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  The Outcry

  Henry James

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  In the grand halls of the British aristocracy, a quiet crisis is brewing. Widowed Lord Theign, burdened by his daughter Kitty’s mounting gambling debts, prepares to do the unthinkable: sell his prized Sir Joshua Reynolds masterpiece, ‘The Duchess of Waterbridge’ – to the formidable American billionaire Breckenridge Bender.
  	At the heart of the conflict are art critic Hugh Crimble, who believes that a nation’s masterpieces are its soul, and Theign’s other daughter, the spirited Lady Grace, torn between her conscience and her loyalty to her father.
  	As the press fans the flames of indignation and a patriotic outcry begins to swell, Crimble uncovers a dusty, overlooked canvas in Theign’s collection – a lost masterpiece by the enigmatic Mantovano. Can this single discovery change the fate of the family’s legacy?
  	A gem of Henry James’s late period, The Outcry (originally conceived as a play) is a sharp, sophisticated comedy of manners about the value of heritage, the price of honour, and the enduring power of art. It is James at his most accessible and witty.

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  The Apocryphal Acts of Paul...

  Bernhard Pick

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  The full title of this book is, The Apocryphal Acts of Paul, Peter, John, Andrew and Thomas, published in 1909. As early as the second century, numerous legends concerning the fates of the Christian apostles were in circulation. These Acts, widely regarded as originating circa 150 CE, are among the earliest accounts still in existence of the lives, preaching and martyrdoms of the apostles Paul, Peter, John, Andrew and Thomas. They are written in a fantastic and romantic style, and although they were influential in later Christian conceptions of these apostles, they are historically worthless as biographies. They do, however, reflect many of the beliefs of earliest, pre-Nicene Christianity. 
  Bernhard Pick translated the most complete versions of the Apocryphal Acts available to him in 1909. Although more complete manuscripts of these Acts have since been discovered, Pick was sometimes working with incomplete texts. Several large lacunae, or gaps in the text, are present in Pick’s translation, and this Librivox recording has attempted to make these lacunae obvious without being intrusive. The Acts of Andrew, in particular, is fragmentary. Also included in this recording are Bernhard Pick’s introductions to each Acts, which reflect the state of scholarly opinion at the time of publication. (summary by JoeD)

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  A Book of Ghosts: 18

  Edith Nesbit, Edith Wharton,...

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  "Unearthing the Final Shadows of a Victorian Master."
  
  For the true connoisseur of the macabre, the journey does not end with the well-known classics. Volume 18 of the A Book of Ghosts series represents the deep-strata of Sabine Baring-Gould's supernatural imagination. This volume is dedicated to the rare, the obscure, and the previously uncollected—stories that bridge the gap between his work as a folklorist, a priest, and a pioneer of English horror.
  
  The Scholar of the Supernatural: In this advanced volume, we see Baring-Gould at his most experimental. These selections move beyond the standard haunting to explore "The Archaeology of Terror"—where the horror is found in ancient artifacts, forgotten church records, and the dark corners of regional history. The prose here is steeped in the "Antiquarian Realism" that would later inspire the likes of M.R. James, focusing on the danger of intellectual curiosity and the physical weight of the past.
  
  A Collector's Essential: This volume is designed for those who seek to complete the definitive portrait of a Victorian polymath. It highlights Baring-Gould's unique ability to find the "unholy" within the "holy," using his deep knowledge of ecclesiastical history to craft scares that feel grounded in ancient truth.
  
  This archival edition is a must-have for scholars of Gothic literature, bibliophiles of the strange, and anyone dedicated to the preservation of classic British weird fiction.
  
  Complete the legacy. Buy "A Book of Ghosts: Volume 18" today and own a piece of supernatural history.

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  Murat

  Alexandre Dumas

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  "Murat" by Alexandre Dumas is a vivid historical drama chronicling the life of Joachim Murat, the dashing cavalry officer who became King of Naples. A loyal ally of Napoleon Bonaparte, Murat’s ambition and charisma propel him to power, but his loyalty is tested as political tides shift. Dumas explores Murat’s rise and fall, capturing his battlefield heroics, flamboyant personality, and ultimate betrayal. Set against the tumultuous backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars, the novel delves into themes of loyalty, ambition, and the fragility of power. A blend of adventure and tragedy, it portrays Murat’s relentless drive for glory and the personal cost of his ambitions, offering a poignant reflection on leadership and legacy in times of upheaval.

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  Lappin and Lapinova - 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 Color Purple

  Alice Walker

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  The Pulitzer Prize– and National Book Award–winning novel is now a new, boldly reimagined film from producers Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg, starring Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, and Fantasia Barrino.A PBS Great American Read Top 100 Pick Celie has grown up poor in rural Georgia, despised by the society around her and abused by her own family. She strives to protect her sister, Nettie, from a similar fate, and while Nettie escapes to a new life as a missionary in Africa, Celie is left behind without her best friend and confidante, married off to an older suitor, and sentenced to a life alone with a harsh and brutal husband. In an attempt to transcend a life that often seems too much to bear, Celie begins writing letters directly to God. The letters, spanning 20 years, record a journey of self-discovery and empowerment guided by the light of a few strong women. She meets Shug Avery, her husband’s mistress and a jazz singer with a zest for life, and her stepson’s wife, Sofia, who challenges her to fight for independence. And though the many letters from Celie’s sister are hidden by her husband, Nettie’s unwavering support will prove to be the most breathtaking of all.The Color Purple has sold more than five million copies, inspired an Academy Award-nominated film starring Oprah Winfrey and directed by Steven Spielberg, and been adapted into a Tony-winning Broadway musical. Lauded as a literary masterpiece, this is the groundbreaking novel that placed Walker “in the company of Faulkner” (The Nation), and remains a wrenching—yet intensely uplifting—experience for new generations of readers.This ebook features a new introduction written by the author on the 25th anniversary of publication, and an illustrated biography of Alice Walker including rare photos from the author’s personal collection. The Color Purple is the 1st book in the Color Purple Collection, which also includes The Temple of My Familiar and Possessing the Secret of Joy.

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