Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the Orient Express in its tracks. The luxurious train is surprisingly full for the time of the year, but by the morning it is one passenger fewer. An American tycoon lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside.
Isolated and with a killer in their midst, detective Hercule Poirot must identify the murderer—in case he or she decides to strike again.
Aldous Huxley's profoundly important classic of world literature, Brave New World is a searching vision of an unequal, technologically-advanced future where humans are genetically bred, socially indoctrinated, and pharmaceutically anesthetized to passively uphold an authoritarian ruling order–all at the cost of our freedom, full humanity, and perhaps also our souls. “A genius [who] spent his life decrying the onward march of the Machine” (The New Yorker), Huxley was a man of incomparable talents: equally an artist, a spiritual seeker, and one of history's keenest observers of human nature and civilization.
Brave New World, his masterpiece, has enthralled and terrified millions of readers, and retains its urgent relevance to this day as both a warning to be heeded as we head into tomorrow and as thought-provoking, satisfying work of literature. Written in the shadow of the rise of fascism during the 1930s, Brave New World also speaks to a 21st-century world dominated by mass-entertainment, technology, medicine and pharmaceuticals, the arts of persuasion, and the hidden influence of elites.
“Aldous Huxley is the greatest 20th century writer in English.” —Chicago Tribune
Un mundo feliz es un clásico de la literatura del siglo XX, una sombrĂa metáfora sobre el futuro. La novela describe un mundo en el que finalmente se han cumplido los peores vaticinios: triunfan los dioses del consumo y la comodidad y el orbe se organiza en diez zonas en apariencia seguras y estables. Sin embargo, este mundo ha sacrificado valores humanos esenciales, y sus habitantes son procreados in vitro a imagen y semejanza de una cadena de montaje.
Set on the coast of England against the vivid background of the sea, The Waves introduces six characters—three men and three women—who are grappling with the death of a beloved friend, Percival. Instead of describing their outward expressions of grief, Virginia Woolf draws her characters from the inside, revealing them through their thoughts and interior soliloquies. As their understanding of nature’s trials grows, the chorus of narrative voices blends together in miraculous harmony, remarking not only on the inevitable death of individuals but on the eternal connection of everyone. The novel that most epitomizes Virginia Woolf’s theories of fiction in the working form, The Waves is an amazing book very much ahead of its time. It is a poetic dreamscape, visual, experimental, and thrilling.
Herodotus 7-9 is a significant historical work that delves into the rich tapestry of ancient events and chronicles the fascinating world of the past. This book is a part of the Loeb Herodotus series, offering insight into the intricate details and narratives that have shaped our understanding of history.
Despite being a reproduction of a book published before 1923, it has been carefully preserved and reprinted to maintain its cultural importance. Readers will appreciate the dedication to maintaining the integrity of historical documentation, ensuring that the stories of the past continue to enlighten and educate future generations.
Set in Vienna on the eve of World War I, this great novel of ideas tells the story of Ulrich, ex-soldier and scientist, seducer and skeptic, who finds himself drafted into the grandiose plans for the 70th jubilee of the Emperor Franz Josef. This new translation - published in two elegant volumes - is the first to present Musil's complete text, including material that remained unpublished during his lifetime.
En 1928 a Virginia Woolf le propusieron dar una serie de charlas sobre el tema de la mujer y la novela. Lejos de cualquier dogmatismo o presunciĂłn, planteĂł la cuestiĂłn desde un punto de vista realista, valiente y muy particular. Una pregunta: ÂżquĂ© necesitan las mujeres para escribir buenas novelas? Una sola respuesta: independencia econĂłmica y personal, es decir, Una habitaciĂłn propia. SĂłlo hacĂa nueve años que se le habĂa concedido el voto a la mujer y aĂşn quedaba mucho camino por recorrer.
Son muchos los repliegues psicológicos y sociales implicados en este ensayo de tan inteligente exposición; fascinantes los matices históricos que hacen que el tema de la condición femenina y la enajenación de la mujer en la sociedad no haya perdido ni un ápice de actualidad.
Partiendo de un tratamiento directo y empleando un lenguaje afilado, irónico e incisivo, Virginia Woolf narra una parábola cautivadora para ilustrar sus opiniones. Un relato de lectura apasionante, la contribución de una exquisita narradora al siempre polémico asunto del feminismo desde una perspectiva inevitablemente literaria.
