LITMIR.BIZ

The beginning of Shakespeare's 'First Tetralogy,' which includes two other plays about King Henry VI and one on Richard III, it is so named because it was written in 1588, among some of the Bard's earliest works. This first history play in the cycle commences just after the death of Henry V, when England is at war with France. Across the Channel, Sir John Talbot battles Joan of Arc, or 'La Pucelle,' while the dissention that leads to the War of the Roses begins in England. Full of political and military machinations, «Henry VI, Part I» provides a solid introduction to this king's reign, as well as a segue to the remainder of his rule as depicted by Shakespeare's sequential plays.

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Benjamin Jonson (1572-1637) was a Renaissance dramatist, poet and actor, known best for his satirical plays and lyric poems. His career began in 1597 when he held a fixed engagement in «The Admiral's Men», and although he was unsuccessful as an actor, his literary talent was apparent and he began writing original plays for the troupe. Although Jonson attained a long and thriving career, the majority of his major works for which he is revered were produced between 1605 and 1620. In his declining years he produced a number of works dubbed by Dryden as his «dotages,» and although less popular than his earlier plays, they remain significant for their portrayal of Charles I's England. His final comedy, «The Magnetic Lady, or Humours Reconciled,» tells the story of a chaotic but revealing dinner party, with the wealthy Lady Loadstone, her attractive young niece, Placentia Steel, a group of amorous but foolish suitors, and a few out of control female servants.

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James Oliver Curwood (1878-1927) was an American novelist and conservationist. He studied English and journalism in his youth, and eventually saved enough money to travel to the Canadian northwest. This trip would provide inspiration for his wilderness adventure stories. By 1922, Curwood was such a success that he used his new wealth to build an 18th century French chateau in Owosso, Michigan, which remains today as a museum. «Baree, Son of Kazan» is one of over 30 works in Curwood's oeuvre, and is the sequel to his popular novel, «Kazan», about a half dog, half wolf who must survive the wilderness with his she-wolf mate. Baree's tale is one of survival as well, after he is separated from his parents as a young pup. He finds himself cared for by Nepeese, the daughter of a trapper, and a lifelong friendship ensues. This successful story is one of many that made Curwood, at one point, the highest paid author in the world.

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A Venetian adventurer, author, and lifelong womanizer, the name of Casanova has become interchangeable with the art of seduction since the 18th century. In his most notable book, «Story of My Life,» Casanova narrates countless tales of the people with whom he interacted: lovers, European royalty, clergymen, and artists such as Goethe, Voltaire, and Mozart. His writing demonstrates his talent for dialogue, while his life seems an inadvertent testament to skill in plot development. Casanova gambled, spied, translated, dueled, schemed, traveled, and observed people of all levels of society, having been born of two actors and becoming a self-made gentleman. He writes of his life without regret, recalling his adventures, from necromancy to imprisonment, with general honesty and the occasional embellishment, and always with a good humor. In this remarkable celebration of the senses, Casanova proves his talent for storytelling by revealing a refreshingly authentic view of the customs and everyday life of social 18th century Europeans, ultimately proving his claim that «I can say I have lived.» In this edition you will find the eigth of twelve volumes of «The Complete Memoirs.»

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"The Cherry Orchard" was the last play written by Anton Chekhov and is widely regarded as one of his greatest dramatic accomplishments. It is the story of an aristocratic Russian woman and her family who return to their estate, a cherry orchard, to oversee the auction of the estate in order to pay the mortgage. The rise of the middle class and the decline of the aristocracy that was prevalent at the end of the 20th century in Russia, and ultimately led to the Socialistic Revolution, are excellently portrayed in Chekhov's «The Cherry Orchard».

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Considered one the four canonical texts of the Hindu religion, known collectively as «The Vedas», «The Rig Veda» is one of the most important works of Hindu scripture. The work is a collection of poems, sayings, prayers and origin myths. Written sometime between 1700-1100 BCE, «The Rig Veda» is one of the oldest works of the Indo-European languages. The hymns included in the collection are dedicated to various deities in Hindu mythology, including Vishnu, Rudra, Indra, Soma, and Surya. Many Hindu priests and philosophers have revived and re-interpreted the poems contained in «The Rig Veda» for use in their modern religious practices. This text is an excellent introduction for English-speakers into the Hindu mythology and religion. Amongst the tales readers will find moral allegory and ethical guidelines common to Western religion and philosophy. «The Rig Veda» is a must read for anyone interested in Eastern history, religion, and mythology.

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The satire in this, one of the best known of all Aristophanes' comedies, is directed against the new schools of philosophy, or perhaps we should rather say dialectic, which had lately been introduced, mostly from abroad, at Athens. The doctrines held up to ridicule are those of the 'Sophists'—such men as Thrasymachus from Chalcedon in Bithynia, Gorgias from Leontini in Sicily, Protagoras from Abdera in Thrace, and other foreign scholars and rhetoricians who had flocked to Athens as the intellectual centre of the Hellenic world.—From the introduction to ‘The Clouds’ by Aristophanes.

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"The Yogi Philosophy may be divided into several great branches, or fields. What is known as «Hatha Yoga» deals with the physical body and its control; its welfare; its health; its preservation; its laws, etc. What is known as 'Raja Yoga' deals with the Mind; its control; its development; its unfoldment, etc. What is known as 'Bhakti Yoga' deals with the Love of the Absolute-God. What is known as 'Gnani Yoga' deals with the scientific and intellectual knowing of the great questions regarding Life and what lies back of Life-the Riddle of the Universe." So begins «A Series of Lessons in Gnani Yoga (The Yoga of Wisdom)» by Yogi Ramacharaka.

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The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ is the detailed account of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ beginning hours before his crucifixion. Based on the ecstatic visions of the Venerable Anne Catherine Emmerich, «The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ» is a controversial and often-debated account of the events that lead up to and the suffering endured during the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

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Because of his frank and honest portrayal of human sexuality in the controversial works for which he is best known, e.g. «Lady Chatterley’s Lover» and «Women in Love», D. H. Lawrence was not widely respected in his day. In fact at the time of his death he was considered little more than a pornographer. However E. M. Forester challenged this portrayal calling Lawrence «The greatest imaginative novelist of our generation», and with his extended reflection upon the dehumanizing effects of modernity and industrialization, Lawrence has ultimately secured his position as one of the greatest writers in the English language. This great literary talent is exhibited by the short stories collected within this volume which includes the complete contents of the individual short story volumes «The Prussian Officer and Other Stories» and «England, My England» as well as four additional stories.

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