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First published in 1850, "The Scarlet Letter" is the work that would establish Nathaniel Hawthorne's literary legacy. It is the story of Hester Prynne, a young attractive woman who has been convicted of the crime of adultery and has been sentenced to wear a scarlet letter "A" sewn to her dress. As the result of the affair, Hester has a child named Pearl and because the man with whom she has committed this act refuses to come forward she finds herself having to raise the child alone. The novel, which is set in middle 17th century Boston, is a vivid picture of the archaic social beliefs and customs that were indicative of early colonial American life. It is a time when extreme puritanical beliefs ruled everyday life, in which adultery was not only considered immoral but a crime. Hawthorne's narrative is an exploration of the nature of sin, guilt, and the way in which society tries to police morality through the rule of law. A haunting portrait of days long past, "The Scarlet Letter" is a brilliant portrayal of life in Puritanical America. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

Widely believed to be her masterpiece, Elizabeth Gaskell's "Wives and Daughters" was originally published serially in "Cornhill Magazine" between August 1864 and January 1866. The work, which was nearly finished at the time of Gaskell's death in 1865, was completed by Frederick Greenwood. The novel's heroine is Molly Gibson, the only daughter of a widowed country doctor in a small town in England. Molly, lonely and motherless, is befriended by the Hamley family, who are landed gentry and therefore above Molly's station, as the daughter of a professional. After returning home to her father, Molly finds that he has remarried. While her new stepmother is petty and greedy, in sharp contrast to Molly's warmth, kindness and innocence, Molly finds a friend and confidant in her new stepsister Cynthia. "Wives and Daughters", a classic 19th century romantic novel that follows the daily lives and romantic entanglements of Molly, Cynthia, and their family and friends; is an insightful examination of the constraints imposed by society between individuals of professional versus aristocratic social classes. In turns both heartbreaking and comic, Gaskell's novel will linger with readers long past the final page. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper and includes an introduction by Adolphus W. Ward.

First published in 1915, "The Good Soldier" is Ford Madox Ford's tragic tale of the relationship between two couples. The first couple is English, Captain Edward Ashburnham, the good soldier referenced in the title, and his wife Leonora. The two at first have a seemingly perfect marriage but over the course of the novel is revealed that a constant series of infidelities by Edward has driven Leonora to attempt to exert increasing control over Edward's affairs, placing great strain on their relationship. The second couple is American, John and Florence Dowell, who have been living abroad in Europe for quite some time. John, a wealthy American Quaker, is held romantically at a distance from his wife Florence, who feigns a heart condition so that she may carry on an affairs of her own. What ensues is a tragic series of events which is described by John as the "saddest story ever told". Often cited as one of the greatest novels ever written, "The Good Soldier" presents the epitome of the unreliable narrator in John Dowell, leaving the reader wondering whether or not he is an innocent victim or a master of manipulation seeking to evoke the sympathy of his audience. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

The first short story collection by F. Scott Fitzgerald, “Flappers and Philosophers” was originally published in 1920. The eight stories of the collection are set in the era for which the author is best known, the Jazz Age, a term Fitzgerald himself coined. While perhaps best known for his novels, Fitzgerald was a prolific and accomplished short story writer and found the most fame and fortune during his career in writing short stories for magazines, such as the Saturday Evening Post. Included in this collection are some of his most famous and romantic short stories, such as “The Offshore Pirate” and “Head and Shoulders,” which mirror many of the themes in his novels: mismatched lovers, the sacrifice of career goals for love, and bittersweet endings. Fitzgerald’s versatility and range as an author can be seen in the melancholy and tragic examination of a long marriage in “The Cut-Glass Bowl” when compared to the tale of youthful competition and revenge in “Bernice Bobs Her Hair.” These short stories demonstrate why Fitzgerald is considered one of America’s very best authors. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

First published in 1855, "My Bondage and My Freedom" is the second of three autobiographies written by the former slave and famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass. In this work, Douglass focuses his narrative on his transition from slavery to freedom, as well as examining the state of race relations and the politics of slavery leading up to the American Civil War. Written nearly ten years after his emancipation in 1846, Douglass reflects on his journey from a newly freed slave from Maryland, where he toiled away in harsh and violent conditions, to a free man in Massachusetts, where he encountered a new form of oppression and bondage. Douglass examines the social implications of the various forms of slavery that the black man was subjected to in 19th century America and how he himself broke those bonds to become a prominent speaker and influential figure in the fight for freedom and civil rights, a success he credited to his faith and literacy. In the pages of this deeply personal and inspiring work we find the voice that made Frederick Douglass one of the nation's most prominent figures in the American anti-slavery movement as well as an intimate portrait of his life. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper and includes an introduction by James McCune Smith.

