Publisher: Greenbooks Editore
Gilbert Keith Chesterton (29 May 1874 – 14 June 1936) was an English writer, philosopher, lay theologian, and literary and art critic. He has been referred to as the "prince of paradox". Time magazine observed of his writing style: "Whenever possible Chesterton made his points with popular sayings, proverbs, allegories—first carefully turning them inside out."
A tale of the New Forest in England where Mr and Mrs Bittacy settle after years abroad. A painter with a certain talent for painting trees awakens something in the old man and he takes to wandering deep in the forest. Mrs Bittacy with her strong, Christian values is appalled by the ancient woodland spirits that her husbands seems to seek out. She loves him and wants to protect him from the ancient force of the forest. But will her love and faith be enough? Algernon Blackwood was a man of many talents and is known still for his disturbing ghost and horror stories. The Man Whom The Trees Loved is one of his classics.Show book
A wonderfully evocative tale of the courtship of Fancy Day, newly arrived schoolmistress, by Dick Dewy, carrier of goods, during the four seasons of one year in Wessex.
Most of Hardy’s work had tragedy woven into the narrative but Under the Greenwood Tree is full of whimsy and good humour. The story is not without its serious comment, however, as Hardy reflects on class division and the disappearance of heritage in the rural community.
Parson Maybold, a rival for Fancy’s hand, has plans to install a mechanical organ in his church thereby replacing the services of the choir. The village rustics, who resent this intrusion, bring much comedy to the tale and were such a successful addition that the author used the idea in several of his later works.
The book is Hardy’s most appealing statement revealing his respect and reverence for musical tradition, the countryside and the simple nature of the people who inhabited its fragile communities.
Show book
“Looking at these stars suddenly dwarfed my own troubles and all the gravities of terrestrial life.” A brilliant scientist constructs a machine that allows him to journey into the future. He travels to the year AD 802,701 where he discovers that humanity has evolved into two separate races: the beautiful vegetarian Eloi people who live purposeless lives and the terrifying carnivorous Morlocks who lives under the ground. After barely escaping the Morlocks, the time-travelling scientist has to make yet another trip even further into the future The Time Machine is considered one of the best science-fiction novel of all time and the first to popularize the concept of a time machine – a term coined by Wells. The Legend Classics series:Around the World in Eighty DaysThe Adventures of Huckleberry FinnThe Importance of Being EarnestAlice's Adventures in WonderlandThe MetamorphosisThe Railway ChildrenThe Hound of the BaskervillesFrankensteinWuthering HeightsThree Men in a BoatThe Time MachineLittle WomenAnne of Green GablesThe Jungle BookThe Yellow Wallpaper and Other StoriesDraculaA Study in ScarletLeaves of GrassThe Secret GardenThe War of the WorldsA Christmas CarolStrange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr HydeHeart of DarknessThe Scarlet LetterThis Side of ParadiseOliver TwistThe Picture of Dorian GrayTreasure IslandThe Turn of the ScrewThe Adventures of Tom SawyerEmmaThe TrialA Selection of Short Stories by Edgar Allan PoeGrimm Fairy TalesThe AwakeningMrs DallowayGulliver’s TravelsThe Castle of OtrantoSilas MarnerHard TimesShow book
Andrew Lang (1844-1912) was a Scottish poet and novelist, best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales. The Stonecutter is a fairy tale he collected in Japan. A stonecutter sees how rich people live when he is delivering a gravestone one day. From that day on he is dissatisfied with his own lot and wishes to be rich. His wish is granted by the spirit that lives in the mountain...but the stonecutter is still not satisfied with his life and makes further wishes, each taking him a little further on his quest for happiness.Show book
Elizabeth Stevenson was born in Chelsea in London on 29th September 1810. Both parents embedded their strong Unitarian beliefs into Elizabeth who rebelliously was often reluctant to display these religious convictions. The early death of Elizabeth’s mother saw her sent away to be brought up by her maternal aunt in Knutsford, Cheshire. Her father now remarried but Elizabeth spent most of her childhood in Cheshire away from her father and his new family but was supportive towards her half-siblings. Elizabeth’s aunt encouraged her education and particularly to read and express herself through writing. In 1828, her brother John, who worked in the merchant navy, disappeared on a journey to India. This disastrous loss depressed her father, and she went to his household to nurse him for the next year before he died. In 1832, she fell in love with William Gaskell, a Unitarian minister like her father, and married him. They settled in Manchester. This booming industrial city had a great impact on Elizabeth who felt the need to speak up for poor workers and their exploitation by large industrial companies. A collection of poems and short stories, ‘Sketches among the Poor’ appeared in 1837, co-authored by her husband. Her first major work, under a pseudonym, was ‘Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life’ published in 1848. During her career she worked continually with Charles Dickens and published much in his various magazines. With him she published ‘Lizzie Leigh’ in 1850 which dealt with the taboo subject of prostitution. She was an excellent writer and impressed her many Victorian literary peers. Much of her writing reflects her work as a social critic highlighting the exploitation of the working class and the situation of women in society. On 12th November 1865, Elizabeth Gaskell died in Holybourne, Hampshire, after suffering from a heart attack a month earlier.Show book
The Marionettes tells the story of two disreputable men. One, Dr. James, is a suave doctor and also an assassin and safe-breaker. The other, Mr. Chandler, is a consumate wastrel, gambler, and wife beater. Each of the two adheres to a strict code of conduct and despises the other for their lack of morals.A chance encounter between the two of them not only throws their differences into sharp relief, but also leads to a monumental crime and bizarre atonement.Show book
