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  Bonjour Tristesse - A Novel

  Francoise Sagan

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  Now a New Major Motion Picture directed by Durga Chew-Bose and starring Lily McInerny, Chloë Sevigny, and Claes Bang 
  A sensational 1954 French novel that has become a contemporary classic. Set against the translucent beauty of France in summer, Bonjour Tristesse is a bittersweet tale narrated by Cecile, a seventeen-year-old girl on the brink of womanhood, whose meddling in her father's love life leads to tragic consequences. 
  Endearing, self-absorbed, seventeen-year-old Cécile is the very essence of untroubled amorality. Freed from the stifling constraints of boarding school, she joins her father—a handsome, still-young widower with a wandering eye—for a carefree, two-month summer vacation in a beautiful villa outside of Paris with his latest mistress. Cécile cherishes the free-spirited moments she and her father share, while plotting her own sexual adventures with a "tall and almost beautiful" law student. But the arrival of her late mother's best friend intrudes upon a young girl's pleasures. And when a relationship begins to develop between the adults, Cécile and her lover set in motion a plan to keep them apart...with tragic, unexpected consequences. 
  The internationally beloved story of a precocious teenager's attempts to understand and control the world around her, Françoise Sagan's Bonjour Tristesse is a beautifully composed, wonderfully ambiguous celebration of sexual liberation, at once sympathetic and powerfully unsparing. 
  This edition includes an introduction by Diane Johnson.

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  A Pair of Silk Stockings - From...

  Kate Chopin

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  Katherine O'Flaherty was born on the 8th February 1850 in St Louis, Missouri to parents of French and Irish descent. 
  At age 5, she was sent to the Sacred Heart Academy and, apart from a 2 year period at home when her father died, remained there until graduating in 1868.  Whilst there she began writing and became an avid reader of almost anything that crossed her path.   
  Kate married Oscar Chopin in 1870 and the couple moved to New Orleans, and later to the rural setting of Cloutierville, Louisiana to raise their 6 children.  
  In 1882 her husband died leaving her in a deep trench of debt.  Despite her best efforts to turn the businesses around they were sold, and she moved the family back to St Louis and the financial help of her mother.  Sadly, her mother died within the year.  Kate, now struggling with depression, pushed herself to write and gained a local reputation as a writer of short stories that captured the local color and vibrancy of her surroundings. 
  By the early 1890’s her short stories were published nationally.  With this widespread audience also came negative reviews, controversy, and cries of immorality as themes such as interracial relationships, the rights of women and other burning issues of the day were written about. 
  Despite the criticism, which unnerved her, she continued to write though in the main her works, around 100 short stories and two novels, were not attributed with any literary worth. 
  Kate Chopin died from a brain haemorrhage in St Louis Missouri on the 22nd of August 1904.  She was 54. 
  For much of the 20th Century her work was forgotten and out of print.  It was only in early 1970’s, with the rise of feminism and the call for a more just society that she was given the status her works had long described and shone a literary light at.  She is now safely revered as one of America’s great authors.

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  The Money Box - From their pens...

  WW Jacobs

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  William Wymark Jacobs was born on 8th September 1863 in Wapping, East London.  
  He was educated at a private school and then Birkbeck Literary and Scientific Institution, now part of the University of London. 
  In 1879, Jacobs began work as a clerk in the civil service, in the Post Office Savings Bank.  In 1885 his first short story was published but it was not until almost the turn of the century that he would abandon his post office career to that as a full-time writer. By then he was a very popular author, his collections selling extremely well and with an excellent income. 
  His best-known work is the macabre ‘The Monkey's Paw’ and he is also highly regarded for his ghost stories although much of his remaining short story output is streaked with humour.  His characters are immediately identifiable and we all know that life will take chunks out of them in no time at all.  
  Jacobs married the noted suffragette Agnes Eleanor Williams in 1900 at West Ham, Essex. They went on to have two daughters and three sons as they settled down to life.  
  By the outbreak of the First World War his literary output had declined and he now mainly spent his time rewriting his earlier stories for the stage.  In all he wrote 18 plays. 
  W W Jacobs died on 1st September 1943 at Hornsey Lane, Islington in London. He was 79.

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  Notes From Underground

  Fyodor Dostoevsky

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  Dive into the mind of the Underground Man, a disillusioned and isolated figure who grapples with the complexities of existence in Fyodor Dostoyevsky's groundbreaking novel, Notes from Underground. First published in 1864, this novella is considered one of the earliest and most influential works of existentialist literature.In this haunting narrative, the Underground Man recounts his thoughts and experiences, revealing a soul in turmoil and a mind at odds with society. Through his confessions, Dostoyevsky explores themes of free will, alienation, and the darker aspects of human nature. The protagonist's internal battles and his critical perspective on the rationalist ideas of his time provide a profound commentary on the human condition.Notes from Underground is a timeless classic that delves into the depths of the human psyche, challenging readers to confront their own beliefs and assumptions. It remains a must-read for those seeking to understand the roots of existentialist thought and the enduring complexities of the human soul.

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  The Legacy of Cain

  Wilkie Collins

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  The Legacy of Cain is a thought-provoking and emotionally charged novel by Wilkie Collins that confronts one of the most controversial questions of the Victorian age: is human behavior shaped by heredity or by upbringing? Blending social critique with psychological depth, Collins crafts a compelling narrative that challenges conventional ideas of morality, justice, and personal responsibility.
  
  The story begins with a crime that casts a long shadow over the lives of those connected to it. Two young women—raised in starkly different environments—become the focus of an unsettling moral experiment, as their futures are shaped by secrets surrounding birth, inheritance, and reputation. As their lives unfold, love, fear, and suspicion intertwine, forcing those around them to confront uncomfortable truths about prejudice and judgment.
  
  Collins builds suspense not through sensational action alone, but through intense psychological tension and ethical debate. His characters are deeply human—flawed, compassionate, and often conflicted—making their struggles resonate long after the final page. Themes of crime and punishment, nature versus nurture, and the power of social conditioning run throughout the novel, giving it both narrative drive and philosophical weight.
  
  Written with Collins's trademark clarity and emotional intelligence, The Legacy of Cain stands apart from traditional mystery novels by focusing on consequences rather than detection. It is a bold and unsettling work that questions whether society creates criminals—or merely condemns them.
  
  A striking blend of classic fiction and moral inquiry, The Legacy of Cain is essential reading for fans of Victorian literature, psychological drama, and socially conscious storytelling.

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  Doll's House A - Audiobook

  Henrik Ibsen, Classic...

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  A Doll's House is a groundbreaking three-act play by Henrik Ibsen that revolutionized modern drama. It tells the story of Nora Helmer, a seemingly happy wife and mother who comes to realize the limitations of her role in a patriarchal household and makes a shocking choice.With sharp dialogue and bold realism, Ibsen challenges traditional gender roles and the illusion of domestic bliss. A Doll's House is one of the most performed and discussed plays in world theatre—a powerful portrait of awakening and personal freedom.

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