They fled to London, seeking safety, and found each other -- Dr. Manette, falsely imprisoned for decades; his daughter, Lucie, whose stunning beauty was matched by her loyalty and grace; and Charles Darnay, who abandoned a royal title he hated to risk being called a traitor in France, a spy in...  more

They fled to London, seeking safety, and found each other -- Dr. Manette, falsely imprisoned for decades; his daughter, Lucie, whose stunning beauty was matched by her loyalty and grace; and Charles Darnay, who abandoned a royal title he hated to risk being called a traitor in France, a spy in England. Together, their love touched the hearts of even stodgy banker Mr. Lorry and cynical, jaded lawyer Sydney Carton... But in Paris, the fires of revolution exploded in uncontrollable fury. The noble goals of freedom fighters became the crazed bloodbath called the Reign of Terror. And when three exiles returned home on an errand of mercy, they were trapped in a nightmare of mock trials and made rage. Once in Paris, nothing could save Darnay, Lucie, or Manette... Except a miracle. This edition of A Tale of Two Cities includes a Foreword, Biographical Note, and Afterword by R.L. Fisher.

"Like so many fond parents I have in my heart of hearts a favourite child," wrote Charles Dickens. "And his name is David Copperfield." Of all of Dickens's novels, David Copperfield most closely reflects the events of his own life. The story of an abandoned waif who...  more

"Like so many fond parents I have in my heart of hearts a favourite child," wrote Charles Dickens. "And his name is David Copperfield." Of all of Dickens's novels, David Copperfield most closely reflects the events of his own life. The story of an abandoned waif who discovers life and love in an indifferent world, this classic tale of childhood is populated with a cast of eccentrics, innocents, and villains who number among the author's greatest creations. "David Copperfield is filled with characters of the most astonishing variety, vividness, and originality," noted Somerset Maugham. "They are not realistic and yet they abound with life. There never were such people as the Micawbers, Pegotty and Barkis, Traddles, Betsey Trotwood and Mr. Dick, Uriah Heep and his mother. They are fantastic inventions of Dickens's exultant imagination, but they have so much vigor, they are so consistent, they are presented with so much conviction, that you believe in them. They are extravagant, but not unreal, and when you have once to know them you can never quite forget them." T. S. Eliot agreed: "Dickens excelled in character; in the creation of characters of greater intensity than human beings." And Virginia Woolf concluded: "In David Copperfield, though charactors swarm and life flows into every creek and cranny, some common feelings -- youth, gaiety, hope -- envelops the tumult, brings the scattered parts together, and invests the most perfect of all the Dickens novels with an atmosphere of beauty."  

The Russian Revolution forms the background to this beautiful but heartbreaking tale of four young people, Yury, Tonya, Lara and Pasha, who find love only to lose it again in tragic circumstances.  This edition features color illustrations, a four page summary document, and Principal...  more

The Russian Revolution forms the background to this beautiful but heartbreaking tale of four young people, Yury, Tonya, Lara and Pasha, who find love only to lose it again in tragic circumstances.  This edition features color illustrations, a four page summary document, and Principal Characters description page.

Charming, willful Emma Woodehouse amuses herself by planning other people's lives. When her interfering backfires, she learns a bitter lesson: well-intentioned busybodies are as resented as those motivated by ill will, and everyone should learn to respect the individuality of others.

Pearl Buck (1892-1973) wrote "THE GOOD EARTH" in three months, based on her observations of Chinese life and culture while she lived in China as the daughter of American missionaries. In the novel, Buck tells the story of a simple, traditional small-farmer, Wang Lung, whose highest...  more

Pearl Buck (1892-1973) wrote "THE GOOD EARTH" in three months, based on her observations of Chinese life and culture while she lived in China as the daughter of American missionaries. In the novel, Buck tells the story of a simple, traditional small-farmer, Wang Lung, whose highest priority is the land he farms himself with his wife, O-lan. Throughout, Wang Lung's family is contrasted to the wealthy and decadent Huangs, whose tie to the precious land has long been cut: they hire outsiders to do their farming and devote themselves to luxury. As the years go by, Wang Lung prospers as the corrupt Huangs decline -- but by novel's end, he has become more like them, and his own children fall into the traps that wealth sets: leisure, opium, and a lack of respect for the good earth. Through Wang Lung and his family, Buck depicts the changes that were taking place in Chinese culture in the early 20th century. One interesting element of the novel is her attitude toward missionaries which, despite her background, is highly critical of their detachment from the people they are there to serve. Another is the description of foot-binding, a torturous practice indulged in mainly by the wealthy. Buck understands its origins and its importance to the Chinese, but it is clear that when O-lan, herself risen from poverty and therefore with unbound feet, decides to bind the feet of her daughter, the family has truly succumbed to the debased values of the wealthy.

Contents are: Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Young Waveney, Mr. Chips Takes A Risk, Mr. Chips Meets A Sinner, Mr. Chips Meets A Star, Merry Christmas, Mr. Chips, plus an afterward titled What Mr. Chips Taught Me by James Hilton.

The orphan, Pip, and the convict, Magwitch, the beautiful Estella, and her guardian, the embittered and vengeful Miss Havisham, the ambitious lawyer, Mr. Jaggers -- all have a part to play in the mystery.

Charlotte Brontë's first novel, published in 1847, was based in part on the author's own days in a brutal boarding school where two of her sisters died of tuberculosis; her characterization of the place in her first published work was an act of revenge. The novel's heroine is a...  more

Charlotte Brontë's first novel, published in 1847, was based in part on the author's own days in a brutal boarding school where two of her sisters died of tuberculosis; her characterization of the place in her first published work was an act of revenge. The novel's heroine is a plain, impoverished, but spirited young governess who not only wins the heart of her employer -- the jaded, Byronic Mr. Rochester -- but manages to defy the social conventions of her time to become a strong and fulfilled adult. Told by Jane herself as she looks back over her life, JANE EYRE became the prototype for the classic Gothic novel set in a wild, windswept location where a naïve heroine must cope with ghosts and the supernatural. It has also inspired countless romance novels and created the bitter, brooding hero who is brought back to life by the goodness and innocence of the woman who loves him. Brontë's tale, however, transcends the genres it inspired. Jane's search for love and for meaning also includes a refusal to accept less than she feels is her due. Brontë sees that quest as a moral one, and a critical exploration of the paradoxes of the English class system and of Victorian gender relations is an integral part of the book. But the main reason for its position as an enduring classic is that JANE EYRE is a stirring and satisfying tale, a page-turner. It was a bestseller in its day and remains popular today -- the quintessential coming-of-age story that still has resonance for young women who are struggling to find the balance between romantic love and personal freedom.

A superstitious schoolmaster, in love with a wealthy farmer's daughter, has a terrifying encounter with a headless horseman. Contains: In addition to title book: The Stout Gentleman; Annette Delarbre; The Hauntedd House; Dolph Heyliger; Rip Van Winkle; The Great Unknown; The...  more

A superstitious schoolmaster, in love with a wealthy farmer's daughter, has a terrifying encounter with a headless horseman. Contains: In addition to title book: The Stout Gentleman; Annette Delarbre; The Hauntedd House; Dolph Heyliger; Rip Van Winkle; The Great Unknown; The Hunting-Dinner; The Adventure of My Uncle; The Adventure Of My Aunt; The Bold Dragoon; The Adventure of the German Student; The Adventure of The Mysterious Picture; The Adventure Of The Myst erious Stranger; The Story of The Young Italian.  

A novel that explores the darkest depths and brightest hopes in the souls of men, Moby-Dick is an impassioned drama of the ultimate human struggle that the Atlantic Monthly called "the greatest of American novels." "Call me Ishmael." No opening sentence in literature is...  more

A novel that explores the darkest depths and brightest hopes in the souls of men, Moby-Dick is an impassioned drama of the ultimate human struggle that the Atlantic Monthly called "the greatest of American novels." "Call me Ishmael." No opening sentence in literature is more famous than this one, and no American novel deserves to be called a masterpiece more than the work it introduces: Moby Dick -- the epic story of Captain Ahab, a  one-legged fanatic whose vengeance toward the white whale that maimed him ignites a mighty clash between good and evil.

Abandoned at an early age, Oliver Twist is forced to live in a dark and dismal London workhouse lorded over by awful Mr. Bumble who cheats the boys of their meager rations! Desperate but determined, Oliver makes his escape. But what he discovers in the harsh streets of London's underworld...  more

Abandoned at an early age, Oliver Twist is forced to live in a dark and dismal London workhouse lorded over by awful Mr. Bumble who cheats the boys of their meager rations! Desperate but determined, Oliver makes his escape. But what he discovers in the harsh streets of London's underworld makes the workhouse look like a picnic. Penniless and alone, he is lured into a world of crime by the wily Fagin -- the nefarious mastermind of a gang of pint-sized pickpockets. Will a life of crime pay off for young Oliver? Or will it earn him a one-way ticket to the gallows?

