His journey through the East began in 1271--when, still a teenager, he set out of Venice and found himself traversing the most exotic countries. His acceptance into the court of the great emperor Kublai Khan, and his service to the vast and dazzling Mongol empire, led him to places as far away as Tibet and Burma, lands rich with gems and gold and silk, but virtually unknown to Europeans. Later, as a prisoner of war, Marco Polo would record the details of his remarkable travels across harsh deserts, great mountain ranges, and dangerous seas, as well as of his encounters with beasts and...
His journey through the East began in 1271--when, still a teenager, he set out of Venice and found himself traversing the most exotic countries. His a...
Among the most-read novels of all time, this classic tale showcases memorable characters, skillful plotting, and Dickens's passionate concern with social issues making this book one of his finest achievements. Revised reissue.
Among the most-read novels of all time, this classic tale showcases memorable characters, skillful plotting, and Dickens's passionate concern with soc...
For nearly two decades before Mark Twain published his finest novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, he was refining his craft and winning tremendous popularity with his short stories and sketches. This richly entertaining and comprehensive collection presents sixty-five of the very best of Mark Twain's short pieces, from the classic frontier sketch "The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" to the richly imaginative fable "Extract from Captain Stormfield's Visit to Heaven." Compiled by Pulitzer Prize-winning Twain scholar and biographer, Justin Kaplan, this collection...
For nearly two decades before Mark Twain published his finest novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, he was refining his craft and winn...
Of Nathaniel Hawthorne's insight into the Puritan's simultaneous need for fulfillment and self-destruction, D. H. Lawrence wrote, "Nathaniel knew disagreeable things in his inner soul. He was careful to send them out in disguise." By means of artfully crafted and compelling tales, Hawthorne explored the destinies and concerns of early American settlers and citizens. In several of the stories in this collection, characters who hold themselves apart from their fellow man fall prey to the corroding desires of lust for perfection. Then they unwittingly commit evils--against themselves and...
Of Nathaniel Hawthorne's insight into the Puritan's simultaneous need for fulfillment and self-destruction, D. H. Lawrence wrote, "Nathaniel knew disa...
Four Major Plays Volume I A Doll House The Wild Duck Hedda Gabler The Master Builder Among the greatest and best known of Ibsen's works, these four plays brilliantly exemplify his landmark contributions to the theater: his realistic dialogue, probing of social problems, and depiction of characters' inner lives as well as their actions. Rich in symbolism and often autobiographical, each of these dramas deals convincingly and provocatively with such universal themes as greed, fear, and sexual hostility, and confronts the eternal conflict between reality and illusion....
Four Major Plays Volume I A Doll House The Wild Duck Hedda Gabler The Master Builder Among the greatest and best known of Ib...
The Master of Irony Readers the world over recognize O. Henry as the best short story writer of the early twentieth century. Widely known as a master of irony, O. Henry also displays here dazzling wordplay and a wry combination of pathos and humor.
The Master of Irony Readers the world over recognize O. Henry as the best short story writer of the early twentieth century. Widely known as a ma...
Together in one indispensable volume, The Time Machine and The Invisible Man are masterpieces of irony and imaginative vision from H. G. Wells, the father of science fiction. The Time Machine conveys the Time Traveller into the distant future and an extraordinary world. There, stranded on a slowly dying Earth, he discovers two bizarre races: the effete Eloi and the subterranean Morlocks--a haunting portrayal of Darwin's evolutionary theory carried to a terrible conclusion. The Invisible Man is the fascinating tale of a brash young scientist who,...
Together in one indispensable volume, The Time Machine and The Invisible Man are masterpieces of irony and imaginative vision from H. G....
The greatest tragic plays of William Shakespeare--including Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth. What is tragedy? The Elizabethans defined it as a "lofty" play showing "personages of great state" caught up in a "lamentable" action that "beginneth prosperously and endeth unfortunately." Whether judged by this or any other standard, the plays selected for this collection are considered to be the four central works of Shakespearean tragedy and must be included in any list of the world's finest tragic literature. And to make these plays more accessible...
The greatest tragic plays of William Shakespeare--including Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth. What is tr...
The Signet Classics edition of William Shakespeare's vision of the Trojan War. This story of doomed love explores the relationship between Troilus, a prince of Troy, and Cressida, the daughter of a Trojan traitor. An unconvential tragedy set against the complex backdrop of war, it is considered one of Shakespeare's most problematic plays. This revised Signet Classics edition includes unique features such as: - An overview of Shakespeare's life, world, and theater - A special introduction to the play by the editor, Daniel Seltzer - Sources from which Shakespeare...
The Signet Classics edition of William Shakespeare's vision of the Trojan War. This story of doomed love explores the relationship between ...
Leo Tolstoy's evocative tale of doomed love--one of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century.
Upon it's publication, Anna Karenina startled the world with its powerful portrayal of the human need for love and happiness weighed against the rigid demands of society. Its heroine, the sensual, rebellious Anna, renounces a respectable yet stifling marriage for an extramarital affair that offers a taste of passion even as it ensnares her in a trap for destruction. Her story contrasts with that of Levin, a young, self-doubting agnostic who takes a different path to...
Leo Tolstoy's evocative tale of doomed love--one of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century.
