In this powerful book we enter the world of Jurgis Rudkus, ayoung Lithuanian immigrant who arrives in America fired with dreamsof wealth, freedom, and opportunity. And we discover, with him, theastonishing truth about "packingtown," the busy, flourishing,filthy Chicago stockyards, where new world visions perish in ajungle of human suffering. Upton Sinclair, master of the"muckraking" novel, here explores the workingman's lot at the turnof the century: the backbreaking labor, the injustices of"wage-slavery," the bewildering chaos of urban life. The Jungle, astory so shocking that it launched a government investigation,recreates this startling chapter if our history in unflinchingdetail. Always a vigorous champion on political reform, Sinclair isalso a gripping storyteller, and his 1906 novel stands as one ofthe most important -- and moving -- works in the literature ofsocial change. --This text refers to an alternate Mass MarketPaperback edition.
Flamboyant and controversial, Oscar Wilde was a dazzlingpersonality, a master of wit, and a dramatic genius whose sparklingcomedies contain some of the most brilliant dialogue ever writtenfor the English stage. Here in one volume are his immensely popularnovel, The Picture of Dorian Gray; his last literary work, “TheBallad of Reading Gaol,” a product of his own prison experience;and four complete plays: Lady Windermere’s Fan, his first dramaticsuccess, An Ideal Husband, which pokes fun at conventionalmorality, The Importance of Being Earnest, his finest comedy, andSalomé, a portrait of uncontrollable love originally written inFrench and faithfully translated by Richard Ellmann. Every selection appears in its entirety–a marvelous collection ofoutstanding works by the incomparable Oscar Wilde, who’s been aptlycalled “a lord of language” by Max Beerbohm.
Macbeth is one of Shakespeares greatest tragedies: a drama of crime and punishment, of temptation, guilt, remorse and retribution. The portrayals of Macbeth himself and his wife are memorably persuasive in the rendition of the psychology of ambition,rationalised treachery and eventual disillusionment. Repeatedly the rich and often sinuously complex verse gives general resonance to the particular situation, so that some of the speechesprovide enduring epitomes of states of being which many of us,intermittently, may experience. Inner division, pangs of conscience, the sense of being ambushed by events, and desperatedefiance: they are there; but so too is a vitality of expression and enactment which offsets the plays sombre atmosphere.
At once a romantic history of a mighty river, anautobiographical account of Twain’s early steamboat days, and astorehouse of humorous anecdotes and sketches, here is the rawmaterial from which Mark Twain wrote his finest novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn .
A philosopher and his disciple journey to find "the best of all possible worlds" in this classic work of eighteenth-century satire. 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 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 wo
Robust tales of perilous adventure and animal cunning Includes"Diable: A Dog, An Odyssey of the North, To the Man on the Trail,To Build a Fire, " and "Love of Life" Out of the white wilderness,out of the Far North, Jack London, one of America's most popularauthors, drew the inspiration for the novel and five short storiesincluded here. Swiftly paced and vividly written, they capture themain theme of London's work: man's instinctive reversion toprimitive behavior when pitted against the brute force ofnature.
Translated by Edward Fitzgerald This edition presents the classic free translation by Edward Fitzgerald of the great Persian poem by the 12th century astronomer and poet - Omar Khayy m. Fitzgerald's masterful translation was first published as an anonymous pamphlet in 1859. Its colourful, exotic and remote imagery greatly appealed to the Victorian age's fascination with the Orient, while its luxurious sensual warmth acted as a striking counterpoint to the growth of scientific determinism, industrialisation and the soulless Darwinian doctrine of the survival of the fittest. Greatly praised by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Swinburne, Ruskin and William Morris, the romantic melancholy of the poem anticipates the poetry of Matthew Arnold and Thomas Hardy, while its epicurean motifs link it to the Aesthetic Movement.