Charles Dickens's first novel, "The Pickwick Papers" was originally published in serial form between March 1836 and October 1837. Drawing on Dickens's experience as a journalist and reporter in London and the surrounding countryside, the novel is a series of loosely related comical adventures of the members of the Pickwick Club, founded by the novel's main character, Mr. Samuel Pickwick. Mr. Pickwick is a wealthy and bored old gentleman who suggests that he and the club members, Tracy Tupman, Augustus Snodgrass, and Nathaniel Winkle, venture outside London and report on their experiences to each other. From encounters with highwaymen, a duel, romantic escapades, and a brief stay in Fleet Prison, these wild and hilarious adventures form the basis of the novel's plot. "The Pickwick Papers" gained immense popularity and became one of the first publishing successes of the pre-Victorian era when the character of Sam Weller was introduced in Chapter Ten. Sam is hired on as Mr. Pickwick's valet and his wise Cockney observations and advice stand in contrast to the naïve and unworldly Mr. Pickwick. Through its numerous well-loved characters and settings, the novel affords the reader a fascinating and entertaining glimpse into 19th century England. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper and includes an introduction by Edwin Percy Whipple.

First published serially between 1864 and 1865, "Our Mutual Friend" is the last novel completed by Charles Dickens. The death of a wealthy miser, who is estranged from all except his trusted employees, Nicodemus and Henrietta Boffin, brings his son John Harmon back to London in order to claim his inheritance. The patrimony carries with it one condition, that he marries a woman he has never met, Miss Bella Wilfer. When a body is found floating in the Thames, it is presumed to be John, and the inheritance instead passes to the Boffins. The kind-hearted working class Boffins take into their household the disappointed bride to be Miss Wilfer and treat her as their own daughter, pampering her with their newfound wealth. They also accept the generous offer of John Rokesmith to attend to their financial affairs for free. Rokesmith, who also goes by the alias of Julius Handford, is in fact the heir John Harmon, presumed to be dead. Dickens's novel is a thematically rich one, addressing the struggle of man between societal expectations and the desire to follow one's heart. Rich with a symbolism of rebirth, "Our Mutual Friend" brilliantly dramatizes the impact that wealth plays upon society. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper and includes an introduction by Edwin Percy Whipple.

Though only Dickens' third novel, "Nicholas Nickleby" is a well-crafted and significant precursor to his other great works. The tale follows the fortunes of a young man, the son of an imprudent gentleman who leaves his family without resources. Fiercely devoted to his mother and sisters, as well as his true friends, Nicholas is occasionally emotional and even violent, yet always idealistic. He seeks the aid of his villainous uncle, Ralph Nickleby, who comes to hate his nephew and wishes him serious harm. Nicholas attempts more than once to achieve gainful employment, being first disgusted by the abuse of the schoolmaster Squeers, later surprised by the acting and antics of Vincent Crummles, and finally assisted by the merchant Cheeryble brothers. Dickens employs a cast of characters, both good and unsavory, in this adventurous story of Nicholas Nickleby, who helps those in need, despises wickedness, grows in self-awareness, and eventually falls in love, in a plot that is by turns melodramatic and comedic. An uplifting tale full of poignant indictments on Victorian society, "Nicholas Nickleby" has all the best characteristics of Dickens' other classics. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper and includes an introduction by Edwin Percy Whipple.

