LITMIR.BIZ

Determined to make her heroine «as poor and plain as myself,» Charlotte Brontë made a daring choice for her 1847 novel. Jane Eyre possesses neither the great beauty nor entrancing charm that her fictional predecessors used to make their way in the world. Instead, Jane relies upon her powers of diligence and perception, conducting herself with dignity animated by passion.The instant and lasting success of Jane Eyre proved Brontë's instincts correct. Readers of her era and ever after have taken the impoverished orphan girl into their hearts, following her from the custody of cruel relatives to a dangerously oppressive boarding school and onward through a troubled career as a governess. Jane's first assignment at Thorn field, where the proud and cynical master of the house harbors a scandalous secret, draws readers ever deeper into a compelling exploration of the mysteries of the human heart.A banquet of food for thought, this many-faceted tale invites a splendid variety of interpretations. The heroine's insistence upon emotional equality with her lover suggests a feminist viewpoint, while her solitary status invokes a consideration of the problems of growing up as a social outsider. Some regard Jane's attempts to reconcile her need for love with her search for moral rectitude as the story's primary message, and lovers of gothic romance find the tale's social and religious aspects secondary to its gripping elements of mystery and horror. This classic of English literature truly features something for every reader.

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The Koran is the sacred scripture of Islam, a collection of revelations that Mohammed, the Prophet, said he had received from God (through the angel Gabriel) in seventh-century Arabia. Mohammed preached these revelations in rhymed verses that comprised suras, or chapters. Shortly after his death, his followers published the suras as the Koran (an adaptation of a word meaning «scripture lesson»), which today is considered one of the great sacred books of the world. Deeply moralistic, full of passion and fervor, the suras deal with such topics as the omniscience and majesty of God, death and judgment, the proper conduct of the faithful, stories of previous prophets, kindness to orphans, and much more.The complete Koran consists of 11 suras — arranged from longest to shortest — plus an opening prayer and two closing charms. The selections in the present volume were carefully chose to give a cross-section of the whole and to illustrate Mohammed's teaching as it developed from the rhapsodic style of his early Meccan period to the workaday legislative material of the Medinan period. This excellent English translation replaces the original verse form with accurate, highly readable prose, making a treasury of eternal wisdom from the Koran accessible to both the novice and the serious student.

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"A peculiarly thrilling and vigorous tale of adventure." — Andrew Lang «It goes and it grips and it moves with all the freshness of youth.» — Rudyard KiplingWhen Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island was first published, H. Rider Haggard made a five-shilling bet that he could write a better adventure tale. In 1885, he created King Solomon's Mines, a story in which Allan Quatermain, a gentleman adventurer, is hired to locate a man who had disappeared into the heart of Africa while hunting for the legendary lost diamond mines of King Solomon. The book became an instant sensation and has remained popular ever since.Tales of adventure in exotic settings were the hallmark of Haggard's art; and King Solomon’s Mines was no exception. Here were all the elements for which his novels were famous: a gripping tale in a foreign setting, supernatural adventures, terror, passion, and discovery. Praised as «the most amazing story ever written,» the book went on to become one of the bestselling novels of the 19th century.

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At convent school, a girl acquires romantic notions of a lover who will live for her alone. She marries a kind but dull country doctor and discovers that «This life of hers was as cold as an attic that looks north; and boredom, quiet as the spider, was spinning its web in the shadowy places of her heart.» Emma Bovary's quest for escape from the emptiness of her bourgeois existence leads to infidelity and financial extravagance, and Gustave Flaubert's powerful and deeply moving examination of her moral degeneration is universally regarded as a landmark of nineteenth-century fiction.<BR>Flaubert was brought to trial by the French government on the grounds of this novel's alleged immorality but narrowly escaped conviction. <I>Madame Bovary</I> remains a touchstone for literary discussions of provincial life and adultery as well as a summit of prose art, a pioneering work of realism that forever changed the way novels are written. This complete and unabridged edition features the classic translation by Eleanor Marx-Aveling.

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As the sacred book of Islam, the Koran, or Qur'an in transliteration, is believed by devout Muslims to be the direct word of God, inscribed in Heaven and revealed by the archangel Gabriel to the prophet Muhammad before his death in A.D. 632. Written in Arabic, in rhymed prose, the text is not only regarded by believers as a guide to daily life but is also considered to be the finest work of Arabic prose in existence and one of the most important and influential books known to mankind.J. M. Rodwell's accessible translation restores the traditional ordering of the suras, or chapters, with early text dealing with God as creator, his greatness and authority, the role of Muhammad as God's messenger and of Islam in history. Later chapters deal with legal, social, and ethical issues. The text is divided into 114 chapters, each of which, like the Bible, is subdivided into verses.This edition of the Koran, in a convenient size that is ideal for prayer or study, will be invaluable to students of religion, history, and politics and of interest to anyone concerned with cultures of the Middle East.

