LITMIR.BIZ

One of the greatest underwater sea adventures of all time, «Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea» is the story of Professor Pierre Aronnax who sets off aboard an American frigate to investigate a series of attacks, which has been reported to be made by an amphibious monster. The monster in question is actually the submarine vessel the Nautilus, which is commanded by the eccentric Captain Nemo. When the Nautilus destroys the Professor's ship, he is taken prisoner by Captain Nemo along with his trusted servant Conseil and the frigate's harpooner Ned Land. What follows for the three is a tale of great adventure and scientific wonder that will delight readers both young and old.

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Written in the middle of the 14th century as the Bubonic Plague decimated the population of Europe, «The Decameron» is a satirically allegorical collection of stories by the Italian author Boccaccio. The refined frame narrative of this work allows for ten Florentine women and men to flee the city and take refuge in a country villa of Italy. In the ten days they are to stay, each of them is to tell a story a day, the themes of which are determined by the elected king or queen for that day. Most of the 100 tales are those of love, from erotic to tragic to rather surprising, portraying people of all social stations with a full spectrum of human reactions. More than the sum of its parts, «The Decameron» has inspired countless works of art, and later writers, such as Chaucer, have been influenced by his tales of fate, desire, crisis, and adventure. A milestone in the history of European literature, this imaginative narrative is an enduring masterpiece.

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One of the most beloved authors in English literature, Jane Austen wrote myriad novels, stories and poems that illustrated her sophisticated sense of irony, humor and biting commentary on the society of Regency England. As the majority of her work was published anonymously, in the custom of female authors at the time, much of her notoriety came about posthumously. In addition to her published works, Austen kept avid personal correspondence with friends and family, particularly her sister, Cassandra. This collection of letters provides an invaluable glimpse into the author's life, which was spent primarily within a close-knit family circle making perceptive observations of human behavior and relationships. Pursuant to the themes of her novels, it is clear that Austen was unimpressed by pomposity and pretention and held a deep adoration for those she loved. These letters, pervaded by her usual charming wit, will be a joy to read for any Jane Austen enthusiast.

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Though little is known for certain of his early life, Euripides was probably born around 460 b.c.e. to the farmer Mnesarchus and his wife Clito, and his studious nature quickly led him to a literary life in Athens. Euripides turned to playwriting at a young age, achieving his first victory in the dramatic competitions of the Athenian City Dionysia in 441 b.c.e. He would be awarded this honor three more times in his life, and once more posthumously. His plays are often ironic, pessimistic, and display radical rejection of classical decorum and rules. Together with Aeschylus and Sophocles, Euripides would provide the canon of Greek tragedy and thereby lay the foundation of Western theatre. «Rhesus» takes place during the Trojan War, and, as in book 10 of Homer's «Iliad», depicts the night when Odysseus and Diomedes sneak into the Trojan camp. There has been some debate as to the authorship of «Rhesus», but modern scholars believe Euripides to be the correct author.

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"Candide" is the famous satire and best-known work by Voltaire. First published in 1759, «Candide» is the story of its central character who travels throughout Europe and South America experiencing and witnessing much misfortune on the way. It is within the clever construct of this narrative that Voltaire refutes the philosophy of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, whose central idea was that life was the best of all possible worlds and that disasters, should they occur, were harbingers of better things to come. Voltaire found this philosophy insultingly ridiculous and within the humorous and satirical construct of this work he effectively exposes the idiocy of a philosophy that was so pervasive in his time. Also included in this volume are the additional short stories 'Micromegas', 'Zadig', 'The Huron (The Ingenu)', 'The White Bull', and the poem 'What Pleases the Ladies'.

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Written in Old Norse by the Icelandic poet and historian Snorri Sturluson sometime around 1230 AD, the «Heimskringla» is one of the best known of all sagas. It is in actuality a collection of sagas concerning the various rulers of Norway, from about A.D. 850 to the year A.D. 1177. While scholars and historians continue to debate the historical accuracy of Sturluson's work, the «Heimskringla» is still considered an important original source for information on the Viking Age, a period which Sturluson covers almost in its entirety. Contained within this work are the following individual sagas: Halfdan the Black Saga, Harald Harfager's Saga, Hakon the Good's Saga, Saga of King Harald Grafeld and of Earl Hakon Son of Sigurd, King Olaf Trygvason's Saga, Saga of Olaf Haraldson (St. Olaf), Saga of Magnus the Good, Saga of Harald Hardrade, Saga of Olaf Kyrre, Magnus Barefoot's Saga, Saga of Sigurd the Crusader and His Brothers Eystein and Olaf, Saga of Magnus the Blind and of Harald Gille, Saga of Sigurd, Inge, and Eystein, the Sons of Harald, Saga of Hakon Herdebreid («Hakon the Broad-Shouldered»), and Magnus Erlingson's Saga.

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"A Woman of No Importance" is Oscar Wilde's classic comedic play. The woman of no importance is Mrs. Arbuthnot, a woman who has been scorned by society for having an illicit affair and conceiving a child out of wedlock. «A Woman of No Importance» is both a criticism of the shameful double standard applied to men and women in such matters and a biting satire of the hypocrisy of the upper classes in Victorian Society.

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"The Cat of Bubastes" which is set during 1250 BC is one of G. A. Henty’s most popular works. When the Rebu nation is conquered by the Egyptians and their king is killed, the young prince Amuba is carried away as a captive to Egypt, along with his faithful charioteer, Jethro. When the young prince accidentally kills the successor to the Cat of Bubastes, one of the most sacred animals in Egypt, the two are forced to flee and attempt to return back to their homeland. A captivating tale of adventure set during the height of the Egyptian empire, «The Cat of Bubastes» will entertain and delight fans of the historical fiction genre.

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"Right Ho, Jeeves" is P. G. Wodehouse's full-length novel featuring his most beloved character, Jeeves. At the outset we find Bertie Wooster returning from Cannes to discover that Gussie Fink-Nottle has been regularly visiting Jeeves to ask his advice in matters of the heart. Gussie is in love with Madeline Bassett, the friend of Angela Travers who is the daughter of Bertie's Aunt Dahlia Travers, and is intent upon courting her. As one would expect with Wodehouse's Jeeves stories, all kinds of hilarious hi-jinks ensue.

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Aristotle's «Politics» is a treatise on the subject of political science and government and is considered to be one of the greatest works on the subject from classical antiquity. Expounding upon, «The Republic», the earlier work of his teacher Plato, Aristotle examines the various options for governance and their respective values. A detailed and pragmatic approach to the subject, Aristotle's «Politics» provides much of the foundation for modern political thought. Great insight for the modern student of political science can be found in this classic work on the subject.

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