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Macbeth: A Tragedy
by William ShakespeareMacbeth dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those who seek power for its own sake. A brave Scottish general named Macbeth receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the Scottish throne for himself. He is then wracked with guilt and paranoia. Forced to commit more and more murders to protect himself from enmity and suspicion, he soon becomes a tyrannical ruler. The bloodbath and consequent civil war swiftly take Macbeth and Lady Macbeth into the realms of madness and death.
The Marble Faun
by Nathaniel HawthorneMurder and romance, innocence and experience dominate this masterfully constructed novel set in Rome during the mid-19th century.Three young American artists and their friend, an Italian count, find their lives irrevocably linked when one of them commits a murder. Nathaniel Hawthorne's final novel symbolizing the Fall of Man is a captivating tale concerned as much with the power and beauty of art as with the striking, intimate details of the historic sites visited by the travelers.A provocative view at Americans abroad, this long-overlooked novel is "must reading" for anyone who relishes crimes of passion set against the picturesque details of Old World landmarks.
Martin Eden
by Jack London<p>A brilliant critique of class hierarchies and The American Dream. Martin Eden is in love with Ruth Morse, but their union cannot be. Eden is a poor, uneducated sailor, and Ruth comes from a bourgeoisie family. <p>To allow them to be together, Martin commits to a tireless enterprise of education and self-refinement, hoping to elevate himself to the upper classes through literary achievements. <p>But if he makes it, will Martin like what he finds?Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you high quality, classic works of literature in e-book form. <p>Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
Masterman Ready: The Wreck of the "Pacific"
by Frederick MarryatThis is a vivacious juvenile novel that captures exhilarating adventures related to sea life. The novel is full of wit and excited accounts based on Marryat's practical experiences. It is a marvelous specimen of nautical fiction and worthy to be read by those who have passion for invigorating and exciting ventures.
The Mayor of Casterbridge: A Story Of A Man Of Character... (Dover Thrift Editions)
by Thomas HardyA cruel joke at a country fair goes too far when a drunken laborer auctions off his wife and child to the highest bidder. So begins The Mayor of Casterbridge, Thomas Hardy's gripping tale of a man's rise and fall amid the natural beauty and human brutality of a rural English community.First published serially in 1886, the novel was praised by critics for its realism and poetic style. Most agreed, however, that its plot hinges upon unlikely turns of events. Hardy replied, "It is not improbabilities of incident but improbabilities of character that matter." In this book — originally subtitled "A Story of a Man of Character" — the author perpetually tests his characters with frequent intrusions by the hand of fate. Rich in descriptive powers and steeped in irony, this timeless tale offers a spellbinding portrayal of ambition, rivalry, revenge, and repentance.
Measure for Measure
by William ShakespeareWhen the Duke of Vienna leaves the city under the governance of Angelo, a strict judge, Claudio and Juliet find themselves in violation of Vienna's severe morality laws. With Claudio's life at risk, Isabella, his sister and a novice nun, agrees to plead the case before Angelo. The duke, disguised as a friar, helps Isabella when it becomes apparent Angelo will only help if she compromises herself, and her beliefs. One of Shakespeare's more complex comedies, Measure for Measure examines ethical and moral issues that still resonate today.
The Merry Wives of Windsor
by William ShakespeareMistress Page and Mistress Ford set out to have some fun at the expense of John Falstaff, who courts both in the hopes of securing their fortunes.
