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Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Aldous Huxley's profoundly important classic of world literature, Brave New World is a searching vision of an unequal, technologically-advanced future where humans are genetically bred, socially indoctrinated, and pharmaceutically anesthetized to passively uphold an authoritarian ruling order—all at the cost of our freedom, full humanity, and perhaps also our souls. "A genius [who] who spent his life decrying the onward march of the Machine" (The New Yorker), Huxley was a man of incomparable talents: equally an artist, a spiritual seeker, and one of history's keenest observers of human nature and civilization.
Also available in print: PR6015.U9 B65 2004
Collected Short Stories by Aldous Huxley
When Aldous Huxley's Brave New World first appeared in 1932, it presented in terms of purest fantasy a society bent on self-destruction. Few of its outraged critics anticipated the onset of another world war with its Holocaust and atomic ruin. In 1948, seeing that the probable shape of his anti-utopia had been altered inevitably by the facts of history, Huxley wrote Ape and Essence.
Dear Life by Alice Munro
In story after story in this brilliant new collection, Alice Munro pinpoints the moment a person is forever altered by a chance encounter, an action not taken, or a simple twist of fate. Her characters are flawed and fully human: a soldier returning from war and avoiding his fiancée, a wealthy woman deciding whether to confront a blackmailer, an adulterous mother and her neglected children, a guilt-ridden father, a young teacher jilted by her employer.
Selected Stories, 1968-1994 by Alice Munro
Regarded by critics and fans alike as one of the masters of English fiction, Joseph Conrad is known for novels and works of fiction such as The Heart of Darkness, Victory, and Lord Jim. The collection A Set of Six brings together a number of Conrad's shorter pieces, featuring a swashbuckling cast of characters that will appeal to fans of the action-adventure genre.
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Things Fall Apart is the first of three novels in Chinua Achebe's critically acclaimed African Trilogy. It is a classic narrative about Africa's cataclysmic encounter with Europe as it establishes a colonial presence on the continent. Told through the fictional experiences of Okonkwo, a wealthy and fearless Igbo warrior of Umuofia in the late 1800s, Things Fall Apart explores one man's futile resistance to the devaluing of his Igbo traditions by British political andreligious forces and his despair as his community capitulates to the powerful new order.
Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence
Widely regarded as D.H. Lawrence's masterpiece, Sons and Lovers is a sprawling, multi-generational look at family relationships, class dynamics, and the intimate ties with others that pull young adults toward independence. This largely autobiographical novel made Lawrence's reputation as a writer -- it's a must read for fans of classic literary fiction.
Also available in print: PR6023.A93 S6 1991
Women in Love by D.H. Lawrence
Dive into a provocative coming-of-age story that challenged the vestiges of England's Edwardian-era sexual mores. A continuation of a fictional arc that D.H. Lawrence began in a previous novel, The Rainbow, Women in Love explores the romantic entanglements and love affairs of the sisters Ursula and Gudrun Brangwen.
Stories by Doris Lessing
This major collection contains all of Doris Lessing's short fiction, other than the stories set in Africa, from the beginning of her career until now. Set in London, Paris, the south of France, the English countryside, these thirty-five stories reflect the themes that have always characterized Lessing's work: the bedrock realities of marriage and other relationships between men and women; the crisis of the individual whose very psyche is threatened by a society unattuned to its own most dangerous qualities; the fate of women.
1984 by George Orwell
In 1984, London is a grim city in the totalitarian state of Oceania where Big Brother is always watching you and the Thought Police can practically read your mind. Winston Smith is a man in grave danger for the simple reason that his memory still functions. Drawn into a forbidden love affair, Winston finds the courage to join a secret revolutionary organization called The Brotherhood, dedicated to the destruction of the Party.
Animal Farm by George Orwell
George Orwell's famous satire of the Soviet Union, in which "all animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others."
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
A great modern classic and the prelude to THE LORD OF THE RINGS
Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely traveling any farther than his pantry or cellar. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an adventure.
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell by chance into the hands of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins.
