Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup is a memoir of a black man who was born free in New York state but kidnapped, sold into slavery and kept in bondage for 12 years in Louisiana before the American Civil War. He provided details of slave markets in Washington, DC, as well as describing at length cotton cultivation on major plantations in Louisiana.
Twelfth Night, a comedic masterpiece by William Shakespeare, enchants readers with its exploration of love, mistaken identities, and the power of disguise.
The story is about Jim, a young boy who goes in search of treasure after finding a treasure map. Jim faces shipwreck, a pirate mutiny, and sword fights. Jim's tale is a rags-to-riches story of a young boy who overcomes the odds.
Oscar Wilde called James's chilling The Turn of the Screw 'a most wonderful, lurid poisonous little tale.' It tells of a young governess sent to a country house to take charge of two orphans, Miles and Flora. Unsettled by a sense of intense evil within the house, she soon becomes obsessed with the belief that malevolent forces are stalking the children in her care.
Encompassing a twenty-four year period from 1271, Polo's account details his travels in the service of the empire, from Beijing to northern India and ends with the remarkable story of Polo's return voyage from the Chinese port of Amoy to the Persian Gulf.
Prospero was cast out to sea in a boat with his three-year-old daughter Miranda and they landed on a magical island which they made their home.
Passion divides and unites a spirited pair of lovers in a sixteenth-century battle of the sexes.
The tale of a kind and will-respected doctor who can turn himself into a murderous madman by taking a secret drug that he has created.
A classic work dealing with the spiritual dimension of the black man's struggle for dignity and self-realization.
First published in 1911, The Soul of the Indian draws on his childhood teaching and ancestral ideals to counter the research written by outsiders who treated the Dakotas' ancient worldviews chiefly as a matter of curiosity.
Convicted and imprisoned because she was unwilling to name her partner in adultery, Hester Prynne is forced to wear a scarlet "A" on the breast of her gown for the remainder of her life.
The Return of the Native, published in 1878, is a novel by Thomas Hardy that unfolds in Egdon Heath, where passions and conflicts entwine the lives of the locals. The narrative follows Eustacia Vye's tumultuous romantic choices, including her love for Damon Wildeve and Clym Yeobright.
A Socratic dialogue, authored by Plato around 375 BC, concerning justice, the order and character of the just city-state, and the just man.
Henry Fleming, a young, inexperienced soldier in the American Civil War has romantic notions of the hero he will be when he enters his first battle. Amidst the brutal realities of warfare, however, his illusions are shattered.
The Prophet (1923) follows the prophet Almustafa during his departure from the fictional city of Orphalese. As the community bids Almustafa farewell by the harbor, they petition him to share some final nuggets of wisdom from the deep well of his mind.
When young Edward VI of England and a poor boy who resembles him exchange places, each learns something about the other's very different station in life.
The Prince is an extended analysis of how to acquire and maintain political power.
The story of Frank Norris's The Pit could be taken from today's a businessman begins speculating in the commodities market on a small scale until, overcome by greed, addicted to the art of the deal, and harboring an ever-increasing appetite for power, he gambles recklessly in the market while the fortunes of farmers and small investors hang in the balance.
Oscar Wilde’s only novel is the dreamlike story of a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty.
The story of Odysseus and his adventures on his trip home from the Trojan War.
From slavery to liberation to life as an abolitionist, feminist, orator, and preacher—the autobiography of a woman who refused to be anything but free.
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is a thought-provoking novella that delves into the psychological and existential themes of alienation, identity, and the absurdity of life. It follows the bizarre transformation of Gregor Samsa into a giant insect and the impact it has on his family.
The Merchant of Venice is a play by William Shakespeare that tells the story of a merchant called Antonio and a moneylender called Shylock.
Forced to wear an iron mask, Phillippe has been imprisoned for eight years, has no knowledge of his true identity, and has not been told what crime he's committed. When the destinies of the king and Phillippe converge, the Three Musketeers and D'Artagnan find themselves caught between conflicting loyalties.
When it was published in serial form in 1905, it was a full third longer than the censored, commercial edition published in book form the following year. That expurgated commercial edition edited out much of the ethnic flavor of the original, as well as some of the goriest descriptions of the meat-packing industry and much of Sinclair's most pointed social and political commentary.
