LITMIR.BIZ

"Spoon River Anthology" is a collection of poetry taken from the tombstones of the dead in a small rural American town. There is of course no Spoon River as the entire town and its inhabitants are fictional. «Spoon River Anthology» is Masters's masterpiece, a collection of poetry that reveals the posthumous confessions of the transgressions of a group of small-town Americans. Together this collection reads like a novel exposing the fallacy in the idea of the rural American utopia. «Spoon River Anthology» is a truly original work of American literature.

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Born and educated in Dublin, Ireland, William Butler Yeats discovered early in his literary career a fascination with Irish folklore and the occult. Later awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923, Yeats produced a vast collection of stories, songs, and poetry of Ireland's historical and legendary past. These writings helped secure for Yeats recognition as a leading proponent of Irish nationalism and Irish cultural independence. Originally published in two separate books near the end of the nineteenth century, these tales have preserved a rich and charming heritage in a charmingly authentic Irish voice. In this volume, extraordinary characters of Irish myth are brought to life through the brilliant poetic voice of W.B. Yeats. These legendary stories of capricious Trooping Fairies, the frightful Banshee, Kings and Queens, Giants, Devils and the ever popular Leprechaun will delight and entertain readers of all ages.

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"The Wings of the Dove", considered to be one of Henry James's great masterpieces, is the story of Milly Theale, an American Heiress with a serious illness. The narrative of the work is chiefly concerned with Milly's struggle to «achieve, however briefly and brokenly, the sense of having lived» and the impact that struggle has on those around her. A semi-biographical tale of James's own cousin, Minny Temple, «The Wings of the Dove» is a classic and compelling work of American literature.

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The sequel to «The Rainbow», D. H. Lawrence's «Women in Love» follows the continuing lives and loves of Gudrun and Ursula Brangwen. This is the story of two sisters, Ursula, a teacher, and Gudrun, an artist, living in the midlands of England during the early 20th century who meet two men who live nearby, Rupert Birkin and Gerald Crich, and soon get involved with them romantically. Controversial during its time, «Women in Love» is a tragic tale of love set against the backdrop of the First World War.

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H. G. Wells' 1901 science fiction novel, «The First Men in the Moon», is the story of an impoverished businessman, Mr. Bedford, who retreats to the countryside for some rest from the weary of modern life and to try his hand at authoring a play. While there he meets an eccentric scientist, Dr. Cavor, who is developing a new material, 'cavorite', which is designed to shield off gravity. When it is discovered that the material works and can be practically fashioned into a spaceship, the two undertake a mission to the moon. There they discover that the moon is inhabited by a sinister alien civilization, whom the call «the Selenites». Fashioned as a criticism against imperialism, «The First Men in the Moon» draws upon a theme common to Wells' work, that of the impact of technology on society and the challenges that humans face in the modern world.

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"El Filibusterismo" or in English «The Filibustering» is the second novel by Philippine national hero José Rizal, which is the sequel to his first novel «Noli Me Tángere» or «Touch me Not.» The main character of the first novel, Juan Crisóstomo Ibarra returns as Simoun, a rich jeweler, to the Philippines after a thirteen year absence. At the center of the story is the conflict against Spanish colonialism. The Philippines, which is named after King Philip II of Spain, was ruled by the Spanish empire as a colony from 1565 until the Philippine Revolution ended this rule in 1898. For his part in the Philippine Revolution, José Rizal was tried and convicted for rebellion, sedition, and conspiracy. His sentence was to be death by firing squad. «El Filibusterismo» is contrasted against Rizal's previous novel which has a more hopeful tone. Ibarra believes in that first work that reforms to the Spanish system can be made peacefully, however this hope is gone here as he deceitful plots to incite a revolution. José Rizal's novels are exceptional firsthand documents of the real struggles faced by the Philippine peoples at the end of the 19th century.

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First set forth in lectures given at the University of Berlin in the 1820s, Hegel's «Philosophy of History» fully explores his ideas on many of the major and minor philosophers who preceded him on the subject of world history. Essentially, Hegel wished to demonstrate that history follows reason, and hence the direction and meaning of history could possibly be discovered. Hegel traced a progression of understanding from Eastern pantheism to a more individualistic and freedom-producing understanding in his own time. Ultimately, Hegel attributes the natural progress of history to an absolute spirit, and that in acknowledging this spirit, as well as the evil in history, reason can clearly be seen also, reconciling the two. A dense but richly informative and thorough work, Hegel's remarkable mind clearly excels in this more major work in his writings.

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Anton Chekhov is considered by many as one of the greatest short story writers of all-time. In addition to the large number of short stories that he wrote he also produced several dramatic masterpieces. His best known works include «The Cherry Orchard», «Ivanov», «Uncle Vanya», and «Three Sisters». Those plays along with «The Sea-Gull», «The Swan Song», «On the High Road», «The Proposal», «The Wedding», «The Bear», «A Tragedian in Spite of Himself», and «The Anniversary» are included in this representative volume of «The Plays of Anton Chekhov».

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As a result of his controversial works criticizing the Russian government and the Russian Orthodox Church, Tolstoy was excommunicated in 1901, dismissing the event lightly as he continued his search for a practical religion. «A Confession and Other Religious Works» is the product of years of introspection, resulting in a drastic reorientation of Tolstoy's beliefs and values. He felt undeserving of the wealth and fame he had accumulated, while millions around him were illiterate and afflicted, and therefore sought an acceptable faith wherein he could find the answers to life's most profound questions. In this autobiographical work of exceptional emotional honesty, he records his various attempts to find those answers in areas of science, philosophy, eastern wisdom, and the opinions of his fellow novelists. As a result of this process, Tolstoy recognizes in ordinary people a deep religious conviction, in which he may find the true answers to questions without which life, to him, is impossible. This collection includes Tolstoy's «Confession» as well as the following three other religious essays: «What is religion? and What is its Essence?», «Religion and Morality», and «The Law of Violence and The Law of Love.»

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"The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson" begins with the act of a young slave girl exchanging her light-skinned child, fearing for its safety, for that of her master's. From this reversal of identities evolves a suspenseful murder mystery and courtroom drama. «The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson» is everything one would expect from a novel by Mark Twain. 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.

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