What's a girl to do? Scatterbrained, social climbing Mrs. Bennet makes one demand of her five daughters. Marry. Marry well. Marry RICH. But sweet Jane is hopelessly in love with Mr. Bingley, who doesn't seem to notice. Flighty Lydia wants a man--any man--preferably one in...  more

What's a girl to do? Scatterbrained, social climbing Mrs. Bennet makes one demand of her five daughters. Marry. Marry well. Marry RICH. But sweet Jane is hopelessly in love with Mr. Bingley, who doesn't seem to notice. Flighty Lydia wants a man--any man--preferably one in uniform. Kitty just wants to have fun. Shy Mary has her nose in a book. And Elizabeth--brilliant, stubborn, independent Lizzy--refuses the advances of the most "marriageable" man in town--haughty, handsome, wealthy Mr. Darcy. Mrs. Bennet's in hysterics, Mr. Bennet's in his study, Lydia's eloped with a soldier and Jane's heart may well be broken. Will any of the Bennet girls find true love and fortune?

This classic novel of the American Civil War evokes the horrors of battle and the psychology of fear as it recounts the experience of a young, untried Union Army volunteer. Henry Fleming longs to prove himself by winning the "red badge beyond all doubt. But when he finally does come under...  more

This classic novel of the American Civil War evokes the horrors of battle and the psychology of fear as it recounts the experience of a young, untried Union Army volunteer. Henry Fleming longs to prove himself by winning the "red badge beyond all doubt. But when he finally does come under fire, he learns the grim truth about war's "glory" and the real meaning of bravery.

Embittered by a false accusation, disappointed in friendship and love, the weaver Silas Marner retreats into a long twilight life alone with his loom. . . and his gold. Silas hoards a treasure that kills his spirit until fate steals it from him and replaces it with a golden-haired founding...  more

Embittered by a false accusation, disappointed in friendship and love, the weaver Silas Marner retreats into a long twilight life alone with his loom. . . and his gold. Silas hoards a treasure that kills his spirit until fate steals it from him and replaces it with a golden-haired founding child. Where she came from, who her parents were, and who really stole the gold are the secrets that permeate this moving tale of guilt and innocence. A moral allegory of the redemptive power of love, it is also a finely drawn picture of early nineteenth-century England in the days when spinning wheels hummed busily in the farmhouses, and of a simple way of life that was soon to disappear.

An American classic, the moving story set in the 1900's, about a young girl's coming of age at the turn of the century, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn follows the lives of 11-year-old Francie Nolan, her younger brother Neely, and their parents, Irish immigrants who have settled in the...  more

An American classic, the moving story set in the 1900's, about a young girl's coming of age at the turn of the century, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn follows the lives of 11-year-old Francie Nolan, her younger brother Neely, and their parents, Irish immigrants who have settled in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. Johnny Nolan is as loving and fanciful as they come, but he is also often drunk and out of work, unable to find his place in the land of opportunity. His wife Katie scrubs floors to put food on the table and clothes on her childrens' backs, instilling in them the values of being practical and planning ahead.  When Johnny dies, leaving Katie pregnant, Francie, smart, pensive and hoping for something better, cannot believe that life can carry on as before. But with her own determination, and that of her mother behind her, Francie is able to move toward the future of her dreams, completing her education and heading oft to college, always carrying the beloved Brooklyn of her childhood in her heart.

It is 1642 in the Puritan town of Boston. Hester Prynne has been found guilty of adultery and has born an illegitimate child. In lieu of being put to death, she is condemned to wear the scarlet letter A on her dress as a reminder of her shameful act. Hester's husband had been lost at sea...  more

It is 1642 in the Puritan town of Boston. Hester Prynne has been found guilty of adultery and has born an illegitimate child. In lieu of being put to death, she is condemned to wear the scarlet letter A on her dress as a reminder of her shameful act. Hester's husband had been lost at sea years earlier and was presumed dead, but now reappears in time to witness Hester's humiliation on the town scaffold. Upon discovering her deed, the vengeful husband becomes obsessed with finding the identity of the man who dishonored his wife. To do so he assumes a false name, pretends to be a physician and forces Hester keep his new identity secret. Meanwhile Hester's lover, the beloved Reverend Dimmesdale, publicly pressures her to name the child's father, while secretly praying that she will not. Hester defiantly protects his identity and reputation, even while faced with losing her daughter, Pearl.

The adventures and pranks of a mischievous boy growing up in a Mississippi River town in the early nineteenth century.

'Cordially hated and dreaded by all the mothers of the town because he was idle, and lawless, vulgar, and bad -- and because all their children admired him so', Huckleberry Finn, the fourteen-year-old son of the town drunkard, joins runaway slave Jim on an exciting journey down the...  more

'Cordially hated and dreaded by all the mothers of the town because he was idle, and lawless, vulgar, and bad -- and because all their children admired him so', Huckleberry Finn, the fourteen-year-old son of the town drunkard, joins runaway slave Jim on an exciting journey down the mighty Mississippi River on a raft.

One of the most popular books ever written about childhood charmingly recounts the homelife of four sisters: literary-minded Jo March; Meg, the older sister who marries a young tutor; fashionable and artistic Amy; and gentle, musically inclined Beth, growing up in 19th century America. Their...  more

One of the most popular books ever written about childhood charmingly recounts the homelife of four sisters: literary-minded Jo March; Meg, the older sister who marries a young tutor; fashionable and artistic Amy; and gentle, musically inclined Beth, growing up in 19th century America. Their happy family life is disturbed when their father leaves for the Civil War and shaken further when mother must leave to nurse their wounded father back to health.

Arguably the most influential novel in American history, and the first to sell a million copies, Uncle Tom's Cabin fanned the embers of the struggle between free states and slave states into the fire of the Civil War -- and is as powerful and relevant today as when it was first...  more

Arguably the most influential novel in American history, and the first to sell a million copies, Uncle Tom's Cabin fanned the embers of the struggle between free states and slave states into the fire of the Civil War -- and is as powerful and relevant today as when it was first published a century and a half ago. Unabridged, with afterword by Alfred Kazin.

Recounts the life and adventures of Robin Hood, who, with his band of followers, lived as an outlaw in Sherwood Forest dedicated to fight against tyranny.

An immediate bestseller when it was first published in December 1843, A Christmas Carol has endured ever since as a perennial Yuletide favorite. Charles Dickens's beloved tale about the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge, who comes to know the meaning of kindness, charity, and goodwill through a haunting...  more

An immediate bestseller when it was first published in December 1843, A Christmas Carol has endured ever since as a perennial Yuletide favorite. Charles Dickens's beloved tale about the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge, who comes to know the meaning of kindness, charity, and goodwill through a haunting Christmas Eve encounter with four ghosts, is a heartwarming celebration of the spirit of Christmas.This Modern Library Paperback Classics edition also includes two other popular Christmas stories by Dickens: The Chimes,in which a man, persuaded by hypocritical cant that the poor deserve their misery, is shown what his pessimistic resignation might lead to in a vision conjured by the pealing of bells, and The Haunted Man, Dickens's last Christmas tale, which features one of his great comic families, the Tetterbys.

Society scion Newland Archer is engaged to May Welland, but his well-ordered life is upset when he meets May's unconventional cousin, the Countess Olenska. At first, Newland becomes a defender of the Countess, whose separation from her abusive husband makes her a social outcast in the...  more

Society scion Newland Archer is engaged to May Welland, but his well-ordered life is upset when he meets May's unconventional cousin, the Countess Olenska. At first, Newland becomes a defender of the Countess, whose separation from her abusive husband makes her a social outcast in the restrictive high society of late-19th Century New York, but he finds in her a companion spirit and they fall in love.

Among the greatest novels of the twentieth century and the basis for director David Lean’s Academy Award-winning film, A Passage to India tells of the clash of cultures in British India after the turn of the century. In exquisite prose, Forster reveals the menace that lurks just beneath...  more

Among the greatest novels of the twentieth century and the basis for director David Lean’s Academy Award-winning film, A Passage to India tells of the clash of cultures in British India after the turn of the century. In exquisite prose, Forster reveals the menace that lurks just beneath the surface of ordinary life, as a common misunderstanding erupts into a devastating affair.

The tale of an Irish boy raised as an Indian in imperial India. It is the story of his coming of age in a world of high adventure, mystic quests, and the "great game" between the British and the Russians for control of Central Asia.

