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First serialized in Blackwood’s Magazine in 1899, “Heart of Darkness” is the story of steamboat captain Charlie Marlow’s voyage into the primitive interior of the Congo of Africa. As a manager of a Belgian ivory company, Marlow travels up the Congo River to meet Kurtz, an agent of the ivory company. Deep in the interior of Africa Marlow finds Kurtz living among the savage natives who revere him as a God. While neither a critical nor financial success during Conrad’s lifetime, “Heart of Darkness” has since become Conrad’s most famous work, one of the most analyzed works in the history of literature. In “Heart of Darkness”, the Polish born Conrad has crafted an intense psychological drama that deals with the very nature of good and evil. Sharp contrast is drawn by Conrad between the “civilized” world of continental Europe and the “uncivilized” world of the interior of Africa, in a mysteriously ambiguous narrative that presents the reader with an inquisitive commentary of the evil savagery that lies at the heart of human existence. This edition includes the following additional shorter works: “An Outpost of Progress,” “Youth,” “The Nigger of the ‘Narcissus’,” “Amy Foster,” “Falk: A Reminiscence,” “Typhoon,” “The End of the Tether,” “The Duel,” “The Secret Sharer,” and “The Shadow-Line.”
The Jungle Book (Illustrated by John L. Kipling, William H. Drake, and Paul Frenzeny)
First published serially between 1893 and 1894, “The Jungle Book” is Rudyard Kipling’s classic collection of jungle tales in which we first meet Mowgli, a child lost in the jungles of India and raised by a pack of wolves. To survive in the jungle Mowgli most learn from the animals to abide by the laws of the jungle. A cast of interesting creatures surround Mowgli, including Baloo the bear and Bagheera the black panther, who help the young man to survive, and the tiger Shere Khan, who is envious of Mowgli and wishes his demise. Also contained in this collection are the stories of Kotick, a white seal in search of a new home for his tribe were they will not be hunted, and Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, a mongoose who defends an Indian family against a pair of cobras. Several other tales of the jungle grace this collection which is interspersed with beautiful poetry relating to the stories. One of the most popular collections of short stories for children ever written, “The Jungle Book” was inspired by Kipling’s own experiences as a youth in India, where he would spend many of his formative years. This edition includes illustrations by John L. Kipling, William H. Drake, and Paul Frenzeny.
The Prince (Translated by Ninian Hill Thomson with an Introduction by Henry Cust)
Originally published in 1532, nearly five years after the author’s death, “The Prince” is a pioneering work of modern political philosophy for which Niccolo Machiavelli is best remembered. Intended to be a treatise on ruling for princes, “The Prince” is one of the world’s first and most impactful works of political science. In the book Machiavelli offers many bits of practical advice on how to rule and even though the book was written in the early 16th century the ideas are still very relevant today. Where “The Prince” differs from other political literature is in its separation of the lofty idealism of morality and ethics from the practical demands of governing. It is this very aspect of Machiavelli’s work that has made his name synonymous with an almost immoral opportunism. It has been argued that Machiavelli himself was not quite as devious in reality as his work would suggest but that he takes up this style in his work in order to present a provocative treatise that recognizes the pragmatic demands of governance. The impact on Western civilization of Machiavelli’s work cannot be overstated, and in “The Prince” we find a concise exposition of his political philosophy. This edition follows the translation of Ninian Hill Thomson, includes an introduction by Henry Cust, and a biographical afterword.
Peter Pan
First composed as a play in 1904 and subsequently as a novel in 1911, James Matthew Barrie’s “Peter Pan” is one of the greatest fantasy tales ever written. Inspired by Barrie’s friendship with the Llewelyn Davies family, the story concerns its titular character, Peter Pan, a boy who refuses to grow up. The book opens with Peter’s nighttime visits to the house of Mrs. Mary Darling, who entertains her children with bedtime stories that Peter eavesdrops on. When he is spotted one evening Peter loses his shadow trying to escape. Later he returns to retrieve it and his identity is finally revealed to Wendy Darling. Peter invites Wendy, along with her brothers John and Michael, to return to his island home of Neverland. There Peter welcomes Wendy into his underground home where she assumes a mothering role to his gang of lost boys. A series of adventures ensue for Peter, his lost boys, and the Darling children. They travel to the Mermaids’ Lagoon to rescue the princess Tiger Lily and have their first battle with the evil Captain Hook and his pirates. Later Peter must rescue John, Michael, and Wendy when they are captured by Captain Hook. A captivating tale of fantasy and adventure “Peter Pan” has delighted audiences and readers ever since its first appearance. This edition includes a biographical afterword.
The Three Theban Plays: Antigone, Oedipus the King, and Oedipus at Colonus (Translated by Francis Storr with Introductions by Richard C. Jebb)
Sophocles, along with Aeschylus and Euripides, is considered one of three important ancient Greek tragedians. 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. In this edition are included the three “Theban” plays, which are widely considered his most important works. This collection of dramas includes “Antigone” the story of its title character, a strong heroine whose complete commitment to familial duty brings her to challenge the will of her king; “Oedipus the King,” the legend of Oedipus who is exiled as an infant by his royal father because of a prophesy of patricide and incest; and “Oedipus at Colonus,” a drama which finds Oedipus at the end of his life caught between the warring kings of Athens and Thebes who each desire that Oedipus’s final resting place be in their respective lands. These tragedies are some of the finest examples from classical antiquity and their influence on the development of modern drama cannot be overstated. This edition follows the translations of Francis Storr, includes introductions by R. C. Jebb, and a biographical afterword.