The Monk
by Matthew Gregory LewisSupernatural events, women in distress, and a corrupt clergy were popular themes in the Gothic novels of the 19th century. All of those elements, along with murder, incest, and the excesses of the Spanish Inquisition, are present in The Monk (1796), one of the era's bestselling and most influential novels.Set in a sinister Capuchin monastery in Madrid, the ever-more horrifying narrative recounts the experiences of a lustful and devious abbot, who forgoes his monastic vows in the face of temptation and sexual obsession. Seduced by an evil woman and intoxicated by desire, he assaults an innocent young girl and — to conceal his guilt — murders her mother. For these and other unholy offenses, he is apprehended and imprisoned, where he is subject to unpleasant treatment at the hands of the ecclesiastical authorities. In order to escape, he sells his soul to the devil, discovering in the aftermath the grim consequence of his horrifying acts.The most famous work in the otherwise unremarkable literary production of "Monk" Lewis, the novel's anticlericalism and heavy-breathing eroticism earned it a scandalous reputation in its time that was still intact 100 years after its publication. Today, more than two centuries later, the unvarnished crime and passion of The Monk still retain the ability to jar readers — even those inured to the violence and degradation of modern life. A masterpiece of Gothic storytelling, the book remains, as Samuel Taylor Coleridge noted, "rich, powerful, and fervid."
Much Ado About Nothing
by William ShakespeareTwo couples—Benedick and Beatrice, and Hero and Claudio—must overcome deception, gossip, and, occasionally, their own misplaced pride if their love is to persevere.
Nicomachean Ethics (Dover Thrift Editions)
by AristotleHailed by Dante as "the master of those who know," the Greek philosopher Aristotle (384–322 B.C.) surveyed every field of learning known to the ancient world and pioneered the sciences of psychology and logic. A disciple of Plato and the tutor to Alexander the Great, Aristotle was a prolific writer, although many of his works have been lost. His treatises, used by the students of his famous Athenian school, the Lyceum, exerted a profound and lasting influence on Western thought.Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics is one of the world's great books. Identifying happiness as the goal of life, he rejects pleasure, fame, and wealth as means to it. The summit of human achievement is attainable only through the contemplation of philosophic truth, because this practice exercises the virtue peculiar to the human being, the rational principle.This inexpensive edition of a philosophical landmark will prove an invaluable resource to students and general readers alike.
No Bear Anywhere
by Leah GilbertA young boy learns to cope with disappointment and embrace the unexpected in this infectiously charming, beautifully illustrated picture book.When his family takes a walk on Bear Creek Trail, Bruin is determined to spot his favorite animal (a bear). Before too long, he notices something! It's a . . . pinecone! Not a bear, but that's okay. A few minutes later, Bruin stops again: He's seen a . . . flower! No bear anywhere, but there's still plenty of time. Eventually, they make it all the way to the . . . cave! But when there is no bear anywhere in the cave, Bruin is as sad as could be. Can he turn his day around, even when there's no bear? Or, wait a minute-was a bear there, after all?! Leah Gilbert's gorgeous art shines in this playful and charming story about finding wonder and joy in the world around us, even when life takes unexpected turns.
Oedipus Rex
by SophoclesConsidered by many the greatest of the classic Greek tragedies, Oedipus Rex is Sophocles' finest play and a work of extraordinary power and resonance. <P><P>Aristotle considered it a masterpiece of dramatic construction and refers to it frequently in the Poetics. <P>In presenting the story of King Oedipus and the tragedy that ensues when he discovers he has inadvertently killed his father and married his mother, the play exhibits near-perfect harmony of character and action. <P>Moreover, the masterly use of dramatic irony greatly intensifies the impact of the agonizing events and emotions experienced by Oedipus and the other characters in the play. <P>Now these and many other facets of this towering tragedy may be studied and appreciated in Dover's attractive inexpensive edition of one of the great landmarks of Western drama. <P>A selection of the Common Core State Standards Initiative.
On the Nature of Things
by Lucretius W. E. LeonardA Roman poet and philosopher of the first century, Lucretius sought to dispel what he considered the chief cause of unhappiness: fear of death and fear of the wrath of the gods. His great didactic poem in six parts, De Rerum Natura (On the Nature of Things), theorizes that natural causes are the forces behind earthly phenomena and dismisses the concept of divine intervention.Lucretius' discourse ranges from discussions of the motion of atoms, natural phenomena, and sensation, to assertions regarding free will and the soul's relationship to the body. He maintains that the soul is a chance combination of atoms that perishes with the body, rather than a distinct, immaterial entity. The philosopher proposes completely natural causes for all earthly phenomena, suggesting that the world operates independently of divine agency and that fear of the supernatural is unfounded. Although he refrains from denying the existence of gods, Lucretius considers them unconcerned with human affairs and destiny.Derived from the philosophical materialism of the Greeks, Lucretius' writings remain the primary source for contemporary knowledge of Epicurean thought. A staple of introductory philosophy courses, this volume is also a masterpiece of Latin verse.
