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Books > Fiction > Special features > Classic fiction
**NOW THE WINNER OF THE 2022 BEST DIRECTOR OSCAR AND TWO 2022 BAFTA AWARDS** Discover Thomas Savage's dark poetic tale of a small town in early 20th century America. Phil and George are brothers and joint owners of the biggest ranch in their Montana valley. Phil is the bright one, George the plodder. Phil is tall and angular; George is stocky and silent. Phil is a brilliant chess player, a voracious reader, an eloquent storyteller; George learns slowly, and devotes himself to the business. They sleep in the room they shared as boys, and so it has been for forty years. When George unexpectedly marries a young widow and brings her to live at the ranch, Phil begins a relentless campaign to destroy his brother's new wife. But he reckons without an unlikely protector. From its visceral first paragraph to its devastating twist of an ending, The Power of the Dog will hold you in its grip. WITH AN AFTERWORD BY ANNIE PROULX 'With its echoes of East of Eden and Brokeback Mountain, this satisfyingly complex story deserves another shot at rounding up public admiration' Guardian
In the first English edition in 70 years of a lost classic by one of the great 20th century writers, Napoleon is seen from the point of view of a woman with whom his life is quietly intermingled The story of Napoleon's last snatch at glory is framed both through the eyes of Bonaparte and his infatuated young laundress named Angelina--with rather more said by her about the Emperor's dirty handkerchiefs than the Duke of Wellington. It provides an arch and yet moving look at Napoleon's seemingly triumphant return to Paris from exile in March 1815. Before 100 days have elapsed, fate and war have crushed Napoleon's ambitions and the romantic dreams of his maid. Out of print in English for 70 years, this is a unique and unforgettable work, pitching Napoleon out of Olympian Heights and sending him crashing down to earth, leaving a devoted young lover trailing in his wake.
Dickens wrote this story of a boy forced to live in a dark and dismal workhouse lorded over by Mr Bumble to draw attention to Victorian social ills. Desperate but determined, Oliver makes his escape and finds that life in the harsh streets of London's underworld makes the workhouse look like a picnic.
First published in 1905, O. Henry's masterpiece, The Gift of the Magi, is a moving short story that highlights the plight of the poor at Christmastime. Desperately in love but destitute, Della and Jim try to find ways to drum up the cash for presents for one another, but in the end find they have sacrificed too much along the way. An ode to love and a warning against the consequences of capitalism, The Gift of the Magi has stood the test of time and has sadly never been more relevant. Part of Renard's successful Christmas Card Classics series, 25% of the RRP of each book sold goes to the Three Peas, a small charity supporting refugees.
By the dim and yellow light of the moon, as it forced its way through the window-shutters, I beheld the wretch-the miserable monster whom I had created. He held up the curtain of the bed; and his eyes, if eyes they may be called, were fixed on me. His jaws opened... Frankenstein is the most celebrated horror story ever written. It tells the dreadful tale of Victor Frankenstein, a visionary young student of natural philosophy, who discovers the secret of life. In the grip of his obsession he constructs a being from dead body parts, and animates this creature. The results, for Victor and for his family, are catastrophic. Written when Mary Shelley was just eighteen, Frankenstein was inspired by the ghost stories and vogue for Gothic literature that fascinated the Romantic writers of her time. She transformed these supernatural elements an epic parable that warned against the threats to humanity posed by accelerating technological progress. Published for the 200th anniversary, this edition, based on the original 1818 text, explains in detail the turbulent intellectual context in which Shelley was writing, and also investigates how her novel has since become a byword for controversial practices in science and medicine, from manipulating ecosystems to vivisection and genetic modification. As an iconic study of power, creativity, and, ultimately, what it is to be human, Frankenstein continues to shape our thinking in profound ways to this day.
When an ageing, impoverished nobleman decides to style himself "Don Quixote" and embarks upon a series of daring endeavours, it is clear that his ability to distinguish between reality and the fantasy world of literary romance has broken down. His exploits turn into comic misadventures, in which everyday objects are transformed into the accoutrements of chivalry, peasant girls become princesses and windmills are mistaken for formidable giants, leading the hero and his squire Sancho Panza into the realms of absurdity and humiliation. Renowned for its comical set pieces, Don Quixote is a profound meditation on the relationship between truth and fiction and the morality of deception, as well as the foundation stone of the modern novel.
Second in Feist & Wurts' wonderful epic trilogy - one of the most successful fantasy collaborations of all time THE EMPIRE TRILOGY: BOOK II Nobody knows how to play the Game of the Council better than Mara of the Acoma. But when you're surrounded by deadly rivals intent on toppling you at every turn, you need to be the best simply to survive...
HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics. 'It was unnecessary for all to perish, when, by the death of one, it was possible, and even probable, that the rest might be finally preserved.' Travelling aboard a whaling vessel, a young stowaway is swept up in myriad misadventures - mutiny, shipwreck, cannibalism - narrowly escaping numerous brushes with death. This rousing story of a daring sea voyage also presents its antihero with a host of psychological dilemmas, and offers an important insight into Poe's work as a whole. The only complete novel by infamous gothic horror writer Edgar Allan Poe, 'The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket' has inspired other classic tales of maritime adventure, such as Herman Melville's 'Moby-Dick' and Jules Verne's 'Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea'.
'We were ushered into this banqueting scene with the sound of minstrelsy, the old harper being seated on a stool beside the fireplace and twanging his instrument with a vast deal more power than melody. Never did Christmas board display a more goodly and gracious assemblage of countenances.' First published in 1820 in Irving's masterpiece, The Sketch Book, The Christmas Dinner is a charming tale by the great American writer behind such timeless classics as The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle. Painting the scene of a Christmas dinner spent at the table of Bracebridge Hall, a countryside manor, the merry songs and stories of the dinner table echo with jollity of Christmases long past. (Part of Renard's Christmas Card Classics series, 25% of the RRP of each book sold goes to Three Peas, a small refugee charity. This year, instead of a Christmas card, why not send a book?)
HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics. 'Let there be spaces in your togetherness, And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.' A prophet waits to board a ship after 12 years away from his homeland. His journey is interrupted by a group of people who ask him to impart his wisdom before he leaves forever. What follows are 26 short chapters on everything from love, marriage and children, to freedom, reason, talking, time and death. A guide to life and the human condition, this lyrical work of prose poetry has entranced readers for nearly 100 years. Described by many as the first self-help book, The Prophet was an instant bestseller when it was published in 1923, and is one of the most translated works in history.
A brooding marquess And a mysterious widow On the outside Henry Spencer, Marquess of Clairborne, has it all: title, fortune and dashing good looks, but inside he's haunted by nightmares. Seeking sanctuary at his Scottish estate, his peace is disturbed by a new tenant, widow Genevieve de L'Omont. Her beauty and spirit lead to a growing desire that distracts him from his troubles, but as he unravels a mystery from his past, he discovers Genevieve has secrets of her own...
The unnamed narrator of the novel, a former government official, has decided to retire from the world and lead a life of inactivity and contemplation. His fiercely bitter, cynical and witty monologue ranges from general observations and philosophical musings to memorable scenes from his own life, including his obsessive plans to exact revenge on an officer who has shown him disrespect and a dramatic encounter with a prostitute. Seen by many as the first existentialist novel and showcasing the best of Dostoevsky's dry humour, Notes from Underground was a pivotal moment in the development of modern literature and has inspired countless novelists, thinkers and film-makers.
These novels often appear on 'must read' and 'best science fiction' lists.
The detective's role is simple: to catch the culprit. Yet behind each casual observation lies a learned mind, trained on finding the key to the mystery. Crimes, whatever their form, are often best solved through deliberations of logic - preferably amid complicated gadgetry and a pile of hefty scientific volumes. The detectives in this collection are masters of scientific deduction, whether they are identifying the perpetrator from a single scrap of fabric, or picking out the poison from a sinister line-up. Containing stories by R Austin Freeman, J J Connington and the master of logical reasoning, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Measure of Malice collects tales of rational thinking to prove the power of the human brain over villainous deeds.
"Call me Ishmael." Thus begins one of the most famous journeys in literature--the voyage of the whaling ship Pequod and its embattled, monomaniacal Captain Ahab. Ishmael quickly learns that the Pequod's captain sails for revenge against the elusive Moby Dick, a sperm whale with a snow-white hump and mottled skin that destroyed Ahab's former vessel and left him crippled. As the Pequod sails deeper through the nights and into the sea, the divisions between man and nature begin to blur--so do the lines between good and evil, as the fates of the ship's crewmen become increasingly unclear.... Melville's classic tale of obsession and the sea, one of the most important and enduring masterworks of nineteenth-century literature, Moby Dick is a riveting drama, exploring rage, hope, destiny, and the deepest questions of moral truth.
'For the most part, the dead man received public sympathy. A decent, hardworking chap, with not an enemy anywhere. People were surprised that anybody should want to kill Jim.' But Jim has been drowned in the Dumb River, near Ely, miles from his Yorkshire home. His body, clearly dumped in the usually silent (`dumb') waterway, has been discovered before the killer intended - disturbed by a torrential flood. With critical urgency it's up to Superintendent Littlejohn of Scotland Yard to trace the mystery of the unassuming victim's murder to its source, leaving waves of scandal and sensation in his wake as the hidden, salacious dealings of Jim Teasdale begin to surface.
