Other books that might interest you

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  Ulysses

  James Joyce

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  Ulysses is one of the greatest literary works in the English language. In his remarkable tour de force, Joyce catalogues one day – June 16 1904 – in immense detail as Leopold Bloom wanders through Dublin, talking, observing, musing – and always remembering Molly, his passionate, wayward wife. Set in the shadow of Homer’s Odyssey, internal thoughts – Joyce’s famous stream of consciousness – give physical reality extra colour and perspective. Though Ulysses is widely regarded as a ‘difficult’ novel, this fresh and lively reading shows its comic genius as well as its great moments of poignancy, making it more accessible than ever before.

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  The Mysteries of Udolpho

  Ann Radcliffe

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  The novel follows the story of Emily St. Aubert, an orphaned young woman, who finds herself entangled in a web of mysteries and intrigues. As she navigates through the eerie and foreboding landscapes of the European countryside, she encounters dark castles, secret passages, and a series of mysterious events that challenge her sanity and understanding of reality. Themes of love, betrayal, and the supernatural are interwoven as Emily unravels the secrets surrounding the castle of Udolpho.

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  Treasure Island (Part 3: My...

  Robert Louis Stevenson

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  Part 3: My Shore Adventure from Treasure Island:
  "For sheer storytelling delight and pure adventure, Treasure Island has never been surpassed. From the moment young Jim Hawkins first encounters the sinister Blind Pew at the Admiral Benbow Inn until the climactic battle for treasure on a tropic isle, the novel creates scenes and characters that have fired the imaginations of generations of readers. Written by a superb prose stylist, a master of both action and atmosphere, the story centers upon the conflict between good and evil - but in this case a particularly engaging form of evil. It is the villainy of that most ambiguous rogue Long John Silver that sets the tempo of this tale of treachery, greed, and daring. Designed to forever kindle a dream of high romance and distant horizons, Treasure Island is, in the words of G. K. Chesterton, 'the realization of an ideal, that which is promised in its provocative and beckoning map; a vision not only of white skeletons but also green palm trees and sapphire seas.' G. S. Fraser terms it 'an utterly original book' and goes on to write: 'There will always be a place for stories like Treasure Island that can keep boys and old men happy.'

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  The Way to Wealth

  Benjamin Franklin

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  Benjamin Franklin toiled to become one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. It’s no more evident than in The Way to Wealth, as the main character espouses Franklin’s wisdom to an unsuspecting crowd of shoppers. Listen to adage after adage that have stood the test of time and ring true even today. 
  Originally published in 1810.

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  Shakespeare on Toast - Getting a...

  Ben Crystal

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  Actor, producer and director Ben Crystal revisits his acclaimed book on Shakespeare for the 400th anniversary of his death, updating and adding three new chapters.
  
  Shakespeare on Toast knocks the stuffing from the staid old myth of the Bard, revealing the man and his plays for what they really are: modern, thrilling, uplifting drama.
  
  The bright words and colourful characters of the greatest hack writer are brought brilliantly to life, sweeping cobwebs from the Bard – his language, his life, his world, his sounds, his craft. Crystal reveals man and work as relevant, accessible and alive – and, astonishingly, finds Shakespeare's own voice amid the poetry.
  
  Whether you're studying Shakespeare for the first time or you've never set foot near one of his plays but have always wanted to, this book smashes down the walls that have been built up around this untouchable literary figure.
  
  Told in five fascinating Acts, this is quick, easy and good for you. Just like beans on toast.

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  The Jungle Books

  Rudyard Kipling

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  The Jungle Book (1894) is a collection of stories by the English author Rudyard Kipling. Most of the characters are animals such as Shere Khan the tiger and Baloo the bear, though a principal character is the boy or "man-cub" Mowgli, who is raised in the jungle by wolves. The stories are set in a forest in India; one place mentioned repeatedly is "Seonee" (Seoni), in the central state of Madhya Pradesh. A major theme in the book is abandonment followed by fostering, as in the life of Mowgli, echoing Kipling's own childhood. The theme is echoed in the triumph of protagonists including Rikki-Tikki-Tavi and The White Seal over their enemies, as well as Mowgli's. Another important theme is of law and freedom; the stories are not about animal behaviour, still less about the Darwinian struggle for survival, but about human archetypes in animal form. They teach respect for authority, obedience, and knowing one's place in society with "the law of the jungle", but the stories also illustrate the freedom to move between different worlds, such as when Mowgli moves between the jungle and the village. Critics have also noted the essential wildness and lawless energies in the stories, reflecting the irresponsible side of human nature.The Second Jungle Book is a sequel to The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling. First published in 1895, it features five stories about Mowgli and three unrelated stories, all but one set in India, most of which Kipling wrote while living in Vermont. All of the stories were previously published in magazines in 1894-5, often under different titles. The 1994 film The Jungle Book used it as a source.

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