Verlag: Sheba Blake Publishing
Set in the aftermath of the French Revolution, this short story from the Scenes of Political Life section of Honore de Balzac's The Human Comedy immerses readers in the terrifying tumult of the period. Brimming with mystery and suspense, this is historical fiction at its very best.
'Two Blue Birds' tells the tale of the classic triangle of the man, the wife and the secretary, who struggle to work out what their relationships are with each other. Neither of the women seem to want the man sexually but the secretary offers devotion while the parasitic wife has more insight into the man and his work. All the relationships seem unhealthy, all three seem to want something different but are incapable of expressing what they desire.Zum Buch
Severine Serizy is a wealthy and beautiful Parisian housewife, who loves her husband, but she cannot share physical intimacy with him, and her vivid sadomasochistic fantasies drive her to seek employment at a brothel. By day, she enacts her customers' wildest fantasies under the pseudonym "Belle de Jour"; in the evenings, she returns home to her chaste marriage and oblivious husband. The startling and groundbreaking novel that inspired Luis Buñuel's film by the same name is finally available in English. In a world that blurs the lines between feminism and female sexuality, Belle de Jour remains as vital and controversial today as it was in its debut. Famous for its unflinching eroticism, Joseph Kessel's novel continues to offer an eye-opening glance into a unique female psyche.Zum Buch
What begins as a wager among gentlemen at London’s prestigious Reform Club quickly turns into the most thrilling adventure of the 19th century. Phileas Fogg, a punctual and enigmatic Englishman, bets that he can traverse the globe in just eighty days—a feat deemed impossible by many. With his devoted yet impulsive valet, Passepartout, at his side, Fogg races against time across steamships, trains, and even elephants, encountering unexpected obstacles and colorful characters at every turn. Set against the backdrop of a rapidly modernizing world, Around the World in Eighty Days is a spirited tale of daring travel, unshakable resolve, and the clash between logic and chaos. Jules Verne’s iconic novel remains a timeless celebration of curiosity, innovation, and the human drive to explore.Zum Buch
Alexander Kuprin was born in Narovchat, Penza in Russia on 7th September 1870. At 3 his Father died and he and mother moved to Moscow. By 10 he was enrolled at the Second Moscow Military High School and there his interest in literature began. The Alexander Military Academy followed and two years later he was a sub-lieutenant and posted to an Infantry Regiment for a further four years. Despite his duties he was a now a keen writer and published his first short story at this time. His military duties also garnered him experiences for his breakthrough work ‘The Duel’. Leaving the military he left for Kiev to work for local newspapers. He continued to publish both stories and novels and by 1901 he was in St Petersburg becoming part of a group that included Chekhov, Ivan Bunin, Maxim Gorky and Leonid Andreyev. In the years that followed further controversial works and acclaim followed. His comments on the regime meant he was also put under secret police surveillance. As World War I erupted, Kuprin opened a military hospital but was then given command of an infantry company in Finland. He was soon discharged on grounds of ill health. The October Revolution saw him praise Lenin, but he warned that the Bolsheviks threatened Russian culture and might cause further widespread suffering to the peasants. As Civil War raged he took his family to Helsinki and then on to Paris. Exile saw his talents decline further and his succumbing to alcoholism. He became lonely and withdrawn. The family's poverty increased his malaise. In May 1937, the Kuprin’s returned to Moscow. He now saw his work published but wrote almost nothing new. In 1938 his health rapidly deteriorated. Already suffering from a kidney problems and sclerosis, he had now developed cancer of the oesophagus. Alexander Kuprin died on 25th August 1938.Zum Buch
Herbert George "H. G." Wells (1866 - 1946) was an English writer. He was prolific in many genres, including the novel, history, politics, social commentary, and textbooks and rules for war games. Wells is now best remembered for his science fiction novels and is called a "father of science fiction" THE GREAT CHANGE: My uncle had been hectic all day. I knew and dreaded what was coming, and said nothing that by any chance could lead up to it.Zum Buch
Step into the windswept Yorkshire moors in Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights — a story of passion, vengeance, and haunting devotion that defies time itself. When the brooding orphan Heathcliff is taken in by the Earnshaw family, his deep, fierce love for Catherine Earnshaw becomes both his salvation and his ruin. Torn apart by pride and circumstance, their bond transforms into an obsession that spans generations, binding the fates of all who live at Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. Through the eyes of the outsider Mr. Lockwood and the housekeeper Nelly Dean, Brontë unravels a gothic masterpiece where love becomes indistinguishable from torment, and memory itself refuses to rest. Darkly poetic and emotionally raw, Wuthering Heights remains one of the most powerful explorations of human desire and self-destruction ever written — a tale where the moors echo with the ghosts of hearts that could never let go.Zum Buch