This Norton Critical Edition includes: The first edition of the novel, published in 1851 by Ticknor, Reed and Fields. Robert S. Levine's insightful introduction, revised headnotes, expanded explanatory footnotes and note on the text and annotations. A generous selection of carefully chosen primary materials-three of them new to the Second Edition-intended to provide readers with essential backgrounds on the novel's major themes. An extensive selection of critical responses to The House of the Seven Gables from the time of its publication to the present day, including eight new to the Second Edition. A chronology of Nathaniel Hawthorne's life and work and a selected bibliography. About the Series Read by more than 12 million students over fifty-five years, Norton Critical Editions set the standard for apparatus that is right for undergraduate readers. The three-part format-annotated text, contexts and criticism-helps students to better understand, analyse and appreciate the literature, while opening a wide range of teaching possibilities for instructors. Whether in print or in digital format, Norton Critical Editions provide all the resources students need.
The new Hercule Poirot novel - another brilliant murder mystery that can only be solved by the eponymous Belgian detective and his 'little grey cells'. Since the publication of her first book in 1920, Agatha Christie wrote 33 novels, two plays and more than 50 short stories featuring Hercule Poirot. Now, for the first time ever, the guardians of her legacy have approved a brand new novel featuring Dame Agatha's most beloved creation. Hercule Poirot's quiet supper in a London coffee house is interrupted when a young woman confides to him that she is about to be murdered. She is terrified, but begs Poirot not to find and punish her killer. Once she is dead, she insists, justice will have been done. Later that night, Poirot learns that three guests at the fashionable Bloxham Hotel have been murdered, a cufflink placed in each one's mouth. Could there be a connection with the frightened woman? While Poirot struggles to put together the bizarre pieces of the puzzle, the murderer prepares another hotel bedroom for a fourth victim... In the hands of internationally bestselling author Sophie Hannah, Poirot plunges into a mystery set in 1920s London - a diabolically clever puzzle that can only be solved by the talented Belgian detective and his 'little grey cells'.
The gripping new thriller in the brilliant Constance Fairchild series, from one of Scotland's foremost crime writers. On compassionate leave following the death of her mother, Detective Constable Constance Fairchild thought renting a cottage near Aberystwyth, Wales would get her far enough from London to finally relax. But trouble always seems to find Con, and it's not long before she is cooling off in a police station cell after defending herself from two would-be rapists. In custody she meets a young Ukrainian woman, Lila, who confides in Con that she's been forced by her manipulative boyfriend into prostitution and running drugs. Fearing for her life, she has run away from him, only to end up in the cells. Con offers to help, but when her cottage is ransacked, and Lila subsequently disappears, she realises she's stumbled into very dangerous company. International drug smugglers and ruthless people traffickers - those who will stop at nothing to protect their secrets. Out here at the end of the line, will Con find that there's nowhere left to run? Praise for James Oswald: 'The new Ian Rankin' Daily Record 'Creepy, gritty and gruesome' Sunday Mirror 'Crime fiction's next big thing' Sunday Telegraph
While the powerlessness of the laboring class is a recurring theme in Steinbeck's work of the late 1930s, he narrowed his focus when composing "Of Mice and Men" (1937), creating an intimate portrait of two men facing a world marked by petty tyranny, misunderstanding, jealousy, and callousness. But though the scope is narrow, the theme is universal; a friendship and a shared dream that makes an individual's existence meaningful.
One of literature's most decadent stories is now available in an exclusive collector's edition, featuring beautiful cover art from artist Laci Fowler and decorative interior pages, making it ideal for fiction lovers and book collectors alike. Beloved by fans across the globe, Fitzgerald's third novel The Great Gatsby exposes the dark side of the American Dream. This time-honored classic is now available as an exclusive collector's edition. Whether you're buying it as a gift or for yourself, this remarkable edition features: A beautiful, high-end hardcover featuring Laci Fowler's distinctive hand-painted art Decorative interior pages featuring pull quotes throughout Matching ribbon marker and gold page edges Part of a 4-volume collection including The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Frankenstein, and The Return of Sherlock Holmes The Great Gatsby has been casting its hypnotic spell on readers since 1925, unveiling every decadence and overindulgence the "Roaring Twenties" label implies. Nick Carraway, Daisy and Tom Buchanan, Jordan Baker, and of course, Jay Gatsby himself weave a sordid tale of love and betrayal. Exploring the themes of social division, wealth and materialism, and excess, this unique collector's edition presents Fitzgerald's classic tale in a giftable new way. |
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