A blow on the head transports a Yankee to 528 A.D. where he proceeds to modernize King Arthur's kingdom by organizing a school system, constructing telephone lines, and inventing the printing press. Branded by Twain's aptitude for broad comedy and biting social satire, the grim...  more

A blow on the head transports a Yankee to 528 A.D. where he proceeds to modernize King Arthur's kingdom by organizing a school system, constructing telephone lines, and inventing the printing press. Branded by Twain's aptitude for broad comedy and biting social satire, the grim truths of Twain's Camelot -- fear, injustice, ignorance -- resound as clearly now as when it was written.

These deluxe Oxford editions offer the exploits of Holmes and Watson the red carpet treatment they truly deserve. Along with the full text, each volume contains a scholarly introduction, illustrations, and other assorted extras. This edition of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes includes a...  more

These deluxe Oxford editions offer the exploits of Holmes and Watson the red carpet treatment they truly deserve. Along with the full text, each volume contains a scholarly introduction, illustrations, and other assorted extras. This edition of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes includes a Foreword, Biographical Note, and Afterword by R. L. Fisher. This classic collection consists of the early mysteries featuring the unflappable Sherlock Holmes and his trustworthy assistant, Dr. Watson.

In 1872, English gentleman Phileas Fogg has many adventures as he tries to win a bet that he can travel around the world in eighty days.

A true classic. A must read. Was required reading for my english lit class.

When her family becomes impoverished after a disastrous financial speculation, Agnes Grey determines to find work as a governess in order to contribute to their meager income and assert her independence. But Agnes' enthusiasm is swiftly extinguished as she struggles first with the...  more

When her family becomes impoverished after a disastrous financial speculation, Agnes Grey determines to find work as a governess in order to contribute to their meager income and assert her independence. But Agnes' enthusiasm is swiftly extinguished as she struggles first with the unmanageable Bloomfield children and then with the painful disdain of the haughty Murray family; the only kindness she receives comes from Mr Weston, the sober young curate. Drawing on her own experience, Anne Bronte's first novel offers a compelling personal perspective on the desperate position of unmarried, educated women for whom becoming a governess was the only respectable career open in Victorian society.

Chronicle of pre-Great War life in the French Foreign Legion. Plot sends Michael "Beau" Geste into the desert to recover a family jewel. His great heroism in an ultimately empty gesture survives as a metaphor to this day.

Australian classics, 2 books in one. World's Best Reading is a hardcover series of classic books published by Readers Digest beginning in 1982. The series is distributed as a mail order membership club. In addition some individual volumes are available for sale directly through the Readers...  more

Australian classics, 2 books in one. World's Best Reading is a hardcover series of classic books published by Readers Digest beginning in 1982. The series is distributed as a mail order membership club. In addition some individual volumes are available for sale directly through the Readers Digest website. The series began with single annual volumes in 1982 and 1983, then expanded to bi-monthly editions for years 1984-1995, and is published approximately every six weeks. The series is still in print. Many of the editions are ornately illustrated and included specially commissioned artwork. Each volume includes a small paper pamphlet with a biography of the author.

One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies.... Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas. In the beloved title story of this handsome collection, a man and woman each long to bring home...  more

One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies.... Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas. In the beloved title story of this handsome collection, a man and woman each long to bring home just the right gift for the other. But with so little money, how can there be hope? The poignant twists and heartwarming conclusion of this perfect plum of a story help explain the lasting appeal of this most American of authors.Writing under the famous pseudonym 0. Henry, William Sydney Porter breathed life into characters, creating moments that touch readers with their sensitivity and humanity. He portrayed lovelorn cowboys and headstrong urbanites with the same authentic touch, using sympathy, irony, and the wit for which he is justly famous.

One of the greatest and most socially significant novels of the twentieth century, Steinbeck's controversial masterpiece indelibly captured America during the Great Depression through the story of one Oklahoma farm family, the Joads. Intensely human yet majestic in its scale and moral...  more

One of the greatest and most socially significant novels of the twentieth century, Steinbeck's controversial masterpiece indelibly captured America during the Great Depression through the story of one Oklahoma farm family, the Joads. Intensely human yet majestic in its scale and moral vision, tragic but ultimately stirring in its insistence on human dignity, The Grapes of Wrath (1939) is not only a landmark American novel, but it is as well an extraordinary moment in the history of our national conscience.

In 19 short stories about Texas and its environs at the turn of the 20th century, O. Henry painted a portrait of life in the Old West. Includes 8 illustrations.

First published in 1905, The House of Mirth shocked the New York society it so deftly chronicles, portraying the moral, social, and economic restraints on a woman who dared to claim the privileges of marriage without assuming the responsibilities. Lily Bart, beautiful, witty, and sophisticated,...  more

First published in 1905, The House of Mirth shocked the New York society it so deftly chronicles, portraying the moral, social, and economic restraints on a woman who dared to claim the privileges of marriage without assuming the responsibilities. Lily Bart, beautiful, witty, and sophisticated, is accepted by "old money" and courted by the growing tribe of nouveaux riches. But as she nears 30, her foothold becomes precarious; a poor girl with expensive tastes, she needs a husband to preserve her social standing and to maintain her life in the luxury she has come to expect. While many have sought her, something?fastidiousness or integrity?prevents her from making a "suitable" match.

This Reader's Digest edition contains the complete text of H. G. Wells's THE INVISIBLE MAN , first published in 1897, and THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU, first published in 1896. A 4-page leaflet is included which give a brief biography of H. G. Wells.

Set in the late 19th century, when South Wales still prospered and coal dust had not blackened the Valley, it portrays an era when whole towns eked a living from dark and dangerous mines - when wives waited fearfully each day for word that their husbands and sons had been trapped in a cave-in. ...  more

Set in the late 19th century, when South Wales still prospered and coal dust had not blackened the Valley, it portrays an era when whole towns eked a living from dark and dangerous mines - when wives waited fearfully each day for word that their husbands and sons had been trapped in a cave-in. Growing up in such a town, one of the youngest in a large family, Huw Morgan tells the story of life with his gently but tyrannical father, his brave and beloved mother, his strong-willed brothers and sisters. Book club edition.

Judah Ben-Hur lives as a rich Jewish prince and merchant in Jerusalem at the beginning of the 1st century. His old friend Messala arrives as commanding officer of the Roman legions. They become bitter enemies. Because of an unfortunate accident, Ben-Hur is sent to slave in the mines while his...  more

Judah Ben-Hur lives as a rich Jewish prince and merchant in Jerusalem at the beginning of the 1st century. His old friend Messala arrives as commanding officer of the Roman legions. They become bitter enemies. Because of an unfortunate accident, Ben-Hur is sent to slave in the mines while his family is sent to leprosy caves. As Messala is dying from being crushed in a chariot race, he reveals where Ben-Hur's family is. On the road to find them, Ben-Hur meets the Christ as he is on the road to Golgotha to be crucified. That day changes Ben-Hur's life forever, for that is the day he becomes a believer.

It was a secret message by an ancient alchemist, found on a crumbling scrap of parchment. And if Saknussemm was right, then every theory about the molten core of the earth is wrong. Professor Otto Lidenbrock has to learn the truth. So Lidenbrock, his nephew Axel, and the Icelandic hunter Hans...  more

It was a secret message by an ancient alchemist, found on a crumbling scrap of parchment. And if Saknussemm was right, then every theory about the molten core of the earth is wrong. Professor Otto Lidenbrock has to learn the truth. So Lidenbrock, his nephew Axel, and the Icelandic hunter Hans climb down the cone of an arctic volcano and into... A realm of awesome mystery, weird beauty -- and deadly peril. Where vast caverns and endless mazes lead to an underground ocean, living fire, and prehistoric monsters. But where any wrong turn, any misstep, can leave the explorers forever trapped in the eternal darkness of a planet-sized tomb... Buried alive at the heart of the world.... This edition of Journey to the Center of the Earth includes a Foreword, Biographical Note, and Afterword by Andre Norton.

Seventeen-year-old David Balfour's villainous uncle has him kidnapped in order to steal his inheritance. David escapes only to fall into the dangerous company of rebels who are resisting British redcoats in the Scottish highlands.   A stolen inheritance and a treacherous...  more

Seventeen-year-old David Balfour's villainous uncle has him kidnapped in order to steal his inheritance. David escapes only to fall into the dangerous company of rebels who are resisting British redcoats in the Scottish highlands.   A stolen inheritance and a treacherous abduction; political intrigue and passionate jealousies; a shipwreck, murders, hairbreadth escapes, and a perilous flight across the Scottish Highlands -- these are but a few of the ingredients blended together with an unmatched cast of characters to produce one of the world's supreme tales of adventure, Kidnapped.  

