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First published in 1796, “The Monk” is the popular and controversial Gothic novel by Matthew G. Lewis, the English novelist and dramatist. Written when Lewis was only nineteen, it is the tale of a monk who is tempted by carnal desire and led down a ruinous path of ungodliness. Ambrosio, a pious, well-respected monk in Spain, is lustfully tempted by his pupil, Matilda, a woman who has disguised herself as a young boy and initiate monk. Having first been seduced by Matilda, he is soon overcome with carnal desire for the young and innocent Antonia, a sheltered and timid girl. With the help of Matilda, who is actually Satan in disguise, Ambrosio seduces Antonia, a seduction that would ultimately lead to Antonia’s death and his own downfall. “The Monk” was immensely popular upon its publication and was widely censored for its scandalous depictions of murder, sexual gratification, and violent rape. Recognized as one of the first novels of the gothic genre, “The Monk” is a classic tale of the tragic ruin that may befall one tempted by evil and lustful desire.

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James Hogg was a Scottish author known primarily for his poetry, short stories, ballads, songs and historical narratives. Raised by a tenant farmer in the Ettrick hills of Scotland, Hogg was mostly self-educated, teaching himself to read with only the Bible, and developing an early interest in literature through his mother’s recitation of Scottish ballads, songs, and fairy tales. Although his 1824 novel, “The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner”, was released to disappointing sales, it was “rediscovered” in 1924 by André Gide and is now recognized as a masterpiece of prose fiction. The “Justified Sinner” of the title is the novel’s protagonist, Robert Colwan-Wringham, who as an Antinomian Calvinist is convinced of his own divine salvation, regardless of sin. This complex novel features elements of the Gothic and supernatural, a duel narrative, and has been praised for its sophisticated technique, psychological complexity, and elements of irony.

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Charles W. Chesnutt was an author, essayist, and political activist whose works addressed the complex issues of racial and social identity at the turn of the century. Chesnutt’s early works explored political issues somewhat indirectly, with the intention of changing the attitudes of Caucasians slowly and carefully. However, “The Marrow of Tradition” marked a turning point in Chesnutt’s career, with its direct and overt treatment of racism and political injustices in the South. The story of the white Carterets and the mixed-race Millers, whose lives are intertwined because the wives are half sisters, delves into a wide range of social and race issues. The novel’s depiction of lynchings that occurred during the Wilmington Race Riot proved to be too controversial for readers of the time; however, Chesnutt considered it his best, and modern critics have recognized the novel as a milestone in the Civil Rights movement. This edition includes a biographical afterword.

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“Ten Days That Shook the World” is American journalist and socialist John Reed’s first-hand account of the Russian October Revolution of 1917. First published in 1919, Reed died soon after the book was released and was buried at the Kremlin in Moscow, one of only three Americans interred there, in tribute to his friendship with Vladimir Lenin and his important contribution to the new Soviet regime. While it was intended as an impartial and unbiased account, by Reed’s own admission, “in the struggle [his] sympathies were not neutral.” While Reed sided with the Bolsheviks and the Communist Revolution, his account of this pivotal time in world history is riveting, detailed, passionate, and brutally honest. “Ten Days That Shook the World” remains one of the most important and consequential works of American journalism and continues to influence the modern understanding of this violent and transformative time. An important historical document by an eyewitness of an event that would change the political landscape for most of the 20th century, “Ten Days That Shook the World” is a must read for those interested in communism, socialism, and how the October Revolution shaped Russian history.

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Immensely popular throughout France and Europe upon its first publication in 1721, “Persian Letters” exemplifies the spirit of eighteenth-century libertinism and Enlightenment. Written by Charles de Montesquieu, this epistolary novel is told through a collection of letters and recounts the observations and experiences of two Persian noblemen traveling through France. The various writers of the letters are astute observers and this satirical story of eighteenth-century French society touches on fundamental questions of human nature, the manners and flirtations of polite society, attitudes on morality, the structures of power, and the hypocrisy of religion. Montesquieu’s subtle, witty criticisms of government and social customs are softened through the lens of his central character, Usbek, a young courtier who has travelled to Europe to escape persecution along with Rica, his good-humored travel companion. This brilliant work is a colorful interpretation of early eighteenth-century society as well as an enduring exploration of morality and societal customs in an increasingly modern world.