Steppenwolf is a poetical self-portrait of a man who felt himself to be half-human and half-wolf. This Faust-like and magical story is evidence of Hesse's searching philosophy and extraordinary sense of humanity as he tells of the humanization of a middle-aged misanthrope. Yet his novel can also be seen as a plea for rigorous self-examination and an indictment of the intellectual hypocrisy of the period.
Hermann Hesse himself remarked, "Of all my books Steppenwolf is the one that was more often and more violently misunderstood than any of the others."
El juguete rabioso es la primera novela del escritor Roberto Arlt –marcadamente autobiográfica– publicada en el año 1926 por la Editorial Latina. Sus manuscritos datan de la dĂ©cada de 1920 y fueron bosquejados por Arlt en las argentinas Sierras de CĂłrdoba, en una Ă©poca en la cual su mujer, Carmen, atacada por una complicada tuberculosis, debe instalarse en esas geografĂas para intentar una difĂcil mejorĂa.
Arlt, en tanto acompaña a su esposa e invierte una considerable suma de dinero en negocios que no fructifican, hace nacer a El Juguete Rabioso.
Nursery magic is very strange and wonderful, and only those playthings that are old and wise and experienced like the Skin Horse understand all about it. Like the Skin Horse, Margery Williams understood how toys—and people—become real through the wisdom and experience of love.
The Velveteen Rabbit, or How Toys Become Real, is not just a tale about a stuffed rabbit's wish to become real, but it's also a story that celebrates the power of love and the value of enduring and nurturing relationships.
Widely hailed as one of the finest humorists of the twentieth century, James Thurber looks back at his own life growing up in Columbus, Ohio, with the same humor and sharp wit that defined his famous sketches and writings.
In My Life and Hard Times, first published in 1933, he recounts the delightful chaos and frustrations of family, boyhood, youth, odd dogs, recalcitrant machinery, and the foibles of human nature.
When a girl leaves her home at eighteen, she does one of two things. Either she falls into saving hands and becomes better, or she rapidly assumes the cosmopolitan standard of virtue and becomes worse. The tale of Carrie Meeber's rise to stardom in the theatre and George Hurstwood's slow decline captures the twin poles of exuberance and exhaustion in modern city life as never before. The premier example of American naturalism, Dreiser's remarkable first novel has deeply influenced such key writers as William Faulkner, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Saul Bellow, and Joyce Carol Oates. This edition uses the 1900 text, which is regarded as the author's final version.
The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy collects five of Douglas Adams's classic science fiction works in one volume. This series takes readers on a hilarious journey through space and time with Arthur Dent, a man who finds himself an unwitting adventurer in the cosmos after the Earth is destroyed to make way for a galactic freeway.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Arthur Dent discovers the meaning of life (or lack thereof) with the help of Ford Prefect, Zaphod Beeblebrox, and the depressed robot Marvin.
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe: Arthur and company search for a decent meal, leading to encounters with bizarre beings and escapades across the galaxy.
Life, the Universe and Everything: Our heroes confront the sinister inhabitants of planet Krikkit who, tired of gazing upon the universe, decide it's high time to destroy it.
So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish: Arthur Dent returns to Earth, questioning his past interstellar adventures, but a cryptic gift reminds him that reality is often stranger than fiction.
Mostly Harmless: Just as Arthur starts to settle into a semblance of normal life, chaos ensues, and he must navigate further cosmic conundrums.
Also included is the short story "Young Zaphod Plays It Safe", which offers more of Adams's trademark wit and insight into the human condition—albeit from the perspective of extraterrestrial beings and the odd, often perplexing universe they inhabit.
The Turn of the Screw is an 1898 horror novella by Henry James, first serialized in Collier's Weekly magazine from January 27 to April 16, 1898, and later published in book form as part of The Two Magics by Macmillan in New York City and Heinemann in London. The novella tells the story of a very young woman's first job as a governess for two enigmatic children, Miles and Flora, at a desolate estate. The governess soon encounters half-seen figures who glare from dark towers and dusty windows - silent, foul phantoms that increasingly come closer, threatening the innocence of her charges.
The governess realizes with horror that these fiendish creatures want the children, aiming to corrupt their bodies, possess their minds, and own their souls. But the terror deepens when it becomes evident that Miles and Flora have no fear of the evil that stalks them, for they desire the presence of the walking dead just as fervently as the dead yearn for them.
Oscar Wilde's only novel is the dreamlike story of a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty. In this celebrated work, Wilde forged a devastating portrait of the effects of evil and debauchery on a young aesthete in late-19th-century England.
