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"A Christmas Carol, The Chimes, and The Cricket on the Hearth" contains three of Charles Dickens most popular Christmas-time stories. In «A Christmas Carol» we have the classic story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly old man who is visited by ghosts prior to Christmas to show him the error of his ways. In «The Chimes» we have the story of Toby Veck, a poor working-class man who has lost his faith in human nature. On New Year's Eve he is visited by spirits who show him that nobody is born evil, but rather that crime and poverty are constructs of man. In «The Cricket on the Hearth» we have the story of John Peerybingle and his family who have a guardian angel in the form of a cricket who is constantly chirping on the hearth. These classic holiday tales will delight readers of all ages.
The Power of Sympathy
William Hill Brown (1765-1793) was an American poet, dramatist and novelist who anonymously published «The Power of Sympathy», considered to be the first American novel. The son of a prominent clockmaker, Brown received his education at a Boston boy's school. His literary spark and encouragement came from his step-aunt, Catherine Byles. While living in Boston, Brown lived directly across the street from a famous Boston family, the Anthorp-Mortons, who became the center of a local scandal in 1788. Frances Anthorp committed suicide after she was discovered to be having an affair with her brother-in-law, Perez Morton. «The Power of Sympathy», based on this infamous Boston scandal, follows a sentimental writing style developed by Samuel Richardson. This epistolary novel about tragic, incestuous love began a flood of other sentimental novels from its popularity. Because it has the distinction of being the first book-length work written and issued in America, the novel has received critical attention since its publication.
Facundo: Or, Civilization and Barbarism
Domingo Faustino Sarmiento was a writer and journalist who would become the seventh president of Argentina. His 1845 book, «Facundo: Or, Civilization and Barbarism» is considered a cornerstone of Latin American literature, a work of creative non-fiction that illustrates the region's development, modernization, power, and culture. Literary critic Roberto González Echevarría describes the work as «the most important book written by a Latin American in any discipline or genre.» Sarmiento wrote «Facundo» while exiled in Chile primarily as a criticism of Juan Manuel de Rosas, the Argentine dictator at the time, and regional leader Juan Facundo Quiroga, a warlord from La Rioja. The book provides critical analysis of the development of the Argentine Republic. Following Argentina gaining its independence from Spain in 1810, the country struggled to find its political identity with separate factions wishing on one side for a more centralized government versus those wishing for more regional autonomy. These conflicts ultimately would lead to civil war and a period of instability for the country. Sarmiento's work which is part historical, part autobiographical, and part political criticism is a seminal work of Spanish American literary history which brilliantly illustrates this tumultuous time.
The Diary of a Drug Fiend
Very few books have resulted in the controversy that «The Diary of a Drug Fiend» has caused since its original publication in 1922. While much of the debate is centered on the novel's author Aleister Crowley, the story itself has both enchanted and enraged audiences for nearly a century. Despite being a fictional work, Crowley drew from his own experiences as a heavy drug user for the context of the plot. Peter Pendragon and Louise Laleham, in a drug-induced night of passion, get married after meeting each other for the first time. During their honeymoon, they are introduced to heroin and cannot quit taking drugs. They end up in jail and are eventually returned to England. Through the rest of their «honeymoon period,» both Peter and Louise find themselves unable to give up their addiction. In their own sections of narration, they both exhibit the demented mindset of an addict, giving the text a visceral and realistic feel. Rather than overcoming their addictions, though, Crowley introduces his characters to the beginnings of his own religion, Thelema, which says that users can master their drug addiction and control the drugs' affects over themselves. Regardless of one's opinion of Aleister Crowley and his beliefs, «The Diary of a Drug Fiend» is a truly modernistic and existential book that demands of its readers an understanding of the experiences and emotions of a drug addict.
Captain Brassbound's Conversion
Originally published in George Bernard Shaw's 1901 collection «Three Plays for Puritans» and first performed in 1900, «Captain Brassbound's Conversion» is the drama of its title character, a sort of refined latter-day pirate who resides in Morocco. When two jaded English tourists, Sir Howard Hallam, a judge of the criminal bench, and Lady Cicely Waynflete, his sister-in-law, arrive at the Moroccan coast and endeavor to explore the interior, Captain Brassbound takes up the charge as their guide. However as they reach an ancient Moorish castle we discover that the confidence these two have placed in Captain Brassbound is misguided and a secret plot of revenge unfolds. While not Shaw's best known work, «Captain Brassbound's Conversion» is a fantastic work of comedic drama in which Shaw exhibits his skill at developing rich and interesting characters.
