Other books that might interest you

• 

  The Complete Tragedies - Oedipus...

  Lucius Annaeus

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  The second of two volumes collecting the complete tragedies of Seneca. Edited by world-renowned classicists Elizabeth Asmis, Shadi Bartsch, and Martha C. Nussbaum, the Complete Works of Lucius Annaeus Seneca offers authoritative, modern English translations of the writings of the Stoic philosopher and playwright (4 BCE–65 CE). The two volumes of The Complete Tragedies presents all of his dramas, expertly rendered by preeminent scholars and translators. The first volume contains Medea, The Phoenician Women, Phaedra, The Trojan Women, and Octavia, the last of which was written in emulation of Senecan tragedies and serves as a unique example of political tragedy. This second volume includes Oedipus, Hercules Mad, Hercules on Oeta, Thyestes, and Agamemnon. High standards of accuracy, clarity, and style are maintained throughout the translations, which render Seneca into verse with as close a correspondence, line for line, to the original as possible, and with special attention paid to meter and overall flow. In addition, each tragedy is prefaced by an original translator’s introduction offering reflections on the work’s context and meaning. Notes are provided for the reader unfamiliar with the culture and history of classical antiquity. Accordingly, The Complete Tragedies will be of use to a general audience and professionals alike, from the Latinless student to scholars and instructors of comparative literature, classics, philosophy, drama, and more.

  Show book

• 

  Billy Budd

  Herman Melville

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  "Billy Budd" is a novella written by Herman Melville, completed shortly before his death in 1891. It tells the story of Billy Budd, a handsome and popular sailor who becomes embroiled in a conflict with his ship's master-at-arms, John Claggart, on board a British naval vessel during the late 18th century. The novella explores themes of innocence, morality, justice, and the inherent conflict between good and evil.The narrative centers around the character of Billy Budd, a young and virtuous sailor admired by his peers for his exceptional charm and simplicity. However, his life takes a dramatic turn when he is falsely accused of inciting mutiny by Claggart, a malevolent and envious officer. The novella delves into the psychological dynamics between the two characters and the moral dilemmas faced by the ship's captain, Captain Vere, as he grapples with the decision of how to handle the situation."Billy Budd" explores the clash between absolute goodness and institutional authority, with Melville examining the complexities and ambiguities of human nature. The novella raises profound questions about the nature of justice, the corrupting influence of power, and the struggle to maintain one's moral integrity in a society driven by hierarchy and oppression.Melville's writing in "Billy Budd" is characterized by his rich prose, nuanced characterization, and philosophical inquiries. The novella incorporates nautical terminology and imagery, drawing on Melville's own experiences as a sailor, and employs a multi-layered narrative that invites readers to contemplate deeper moral and existential questions.

  Show book

• 

  Short Stories About Survival - A...

  Honoré de Balzac, Leo Tolstoy,...

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Our ‘fight of flight’ response is something hardwired into the primitive part of our brain.  Our need to survive, to outlive whatever danger poses, that immediate threat to our lives is little short of a marvel.  Everything else is abandoned in order to survive.  Whilst in modern times that ability has been somewhat modified and ‘reasoned’ away to an extent, in past years it’s what usually kept you alive. 
   
  In this volume people struggle valiantly to survive and to exist no matter the extent of the threat they face. In the words of our authors including William Hope Hodgson, Richard Connell, Jack London, Honore de Balzac and a wealth of others, they vividly demonstrate how or whether the participants survive … or fail.  
   
  01 - Short Stories About Survival - An Introduction 
   02 - The White Silence by Jack London 
   03 - A Passion in the Desert by Honoré de Balzac 
   04 - The Interlopers by Saki the pseudonym for H H Munro 
   05 - The Outcasts of Poker Flat by Bret Harte 
   06 - Taman by Mikhail Yurievich Lermontov 
   07 - The Great Slave by Zane Grey 
   08 - The Voice in the Night by William Hope Hodgson 
   09 - The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell 
   10 - The Open Boat by Stephen Crane 
   11 - To Build a Fire by Jack London 
   12 - The Snowstorm - Part 1 by Leo Tolstoy 
   13 - The Snowstorm - Part 2 by Leo Tolstoy

  Show book

• 

  Notes from a Dead House

  Fyodor Dostoevsky

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Dostoevsky draws on his own imprisonment to depict life in a Siberian labor camp. Through vivid detail and poignant reflection, he explores the harsh realities of incarceration—the brutality, monotony, and small moments of humanity among prisoners. Dostoevsky delves into the psychological and spiritual resilience of individuals stripped of freedom, highlighting their diverse backgrounds and shared suffering. The work transcends memoir, offering a profound meditation on justice, redemption, and the enduring strength of the human spirit. With compassion and insight, Dostoevsky reveals the capacity for dignity and hope even in the darkest circumstances.

  Show book

• 

  Some Recollections of Mortality...

  Charles Dickens

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Charles Dickens was a writer and social critic who created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime, and by the twentieth century critics and scholars had recognised him as a literary genius. His novels and short stories enjoy lasting popularity.
  SOME RECOLLECTIONS OF MORTALITY: I Had parted from the small bird at somewhere about four o'clock in the morning, when he had got out at Arras, and had been received by two shovel-hats in waiting at the station, who presented an appropriately ornithological and crow-like appearance.

  Show book

• 

  Devoted Friend The (Unabridged)

  Oscar Wilde

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  "The Devoted Friend" This story is more or less a story within a story. It begins with a water-rat commenting to a duck about her ducklings, who are refusing to obey her. When he mentions friendship, a linnet flies down from a tree, and begins the story, intended to explain to the water-rat what true friendship is. Hans was a little man who owned a beautiful garden, where he grew flowers of all kinds and colours which were sold in the market to make some money.

  Show book