Dubliners : And Chamber Music by James Joyce
Dubliners comprises fifteen short stories, which Joyce intended should accurately reflect the life of the Irish middle class. Each story centers around the moment of epiphany, when a character suddenly understands something about themselves or their life and surroundings that they didn't understand before. The protagonists of the stories progress as a life progresses: from children to adolescents, to adults and the elderly.
A Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man by James Joyce
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is semi-autobiographical, following Joyce's fictional alter-ego through his artistic awakening. The young artist Steven Dedelus begins to rebel against the Irish Catholic dogma of his childhood and discover the great philosophers and artists. He follows his artistic calling to the continent.
Ulysses by James Joyce
James Joyce's novel Ulysses is said to be one of the most important works in Modernist literature. It details Leopold Bloom's passage through Dublin on an ordinary day: June 16, 1904. Causing controversy, obscenity trials and heated debates, Ulysses is a pioneering work that brims with puns, parodies, allusions, stream-of-consciousness writing and clever structuring. Modern Library ranked it as number one on its list of the twentieth century's 100 greatest English-language novels and Martin Amis called it one of the greatest novels ever written.
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
A European trading concern hires Marlow to pilot a boat up the Congo River in search of Kurtz—a first-class ivory agent and the manager of the company's highly profitable Inner Station—who is believed to be on his deathbed. With a handful of pilgrims as his passengers and a crew of cannibals, Marlow steams his way into the African interior. The terrifying discovery he makes at the end of his journey and the horrors he witnesses along the way have thrilled and disturbed readers for more than a century.
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Heart of Darkness is Joseph Conrad's disturbing novella recounted by the itinerant captain Marlow sent to find and bring home the shadowy and inscrutable Captain Kurtz. Marlow and his men follow a river deep into a jungle, the "Heart of Darkness" of Africa looking for Kurtz, an unhinged leader of an isolated trading station. This highly symbolic psychological drama was the founding myth for Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 movie Apocalypse Now.
Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad
Marlow narrates the story of Lord Jim, a promising young man who falls from grace, then attempts to redeem himself in Patusan, a fictional Indonesian island. His story is told entirely through the perspectives of Marlow and others who join their voices to his, and so the enigma at the centre of Jim's character and actions is never entirely resolved. Marlow also narrates Conrad's novels Heart of Darkness and Youth and Chance.
Nostromo : A Tale of the Seaboard by Joseph Conrad
Nostromo is a classic anti-hero, who lives in a fictitious mining village on the coast of a fictitious South American country. Many regard the imagined setting of the novel to be some of Conrad's finest work. The characters in the novel are also more highly-developed than those of his other novels, and were inspired by a group of mental patients Conrad had met shortly before beginning the novel.
A Set of Six by Joseph Conrad
Regarded by critics and fans alike as one of the masters of English fiction, Joseph Conrad is known for novels and works of fiction such as The Heart of Darkness, Victory, and Lord Jim. The collection A Set of Six brings together a number of Conrad's shorter pieces, featuring a swashbuckling cast of characters that will appeal to fans of the action-adventure genre.
The Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield
An afternoon at the Sheridan's garden party will be perfect. Darling Laura is doing a marvelous job negotiating with the band, workmen, cook, and florist who appears with an unexpected delivery, all without her mother's help. But, distressing news reaches the house just before lunch. A young man from one of the sordid little cottages down the lane was killed in an accident, and suddenly Laura can't imagine proceeding with the party.
Stories by Katherine Mansfield
Although Katherine Mansfield was closely associated with D.H. Lawrence and something of a rival of Virginia Woolf, her stories suggest someone writing in a different era and in a vastly different English. Her language is as transparent as clean glass, yet hovers on the edge of poetry.
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Handmaid's Tale is a novel of such power that the reader will be unable to forget its images and its forecast. Set in the near future, it describes life in what was once the United States and is now called the Republic of Gilead, a monotheocracy that has reacted to social unrest and a sharply declining birthrate by reverting to, and going beyond, the repressive intolerance of the original Puritans. The regime takes the Book of Genesis absolutely at its word, with bizarre consequences for the women and men in its population.