When his father, a soldier stationed in India, dies suddenly, young Kimball O'Hara is left to fend for himself on the streets of Lahore. A proper English lad, Kim is plunged into an exotic and unfamiliar world of crowded bazaars and noisy markets, gilded temples, sahibs and fakirs, beggars,...  more

When his father, a soldier stationed in India, dies suddenly, young Kimball O'Hara is left to fend for himself on the streets of Lahore. A proper English lad, Kim is plunged into an exotic and unfamiliar world of crowded bazaars and noisy markets, gilded temples, sahibs and fakirs, beggars, whirling dervishes, soldiers, and spies. Forced to live hand-to-mouth, Kim must rely on his cunning and wit to survive. But his life takes a curious twist when he meets a holy man, a lama, who is about to embark on a very mysterious quest: a pilgrimage that will take him across the vast continent, across mighty rivers and up the majestic Himalayas. He wants Kim to accompany him. But where will the journey lead? For Kim, all roads lead to adventure!

Allan Quatermain is a hunter. Lions, elephants, antelope. Fearless, he is the best big-game hunter in South Africa. And he is about to embark on the most dangerous hunt of his career.His new employers, Sir Henry Curtis and Captain john Good, have a map--drawn by a dying Portuguese prospector. It...  more

Allan Quatermain is a hunter. Lions, elephants, antelope. Fearless, he is the best big-game hunter in South Africa. And he is about to embark on the most dangerous hunt of his career.His new employers, Sir Henry Curtis and Captain john Good, have a map--drawn by a dying Portuguese prospector. It reveals a route across the great desert, past a fearsome range of mountain, to the greatest treasure in all Africa--the lost diamond mines of King Solomon himself! Inspired by true adventures, King Solomon's Mines is the unsurpassed classic of a journey into the unknown heart of the Dark Continent.

Pursuit, escape, capture and death in the forest during the French and Indian wars are part of this sweeping tale of gallantry, treachery and friendship. Eight 90-minute cassettes and two 60's.

Set in 1890s New York, Clarence Day's tales of his father, Clarence Day, Sr., portray a willful, rambunctious, short-fused Wall Street broker who demands perfection. Intolerant and tyrannical in his determined battle to harness the world to his way of thinking, Clarence blusters at his...  more

Set in 1890s New York, Clarence Day's tales of his father, Clarence Day, Sr., portray a willful, rambunctious, short-fused Wall Street broker who demands perfection. Intolerant and tyrannical in his determined battle to harness the world to his way of thinking, Clarence blusters at his wife, his cook, his horse, shopkeepers, servants, and, of course, his children and their inability to live up to his preposterous standards. Yet, the more he rants, the more comical he becomes — and the more he seems to endear himself to his beleaguered and bemused family. First published in 1935, and serialized in THE NEW YORKER, Life with Father was adapted for the stage in 1939, brought to the screen in 1947, and went on to become a much-loved television series in the 1950s.

Little Men, a cavalcade of touching insights into the human heart, reveals just why Louisa May Alcott is one of America's all time favorite storytellers. "Please, sir, is this Plumfield?" asks the ragged boy. Thus begins the exciting sequel to Louisa May Alcott's classic family...  more

Little Men, a cavalcade of touching insights into the human heart, reveals just why Louisa May Alcott is one of America's all time favorite storytellers. "Please, sir, is this Plumfield?" asks the ragged boy. Thus begins the exciting sequel to Louisa May Alcott's classic family drama Little Women. The ragged boy is young Nat Blake, a penniless orphan from Boston. And Plumfield Academy is to be his new home -- a magical place of learning in the New England countryside where the lessons last a lifetime. amazon ASID: B0014S5JP8  

LOST HORIZON is the tale of three men and a woman seeking escape from a political upheaval in the Orient. Their airplane crashes high on a Tibetan plateau. They are saved by a party of natives and taken to Shangri-La. Finding themselves prisoners at first, then visitors, they soon become...  more

LOST HORIZON is the tale of three men and a woman seeking escape from a political upheaval in the Orient. Their airplane crashes high on a Tibetan plateau. They are saved by a party of natives and taken to Shangri-La. Finding themselves prisoners at first, then visitors, they soon become willing captives until they discover the secret of that hidden paradise.

Written while Jane Austen was at the height of her narrative powers, Mansfield Park is the story of Fanny Price, a principled heroine caught between two worlds: one "mercenary and ambitious," the other "entirely deficient [in] self-knowledge, generosity and humility." Raised since the age of...  more

Written while Jane Austen was at the height of her narrative powers, Mansfield Park is the story of Fanny Price, a principled heroine caught between two worlds: one "mercenary and ambitious," the other "entirely deficient [in] self-knowledge, generosity and humility." Raised since the age of nine at Mansfield Park, the grand home of her uncle Sir Thomas Bertram and his family, Fanny quietly becomes vital to the happiness of the household. But when she and her four cousins - Tom, Maria, Julia, and Edmund - reach the age of marriage, Fanny is forced to confront the artifice and sincerity of her upbringing as she wards of a serious rival. Although Jane Austen once said it was "not half so entertaining as Pride and Prejudice" Mansfield Park offers ample evidence of the author's astute powers of observation.

The sensational bestselling story of Little Nell, the beautiful child thrown into a shadowy, terrifying world, seems to belong less to the history of the Victorian novel than to folklore, fairy tale, or myth. The sorrows of Nell and her grandfather are offset by Dickens's creation of a dazzling...  more

The sensational bestselling story of Little Nell, the beautiful child thrown into a shadowy, terrifying world, seems to belong less to the history of the Victorian novel than to folklore, fairy tale, or myth. The sorrows of Nell and her grandfather are offset by Dickens's creation of a dazzling contemporary world inhabited by some of his most brilliantly drawn characters-the eloquent ne'er-do-well Dick Swiveller; the hungry maid known as the "Marchioness"; the mannish lawyer Sally Brass; Quilp's brow-beaten mother-in-law; and Quilp himself, the lustful, vengeful dwarf, whose demonic energy makes a vivid counterpoint to Nell's purity.

One of America’s greatest women writers, Willa Cather established her talent and her reputation with this extraordinary novel -- the first of her books set on the Nebraska frontier. A tale of the prairie land encountered by America’s Swedish, Czech, Bohemian, and French immigrants,...  more

One of America’s greatest women writers, Willa Cather established her talent and her reputation with this extraordinary novel -- the first of her books set on the Nebraska frontier. A tale of the prairie land encountered by America’s Swedish, Czech, Bohemian, and French immigrants, as well as a story of how the land challenged them, changed them, and, in some cases, defeated them, Cather’s novel is a uniquely American epic. Alexandra Bergson, a young Swedish immigrant girl who inherits her father’s farm and must transform it from raw prairie into a prosperous enterprise, is the first of Cather’s great heroines -- all of them women of strong will and an even stronger desire to overcome adversity and succeed. But the wild land itself is an equally important character in Cather’s books, and her descriptions of it are so evocative, lush, and moving that they provoked writer Rebecca West to say of her: “The most sensuous of writers, Willa Cather builds her imagined world almost as solidly as our five senses build the universe around us.” Willa Cather, perhaps more than any other American writer, was able to re-create the real drama of the pioneers, capturing for later generations a time, a place, and a spirit that has become part of our national heritage.

Stories include: The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge, The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans, The Adventure of the Devil's Foot, The Adventure of the Red Circle, The Disappearance of the Lady Frances Carfax, The Adventure of the Dying Detective, His Last Bow, The Story of the Man with...  more

Stories include: The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge, The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans, The Adventure of the Devil's Foot, The Adventure of the Red Circle, The Disappearance of the Lady Frances Carfax, The Adventure of the Dying Detective, His Last Bow, The Story of the Man with the Watches, The Story of the Lost Special, The Field Bazaar, How Watson Learned the Trick and the Afterword. Illustrations by David Johnson, Afterword by Phillip A. Schreffler.  

These twelve tales chronicling Holmes's fatal battle of wits with the devilish Professor Moriarty will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Holmes's death in The Final Problem caused such a public outcry that the author was forced to bring the intrepid investigator back to life in...  more

These twelve tales chronicling Holmes's fatal battle of wits with the devilish Professor Moriarty will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Holmes's death in The Final Problem caused such a public outcry that the author was forced to bring the intrepid investigator back to life in The Return of Sherlock Holmes.

"Last Night I Dreamt I Went To Manderley Again." So the second Mrs. Maxim de Winter remembered the chilling events that led her down the turning drive past ther beeches, white and naked, to the isolated gray stone manse on the windswept Cornish coast. With a husband she barely knew,...  more

"Last Night I Dreamt I Went To Manderley Again." So the second Mrs. Maxim de Winter remembered the chilling events that led her down the turning drive past ther beeches, white and naked, to the isolated gray stone manse on the windswept Cornish coast. With a husband she barely knew, the young bride arrived at this immense estate, only to be inexorably drawn into the life of the first Mrs. de Winter, the beautiful Rebecca, dead but never forgotten...her suite of rooms never touched, her clothes ready to be worn, her servant -- the sinister Mrs. Danvers -- still loyal. And as an eerie presentiment of evil tightened around her heart, the second Mrs. de Winter began her search for the real fate of Rebecca...for the secrets of Manderley.

