Weitere Bücher, die Sie mögen werden

• 

  The Pace of Youth - A complex...

  Stephen Crane

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Stephen Crane was born 1st November, 1871 in Newark, New Jersey and was the eighth surviving child out of fourteen.  Incredibly he began writing at the age of four and was published several times by the age of sixteen.   
   
  Crane only began a full-time education when he was nine but quickly mastered the grades needed to catch up and move forward. Although educated at Lafayette and Syracuse he had little interest in completing university and was keener to move on to a career, declaring college to be ‘a waste of time’.  By twenty he was a reporter and two years later had published his debut novel ‘Maggie: A Girl of the Streets’.  In literary circles this was hailed as the first work of American literary Naturalism.  
   
  Two years later, in 1895, he was the subject of worldwide acclaim for his Civil War novel, written without the benefit of any actual war experiences, ‘The Red Badge of Courage’.  It was indeed a masterpiece and his finest hour.  A year later life began its downwards descent when he became embroiled in a scandal which was to doom his career.  In attempting to help a suspected prostitute being falsely charged by a policeman he became the target of the authorities. 
   
  Later the same year en-route to Cuba as a War Correspondent he met the hotel madam Cora Taylor in Jacksonville, Florida.  This was to become the defining relationship of his life.  Continuing his journey, somewhere between Florida and Cuba his ship sank, and he was cast adrift for several days.  Rescued, he returned to cover conflicts wherever they were situated, some as far away as Greece.  For a time he lived in England with Cora, usually beyond their means, befriending fellow writers such as H G Wells and Joseph Conrad.    
   
  In declining health and beset by money problems, Stephen Crane died of tuberculosis, aged a mere 28 on 5th June 5, 1900, at Badenweiler, Germany. He is buried in New Jersey.

  Zum Buch

• 

  Washington Irving - A Short...

  Washington Irving

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Washington Irving was born on 3rd April, 1783, the youngest of 11, in New York. 
    
  Irving found his real interests away from school in literature and the theatre.  An outbreak of yellow fever at 15 moved him away from Manhattan and into the surrounding countryside providing valuable settings for later works such as ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’. 
   
  By 19 Irving was writing regularly to the New York Morning Chronicle, commenting on the theatrical and social scenes.  When his health began to fail, he was sent on the Grand Tour of Europe.  Bizarrely he ignored most of the great sights on offer to concentrate on developing his social and conversational powers.  His health, though, did improve.  
   
  In 1806, back in New York to study law, he scraped a pass at the bar and then founded with several others the literary magazine Salmagundi. Irving nicknamed the city ‘Gotham City’, a name still in use today.  Moderately successful, the magazine spread Irving’s reputation beyond New York. 
   
  In 1809 while mourning the death of his teenage fiancée Irving finished his first significant book, ‘A History of New-York from the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynsasty, by Diedrich Knickerbocker’.  It satirised local history, local historians and politics.  It received great critical acclaim. 
   
  Unfortunately his family’s established trading company was now facing great upheavals and Irving was dispatched to England to try to sort it out.  After two years he could see no way out but bankruptcy.  This left him in England with no real employment prospects, and so he returned to writing.  
   
  He sent some short stories back to New York to be published as ‘The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent’.  The first part included ‘Rip Van Winkle’ and was extremely successful.  The sixth part contained ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’.  
   
  Beset by literary piracy, with no copyright law at the time, he set about publishing legitimate copies in England to outwit the bootleggers.  From now on Irving published concurrently in America and England in order to render piracy obsolete.  
   
  In August 1824, he published ‘Tales of a Traveller’, which included the famed ‘The Devil and Tom Walker’.  
   
  In 1826, the American Minister to Spain, invited him to Madrid where he could examine the many historical documents that he had access to.  Irving reveled in both the size of the libraries he was granted access to and their rich quality.  Historical works flowed from his pen further enhancing his reputation and fortune.   
   
  Following the completion of ‘Tales of the Alhambra’ in 1832, Irving returned to America after 17 years abroad. He was now a figurehead of American literature and dispensed advice to Edgar Allan Poe amongst others.  Irving also became an advocate for American copyright legislation.  
   