Father Brown: Essential Tales
Gilbert Keith Chesterton was an English writer who lived at the turn of the 20th century. His works explored a number of subjects such as philosophy, poetry, journalism, lectures, criticism, and theatrical plays. However, his best-known stories feature the character of an English priest and detective named Father Brown. While the character was based on a real priest who was involved in Chesterton's own conversion of faith, the adventures and mysteries that Father Brown solves are purely fictional. Included in the collection «Father Brown: Essential Tales» are «The Blue Cross,» «The Invisible Man,» «The Strange Crime of John Boulnois,» and twelve other thrilling stories. What is interesting about Father Brown is that he does not rely on deductive reasoning like other famous detectives, namely Sherlock Holmes. Instead, Father Brown relies on intuition. He puts himself into the mind of the perpetrator and figures out the criminal's steps along the way. Part of what makes him a great detective is that Father Brown is never shocked by the atrocities that he sees. As a priest, he says that he has already heard about all the awful things people do and think; nothing surprises him anymore. He also refuses to believe in any supernatural explanations and instead focuses on a case's reasonable explanation. Anyone wanting a fun and entertaining read with a great character to lead the way should add «Father Brown: Essential Tales» to their reading list.
The Mysterious Island
This captivating tale of adventure, «The Mysterious Island» tells the tale of five Americans who during the American Civil War escape the siege of Richmond, Virginia in a hot air balloon, only to find themselves later stranded on an uncharted island in the South Pacific when their balloon crashes there. Through the use of their ingenuity the five manage to survive on this island wilderness. Many secrets and adventures await the group as they endeavor to discovery the mystery of this «mysterious island».
Hunting Trips of a Ranchman and The Wilderness Hunter
There may be no better example of American individualism and rugged outdoorsman than the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt. In this volume we find two of Roosevelt's works on hunting, «Hunting Trips of a Ranchman» and «The Wilderness Hunter», combined into one volume. Roosevelt, who as President would bring some 230 million acres of land under the protection of the National Parks and Forest Services, was a great naturalist and his love of the outdoors is evident in the depictions of these books. Careful attention is devoted to the sport of hunting as these books work as both nature travelogues and practical treatises on how to bag game both big and small. Roosevelt recounts numerous hunts in this volume which will thrill and delight the hunting and nature aficionado alike.
The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Stories (The Best Short Stories of Bret Harte)
Bret Harte (1836-1902) was born in New York but moved to California at a young age, following the death of his father and his mother's remarriage. He is best known for his short stories of the West, but he spent many years as a typesetter, school teacher, editor, and journalist, working for such well known publications as the «Overland Monthly» in San Francisco and «The Atlantic Monthly». As a child he was an avid reader, and took a strong liking to Charles Dickens. Many of Harte's stories and characters later served as models for thousands of Western novels and films. This collection contains the most popular stories of Bret Harte, such as «The Luck of Roaring Camp,» «The Outcasts of Poker Flat,» «M'liss,» and «An Ingénue of the Sierras.» The title story of this book was almost not published because it contained a prostitute character and some profanity, however Harte was adamant in its publication, and as a result, he played a significant part in further realism in American literature.
The Analysis of Mind
A collection of philosophical essays by famed British thinker Bertrand Russell, «The Analysis of Mind» contains the following essays: I. Recent Criticisms of «Consciousness», II. Instinct and Habit, III. Desire and Feeling, IV. Influence of Past History on Present Occurrences in Living Organisms, V. Psychological and Physical Causal Laws, VI. Introspection, VII. The Definition of Perception, VIII. Sensations and Images, IX. Memory, X. Words and Meaning, XI. General Ideas and Thought, XII. Belief, XIII. Truth and Falsehood, XIV. Emotions and Will, and XV. Characteristics of Mental Phenomena.