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First serialized in 1908, “Martin Eden” is Jack London’s classic and tragic tale of its title character and his struggle to become a writer. Martin Eden is an idealistic and self-educated young man who struggles to overcome poverty and a lack of opportunities in a quest to become an educated and successful artist. He hopes to find acceptance in the world of the wealthy and refined, though he finds it hard to shake off his coarse working-class background. Eden falls in love with Ruth Morse, but he feels that he is not good enough to win her hand, as she comes from a bourgeois family. Eden hopes that she will wait for him while he seeks to establish himself as a successful writer and improve his social status so that he may one day feel worthy of his true love. The novel is heartbreaking, tragic, and rich with the themes of class struggle and prejudice. It is also hopeful in its faith in art to transform lives and has inspired countless young writers and artists to follow their dreams. “Martin Eden” remains one of Jack London’s best-loved works. This edition includes a biographical afterword.

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Heraclitus of Ephesus was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher born in approximately 535 BC in the ancient city of Ephesus, then a part of the Persian Empire. While little is known of his early years, Heraclitus rejected his privileged upbringing and lived isolated and lonely. He was often plagued by periods of depression, earning him the moniker the “Weeping Philosopher”. He is most well-known for his philosophy of change and flux and is attributed with writing the phrase “No man ever steps in the same river twice”. Heraclitus believed in the harmony of the world and the unity of opposites, stating that “the path up and down are one and the same”. According to Diogenes, Heraclitus worked for many years on a single “continuous treatise On Nature”, which “was divided into three discourses, one on the universe, another on politics, and a third on theology”. Unfortunately, only fragments of this monumental work remain and many of the ideas believed to have originated with Heraclitus may only be found in the works of other authors. Those fragments are presented here in a translation and with critical commentary by G. T. W. Patrick.

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Collected in this edition is the early autobiographical fragment written by Charles Darwin in 1838 along with his official autobiography which was first published in 1887, five years after his death. His controversial theory of evolution, which asserted that all of life on earth descended from common ancestors through a process of natural selection, subjected him to much criticism in his lifetime but would ultimately place him amongst the most important figures in the history of science. “Autobiographies” gives a personal insight into the life of Charles Darwin from his time at Cambridge University, to his landmark naturalist expedition during the voyage of the “HMS Beagle”, and his life that followed in England. This document of one the world’s most important naturalists is a must read for any student of the history of science and gives a firsthand account of the impact that a truly revolutionary theory can have. This edition includes a biographical afterword.

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Sir Thomas Browne was a 17th century author who wrote on a wide variety of subjects including medicine, religion, science, and the esoteric. He is best known for his work entitled “Religio Medici”, or “The Religion of a Doctor”, which is Browne’s own spiritual testament and an early example of a psychological self-portrait. Published in 1643, shortly after the author had qualified himself to practice medicine, “Religio Medici” became a best-seller throughout the European continent and because of its unorthodox views was admonished by the Catholic Church by being placed on the “Index Librorum Prohibitorum”, or list of prohibited books. While largely an exposition of Christian faith, the work meanders into digressions upon alchemy, hermetic philosophy, astrology, and physiognomy. Also included in this edition is “Hydriotaphia” or “Urne-Buriall”, and “A Letter to a Friend”. The first work revolves around the discovery of a Roman urn burial in Norfolk which Browne uses to discuss ancient and current burial and funerary customs and extends to a greater inquiry of man’s struggles with mortality. The second, which as written in 1656 and published posthumously in 1690, is a medical treatise of case-histories and witty speculations upon the human condition.

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First published serially in 1861, Mary Elizabeth Braddon’s “Lady Audley’s Secret” is the wildly successful Victorian-era sensation novel. Sensation novels were very popular in English literature in the 1860s and 1870s. The novels were a combination of realism and romance and were usually tales of terrible crimes, such as murder, kidnapping, bigamy, adultery, and theft, occurring in otherwise normal, tranquil domestic settings. “Lady Audley’s Secret” was one of the most popular novels of the genre and revolves around Robert Audley, a man determined to find out the cause of his friend’s, George Talboys, disappearance. At the center of the mystery is Robert’s uncle’s wife, Lucy Audley, the Lady Audley of the novel’s title and who Robert suspects of keeping secrets. With George’s young son in questionable safety and lies, deception, and treachery surrounding him, Robert must uncover all that Lady Audley has hidden about her past while finding himself in increasing danger. A bestseller in Victorian England despite its scandalously immoral content, “Lady Audley’s Secret” addresses the domestic anxieties and gender and class conflicts of the era while at the same time featuring a remarkable and complex female character. This edition includes a biographical afterword.

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