Altri libri che potrebbero interessarti

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  Hop-Frog

  Edgar Allan Poe

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  Hop-Frog is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1849. The title character is a dwarf taken from his homeland who becomes the jester of a king particularly fond of practical jokes. Taking revenge on the king and his cabinet for striking his friend and fellow dwarf Trippetta, he dresses them as orangutans for a masquerade. In front of the king's guests, Hop-Frog murders them all by setting their costumes on fire before escaping with Trippetta. It has been suggested that Poe wrote the story as a form of literary revenge against a woman named Elizabeth F. Ellet and several others.

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  Before the Supreme Court - From...

  Lafcadio Hearn

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  Lafcadio Hearn was born on the 27th June 1850 on the Ionian isle of Levkás in Greece to a British Army officer and a Greek Mother. 
  His father, fearing for his career prospects at being married to a Greek Orthodox wife, sent them to Dublin whilst he continued to advance his career with further postings.  Life there was difficult for mother and son.  His father returned, wounded and traumatised, when Lafcadio was three.  He annulled the marriage and she remarried but had to give up care of Lafcadio to her sister-in law.   
  After brief periods for Catholic education in England and France he emigrated to Ohio in the United States when he was 19, taking on a series of casual jobs before embarking on a career as a journalist, publishing poems and essays in Cincinnati.  It was whilst here that he began a side-line in translating, starting with Gautier and Flaubert.  He married in 1874 to a 20 year old African-American woman in violation of Ohio's anti-miscegenation law.  The marriage soon failed. 
  In 1877 he relocated to New Orleans to write on a variety of themes before picking up a two year assignment from Harper’s to write in the West Indies, where he also wrote his first novel. 
  In 1890 Harper’s sent him to Japan.  Here he left journalism and took the remarkable decision to become a schoolteacher in the north of Japan.   Enraptured by the culture he was driven to explain it in various Western publications to those who had little, if any, knowledge of its culture.  Within the year he had fallen in love with, and married, a high-born Japanese lady, together they would have four children.   
  In 1895 he became a Japanese national and took the name Koizumi Yakumo, Koizumi being his wife’s family name. 
  The following few years, whilst a professor of Literature at the Imperial University of Japan, were his most creative and admired period.   
  Lafcadio Hearn died of heart failure on the 26th of September 1904, in Tokyo, Japan shortly before leaving to deliver a series of lectures at Cornell University in New York State.  He was 54.

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  A Lady's Story

  Anton Chekhov

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  Natalya was once a happy and radiant young woman. Now an older woman, she reflects about her youth. In particular, she thinks about the heavy emphasis she put on her wealth and the relationships and experiences that it cost her. One man, Pyotr, loved her, but they both let their different statuses in society prevent their love from having a chance. After years of unhappiness and regret, Pyotr comes to visit Natalya.

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  Typhoon

  Joseph Conrad

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  Typhoon is a gripping maritime novella by Joseph Conrad that showcases his masterful ability to blend elemental adventure with deep moral insight. Centered on a violent storm at sea, the story becomes a powerful meditation on leadership, duty, and human resilience in the face of overwhelming natural forces.
  
  The narrative follows Captain Tom MacWhirr, a steady, literal-minded, and unromantic sea captain whose greatest strength lies in his unwavering sense of responsibility. When his ship, the Nan-Shan, sails directly into a devastating typhoon, MacWhirr must rely not on imagination or heroics, but on endurance, discipline, and quiet determination to safeguard his crew and passengers.
  
  As the storm rages, Conrad vividly captures the physical terror of the sea and the psychological strain imposed on every man aboard. The crew's fear and confusion contrast sharply with MacWhirr's stubborn calm, raising questions about what true courage looks like under pressure. Leadership, Conrad suggests, is revealed not in grand gestures but in steadfast commitment to duty.
  
  Written in Conrad's richly textured prose, Typhoon transcends its setting to explore universal themes of responsibility, perseverance, and moral strength. The novella stands as both a thrilling sea tale and a subtle character study, highlighting the dignity of ordinary heroism.
  
  Intense, atmospheric, and deeply human, Typhoon remains one of Conrad's most accessible and compelling works—a testament to his enduring reputation as a master of maritime fiction.

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  Samuel the Seeker

  Upton Sinclair

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  "Samuel the Seeker" by Upton Sinclair is a poignant tale of idealism, disillusionment, and the quest for justice. The story follows Samuel, a young man determined to uncover truth and fight for equality in a corrupt society. As he delves into the harsh realities of industrial capitalism, he encounters exploitation, poverty, and moral compromise. Sinclair explores themes of social reform, faith, and the resilience of the human spirit. Samuel’s journey becomes both a personal and political awakening, highlighting the struggles of the working class and the cost of challenging entrenched power structures. A blend of emotional depth and social critique, this novel reflects Sinclair’s unwavering commitment to exposing societal inequities while inspiring hope for a better world.

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  Swann's Way

  Marcel Proust

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  "Swann's Way" is the first volume of Marcel Proust's seminal work, "In Search of Lost Time" (À la recherche du temps perdu), originally published in 1913. It introduces readers to the themes that Proust explores throughout the series: involuntary memory, love, art, and the interplay between perception and reality. The novel is known for its intricate sentences and detailed descriptions that capture the essence of experience. The narrative weaves through the memories of the narrator, including the famous madeleine episode, which becomes a symbol for the unexpected resurgence of past memories.

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