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Women in Love - The Original Classic Edition

Women in Love must be just about the most emotionally intense book you will ever read. D.H. Lawrence conjures his four main characters in what feels like the heat of a closed-room kiln. The writing is beautiful and amazingly perceptive, but is at times stultifyingly over-analytical. Yet, despite the books combined length, density and decided lack of plot, Women in Love is surprisingly readable. What makes this book so good is the honesty with which Lawrence imbues his two title characters, Ursula and Gudrun Brangwen, and their two chosen lovers, Birkin and Gerald. It can be frustrating to read page after page of the mental thrashings of an individual minds search for truth and authenticity in life and in love, but it can also be a kind of revelation. These characters think differently about the world around them than you do, and we each think differently about the world than you who are reading this do. And yet we are all basically the same on a certain transcendent level. We are all human and we all long for an authentic connection with the world around us. We are different and we are the same. Thats why living in this world isnt always easy, and thats why its always worthwhile. This book beautifully and even entertainingly captures those basic struggles for human connection and if for that reason alone, its well worth reading. Highly recommended.

Nicholas Nickleby - The Original Classic Edition

Dickens Charles

One of the most entertaining novels ever. This Dickens book is up there with Great Expectations and David Copperfield as one of his most enjoyable novels. The social axe that Dickens had to grind in this story is mans injustice to children. Modern readers my feel that his depiction of Dotheboys Academy is too melodramatic. Alas, unfortunately, it was all too real. Charles Dickens helped create a world where we cant believe that such things happen. Dickens even tells us in an introduction that several Yorkshire schoolmasters were sure that Wackford Squeers was based on them and threatened legal action. The plot of Nicholas Nickleby is a miracle of invention. It is nothing more than a series of adventures, in which Nicholas tries to make his way in the world, separate himself from his evil uncle, and try to provide for his mother and sister. There are no unintersting characters in Dickens. Each one is almost a charicature. This book contains some of his funniest characters. To say this is a melodrama is not an insult. This is melodrama at its best. Its a long book, but a fast read.

Le Mort d'Arthur - The Original Classic Edition

Malory Sir

LE MORTRE DARTHUR (The Death of Arthur) was written by Sir Thomas Malory while he was imprisoned for some number of years. It was one of the very first times that the Arthurian legend was penned in English. There were some older Latin fragments of the myth floating around, but its thru Malorys account by which we know the stories most thoroughly. The most successful movie adaptation of the legend, EXCALIBUR, is based on elements taken from Malorys epic. This is an ABSOLUTE must-read for all persons who have even a remote interest in the Arthurian fantasy. The book contains all of the most famous characters and episodes from the legend. Within these pages, one will encounter Arthur, Gwynevere, Sir Launcelot, Sir Galahad, Sir Modred, Sir Bors, Sir Percivale, Merlin and all the rest. The purity of Galahad is contrasted with the sinful nature and temporary madness of Launcelot. The memorable allegory of Sir Percivales duel with Satan, as well as so many other knightly adventures, are all recorded for us here. This book is highly recommended to all fans of medieval times, medieval literature, the history of Great Britain and the idea of Chivalry. The codes of honor, the rules of fair play and the heroic ideals conceived by the knights of the middle-ages have followed us down thru the centuries and are still as relevant to the best of us today as they were 500-1500 years ago. The story ends with one of the most memorable Latin phrases in literary history: HIC IACET ARTHURUS, REX QUONDAM REXQUE FUTURUS [Here lies King Arthur, the once and future King] Now for the details, open up the book!