Sherlock Holmes was not the only writing Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) did but Holmes and Dr. Watson are his most remembered characters. Holmes titled himself a "Consulting Detective". His powers of observation, his understanding of crime, and his insights into the criminal mind were...  more

Sherlock Holmes was not the only writing Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) did but Holmes and Dr. Watson are his most remembered characters. Holmes titled himself a "Consulting Detective". His powers of observation, his understanding of crime, and his insights into the criminal mind were brilliant. His knowledge of things not related to crime were extremely limited, except in opera and the violin. Like many other authors famous for a single character, Arthur Conan Doyle attempted to "kill" Holmes. But the readers would not let this happen. Holmes eventually appeared in 56 short stories and 4 novels.

Once long ago, a Roman soldier, Marcellus, was given the cruel task of crucifying an utterly innocent man -- a man the world would never forget. He wins Christ's robe as a gambling prize. He then sets forth on a quest to find the truth about the Nazarene's robe-a quest that reaches...  more

Once long ago, a Roman soldier, Marcellus, was given the cruel task of crucifying an utterly innocent man -- a man the world would never forget. He wins Christ's robe as a gambling prize. He then sets forth on a quest to find the truth about the Nazarene's robe-a quest that reaches to the very roots and heart of Christianity and is set against the vividly limned background of ancient Rome. Here is a timeless story of adventure, faith, and romance, a tale of spiritual longing and ultimate redemption. With unparalleled skill and imagination Lloyd Douglas' masterpiece, the Robe, ponders the fate of that young Roman.  Through the story of Marcellus we experience anew the drama, the danger, and the wonder of the time when Jesus walked the earth.

In his youth Mark Twain drifted through the West. He worked as a civil servant, gold prospector, reporter, lecturer. ROUGHING IT is Twain's record--fact and impression--of those early years. Twain tried his luck at everything. He disputed with vigilantes; crossed Slade the Terrible, whose...  more

In his youth Mark Twain drifted through the West. He worked as a civil servant, gold prospector, reporter, lecturer. ROUGHING IT is Twain's record--fact and impression--of those early years. Twain tried his luck at everything. He disputed with vigilantes; crossed Slade the Terrible, whose equally terrible wife shot not from the hip but from the petticoat; met people famous and obscure, from Brigham Young, the ambitious Mormon leader, to Hank Erickson, a farmer who sought advice on turnips from Horace Greeley and fulminated against him because he could not decipher the answer.

The impoverished Dashwood sisters are at the mercy of the men who may, or may not, marry them. Will Elinor's good sense, or Marianne's impetuous sensibility, lead to the better match? Jane Austen's first published novel is the perfect introduction to her world of English village society and life...  more

The impoverished Dashwood sisters are at the mercy of the men who may, or may not, marry them. Will Elinor's good sense, or Marianne's impetuous sensibility, lead to the better match? Jane Austen's first published novel is the perfect introduction to her world of English village society and life as it must be lived in the early 1800s.

Join Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson on their very first case together! A Study in Scarlet recounts their first meeting, as well as Watson's initial impressions of the Great Detective's unusual traits and habits. The Sherlock Holmes stories have inspired a vast body of literature...  more

Join Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson on their very first case together! A Study in Scarlet recounts their first meeting, as well as Watson's initial impressions of the Great Detective's unusual traits and habits. The Sherlock Holmes stories have inspired a vast body of literature dedicated to the proposition that the Great Detective was not a mere work of fiction, but an actual historical person. Since the 1920s these ?writings about The Writings? have contributed fascinating new insights into the stories, enhancing the pleasure of reading them. The Sherlock Holmes Reference Library, which will eventually number nine volumes, puts the entire history of this ?Higher Criticism? at your fingertips! Each illustrated volume is bursting with scholarly annotations and features a sturdy, smythe-sewn soft cover binding.

"OPEN SESAME!" The magic words open a door in a wild, bramble-covered rock, admitting awestruck Ali Baba to a cavern crammed with precious  brocades, rich carpets, and piles of gold and silver -- the long-accumulated loot of 40 thieves. As Ali Baba, a poor peddler of firewood,...  more

"OPEN SESAME!" The magic words open a door in a wild, bramble-covered rock, admitting awestruck Ali Baba to a cavern crammed with precious  brocades, rich carpets, and piles of gold and silver -- the long-accumulated loot of 40 thieves. As Ali Baba, a poor peddler of firewood, starts to help himself, we hold our breath. Will he be caught and massacred by the returning bandits?  Or will he manage to load sacks of gold on his three waiting asses and get them safely home?  Such cruel suspense is typical of The Arabian Nights, whose dazzling make-believe has thrilled listeners and readers for centuries. Since its debut in the Western world nearly 300 years ago, few books have left so deep an imprint on our imagination as this bouquet of Oriental fairy tales, whose authors and whose beginnings are forever buried in the sands of time. Indeed, our ingrained notions of the mysterious and romantic East stem largely from the pages of this beloved book. With a foreword by Pete Hamill.

One of the greatest underwater sea adventures of all time, "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" is the story of Professor Pierre Aronnax who sets off aboard an American frigate to investigate a series of attacks, which has been reported to be made by an amphibious monster. The...  more

One of the greatest underwater sea adventures of all time, "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" is the story of Professor Pierre Aronnax who sets off aboard an American frigate to investigate a series of attacks, which has been reported to be made by an amphibious monster. The monster in question is actually the submarine vessel the Nautilus, which is commanded by the eccentric Captain Nemo. When the Nautilus destroys the Professor's ship, he is taken prisoner by Captain Nemo along with his trusted servant Conseil and the frigate's harpooner Ned Land. What follows for the three is a tale of great adventure and scientific wonder that will delight readers both young and old.

Title and author embossed with gold leaf. This Side of Paradise is the debut novel of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Published in 1920, and taking its title from a line of the Rupert Brooke poem Tiare Tahiti, the book examines the lives and morality of post-World War I youth. Its protagonist, Amory...  more

Title and author embossed with gold leaf. This Side of Paradise is the debut novel of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Published in 1920, and taking its title from a line of the Rupert Brooke poem Tiare Tahiti, the book examines the lives and morality of post-World War I youth. Its protagonist, Amory Blaine, is an attractive Princeton University student who dabbles in literature and has the book's theme of love warped by greed and status-seeking. This book is written in 2 parts. "Book One: The Romantic Egotist"?the novel centers on Amory Blaine, a young Midwesterner who, convinced that he has an exceptionally promising future, attends boarding school and later Princeton University. He leaves behind in the Midwest his eccentric mother Beatrice and a priest who was a close family friend, Monsignor Darcy. At Princeton he falls in love with Isabelle Borg?, and despite his efforts to court her, he is rejected. "Interlude"?Following their break-up, Amory is shipped overseas, to serve in the army in World War I. Fitzgerald had been in the army himself, but the war ended while he was still stationed on Long Island. Amory's experiences in the war are not described, other than to say later in the book that he was a bayonet instructor. "Book Two: The Education of a Personage"?After the war, Amory Blaine falls in love with a New York debutante named Rosalind Connage. Because he is poor, however, this relationship collapses as well; Rosalind decides to marry a wealthy man instead. A devastated Amory, is further crushed to learn that his mentor Monsignor Darcy has passed away. The book ends with Amory's iconic lament "I know myself, but that is all-"[5]

Tracing an awe-inspiring oceanic route from Boston, around Cape Horn, to the California coast, Two Years Before the Mast is both a riveting story of adventure and the most eloquent, insightful account we have of life at sea in the early nineteenth century. Richard Henry Dana is only nineteen...  more

Tracing an awe-inspiring oceanic route from Boston, around Cape Horn, to the California coast, Two Years Before the Mast is both a riveting story of adventure and the most eloquent, insightful account we have of life at sea in the early nineteenth century. Richard Henry Dana is only nineteen when he abandons the patrician world of Boston and Harvard for an arduous voyage among real sailors, amid genuine danger. The result is an astonishing read, replete with vivid descriptions of storms, whales, and the ship's mad captain, terrible hardship and magical beauty, and fascinating historical detail, including an intriguing portrait of California before the gold rush. As D. H. Lawrence proclaimed, "Dana's small book is a very great book."

