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  The Custom of the Country

  Edith Wharton

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  "The Custom of the Country, a novel by Edith Wharton, was first published in 1913. This work delves into the complexities of social climbing, ambition, and relationships in early 20th-century New York City.    Here are the key details about this captivating novel:    Setting:  The story unfolds in New York City during the Gilded Age.  The glittering world of high society serves as the backdrop for the characters' ambitions and desires.  Plot Summary:  The novel follows the journey of Undine Spragg, a beautiful and ambitious Midwestern girl.  Undine arrives in New York City with her family, seeking advantageous marriages and social ascension.  Her beauty attracts attention, but breaking into the circles of old-money elites proves challenging.  Undine's relationships with several men offer glimpses into their worlds, including Ralph Marvell, who comes from an old-money family.  Despite financial constraints, Ralph is drawn to Undine and marries her.  Their honeymoon in Europe reveals cracks in their relationship, exacerbated by Undine's extravagance and Ralph's limited funds.  As their marriage deteriorates, Undine's pursuit of social status continues, leading to further complications.  The novel explores themes of love, ambition, and the clash between old and new money.  Legacy and Themes:  The Custom of the Country remains relevant today, as it dissects the human desire for upward mobility and the sacrifices made for social acceptance.  Edith Wharton's keen observations and sharp critique of society resonate with readers across generations.  Whether you're drawn to tales of ambition, love, or the intricacies of social dynamics, The Custom of the Country offers a compelling exploration of human nature and the pursuit of happiness."  Support us at https://manifoldmedia.net/donate

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  The Art of War and The Invisible...

  H. G. Wells, Sun Tzu

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  Audiobook Two-Pack: The Art of War & The Invisible Man (Storm Edition) 
  Unlock strategy and suspense in one immersive bundle. 
   
  This exclusive digital collection pairs two timeless classics in a uniquely atmospheric listening experience: 
   
  The Art of War by Sun Tzu Narrated with crisp clarity and meditative pacing, this ancient Chinese treatise on military strategy and leadership remains essential for thinkers, leaders, and tacticians. Whether you're navigating boardrooms or battlefields, Sun Tzu’s wisdom offers timeless guidance on discipline, deception, and decisive action. 
   
  The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells — Storm Edition Experience Wells’ chilling tale of science gone awry with a haunting twist: ambient thunderstorms underscore the descent into madness. As the mysterious Griffin grapples with isolation and power, the rumble of distant thunder and pattering rain heighten every moment of suspense and dread.

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  Top 10 Short Stories The - The...

  H G Wells

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  Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author’s brain, their soul and heart.  A few pages can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere. 
   
  In this series we try to offer up tried and trusted ‘Top Tens’ across many different themes and authors. But any anthology will immediately throw up the questions – Why that story? Why that author?  
   
  The theme itself will form the boundaries for our stories which range from well-known classics, newly told, to stories that modern times have overlooked but perfectly exemplify the theme.  Throughout the volume our authors whether of instant recognition or new to you are all leviathans of literature. 
   
  Some you may disagree with but they will get you thinking; about our choices and about those you would have made.  If this volume takes you on a path to discover more of these miniature masterpieces then we have all gained something. 
   
  The final decade of the Century.  Britain sits astride the world, her majesty and pomp everywhere. Her industrial might and military muscle the enforcers of her Imperial will.  Her authors too have talents that are the envy of all.  Mass market publishing are delivering these sparkling pieces to hungry senses everywhere.  Genius is written in their names. 
   
  1 - The Top 10 - The British - The 1890's - An Introduction 
  2 - The Fiddler of the Reels by Thomas Hardy 
  3 - The Magic Shop by H G Wells 
  4 - The Mark of the Beast by Rudyard Kipling 
  5 - Lost Hearts by M R James 
  6 - From the Dead by Edith Nesbit 
  7 - The Story of B 24 by Arthur Conan Doyle 
  8 - The Inconsiderate Waiter by J M Barrie 
  9 - N by Arthur Machen 
  10 - Passed by Charlotte Mew 
  11 - A Letter Home by Arnold Bennett

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  A Haunted House - From their...

  Virginia Woolf

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  Adeline Virginia Woolf was born on the 25th January 1882 in South Kensington in London. 
  Although lauded as a founder of modernist writing with such classics as ‘Orlando’, ‘Mrs Dalloway’ and ‘To the Lighthouse’ and, of course, many classic short stories, her background is filled with elements of tragedy that she somehow overcame to become such a revered writer.   Her mother died when she was 13, her half-sister Stella two years later and with it her first of several nervous breakdowns.  Appallingly it was later found that three of her half-brothers had sexually abused her so darkness must have seemed ever present.   
  She began writing professionally at age 20 but her father’s death two years later brought a complete mental collapse and she was briefly institutionalised.  Somehow she found within herself a literary career and with it great innovations in writing; she was a pioneer of “stream of consciousness”.    
  Her tight circle of friends were the founders of the Bloomsbury Group, a movement whose legacy still influences across the arts and society in many way to this day.   
  Whilst the dark periods continued to interrupt her emotional state her rate of work never ceased.  Until, on 28th March 1941, Woolf put on her overcoat, filled up its pockets with stones, and walked into the River Ouse, in Lewes, East Sussex and drowned herself.  Her body was not recovered until the 18th April.  She was 59. 
  She left behind a note which read in part “Dearest, I feel certain that I am going mad again.  I feel we can't go through another of those terrible times.  And I shan't recover this time.  I begin to hear voices, and I can't concentrate.  So I am doing what seems the best thing to do”.

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  The Possessed or The Devils

  Fyodor Dostoyevsky

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  Originally published in 1872, "The Possessed" (also known as "The Devils" or "Demons") is a political novel by the renowned Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky. The story focuses on a group of revolutionaries plotting an uprising in a provincial Russian town, exploring their motives, philosophies, and interpersonal dynamics. It delves deep into the psychology of its characters, offering a scathing critique of radical ideologies and the intellectuals who espoused them during Dostoyevsky's time. As with much of his work, the narrative is a profound exploration of good and evil, freedom and enslavement, and the nature of power.

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  The Age of Innocence

  Edith Wharton

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  "The Age of Innocence" by Edith Wharton masterfully captures the intricate social tapestry of 1870s New York, where rigid societal norms dictate the lives of its elite. Centered on the conflicted Newland Archer, who is betrothed to the lovely but conventional May Welland, the novel deepens as he falls for the free-spirited Countess Ellen Olenska. Through lush prose and keen social critique, Wharton explores themes of duty, desire, and the suffocating constraints of tradition.

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