LITMIR.BIZ

One of Sir Walter Scott’s most popular and influential works, “Ivanhoe” is the story of one of the last remaining Saxon noble families. At the beginning of the novel we find its titular character, Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe, who has been disinherited by his father for his allegiance to the Norman king, Richard the Lionheart, and for falling in love with the Lady Rowena, returning from the Third Crusade. Wilfred’s father, Cedric, had planned to marry Lady Rowena to the powerful Lord Athelstane, in order to bolster the position of the Saxon nobility, whose power is being surpassed by the Normans. Wilfred is coaxed into participation in a tournament attended by Lady Rowena with whom he hopes to reunite. He quickly finds himself embroiled in a power struggle between Prince John, who oversees the tournament and is scheming with the help of knights of the Templar Order to control the throne, and the noble and rightful King Richard. “Ivanhoe”, which provides us with one of the most popular literary depictions of Robin Hood and his merry men, is a classic tale of the middle ages, filled with chivalry, adventure, and romance. This edition is illustrated by Milo Winter and includes an introduction by Porter Lander MacClintock and a biographical afterword.

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First published in 1903, “The Story of King Arthur and His Knights” is Howard Pyle’s brilliantly illustrated book which chronicles some of the major episodes of the legend of King Arthur. The tales of England’s mythological first king are told over a series of two books in this volume. In the first book, “The Book of King Arthur”, Pyle relates how a young King Arthur wins the throne by pulling the sword from the stone, wins the magical sword Excalibur by following the instructions of the Lady of the Lake, and wins the heart of Lady Guinevere. In the second book, “The Book of Three Worthies”, the stories of Merlin, Sir Pellias, and Sir Gawaine are told. Widely regarded as one of the greatest illustrators of the 20th century, Howard Pyle’s beautiful artwork is on full display in this classic retelling of Arthurian Legend. This edition includes all of the illustrations included in the original edition and a biographical afterword.

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First published in 1913, “Pollyanna” is Eleanor H. Porter’s popular tale of youthful exuberance that has been cherished by young readers ever since its first publication. A classic of children’s literature, “Pollyanna”, is the story of its titular character, Pollyanna Whittier, a young orphaned girl who moves to the fictional town of Beldingsville, Vermont, to live with her cold and stern spinster Aunt Polly. Pollyanna’s aunt is not keen towards the idea of having to take her in but does so anyway out of a sense of duty to her late sister, Pollyanna’s mother. Pollyanna’s eternal optimism arises out of a game she would play with her father in which they would try to find the good in all situations. Her sunny disposition soon begins to infect the otherwise dispirited New England town which she know calls home, transforming it into an increasingly pleasant place to live. However when tragedy strikes she is finally challenged with a situation in which she cannot be happy about and the townsfolk are called to rally to her side to help her regain her positive outlook on life. This edition includes a biographical afterword.

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First published in “McClure’s Magazine” between December of 1901 and October of 1901, “Kim” is the story of Kim (Kimball) O’Hara, the orphaned son of a British soldier. Set against the backdrop of “The Great Game” a political conflict between Russia and Great Britain in central Asia, the novel traces the life of the title character from begging and errand running on the streets of Lahore to his schooling at a top English school in Lucknow, where he is trained in espionage, and ultimately to a government appointment where he himself gets to play in “The Great Game.” Set between the second and third Afghan War, “Kim” presents a vivid portrait of 19th century India. Considered by many as Kipling’s masterpiece, “Kim” is a classic novel of espionage and adventure which helped bring popular attention to the political and diplomatic confrontation between the British Empire and the Russian Empire in Central and Southern Asia at the end of the 19th century. This edition includes an introduction by A. L. Rowse and a biographical afterword.

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First published serially in “The Atlantic Monthly” between 1880 and 1881, Henry James’ “The Portrait of a Lady” is widely regarded as one of the author’s finest literary achievements. As is common with James’ work a contrast is drawn between the cultural and social differences between America and Europe through the portrayal of American expatriates in Europe. The titular lady in question is that of Isabel Archer, a spirited young American woman who inherits a large sum of money and subsequently falls prey to the machinations of individuals trying to gain control of her fortune. The fiercely independent Isabel is set upon fully enjoying her fortune by travelling the European continent. While she had previously rejected two marriage proposals she is taken with an American expatriate, Gilbert Osmond, while visiting Florence, and decides to accept his matrimonial offer. Marital bliss quickly turns to unhappiness when the two settle in Rome and Isabel realizes Gilbert’s overwhelming egotism and lack of genuine affection for her. One of James’ most enduringly popular works “The Portrait of a Lady” is heralded as a classic of the modern era. This edition includes an introduction by Charles R. Anderson and a biographical afterword.