Mixing a bit of seventeenth-century French history with a great deal of invention, Alexandre Dumas tells the tale of young D?Artagnan and his musketeer comrades, Porthos, Athos and Aramis. Together they fight to foil the schemes of the brilliant, dangerous Cardinal Richelieu, who pretends to...  more

Mixing a bit of seventeenth-century French history with a great deal of invention, Alexandre Dumas tells the tale of young D?Artagnan and his musketeer comrades, Porthos, Athos and Aramis. Together they fight to foil the schemes of the brilliant, dangerous Cardinal Richelieu, who pretends to support the king while plotting to advance his own power. Bursting with swirling swordplay, swooning romance, and unforgettable figures such as the seductively beautiful but deadly femme fatale, Milady, and D?Artagnan?s equally beautiful love, Madame Bonacieux, The Three Musketeers continues, after a century and a half of continuous publication, to define the genre of swashbuckling romance and historical adventure. "Reader's Digest" gift version in decorative hardback.

Twenty of the traditional tales told by Scheherazade in an attempt to save her life, including The Merchant and the Genie, The Forty Thieves, The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor, and Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp.   Contents: Scheherazade The merchant and the genie The...  more

Twenty of the traditional tales told by Scheherazade in an attempt to save her life, including The Merchant and the Genie, The Forty Thieves, The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor, and Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp.   Contents: Scheherazade The merchant and the genie The first old man The second old man The fisherman The Greek king and the physician The husband and the parrot The vizir who was punished The young king of the Black Isles Ali Baba and the forty thieves Prince Ahmed and the fairy Sinbad the sailor The little hunchback The prince and the princess Aladdin and the wonderful lamp The blind Baba-Abdalla The merchant of Baghdad The enchanted horse The jealous sisters

John Galsworthy's classic tale of a wealthy Victorian family "in full plumage" with its hidden passion and its not so hidden peccadilloes is irresistible to read and achingly true to the very human natures it portrays. At the center of the tale are beautiful Irene Forsyte and her...  more

John Galsworthy's classic tale of a wealthy Victorian family "in full plumage" with its hidden passion and its not so hidden peccadilloes is irresistible to read and achingly true to the very human natures it portrays. At the center of the tale are beautiful Irene Forsyte and her brutishly acquisitive husband, Soames who adores Irene...as a prized possession.

It's time to rediscover the wonderful books we all cherish.Published in 1920, F. Scott Fitzgerald's first novel, This Side of Paradise, became the novel that defined an era and launched his literary career. This is the story of Amory Blaine, "romantic egotist," and his journey from prep school...  more

It's time to rediscover the wonderful books we all cherish.Published in 1920, F. Scott Fitzgerald's first novel, This Side of Paradise, became the novel that defined an era and launched his literary career. This is the story of Amory Blaine, "romantic egotist," and his journey from prep school to Princeton to the First World War. This dazzling chronicle of youth and the Jazz Age remains bitingly relevant decades later.

Thomas HardyTess of the d'UrbervillesEtched against the background of a dying rural society, Tess of the      d'Urbervilles was Thomas Hardy's "bestseller," and Tess Durbeyfield remains his most striking and tragic heroine. Of all the characters he created, she meant the most to him. Hopelessly...  more

Thomas HardyTess of the d'UrbervillesEtched against the background of a dying rural society, Tess of the      d'Urbervilles was Thomas Hardy's "bestseller," and Tess Durbeyfield remains his most striking and tragic heroine. Of all the characters he created, she meant the most to him. Hopelessly torn between two men--Alec d'Urberville, a wealthy, dissolute young man who seduces her in a lonely wood, and Angel Clare, her provincial, moralistic, and unforgiving husband--Tess escapes from her vise of passion through a horrible, desperate act. ------"Like the greatest characters in literature, Tess lives beyond the final pages of the book as a permanent citizen of the imagination," said Irving Howe. "In Tess he stakes everything on his sensuous apprehension of a young woman's life, a girl who is at once a simple milkmaid and an archetype of feminine strength. . . . Tess is that rare creature in literature: goodness made interesting."------Now Tess of the d'Urbervilles has been brought to television in a magnificent new co-production from A&E Network and London Weekend Television. Justine Waddell (Anna Karenina) stars as the tragic heroine, Tess; Oliver Milburn (Chandler & Co.) is Angel Clare; and Jason Flemyng is Alec d'Urberville.

amazon ASIN: B001R5UVX8 Lambert Strether, a middle-aged, yet not broadly-experienced, man from Woollett, Massachusetts, agrees to assume a mission for his wealthy fianc?e: go to Paris and rescue her son, Chad Newsome, from the clutches of a presumably wicked woman. On his journey, Strether...  more

amazon ASIN: B001R5UVX8 Lambert Strether, a middle-aged, yet not broadly-experienced, man from Woollett, Massachusetts, agrees to assume a mission for his wealthy fianc?e: go to Paris and rescue her son, Chad Newsome, from the clutches of a presumably wicked woman. On his journey, Strether stops in England, and there meets Maria Gostrey, an American woman who has lived in Paris for years. Her cynical wit and worldly opinions start to rattle Strether's preconceived view of the situation. In Paris, Strether meets Chad, and is impressed by the much greater sophistication he seems to have gained during his years in Europe. Chad takes him to a garden party, where Strether meets Marie de Vionnet, a lovely woman of impeccable manners, separated from her reportedly unpleasant husband, and Jeanne, her exquisite daughter. Strether is confused as to whether Chad is more attracted to the mother or the daughter. At the same time, Strether, himself, feels an overwhelming attraction to Marie de Vionnet, which he suspects she might requite, and so begins questioning his commitment to return to Woollett and marry Chad's mother, despite his admiration for her. All of these impressions of Parisian culture lead Strether to confide in Little Bilham, a friend of Chad's, that he might have missed the best life has to offer; he starts to delight in the loveliness of Paris, and stops Chad from returning to America. Strether's American traveling companion, Waymarsh, provides thematic counterpoint, by refusing to be seduced by the charms of Europe. Meanwhile, Mrs. Newsome, Strether's fianc?e and Chad's mother, impatiently waiting in America, enlists new "ambassadors" to return forthwith with Chad. The most important of the new ambassadors, Sarah Pocock, Chad's sister, harshly dismisses Strether's impression that Chad has improved, condemns Marie as an indecent woman, and demands that Chad immediately return to the family business in America. To escape his troubles, Strether takes a brief tour of the French countryside, and accidentally encounters Chad and Marie at a rural inn; he then comprehends the full extent of their romance. After returning to Paris, he counsels Chad not to leave Marie; but Strether finds he is now uncomfortable in Europe. In the event, he declines Maria Gostrey's virtual marriage proposal and returns to America.

The sins of one generation are visited upon another in a haunted New England mansion until the arrival of a young woman from the country breathes new air into mouldering lives and rooms. Written shortly after The Scarlet Letter, The House of the Seven Gables re-addresses the theme of human...  more

The sins of one generation are visited upon another in a haunted New England mansion until the arrival of a young woman from the country breathes new air into mouldering lives and rooms. Written shortly after The Scarlet Letter, The House of the Seven Gables re-addresses the theme of human guilt in a style remarkable in both its descriptive virtuosity and its truly modern mix of fantasy and realism.

Allegorical, supernatural and symbolic themes permeate these strange tales. Included are: "Legends of the Province House", "The Grey Champion", "Prophetic Pictures", "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment", "The Ambitious Guest", "Wakefield",...  more

Allegorical, supernatural and symbolic themes permeate these strange tales. Included are: "Legends of the Province House", "The Grey Champion", "Prophetic Pictures", "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment", "The Ambitious Guest", "Wakefield", "The Great Carbuncle", "David Swan", "The May-Pole of Merry Mount" and "The Threefold Destiny". (Four 90's).

Originally published in 1894 & 1898, the Prisoner of Zenda is the history of three months in the life of an English gentleman, then Rupert of Hentzau is the sequel. An original publication of Reader's Digest, both books in one volume.

America meets France meets England in this transporting novel of suspense by the transatlantic master of mysteries of the heart. When American millionaire Christopher Newman travels to Paris to find the perfect bride, he is plunged into a perfect storm of intrigue. His bold pursuit of the woman...  more

America meets France meets England in this transporting novel of suspense by the transatlantic master of mysteries of the heart. When American millionaire Christopher Newman travels to Paris to find the perfect bride, he is plunged into a perfect storm of intrigue. His bold pursuit of the woman he loves is met with icy opposition and fatal secrets.

The story of a half-crazed musician hiding in the labyrinth of the famous Paris Opera House & orchestrating a number of events to further the career of a beautiful young singer has captured the imaginations of filmmakers, musicians, & millions of readers.

