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In this spirited comedy of manners Catherine Morland, a plain, unspoiled small-town girl on holiday in Bath, meets and falls in love with Henry Tilney, a handsome young clergyman. Henry's father, believing Catherine to be wealthy, invites her to be a guest at Northanger Abby, the family's country estate. Catherine, who has read too many Gothic romances and who is possessed of too vivid an imagination, views the abbey as a house of nightmarish horror — an aspect of the book that gleefully parodies the fantastic Gothic romances by Ann Radcliffe and other popular writers of the period. An amusing assortment of misunderstandings and plot twists result in the satisfying romantic conclusion characteristic of the author’s works.First written in 1789-99, when Austen was in her early twenties, this novel, like Persuasion, did not see publication till 1818, in the winter after the author's death. Distinguished by its satirical wit, brilliant comedy, and complex but subtle views of human nature and morality, the book also presents a fine background picture of middle-class life in nineteenth-century England, with particularly good scenes in Bath, the fashionable watering place to which Austen's father, a clergyman himself, had retired. Northanger Abbey is a must-read for all Austen fans and students of English literature.

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Test? Paper? Class discussion? Don't worry, we have you covered. This book has everything you need.<BR>Not only does it feature the complete text of <I>Much Ado About Nothing</I>, it offers a comprehensive study guide that will easily help you understand Shakespeare's classic drama.<BR>You'll make the grade with:<BR>&#8226; Complete and unabridged text<BR>&#8226; Scene-by-scene summaries<BR>&#8226; Explanations and discussions of the plot<BR>&#8226; Question-and-answer sections<BR>&#8226; Shakespeare biography<BR>&#8226; List of characters and more

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Everything You Need To Make The Grade<BR>Test? Paper? Class discussion? Don't worry, we have you covered. This book has everything you need.<BR>Not only does it feature the complete text of <I>The Merchant of Venice</I>, it offers a comprehensive study guide that will easily help you understand Shakespeare's classic drama.<BR>You'll make the grade with:<BR>&#8226; Complete and unabridged text<BR>&#8226; Scene-by-scene summaries<BR>&#8226; Explanations and discussions of the plot<BR>&#8226; Question-and-answer sections<BR>&#8226; Shakespeare biography<BR>&#8226; List of characters and more

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Stolen from the forehead of a Hindu idol, the dazzling gem known as «The Moonstone» resurfaces at a birthday party in an English country home &#8212; with an enigmatic trio of watchful Brahmins hot on its trail. Laced with superstitions, suspicion, humor, and romance, this 1868 mystery draws readers into a compelling tale with twists and turns ranging from sleepwalking to experimentation with opium. The suspense and drama is heightened as the narrative passes from one colorful character to the next. Wilkie Collins' masterpiece is particularly distinguished by the appearance of Sergeant Cuff, a prototype of the English detective hero and the harbinger of a popular tradition of sleuthing.

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First published serially in 1840&#8211;41 in Dickens' own magazine, Master Humphrey's Clock, and in book form in 1841, The Old Curiosity Shop was an immediate popular success. The heart-wrenching story of Little Nell and her doting grandfather offered a rich amalgam of misery and malice, goodness and generosity, love and loyalty &#8212; all with a pervading veneer of sentimentality that greatly appealed to Victorian readers.As the story opens up, Nell and her grandfather are living behind his curiosity shop, which brings in barely a pittance. To improve Nell's prospects, her grandfather gambles at night and is soon in debt to the evil dwarf Quilp. When Quilp takes over the shop, Nell and her aged guardian abandon their home and roam the countryside, where they meet up with a diverse and vivid collection of wandering entertainers and traveling shows, jovial innkeepers, clerics, schoolmasters, and sharp-eyed con men. Relentlessly pursued by the avaricious Quilp, the two struggle to survive in a hostile world that often turns a cold shoulder, but nevertheless also includes people who treat them with kindness and compassion.The book has much to recommend it&#8212;it features a wonderfully picturesque cast of characters drawn with typical Dickensian flair, while the mean streets of Victorian London and the rustic charms of the English countryside are recreated in loving detail. Above all, the book offers a rich human drama of courage and perseverance in the face of adversity. Generations of readers have applauded Nell and the other plucky underdogs of the story as they oppose the vile and miserable actions of the evil and uncaring.

