ENDURING LITERATURE ILLUMINATED BY PRACTICAL SCHOLARSHIP Alexandre Dumas's thrilling adventure of one man's quest for freedom and vengeance on those who betrayed him. EACH ENRICHED CLASSIC EDITION INCLUDES: * A concise introduction that gives readers important background information * A chronology of the author's life and work * A timeline of significant events that provides the book's historical context * An outline of key themes and plot points to help readers form their own interpretations * Detailed explanatory notes * Critical analysis, including contemporary and modern perspectives on the work * Discussion questions to promote lively classroom and book group interaction * A list of recommended related books and films to broaden the reader's experience Enriched Classics offer readers affordable editions of great works of literature enhanced by helpful notes and insightful commentary. The scholarship provided in Enriched Classics enables readers to appreciate, understand, and enjoy the world's finest

Wuthering Heights is a wild, passionate story of the intense and almost demonic love between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, a foundling adopted by Catherine's father. After Mr Earnshaw's death, Heathcliff is bullied and humiliated by Catherine's brother Hindley and wrongly believing that his love for Catherine is not reciprocated, leaves Wuthering Heights, only to return years later as a wealthy and polished man. He proceeds to exact a terrible revenge for his former miseries. The action of the story is chaotic and unremittingly violent, but the accomplished handling of a complex structure, the evocative de*ions of the lonely moorland setting and the poetic grandeur of vision combine to make this unique novel a masterpiece of English literature.

M.R.James is probably the finest ghost-story writer England has ever produced.These tales are not only classics of their genre but are also superb examples of beautifully-paced understatement convincing background and chilling terror. As well as the preface there is a fascinating tail-piece by M.R.James Stories i Have Tried to Write which accompanies these thirty tales Among them are Casting the Runes Oh Whistle and lII come to you My Lad The Tractate Middoth the Ash Tree and Canon Alberics Scrapbook.

Edited, introduced and annotated by Cedric Watts, Research Professor of English, University of Sussex. In the hope of saving her brother's life, should a woman submit to rape? Should the law be respected when its administrator is corrupt? How powerful in the state should religion become? Although Measure for Measure ends like a comedy, with reconciliations, forgiveness and marriages, it has often been regarded as one of Shakespeare's problem plays. The drama shows the difficulty of effecting an appropriate balance between judicial severity and mercy, between sexual repression and decadence, and between political vigilance and social manipulation. These problems remain topical, and, in Measure for Measure, they are given immediacy by vivid character-conflicts and memorably intense poetry. This is one of Shakespeare's most probing and powerful works. Measure for Measure is the fouteenth volume in the new Wordsworth Classics'Shakespear Series.

With Selected excerpts from The Notebooks for Crime and Punishment Introduction and Notes by Dr Keith Carabine, University of Kent at Canterbury Crime and Punishment is one of the greatest and most readable novels ever written. From the beginning we are locked into the frenzied consciousness of Raskolnikov who, against his better instincts, is inexorably drawn to commit a brutal double murder. From that moment on, we share his conflicting feelings of self-loathing and pride, of contempt for and need of others, and of terrible despair and hope of redemption: and, in a remarkable transformation of the detective novel, we follow his agonised efforts to probe and confront both his own motives for, and the consequences of, his crime. The result is a tragic novel built out of a series of supremely dramatic scenes that illuminate the eternal conflicts at the heart of human existence: most especially our desire for self-expression and self-fulfilment, as against the constraints of morality and human

Gray, the Scottish author of the novels Lanark and the Whitbread-winning Poor Things, among others, returns to the form he first visited in Unlikely Stories, Mostly with a collection filled with wry and mordant humor. In these 13 stories, Gray dances across many of the discontents of modern life, but lingers at the divides of gender and age. Set mainly in Glasgow during the present day, the tales

ENDURING LITERATURE ILLUMINATED BY PRACTICAL SCHOLARSHIP Hawthorne's classic treatise on morality,judgment,and exile in Puritan America. EACH ENRICHED CLASSIC EDITION INCLUDES: A concise introduction that gives readers important background information A chronology of the author's life and work A timeline of significant events that provides the book's historical context An outline of key themes and plot points to help readers form their own interpretations Detailed explanatory notes Critical analysis, including contemporary and modern perspectives on the work Discussion questions to promote lively classroom and book group interaction A list of recommended related books and films to broaden the reader's experience Enriched Classics offer readers affordable editions of great works of literature enhanced by helpful notes and insightful commentary. The scholarship provided in Enriched Classics enables readers to appreciate, understand, and enjoy the worl

