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"She Stoops to Conquer" is the comedic drama that depicts the story of Charles Marlow, a wealthy young man who is promised to a woman that he has never met. While he is eager to meet her, Charles is quite shy in the company of women of wealth, however in the company of women of the lower classes he transforms into a lecherous rogue. Learning of this, Kate Hardcastle, the woman he is promised too, pretends to be a serving-maid in order to win Charles's affections. «She Stoops to Conquer» is a charming and light-hearted play.
The Island of Dr. Moreau
"The Island of Dr. Moreau" is the story of Edward Prendick, an Englishman who finds himself shipwrecked on an island in the South Seas. On the island he discovers the mad Doctor Moreau and a group of beastly creatures that are the result of the Doctor's experiments. «The Island of Dr. Moreau», which was meant as a commentary on Darwin's theory of evolution, is a most uncanny prediction of the ethical issues raised by the science of genetic engineering in modern times and a cautionary tale of the potential dangers of science when left unchecked.
The Master of Ballantrae
This daring tale of revenge and exotic intrigue is demonstrative of Stevenson's broad range and unique genius. «The Master of Ballantrae», first published in 1889, follows the conflict between two Scottish brothers of noble origins during the tumultuous Jacobite Risings of 1745. Greed and envy threaten to tear the brothers apart as a race for the family inheritance intensifies. James Durie, the protagonist and Master of Ballantrae, is as charming as he is evil. It is his relationship with the younger Henry Durie that drives this dark tale. The adventurous narrative sweeps across three continents, beginning in Scotland, through India, and finally to its dramatic conclusion in Northern America. Stevenson himself referred to the novel as a tragedy, with the reader glimpsing the malignant impulses found in fraternal competition. Considered by many to be Stevenson's most polished work, «The Master of Ballantrae» is an unrelenting tale of egregious conflict.
The Black Arrow
Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson (1850-1894), a Scottish novelist, poet and essayist, was influential to the likes of Ernest Hemingway, Rudyard Kipling, and J. M. Barrie. His most famous works include «Treasure Island» and «The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde». Originally intending to study engineering at the University of Edinburgh, Stevenson expended more energy dodging lectures than attending them. He shifted his studies to law, passing the bar but never actually practicing the profession. Instead he began to seek success through writing, beginning with travel novels, exploring Europe and weaving stories from his own experiences. «The Black Arrow» is a tale comparable to his most famous works, the plot swiftly carried by thrilling suspense and narrow escapes. Set during the Middle Ages, Stevenson depicts the harsh conditions of life at that time, as well as the horrors of civil war, dealing in particular with the fifteenth-century War of the Roses.
Heartbreak House
"Heartbreak House" is George Bernard Shaw's 1919 drama that is the story of Mazzini Dunn and his employer, Alfred Mangan, who is about to marry Mazzini's daughter. In these two characters Shaw draws a sharp contrast between the realist Mangan and the idealist Dunn, a contrast that Shaw uses to express the idea that a cultured and leisured Europe was in his opinion drifting towards destruction. A critical commentary of the European upper class is at the heart of this tragic dramatic work.
The Complete Poems of Emily Bronte
Emily Brontë (1818-1848), of the well-known Brontë family, is best known for her novel «Wuthering Heights», which has been deemed a classic of English literature. She wrote two complete notebooks of poetry by 1844, which were soon discovered by her sister, Charlotte. At Charlotte's urging, Emily began publishing the poems in collaborative works with her two sisters under the pseudonyms Acton, Ellis and Currer Bell. Emily's poems were praised by critics for their power and intellect, although the collections did not sell well upon their publication. Because she wrote entirely for her own satisfaction, without desire for fame or posterity, Emily Brontë's poetry displays a private, instinctive style. The genuine nature of her words, which were inspired by the traditions of her Romantic predecessors, expresses a true artistic vision of energy, life and the soul from an intensely introspective point of view.
The Underground City
Jules Gabriel Verne (1828-1905) has been ranked alongside Hugo Gernsback and H.G. Wells for the title of «Father of Science Fiction.» The French novelist wrote about scientific and technological advancements – particularly in air, space and water travel – before they existed. His popular stories of travelers in unknown realms, known as his «voyages extraordinares», have made him the second-most translated author in the world. «The Underground City», one of Verne's lesser known works, begins with coal miner James Starr's journey to an old mine in Aberfoyle, near Stirling, Scotland, and the story spans over ten years. The family of mine overman, Simon Ford, has been living deep inside the mine, where they have discovered a large vein of coal. As a result, a community grows up around an underground lake called Loch Malcolm, 1500 feet below the ground, and soon mysterious and unexplainable events begin to plague the Fords and the townspeople.
Back to Methuselah
George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) is revered as one of the great British dramatists, credited not only with memorable works, but the revival of the then-suffering English theatre. Shaw was born in Dublin, Ireland, left mostly to his own devices after his mother ran off to London to pursue a musical career. He educated himself for the most part, and eventually worked for a real estate agent. This experience founded in him a concern for social injustices, seeing poverty and general unfairness afoot, and would go on to address this in many of his works. In 1876, Shaw joined his mother in London where he would finally attain literary success. «Back the Methuselah» is regarded as Science Fiction, and a sort of commentary on human destiny. It consists of a preface (An Infidel Half Century) and a series of five plays: «In the Beginning: B.C. 4004 (In the Garden of Eden)», «The Gospel of the Brothers Barnabas: Present Day», «The Thing Happens: A.D. 2170», «Tragedy of an Elderly Gentleman: A.D. 3000», and «As Far as Thought Can Reach: A.D. 31,920.»
The Complete Plays of Sophocles (The Seven Plays in English Verse)
One of the most famous poets from classical antiquity, Sophocles was one of three important ancient Greek tragedians, the others being Aeschylus and Euripides. Writing during the 5th century BC, Sophocles created some one hundred and twenty three plays during his lifetime, of which only seven have survived in their entirety. Included in this edition are those seven complete plays, as translated by Lewis Campbell and include the following: Antigone, Aias (Ajax), Oedipus the King, Electra, The Trachinian Maidens (The Trachiniae), Philoctetes, and Oedipus at Colonus. These classic tragedies are essential reading and their influence on modern literature and drama is a profound one.
The Song of the Lark
"The Song of the Lark" is the story of Thea Kronborg, an ambitious young heroine, who leaves her home to go fulfill her dream of becoming a famous opera star. As is typical with much of Cather's work, «The Song of the Lark» is a portrayal of an independent-minded woman with a strong work ethic who will not allow anything or anyone to get in the way of her own personal achievement.