In the days when hunger could be cultivated and practiced as an art form, the individuals who practiced it were often put on show for all to see. One man who was so devout in his pursuit of hunger pushed against the boundaries set by the circus that housed him and strived to go longer than forty days without food. As interest in his art began to fade, he pushed the boundaries even further. In this short story about one man's plight to prove his worth, Franz Kafka illustrates the themes of self-hatred, dedication, and spiritual yearning.
Anne Beddingfeld is always ready for an adventure. So when she witnesses a man wearing a brown suit die at a tube station in London, she searches for clues and finds a mysterious piece of paper nearby. The message it contains leads her on a confounding chase full of secret aliases and codes as she seeks to solve the case and catch the murderer. Featuring an appearance from Secret Service agent Colonel Race, this story from renowned mystery writer Agatha Christie is a true classic that blends adventure and suspense with the detective story.
Inspired by the big-game hunting safaris that were quite popular among the wealthy class during the 1920s, “The Most Dangerous Game” combines a dangerous plight and a battle of wills between two very experienced hunters with two very different motivations.
When Sanger Rainsford falls off his yacht on his way to the Amazon forest for a hunting expedition, he washes up on a strange Caribbean island only to find that more danger lies ahead. When the owner of a palatial chateau and his henchman tell Rainsford that they are no longer interested in hunting animals and that men are the true test of a hunter, Rainsford goes from being the hunter to the hunted as he struggles to survive in a game of cat and mouse.
No other author made a greater contribution to the literature of Christmas than Charles Dickens. Collected here are twenty-three short works, some on the theme of Christmas, from «A Christmas Dinner» (1835) to «What Christmas Is As We Grow Older» to others that simply explore the function of kindness and goodwill in society, as in one of his last works, «No Thoroughfare» (1867). Read and reread these heartwarming classics every holiday season.
Charles Dickens’ 1835 short work, “A Christmas Dinner”, lovingly describes many of the traditions, foods, games and festivities we still associate with Christmas. This meditation, included in his debut collection “Sketches By Boz” (1836) includes the beginnings of his ideas for “A Christmas Carol”, including a “misanthrope” who doesn’t join in the Christmas spirit, and an empty chair at the family dinner table (Tiny Tim). A holiday classic and a window into the nascent genius of Dickens.
In Charles Dickens' short story Going into Society, a dwarf from the circus wins the lottery, and with it, a large sum of money. Taking two other members of the circus with him, he attempts to set up a business in “Society”, only to discover that society is not all it’s cracked up to be.
Originally published in the 1851 Christmas edition of Dickens' journal Household Words, What Christmas is as We Grow Older is an essay suggesting that Christmas should be a time of gratitude and forgiveness. This version of What Christmas is as We Grow Older is part of Dreamscape's The Christmas Stories of Charles Dickens.
Originally published in the 1853 Christmas edition of Dickens' journal Household Words, The Schoolboy's Story recounts the tale of Old Cheeseman, a schoolboy who becomes the second Latin Master, and his former peers who consider him a traitor for doing it. This version of The Schoolboy's Story is part of Dreamscape's The Christmas Stories of Charles Dickens.
Originally published in the 1852 Christmas edition of Dickens' journal Household Words, The Poor Relation's Story takes place during a Christmas feast, where a poor relation of the host tells the story of his life. This version of The Poor Relation's Story is part of Dreamscape's The Christmas Stories of Charles Dickens.