The Hound of the Baskervilles is the classic detective chiller. It features the world's greatest detective，Sherlock Holmes，in his most challenging case. The Baskerville family is haunted by a phantom beast with blazing eyes and dripping jaws'which roams the mist-enshrouded moors around the isolated gaskerville Hall on Dartmoor. Now the hound seems to be stalking young Sir Henry，the new master of the Baskerville estate. Is this fiendish spectre the manifestation of the family curse？Or is Sir Henry the victim of a vile and scheming murderer？Only Sherlock Holmes can solve this devilish affair. The Hound of the Baskervilles is introduced by David Stuart Davies，Editor of Sherlock Holmes-The Detective Magazine and several books concerning Sherlock Holmes.
This superb new translation of "Death in Venice" and six otherstories by Thomas Mann is a tour de force, sure to establish itselfas the definitive text for English-speaking readers. The sevenstories in this collection represent the early part of Mann'sliterary career, beginning with work he produced in 1896 at the ageof 21, and culminating in his most celebrated novella, "Death inVenice" (1912). Although Mann continued working until the end ofhis life in 1955, he despaired of ever matching the quality of hisearly writing. In these stories, Mann began to grapple with themesthat were to recur throughout his work. In the first piece, "LittleHerr Friedemann," as in "Death in Venice," a character's carefullystructured way of life is suddenly and unexpectedly threatened bysexual passion. In "Gladius Dei," puritanical intellect clasheswith beauty. In "Tristan," Mann presents an ironic and comicalaccount of tension between an artist and bourgeois society. Allseven of these stories are accomplished and memorable, but
The Winter's Tale was one of the very last plays Shakespeare wrote, a moving romance whose themes are sin, forgiveness, death, rebirth, and the power of Time and Nature to heal all wounds. Based on a novella by Shakespeare's enemy and arch rival Robert Greene, The Winter's Tale introduces Perdita, perhaps the Bard's most richly symbolic character. At times tragic, at times humorous, but always entertaining and instructive, The Winters Tale is a complex and rewarding work by the greatest dramatist of all time.
In these literary triumphs, renowned author Joseph Conrad haswritten two of the most chilling, disturbing, and noteworthy novelsof the 20th century. While "Heart of Darkness" makes a devastatingcomment on humankind's corruptibility and moral depravity, "TheSecret Sharer" boldly explores the dark shadows of the unconsciousmind. These are stories that encapsulate Conrad's literaryachievements, as well as hauntingly portray the dark side of man.Introduction of Joyce Carol Oates. 作者简介： Conrad was born on 12/3/1857, in a part of Russia that had oncebelonged to Poland. His parents were members of the landed gentry,but as ardent Polish patriots they suffered considerably for theirpolitical views. Orphaned at 11, Conrad attended school in Cracowbut concluded that there was no future for him in occupied Poland,and at 16 he left forever. The sea was Conrad's love and career forthe next 20 years; in the British merchant navy, he rose finally tocaptain, sailing to Australia and Borneo and surviving at least on
Masterfully crafted, Treasure Island is a stunning yarn ofpiracy on the fiery tropic seas--an unforgettable tale of treacherythat embroils a host of legendary swashbucklers from honest youngJim Hawkins to sinister, two-timing Israel Hands to evil incarnate,blind Pew. But above all, Treasure Island is a complex study ofgood and evil, as embodied by that hero-villain, Long John Silver;the merry unscrupulous buccaneer-rogue whose greedy lust for goldcannot help but win the heart of every one who ever longed forromance, treasure, and adventure. Since its publication in 1883,Treasure Island has provided an enduring literary model for sucheminent writers as Anthony Hope, Graham Greene, and Jorge LuisBorges. As David Daiches wrote: "Robert Louis Stevenson transformedthe Victorian boys' adventure into a classic of its kind."