Flatland: a romance of many dimensions - The Original Classic Edition

Abbott Edwin

Flatland is a unique and brilliant treatise on a trifurcated level. It is a sociological statement, a mathematical statement and a religious statement all rolled into an incredibly astute number of pages. The book centers mostly on the differences between a two dimensional world and a three dimensional world; but comments on society, law, prejudice, religion, and proselytizing. The book especially points out the difficulty in envisioning a greater reality and a greater vision than is commonly observed by any individual in any dimension or society. The authors premise relates to things existing in a plane geometry world as opposed to a Euclidian Geometric three dimensional figure universe. The book carefully illustrates to one denizen of Flatland how the three dimensional world of space works and/or exists. Upon finally understanding the Gospel of Three Dimensions our protagonist goes on to try and apply the same arithmetic logic and geometric analogs to a fourth dimensional universe. Shouldnt there exist a fourth dimensional universe that allows an entity to look down upon the three dimensional universe with as much transparency as one can from three dimensions to two? Alas, things become different in dimensions other than the first, a world of lines, the second, a world of shapes and the third, a world of objects. In the zero dimension, all things are a point. Mathematically we know that any number raised to the 0 power equals 1 and therefore, all things in the zero dimension resolve into one single omnipotent point. This condition would also exist in the fourth dimension; as those of us in the third dimension have no model to compare it to. Envisioning a fourth dimension, even with time as the fourth dimension is truly difficult or impossible for us in the third dimension. Interspersed with this witty and intellectual dialogue are comments on society and its structure. He specifically comments multiple times of the degradation of women in society to the lowest social status. Only men are educated in Flatland. Interestingly, he paints a picture of an authoritarian society in which people are judged by their shapes and angles. This reflecting the Victorian societal values around him at the time of his writing. Flatland is recommended to all those who seek to enlighten their view of the universe and of potential universes. It is especially recommended to those seeking higher knowledge of any type. Flatland is truly a multi-dimensional experience and worth every minute.

Just So Stories - The Original Classic Edition

Kipling Rudyard

Kiplings JUST SO STORIES certainly rank in English-speaking childrens literature right along with A. A. Milnes WINNIE THE POOH and Kenneth Grahames WIND IN THE WILLOWS. They are fun to read to children 4-8, and even MORE fun for them to read for themselves at ages 7-11 (theyre marvelous vocabulary builders –the mariner of infinite resource and sagacity). My English-raised mother heard the stories when they were new and read them to me when I was a child, I read them to my own children, they read them to theirs, and I believe that same cycle has been repeated among millions of families since the stories appeared at the beginning of the 20th century. Rudyard Kipling was the first English writer to win the Nobel Prize (not the Pulitzer) for literature, in 1907. He was staunchly pro-Empire in an era in which Great Britain not only ruled the waves, but a third of the globe – the sun never set, it was said, on the British Empire, of which he sang in hundreds of poems and short stories and novels which also deserve reading today. But imperial/colonialist notes are hard to hear in the JUST SO STORIES, which Kipling wrote for the amusement of a young niece. The stories are meant for FUN, and all children deserve to have some. Get this book; read it yourself if you havent already – and then read it to the youngsters for whom Kipling intended it.

The Anatomy of Melancholy - The Original Classic Edition

Burton Robert

Absolutely the Best Book Ever Written…Bar None First of all, one has a very difficult problem in defining exactly what this compendium is. Is it a book, a poem, a history, an epic? Well, it is all of those and many more. The Anatomy of Melancholy is, without a doubt, the best book ever written, bar none. It was compliled from all the books of the 17th century and is not really about melancholy, per se. It is, rather, Robert Burtons view of mankind and mankinds condition. All mankind. And all conditions. It is about melancholia, sure, but it is about everything else as well. Melancholia was just Burtons excuse to write about everything under the sun in a strikingly original way and then have the nerve to remind us that there is nothing new under the sun. This is a book filled with both endless quotes and endless quotable material and, to the surprise of many, it is a comic masterpiece. Perhaps the comic masterpiece. Burton chose to publish this book as having been written by Democritus Junior, and if that doesnt give you a hint regarding the humor that follows, then not much will. If you like good literature, youll love this book. If you like psychology, youll love this book. If you want to seem pretentious, you need this book. Mostly, however, this is a book for people who love words. Burton may have seemed like a raving madman to some, but he was a man obsessed with a love for the English language…and it shows. The Anatomy of Melancholy wasnt meant to be read from the first page to the last; I have never met anyone who did that and one would have to be more than a little mad to even try. Just pick up the book. Open it to any page. You may find lists, digressions, bits of 17th century prose, quotes, much Latin. Whatever you find, it is sure to please if you only give it half a chance. The Anatomy of Melancholy is definitely the desert island book. Dont go without. That would be a terrible mistake. Be warned: this dense and brilliant book is extremely addicting. Once you start leafing through the pages and writing down your favorite passages, youll find you never want to be without the book. And, as youll come to see, that wont be such a bad thing at all.

