Modern Classics

Jane Addams was an American activist, philosopher, sociologist, and Nobel Prize winner. Addams’ speech The Modern Lear was delivered in 1894 at the Chicago Women’s Club and the 20th Century Club of Boston before appearing in print in 1912. In the address, Addams discusses the Pullman Railroad Strike in the Summer of 1894 in addition to other labor, union, and ethics issues of the day, using the titular character from William Shakespeare’s King Lear, who was betrayed by his two daughters, as a potent analogy.

A brilliantly funny story all about celebrating difference – perfect for listening to at home, in the car, at bedtime or any time at all! Everyone knows that tyrannosauruses are big and scary, so when a placid duckbill dinosaur's egg ends up in the wrong nest, confusion is sure to ensue! When...

Classic Philosophy for the Modern Man is unlike any other philosophy book you may have come across. It is inspired by a single concept: that, to thrive in the world, we need ready access to the practical wisdom of our forebears. Classic Philosophy for the Modern Man answers that need by introducing for the general listener the most powerful and enduringly relevant works of great thinkers from around the world.

A collection of essays, lectures, and observations on the art of writing fiction from Alice McDermott, winner of the National Book Award and unmatched "virtuoso of language and image" (Rebecca Steinitz, The Boston Globe) What About the Baby? Some Thoughts on the Art of Fiction gathers the...

Your shortcut to the world’s greatest books. Why spend months (or years) working through reading lists when you can dive into the key ideas, themes, and insights in one place? 50 Must-Read Books: Summaries and Reviews brings you clear, engaging overviews of classics, modern masterpieces, and groundbreaking nonfiction—from Camus, Orwell, Austen, and Dickens to Harari, Atwood, Hosseini, and Liu Cixin.

Classic Spirituality for the Modern Man takes a radically new approach to the question of spirituality. Its purpose is to bring the spiritual classics alive so that they can once again serve their original and true purpose: to guide and inspire us as we make our way through life.

A bold and authentic reimagining of The Winter’s Tale full of tragedy, triumph, and forbidden romance—perfect for fans of Sabaa Tahir, Kathleen Glasgow, and Sarah Dessen. Pia and her brother, Max, live on an isolated farm in rural Maine, and it’s the only life they remember. Their father...

Four more delightful tales from one of the most entertaining storytellers of all time. Though writing in the thirteenth century, Chaucer’s wit and observation comes down undiminished through the ages, especially in this accessible modern verse translation. The stories vary considerably from the uproarious Wife of Bath’s Tale, promoting the power of women to the sober account of patient Griselda in the Clerk’s Tale.

Brought to you by Penguin. Querry, a world famous architect, is the victim of a terrible attack of indifference: he no longer finds meaning in art or pleasure in life. Arriving anonymously at a Congo leper village, he is diagnosed as the mental equivalent of a 'burnt-out case', a leper mutilated...

To all appearances, John Wilder has all the trappings of success, circa 1960: a promising career in advertising, a loving family, a beautiful apartment, even a country home. John's evenings are spent with associates at quiet Manhattan lounges and his weekends with friends at glittering cocktail parties. But something deep within this seemingly perfect life has long since gone wrong.

“Vivid . . . These stories, in which class divisions form impassable rifts and submission to the status quo comes at great psychic cost, have much to say about our contemporary reality." —The New York Times Book Review “What a gift to have these stories translated, finally, into English...

When the Shepards' car breaks down in pre-World War II New York City, a chain of events occurs that transforms the lives of the Shepards and the Drakes, as Evan and Rachel meet, court, and marry. But betrayal, disappointment, and secret schemes are on the horizon....

On a miserable summer trip to Geneva with her future husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley, poet Lord Byron and a small group of friends, writer Mary Wollstonecraft was asked to participate in a game where the guests would create a ghost story and share it with the group. Everyone told their stories, but Mary's creation surprised them all. She had conceived of the idea that would later become her best known work, a tale of horror and creation, the legendary early science fiction classic: Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus.

Declaring the church corrupt and urging rationality over revelation, Thomas Paine’s The Age of Reason directly opposed the existing political and religious order of his time. Initially printed in pamphlet form, his work audaciously employed “vulgar” everyday language, as Paine sought to bring his message, and the appeal of deism, to the masses.

Frankenstein—or, The Modern Prometheus—is considered to be one of the earliest examples of science fiction. Written by Mary Shelley, it tells the story of scientist Victor Frankenstein and the catastrophic consequences of his attempts to create a perfect new being by activating a group of body parts with an electrical charge. The hideous monster that is born of Frankenstein's experiment wreaks havoc when it realises that it will never know the happiness that mere mortals can enjoy.

A brilliant collection of bestselling stories from Julia Donaldson and friends, read aloud by stars Floella Benjamin, Lauren Laverne, Alex Jennings, Imelda Staunton, David Tennant and Saskia Wickham. Perfect for listening to at home, in the car, at bedtime or any time at all! Head off on a...

Based in part on Cheever's adolescence in New England, the novel follows the destinies of the impecunious and wildly eccentric Wapshots of St. Botolphs, a quintessential Massachusetts fishing village. Here are the stories of Captain Leander Wapshot, venerable sea dog and would-be suicide; of his licentious older son, Moses; and of Moses' adoring and errant younger brother, Coverly.

When little Snowflower is left alone in the world, her only companions are a faithful dwarf and a very special chair—one that can travel anywhere and tell beautiful, enchanted tales. As Snowflower visits the palace of King Winwealth, the chair begins to spin its stories: rich, moral fables filled with kings, queens, fairies, and lessons about generosity, courage, and kindness.

In this modern retelling of Hansel and Gretel, 13-year-old foster children Griselda and Holden escape from their abductor after three years of brutal captivity and try to cross the Shenandoah River on foot. Tragically, one of them makes it to safety, but the other is left behind. Ten years later, Griselda's boyfriend drags her to a fight club grudge match, and her world is turned upside down when she watches Holden step into the ring.

Since 1998, the Alfred A. Knopf Publishing Group has celebrated National Poetry Month by emailing a poem-a-day throughout the month of April to over 25,000 devoted poetry fans. In April 2006, Knopf introduced the Poem-a-Day podcast, which featured poets including Kevin Young and James Merrill...