It was so cold that his spit froze in the air before it hit the ground. He was so far above the Arctic Circle that the sun never rose. Seventy below zero, and there was nothing but whiteness in every direction: ice and snow. No trees, no houses, no wood, no warmth.He had only a few matches and a...  more

It was so cold that his spit froze in the air before it hit the ground. He was so far above the Arctic Circle that the sun never rose. Seventy below zero, and there was nothing but whiteness in every direction: ice and snow. No trees, no houses, no wood, no warmth.He had only a few matches and a handful of frozen fingers. And yet, to survive, he had to build a fire.... Jack London's tales of adventure were unsurpassed because London was there. From Alaska to the Yukon, from the Klondike to the Arctic tundra, London knew the outlaws and the wolves, the prospectors and the grizzlies. In these collected stories of man against the wilderness, London lays claim to the title of greatest outdoor adventure writer of all time. Contents: To build a fire -- The white silence -- To the man on trail -- The heathen -- Wonder of woman -- All gold canyon -- Koolau the leper -- The pearls of parlay -- Love of life -- Nam-bok the unveracious -- The law of life -- A piece of steak -- The house of pride -- Mauki -- On the makaloa mat -- Lost face -- A relic of the Pliocene -- The Mexican -- The night-born -- The apostate.

Kidnapped form his safe California home. Thrown into a life-and-death struggle on the frozen Arctic wilderness. Half St. Bernard, half shepherd, Buck learns many hard lessons as a sled dog: the lesson of the leash, of the cold, of near-starvation and cruelty. And the greatest lesson he learns...  more

Kidnapped form his safe California home. Thrown into a life-and-death struggle on the frozen Arctic wilderness. Half St. Bernard, half shepherd, Buck learns many hard lessons as a sled dog: the lesson of the leash, of the cold, of near-starvation and cruelty. And the greatest lesson he learns from his last owner, John Thornton: the power of love and loyalty.Yet always, even at the side of the human he loves, Buck feels the pull in his bones, an urge to answer his wolf ancestors as they howl to him.

The Black Arrow: A Tale of Two Roses is set during the Wars of the Roses (1453-1487). These were a series of civil wars between the houses of Lancaster and York who were fighting for the English throne. A fierce war rages between two powerful and bitter rivals:on one side the House of...  more

The Black Arrow: A Tale of Two Roses is set during the Wars of the Roses (1453-1487). These were a series of civil wars between the houses of Lancaster and York who were fighting for the English throne. A fierce war rages between two powerful and bitter rivals:on one side the House of Lancaster; on the other the House of York. The prize? The crown of England! Young Richard Shelton finds himself torn in his loyalties. Should he serve the interests of his villainous master. or throw in his lot with the dashing outlaw Ellis Duckworth and his band known as the Black Arrow? Richard must decide wisely, for his fate -- and the fate of England -- hangs in the balance.... An exciting portrait of England during the War of the Roses, The Black Arrow is a breathless adventure of battle, intrigue, deception, kidnapping, spies, rogues, heroes,and villains.

Shipwrecked during a weekend pleasure cruise, gentleman scholar Humphrey Van Weyden thinks his mysterious rescuers have saved his life. He's wrong. Van Weyden's trapped abroad the Ghost -- a seal-hunting schooner crewed by the most desperate, brutal outcasts of the Pacific....  more

Shipwrecked during a weekend pleasure cruise, gentleman scholar Humphrey Van Weyden thinks his mysterious rescuers have saved his life. He's wrong. Van Weyden's trapped abroad the Ghost -- a seal-hunting schooner crewed by the most desperate, brutal outcasts of the Pacific. Ghost's evil captain, Wolf Larsen -- The Sea-Wolf -- is murderous tyrant who uses his superhuman strength to torture and destroy, his brilliant mind to invent sick games, and his relentless will to control his mutinous crew. Each new day bring Van Weyden pain he'd never imagined. Escape is impossible. On deck flooded with the blood of the seal slaughter, he must battle a savage genius not just for his life -- but for the last tattered shreds of his own soul. With an afterword by John L. Cobbs.

Enter the exotic world of the South Pacific, meet the men and women caught up in the drama of a big war. The young Marine who falls madly in love with a beautiful Tonkinese girl. Nurse Nellie and her French planter, Emile De Becque. The soldiers, sailors, and nurses playing at war and waiting...  more

Enter the exotic world of the South Pacific, meet the men and women caught up in the drama of a big war. The young Marine who falls madly in love with a beautiful Tonkinese girl. Nurse Nellie and her French planter, Emile De Becque. The soldiers, sailors, and nurses playing at war and waiting for love in a tropic paradise. Winner of the 1948 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

Lawyer Atticus Finch defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee's classic, Puliter Prize-winning novel--a black man charged with the rape of a white woman. Through the eyes of Atticus's children, Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with rich humor and unanswering honesty the...  more

Lawyer Atticus Finch defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee's classic, Puliter Prize-winning novel--a black man charged with the rape of a white woman. Through the eyes of Atticus's children, Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with rich humor and unanswering honesty the irrationality of adult attitudes toward race and class in the Deep South of the 1930's.   World's Best Reading

A reprint by the Readers Digest in their The Best Mysteries of All Time Series, of the classic first published in 1905.

Contains these stories: The pit and the pendulum The fall of the House of Usher The murders in the Rue Morgue The oblong box The cask of Amontillado The purloined letter The gold-bug Berenice The premature burial A tale of the ragged mountains William...  more

Contains these stories: The pit and the pendulum The fall of the House of Usher The murders in the Rue Morgue The oblong box The cask of Amontillado The purloined letter The gold-bug Berenice The premature burial A tale of the ragged mountains William Wilson Morella The facts in the case of M. Valdemar Hop-frog The tell-tale heart The imp of the perverse Metzengerstein The black cat The masque of the red death

Stevenson's brooding historical romance demonstrates his most abiding theme -- the elemental struggle between good and evil -- as it unfolds against a hauntingly beautiful Scottish landscape, amid the fierce loyalties and violent enmities that characterized Scottish history. When two...  more

Stevenson's brooding historical romance demonstrates his most abiding theme -- the elemental struggle between good and evil -- as it unfolds against a hauntingly beautiful Scottish landscape, amid the fierce loyalties and violent enmities that characterized Scottish history. When two brothers attempt to split their loyalties between the warring factions of the 1745 Jacobite rising, one family finds itself tragically divided. Stevenson's remarkably vivid characterizations create an acutely moving, psychologically complex work; as Andrea Barrett points out in her Introduction, "The brothers' characters, not the historical facts, shape the drama." This Modern Library Hardcover Classic includes illustrations reproduced from the original edition.

A high-jumping frog named Daniel Webster ... A town so boastfully free of corruption that one visitor decides to test its mettle ... A man who buys a burglar alarm only to have it stolen with his other possessions. Such are the results when a traditional American genre, the tall tale, are put...  more

A high-jumping frog named Daniel Webster ... A town so boastfully free of corruption that one visitor decides to test its mettle ... A man who buys a burglar alarm only to have it stolen with his other possessions. Such are the results when a traditional American genre, the tall tale, are put into the hands of a true American genius, Mark Twain. A collection of 13 stories    The celebrated jumping frog The man that corrupted Hadleyburg A fable The story of the good little boy The story of the bad little boy The £1,000,000 bank note Jim Baker's bluejay yarn A medieval romance The $30,000 bequest The McWilliamses and the burglar alarm Was it heaven? or hell? Extract from Captain Stormfield's visit to heaven A dog's tale Joseph Ciardiello (Illustrator)

This intriguing combination of fantasy thriller and moral allegory depicts the gripping struggle of two opposing personalities -- one essentially good, the other evil -- for the soul of one man. Its tingling suspense and intelligent and sensitive portrayal of man's dual nature reveal...  more

This intriguing combination of fantasy thriller and moral allegory depicts the gripping struggle of two opposing personalities -- one essentially good, the other evil -- for the soul of one man. Its tingling suspense and intelligent and sensitive portrayal of man's dual nature reveal Stevenson as a novelist of great skill and originality. Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde -- The bottle imp -- Markheim -- The beach of Falesa -- Thrawn Janet -- The isle of voices -- Will o' the mill -- The body snatcher -- Providence and the guitar -- The enchantress

Tor Classics are affordably-priced editions designed to attract the young reader. Original dynamic cover art enthusiastically represents the excitement of each story. Appropriate "reader friendly" type sizes have been chosen for each title—offering clear, accurate, and readable text. All...  more

Tor Classics are affordably-priced editions designed to attract the young reader. Original dynamic cover art enthusiastically represents the excitement of each story. Appropriate "reader friendly" type sizes have been chosen for each title—offering clear, accurate, and readable text. All editions are complete and unabridged, and feature Introductions and Afterwords.This edition of Treasure Island includes a Foreword, Biographical Note, and Afterword by Jane Yolen.A mysterious seaman hides at a country inn; cut-throats raid a sleepy English village; suddenly, young Jim Hawkins becomes the owner of a map leading to a lost tropical island and a fortune in stolen gold. Three adventures--Jim, Squire Trelawney, and Dr. Livesey--set out to find the treasure.But they trust the one they should most fear, Long John Silver. Charming, brave ruthless, murderous, Silver fills the squire's ship with pirates. And on the desolate, fever-infested island, the quest for gold becomes a deadly war of hide and seek. Desperate defenders against merciless killers battling over a cursed treasure won with blood, buried with blood, sought with blood. Incredible wealth that Jim and his friends can only claim...If they survive!