The Picture of Dorian Gray
by Oscar WildeOscar Wilde's only novel. Dorian Gray sells his soul in a bid to maintain eternal youth and beauty. Only his portrait will age. As with all such bargains, however, there will be a reckoning.
The Picture of Dorian Gray
by Oscar WildeOscar Wilde's only novel. Dorian Gray sells his soul in a bid to maintain eternal youth and beauty. Only his portrait will age. As with all such bargains, however, there will be a reckoning.
The Picture of Dorian Gray
by Oscar WildeDorian Gray believes that the true value of life is revealed only in the pursuit of beauty. As a result, Dorian sells his soul so that a beautiful painting of him will age, while he remains forever young.
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
by James JoyceSet in Joyce's native Ireland, the story follows life of a young man Stephen and his transformation from child to artist. <P> <P> In five chapters, we are taken through Stephen's early childhood in Ireland and confinement at boarding school, his dalliances with theatre and hiring prostitutes, his retreat from sensory excess into religious devotion, his retreat from religious devotion into aesthetic, ascetic excess, and, ultimately, his retreat from Ireland and fellowship in favour of destiny.
Remember the Alamo
by Amelia E. BarrLarger Print, 12 point font---Nothing evokes more awe, respect, pain, and suffering in real Texans than the memory of the Alamo. It is as though the sacrifice of those brave men and women has been etched into a Texan's heart, mind, and soul. It is written into the mitochondrial akashic memory of Texans. Real Texans approach the Alamo in sacred respect -- reverently, and consume any material or literature that edifies this monument where the brave stood up against religious oppression and political tyranny.
The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám: First and Fifth Editions (Dover Thrift Editions)
by Edward FitzGeraldOmar Khayyám (1048–1122) was a Persian mathematician, astronomer, and a philosopher who was not known as a poet in his lifetime. Later, a body of quatrains became attached to his name, although not all were his works. These verses lay in obscurity until 1859, when Edward FitzGerald (1809–1883), an English country gentleman, published a free adaptation of this Persian poetry. After its discovery by D. G. Rossetti and others, the verse became extremely popular. Essentially a hedonist and a skeptic, Omar Khayyám, through FitzGerald, spoke with both an earthy and spiritual freedom that stirred a universal response. As a result, the Rubáiyát became one of the best-known and most often quoted English classics. The fifth edition, published posthumously in 1889, was based on FitzGerald's handwritten changes in a copy of the fourth edition, and is traditionally printed with the first edition.
The School for Scandal: A Comedy... (Dover Thrift Editions)
by Richard Brinsley SheridanThe intrigues of such aptly named characters as Lady Sneerwell, Sir Joseph Surface, Lady Candour, and Sir Benjamin Backbite have amused theater audiences for more than two centuries. They are the invention of the Irish-born playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan, and they unfold, collide, and backfire hilariously in his masterpiece, The School for Scandal, a play still considered by many the best comedy of manners in English.It is a comedy with two plots, one involving Sir Oliver Surface's attempts to discover the worthier of his two nephews, and the other unleashing Lady Sneerwell's strategies to ensnare both nephews and the hapless Lady Teazle in her designs. Both plots converge brilliantly in the screen scene — one of the most famous in all of theater.The School for Scandal reveals not only Sheridan's mastery of the mechanics of stage comedy, but also his flair for witty dialogue and obvious delight in skewering the affectation and pretentiousness of aristocratic Londoners of the 1770s. Its evergreen appeal makes it one of the most produced of all theater classics today, and one of the most delightful to read.