King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table

Sir Thomas Malory

Summary

This classic fifteenth-century chronicle of King Arthur and his knights is the essential interpretation of Arthurian legend in the English language.Full of adventure, magic, and romance, these are the timeless tales of Arthur, the great warrior king of Britain; his loyal knight Lancelot; the beautiful Queen Guinevere; and the mysterious Merlin. Based on French Arthurian romances reaching back to the twelfth century, Sir James Knowles’s narrative tells of the goings-on at Camelot, epic battles against invading Saxon enemies, and Arthur’s quest for the Holy Grail, among many other exciting events. Sometimes published as Le Morte d’Arthur, these accounts of chivalry and daring escapades have inspired generations of storytellers, from the Romantic poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson to T. H. White, author of The Once and Future King, from American satirist Mark Twain to British comedy troupe Monty Python.

Available since: 05/12/2020.

Print length: 172 pages.

Other books that might interest you

Goslings

J. D. Beresford

A global plague has decimated England's male population and the once-predictable Gosling family is now free to fulfill its long-frustrated desires. When Mr. Gosling leaves his family to peruse his sexual vices, the Gosling daughters, who lack experience and self-independence, find shelter in a matriarchal commune. However their new life is threatened by the community elders' views on free love.

Show book

Ulysses

James Joyce

"Ulysses" by James Joyce is a modernist novel published in 1922. It is considered one of the most influential works of the 20th century and is renowned for its complex narrative structure, innovative use of language, and exploration of the human consciousness. The novel follows the experiences of three main characters, Leopold Bloom, Stephen Dedalus, and Molly Bloom, over the course of a single day in Dublin, June 16, 1904.

Show book

The Island of Dr Moreau

H. G. Wells

Ranked among the classic novels of the English language and the inspiration for several unforgettable movies, this early work of H. G. Wells was greeted in 1896 by howls of protest from reviewers, who found it horrifying and blasphemous. They wanted to know more about the wondrous possibilities of science shown in his first book, The Time Machine, not its potential for misuse and terror. In The Island of Dr. Moreau, a shipwrecked gentleman named Edward Prendick, stranded on a Pacific island lorded over by the notorious Dr. Moreau, confronts dark secrets, strange creatures, and a reason to run for his life. 
While this riveting tale was intended to be a commentary on evolution, divine creation, and the tension between human nature and culture, modern readers familiar with genetic engineering will marvel at Wells's prediction of the ethical issues raised by producing "smarter" human beings or bringing back extinct species. These levels of interpretation add a richness to Prendick's adventures on Dr. Moreau's island of lost souls without distracting from what is still a rip-roaring good read.

Show book

A Doll's House

Henrik Ibsen

A Doll's House is a three-act play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premiered at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 December 1879, having been published earlier that month. The play is set in a Norwegian town circa 1879.The play is significant for the way it deals with the fate of a married woman, who at the time in Norway lacked reasonable opportunities for self-fulfillment in a male-dominated world, despite the fact that Ibsen denied it was his intent to write a feminist play. It aroused a great sensation at the time and caused a "storm of outraged controversy" that went beyond the theatre to the world of newspapers and society.Henrik Johan Ibsen was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential playwrights of his time. Ibsen is the most frequently performed dramatist in the world after Shakespeare, and A Doll's House was the world's most performed play in 2006.Ibsen is often ranked as one of the most distinguished playwrights in the European tradition and is widely regarded as the foremost playwright of the nineteenth century. Ibsen was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1902, 1903, and 1904.

Show book

Neap-Tide Madness

E. Phillips Oppenheim

Edward Phillips Oppenheim (1866 – 1946) was a popular and successful English writer of genre fiction, especially thrillers."Neap-Tide Madness" is the strange story of Sir Jaspar Slane's visits to the Dormy House in Norfolk. One foggy evening, returning late from the golf course, Slane glimpses the figure of a man emerge from the mist carrying a hunting rifle. The figure raises his gun and shoots at Slane from close quarters, narrowly misses him and vanishes again into the mist.  When he makes it back to the Dormy House, Slane learns that the loose madman is the mysterious Mark Rennett - a fishman and hunter who lives in a ramshackle cottage on the marshes with his extraordinarily beautiful wife. Slane decides to to confront Rennett about the incident, but the encounter does not go at all how he hoped. On his next visit to the Dormy House though, a peculiar murder takes place and Slane discovers the key to it.

Show book

Love & Friendship

Jane Austen

"Love and Friendship" is a novella by Jane Austen that explores the themes of love, friendship, and the societal expectations that govern relationships in the early 19th century. The narrative unfolds through the protagonist, Laura, who recounts her experiences and relationships in a series of letters. Austen's narrative is characterized by its wit and satire, as she keenly observes the manners and morals of the time. Through Laura's voice, the reader is taken on a journey that navigates the complexities of romantic entanglements and the consequences of societal pressures.

The novella delves into the consequences of impulsive decisions and the societal expectations placed on women to secure advantageous marriages. Austen uses humor and irony to expose the absurdities of the social norms and conventions that govern the characters' lives. As Laura navigates the challenges of love and friendship, Austen skillfully weaves a narrative that explores the tension between individual desires and societal expectations. The characters' flaws are exposed, highlighting the limitations placed on personal freedom in a society where social standing and financial considerations often take precedence over matters of the heart.

In "Love and Friendship," Austen's narrative mastery shines through as she crafts a tale that not only entertains but also offers a subtle commentary on the constraints of the society in which her characters live. The exploration of love and friendship serves as a lens through which Austen examines the intricacies of human relationships, making the novella a timeless and insightful exploration of the human condition.

Show book