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  Bertram Cope's Year

  Henry Blake Fuller

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  In 1918, when Henry Blake Fuller was 62 years old, he completed Bertram Cope's Year. Though Fuller was well known as an accomplished realist and had published twelve previous novels, this was his first to address sexual ambivalence. Bertram Cope, a young college teaching assistant, is befriended by Medora Phillips, a rich society type who tries to match him with three eligible young women. However, Bertram is emotionally attached only to his friend and housemate, Arthur Lemoyne. The portrayal of various friendships makes it an ironic and witty comedy of manners.

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  A Scene from the Ghetto of...

  Rainer Maria Rilke

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  René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria Rilke was born into a troubled marriage on the 4th December 1875 in Prague, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.  His mother, having previously lost a baby girl, would dress the young boy up in girl’s clothing.   
  Later his father dispatched him to a military academy at age 10 but after a miserable 5 years the young Rilke left due to illness and instead entered first Prague and then Munich and finally Berlin university to study art history, philosophy and literature. 
  His initial forays into literature was in poetry.  His intense, mystical and lyrical style was much admired and over time inspired many in succeeding generations.    
  His short prose collection ‘Stories of God’, written in an impassioned burst over several nights was published in 1900 and offers a beguiling view of much of Rilke’s influences and outlook.  
  The following year he married the pioneering sculptor and artist Clara Westhoff.  The union produced one child, a daughter Ruth.   
  He lived in Paris for most of the Century’s first decade where he mixed with many great minds of the time.  Although he continued to write he also worked as a secretary to the sculptor, Rodin.   
  It was only after they settled in Switzerland in 1919 that his writing output was in full flow.  Here he wrote profusely in both German and French, which included much on his previous travels, his left-wing sympathies, his religious and existential thoughts, all part of a unique and consummate style. 
  From 1923 on, Rilke increasingly struggled with his health which was now in constant decline and often spent time rehabilitating at a sanatorium.   
  Rainer Maria Rilke died of leukaemia on the 29th December 1926 in Montreux, Switzerland.  He was 51.

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  Moby Dick

  Herman Melville

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  Call me Ishmael. With those three words, one of literature's most extraordinary voyages begins. Aboard the whaling ship Pequod, Captain Ahab drives his crew toward a confrontation with the great white whale that took his leg — a creature he has elevated from animal to symbol, from adversary to obsession. Melville's novel is many things at once: a thrilling sea adventure, a precise and strange encyclopaedia of the whaling industry, a philosophical meditation on fate and free will, and an anatomy of obsession so total it becomes indistinguishable from madness. Ahab's monomaniacal quest pulls every man on the ship into its gravity, until the hunt for one creature becomes a reckoning with the indifference of the universe itself. Vast, digressive, and magnificent, this is the great American novel that America spent decades learning to read.

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  The Complete Novels of H G Wells

  H. G. Wells

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  Journey Beyond the Limits of the Present.
  
  Before the age of space travel and genetic engineering, one man looked at the horizon and saw the future. H. G. Wells didn't just write novels; he invented the blueprints for modern science fiction. This comprehensive collection brings together his legendary "Scientific Romances," where high-concept imagination meets profound social commentary.
  
  Inside this monumental collection, you will explore:
  
  The Birth of Modern Sci-Fi: Discover the original stories that introduced the world to time travel, interplanetary conflict, and the moral dilemmas of scientific advancement.
  
  The Speculative Future: Wells' visionary look at how technology, evolution, and social structures might change over centuries or even millennia.
  
  The Shadow of Humanity: Beyond the gadgets and wonders, these stories offer a biting critique of human nature, imperialism, and the fragility of civilization.
  
  Masterful Tension: Experience the thrill of the "Scientific Romance"—a genre that blends fast-paced adventure with deep philosophical inquiry.
  
  Whether he is taking you to the ends of the earth, the depths of the sea, or the far reaches of the cosmos, Wells remains a master of suspense and a prophet of the modern age. This volume is an essential cornerstone for any library of classic literature, science fiction, and dystopian thought.
  
  Witness the dawn of tomorrow. Buy "The Complete Novels of H. G. Wells" today and own the foundations of the future.

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  The Duchess and the Jeweller

  Virginia Woolf

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  A brilliantly crafted short story that explores ambition, appearance, and the hidden complexities of human relationships.
  
  Discover "The Duchess and the Jeweller" by Virginia Woolf, one of the acclaimed author's finest short stories. Combining elegant prose, psychological depth, and subtle social commentary, this timeless work offers a compelling glimpse into the desires, ambitions, and moral dilemmas that shape human behavior.
  
  The story centers on a successful London jeweller whose encounter with a wealthy duchess sets in motion a tense and thought-provoking exchange. As questions of trust, status, appearance, and personal ambition emerge, Virginia Woolf masterfully explores the contrast between outward success and inner uncertainty. Through sharp observation and refined storytelling, she examines themes of wealth, class, power, illusion, integrity, and the complexities of human nature without revealing the story's pivotal moments.
  
  First published in 1938, "The Duchess and the Jeweller" remains a notable example of Woolf's extraordinary talent for blending psychological insight with social observation. Its elegant style and enduring themes continue to make it an engaging read for lovers of classic literature and modernist fiction.
  
  Perfect for readers who enjoy classic short stories, literary fiction, psychological fiction, British literature, modernist writing, and thought-provoking classics, this memorable work offers a rewarding reading experience rich in atmosphere and meaning.
  
  Experience the brilliance of Virginia Woolf in one of her most compelling short works. Add "The Duchess and the Jeweller" to your Kindle library today and discover a timeless story of ambition, appearance, and the complexities of human desire.

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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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