A classic and thrilling tale of espionage and murder, Joseph Conrad's "The Secret Agent" was first published in 1907. Set in London in 1886, the novel centers around Mr. Adolf Verloc, a spy who owns a small shop and lives with his wife Winnie, her mother and her mentally disabled brother Stevie, above his business. He is also a member of a largely ineffectual anarchist group, whom he meets with regularly to discuss politics and produce anarchist literature. Unknown to his fellow anarchists, Verloc is secretly working for the Embassy of an unnamed country as an "agent provocateur." Verloc is told by his government contact that he and his associates are to bomb the Greenwich Observatory in London in order to make the British see anarchism as a greater threat and work more actively to suppress it. In scenes alternating between both before and after the bombing, the novel follows the police investigation of the bombing and the family drama unfolding in Verloc's own home, as Stevie's inadvertent involvement in the bombing comes to light. Considered to be one of Conrad's best works, as well as a prescient study of modern terrorism, it is also a searing and tragic story of family love and loyalty. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

First published in 1904, "Nostromo" is widely considered one of Joseph Conrad's best works. Set in the fictitious mining town of Sulaco, a port city in the imaginary South American country of Costaguana, it is the story of Senõr Gould, an English expatriate who owns the silver-mining concession in the country. When the country becomes engulfed in increasing violence and chaos, Senõr Gould charges Nostromo, his trusted head longshoreman, with the duty of hiding his silver so that it does not fall into the hands of his political enemies. Nostromo is highly respected by his fellow citizens and is viewed as being incorruptible, so he is a natural choice for such a serious task. Nostromo succeeds in hiding the silver, but his good deed does not bring him the favor and respect that he feels is his due and his bitterness morphs into greed. Even the perfect and pure Nostromo cannot resist the power of the silver and it is his eventual undoing. Set against the lush landscape and turbulent politics of South America, "Nostromo" is a Conrad's masterful tale of the power of money, its ability to corrupt, and the destruction it leaves behind. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

Originally published in serial form between October 1899 and November 1900, Joseph Conrad's "Lord Jim" is the story of Jim, a young British Seamen and the first mate of the "Patna", a ship full of Muslim pilgrims on a hajj to Mecca. When the ship is damaged and begins to take on water, Jim, along with the Captain and some of the crew abandon the ship and its passengers. Jim's group and the "Patna" are rescued separately and the crew's reprehensible actions and dereliction of duties are made public. Jim, abandoned by the Captain and the rest of the crew, is left alone to face a magistrate's court over the matter. Stripped of his command and his reputation ruined, Jim is left directionless, going from one job to another, pursued by his guilt and despair. Jim eventually accepts a job on a small, remote island, hopeful that he may finally find peace far away from those who know what he has done. Jim, filled with penitence, seeks to find redemption in kindness and service to his fellow man. Considered by many to be Conrad's most romantic novel, Jim's ultimately tragic struggle toward redemption and forgiveness continues to resonant with readers to this day. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

Born on October 21, 1772 in Devonshire, England, Coleridge was a dreamy and thoughtful boy and not one for sports or rough play. When he was eight his father died and Coleridge was sent away to Christ's Hospital, a charity school in London where stayed for the remainder of his childhood. In 1795, Coleridge met William Wordsworth and the two poets worked closely together to found the Romantic Movement in English literature. Collected together here in this representative volume are Samuel Taylor Coleridge's most popular poems. In "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" we find the ghostly tale of a sailor's experience following a long voyage at sea. In "Kubla Khan" Coleridge relates an opium influenced dream of the legendary city Xanadu. In "Christabel" the story of its titular character and her encounter with a stranger named Geraldine is told. Along with these three major Coleridge compositions we find the poet's conversation poems, a collection of eight poems which examine and reflect upon particular life experiences. The poetry of Samuel Taylor Coleridge endures as some of the best of the Romantic period, whose influence on later generations of poets cannot be overstated. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper and includes an introduction by Julian B. Abernethy.

