Classics World Literature

Lens of the World is the story of a prodigious life. It recounts the coming of age of Nazhuret, an outcast and orphan who rises from his lowly estate as a ward of the Sordaling military school to become a mighty warrior, philosopher, and confidant of the King of Vestinglon. As he grows, the young man receives outlandish knowledge and is prepared for an entirely exceptional destiny far beyond the narrow confines of his kingdom.

A deeply influential novel from one of America's greatest authors, White-Jacket presents a view of life aboard a 19th-century navy ship that is equal parts humorous and sobering. Published a year before his masterpiece Moby-Dick, White-Jacket is based on Herman Melville's own experiences aboard the USS United States from 1843 to 1844.

Dans l'Angleterre victorienne, Oliver Twist, jeune orphelin angélique, est recueilli par l'assistance ; il est placé chez M. et Mme Sowerberry, fabricant de cercueils et croque-mort de son état. Là, il ne connaît que privations et mauvais traitements. Oliver endure tout, jusqu'au jour où une provocation d'un apprenti le pousse à se battre puis à s'enfuir vers Londres.

Dans le pays d'Artois, une jeune fille audacieuse, surnommée Mouchette se laisse séduire par le marquis de Cadignan qui la délaissera alors qu'elle est enceinte. Meurtrie, la jeune passionnée cherche la vengeance. Plus tard elle croisera le chemin d'un jeune un vicaire de campagne, ascétique et tourmenté par sa lutte contre le Mal. De cette rencontre entre deux âmes troublées naîtra une relation exaltée.

Dostoïevski nous fait vivre le quotidien d'une maison de force sibérienne au XIXe siècle. Dans cette fiction fortement empreinte de réalisme, l'auteur puise largement dans ses souvenirs de bagnard, condamné à quatre ans de travaux forcés en 1849.

Thomas Watson was one of the most famous Puritan preachers in history, and his 17th-century writings are still read across the world today. A highly influential example of Puritan writing, The Great Gain of Godliness is Watson's study of Malachi 3:16-18. British Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon bemoaned the fact that he couldn't find a copy of The Great Gain of Godliness.

In this important book, G.K. Chesterton offers a remarkably perceptive analysis of social and moral issues, even more relevant today than in his own time. With a light, humorous tone but a deadly serious philosophy, he comments on errors in education, on feminism vs. true womanhood, on the importance of the child, and other issues, using incisive arguments against the trendsetters’ assaults on the common man and the family.

First published in 1956, No-No Boy was virtually ignored by a public eager to put World War II and the Japanese internment behind them. No-No Boy tells the story of Ichiro Yamada, a fictional version of the real-life "no-no boys". Yamada answered "no" twice in a compulsory government questionnaire as to whether he would serve in the armed forces and swear loyalty to the United States. Unwilling to pledge himself to the country that interned him and his family, Ichiro earns two years in prison and the hostility of his family and community when he returns home to Seattle.

Ce roman est une brillante illustration du principe du crime en lieu clos.

The War of the Worlds is a science fiction and a horror story. Published in 1898, the story is still frightening. Imagine your government not being able to protect you, or a nuclear holocaust making you suddenly, should you survive, a refugee with no home, no community services, and very little hope, as you watch the conqueror decimate your country.

One of the classic works on interior decoration, Edith Wharton’s The Decoration of Houses offers a comprehensive look at the history and character of turn-of-the-century interior design. Co-written with architect Ogden Codman, Jr., this invaluable reference provides us with numerous keen and practical axioms for house design, such as (1) The better the house, the less need for curtains, and (2) the height of a well-proportioned doorway should be twice its width.

Smooth Stones Taken from Ancient Brooks is a collection of sentences and quaint sayings from this renowned Puritan. Gathered by Spurgeon from the six-volume set of Brooks' Works, it remains an excellent introduction to both the man and his writing.

"The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha", or more simply "Don Quixote", is one of the most influential works of literature from a Spanish author. It is one of the earliest canonical novels, and is regularly cited as the best work of fiction ever published. A nameless hidalgo read so many chivalric romances that he loses his sanity and decides to set out into the world as a knight, to bring justice under the name Don Quixote. The delusional hidalgo then recruits a simple farmer, Sancho Panza, whose unique wit proves a marvelous addition to Don Quixote's idealistic bouts.

There’s only one way for Professor George Edward Challenger to prove that dinosaurs still roam the earth. He invites skeptical journalist Edward Malone to accompany him and a group of adventurers to see the creatures with his own eyes. But when they arrive at the fantastic volcanic plateau in the Amazon where time stands still, their expedition quickly becomes one of survival. With its cliff-hanging escapes, rousing humor, and nailbiting suspense, The Lost World is a pioneering work of fantasy-adventure that paved the way for every thrill ride to follow.

Rene Descartes, mathematician, scientist, and first "modern philosopher", wrote Meditations on First Philosophy, a six-part treatise first published in Latin in 1641, to deconstruct "belief" and, using reason and science, discuss the only things we can truly know for sure. Each of the six parts of this book represents six of Descartes’ meditations that occurred on six subsequent days, making it also, in no small part, an autobiographical piece of work.

"Paul et Virginie" est un roman de Bernardin de Saint-Pierre, écrit en 1787. Ce texte est aujourd'hui un grand classique réunissant les thèmes de l'amour impossible et de l'ailleurs exotique et sublimé. Deux femmes se retrouvent par le hasard de la vie à l'île de France, et doivent élever seules leurs enfants. Elles décident qu'ils grandiront ensemble, et ainsi Paul et Virginie sont comme frère et sœur. Mais l'innocence et la pureté des lieux les engagent à l'adolescence vers des sentiments d'une plus grande profondeur.

War of the Worlds by Herbert George Wells (H.G. Wells) was published in 1898 at a time when he wrote a series of novels related to a number of historical events of the time. The most important of these was the unification and militarization of Germany. The story, written in a semi-documentary style, is told in the first person by an unnamed observer. It tells of the events, which happen mostly in London and the county of Surrey, England, when a number of vessels manned by aliens are fired from Mars and land on Earth.

The adventure begins in London on Tuesday, October 1st, 1872, when rich British gentleman Phileas Fogg gets in an argument with a group of friends. He enters a wager that sets him on a race to make it around the world in 80 days. Although the trip begins as planned with his valet Jean Passepartout, he is quickly mistaken as a bank robber by Scotland Yard detective Fix. Now being pursued on his journey, Fogg must quickly travel in order to win the wager, see the world, and avoid being apprehended for a crime he did not commit in the ultimate adventure story.

This beautifully narrated collection features eight classic fairy tales adapted for young listeners, carefully retold in calm, comforting language perfect for bedtime listening. Each story draws from timeless folklore and world literature, offering moments of courage, kindness, cleverness, and imagination — without fear or harshness. Ideal for children ages 4–8, these stories are designed for nightly listening, quiet afternoons, or shared family story time.

Le capitaine Marlow raconte sa remontée d'un grand fleuve africain sur un vapeur jusqu'au "cœur des ténèbres", à la recherche d'un certain Kurtz.