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  The Longest Journey

  E. M. Forster

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  In "The Longest Journey" by E. M. Forster, readers follow the introspective path of Rickie Elliot, a sensitive young man grappling with the constraints of society and his own ideals. Rickie's journey from the cloistered walls of Cambridge to the challenges of married life is fraught with emotional turmoil and self-discovery. Torn between his artistic dreams and the harsh realities of existence, he confronts love, loss, and the yearning for meaning, in a poignant exploration of human aspiration and reality.

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  Inspiration An - From their pens...

  George Gissing

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  George Robert Gissing was born on November 22nd, 1857 in Wakefield, Yorkshire.  
  He was educated at Back Lane School in Wakefield. Gissing loved school. He was enthusiastic with a thirst for learning and always diligent.  By the age of ten he was reading Dickens, a lifelong hero. 
  In 1872 Gissing won a scholarship to Owens College. Whilst there Gissing worked hard but remained solitary. Unfortunately, he had run short of funds and stole from his fellow students. He was arrested, prosecuted, found guilty, expelled and sentenced to a month's hard labour in 1876. 
  On release he decided to start over.  In September 1876 he travelled to the United States. Here he wrote short stories for the Chicago Tribune and other newspapers. On his return home he was ready for novels. 
  Gissing self-published his first novel but it failed to sell.  His second was acquired but never published. His writing career was static.  Something had to change.  And it did. 
  By 1884 The Unclassed was published.  Now everything he wrote was published. Both Isabel Claren-don and Demos appeared in 1886. He mined the lives of the working class as diligently as any capitalist. 
  In 1889 Gissing used the proceeds from the sale of The Nether World to go to Italy. This trip formed the basis for his 1890 work The Emancipated. 
  Gissing's works began to command higher payments. New Grub Street (1891) brought a fee of £250.  
  Short stories followed and in 1895, three novellas were published; Eve's Ransom, The Paying Guest and Sleeping Fires. Gissing was careful to keep up with the changing attitudes of his audience.  
  Unfortunately, he was also diagnosed as suffering from emphysema. The last years of his life were spent as a semi-invalid in France but he continued to write. 1899; The Crown of Life. Our Friend the Charlatan appeared in 1901, followed two years later by The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft. 
  George Robert Gissing died aged 46 on December 28th, 1903 after catching a chill on a winter walk.

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  Lord Jim

  Joseph Conrad

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  "Lord Jim" is a novel by Joseph Conrad, originally published as a serial in Blackwood's Magazine from 1899 to 1900 and later as a book in 1900. The novel is a complex exploration of honor, guilt, and redemption through the story of Jim, a young British seaman. Jim dreams of being a hero but is faced with a critical test when he abandons a ship in distress. His idealism is shattered by his actions, and the novel follows his quest for atonement. Conrad's narrative delves into the psychological depth of Jim's character, using a non-linear storytelling technique that was innovative for its time.

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  The Raven

  Edgar Allan Poe

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  "And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting ..."
  
  Written by Edgar Allan Poe and published in 1845, The Raven is one of the most famous poems in American literature. This gothic narrative poem follows a grieving scholar's descent into madness after a mysterious raven enters his study and answers his tormenting questions with the single, haunting word, "Nevermore".
  Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849) was an American writer, poet, editor and literary critic known for his dark, atmospheric tales and haunting poetry. Widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in American literature, Poe helped shape the horror and science-fiction genres and is widely credited with inventing detective fiction in his 1841 short story, Murders in the Rue Morgue. Despite a life marked by personal tragedy and financial hardship, Poe produced a number of enduring classics such as TheRaven, The Tell-Tale Heart, and The Fall of the House of Usher, and since his somewhat mysterious death, he and his writings have had a wide-ranging influence in popular culture. In 1946, the Mystery Writers of America established the annual Edgar award, which honour the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction and film

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  As You Like It

  William Shakespeare

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  “All the world's a stage, 
  And all the men and women merely players; 
  They have their exits and their entrances; 
  And one man in his time plays many parts, 
  His acts being seven ages.” 
  As You Like It follows the lives of men and women who have been banished from their home after ruler, Duke Senior, was usurped by his younger brother. Duke Senior’s companions begin living in the forest outside of the duchy, where they encounter a man named Orlando, who has been secretly in love with the Duke’s daughter Rosalind. 
  Orlando journeys to win Rosalind’s heart, while not knowing where Rosalind actually is in the aftermath of the usurpation. Rosalind, her best friend (who is also the daughter of the Duke’s younger brother), and the court’s jester have also resigned to the forest, but are fully disguised to keep their identities hidden. They encounter interesting characters of all sorts, such as a melancholy man named Jacques, a shepherdess who accidentally falls in love with Rosalind’s male disguise, and many more. 
  Obviously, this play is centered on a cast that keeps secrets, subtly deceives one another, dons disguises of all sorts, and above all else desires to find true love in the forest. This play is well known for the cast of entertaining characters, as well as being the origin of some of Shakespeare’s most well-known passages.

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  Romeo and Juliet

  William Shakespeare

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  Romeo and Juliet is Shakespeare's famous tragedy of two "star-crossed lovers" from rival houses. Romeo and Juliet meet at a party and fall instantly in love, realizing too late that their families, the Montagues and the Capulets, are mortal enemies. Braving parental opposition, the teenage lovers marry in secret, with the aid of the well-intentioned Friar Lawrence. Yet, as Shakespeare has often observed, the course of true love does not run smoothly, and Romeo and Juliet must risk death to be together.

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