Combining elements of the Gothic horror novel and decadent French fiction, the book centers on a striking premise: As Dorian Gray sinks into a life of crime and gross sensuality, his body retains perfect youth and vigor while his recently painted portrait grows day by day into a hideous record of evil, which he must keep hidden from the world.
For over a century, this mesmerizing tale of horror and suspense has enjoyed wide popularity. It ranks as one of Wilde's most important creations and among the classic achievements of its kind.
Anna Karenina is a sophisticated woman who abandons her empty existence as the wife of Karenin and turns to Count Vronsky to fulfil her passionate nature - with tragic consequences. Levin, a reflection of Tolstoy himself, often expresses the author's own views and convictions.
Set against a vast and richly textured canvas of nineteenth-century Russia, the novel explores the complex interplay between love, family happiness, and the societal constraints that exist within the dynamics of city and country life. As the story unfolds, Anna's ill-fated affair with Vronsky leads to a life-altering crisis, while Levin's journey takes on a deeper philosophical significance.
The novel's seven major characters create a dynamic imbalance, exploring the variations on love and the search for happiness. Tolstoy's powerful narrative invites readers not to judge but to watch, presenting a panorama of humanity in all its flawed beauty.
One of the most thrilling science fiction adventures of all time.
A huge sea monster has attacked and wrecked several ships from beneath the sea. Professor Arronax bravely joins a mission to hunt down the beast. He goes aboard the Nautilus, a secret submarine helmed by the mysterious Captain Nemo.
At first, the mission is exciting, as Nemo takes Arronax on a voyage around the underwater world. But when things start to go wrong, Arronax finds there's no escape from the Nautilus -- he is now Captain Nemo's captive!
Louisa May Alcott's classic tale of four sisters.
Grown-up Meg, tomboyish Jo, timid Beth, and precocious Amy. The four March sisters couldn't be more different. But with their father away at war, and their mother working to support the family, they have to rely on one another. Whether they're putting on a play, forming a secret society, or celebrating Christmas, there's one thing they can't help wondering: Will Father return home safely?
It is no secret that Alcott based Little Women on her own early life. While her father, the freethinking reformer and abolitionist Bronson Alcott, hobnobbed with such eminent male authors as Emerson, Thoreau, and Hawthorne, Louisa supported herself and her sisters with "woman’s work,” including sewing, doing laundry, and acting as a domestic servant. But she soon discovered she could make more money writing. Little Women brought her lasting fame and fortune, and far from being the "girl’s book” her publisher requested, it explores such timeless themes as love and death, war and peace, the conflict between personal ambition and family responsibilities, and the clash of cultures between Europe and America.
Published to great acclaim and fierce controversy in 1866, Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment has left an indelible mark on global literature and on our modern world.
Raskolnikov, a destitute and desperate former student, wanders through the slums of St Petersburg and commits a random murder without remorse or regret. He imagines himself to be a great man, a Napoleon: acting for a higher purpose beyond conventional moral law. But as he embarks on a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a suspicious police investigator, Raskolnikov is pursued by the growing voice of his conscience and finds the noose of his own guilt tightening around his neck. Only Sonya, a downtrodden sex worker, can offer the chance of redemption.
Moby-Dick or, the Whale is not only a narrative of an enthralling voyage but a profound exploration into human character and the ambiguities of perception. Herman Melville's magnum opus tells the tale of an ominously intriguing madman, Captain Ahab, who declares an unholy war against a majestic and formidable creature, as immeasurable and enigmatic as the sea itself.
More than a mere adventure story or a manual on whaling, Melville's novel is a deep meditation on America, brimming with wonderfully redemptive humour. It stands as a pivotal piece in the canon of literary history, its influence still resonating in modern culture. This edition, which presents the authoritative text of the novel, is enriched with maps, illustrations, and a glossary of nautical terms, making it an invaluable edition for readers.
Wuthering Heights, Emily Bront's only novel, is a tale of passion and revenge on the Yorkshire moors. At its heart lies the tumultuous relationship between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, and how their unresolved passion eventually leads to their destruction, affecting those around them. First published in 1847, Bront's work was initially met with mixed reviews but has since become an undisputed classic of English literature.
This novel is known for its complex structure, reminiscent of Russian nesting dolls, and its innovative narrative that was controversial at the time of publication. The dark and tragic story, set in a stark and austere setting, explores themes of social class, love, and the impact of vengeance. The intense emotional depth of the story transforms a simple tale into one with the resonance of ancient tragedy.