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Two pairs of young lovers fall asleep in an ancient Athenian forest and wake to find themselves in the middle of a good deed gone wrong. A Midsummer Night's Dream conjures up a fairyland inhabited by well-intentioned sprites whose magic leads to farcical confusion. The mirthful tangle of mistaken identities and misplaced affections develops and resolves in the glorious poetry of England's greatest playwright.Shakespeare's fantastical comedy has enchanted audiences since its debut in the twilight years of the sixteenth century. A definitive survey, this Dover Thrift Study Edition offers the drama's complete and unabridged text, plus a comprehensive study guide. Created to help readers gain a thorough understanding of the content and context of A Midsummer Night's Dream, the guide includes: &#8226; Scene-by-scene summaries&#8226; Explanations and discussions of the plot&#8226; Question-and-answer sections&#8226; Shakespeare biography&#8226; List of characters and more

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A shining star of the Harlem Renaissance movement, Langston Hughes is one of modern literature's most revered African-American authors. Although best known for his poetry, Hughes produced in Not Without Laughter a powerful and pioneering classic novel.This stirring coming-of-age tale unfolds in 1930s rural Kansas. A poignant portrait of African-American family life in the early twentieth century, it follows the story of young Sandy Rogers as he grows from a boy to a man. We meet Sandy's mother, Annjee, who works as a housekeeper for a wealthy white family; his strong-willed grandmother, Hager; Jimboy, Sandy's father, who travels the country looking for work; Aunt Tempy, the social climber; and Aunt Harriet, the blues singer who has turned away from her faith.A fascinating chronicle of a family's joys and hardships, Not Without Laughter is a vivid exploration of growing up and growing strong in a racially divided society. A rich and important work, it masterfully echoes the black American experience.

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The French author Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) was a master of the short story, creating detailed character studies and brief but moving dramas well suited to the genre.The nine stories in this collection provide a vivid portrait gallery of his typical subjects &#8212; from simple peasants and prostitutes to soldiers, government clerks, and provincial bourgeois. Brilliantly naturalistic, these short works also reveal Maupassant's ability to observe the innumerable details of everyday life and reproduce them artfully and accurately, often with a caustic sense of humor.His literary talents are amply displayed in this volume, which includes these memorable tales: «Ball-of-Fat,» regarded by many as technically one of the finest short stories ever written, «The Necklace,» «A Piece of String,» «Mme. Tellier's Establishment,» «Mademoiselle Fifi,» «Miss Harriet,» «A Way to Wealth,» «My Uncle Jules,» and «The Horla.»

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A stowaway aboard the New England whaler Grampus, young Arthur Gordon Pym finds himself an unwilling passenger on an extraordinary voyage. Edgar Allan Poe's only novel, first published in 1838, recounts the incredible adventures and discoveries of Pym and his companions as they overcome violent mutineers, are set adrift in an open boat, encounter a corpse-ridden ghost ship, cannibals, and huge polar bears as they approach the icy barriers of the South Pole.An important influence on the works of Herman Melville, Jules Verne, and others, this engrossing tale &#8212; described by internationally acclaimed author Jorge Luis Borges as «Poe's greatest work» &#8212; will appeal to admirers of Poe and maritime enthusiasts alike.

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This excellent prose translation of Homer's epic poem of the 9th century BC recounts one of Western civilization's most glorious tales, a treasury of Greek folklore and myth that maintains an ageless appeal for modern readers. A cornerstone of Western literature, The Odyssey narrates the path of a fascinatingly complex hero through a world of wonders and danger-filled adventure.After ten bloody years of fighting in the Trojan War, the intrepid Odysseus heads homeward, little imagining that it will take another ten years of desperate struggle to reclaim his kingdom and family. The wily hero circumvents the wrath of the sea god Poseidon and triumphs over an incredible array of obstacles, assisted by his patron goddess Athene and his own prodigious guile. From a literal descent into Hell to interrogate a dead prophet to a sojourn in the earthly paradise of the Lotus-eaters, the gripping narrative traverses the mythological world of ancient Greece to introduce an unforgettable cast of characters: one-eyed giants known as Cyclopses, the enchantress Circe, cannibals, sirens, the twin perils of Scylla and Charybdis, and a fantastic assortment of other creatures.Remarkably modern in its skillful use of flashbacks and parallel line of action, Homer's monumental work is now available in this inexpensive, high-quality edition sure to be prized by students, teachers, and all who love the great myths and legends of the ancient world.A selection of the Common Core State Standards Initiative.

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