Lord George Gordon Byron was the flamboyant aristocratic poet who is as renowned for his personal life as he is for his poetry. The victim of an untimely death, Lord Byron lived from 1788 to 1824. Despite this relatively short life he still managed to create a volume of poetry that achieved him the status as one of the greatest of all English poets. This representative selection includes such classics as "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage", a sweeping narrative poem which relays the story of a world-weary young man who abandons a life of pleasure for distraction in foreign lands, and a selection from "Don Juan", generally considered by critics as Byron's masterpiece, which tells the legend of Don Juan as a man who is easily seduced by women instead of the more common womanizing portrayal. A leading figure of the Romantic movement, Lord Byron's poetry is still widely read and admired to this day. Fans of English Romantic poetry would be remiss in skipping this fine collection of over one hundred of Byron's classic poetic works. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

Originally published in 1848, "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" is the second and final novel written by Anne Bronte. Considered one of the first feminist novels, it was both instantly successful and highly controversial. The story follows the relationship between Gilbert Markham, a prosperous farmer, and the mysterious widow Mrs. Helen Graham, who takes up residence with only her son and a servant in the nearby tumbledown mansion of Wildfell Hall. Told in a series of letters, Gilbert describes how he falls in love with the elusive Helen and learns of her tragic past. The victim of small town gossip, Helen finally tells Gilbert how she has left her aristocratic and alcoholic husband in order to save her young son from his influence. The novel was far more realistic in both tone and subject matter than other popular novels of its time and boldly challenged the accepted treatment of women in Victorian England. While Bronte rejected the romantic style popular at that time and frankly addressed the obstacles and prejudices faced by women, Helen and Gilbert's story is essentially one of love and hope. A classic of the Victorian era as well as a feminist tale far ahead of its time, "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" is a must read for fans of the Bronte sisters. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper and includes an introduction by Mary Augusta Ward.

"The Book of Enoch" is one of the most notable extant apocryphal works of the Bible. Estimated to have been written around 300 BC, this ancient Jewish religious work is ascribed by tradition to Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah. Consisting of five distinct sections, the book begins with the fall of the Watchers, angels who fathered the Nephilim, the offspring of "sons of god" and the "daughters of men." The book follows Enoch as he travels through Heaven and expands more thoroughly, than the Book of Genesis, on the early kingdom of Israel and the events leading up to the great flood of Noah. Many themes common to other Biblical apocalyptic stories can be found here: despair by the godly for their world, a world where goodness did not matter and where evil triumphed and prospered. With evil everywhere around, the Apocalyptists saw no hope for the world as it was, it must be destroyed if the good were ever to triumph. This edition follows the translation of R. H. Charles.

First published in 1871, "Little Men" or "Life at Plumfield with Jo's Boys" is considered the second book in the unofficial "Little Women" trilogy by author Louisa May Alcott. "Little Men" follows the adventures of Alcott's beloved character Jo March and her husband, Professor Fredreich Bhaer, as they run their Plumfield Estate School. As to be expected, Jo and her husband do not run their school along conventional lines and they encourage their students to have pets, gardens, and even weekly pillow fights. The novel details six months in the daily lives and struggles of the Bhaers and their children, family, friends, and the pupils that attend the school. Jo's characteristic intelligence, good humor, and playful spirit help both her students as well as her sister Meg's children navigate the pitfalls and challenges of becoming adults. The experiences of the youngsters as they make mistakes and are guided by caring and pragmatic adults exemplify important life lessons and help them grow into proper young gentleman and ladies. The same love of family, sense of charity and industry, good humor, kindness, and generosity that made "Little Women" such an enduring classic may be found in this heartwarming tale as well. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper and is illustrated by Reginald Birch.

Originally published in the First Folio of 1623, William Shakespeare's "The Winter's Tale" is a play which has been classified by some critics as a comedy and by others as a romance. The confusion arises out of the fact that the first three acts are filled with intense psychological drama while the last two acts provide a comedic and happy ending. At the outset of the play we are introduced to two childhood friends, Leontes, King of Sicilia, and Polixenes, the King of Bohemia, who has travelled to Sicilia to visit his old friend. After several months of joyful reunion, Polixenes yearns to return home to attend to his affairs and see his son. Leontes however doesn't wish to see his friend go and implores his wife, Queen Hermione, to try and convince him to stay. Hermione easily convinces Polixenes, which should make Leontes happy, but instead arises suspicion that the two may be engaged in an affair considering how quickly Hermione is able to change Polixenes' mind. The jealousy of Leontes sets in motion a series of events which threaten to ruin his entire kingdom and legacy. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper, includes a preface and annotations by Henry N. Hudson, and an introduction by Charles Harold Herford.

