Moby-Dick; or, The Whale (1851) is a novel by Herman Melville considered an outstanding work of Romanticism and the American Renaissance. Ishmael narrates the monomaniacal quest of Ahab, captain of the whaler Pequod, for revenge on Moby Dick, a white whale which on a previous voyage destroyed Ahab's ship and severed his leg at the knee. Although the novel was a commercial failure and out of print at the time of the author's death in 1891, its reputation as a Great American Novel grew during the twentieth century.
Maria, or The Wrongs of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft is a feminist novel set in 18th century England at a time when women were just mere assets to men. Having woken up in the wrong marriage, Maria tries to escape her husband, and instead is imprisoned in an asylum. There she meets warden Jemima, a woman abused as a child, and fellow inmate Henry Darnford, sane but living a chaotic life. Maria ends up falling in love with Henry preparing us for an open ending with many twists and turns.
Forced to move from the traditional south of England to the north to the industrialized Milton, Margaret Hale slowly but steadily learns the new ways of Victorian society. At first, she resents the town and its people. However, as time goes on, she gets more and more involved defending the working class and standing by them in their was against mill owner John Thornton, a member of the New Rich. Soon, the arguments between Margaret and John take an unusual turn.
Read the original adventures in Neverland! Join Peter, Wendy and all of the Lost Boys for J.M. Barrie's original adventure in Neverland.
Omoo is basically a fiction-driven adventure novel based on Herman Melville’s South Pacific seamanship experience. The novel is a sequel to Typee; this time, the action is set on the remote islands of Tahiti and includes mutiny, recruiting new members, facing cannibalistic local tribes and handling the mutineers. How will the story end?
Michael O’Halloran is the charming Gene Stratton-Porter novel of an orphaned newspaper seller who asks nothing of the world except to "be square". The book presents a vivid description of American life in 1914 and, though the characters suffer many hardships, the overall tone is so upbeat that it's easy to see why this book outsold "Pollyanna" in 1916. Stratton-Porter's skill as a naturalist make the country scenes especially vibrant. Her ear for dialog is unsurpassed showing the reader that, if life in America wasn't like this, it should have been. Readers of this book will be led to wonder if children and adults did speak this nicely to each other once upon a time, and if the world would be a better place if everyone could just "be square".
This is the story of Vasili Andreevich and his servant Nikita, trapped for the night in a snowdrift, struggling to survive against the gathering intensity of a storm.
After the death of his family at just five years of age, Louis de Conte is sent to a small village to live with a priest. There he meets Joan of Arc, a young peasant girl who would change French history forever. Enchanted by Joan, Louis de Conte becomes her servant and also her biographer.
This is the story of an orphan, Oliver, who endures a miserable existence in a poor house. He escapes and flees to London where he joins a gang of pick pockets.
Claude tries to escapes from his family firm grasp who want him pious and working at their family farm in Nebraska. He marries in his attempt to escape only to realize that his wife is not interested at all in him. That’s when another opportunity arises: going overseas and fight for the American army in World War One.
Moll Flanders tells the story of a woman's humble criminal beginnings to her transformation into a wife of a Virginia plantation owner. Daniel Defoe's tale is a vivid and entertaining novel.
This is the tale of young lonely girl who desperately wishes for a relationship with her absent father. When he finally returns after 15 years, Mathilda finds that his interest in her is beyond tragic. This novella is a perfect example of the period of Romantic literature and is filled with obsession, betrayal and crushing sadness.
Northanger Abbey was Jane Austen's first novel and tells the story of the romantic, yet sometimes silly, Catherine who travels to Bath and lets her imagination run away with her. Filled with the wit and complexity that Austen is famous for, this is a classic romantic novel.
Monday or Tuesday is a collection of eight stories crafted beautifully by Virginia Wolf. In all eight stories, the reader can witness ordinary people with extraordinary feelings that shape their mundane everyday life.
David Innes left some matters unsolved after his first adventure in Pellucidar – the fantastic world underneath Earth’s crust – and now he is ready to face them and set things right. So he returns to Pellucidar, tries to map the new world and save his lost companions in the process. Will the Mahar stop him? Will the Human Race from the interior be ever free?
First published as part of his eight-volume series “Celebrated Crimes” (1839 – 1840), this novel recounts the fascinating story of Mary Queen of Scots from her early childhood to her abdication, exile in England, and subsequent execution.
The Fernalds are scattered all across the land. So the elderly must face yet another lonely Christmas. But a son of theirs has other plans. He wants to bring them all together for Christmas and bring joy in their parent’s dull lives. How will he succeed?
Mark Twain's Speeches have delighted audiences for over one hundred years. Filled with wit and wry observation, these speeches are enjoyable to read and excellent examples of the way to entertain and persuade a crowd.
An interesting, semi-autobiographical novel, this is the story about a struggling young writer who thirsts for knowledge, self-improvement, and to join the upper ranks of the intelligent and cultured within his society.
Fanny Price is a young little lady who has the unique opportunity to escape her modest upbringing and live a wealthy life with her aunt and four cousins. She quickly finds out however that status isn’t everything. When Henry and Mary Crawford arrive at Mansfield Park, she starts to question the English aristocratic morality. What will she choose: a life of wealth or a life of happiness?
G. K. Chesterton's "Manalive" is the story of Innocent Smith, who upon arrival at Beacon House, a London boarding establishment, breathes new life into the residents of the establishment with his games and antics. However it is soon discovered that Smith is a suspected criminal who is to be brought up on charges of burglary, desertion of a spouse, polygamy, and attempted murder. The second half of the book deals with Smith's trial in which rather curious and hilarious explanations are given for the charges against Smith. In this funny and delightful story, Chesterton explores the idea of the 'holy fool', a popular theme in Chesterton's work that also notably is seen in Dostoyevsky's "The Idiot" and Cervantes' "Don Quixote".
When a young woman comes to Montana expecting to marry a cowboy and live happily ever after, she discovers the frontier has more surprises than just the weather. Based on the life of author B.M. Bower, this novel tells of one woman's journey to revise her romanticization of the west and make a life for herself despite an alcoholic husband and a lonely existence on the ranch.
Published in 1888, Looking Backward is the story of a young 19th-century American who wakes up in the eve of the 21st century, in the year 2000. Guided by Dr. Leete, Julian finds out all there is to know about this new utopian society marveling at the invention of credit cards and ‘cable telephone.’
When a young sailor's courage is tested for the first time, he fails and condemns himself for the rest of his life. Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad is a tragic tale of a man's quest to redeem his fast and the crushing weight of guilt. This novel is a masterpiece of character exploration and powerful storytelling.
When a poor young boy saves an heiress' life, her father sends him to school where he studies the law. Years later, he returns to help the friends from his old life and wonders what has happened to the girl he once saved. When he finds her in danger again, he has the chance to find both love and happiness, but will he take the chance?
