
Leo Tolstoy was born in 1828 in the Russian province of Tula to a wealthy noble family. As a child, he had private tutors but he showed little interest in any formal education. When he went to the University of Kazan in 1843 to study oriental languages and law, he left without completing his courses. Life now was relaxed and idle but with some writing also taking place. Gambling debts forced an abrupt change of path and he joined the army to fight in the Crimean War. He was commended for his bravery and promoted but was appalled at the brutality and loss of life. He recorded these and other earlier experiences in his diaries which formed the basis of several of his works. In 1852 ‘Childhood’ was published to immediate success and was followed by ‘Boyhood’ and ‘Youth’. His experience in the army and the horrors he witnessed resulted in ‘The Cossacks’ in 1862 and the trilogy ‘Sevastopol Tales’. After the war he travelled around Europe, visiting London and Paris and meeting such luminaries as Victor Hugo and Charles Darwin. It was now that Tolstoy began his masterpiece, ‘War and Peace’. Published in 1869 it was an epic work that changed literature. He quickly followed this with ‘Anna Karenina’. These successes made Tolstoy rich and helped him accomplish many of his dreams but also brought problems as he grappled with his faith and the lot of the oppressed poor. These revolutionary views became so popular that the authorities now kept him under surveillance. He led a life of asceticism and vegetarianism and put his socialist ideals into practice by establishing numerous schools for the poor and food programmes. He also believed in giving away his wealth, which caused much discord with his wife. His writing continued to bring forth classics such as ‘The Death of Ivan Ilyich’ and many brilliant and incisive short stories such as ‘How Much Land Does A Man Need’. In 1901 Tolstoy was excommunicated from the Church and controversially deselected for the Nobel Prize for Literature. Whilst undertaking a pilgrimage by train in October 1910 with his daughter Aleksandra he caught pneumonia in the nearby town of Astapovo. Leo Tolstoy died on November 9th, 1910, he was 82.Show book