The Satyricon ? Complete - The Original Classic Edition

Arbiter Petronius

Petroniuss Satyricon is, loosely defined, the story of Encolpiuss odyssey through the Mediterranean world of the first century AD. Encolpius is a freeman and a scholar, whose distaste for popular culture, and disrespect for other peoples privacy leads him into a strange, twisted, sexually disorienting series of misadventures. The action of the plot commences when Encolpius stumbles upon a secret ritual performed by followers of Priapus, the Roman god of lust. In the context of other ancient novels, I think it is extremely important to note that the god who spurs the heros wanderings is not Eros, the god of love, but Priapus, a perhaps degenerate form of Eros. Rendered impotent by the angry god, Encolpius begins experiencing external complications as well. Encolpiuss lover, the boy Giton, and his best friend Ascyltus get into repeated quarrels over Gitons preference of partner: Encolpius or Ascyltus. For a mere boy, Giton is presented throughout the Satyricon as its most shrewd and interesting character. He lurks on the peripheries of the main action, yet the reader can clearly perceive his manipulative actions, as he takes the side in any argument or dispute of the party most likely to win, switching camps at a moments notice. In the dissolute moral background of Roman imperial society, Giton is shown to be the best at doing as the Romans do. As a curse-born eunuch, Encolpius roams about with Giton and the bombastic, and epically terrible poet Eumolpus, trying to restore himself to full masculinity. Along the way, Petronius presents us with a range of different critiques. The most impressive of these episodic satires is the oft-cited chapter five, Dinner with Trimalchio. In it, we see a largesse, a gluttony, whose perversions are so outlandish, that we join with Ascyltus in laughing at it, while we secretly revel in its unquestionable splendor. The excesses of this chapter can be seen as a model for the Satyricon itself: conversations begin and end on a whim; like Trimalchio, Petronius as author can be clearly felt in guiding the course of events. Trimalchios restroom breaks are like those times in the narrative where Petronius himself seems to take breaks from the actual plot, as in Eumolpuss extended and inane epic poem on the Roman civil war. In any event, with all its literary styles, parodic forms, and its stubborn refusal to be simply categorized, the Satyricon, even fragmentary as it is, is a fabulous text. This book is still lively and engaging English for a 21st century crowd.