"Lives" is a series of biographies of famous Greeks and Romans by the ancient Greek historian Plutarch who lived during the first and second century AD. The work consists of twenty-three paired biographies, one Greek and one Roman, and four unpaired, which explore the influence of character on the lives and destinies of important persons of Ancient Greece and Rome. Rather than providing strictly historical accounts, Plutarch was most concerned with capturing his subjects common moral virtues and failings. This volume includes the complete "Lives" in which you will find the biographies of the following persons: Theseus, Romulus, Lycurgus, Numa Pompilius, Solon, Poplicola, Themistocles, Camillus, Pericles, Fabius, Alcibiades, Coriolanus, Timoleon, Æmilius Paulus, Pelopidas, Marcellus, Aristides, Marcus Cato, Philopœmen, Flamininus, Pyrrhus, Caius Marius, Lysander, Sylla, Cimon, Lucullus, Nicias, Crassus, Sertorius, Eumenes, Agesilaus, Pompey, Alexander, Cæsar, Phocion, Cato the younger, Agis, Cleomenes, Tiberius Gracchus, Caius Gracchus, Demosthenes, Cicero, Demetrius, Antony, Dion, Marcus Brutus, Aratus, Artaxerxes, Galba, and Otho. Plutarch's "Lives" remains today as one of the most important historical accounts of the classical period. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

One of the most controversial and inflammatory philosophers in western civilization, Friedrich Nietzsche summarized his extraordinary ideas in "The Twilight of the Idols." Appropriately subtitled "How One Philosophizes with a Hammer," this work is a polemic on many of the ideas of his day, especially what he describes as the 'The Problem of Socrates' and 'The Four Great Errors.' Through the process of self-deception Nietzsche discusses the tendency of man to confuse cause and effect. By examining the concepts of accountability and free will, as they relate to vice and morality, Nietzsche attacks the prevalent philosophical systems of his time. Written in just over a week, "The Twilight of the Idols," prepares readers for the principles addressed in "The Anti-Christ." Also written in 1888, it expands on Nietzsche's blatant disagreements with institutional Christianity. Written to deliberately provoke the reader, Nietzsche's philosophy is perhaps most shocking not in its frank negativity concerning nearly all aspects of humanity, but in the profound depth of its understanding of human nature and the optimism which subtly affirms the capabilities and possibilities of mankind. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper and is translated by Thomas Common with introductions by Willard Huntington Wright.

First published in "Cornhill Magazine" in 1878, "Daisy Miller" is Henry James' novella which concerns the courtship of its titular character, the beautiful young American girl Daisy Miller. While travelling in Europe with her family, Daisy is taken by the delightfulness of the continent, which unlike her brother, she finds superior to their hometown of Schenectady, New York. Her brother introduces her to Frederick Winterbourne, whom she agrees to visit the Château de Chillon with, drawing the disapproval of her family. Daisy further rejects the social conventions of the American expatriate community as she becomes increasingly intimate with Giovanelli, a young Italian of a lower class. Through the portrayal of Daisy, James seeks to contrast the differing attitudes of Europeans and Americans at the end of the 19th century, a theme he would revisit throughout his literary career. "Daisy Miller" was Henry James' first real literary success, one which would bring him immediate and widespread popularity, and which remains to this day as one of his most popular works. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper and includes an introduction by Martin W. Sampson.

Set in the fictional town of Casterbridge, "The Mayor of Casterbridge" is Thomas Hardy's tragic story of Michael Henchard, who over indulges in alcohol at a country fair and decides to auction off his wife and daughter to a sailor. When he recovers his sobriety, Mr. Henchard realizes his mistake, but it is too late to get his family back. Devastated by his impetuous actions he decides not to touch alcohol again for the next twenty-one years. The novel advances eighteen years to find the tee-totaling Henchard as the Mayor of Casterbridge and a successful grain merchant. When his wife and daughter return to town a precipitous decline in Henchard's fortune is set in motion. One of Hardy's Wessex novels, "The Mayor of Casterbridge" is a classic story of the terrible consequences of rash decisions that can be made under the influence of too much alcohol. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper with an introduction by Joyce Kilmer.