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Boasting some of Sherlock Holmes's finest adventures, this classic 1894 collection was originally written in serial form. Eleven of the most popular tales of the immortal sleuth include «Silver Blaze,» concerning the «curious incident of the dog in the night-time»; «The Greek Interpreter,» starring Holmes's even more formidable brother, Mycroft; and «The Final Problem,» the detective's notorious confrontation with arch-criminal Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls.Holmes and Dr. Watson remain history's greatest detective team, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's portrayals of male comradeship, the thrills of the chase, and the misty precincts of Victorian London remains unmatched in detective literature.

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When Fanny Price comes to live with her well-to-do cousins at Mansfield Park, the modest, retiring ten-year-old is treated condescendingly by members of the Bartram family. A poor relation, dependent on the goodwill of her aristocratic relatives, the sweet, sensitive, and frequently ignored Fanny nevertheless eventually develops into the ethical center of the family.Trouble begins with the arrival of Mary Crawford and her brother Henry. Their sophisticated London tastes, and penchant for flirtatious activities, shatter the tranquility of the Bartram home, creating social havoc and precipitating a crisis in the family. But Fanny — always clever, graceful, and pleasant — provides a bulwark of moral strength, eventually winning her family's complete acceptance (and the love of her cousin Edmund).Described by Lionel Trilling as the most experimental and modern of Jane Austen's works, Mansfield Park is also Austen's most serious novel, written in the full flower of the novelist's maturity. Enlivened by an amusing cast of busybodies, ne'er-do-wells, and social climbers, this acclaimed novel of early-19th-century English society will also appeal to readers as an entertaining study of the interplay between manners, education, and ethics.

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First published in 1900, Lord Jim is widely regarded as one of the greatest novels of the twentieth century. Its central message about the consequences of straying from personal responsibility and ethical integrity is as powerful today as it was over one hundred years ago.In a split-second impulse of self-preservation, a young ship's officer abandons his imperiled vessel and its passengers. He survives, but suffers a wretched existence. He must go forward facing the scorn of the world and his own guilt, as he seeks atonement for the dishonorable choice he made. The author's deep moral consciousness and skillful narrative style are fully revealed in this unforgettable story, long a staple of high school and college literature courses. Students, teachers, and general readers will appreciate this inexpensive, unabridged edition.

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The restless, questing intellect of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle spurred him far beyond the ingenious puzzles he constructed for Sherlock Holmes. In The Lost World, Doyle, a devotee of the occult and fantastic tales of adventure and discovery, introduces his readers to Professor Challenger, an eccentric paleontologist, on his suspense-filled search for prehistoric creatures in the wilds of the Amazon. Professor Challenger's doughty troupe includes a skeptical colleague, Professor Summerlee; the cool-headed, plucky sportsman Lord John Roxton; and the narrator, the intrepid reporter Edward Malone. When their bridge to civilization collapses, the explorers find themselves marooned among dinosaurs and savage ape-people.Originally published in 1912, this imaginative fantasy unfolds with humor and good-natured satirical eye for pedantry. Fans of Arthur Conan Doyle will delight in this rare gem, as will dinosaur fanciers and adventure story aficionados.

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Murder and romance, innocence and experience dominate this masterfully constructed novel set in Rome during the mid-19th century.Three young American artists and their friend, an Italian count, find their lives irrevocably linked when one of them commits a murder. Nathaniel Hawthorne's final novel symbolizing the Fall of Man is a captivating tale concerned as much with the power and beauty of art as with the striking, intimate details of the historic sites visited by the travelers.A provocative view at Americans abroad, this long-overlooked novel is «must reading» for anyone who relishes crimes of passion set against the picturesque details of Old World landmarks.