The Selected Stories of O. Henry
O. Henry, the pen name of William Sydney Porter, is known for his short stories with surprise endings. In this collection you will find the following beloved O. Henry stories: “The Plutonian Fire”, “The Princess and the Puma”, “By Courier”, “The Gift of the Magi”, “The Love-Philtre of Ikey Schoenstein”, “Mammon and the Archer”, “The Memento”, “Springtime À La Carte”, “The Last Leaf”, “The Skylight Room”, “The Caliph, Cupid and the Clock”, “The Count And The Wedding Guest”, “The Romance of a Busy Broker”, “The Higher Pragmatism”, “While the Auto Waits”, “The Social Triangle”, “After Twenty Years”, “The Green Door”, “A Lickpenny Lover”, “Lost on Dress Parade”, “Transients in Arcadia”, “Brickdust Row”, “The Furnished Room”, “Schools And Schools”, “The Defeat of the City”, “Madame Bo-Peep, of the Ranches”, “From Each According to his Ability”, “The Cabellero’s Way”, “Hygeia at the Solito”, “The Higher Abdication”, “A Double-Dyed Deceiver”, “Friends in San Rosario”, “The Hiding of Black Bill”, “Jeff Peters as a Personal Magnet”, “The Man Higher Up”, “The Handbook of Hymen”, “Telemachus, Friend”, “The Lonesome Road”, “A Retrieved Reformation”, “The Renaissance at Charleroi”, “The Thing’s the Play”, “Tobin’s Palm”, “A Newspaper Story”, “Proof of the Pudding”, and “Confessions Of A Humorist”. This edition includes a biographical afterword.
My Inventions and Other Writings
“My Inventions” is a candid and illuminating autobiography of Nikola Tesla, one of the most important technological innovators of the modern industrial age. Famous for the radio, robotics, and wireless energy, Tesla quickly gained international notoriety for his pioneering inventions as much for his eccentric life. Perhaps no one in his day more thoroughly embodied the archetype of the “mad scientist”. This firsthand account reveals the fascinating interior life of a genius. In it we see a prodigious man musing over the Tesla coil, magnifying transmitter, transformer, and the rotating magnetic field. Written by the brilliant inventor himself, “My Inventions” is a fascinating window into the principles and practices of Tesla’s singular world. Tesla’s public rivalry with Thomas Edison, with whom he worked early on, fueled his celebrity. Here we witness the art and science behind the conception, execution, and reception of Tesla’s most famous inventions. Also included in this collection are the writings “Tesla Would Pour Lightning from Airships to Consume Foe”, “The Action of the Eye”, and “The Problem of Increasing Human Energy”.
Bleak House (with an Introduction by Edwin Percy Whipple)
Widely considered as one of Dickens most superb and complete novels, “Bleak House” contains a more vastly complex and engaging array of characters and sub-plots than any of Dickens’s novels. As is commonplace in his works, Dickens satirically criticizes the social inequities of his time turning his attacks in this instance to the judicial system of 19th century England. At the center of the novel is the story of John Jarndyce who is tied up in a long-running litigation concerning an estate to which his wards Richard Carstone and Ada Clare are the beneficiaries. A series of events take the vast array of comic and tragic characters from the slums of London to the mansions of noblemen, involving some in treachery and others in discovery. Dickens blends the perfect balance of comedy and social satire in a story that contains mystery, tragedy, murder, redemption, and enduring love. This edition includes an introduction by Edwin Percy Whipple and a biographical afterword.
Essays and Poems by Ralph Waldo Emerson (with an Introduction by Stuart P. Sherman)
During the 1800s in America, the rise of industrialization reduced the cost of goods allowing people to have more possessions than ever before. However, a group known as the Transcendentalists believed that possessions created vanity. Instead, they valued the individual’s relationship with divinity. One of the movement’s most famous members, Ralph Waldo Emerson, wrote prolifically about his beliefs and experiences. A representative selection of his writings is presented here in this volume of the “Essays and Poems by Ralph Waldo Emerson.” In the first essay, “Nature,” Emerson publicly acknowledges the transcendental lifestyle. He describes how that which is man-made detracts from the beauty of the real world. Through nature, Emerson believed people could find spirituality and wholeness. Emerson also explored the American political spectrum in his essay “Politics.” The author believed that, through individual growth and wisdom, it would be possible for Americans to abolish government and rule autonomously. Until that point, though, the State needed to protect the individuals’ rights. Readers can explore Emerson’s philosophy and poetry in this collection which includes twenty-four of his most important essays and fifteen of his poems. This edition includes an introduction by Stuart P. Sherman and a biographical afterword.
Oedipus Rex (Oedipus the King) [Translated by E. H. Plumptre with an Introduction by John Williams White]
The second Theban play written by Sophocles, “Oedipus Rex,” or “Oedipus the King,” is the drama which chronologically begins the Oedipus cycle. After Laius, King of Thebes, learns from an oracle that he is doomed to perish by the hand of his own son, he binds the feet of his newborn child and orders his wife Jocasta to kill the infant. Unable to kill her own child, Jocasta entrusts a servant with the task instead, who takes the baby to a mountaintop to die of exposure. A passing shepherd rescues the baby and names it Oedipus, or “swollen feet”, taking it with him to Corinth where it is raised by the childless King Polybus as if it were his own. When Oedipus hears a rumor that he is not the biological son of Polybus, he seeks the counsel of the Oracle of Delphi who relates to him the prophecy of patricide. Still believing that Polybus is his father he flees Corinth thus initiating a series of events that would fulfill that which the oracle has prophesied. “Oedipus Rex,” along with its Theban counterparts, “Oedipus at Colonus,” and “Antigone,” established Sophocles as one of the most renowned dramatists of his era. This edition follows the translation of E. H. Plumptre and includes an introduction by John William White.