Bront wrote under the pseudonym Ellis Bell and her work was posthumously edited by her sister Charlotte. The novel's title comes from the remote Yorkshire manor, Wuthering Heights, which forms the central focus of the story's tumultuous events.
Sarmiento, proscrito por la tiranĂa rosista y exiliado por dos veces en Chile, fue periodista brillante, polĂtico y polemista literario. "Facundo" es una biografĂa concebida como historia, historia de las guerras civiles de su patria centradas en la figura de Juan Facundo Quiroga, el más famoso, cruel, violento y despiadado caudillo de las guerras civiles argentinas. El desarrollo de los acontecimientos impulsĂł a Sarmiento a unir el tema biográfico a la realidad presente, denunciando a su enemigo Rosas.
Pertenece EcheverrĂa al llamado grupo intelectual de 1837, que sentĂł las bases de la incipiente sociedad argentina. El Ă©xito y la gran acogida de "La cautiva" se debe a que es una obra comprometida con el medio social en el que surge y cuya renovaciĂłn formal intenta adecuarse a la realidad que describe. "El matadero" se anticipa en cierto modo a su Ă©poca y desarrolla lĂneas que seguirá despuĂ©s la literatura argentina.
'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.' Thus memorably begins Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, one of the world's most popular novels.
Pride and Prejudice is an 1813 novel of manners written by Jane Austen. The novel follows the character development of Elizabeth Bennet, the dynamic protagonist of the book who learns about the repercussions of hasty judgments and comes to appreciate the difference between superficial goodness and actual goodness.
Mr. Bennet, owner of the Longbourn estate in Hertfordshire, has five daughters, but his property is entailed and can only be passed to a male heir. His wife also lacks an inheritance, so his family faces becoming very poor upon his death. Thus, it is imperative that at least one of the girls marry well to support the others, which is a motivation that drives the plot.
Twelfth Night, named for the twelfth night after Christmas, marks the end of the festive season and sets the stage for a romantic comedy of love and power. The play introduces us to the Countess Olivia, an independent woman in charge of her own household, who captures the attention of Duke Orsino. Her other suitors include her pompous steward, Malvolio, and the foppish Sir Andrew Aguecheek.
Amidst this tangled web of unrequited love arrives the shipwrecked twins, Viola and Sebastian, each believing the other to be dead. Viola, disguised as a boy, enters the service of the Duke, becoming his emissary to Olivia—and unexpectedly becoming the object of Olivia's affection. As the story unfolds, the play delves into the complexity of love and the joyful resolution of mistaken identities and romantic entanglements.
Delta of Venus by AnaĂŻs Nin is a lush, magical world where the characters of her imagination possess the most universal of desires and exceptional of talents. Among these provocative stories, a Hungarian adventurer seduces wealthy women then vanishes with their money; a veiled woman selects strangers from a chic restaurant for private trysts; and a Parisian hatmaker named Mathilde leaves her husband for the opium dens of Peru. Delta of Venus is an extraordinarily rich and exotic collection from the master of erotic writing.
Baldwin's haunting and controversial second novel is his most sustained treatment of sexuality, and a classic of gay literature. In a 1950s Paris swarming with expatriates and characterized by dangerous liaisons and hidden violence, an American finds himself unable to repress his impulses, despite his determination to live the conventional life he envisions for himself. After meeting and proposing to a young woman, he falls into a lengthy affair with an Italian bartender and is confounded and tortured by his sexual identity as he oscillates between the two.
Examining the mystery of love and passion in an intensely imagined narrative, Baldwin creates a moving and complex story of death and desire that is revelatory in its insight.
Kokoro (1914) is a novel by Natsume SĹŤseki. Set during a period of modernization in Japan, Kokoro is a story of family, faith, and tragedy that explores timeless themes of isolation and identity. Spanning generations, Kokoro is a classic novel from one of Japan's most successful twentieth century writers.