The Beautiful and Damned - The Original Classic Edition

Fitzgerald F

It is seven thirty on an August evening. The windows in the living room of the gray house are wide open patiently exchanging the tainted inner atmosphere of liquor and smoke for the fresh drowsiness of the late hot dusk. There are dying flower scents upon the air, so thin, so fragile, as to hint already of a summer laid away in time. This is the story of a young couple Anthony and Gloria Patch living out their days to the hilt in New York City as they await the death of Anthonys grandfather, Adam Patch from whom they expect to inherit his massive fortune. Gloria is a spoilt child from Kansas City turned into a sophisticated and most beautiful woman. Gloria does not intend to lift a finger to do any domestic work in the home, no matter how slight; while Anthony who considers himself an aesthete, finds it quite hard to get his act together and instead of buckling down to some work, prefers instead to hang with his wife and their friends on nightly binges. They drink and eat in the classiest restaurants and hotels, rent the most expensive apartments, travel out to the West in the spring time driving plush cars, wearing top-of-the-line clothing and just generally living it up high on the hog, as they wait. Meet Maury Noble who is Anthony best friend who spends his time between New York and Philadelphia; Richard Caramel who has just completed writing a book and looking for new ideas for a second one. Joseph Bloeckman from Munich who started out small in America and is now a big shot in Show Biz. Also the quiet Jewess Rachael Barnes and Muriel Kane who is young, flirtatious and sometimes a bit too talkative and Tana the Japanese housekeeper of the Patches. We are shown the Patches at their very best as the novel starts, with the world at their feet and loaded with cash with which they make very expensive choices. But, as we get further in, we see things begin to change gradually and we realize that those very choices will be their very downfall. The book is quite a good read but it can be very heartbreaking at times as we put ourselves into the shoes of the main characters. All lovers of F. Scott Fitzgerald should read this book if you havent done so already, and those of you who like reading about the ultra rich in the Roaring Twenties this one is for you. It is the kind of book that you feel you will want to read again. It is that good and you will miss it once you turned the final page.

Vanity Fair - The Original Classic Edition

Thackeray William

Greed, gold-digging and deception sit at the heart of Vanity Fair. Its no joke that its subtitled a novel without a hero – William Makepeace Thackeray mercilessly skewered the pretentions and flaws of the upper class all throughout it. The result is a gloriously witty social satire. It opens with two young women departing from a ladies academy: dull, sweet Amelia (rich) and fiery sharp-witted Rebecca (poor). Becky Sharp is a relentless social climber, and her first effort to rise above her station is by trying to get Amelias brother to marry her – an effort thwarted by Amelias fiancee. So instead she gets married to another familys second son, Rawdon Crawley. Unfortunately, both young couples quickly get disinherited and George is killed. But Becky is determined to live the good life she has worked and married for – she obtains jewels and money from admiring gentlemen, disrupting her marriage. But a little thing like a tarnished reputation isnt enough to keep Becky down… Vanity Fair is actually a lot more complex than that, with dozens of little subplots and complicated character relationships. Reading it a few times is necessary to really absorb all of it, since it is not just a look at the two women in the middle of the book, but at the upper (and sometimes lower) social strata of the nineteenth century. The main flaw of the book is perhaps that it sprawls too much – theres always a lot of stuff going on, not to mention a huge cast of characters, and Thackeray sometimes drops the ball when it comes to the supporting characters and their little plots. It takes a lot of patience to absorb all of this. However… its worth it. Like most nineteenth-century writers, Thackeray had a very dense, formal writing style – but once you get used to it, his writing becomes insanely funny. Witticisms and quips litter the pages, even if you dont pick them all up at once. At first Thackeray seems incredibly cynical (Beckys little schemes almost always pay off), but taken as a social satire, its easier to understand why he was so cynical about the society of the time. Becky Sharp is the quintessential anti-heroine – shes very greedy and cold, yet shes also so smart and determined that its hard not to have a grudging liking for her. Certainly life hasnt been fair for her. Next to Becky, a goody-goody character like Amelia is pretty boring, and even the unsubtle George cant measure up to Becky. To sum up Vanity Fair: think a period soap opera with a heavy dose of social commentary. In other words, it doesnt get much better than this, Thackerays masterpiece.

Myths and Legends of China - The Original Classic Edition

Werner E

Historical and informative, this book offers an exploratory look at china through the examination of its myths and legends. Western myths and legends are juxtaposed with the eastern myths and legends which you will find entertaining. This is an educational book which will keep your interest the whole read. The author is a an old school orientalist, writing in the days when the Chinese Empire still had an emperor and was thoroughly infilitrated by colonial powers (fyi, thats before WWII). You can tell he has a genuine love for Chinese culture and people even when he is moralizing about the failures of their society at the time. In any event, the depth and breadth of the compilation of myths and tales is excellent, as is the historical context that the author provides.