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Originally published in serial format in “The Egoist” between 1914 and 1915, “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man,” is the semi-autobiographical portrayal of James Joyce’s early upbringing as an Irish Catholic in late 19th century and early 20th century Dublin. The novel was originally planned as a 63-chapter autobiographical novel in a realistic style entitled “Stephen Hero” however Joyce reworked the novel into five condensed chapters, dispensing with the strict realism which he originally planned in favor of the use of free indirect speech, a narrative style which allows the reader to peer into the developing mind of the protagonist. At the center of the novel is Stephen Dedalus, whose life, based on Joyce’s own experiences, is depicted from its various stages starting in childhood and moving through early adulthood. The language of the novel changes throughout the book to correspond with the artistic development of Stephen Dedalus as he ages and matures. “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” is a masterful depiction of the process of self-discovery and rebellion against authority that is indicative of youth, one which would establish Joyce as a central figure of the modernist literary movement. This edition includes an introduction by Fallon Evans and a biographical afterword.

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One of the most loved science fiction novels of all time, H. G. Wells’s “The Time Machine” is a novel that crafts a vivid and haunting picture of an earth some 800,000 years into the future. First published in 1895, it was one of the first novels to deal with the concept of time travel and due to its popularity has come to be regarded as one of the most impactful works on the development of the science fiction genre. “The Time Machine” was written at the beginning of a period of great technological advancement and it is evident in the author’s writings that this was an area of serious concern for him. Due to the author’s political leanings towards Socialism, he was highly skeptical of the value of technological developments in advancing the interests of society as a whole. The author poses the question within the framework of the novel: will technology ever go too far? The future world of the Eloi depicted within the novel warns of the dangerous consequences of unchecked technological advancements in a compelling, provocative, and timeless way. This edition includes a biographical afterword.

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First published in 1864, “Journey to the Center of the Earth” is Jules Verne’s classic tale of adventure, one of the earliest examples of science fiction. When German professor Otto Liedenbrock finds a coded message in an original runic manuscript of Snorri Sturluson’s Icelandic saga, “Heimskringla,” he discovers what he believes to be a secret passage to the center of the Earth. Professor Liedenbrock, who has long hypothesized that there are volcanic tubes which descend deep into the Earth, embarks immediately for Iceland on a journey of scientific discovery to prove his belief. Along with his reluctant nephew, Alex, and Icelandic guide Hans Bjelke, whom they have hired, the three descend into the bowels of a volcanic crater. A dangerous journey awaits them as they attempt to travel to the center of the Earth. Following a subterranean river to a vast ocean, which they traverse on a raft, they ultimately discover a world filled with prehistoric plants and animals. “Journey to the Center of the Earth” has captivated readers for generations, and remains to this day as one the most fantastical tales ever told. This edition follows the translation of Frederic Amadeus Malleson.

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The title of this novel is a combination of two Sanskrit words, “siddha,” which is defined as “achieved,” and “artha” which is defined as “meaning” or “wealth.” The word serves as the name for the principal character, a man on a spiritual journey of self-discovery during the time of the first Buddha. Siddhartha is the son of a wealthy Brahmin family who decides to leave his home in the hopes of gaining spiritual illumination. Siddhartha is joined by his best friend Govinda. The two renounce their earthly possessions, engage in ritual fasting and intense meditation and ultimately seek out and speak with Gautama, the original Buddha. Here the two go their separate ways, Govinda joining the order of the Buddha, Siddhartha traveling on in search of spiritual enlightenment. In order to complete this novel Hesse immersed himself in the sacred teachings of both Hindu and Buddhist scriptures and lived a semi-reclusive life in order to achieve his own spiritual enlightenment. Considered one of Hesse’s most important works, “Siddhartha” remains to this day as one of his most popular. It is a work that deals with the quest that we all undertake in some way or another, to define our lives in an environment of conflicting dualities and ultimately find spiritual awareness. This edition includes a biographical afterword.

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Set in the fictional industrial town of Milton in the North of England, “North and South” is Elizabeth Gaskell’s 1855 novel that contrasts the different ways of life in the two respective regions of England. In the North the emerging industrialized society is sharply contrasted with the aging gentry of the agrarian based South. The plot of “North and South” centers around the main character Margaret Hale, the daughter of a non-conformist minister who moves his family to an industrial town in the North after a split from the Church of England. Here the impact of the industrial revolution can be fully seen as tensions between workers and employers over poor working conditions and the growing divide between the rich industrialists and poor factory workers escalate into violent conflict. Originally serialized between September 1854 and January 1855 in Charles Dickens’s “Household Words”, “North and South” was one of the first and most important social novels to address the changes brought about by the industrial revolution in England. This edition includes an introduction by Adolphus William Ward and a biographical afterword.

