Great Classics

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, unique tales inspired by traditional literary forms appeared frequently in socialist-leaning British periodicals, such as the Clarion, Labour Leader, and Social Democrat. Based on familiar genres, these stories were meant to entertain readers of all ages - and some challenged the conventional values promoted in children’s literature for the middle class. Acclaimed critic and author Michael Rosen brings together more than 40 of the best and most enduring examples of these stories in one beautiful volume.

A vintage collection of some of the greatest short stories ever written: "The Purloined Letter", by Edgar Allan Poe; "The Nose", by Nikolai Gogol; "The Story of an Hour", by Kate Chopin; "The Gift of the Magi", by O. Henry; "The Apparition of Mrs. Veal", by Daniel Defoe; "The Lifted Veil", by George Eliot; "Life of Ma Parker", by Katherine Mansfield; "The Baron", by Katherine Mansfield; "The Cask of Amontillado", by Edgar Allan Poe; "The Seventh Pullet", by Saki; and more.

ONE OF NPR'S BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR A sweeping debut novel that explores the intimate struggle for independence and success of a young descendant of Indian indentured laborers in Mauritius, a small multiracial island in the Indian Ocean. "The beauty of Busjeet's splendid, often...

Set in 1872, Around the World in 80 Days tells the extraordinary and wonderful adventures of Phileas Fogg and his servant Passepartout, who set out to win a £20,000 bet to circumnavigate the globe in eighty days.

In "The Great Good Place", a man searches for peace and respite from the demands of success. The fascinating, searching novella In the Cage tells of a young girl in a Mayfair post office becoming more aware of the great social world and of a certain gentleman's affairs through the telegrams that he sends.

A fascinating collection of short stories by great writers that examine aspects of the first world war, from action in the trenches, to the psychological impact of war on individuals and their relationships, to heroic adventure stories, to ghosts and war graves. A wonderful collection!

The most romantic literary lovers in history: Heathcliff and Cathy. Frederic and Catherine. Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby. Now, all three of their classic stories are collected in one volume: the Classic Romance Collection - Volume II featuring Emily Brontë's "Wuthering Heights," Ernest Hemingway's "A Farewell to Arms" and F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby."

Ever since the suspense and horror writer Chet Williamson read The Great Gatsby in his youth, it has been his favorite novel. Indeed, he considers it The Great American Novel, and, in this new collection of F. Scott Fitzgerald's work, he presents the original first edition text along with six hilarious stories that show the lighter side of the writer's work, and reveal why Fitzgerald was one of the most popular authors of the Roaring Twenties, and remains so today.

I would like to be remembered as someone who made people smile.' One of the great icons of our time, Khushwant Singh, 95, is a man of contradictions. An agnostic who's well-versed in the holy scriptures; a vocal champion of free speech who supported the Emergency; a 'dirty old man' who...

As any fan of Jo Walton's Among Others might guess, Walton is both an inveterate reader of SF and fantasy, and a chronic rereader of books. In 2008, then-new science fiction mega-site Tor.com asked Walton to blog regularly about her rereading—about all kinds of older fantasy and SF, ranging from acknowledged classics, to guilty pleasures, to forgotten oddities and gems. These posts have consistently been among the most popular features of Tor. Now this volume presents a selection of the best of them, ranging from short essays to long reassessments of some of the field's most ambitious series.

The Great Republic is Sir Winston Churchill's personal vision of American history, from the arrival of the first European settlers to the dawn of the Cold War, edited by his grandson, the historian and journalist Winston S. Churchill. The book is a magnificent retelling of the American story...

Pip er en forældreløs dreng, der vokser op på landet under beskedne kår hos sin diktatoriske ældre søster og dennes godmodige mand Joe. Joe og Pip har et nært forhold, og det er meningen, at Pip skal følge i Joes fodspor som grovsmed. Langsomt begynder Pip dog at komme i kontakt med overklassen, drømme om et bedre liv og tage afstand fra Joes enkle værdier.

The spectacular, true story of a scrappy teenager from New York’s Lower East Side who stowed away on the most remarkable feat of science and daring of the Jazz Age, The Stowaway is “a thrilling adventure that captures not only the making of a man but of a nation” (David Grann, bestselling...

First published in 1883, Treasure Island remains one of Robert Louis Stevenson's best-known and best-loved works.

A classic coming of age adventure, featuring buried treasure, treacherous pirates, and the eponymous Long John Silver, Treasure Island tells the enthralling story of Jim Hawkins, a young cabin boy, who sets sail on an 18th century voyage in search of a pirate's buried gold.

Abbot's Ghost Maurice Traherne is wrongly accused of fraud and gambling and must play a careful hand if he is to win his love, Octavia, from the grasp of other, less honorable men and retain the trust of those who had faith in him. Traherne is temporarily crippled saving the life of his...

Left unfinished after Dickens died in 1870, The Mystery of Edwin Drood centers on Edwin Drood's uncle, John Jasper, and his love for Rosa Bud, Edwin's fiancee. Set in the dark, fictional cathedral city of Cloisterham, the novel is awash with guilt, disguise and mystery. It contains some fine writing, and just before his death, Dickens left an indication of where the plot was going, which is included.

Book number 15 of the Tom Swift series finds our hero pursuing smugglers across the Canadian border. In his friends and a custom agent had to Canada in Tom's mighty airship equipped with the world's greatest Searchlight in search of smugglers were using Shopton as a destination. Of course along the way, Tom and his friends have several hair-raising experiences. This book was originally published in 1912, and attitudes and expressions were different from today, and some may find the language in this material offensive.

Follow the spirited and self-assured Emma Woodhouse as she navigates matchmaking misadventures, class dynamics, and the gentle unraveling of her own heart. From her misguided attempts to pair her friend Harriet Smith with the wrong suitor to the slow realization of her feelings for Mr. Knightley, this edition retains the sharp humor and emotional insight that have made Emma a literary classic for over two centuries.

Stranded on a deserted island after a violent shipwreck, Robinson Crusoe must face the wild alone. With nothing but his wits, faith, and unyielding determination, he builds a new life in an unforgiving wilderness. This abridged edition brings Daniel Defoe’s groundbreaking tale of survival and spiritual growth to modern audiences with crisp clarity and cinematic pacing. Perfect for listeners of all ages, The Greats Abridged series distills timeless classics without losing their heart.

There have been many translators of Chinese literature and poetry over time, but Arthur Waley stands out as one of the best known and most loved. This is perhaps because he had an attribute that most others lacked, which is his poetic abilities. Waley was as much a poet himself as a translator, and while his scholarly erudition was matched by a few others at his time, none ever managed to bring out the true character of Chinese poetry quite so well.