  A later appointment as Minister to Spain in 1842 left him disheartened at the antics of the various political factions he encountered.  It also afforded him no time to write as he had hoped.  
   
  On his return home he began an ‘Author’s Revised Edition’ of his works agreeing an unprecedented deal for 12 per cent of the retail profits.  
   
  Washington Irving died of a heart attack at his ‘Sunnyside’ home on the 28th November 1859 at the age of 76, a few months after completing his five volume George Washington biography, in whose honour he had been named. 
   
  01 - Washington Irving - A Short Story Collection - An Introduction 
  02 - The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving 
  03 - The Devil and Tom Walker by Washington Irving 
  04 - The Art of Book-Making by Washington Irving 
  05 - The Conquest of the Earth by the Moon by Washington Irving 
  06 - John Bull by Washington Irving

  Zum Buch

• 

  Count of Monte Cristo The -...

  Alexandre Dumas

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantes is confined to the grim fortress of If. There he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and he becomes determined not only to escape, but also to unearth the treasure and use it to plot the destruction of the three men responsible for his incarceration. Dumas' epic tale of suffering and retribution, inspired by a real-life case of wrongful imprisonment, was a huge popular success when it was first serialized in the 1840s.
  VOLUME 5: Three days after the scene we have just described, namely towards five o'clock in the afternoon of the day fixed for the signature of the contract between Mademoiselle Eugénie Danglars and Andrea Cavalcanti, whom the banker persisted in calling prince, a fresh breeze was stirring the leaves in the little garden in front of the Count of Monte Cristo's house.

  Zum Buch

• 

  Grim Tales

  E. Nesbit

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  "Grim Tales" by E. Nesbit is a collection of short stories written in the late 19th century. The book explores various themes related to the supernatural, blending elements of romance, mystery, and the macabre, often through the lens of ordinary life interspersed with extraordinary occurrences. Each tale features character-driven narratives, introducing readers to personal dilemmas and eerie encounters set against a Victorian backdrop. 
  The collection opens with “The Ebony Frame,” where the protagonist inherits a house and a legacy following the death of his Aunt Dorcas. As he settles into his new life, he discovers an enchanting yet unsettling portrait of a woman in a beautiful ebony frame that he cannot resist. The story unfolds as he becomes captivated by the painting and the mysterious connection it holds, leading to an unexpected and haunting encounter that blurs the line between reality and the supernatural. This introduction sets the tone for a collection that promises intriguing tales filled with emotion, mystery, and a touch of the uncanny.

  Zum Buch

• 

  Hunchback of Notre-Dame The...

  Victor Hugo

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Book 9: The Hunchback of Notre-Dame or Notre-Dame de Paris is a French Gothic novel by Victor Hugo, published in 1831. - The story is set in Paris in 1482 during the reign of Louis XI. The gypsy Esmeralda (born as Agnes) captures the hearts of many men, including those of Captain Phoebus and Pierre Gringoire, but especially Quasimodo and his guardian Archdeacon Claude Frollo. Frollo is torn between his obsessive lust for Esmeralda and the rules of Notre Dame Cathedral. He orders Quasimodo to kidnap her, but Quasimodo is captured by Phoebus and his guards, who save Esmeralda. Gringoire, who attempted to help Esmeralda but was knocked out by Quasimodo, is about to be hanged by beggars when Esmeralda saves him by agreeing to marry him for four years.

  Zum Buch

• 

  David Copperfield Volume 1

  Charles Dickens

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  "David Copperfield" by Charles Dickens is a semi-autobiographical novel that chronicles the life of its titular protagonist as he navigates love, loss, and self-discovery. From his difficult childhood and oppressive stepfather to his struggles as an aspiring writer, David’s journey reflects resilience and growth. Along the way, he encounters a vivid cast of characters, including the kind-hearted Peggoty, the eccentric Mr. Micawber, and the manipulative Uriah Heep. Dickens explores themes of class, ambition, and redemption, blending humor, pathos, and social critique. Through David’s triumphs and trials, the novel paints a rich portrait of Victorian society while celebrating the enduring power of friendship, forgiveness, and personal determination. A timeless tale of hope and transformation.

  Zum Buch