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  Imaginative Woman An - From...

  Thomas Hardy

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  Thomas Hardy was born in the hamlet of Upper Bockhampton about three miles east of Dorchester in Dorset, England, on 2nd June 1840.  
  Despite a fairly wide education and being an avid reader his parents thought it unlikely he would lead a successful scholarly or clerical career and he was apprenticed in 1856, at age 16, to a local architect whose speciality was in church restoration.  Hardy’s only opportunity to read was in the morning before work between the hours of five and eight.  
  On the back of a failed love affair he moved to London and spent five years working as an assistant to the architect Arthur Blomfield, also a restorer and designer of churches. Hardy though had by now become disillusioned with institutionalised forms of Christianity and abandoned any lingering hopes of ordination in the Anglican Church.  However, his writing of poetry was now flourishing, although it was still rejected for publication.  
  His novel ‘Desperate Remedies’, was published anonymously in 1871 and he now resolved to write full time though he was not yet in a position to achieve financial security or literary success. His second novel, ‘Under the Greenwood Tree’, appeared in 1872 and in 1873 ‘A Pair of Blue Eyes’, the most autobiographical of his works arrived. With ‘Far From the Madding Crowd’ in 1874, came critical acclaim, public attention and financial success. This was repeated in 1878 with ‘The Return of the Native’, and the ensuing years saw him rise to ever greater popularity.  
  His classic ‘The Mayor of Casterbridge’ arrived in 1886 and 5 years later ‘Tess of the d’Urbervilles’. The latter only saw publication after extensive alterations to its plot and the deletion of long passages to lessen the shock to the prudish Victorian audience who were dismayed by the seduction and ruin of a young girl by a rakish aristocrat.  
  ‘Jude the Obscure’, his last novel, suffered the same fate when it was published in 1895.  The uproar so disturbed him that he returned to poetry. In 1898 he had an earlier poetry collection, ‘Wessex Poems’ published. 
  Hardy spent the years between 1903 and 1908 writing ‘The Dynasts’, an epic poem on the Napoleonic Wars. 
  In his twilight years came honours and awards from the great and the good in recognition of his stature as one of the most outstanding of British authors across novels, short stories and poetry. George V conferred on him the Order of Merit in 1910. 
  From 1920 to 1927 he worked, in secret, on his autobiography, which was later published after his death as the work of his second wife, Florence Hardy.  
  Thomas Hardy OM died on the 11th January 1928. 
  His heart was buried alongside his first wife in Stinsford churchyard, Dorchester.

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  Eveline (Unabridged)

  James Joyce

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  James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 - 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, short story writer, poet and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important writers of the 20th century.
  EVELINE: She sat at the window watching the evening invade the avenue. Her head was leaned against the window curtains and in her nostrils was the odour of dusty cretonne. She was tired.

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  The Emerald City of Oz

  L. Frank Baum

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  The story revolves around the adventures of Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion as they journey to the Emerald City to meet with the Wizard of Oz. Along the way, they face challenges and obstacles as they encounter new friends and enemies. Eventually, they discover that the Wizard is not who they thought he was and must work together to save the Land of Oz from an evil usurper. With its imaginative world-building, memorable characters, and exciting adventures, The Emerald City of Oz is a classic of children's literature that continues to captivate readers of all ages.

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  Study in Scarlet A (a Sherlock...

  Arthur Conan Doyle

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  "A Study in Scarlet" was written by Arthur Conan Doyle in 1887, and he marks the first appearance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, who would go on to become one of the most well-known mystery-solving duos in literature.  
  When a gruesome murder is discovered with the word "RACHE" scrawled in blood, Sherlock Holmes uses his unique powers of deduction to uncover a hidden story of passion, betrayal, vengeance and retribution.

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  Man and the Cannon The (Unabridged)

  Victor Hugo

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  Victor-Marie Hugo 26 February 1802 - 22 May 1885) was a French poet, novelist, essayist, playwright, and dramatist of the Romantic movement. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote abundantly in an exceptional variety of genres: lyrics, satires, epics, philosophical poems, epigrams, novels, history, critical essays, political speeches, funeral orations, diaries, and letters public and private, as well as dramas in verse and prose.
  THE MAN AND THE CANNON: One of the carronades of the battery, a twenty-four pounder, had broken loose. This is the most dangerous accident that can possibly take place on shipboard. Nothing more terrible can happen to a sloop of war in open sea and under full sail.

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  An Authentic Narrative of a...

  Sheridan Le Fanu

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  "It was not a dream; the door had opened, and the thing was in the room."
  
  Breaking away from the sensationalist Gothic tropes of his time, Le Fanu presents a chillingly sober account of a family's residence in a house plagued by the inexplicable. Set in a quiet, unassuming suburb, the narrative details a series of escalating disturbances: soft footsteps following residents down corridors, doors that unlock themselves, and the recurring apparition of a hand on a banister. Unlike the ghosts of old, these spirits are silent, indifferent, and terrifyingly persistent. This "authentic narrative" strips away the melodrama to focus on the raw, psychological dread of living with the unknown, creating a blueprint for haunted house stories that is still used in cinema today.
  
  The Horror of the Mundane: Le Fanu's genius lies in his restraint. He understands that a ghost seen in the bright light of a Victorian afternoon is far more unsettling than one found in a graveyard at midnight. By grounding the "narrative" in the boring details of daily life—household chores, tea times, and servant gossip—he makes the eventual appearance of the "woman in white" feel disturbingly real.
  
  A Pioneer of the "Found Footage" Style: By framing the story as a factual report, Le Fanu pioneered the "investigative" style of horror. He includes specific dates, descriptions of witnesses, and a clinical tone that forces the reader to question the boundary between fiction and reality. This approach directly influenced later masters like M.R. James and Shirley Jackson.
  
  The Psychological Toll: The book explores the "contagion" of fear—how the haunting affects each member of the household differently, leading to a climate of paranoia and exhaustion. It is a brilliant study of how a space meant for safety and privacy can be transformed into a site of inescapable vulnerability.
  
  Enter the house if you dare. Purchase this landmark of supernatural history today.

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