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In his brief but productive lifetime, Stephen Crane (1871–1900) wrote vividly and sensitively about a variety of subjects. In his work he displayed a rare ability to combine astute characterization, colorful settings, and an ironic tone in memorable tales offering perceptive explorations of human psychology and motivation.He is perhaps famous as author of The Red Badge of Courage, the quintessential Civil War classic. However, Crane wrote seven other stories involving this monumental conflict. All are gathered together in this volume. They include «A Mystery of Heroism,» «A Gray Sleeve,» «Three Miraculous Soldiers,» «The Little Regiment,» «An Indiana Campaign,» «An Episode of War,» and «The Veteran,» which features Henry Fleming, protagonist of The Red Badge of Courage, years after the war.Attractive and sturdily bound, this modestly priced edition will find an enthusiastic audience among admirers of Crane's work, students of American literature, and Civil War buffs alike. All will enjoy the work of an author now recognized as one of the most innovative, influential writers of his generation — an acknowledged master of the short story.

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Slave narratives are powerful indictments of the horrors of slavery and oppression, invaluable not only for the stories they tell but also for the consistently high quality of their literary style. This book by Olaudah Equiano is one such story. A compelling account that has gripped and fascinated readers since its original London publication in 1789, the narrative describes Equiano's formidable journey from captivity to freedom and literacy.Charting a passage that takes him from life as an Igbo prince in what is now eastern Nigeria to the New World, Equiano begins with a description of his native land that includes particulars of the dress, agriculture, industry, commerce, rituals, superstitions, and religious ceremonies of his country. In stark and poignant detail he gives a compelling account of his kidnapping and his ordeal aboard the slave ship, his service in the French and Indian wars, as well as many other of his vicissitudes and adventures until he finally settles in England, where he becomes a key figure in the British abolitionist movement.Skillfully written with a wealth of grossing detail, this volume powerfully illustrates the nature of the black experience in slavery, making it essential reading for students of African-American history and anyone interested in the struggle for equal rights and human dignity.

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Fabian socialist and ardent proselytizer, George Bernard Shaw viewed his role as a playwright as far more than that of an entertainer. His audiences heard fully articulated sermons on moral and economic issues, a potentially dry theatrical experience enlivened by Shaw's genius for creating vital characters and scintillating dialogue. Major Barbara offers a sparkling example of its author's unique gift for presenting social theories in an engaging format.The eponymous heroine, an officer in the Salvation Army, is the daughter of Andrew Undershaft, a wealthy armaments manufacturer. When the Army accepts donations from Undershaft and a whiskey distiller, whose money Barbara regards as tainted, she resigns in disgust, but eventually sees the truth of her father's reasoning that social iniquity derives from poverty; it is only through accumulating wealth and power that people can help each other.

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Winner of the Nobel Prize for literature in 1907, Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936) drew upon his experiences in Anglo-Indian Society for much of his writing. This volume presents five of Kipling's best early stories, including «The Phantom Rickshaw,» a psychological thriller; «Wee Willie Winkie,» a delightful display of love for children; «Without Benefit of Clergy,» the poignant story of an Englishmen's affair with an Islamic woman; «The Strange Ride of Morrowbie Jukes»; and the celebrated title story.

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One of the greatest English poets, John Keats (1795–1821) created an astonishing body of work before his early death from tuberculosis at the age of 26. Much of his poetry consists of deeply felt lyrical meditations on a variety of themes—love, death, the transience of joy, the impermanence of youth and beauty, the immortality of art, and other topics—expressed in verse of exquisite delicacy, originality, and sensuous richness. This collection contains 30 of his finest poems, including such favorites as «On first looking into Chapman's Homer,» «The Eve of St. Agnes,» «On seeing the Elgin Marbles,» «La Belle Dame sans Merci,» «Isabella; or, the pot of Basil» and the celebrated Odes: «To a Nightingale,» «On a Grecian Urn,» «On Melancholy,» «On Indolence,» «To Psyche,» and «To Autumn.» These and many other poems, reproduced here from a standard edition, represent a treasury of time-honored poetry that ranks among the glories of English verse.

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