Classics Literature Collection

The Odyssey is an epic poem, written by the ancient Greek philosopher Homer, and considered to be the second oldest piece of western literature still in existence. Scholars believe it was written at the end of the eighth century BC. Still heavily used in schools because of its unique literary makeup and historical value, the poems follow Greek hero Odysseus, as he journeys home after the 10-year long Trojan War. His journey home takes another 10 years, and Odysseus encounters many obstacles.

A stunning collection of work from beloved poet John Ashbery, his first posthumous book Renowned for his inventive mind, ambitious play with language, and dexterity with a wide range of tones and styles, John Ashbery has been a major artistic figure in the cultural life of our time. Parallel...

Offering poignant and eye-opening reflections on Victorian society, the works of Emily and Charlotte Bronte hold a special place in literary history and in the hearts of everyone who reads them. Deeply controversial in their time for their critical look at core parts of society - including religion, class, and the role of women - their work has transcended the 19th century to provide an often-forgotten glimpse into the struggles of the past.

John Updike reads six stories he has selected from the hundred-odd he has published. "A&P", recounting a moral crisis on the checkout counter, is his most anthologized story. "Pigeon Feathers," the longest story included, tells of a fourteen-year-old boy's fear of death and the answer he finds...

F. Scott Fitzgerald was a masterful writer, with his stories effortlessly touching people’s hearts and reflecting powerful themes and ideas that ring true to this day. A symbol of the rich and vibrant “jazz era”, his books have only grown more popular with time, being adapted into countless films and plays. Now, this collection reveals Fitzgerald’s work in all its glory, unveiling three literary legends that form the foundation of this incredible author’s popularity.

This anthology brings together a selection of thrilling and thought-provoking short stories by Richard Connell, renowned for his mastery in suspense and adventure. Highlighted by The Most Dangerous Game, a gripping tale of a man hunted for sport, the collection also features lesser-known but equally powerful works such as The Sin of Monsieur Pettipon, The Cage Man, Terrible Epps, and The $25,000 Jaw. Each story showcases Connell's unique ability to explore human nature under extreme conditions, blending action with psychological depth.

Matthew Arnold praised the Iliad for its "nobility", as has everyone ever since - but ancient critics praised it for its enargeia, its "bright unbearable reality" (the word used when gods come to earth, not in disguise but as themselves). To retrieve the poem's energy, Alice Oswald has stripped away its story, and her account focuses by turns on Homer's extended similes and on the brief 'biographies' of the minor war-dead, most of whom are little more than names, but each of whom lives and dies unforgettably - and unforgotten - in the copiousness of Homer's glance.

Retrouvez les plus beaux contes et les plus belles histoires pour enfants ! Ces merveilleux contes qui font rire, qui font peur et qui font rêver les enfants, filles ou garçons depuis des générations entières, sont réunis ici dans une très belle collection thématique. Les contes permettent un apprentissage moral et ludique pour les enfants, au travers de personnages auxquels ils peuvent s'identifier.

A BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of Dickens' heart-stopping historical adventure set in the French Revolution and featuring the gentle Charles Darnay and the dissolute Sydney Carton. The action switches between London and Paris during the nightmare of The Terror - and in the shadow of Madame...

John Steinbeck's masterpiece celebrates the spirit and courage of adolescence. Steinbeck draws on his memories of childhood in these stories about a boy who embodies both the rebellious spirit and the contradictory desire for acceptance of early adolescence. Unlike most coming-of-age stories...

Sense and Sensibility tells the story of the Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne. Left almost penniless and homeless on the death of their father, each needs to resolve their problems by marrying well. But fate takes them on a bumpy road as impetuous Marianne falls for the duplicitous Willoughby while Elinor seems to be unlucky in love. As ever, Austen resolves her heroines' fortunes in her inimitable and witty way.

The writer whom Fran Lebowitz compared to the author of The Great Gatsby, calling him “the real F. Scott Fitzgerald,” makes his Penguin Classics debut with this beautiful deluxe edition of his best-loved book. One of the great novels of small-town American life, Appointment in Samarra is...

Between 1922 and 1923, Katherine Mansfield wrote four volumes of short stories. This recording includes all sixty-three stories from the four collections, including a number of incomplete stories collated after Mansfield’s death.

On the Shortness of Life was written by Seneca around the year 49AD. He argues that we waste so much time because we do not properly value it. We expend great effort in protecting other valuables such as money and property, but because time appears intangible, we allow others to occupy it and take time away from us. Wise people, on the other hand, understand that time is the most valuable of all resources, and with effort can free themselves from external control to engage in meaningful introspection and create an intentional life.

Aesop's Fables are stories based on analogies and caricatures featuring mostly animals. These stories got the collective name Aesop’s Fables from the person who collected the stories. Aesop, popularly believed to have been a Phrygian slave, collected his fables sometime around the sixth century BC. Whatever his real story may be, the fables he collected feature valuable lessons.

В сборник Русская поэзия для детей вошли стихотворения знаменитых русских писателей, которые изучаются в школе по программе для начальных классов.

"His Last Bow" is a classic mystery collection from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It also contains the very last story featuring Doyle's greatest creation: the legendary and enigmatic consulting detective, Sherlock Holmes. Along with the coda to the Holmes canon, this collection also contains a number of Holmes favorites, including The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge and The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans. But without a doubt, the final story - "His Last Bow" - is the most exciting entry in this one-of-a-kind volume.

Set in Toronto and Italy, this powerful sequel to In a Glass House explores the sometimes forbidden aspect of desire and one’s longing for what is unrecoverable. Victor Innocente remeets his half-sister in Toronto, shortly after his father’s death. Uneasy with their new proximity in each...

Faust is a tragic play in two parts that reworks the late medieval myth of a brilliant but disillusioned scholar who makes a deal with the devil. it is widely considered to be Goethe's masterpiece and the greatest work of German literature. The novel Elective Affinities is the story of Eduard and Charlotte, an aristocratic couple enjoying an idyllic but rather dull life on their rural estate. They invite the Captain, Eduard's childhood friend, and Ottilie, the orphaned niece of Charlotte, to live with them, with tragic results.

Unique to this title is: a historical introduction, an overview, a study of themes, and a list of famous quotes. You may of course skip all of it and go straight to the main title if you do not want any spoilers and come back later to the beginning. William Shakespeare, the 16th-century English poet, playwright, and actor, is generally regarded as the best writer in the English language and the world's best dramatist.