The Wordsworth Classics’ Shakespeare Series Presents a newly-editde sequence of William Shakespeare’s works。The textual editing takes account of recent scholarship while guving the material a careful reappraisal。 The Tempest is the most lyrical，profound and fascinating of Shakespeare’s late comedies。 Prospero，long exiled from Italy with his daughter Miranda，seeks to use his magical powers to defeat his former enemies。 Eventually，having proved merciful，he divests himself of that magic，his ’art’，and prepares to return to the mainland。 The Tempest has often been regarded as Shakespeare’s ’farewell to the stage’ before his retirement。 In the past，critics emphasised the romantically beautiful features of The Tempest，Seeing it as an imaginative fantasia。In recent decades，howeverm，The Tempest has also been treated as a potently political drama which offers controversial insights into colonialism and racism。Frdquently staged and diversely filmde，the pla

Kon-Tiki is the record of an astonishing adventure -- a journey of 4,300 nautical miles across the Pacific Ocean by raft. Intrigued by Polynesian folklore, biologist Thor Heyerdahl suspected that the South Sea Islands had been settled by an ancient race from thousands of miles to the east, led by a mythical hero, Kon-Tiki. He decided to prove his theory by duplicating the legendary voyage. On April 28, 1947, Heyerdahl and five other adventurers sailed from Peru on a balsa log raft. After three months on the open sea, encountering raging storms, whales, and sharks, they sighted land -- the Polynesian island of Puka Puka. Translated into sixty-five languages, Kon-Tiki is a classic, inspiring tale of daring and courage -- a magnificent saga of men against the sea. Washington Square Press' Enriched Classics present the great works of world literature enhanced for the contemporary reader. This edition of Kon-Tiki has been prepared by an editorial committee headed by Harry Shefter, professor of English

Despite the opulence of the evening's banquet, Libertus is keen to return to his wife and a warm bed. But this feast has a finale to put any diner off his dessert—the guest of honor is found dead in the vomitorium. To Libertus's horror, his patron Marcus Septimus is arrested on suspicion of murder. Then when Libertus is accused of being Marcus's accomplice, he is forced to go on the run. Hiding in a dark corner of the city, he quickly realizes he's an unwelcome visitor to those who haunt the shadows. Soon Libertus is in danger, and this time there's no one to help.

Grade 5-8-Skillfully read by Claire Higgins, Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet will hold listeners spellbound as they become involved in the feud between the Capulets and the Montagues and in Romeo and Juliet's plight of love. Higgins' reading is very natural, and her voice is exceedingly pleasant to listen to. The cassette includes a plot summary, an introduction to Shakespeare by Leon Garfield, as well as supplementary information about Shakespeare and his writings by Dr. Rex Gibson, all read by Simon Russell Beale. This additional information is very worthwhile and will increase the listener's understanding of Shakespeare and why he continues to be important in literature. Peter Hutchins arranged the period background music. The technical qualities are excellent, and the teaching objectives are met. This program is appropriate for individual or group listening, and the additional information will provide an excellent springboard for discussion. A superior acquisition for both public and school libraries with

‘Young women who have no economic or political power must attend to the serious business of contriving material security', lane Austen's sardonic humour lays bare the stratagems, the hypocrisy and the poignancy inherent in the struggles of two very different sisters to achieve respectability. Sense and Sensibility is a delightful comedy of manners in which the sisters Elinor and Marianne represent these two qualities. Elinor's character is one of Augustan detachment, while Marianne, a fervent disciple of the Romantic Age, learns to curb her passionate nature in the interests of survival. This book, the first of Austen's novels to be published,remains as fresh a cautionary tale today as it ever was.

Transplanted to Europe from her native America,Isabel Archer has candour, beauty, intelligence, an independent spirit and a marked enthusiasm for life. An unexpected inheritance apparently gives her freedom, but despite all her natural advantages she makes one disastrous error of judgement and the result is genuinely tragic. Her tale, told with James' inimitable poise, is of the widest relevance. The phase when his (Henry James') genius functioned with the freest and fullest vitality is represented by The Portrait of a Lady'.

Wilkie Collins is a master of mystery, and The Woman in White is his first excursion into the genre. When the hero, Walter Hartright, on a moonlit night in north London, encounters a solitary, terrified and beautiful woman dressed in white, he feels impelled to solve the mystery of her distress. The intricate plot is peopled with a finely characterised cast, from the peevish invalid Mr Fairlie to the corpulent villain Count Fosco and the enigmatic woman herself.

Two decades have passed since George Lucas riveted audiences all over the world with the intergalactic epic Star Wars, the first in the celebrated trilogy that went on to become the most popular sci-fi saga of all time. Now, the Lucasfilm creative team is back with Attack of the Clones, the second movie in the prequel series. And Chronicle Books has captured the newest story in the pages of our mighty big little book. Attack of the Clones follows the story of the beautiful Senator Padme Amidala and the passionate and powerful young Jedi Anakin Skywalker, whose impulsive nature leads him astray. With enough action, romance, exotic locales, and epic battles to satisfy every Star Wars fan, this Mighty Chronicles edition faithfully captures Lucas's newest legend with 150 two-color illustrations and an adaptation of the *. Mighty Chronicles keep the Star Wars adventure alive long after the credits roll.