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First published in “Cornhill Magazine” in 1878, “Daisy Miller” is Henry James’ novella which concerns the courtship of its titular character, the beautiful young American girl Daisy Miller. While travelling in Europe with her family, Daisy is taken by the delightfulness of the continent, which unlike her brother, she finds superior to their hometown of Schenectady, New York. Her brother introduces her to Frederick Winterbourne, whom she agrees to visit the Château de Chillon with, drawing the disapproval of her family. Daisy further rejects the social conventions of the American expatriate community as she becomes increasingly intimate with Giovanelli, a young Italian of a lower class. Through the portrayal of Daisy, James seeks to contrast the differing attitudes of Europeans and Americans at the end of the 19th century, a theme he would revisit throughout his literary career. “Daisy Miller” was Henry James’ first real literary success, one which would bring him immediate and widespread popularity, and which remains to this day as one of his most popular works. This edition includes an introduction by Martin W. Sampson and a biographical afterword.

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Set in the fictional town of Casterbridge, “The Mayor of Casterbridge” is Thomas Hardy’s tragic story of Michael Henchard, who over indulges in alcohol at a country fair and decides to auction off his wife and daughter to a sailor. When he recovers his sobriety, Mr. Henchard realizes his mistake, but it is too late to get his family back. Devastated by his impetuous actions he decides not to touch alcohol again for the next twenty-one years. The novel advances eighteen years to find the tee-totaling Henchard as the Mayor of Casterbridge and a successful grain merchant. When his wife and daughter return to town a precipitous decline in Henchard’s fortune is set in motion. One of Hardy’s Wessex novels, “The Mayor of Casterbridge” is a classic story of the terrible consequences of rash decisions that can be made under the influence of too much alcohol. This edition includes an introduction by Joyce Kilmer and a biographical afterword.

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Written in the middle of the 14th century as the Bubonic Plague decimated the population of Europe, “The Decameron” is a satirical and allegorical collection of stories by Italian author Giovanni Boccaccio. Constructed as a series of “frame stories,” or stories within a story, the narrative follows seven young women and three young men who take refuge in a secluded villa outside Florence in order to escape the Black Death. During ten evenings of their stay, each of travelers takes turns as storyteller to pass the time. Their stories relate tales of love, both happy and tragic, examples of the power of fortune and human will, and exhibitions of virtue, cleverness, and trickery. Boccaccio’s work is not only important for its superb literary quality but for its examination of the changing cultural values that defined the transition from medieval times into the renaissance. The virtues of intelligence and sophistication of the increasingly urbanized and mercantilist Europe are shown as superior to the relative simplicity and piousness of the feudal system. More than the sum of its parts, “The Decameron” is a milestone in the history of European literature, an influential and enduring masterpiece. This edition is translated with an introduction by J. M. Rigg.

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First serialized in “The Century Magazine” between 1893 and 1894, Mark Twain’s “Pudd’nhead Wilson” is a murder mystery set before the American Civil War in Missouri, more specifically, in a town on the banks of the Mississippi River. During infancy, a light-skinned black baby and a white-skinned baby were switched at birth by a slave mother. Because the black baby grows up thinking he is white, he is highly racist toward his slaves. The white baby, who thinks he is a slave, grows up with no guidance and makes a living stealing, drinking, and doing other immoral things. During a murder trial, the town lawyer Puddn’head Wilson, who is seen as a peculiar fellow by the townsfolk, is able to expose the boys’ true identities. “Puddn’head Wilson” is a story carried by themes of racism, Southern customs, and questions of identity. On the surface it is a witty and satirical tale but as one digs deeper a biting social commentary of racial inequality can be found. This edition includes a biographical afterword.

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“Billy Budd” is the final work of American author Herman Melville which was discovered amongst his papers three decades after his death and first published in Raymond Weaver’s 1924 edition of “The Collected Works of Melville.” The emergence of that collection as well as Weaver’s 1921 biography, “Herman Melville: Man, Mariner and Mystic”, sparked a revival of interest in the forgotten writer. Despite the complex and incomplete nature of the manuscript excitement arose around this “new” Melville work when it was first discovered. The novel is concerned with its titular character, Billy Budd, a navy sailor accused of mutiny by a fellow officer, who immediately strikes his accuser dead, followed quickly by a trial, conviction and execution. The story stemmed from Melville’s interest in an 1888 article called “The Mutiny on the Somers,” concerning three sailors who in 1842 had been convicted of mutiny. Presented here in this volume is Weaver’s original 1924 edition, a first of many attempts to piece together and refine the sometimes illegible text, which included questionable additions and omissions made by Melville’s wife after his death. This edition includes the often omitted “Daniel Orme” chapter and a biographical afterword.

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