The love of a young British woman named Lucy Honeychurch for aBritish expatriate living in Italy is condemned by her stuffy,middle-class guardians, who prefer an eligible man of their ownchoosing. Publisher Comments: This Edwardian social comedy explores love and prim proprietyamong an eccentric cast of characters assembled in an Italianpensione and in a corner of Surrey, England. A charming youngEnglish woman, Lucy Honeychurch, faints into the arms of a fellowBritisher when she witnesses a murder in a Florentine piazza.Attracted to this man, George Emerson--who is entirely unsuitableand whose father just may be a Socialist--Lucy is soon at war withthe snobbery of her class and her own conflicting desires. Back inEngland she is courted by a more acceptable, if stifling, suitor,and soon realizes she must make a startling decision that willdecide the course of her future: she is forced to choose betweenconvention and passion. The enduring delight of this tale ofromantic intrigue is rooted in
Book De*ion Emma, when first published in 1816, was written when Jane Austenwas at the height of her powers. In it, we have her two greatestcomic creations — the eccentric Mr. Woodhouse and thatquintissential bore, Miss Bates. In it, too, we have her mostprofound characterization: the witty, imaginative, self-deludedEmma, a heroine the author declared "no one but myself will muchlike," but who has been much loved by generations of readers.Delightfull funny, full of rich irony, Emma is regarded as one ofJane Austen's finest achievements. Amazon.com Of all Jane Austen's heroines, Emma Woodhouse is the most flawed,the most infuriating, and, in the end, the most endearing. Prideand Prejudice's Lizzie Bennet has more wit and sparkle; CatherineMorland in Northanger Abbey more imagination; and Sense andSensibility's Elinor Dashwood certainly more sense--but Emma islovable precisely because she is so imperfect. Austen onlycompleted six novels in her lifetime, of which five feature youngwomen whose chances for mak
A young Indian mystic, a contemporary of Buddha, sacrificeseverything to search for the true meaning of life.
The beloved sequel to Little Women , this classiccontinues the story of Jo March, who goes on to get married andinherit an estate with which she creates an experimental school forboys.
Prince Edward inadvertently switches places with Tom Canty, a pauper. While both boys are interested in experiencing life in the other's shoes, they are dismayed by the realities of their new lives. Written before The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was finished, this tale contains the elements of social criticism that were later to dominate Twain's writings
The Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb were written to be an‘introduction to the study of Shakespeare’but are much more entertaining than that. All of Shakespeare's best loved plays，comic and tragic，are retold in a clear and robust style，and their literary quality has made them popular and sought-after ever since their first publication in 1807. This edition contains the delightful pen-and-ink drawings of that master of illustration. Arthur Rackham.
The Boynton/Cook editions of four of Shakespeare's most popular plays have been reissued with attractive new cover designs and printed on more opaque, easy-to-read paper. This series is specifically designed for high school classes. Students will be able to see each play as a whole. In their introduction to each of the plays, editors Mack and Boynton suggest ways of approaching the text that allow the reader a broad range of imaginative involvement. Their observations are intended to help students read and experience the play, not to discourage them with critical jargon or peripheral historical information. Students will be reading the best text both in terms of visual excellence and quality of scholarship. They'll immediately appreciate the large page format and highly readable typography. Each volume is consistent with the most authoritative early edition of each play. The glosses are full and clear but don't belabor the obvious or clutter the text. Background information includes the editors' detail
The Wordsworth Classics' Shakespeare Series,with Henty V and The Merchant of Venice as its inaugural volumes,presents a newly-edited sequence of Willian Shakespeare's works.The textual editing takes account of recet scholarship while giving the material a careful reappraisal. Othello has long been recognised as one of the most powerful of Shakespeare's tragedies. This is an intense drama of love. deception, lealousy and destruction.Desdemona's love torOthello the Moor. transcends racial prejudice: but the envious lago conspires to devastate their lives. In its vivid rendering ot racism,sexism, contested identities, and the savagery lurking within civilisation, Othello is arguably the most topical and accessible tragedy from Shakespeare's major phase as a dramatist. Productions on stage and screen regularly renew its power to engross, impress and trouble the imagination.