One day，Ralph Helfer，a celeberated animal behaviorist，received a surprising phone call. His close friends had found a young lion，near death by the Zambezi River in Zambia and had rescued him and brought him back to the States. Ralph had often spoken of wanting to raise a lion from a young age - he had been developing a philosophy of training animals based on love instead of fear，which he termed “affection training.” Weeks later，Zamba，then a two-month-old cub，arrived. As Helfer peeked into Zamba's box，he saw a small lion cub tilt his head，wait a single beat，then amble right into his arms. Hugging Helfer's nech with his soft paws，Zamba collapsed on his chest，got comfortable，and fell asleep，their faces touching. They didn't move for the next two hours. Zamba was home. For the next eighteen years，Zamba would appear in many motion pictures，on the television，and in the pages of magazines，but more important，a bond developed between Helfer and Zamba that became the most

Charlotte Bronte was a natural story-teller with a gift for creating memorable characters and for evoking atmosphere. The novel is set among the cloth mills of the author's native Yorkshire and she succeeds brilliantly in creating the full drama of the latter part of the Napoleonic Wars when labour-saving machinery was smashed by desperate, unemployed workers. Rich in historical detail, Shirley is a human as well as a social novel with a perpetual relevance in its exploration of humanity's efforts to reconcile personal and economic aspirations with social justice and harmony.

The epic tale of Odysseus' extraordinary ten-year voyage home after the Trojan War. This Enriched Classic Edition includes: A concise introduction that gives readers important background information A timeline of significant events that provides the book's historical context An outline of key themes and plot points to help readers form their own interpretations Detailed explanatory notes Critical analysis and modern perspectives on the work Discussion questions to promote lively classroom and book group interaction A list of recommended related books and films to broaden the reader's experience Enriched Classics offer readers affordable editions of great works of literature enhanced by helpful notes and insightful commentary. The scholarship provided in Enriched Classics enables readers to appreciate, understand, and enjoy the world's finest books to their full potential. Series edited by Cynthia Brantley Johnson

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Generally regarded as the pre-eminent work of Conrads shorter fiction. Heart of Darkness is a chilling tale of horror which, as the author intended. is capable of many interpretations. Set in the Congo during the period of rapid colonial expansion in the nineteenth century, the story deals with the highly disturbing effects of economic.social and political exploitation on European and African societies and the cataclysrnic behaviour this induced in some individuals. The other two stories in this book-Youth and The End of the Tether - concern the sea and those who sail upon it, a genre in which Conrad reigns supreme.

It's that time again time to indulge in a spot of jealousy, betrayal and late-night bar-hopping. Also, the moment of truth has finally arrived. Everyone's back from a week of apres-ski hot tub fun in Sun Valley, and cream-coloured envelopes from the Ivy League are beginning to drop all over Fifth Avenue doorsteps. The question is: are the envelopes thick or thin? Has Nate's devotion to his misbehaving heiress dimmed his chances of getting into Brown? Is Blair too busy daydreaming in Eric's old pinstriped Oxfords to remember her real mission in life - Yale? Hopefully Serena can snap her newest-and-oldest best friend out of it. That is, if Serena hasn't already become too much of a vapid, celery-eating supermodel to even care. But we know that Serena is made of sterner stuff don't we?

The wild rush of action in this classic frontier adventure story has made The Last of the Mohicans the most popular of James Fenimore Cooper’s Leatherstocking Tales. Deep in the forests of upper New York State, the brave woodsman Hawkeye (Natty Bumppo) and his loyal Mohican friends Chingachgook and Uncas become embroiled in the bloody battles of the French and Indian War. The abduction of the beautiful Munro sisters by hostile savages, the treachery of the renegade brave Magua, the ambush of innocent settlers, and the thrilling events that lead to the final tragic confrontation between rival war parties create an unforgettable, spine-tingling picture of life on the frontier. And as the idyllic wilderness gives way to the forces of civilization, the novel presents a moving portrayal of a vanishing race and the end of its way of life in the great American forests.

Anton Chekhov is widely regarded as one of the greatest writers of short stories. He constructs stories where action and drarna are irnplied rather than described openly, and which leave much to the reader's imagination. This collection contains sorne of the most important of his earliest and shortest cornic sketches, as well as examples of his great, mature works. Throughout, the doctor-turned-writer displays cornpassion for human suffering and misfortune, but is always able to see the comical, even farcical aspects of the hunlan condition. Chekhov sees and depicts life with unwavering honesty and truthfulness, although a clear moral sense can be detected beneath his apparent objectivity.

Treasure Island:Since its Publication in 1883,generations have enjoyed this captivating tale of young Jim Hawkins and Long John Silver,the Pirate rogue.This adventure of all adventures embodies the Search for romance and exciement ofr which every heart yearns