Publisher: Charles River Editors
Fyodor Dostoyevsky was a great Russian author in the 19th century. Dostoyevsky’s work is noted for its description of human psychology in the difficult environment of Russia during his time. Dostoyevsky’s classics such as Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov are considered to be among the greatest novels ever written. This edition of A Gentle Spirit includes a table of contents.
The Balloon Hoax was first published in The Sun newspaper in New York in 1844. Originally presented as a true story, it detailed European Monck Mason's trip across the Atlantic Ocean in only three days in a hot air balloon.The story turned out to be a hoax and the paper published a retraction two days later (rumoured to also have been written by Poe himself) admitting the deception.The story ignited a fever of excitement in New York: Poe himself claimed that the Sun building was "besieged" by people wanting copies of the newspaper. "I never witnessed more intense excitement to get possession of a newspaper," he wrote.The furore around the story is a testimony to Poe's ability to build up a narrative with such plausible details, that it appears almost inconceivable that it should not be the truth.Show book
"The Daughters of the Late Colonel" is a 1920 short story by Katherine Mansfield. It was first published in the London Mercury in May 1921.In bed, Constantia suggests giving her late father's top hat to the porter, but her sister Josephine disagrees. After thinking about letters to be sent to Ceylon, they hear a noise coming from a mouse. Constantia thinks how sad it must be for the mouse with no crumbs around. The last time the sisters saw their father, Nurse Andrews was stationed by the bedside; the Colonel opened only one eye, glaring at his daughters before dying. Nurse Andrews, whom they invited to stay for a week after the Colonel died, is annoying them by overeating. Mr. Farolles, a clergyman who offers to arrange the funeral, visits and suggests they take Holy Communion, to feel better, but the sisters demur.Show book
A fascinating and insightful document on the theory of rebirth and the principles of spiritual cause and effect. This study tracks the belief in the theory of reincarnation throughout cultures and enlightens the listener to the principles that make this concept sustain throughout thousands of generations.Show book
The American literary tradition has, in a far shorter span of time than others throughout history, achieved a glowing and glittering reputation. From its transatlantic roots it has absorbed the sons and daughters of other cultures, other lands and made them part of her own. America prides itself on liberty, on justice for all and, if you are a wealthy white man, that is essentially true. Sadly, many other segments of society find it difficult to feel or become part of this endeavour. Within this chronological history of the American short story, that prejudice has helped shape the borders of those two endless questions about any anthology. Why that story? Why that Author? We made some hard choices. We start with Uriah Derrick Dárcy, an unlikely American name and, to all intents, it appears to be a pseudonym, about whom little is known or can be verified. He leads our literary parade. From here leviathans appear on a regular basis; Hawthorne, Poe, Melville, Twain but also note how many women are here and not just Stowe, Alcott and Chopin. Women’s status as writers is often neglected or undervalued, predominantly due to their second-class social status throughout much of history but their stories, their angles of approach to writing are both expertly crafted and refreshing. Another stain on the social and cultural fabric of American has been that of Race. Black people were harshly and unfairly treated as a matter of course. The Civil War may have opened the door but in reality little changed. The majority of the stories included here written by black authors are disturbing in the wrongs they were accused of, and the burdens they were forced to carry. This eye-opening literature enables us to once more take stock and applaud and bring some glimmers of recognition to their struggles and their art. There are some authors, liberally sprinkled throughout, both male and female who may previously have escaped your attention. Enjoy them. Adore them. Make them part of your everyday reading and listening. These forgotten voices are fine examples both of their craft, their art, and their take on society as it was then. In the period we cover from the late 18th Century, around the time of the American Revolution, up until the catastrophe of World War 2, the printing press was creating a market to share words. With industrialization and a large swathe of people eager to be distracted from hard working lives, a plethora of magazines and periodicals shot up, all clamoring for works to publish, to share those words, to introduce new ideas and explain how some of us view ourselves and each other. Some of these authors were only published that way, one story wonders—hitched to the fading star of a disposable periodical. And, of course, the elephant in the room was the English. In its early days US copyright law was non-existent and didn’t recognise anyone else’s. Publishers were free to take the talents of Dickens or Trollope and freely print it without permission or coin. Competing against that, gave you a decided disadvantage. Within these stories you will also find very occasional examples of historical prejudice. A few words here and there which in today’s world some may find inappropriate or even offensive. It is not our intention to make anyone uncomfortable but to show that the world in order to change must reconcile itself to the actual truth rather than put it out of sight. Context is everything, both to understand and to illuminate the path forward. The author’s words are set, our reaction to them encourages our change. Within this melting pot of styles, genres and wordplay one fact stands out: The American short story Literary tradition has a strong, vibrant and almost inclusive history, if you know where to look. Which is hereShow book
Drama Classics: The World's Great Plays at a Great Little Price Hecuba, deposed queen of Troy, has seen her husband humiliated, her son murdered and her daughter sacrificed. Her grief turns to anger and she enacts a bloody vengeance on those responsible for the destruction of her family. This English translation of Euripides' classic tragedy, published in the Nick Hern Books Drama Classics series, is translated and introduced by Marianne McDonald.Show book
Ann Veronica is a New Woman novel by H. G. Wells published in 1909. Ann Veronica describes the rebellion of Ann Veronica Stanley, "a young lady of nearly two-and-twenty", against her middle-class father's stern patriarchal rule. The novel dramatizes the contemporary problem of the New Woman. It is set in Victorian era London and environs, except for an Alpine excursion. Ann Veronica offers vignettes of the women's suffrage movement in Great Britain and features a chapter inspired by the 1908 attempt of suffragettes to storm Parliament.Show book