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A classic coming of age story, “Jane Eyre” is the tale of its title character, a poor orphaned girl who comes to live with her aunt at Gateshead Hall. While there she endures great emotional and physical abuse at the hands of her aunt and cousins. Jane subsequently ships off to Lowood, a Christian boarding school for poor and orphaned girls. The conditions at the school are quite brutal. The students are subjected to cold lodgings, poor food, inadequate clothing, and the harsh rule of the administrator, Mr. Brocklehurst. The maltreatment of the students is eventually discovered and after some changes life becomes more bearable. She eventually finishes her coursework and spends a period of time as a teacher at the school. After leaving Lowood she gains a position as a governess at Thornfield Hall working for Edward Rochester, a man whom she will eventually fall in love with. “Jane Eyre” is the story of one woman’s struggle to overcome adversity. The novel was revolutionary in its day for its examination of the internal conflict of its protagonist and for the way in which it addressed the themes of class, sexuality, and religion in the mid 19th century. This edition includes an introduction by Mary Augusta Ward and a biographical afterword.

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First published in 1843, “A Christmas Carol” is arguably Dickens’s most popular and accessible work. An instant success ever since its original publication, it is the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a cold, bitter, old miser who despises Christmas and everything about it. When the ghost of Scrooge’s former business partner, Jacob Marley, visits him on Christmas Eve exactly seven years after his death, Scrooge is challenged to rethink his ways before it is too late. Over the course of the evening he is visited by three more spirits, the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Yet to Come. These visits help Scrooge to see the error in his ways transforming him by the end of the story into a kinder and gentler soul. Inspired by his experiences as a child, Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol” highlights the plight of the lower class in 19th century England through an enduring and ultimately heart-warming tale. This edition includes an introduction by Hall Caine, a biographical afterword, and is illustrated by Arthur Rackham.

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First published in French as a serial between September 1909 and January 1910, “The Phantom of the Opera” is a riveting story that revolves around its young Swedish protagonist, Christine Daaé, a chorus girl at the Paris Opera House. After a time at the opera house, Christine begins hearing the voice of the phantom, who teaches her how to sing beautifully, bringing her great acclaim. The voice is in actuality a man named Erik, though not his real name, who lives in its cellars and has fallen in love with the beautiful young woman. When Christine is reunited with her childhood friend Raoul, the Vicomte de Chagny, the two begin to fall in love which enrages a violent jealousy in Erik. What follows is a classically tragic tale of an impossible love. A remarkable piece of gothic horror “The Phantom of the Opera” has been forever immortalized in the adaptations of both stage and screen which it has inspired.

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First published anonymously in 1912, “The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man” is James Weldon’s Johnson fictional account of a young biracial man living in America during the second half of the 19th century and early part of the 20th century. The so-called “Ex-Colored” man makes his living as a jazz pianist playing ragtime music at a popular New York club. It is here that he catches the attention of a wealthy white gentleman who takes a curious interest in him and employs him to play at his parties. While he becomes friends with the man a feeling of subservience reminiscent of slavery prompts him to part ways. He travels to the south where he intends to work on his music in an attempt to glorify the artistry of his race. After witnessing a terribly horrific lynching he abandons his desire to embrace his black heritage opting instead to “pass” as a white man. “The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man” masterfully explores the complexity of race relations between whites and blacks in America and the search for racial identity by one of mixed ethnicity. Through the experiences of its unnamed protagonist the issues of class, race, and discrimination are discussed with an openness uncommon to literature of the time, and which would establish it as a pivotal work of the Harlem Renaissance.

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First published in 1913, “O Pioneers!” is the first novel in Willa Cather’s “Great Plains” trilogy. Followed by “The Song of the Lark” in 1915 and “My Ántonia” in 1918, “O Pioneers!” introduces us to the Bergsons, a family of Swedish-American immigrants who live in the fictional farm town of Hanover, Nebraska at the beginning of the 20th century. The story centers on the life of Alexandra Bergson, who inherits the family farm with her mother and three brothers when her father dies. Many years of crop failures force the Bergson’s neighbors to give up and sell their farms, something that Alexandra’s brothers Oscar and Lou wish to do but which Alexandra and her mother are unwilling to do. Instead Alexandra convinces the family to mortgage their homestead in order to buy up the surrounding acreage. Amidst the backdrop of managing the farm there develops two romantic relationships in the novel, one between Alexandra and her childhood friend Carl Linstrum, who returns after many years away, and another between Alexandra’s youngest brother, Emil, and the unhappily married Marie Shabata. “O Pioneers!” is a classic portrayal of the struggles of immigrants in the great plains of America, a story of success in the face of hardship, and the growth of a young woman along the way. This edition includes a biographical afterword.

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