Tradition and change, life and death--such are the subjects of SĹŤseki's masterful, understated tale of unassuaged guilt. On vacation with a friend, the narrator meets an older man who becomes a patient mentor for the young student. Soon, he begins visiting Sensei and his wife at their home in Tokyo, where they live an affluent, simple life. As the years go by, the narrator becomes aware of a secret from Sensei's past, which his mentor promises to reveal when the time is right. When his father falls ill--around the time of the end of Meiji society--the narrator returns home to be closer to his family. As he tries to remain positive around so much sorrow, he begins to miss his Sensei, who is now getting old himself. As his father prepares to leave the mortal world, the narrator receives a lengthy letter from Tokyo, containing his Sensei's story within. As one era merges into the next, he reads of the suffering and mistakes his Sensei experienced and incurred on his path through life, drawing them closer and leaving the narrator with some wisdom to remember him by.
Eminently human, Kokoro is a beloved story of isolation, morality, and conflict from a master of Japanese fiction.
Much Ado About Nothing, one of Shakespeare's most beloved comedies, intertwines two very different tales of love. On one hand, we have the young lovers Hero and Claudio, whose journey to the altar is thwarted by the villainous Don John. On the other, the story of Beatrice and Benedick showcases how pride and mutual antagonism can be overcome when friends decide to intervene, turning their merry war into an unexpected romance.
The play also delves into the themes of honor, shame, and societal expectations, providing a rich tapestry of human emotions and interactions. From the humorous misunderstandings and witty banter to the dramatic accusations and eventual reconciliations, Much Ado About Nothing remains a timeless exploration of love and its various complications.
No Exit presents a compelling portrayal of hell unlike any other. In this existentialist drama, three characters find themselves locked together in a room for eternity, with no escape. The play explores the psychological torment and humiliation that comes from being stripped of all pretenses under the unrelenting gaze of others. It's a place where secrets are laid bare and the deepest deeds are exposed to the harsh light of judgement. The true torture of this hell lies not in physical pain, but in the endless psychological anguish and introspection. This thought-provoking piece is a testament to Sartre's brilliance in exploring the human condition.
Jo, Bessie, and Fanny move to the country and find an Enchanted Wood right on their doorstep. And in the wood stands the magic Faraway Tree, and in that tree live the magical characters that soon become their new friends - Moon-Face, Silky the fairy, and Saucepan Man.
Together they climb through the clouds to the top of the tree and discover the Land of Spells, The Land of Secrets, and the Land of Do-As-You-like. There are lots of magical adventures to read about in this bumper 3-in-1 edition.
The Foundation Trilogy is a monumental work in the annals of science fiction, spanning a thousand-year epic and a galactic struggle. It begins a new chapter in the story of humanity's future as the Old Empire crumbles into barbarism across the million worlds of the galaxy. Hari Seldon and his band of psychologists must create a new entity, the Foundation, dedicated to art, science, and technology, as the beginning of a new empire.
Foundation lays the groundwork for this new chapter, while Foundation and Empire describes the mighty struggle for power amid the chaos of the stars, where humanity stands at the threshold of a new enlightened life that could be easily destroyed by the old forces of barbarism. Second Foundation follows the Seldon Plan after the First Empire's defeat and details its greatest threat—a dangerous mutant strain gone wild, capable of bending men's wills, directing their thoughts, reshaping their desires, and potentially destroying the universe.
'A thing to marvel at, a thing to be grateful for.' A rich American art-collector and his daughter Maggie buy in for themselves and to their greater glory a beautiful young wife and noble husband. They do not know that Charlotte and Prince Amerigo were formerly lovers, nor that on the eve of the Prince's marriage they had discovered, in a Bloomsbury antique shop, a golden bowl with a secret flaw. The superstitious Amerigo, fearing for his gilded future, refuses to accept it as a wedding gift from Charlotte. 'Don't you think too much of "cracks,"' she is later to say to him, 'aren't you too afraid of them? I risk the cracks...' When the golden bowl is broken, Maggie must leave the security of her childhood and try to reassemble the pieces of her shattered happiness.
In this, the last of his three great poetic masterpieces, James combined with a dazzling virtuosity elements of social comedy, of mystery, terror, and myth. The Golden Bowl is the most controversial, ambiguous, and sophisticated of James's novels.
The text of this World's Classics paperback is that of the first English edition (1905). James's Preface is included, and a new introduction, notes, and selected variant readings.
The Selected Writings of Edgar Allan Poe presents an annotated selection of writing by Edgar Allan Poe, including poems, stories, essays, and a novel. This comprehensive collection illuminates Poe's short but prolific career, bringing together his most important works in a single volume.
In addition to the writings, the edition includes documents related to Poe's life and career, as well as reviews and critical essays. These additional materials provide a deeper understanding of Poe's work, placing it within the broader context of American literature and its historical period.