Publisher: Charles River Editors
Jack London was an American author who wrote some of the most famous novels of the early 20th century. London wrote on a variety of topics and is still one of the most read authors today. This edition of The Turtles of Tasman includes a table of contents.
Jim Cleve has been deemed "a good guy" all of his life, and it agitates him to no end. Even his girlfriend, Joan Randle, has scorned him for this "weakness," telling Jim, "You haven't it in you even to be bad!" Dejected and hurt, Jim abandons the life he has known for the gold mining camps along Alder Gulch in southern Montana. It is here, among the thieves and murderers, that he must make a new name for himself. Meanwhile, Joan realizes the danger that she has put Jim in and rushes off to save him. However, when she stumbles across the ruthless desperado gang leader Jack Kells, it is soon Joan who is in need of rescue. When Kells tries to rape her, Joan grabs his gun and shoots him. But something keeps Joan from leaving him to die. In the face of Joan's loving spirit, Kells experiences his own change of heart. But it is too late; Kells's outlaw gang arrives and takes Joan hostage. So begins the border legion adventures of roving bandits, lust, and greed. With Jim's search for a new identity, Jack's moral dilemma, and the fight for Joan's freedom, this thrilling story portrays the epic theme of man's continual struggle between good and evil.Show book
New English versions of Lysistrata, The Frogs, The Birds, and Ladies' Day. "Thanks to Dudley Fitts...we can appreciate Aristophanes' vigor, his robust style, his scorching wit, his earthy humor, his devotion to honesty and his poetic imagination" (Brooks Atkinson, New York Times). Index.Show book
The story is about a family who moves to a castle haunted by the ghost of a dead nobleman, who killed his wife and was starved to death by his wife's brothers. The home of the Canterville Ghost was the ancient Canterville Chase, which has all the accoutrements of a traditional haunted house. Descriptions of the wainscoting, the library panelled in black oak, and the armour in the hallway characterise the setting. Wilde mixes the macabre with comedy, juxtaposing devices from traditional English ghost stories such as creaking floorboards, clanking chains, and ancient prophecies.Show book
First published in 1905 Kipps soon became H.G Wells’ most popular novel. It is a rags to riches story of a “simple soul” Arthur Kipps, a naïve young man who finds himself suddenly struggling to keep afloat in the deep waters of unlooked for wealth. He reaches out to those he considers his betters to anchor himself in this new world, so far removed from his relatively humble life of apprentice to a Draper. Young Kipps is quick to abandon his first love Ann for the allure of Helen Walsingham, whom he feels is more the match for the inevitable rise in his status which must surely follow his new found wealth. Wells lets the obviously humorous side of the situation naturally unfold, whilst subtly framing Kipps’ rise and fall in the context of the hypocrisies and futilities of Edwardian English society. Narrated by Simon Hester. With original music.Show book
A collection of twenty-five tales, including “The Gift of the Magi,” from one of America’s most successful writers of popular short stories. At the turn of the twentieth century, one man captured America’s imagination in his works of short fiction. O. Henry’s clever and engaging stories, often with surprise endings, had mass appeal. The title of this book, the author’s second collection, references the population of New York City, where many of the stories are set, at the time of publication. It features some of his best-known works, including “The Gift of the Magi,” The Cop and the Anthem,” and “The Furnished Room.” “The tale, a simply structured, exquisitely told story of self-sacrifice, generosity, and love, closed with the O. Henry signature: an ironic twist . . . It’s a reminder of the way we should be living, with love first, giving second, and possession below all.” —The Atlantic on “The Gift of the Magi”Show book
Determined to make her heroine "as poor and plain as myself," Charlotte Brontë made a daring choice for her 1847 novel. Jane Eyre possesses neither the great beauty nor entrancing charm that her fictional predecessors used to make their way in the world. Instead, Jane relies upon her powers of diligence and perception, conducting herself with dignity animated by passion. The instant and lasting success of Jane Eyre proved Brontë's instincts correct. Readers of her era and ever after have taken the impoverished orphan girl into their hearts, following her from the custody of cruel relatives to a dangerously oppressive boarding school and onward through a troubled career as a governess. Jane's first assignment at Thorn field, where the proud and cynical master of the house harbors a scandalous secret, draws readers ever deeper into a compelling exploration of the mysteries of the human heart. A banquet of food for thought, this many-faceted tale invites a splendid variety of interpretations. The heroine's insistence upon emotional equality with her lover suggests a feminist viewpoint, while her solitary status invokes a consideration of the problems of growing up as a social outsider. Some regard Jane's attempts to reconcile her need for love with her search for moral rectitude as the story's primary message, and lovers of Gothic romance find the tale's social and religious aspects secondary to its gripping elements of mystery and horror. This classic of English literature truly features something for every listener.Show book
