Otros libros que te pueden interesar

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  The Facts in the Case of...

  Edgar Allan Poe

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  Edgar Poe was born in Boston Massachusetts on 19th January 1809. His father abandoned his family the following year and within a year his mother had died leaving him an orphan.   
  He was taken in by the Allan family but never formally adopted although he now referred to himself as Edgar Allan Poe.  His father alternatively spoiled or chastised him and tension was frequent over gambling debts and monies for his education.  His university years to study ancient and modern languages was cut short by lack of money and he enlisted as a private in the army claiming he was 22, it is more probable he was 18. After 2 years he obtained a discharge in order to take up an appointment at the military academy, West Point, where he failed to become an officer. 
  Poe had released his 1st poetry volume in 1827 and after his 3rd turned to prose and placing short stories in several magazines and journals.  At age 26 he obtained a licence to marry his cousin.  She was a mere 13 but they stayed together until her death from tuberculosis 11 years after. 
  In January 1845 ‘The Raven’ was published and became an instant classic.  Thereafter followed the prose works for which he is now so rightly famed as a master of the mysterious and the macabre. 
  Edgar Allan Poe died at the tragically early age of 40 on 7th October 1849 in Baltimore, Maryland. Newspapers at the time reported Poe's death as ‘congestion of the brain’ or ‘cerebral inflammation’, common euphemisms for death from disreputable causes such as alcoholism but the actual cause of death remains a mystery.

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  Republic The (version 2)

  Plato

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  The Republic is a Socratic dialogue written by Plato around 380 BC concerning the definition of justice and the order and character of the just city-state and the just man. It is Plato's best-known work and has proven to be one of the most intellectually and historically influential works of philosophy and political theory. In it, Socrates along with various Athenians and foreigners discuss the meaning of justice and examine whether or not the just man is happier than the unjust man by considering a series of different cities coming into existence "in speech", culminating in a city (Kallipolis) ruled by philosopher-kings; and by examining the nature of existing regimes. The participants also discuss the theory of forms, the immortality of the soul, and the roles of the philosopher and of poetry in society (Summary by Wikipedia)

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  The Secret Agent

  Joseph Conrad

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  The Secret Agent is Joseph Conrad's darkly ironic and unsettling novel of espionage, terrorism, and political hypocrisy, set in the heart of late Victorian London. Blending psychological insight with grim satire, the novel exposes the emptiness of extremist ideologies and the devastating human cost of political manipulation.
  
  The story centers on Adolf Verloc, a seemingly idle shopkeeper who secretly works as an informant and agent provocateur. Pressured by foreign officials to commit an act of political violence, Verloc becomes entangled in a plot that spirals beyond his control. At the center of the tragedy is his wife, Winnie Verloc, whose quiet endurance and unspoken strength mask a life shaped by sacrifice and moral compromise.
  
  Told through a fragmented, non-linear narrative, Conrad reveals events from multiple perspectives, deepening the novel's atmosphere of inevitability and dread. London itself becomes a character—fog-bound, indifferent, and oppressive—mirroring the moral darkness of the plot unfolding within it.
  
  Rather than glorifying revolution or espionage, The Secret Agent dismantles the romantic myths surrounding political violence. Conrad portrays anarchists, officials, and ordinary citizens alike as trapped in systems of fear, deception, and self-interest. The novel's chilling climax underscores the destructive consequences of apathy, fanaticism, and moral blindness.
  
  Sharp, provocative, and disturbingly relevant, The Secret Agent stands as one of the earliest and most penetrating novels about modern terrorism. It is a masterwork of political fiction and psychological realism that continues to resonate in a world still shaped by ideological conflict and hidden power.

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  The Gift of the Magi

  O. Henry

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  "The Gift of the Magi" is a short story by O. Henry first published in 1905. The story tells of a young husband and wife and how they deal with the challenge of buying secret Christmas gifts for each other with very little money.

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  Aloysha the Pot - From their...

  Leo Tolstoy

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  Leo Tolstoy was born in 1828 in the Russian province of Tula to a wealthy noble family. As a child, he had private tutors but he showed little interest in any formal education. When he went to the University of Kazan in 1843 to study oriental languages and law, he left without completing his courses.  Life now was relaxed and idle but with some writing also taking place.  Gambling debts forced an abrupt change of path and he joined the army to fight in the Crimean War.  He was commended for his bravery and promoted but was appalled at the brutality and loss of life.  He recorded these and other earlier experiences in his diaries which formed the basis of several of his works. 
  In 1852 ‘Childhood’ was published to immediate success and was followed by ‘Boyhood’ and ‘Youth’. 
  His experience in the army and the horrors he witnessed resulted in ‘The Cossacks’ in 1862 and the trilogy ‘Sevastopol Tales’. After the war he travelled around Europe, visiting London and Paris and meeting such luminaries as Victor Hugo and Charles Darwin.  
  It was now that Tolstoy began his masterpiece, ‘War and Peace’. Published in 1869 it was an epic work that changed literature. He quickly followed this with ‘Anna Karenina’.  
  These successes made Tolstoy rich and helped him accomplish many of his dreams but also brought problems as he grappled with his faith and the lot of the oppressed poor. These revolutionary views became so popular that the authorities now kept him under surveillance.  
  He led a life of asceticism and vegetarianism and put his socialist ideals into practice by establishing numerous schools for the poor and food programmes. He also believed in giving away his wealth, which caused much discord with his wife.  
  His writing continued to bring forth classics such as ‘The Death of Ivan Ilyich’ and many brilliant and incisive short stories such as ‘How Much Land Does A Man Need’.  
  In 1901 Tolstoy was excommunicated from the Church and controversially deselected for the Nobel Prize for Literature. 
  Whilst undertaking a pilgrimage by train in October 1910 with his daughter Aleksandra he caught pneumonia in the nearby town of Astapovo.  Leo Tolstoy died on November 9th, 1910, he was 82.

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  Peter Pan

  J. M. Barrie

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  Enter a world where children never grow up and adventure waits just beyond the nursery window. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie is a timeless tale of imagination, courage, and the bittersweet beauty of childhood. Filled with pirates, fairies, mermaids, and daring escapades, this beloved classic continues to enchant readers of all ages.
  
  The story begins in London, where Wendy Darling and her brothers, John and Michael, are visited by the mischievous and magical Peter Pan—a boy who refuses to grow up. With a sprinkle of fairy dust from the spirited Tinker Bell, the children soar through the night sky to Neverland, a fantastical island where adventure reigns and danger lurks around every corner.
  
  In Neverland, they meet the Lost Boys, a band of children under Peter's leadership, as well as a colorful cast of characters including the brave Tiger Lily and the fearsome Captain Hook. Hook, with his iron hook for a hand and deep grudge against Peter, is determined to defeat the boy who cut off his hand and fed it to a crocodile—one that now follows him relentlessly, marked by the ticking of a swallowed clock.
  
  As Wendy takes on a nurturing role among the Lost Boys, she begins to understand the tension between the carefree freedom of childhood and the responsibilities of growing up. Through thrilling battles, daring rescues, and quiet moments of longing, Barrie explores themes of innocence, imagination, loyalty, and the passage of time.
  
  Both whimsical and poignant, Peter Pan captures the wonder of youth while acknowledging its fleeting nature. With lyrical storytelling and unforgettable characters, J.M. Barrie creates a magical world that reminds readers of the power of belief, the joy of storytelling, and the enduring desire to hold onto childhood—if only for a little while longer.

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