Publisher: Reading Essentials
When a well-educated young socialite in 1930s England is left orphaned and unable to support herself at age twenty-two, she moves in with her eccentric relatives on their farm.
Stefan Zweig was born on the 28th November 1881 in Vienna, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and into a wealthy Jewish family with interests in banking and textiles. He studied philosophy at the University of Vienna and achieved his degree in 1904. Zweig first published in 1900 and two decades later was a popular and highly regarded author in many parts of the world, although not in England. During the Great War he served in the Archives of the Ministry of War and supported Austria's war effort through his writings in the ‘Neue Freie Presse’. Whilst his work praised his Country’s progress and, on occasions, its excesses and massacres, he later claimed, in his memoir, that he was a pacifist. In 1912 he began an affair with the married, and mother or two, Friderike Maria von Winternitz, but it was only in 1920 that circumstances allowed them to marry. She took care of much of his business interests and supported him artistically. In this decade too many of his most famous works including the short stories; ‘Amok’, and ‘Letter from an Unknown Woman’ (filmed in 1948 by Max Ophüls), novels; ‘Confusion of Feelings’ and biographies including that on Marie Antoinette (filmed by MGM in 1938) were published. He was also the librettist with Richard Strauss of two operas and a keen collector of autographed musical manuscripts. His collection of over two hundred pieces was later donated to the British Library. In 1934, Zweig, as a Jew, and finding life very difficult under his anti-Semitic government and the neighbouring Nazi’s persuaded him to leave Austria for England. In 1940 Zweig, now divorced and married to his second wife, and former secretary, Lotte Altmann, left London and via New York moved to Petrópolis, a German-colonized town 50 miles north of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Although he continued to write he became, along with his wife, increasingly depressed about the situation in Europe and the future for humanity, His memoir ‘The World of Yesterday’ was completed on the 22nd February 1942. The following day the Zweig’s were found in their house dead of a barbiturate overdose, holding each other’s hand. He was 60.Show book
"We have to search for the truth. What is the use of bringing children into a world that is not worth living in?" In this sharp, experimental satire, Virginia Woolf explores the gap between male reputation and reality. A group of women, disillusioned by the supposed "greatness" of the world, form a society to investigate the pillars of civilization. They infiltrate the Navy, the Universities, and the Royal Academy to see if the work men do is truly "good" or merely "honorable." What begins as a witty, rebellious quest for knowledge evolves into a profound and unsettling revelation. Virginia Woolf’s "A Society" is not just a takedown of the patriarchy - it is a masterful exploration of the weight of truth, the burden of education, and the courage required to look at the world as it actually is. The quest for truth is never finished. Step into the secret meeting of "A Society" and decide for yourself: Is the world worth living in?Show book
Skeletons and corpses rise from their fitful sleep and share a haunting message from beyond the grave.Show book
A shipwreck. A ruthless captain. A captive forced to confront the darkness within himself. When literary critic Humphrey Van Weyden is rescued at sea, he finds himself under the command of Wolf Larsen—a brilliant, brutal captain whose strength is matched only by his cruelty. Trapped aboard the sealing schooner Ghost, Humphrey must survive brutal storms, violent men, and Larsen's relentless psychological games. What follows is a gripping struggle between intellect and might, courage and fear, humanity and raw instinct. Praised as "one of the greatest sea adventures ever written," Jack London's masterpiece blends action, philosophy, and unforgettable character conflict. Its intensity, moral tension, and vivid maritime drama continue to captivate readers worldwide. If you crave powerful character clashes, ocean survival, and stories where the human spirit is tested to its limit, this classic will keep you on edge. Open the book—and meet the sea captain who becomes literature's most unforgettable force of nature.Show book
How much can a single, ordinary detail reveal about the human mind? First published in 1917, The Mark on the Wall by Virginia Woolf is a pioneering modernist short story that transformed the way fiction could represent thought. What begins as a simple observation—a small mark on a wall—unfolds into a rich stream of reflection, questioning reality, history, authority, and the nature of consciousness itself. Through her innovative stream-of-consciousness style, Woolf draws readers deep into the mind, showing how everyday moments spark complex inner worlds. The story quietly challenges rigid structures of knowledge and certainty, favoring imagination, curiosity, and personal perception. This eBook presents the original text in a clear, accessible format, allowing readers to experience one of Woolf's earliest and most influential experiments in modernist fiction. Inside this eBook, you'll explore: A landmark example of stream-of-consciousness writing Woolf's early break from traditional narrative form Themes of perception, uncertainty, and inner life A foundational work in literary modernism Frequently studied in literature courses and admired for its originality, The Mark on the Wall remains essential reading for anyone interested in modernist writing and the evolution of narrative art. Enter the mind where a single mark opens infinite thought. Buy now and experience one of Virginia Woolf's most influential short stories.Show book
Clotilde Augusta Inez Mary Graves was born on the 3rd June 1863 at Buttevant Castle, Co. Cork, to parents with military backgrounds. At age nine, the family moved to Southsea in England for yet another military posting. Her father’s postings gave her valuable experiences that would be put to good use in later years in some of her literary works. She was educated at a Catholic convent in Lourdes before returning to London in 1884 to study art in Bloomsbury. She worked part-time at the British Museum and the Royal Female School of Art and generated further income by drawing little pen-and-ink grotesques for the comic papers. A few years later a chance meeting found her writing extra lyrics for a pantomime version of Puss in Boots. She followed up with several financially successful plays, both in London and New York, and gained a measure of notoriety in one with the comparison of marriage and prostitution. Despite her dramatic success she published her first novel in 1911 under the pseudonym of Richard Dehan which she continued to use for later works. As well as novels and plays she published collections of short stories which glow with talent and invention. She was an unusual figure in London society, wearing her hair short, taking on a masculine manner and cut of clothing, and smoking cigarettes in public when such traits were considered eccentric at best. Add to this her admired collection of Chinese and Japanese trophies, her enthusiasm for fly-fishing and her riding of a tricycle and you have a perfect image of this fascinating writer. Clotilde Graves died at the convent of Our Lady of Lourdes at Hatch End in Middlesex, on the 3rd December 1932. She was 69.Show book