The Conservationist by Nadine Gordimer
Mehring is rich. He has all the privileges and possessions that South Africa has to offer, but his possessions refuse to remain objects. His wife, son, and mistress leave him; his foreman and workers become increasingly indifferent to his stewardship; even the land rises up, as drought, then flood, destroy his farm.
The Umbrella Man and Other Stories by Roald Dahl
Is it really possible to invent a machine that does the job of a writer? What is it about the landlady's house that makes it so hard for her guests to leave? Does Sir Basil Turton value most his wife or one of his priceless sculptures? These compelling tales are a perfect introduction to the adult writing of a storytelling genius.
Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
The iconic masterpiece of India that introduced the world to "a glittering novelist--one with startling imaginative and intellectual resources, a master of perpetual storytelling" (The New Yorker) WINNER OF THE BEST OF THE BOOKERS * SOON TO BE A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES Selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best novels of all time * The twenty-fifth anniversary edition, featuring a new introduction by the author Saleem Sinai is born at the stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947, the very moment of India's independence. Greeted by fireworks displays, cheering crowds, and Prime Minister Nehru himself, Saleem grows up to learn the ominous consequences of this coincidence. His every act is mirrored and magnified in events that sway the course of national affairs; his health and well-being are inextricably bound to those of his nation; his life is inseparable, at times indistinguishable, from the history of his country. Perhaps most remarkable are the telepathic powers linking him with India's 1,000 other "midnight's children," all born in that initial hour and endowed with magical gifts. This novel is at once a fascinating family saga and an astonishing evocation of a vast land and its people-a brilliant incarnation of the universal human comedy. Twenty-five years after its publication, Midnight' s Children stands apart as both an epochal work of fiction and a brilliant performance by one of the great literary voices of our time.
The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie
One of the most controversial and acclaimed novels ever written, The Satanic Verses is Salman Rushdie's best-known and most galvanizing book. Set in a modern world filled with both mayhem and miracles, the story begins with a bang: the terrorist bombing of a London-bound jet in midflight.
The Complete Poems and Plays, 1909-1950 by T. S. Eliot
"In ten years' time," wrote Edmund Wilson in Axel's Castle, "Eliot has left upon English poetry a mark more unmistakable than that of any other poet writing in English." In 1948, Eliot was awarded the Nobel Prize "for his work as a trail-blazing pioneer of modern poetry."
Select Poems by T. S. Eliot
An essential collection of classic poems by the father of modernist poetry. In the masterly cadence of T. S. Eliot's verse, the twentieth century found its definitive poetic voice, an incredible "image of its accelerated grimace," in the words of Eliot's friend and mentor Ezra Pound. This twenty-four-poem volume is a rich collection of Eliot's greatest works--including the classic "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"--all of which unveil the desires, grievances, failures, and heart of modern humanity. This collection includes "Gerontion," "Burbank with a Baedeker: Bleistein with a Cigar," "Sweeney Erect," "A Cooking Egg," "Le Directeur," "Mélange Adultère de Tout," "Lune de Miel," "The Hippopotamus," "Dans le Restaurant," "Whispers of Immortality," "Mr. Eliot's Sunday Morning Service," "Sweeney Among the Nightingales," "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," "Portrait of a Lady," "Preludes," "Rhapsody on a Windy Night," "Morning at the Window," "The Boston Evening Transcript," "Aunt Helen," "Cousin Nancy," "Mr. Apollinax," "Hysteria," "Conversation Galante," and "La Figlia Che Piange." This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
The Waste Land by T. S. Eliot
Famous for juxtaposing Eastern cultures with Western literary references, The Waste Land has been celebrated for its eloquence, depth of meaning, and numerous subtleties. Rich with allusions to the religious texts of Hinduism and Buddhism, ancient literature, and Eliot's own life, the poem continues to be admired and studied in higher education English literature courses. Quickly ascending to the status of literary classic, The Waste Land is widely considered to be Eliot's finest work, representing maturity in his style and confidence in both expression and research. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
Changed Man and Other Tales by Thomas Hardy
Dip a toe into the literary oeuvre of British novelist and poet Thomas Hardy in this well-curated collection of some of his best short stories. Hardy was famed for his ability to create characters who struggle mightily against social mores and circumstances beyond their control, and this strength shines in the finely drawn characters who populate these tales.
Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
Far from the Madding Crowd (1874) is the love story between the good shepherd Gabriel Oak and the proud heiress Bathsheba Everdene. Bathsheba scorns Gabriel's first bald proposal, and many years pass, seeing their positions in society change, as well as their relationship to each other. Bathsheba must see the tragic consequences of her easy use of others before she understands who her truest friend is.
Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy's final novel Jude the Obscure explores notions of class, religion, marriage and modernization through its protagonist Jude Fawley, a working-class man who dreams of being a scholar. Provocative and daring for its day, the book was burnt publicly by the Bishop of Wakefield when it was published in 1895.
The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy
A captivating story of love and regret from the author of Tess of the D'Urbervilles and The Return of the Native Young farm worker Michael Henchard arrives in Casterbridge, Wessex, with his wife and child, looking for a job. Instead, he finds rum. At the town fair, Henchard quarrels with his wife and drunkenly auctions her and his daughter to the assembled crowd. He sells his family to a sailor for five guineas, a monstrous crime that marks him for a lifetime of guilt and pain. The next morning, Henchard swears off drink. Eighteen years later, he is the wealthy--and sober--mayor of Casterbridge, his terrible secret buried deep in the past. But when Henchard falls in love with a young woman on a trip to the island of Jersey, his inability to marry her threatens to destroy her reputation. The sudden return of his wife and daughter presents Henchard with a chance to finally make things right--or doom himself forever. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Tess of the d'Urbervilles is a harrowing critique of social class and the powerlessness of women. Tess, a beautiful young woman, is pushed on her rich "relatives" by her grasping father. When the young Lord does with her as he likes, Tess's whole life falls into ruins from which she attempts to free herself. The novel met with mixed reviews upon publication, because it challenged the precepts of society. It is now considered a classic of English literature.
Monday or Tuesday : And Other Short Stories by Virginia Woolf
Interested in diving into the works of brilliant modernist author Virginia Woolf, but don't know where to start? Try Monday or Tuesday, a collection of eight short stories originally published in 1921. Although the collected stories contain the same keen insight and bold experimentation that made Woolf's reputation, their easy-to-digest size make them a bit easier to tackle than one of Woolf's novels, especially for newcomers to this feminist icon's body of work.
The Voyage Out by Virginia Woolf
The first novel in what would be a remarkable but tragically curtailed creative career, Virginia Woolf's The Voyage Out recounts the tale of Rachel Vinrace's literal and metaphorical journey. En route to South America on one of her father's ships, Rachel undertakes her own voyage of self-discovery as she interacts with a motley crew of passengers, through whom Woolf takes the opportunity to savagely satirize the bourgeois mores of Edwardian England.
Delphi Complete Works of Wilfred Owen by Wilfred Owen
The Delphi Poets Series offers readers the works of literature's finest poets, with superior formatting. This volume presents the complete poetical works of the beloved war poet Wilfred Owen, with beautiful illustrations and the usual Delphi bonus material.
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
At the dawn of the next world war, a plane crashes on an uncharted island, stranding a group of schoolboys. At first, with no adult supervision, their freedom is something to celebrate. This far from civilization they can do anything they want. Anything. But as order collapses, as strange howls echo in the night, as terror begins its reign, the hope of adventure seems as far removed from reality as the hope of being rescued.
Swing Time by Zadie Smith
An ambitious, exuberant new novel moving from North West London to West Africa, from the multi-award-winning author of White Teeth and On Beauty.
Two brown girls dream of being dancers—but only one, Tracey, has talent. The other has ideas: about rhythm and time, about black bodies and black music, what constitutes a tribe, or makes a person truly free. It's a close but complicated childhood friendship that ends abruptly in their early twenties, never to be revisited, but never quite forgotten, either.
White Teeth by Zadie Smith
Zadie Smith's dazzling debut caught critics grasping for comparisons and deciding on everyone from Charles Dickens to Salman Rushdie to John Irving and Martin Amis. But the truth is that Zadie Smith's voice is remarkably, fluently, and altogether wonderfully her own.