Please note: This is a condensed version. Treasure Island was originally published in 1883. On the cover is a picture of a boat by Howard Pyle. Young Jim's encounters with pirated lead to a treasure map, an expedition to a mysterious island with buried treasure. Characters immortal:...  more

Please note: This is a condensed version. Treasure Island was originally published in 1883. On the cover is a picture of a boat by Howard Pyle. Young Jim's encounters with pirated lead to a treasure map, an expedition to a mysterious island with buried treasure. Characters immortal: Long John Silver, Benn Gunn, Captain Smollett, Black Dog, Blind Pew and more.

When the Cathberts adopt an orphan, they aren't prepared for Anne Shirley. But the spunky heroine wins everyone's heart and finds herself a true home at last.

The World's Best Reading Series Twain reflects on the people and places of his childhood, the way things looked and felt in the memorable locales of his growing up and his later return to them in maturity.  

The adventures of a young boy traveling down the Mississippi River with an escaped slave.

Upon its original publication in 1951, this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel was immediately embraced as one of the first serious works of fiction to help readers grapple with the human consequences of World War II. In the intervening half-century, Herman Wouk's boldly dramatic, brilliantly...  more

Upon its original publication in 1951, this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel was immediately embraced as one of the first serious works of fiction to help readers grapple with the human consequences of World War II. In the intervening half-century, Herman Wouk's boldly dramatic, brilliantly entertaining story of life -- and mutiny -- on a Navy warship in the Pacific theater has achieved the status of a modern classic.

In this classic story of the Baxter family of inland Florida and their wild, hard, satisfying life, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings has written one of the great novels of our times. A rich and varied story -- tender in its understanding of boyhood, crowded with the excitement of the backwoods hunt,...  more

In this classic story of the Baxter family of inland Florida and their wild, hard, satisfying life, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings has written one of the great novels of our times. A rich and varied story -- tender in its understanding of boyhood, crowded with the excitement of the backwoods hunt, with vivid descriptions of the primitive, beautiful hammock country, with humor and earthy philosophy -- The Yearling is a novel for readers of all tastes and ages. Its glowing picture of life that is far and refreshingly removed from modern patterns of living becomes universal in its revelation of simple courageous people and the abiding beliefs they live by. 

Copy of the original 1811 book by Jane Austin. This copy is by Reader's Digest 2003.

Owen Wister's powerful story of the silent stranger who rides into the uncivilized West and defeats the forces of evil embodies one of the most enduring themes in American mythology. Set in the vast Wyoming territory, The Virginian (1902) captures both the grandeur and the loneliness of...  more

Owen Wister's powerful story of the silent stranger who rides into the uncivilized West and defeats the forces of evil embodies one of the most enduring themes in American mythology. Set in the vast Wyoming territory, The Virginian (1902) captures both the grandeur and the loneliness of the frontier experience, brilliantly evoking the tension between the romantic freedom of the great, untamed landscape and mankind's deep-seated desire for community and social order. Wister brings to life the honesty and rough justice that ruled the range and the civilizing influence of determined women in frontier settlements that imposed a sense of society on an unruly population. Arthur Ignatius Keller (Illustrator), Charles M. Russell (Illustrator)

377 pages

This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald - Above all, Amory Blaine wants to make a place for himself in the world. Such is the story of This Side of Paradise. At Princeton, Amory set out to determine the ideal characteristics for a man of his era and then to refine those traits in himself. ...  more

This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald - Above all, Amory Blaine wants to make a place for himself in the world. Such is the story of This Side of Paradise. At Princeton, Amory set out to determine the ideal characteristics for a man of his era and then to refine those traits in himself. But war intervenes, and Amory learns that there is more to life than what is taught in the Ivy League.

A collection of tales including The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and other tales.

Classic novel of consuming passions, played out against the lonely moors of northern England, recounts the turbulent and tempestuous love story of Cathy and Heathcliff. A masterpiece of imaginative fiction, the story remains as poignant and compelling today as it was when first published in...  more

Classic novel of consuming passions, played out against the lonely moors of northern England, recounts the turbulent and tempestuous love story of Cathy and Heathcliff. A masterpiece of imaginative fiction, the story remains as poignant and compelling today as it was when first published in 1847. Charlotte Bronte wrote in the preface to her sister Emily's novel that the book was hewn in a wild workshop, with simple tools, out of homely materials. Indeed. What was wrought, however, is "almost beautiful...with its blooming bells and balmy fragrance, [growing] faithfully close to the giant's foot." This is a towering story of the brooding love of Heathcliff for Cathy, a woman he cannot have, and the revenge he takes on the families who stand in his way.    

Inspired by correspondence from Wind in the Willow's author Kenneth Grahame to his young son, award-winning illustrator Michael Foreman took up paint and brush to follow Mole, Ratty, Mr. Badger, and Toad through another edition of this well-loved kids classic. Grahame's time-honored...  more

Inspired by correspondence from Wind in the Willow's author Kenneth Grahame to his young son, award-winning illustrator Michael Foreman took up paint and brush to follow Mole, Ratty, Mr. Badger, and Toad through another edition of this well-loved kids classic. Grahame's time-honored story, an adventure-filled idyll that meanders across a lovingly described English countryside, cemented its status as a masterpiece generations ago. But this newest edition adds some noteworthy extras: the unabridged text includes two chapters that don't appear in some modern versions ("The Pipers at the Gates of Dawn" and "Wayfarers All"). The lively, full-color illustrations by Paul Cox appear generously throughout the book, as they convincingly capture both the story's small moments (like the washerwoman's weeping, for one) and more explosive events (like the storming of Toad Hall). (All ages)

The Island of Dr. Moreau is about a mad doctor that creates human like creatures that have animal characteristics. The house of pain. " Are we not men"? A unwelcome stranded visitor has to survive on the island with the dangerous inhuman brutes. The Invisible Man is an Albino...  more

The Island of Dr. Moreau is about a mad doctor that creates human like creatures that have animal characteristics. The house of pain. " Are we not men"? A unwelcome stranded visitor has to survive on the island with the dangerous inhuman brutes. The Invisible Man is an Albino inventor/scientist that gains invisibility but is an outcast. He becomes a rampaging madman killer that is hunted down and killed.  

Sometime in the late nineteenth century, Jonathan Harker, a young English lawyer, is traveling to the Castle Dracula, which is located in Transylvania, in order to finalize a transfer of real estate in England to Count Dracula.

Three Men In A Boat is a comic novel written by Jerome K. Jerome. Published in 1889, it is a humorous account of a boating holiday on the Thames between Kingston and Oxford. Despite being nearly 130 years old, its humor still holds up quite well to anyone with a preference for dry, British...  more

Three Men In A Boat is a comic novel written by Jerome K. Jerome. Published in 1889, it is a humorous account of a boating holiday on the Thames between Kingston and Oxford. Despite being nearly 130 years old, its humor still holds up quite well to anyone with a preference for dry, British wit. The three men are based on Jerome himself (the narrator J.) and two real-life friends, George Wingrave (who went on to become a senior manager in Barclays Bank) and Carl Hentschel (the founder of a London printing business, called Harris in the book), with whom Jerome often took boating trips. The dog, Montmorency, is entirely fictional, but "as Jerome admits, developed out of that area of inner consciousness which, in all Englishmen, contains an element of the dog." The trip is a typical boating holiday of the time in a Thames camping skiff. This is just after commercial boat traffic on the Upper Thames had died out, replaced by the 1880s craze for boating as a leisure activity. Three Men On The Bummel is the sequel written after the success of the first book. Conceived as a fairly serious guide to amateur boating on the Thames in 1889, Jerome K. Jerome's best-known novel ended up as a hilarious account of the misadventures of three friends and a dog as they attempt to relax and enjoy themselves amid unreliable weather forecasts, imaginary illnesses, repellent cooking, and an unopenable can of pineapple chunks.Three Men in a Boat was a terrific success for its author, and a surprisingly accurate portrayal of the age. George, Harris, and J., the narrator, were entertaining representatives of the new middle class, seeking to escape the dreary world of offices and desks during weekend trips out into the countryside. Jerome's heroes proved so popular that he brought them back for an equally picaresque bicycle tour of Germany, an adventure recorded in Three Men on the Bummel. The new Introduction by Jeremy Lewis describes the social context of the two books and the remarkable life of their author.