"My satire is against those who see figures and averages, and nothing else," proclaimed Charles Dickens in explaining the theme of this classic novel. Published in 1854, the story concerns one Thomas Gradgrind, a «fanatic of the demonstrable fact,» who raises his children, Tom and Louisa, in a stifling and arid atmosphere of grim practicality.Without a moral compass to guide them, the children sink into lives of desperation and despair, pla ...
Twelve of the finest short stories by great French writers comprise this excellent collection, with themes that range from desire and psychological intrigue to the mysteries of failure and success.Includes: «The Horla» and «The Necklace» by Guy de Maupassant; «The Attack on the Mill» by Emile Zola; «Mocromegas» by Voltaire; «The Legend of St. Julian the Hospitaler» by Gustave Flaubert; «Mateo Falcone» by Prosper Mérimée; «The R ...
Of the enormous body of work produced by H. G. Wells — more than a book a year over the course of half a century — the early science fiction novels that first made him famous have proved to be the most enduring and have earned him the sobriquet «the father of modern science fiction.»In the 1901 classic The First Men in the Moon, Wells reveals not only a fertile imagination at ease with biological and astronomical phenomena, b ...
Aficionados of supernatural fiction will take perverse pleasure in the hair-raising horrors recounted in these outstanding examples of the genre. Featuring a gallery of ghostly characters, forbidding landscapes, gloomy country manors, and occult occurrences, this spine-tingling collection features works by such masters of the macabre as Bram Stoker (the creator of Dracula), J. S. LeFanu, Ambrose Bierce, and M. R. James.The ten classics included ...
Includes the unabridged text of Dicken's classic novel plus a complete study guide that helps readers gain a thorough understanding of the work's content and context. The comprehensive guide includes chapter-by-chapter summaries, explanations and discussions of the plot, question-and-answer sections, author biography, analytical paper topics, list of characters, bibliography, and more. ...
Now a major motion picture! The tale of a passionate, independent woman and her three suitors, Far from the Madding Crowd tells the story of Bathsheba Everdene and her relationships with the devoted Gabriel Oak, the dashing Sergeant Troy, and the reclusive gentleman farmer, Mr. Boldwood. Through her wayward nature and a winding path of events propelled by Thomas Hardy's recurring feminist themes, Bathsheba is led to tragedy and, fi ...
Perhaps the best-known and most popular of Edith Wharton's novels, Ethan Frome is widely considered her masterpiece. Set against a bleak New England background, the novel tells of Frome, his ailing wife Zeena and her companion Mattie Silver, superbly delineating the characters of each as they are drawn relentlessly into a deep-rooted domestic struggle.Burdened by poverty and spiritually dulled by a loveless marriage to an older woman. Frome ...
Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821–1881), the brilliant Russian novelist whose psychological delvings into the human soul profoundly influenced the twentieth-century novel, wrote a prolific amount of shorter works that are masterpieces in their own right. His novella The Eternal Husband is considered one of the author’s most powerful and perfect creations.This surreal tale of duality and interchanging rivalry explores the life of a ric ...
Although best known for War and Peace and Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy did not confine his literary talents to voluminous works. He was also a master of the short story and the long story — the particularly Russian form known as povest'. Each of the tales in this collection exhibits the rich detail, vivid narration, and startling truths that characterize Tolstoy's famous novels.Two unusual, intriguing short stores — « ...
