Altri libri che potrebbero interessarti

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  Edgar Allan Poe - Selected Tales

  Edgar Allan Poe

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  Edgar Allan Poe will always be associated with the macabre and mysterious. In this selection of 11 of his short stories Poe's unique voice can be heard in all its Gothic splendour. 
  "The Fall of the House of Usher" a death obsessed man, in his desperate attempt to save his sister from premature burial, seals his own fate. 
  "The Masque of the Red Death" A nobleman uses his wealth to protect himself from the Red Death only to find it stalks his palace of pleasure and privilege as a guest. 
  " The Premature Burial" Fearful that his cataleptic illness may lead to premature interment, the narrator becomes obsessed with avoiding such an horrific end. 
  "The Tell-Tale Heart" A murderer's frenzied guilt over his deadly deed manifests itself in a bizarre incriminating manner. 
  "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" A macabre and violent double murder in Paris attracts the attention of Dupin, an amateur detective whose powers of deduction foreshadow the techniques of Sherlock Holmes nearly 50 years later. 
  "The Oblong Box" While on a sea voyage the narrator mistakes his old friend's mysterious reticence regarding his cargo of an "Oblong Box" for rudeness, with tragic consequences. 
  "The Oval Portrait" While convalescing in an old castle, a man becomes intrigued by a portrait of a young woman and soon learns of its sad history. 
  "The Black Cat" A Man spirals down into an existence of increasing drunkenness and violence. Those he once loved are dragged down with him, but one is bent on revenge. 
  "The Raven" A short poem in which a Raven enters a lovelorn man's room only to be the unexpected prophet of the poet's bleak and lonely future. 
  "The Sphinx" The oppressive atmosphere of a Cholera epidemic causes the writer to overestimate the evidence of his own eyes. 
  "The Pit and the Pendulum" A claustrophobic masterpiece, describing the experience of a man undergoing the tortures of the Spanish Inquisition.

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  A Christmas Carol

  Charles Dickens

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  "I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year."
  
  Ebenezer Scrooge is a man of business—cold, solitary, and miserly. He views Christmas as a "humbug" and charity as a waste. But on one fateful Christmas Eve in the fog-shrouded streets of London, he is visited by the chained spirit of his deceased partner, Jacob Marley, who warns him of a terrible fate. To save his soul, Scrooge must endure a journey through time led by three spectral guides.
  
  A Journey of Transformation: From the nostalgic, bitter-sweet memories of his youth to the joyful but struggling household of his clerk, Bob Cratchit, Scrooge is forced to witness the reality of the world he has ignored. The sight of the frail but hopeful Tiny Tim and the grim shadow of a future unmourned pushes Scrooge to the brink of despair—and ultimately, to a breathtaking resurrection of his own humanity.
  
  The Book That "Saved" Christmas: Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol during a time of social upheaval, intending it as a "sledgehammer" blow for the poor. In doing so, he helped create the modern celebration of Christmas, emphasizing family, feasting, and the "shut-up heart opened freely." This is not just a ghost story; it is a powerful reminder that it is never too late to change and that the greatest wealth is found in the welfare of our fellow man.
  
  Rediscover the magic of the season. Purchase "A Christmas Carol" today and keep the spirit of Christmas all year round.

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  The Black Monk

  Anton Chekhov

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  Anton Pavlovich Chekhov is considered a very "real life" writer, his feet solidly on the ground at all times. The Black Monk is his foray into madness and mysticism to rival the likes of Dostoyevsky, Saltykov-Shchedrin, and Kuprin.

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  The Eternal Wisdom Of Poor...

  Benjamin Franklin

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  A brief biographical sketch of Franklin's life, followed by a collection (published in 1899) of 670 aphorisms, apothegms, or proverbs - short, pithy, instructive sayings - that were scattered throughout the pages of his Poor Richard's Almanack over its 25 years of once-a-year publication (1732-1758). Many of these sayings are familiar to all . . . "a penny saved is a penny earned" . . . "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" . . . but there are many more for you to laugh at, ponder over and learn from! Most were not invented by him, but these little gems of wisdom Franklin gleaned from all over the world are what made his Almanack so wildly popular, and himself a wealthy man.

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  The Return of the Native

  Thomas Hardy

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  Widely recognised as the most representative of Hardy's Wessex novels. He evokes the dismal presence and menacing beauty of Egdon Heath – reaching out to touch the lives and fate of all who dwell on it. The central figure is Clym Yeobright, the returning 'native' and the story tells of his love for the beautiful but capricious Eustacia Vye.
  
  As the narrative unfolds and character after character is driven to self-destruction the presence of the Heath becomes all-embracing, while Clym becomes a travelling preacher in an attempt to assuage his guilt.

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  The Scarlet Pimpernel

  Emmuska Orczy

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  "The Scarlet Pimpernel" by Baroness Orczy is a captivating historical novel crafted in the early 20th century. Set against the swirling chaos of the French Revolution, the narrative follows the elusive Englishman known only as the Scarlet Pimpernel, who undertakes audacious rescues of aristocrats ensnared in the deadly clutches of the guillotine. This protagonist, cloaked in secrecy, juggles his dual identity, creating an electrifying tension as he maneuvers through the perilous political landscape. The novel poignantly explores themes of bravery, loyalty, and the profound cost of sacrifice. 
  As the story unfolds, the grim atmosphere of the Reign of Terror in Paris is palpably felt. The air is thick with the stench of fear and bloodshed as the relentless guillotine claims countless souls, its blade gleaming ominously in the sunlight. The bloodthirsty crowd, swelling with fervor, eagerly anticipates the next execution, their excitement palpable like a hungry predator awaiting its prey. At the heart of this mayhem stands Sergeant Bibot, a proud sentinel at the barricades, relishing his role in thwarting the desperate escape attempts of fleeing aristocrats. 
  Amidst the growing turmoil, whispers of a clandestine group of Englishmen begin to circulate, their leader—the enigmatic Scarlet Pimpernel—launching daring rescues that confound the authorities and thwart death's grasp. The narrative vividly paints the harrowing fear and desperation of those on the run, contrasting it with the zealous exhilaration of citizens intoxicated by their newfound power and thirst for vengeance. This sets the stage for a gripping tale of unwavering heroism amidst a world spiraling into chaos.

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