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Legal drama at its finest, these are the majority decisions from the most influential Supreme Court cases in United States history. Starting with the 1803 case of Marbury v. Madison, which laid the foundation for the Supreme Court's current power, these thirteen far-reaching cases include: Dred Scott v. John F. A. Sandford, 1856; Plessy v. Ferguson, 1896; Brown v. Board of Education, 1954; Miranda v. Arizona, 1966; Roe v. Wade, 1973; Bush v. Gore, 2000; and many other important decisions. In most cases, the majority and dissenting opinions are included while concurring opinions are omitted. Brief introductions precede each case.

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"Take heed to yourself for the Devil is unchained!" the King of France warns his treacherous co-conspirator, Prince John of England. The «Devil» is none other than Richard the Lion-Hearted, headed home from the Third Crusade to reclaim his throne. Amid the heat of a tournament, King Richard comes to the aid of another Crusader who has returned in disguise. Wilfred of Ivanhoe also seeks to recover a lost heritage &#8212; and the hand of Lady Rowena, «a rose of loveliness, and a jewel of wealth; the fairest among a thousand.»Sir Walter Scott's historical romance was published in 1819 and has reigned supreme ever since as the epitome of chivalric novels. Set at the close of the 12th century, it unfolds in a kingdom torn asunder by the hatred between Saxons and Normans. Cedric the Saxon, a powerful lord attempting to restore the Saxon nobility, disinherits Ivanhoe because of his son's fealty to the Norman king. Prince John, assisted by the scheming knights of the Templar Order, clings to the crown by having his brother imprisoned. The dispossessed heroes, Ivanhoe and King Richard, face an uphill battle against firmly entrenched adversaries. The success of their fight rests upon the support of an unlikely crew of outsiders: Rebecca, a Jew accused of sorcery for her skill in the healing arts; Gurth, a swineherd slave; Wamba, a wise fool; and England's most famous outlaw, the legendary Robin Hood.Ivanhoe crackles with adventure, from a hostage drama inside a besieged castle to a trial by combat to determine the fate of an innocent maiden. A master storyteller's greatest tale, it brings the Middle Ages to life.

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Joseph Andrews refuses Lady Booby's advances, she discharges him, and Joseph &#8212; in the company of his old tutor, Parson Adams (one of the great comic figures of literature) &#8212; sets out from London to visit his sweetheart, Fanny. Along the way, the two travelers meet with a series of adventures &#8212; some hilarious, some heartstopping &#8212; in which through their own innocence and honesty they expose the hypocrisy and affectation of others. Joseph Andrews started out as a parody of Richardson's Pamela, but soon left that purpose behind and now is regarded as the first English realistic novel.

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An ardent activist, champion of political reform, novelist, and progressive journalist, Upton Sinclair is perhaps best known today for The Jungle &#8212; his devastating expos&#233; of the meat-packing industry. A protest novel he privately published in 1906, the book was a shocking revelation of intolerable labor practices and unsanitary working conditions in the Chicago stockyards. It quickly became a bestseller, arousing public sentiment and resulting in such federal legislation as the Pure Food and Drug Act.|The brutally grim story of a Slavic family who emigrates to America, The Jungle tells of their rapid and inexorable descent into numbing poverty, moral degradation, and social and economic despair. Vulnerable and isolated, the family of Jurgis Rudkus struggles &#8212; unsuccessfully &#8212; to survive in an urban jungle.A powerful view of turn-of-the-century poverty, graft, and corruption, this fiercely realistic American classic is still required reading in many history and literature classes. It will continue to haunt readers long after they've finished the last page.

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Kama means desire, love, and lust; sutra means teachings and «verses.» The Kama Sutra, then, is the book of love, teaching the best methods of cultivating sensual pleasure, sexual desire, and loving union. A classic of world literature for 1,700 years, this is the most explicit and fascinating book ever written for lovers.This immortal work also serves as a window into Indian culture and mysticism. Its unique approach &#8212;combining meditations on politics and social customs with counsel on love and intimacy &#8212; features frank, direct advice on bodily pleasures, from aphrodisiacs and kissing to orgasm-delaying techniques. This edition is the renowned translation by the great 19th-century explorer and writer Richard Burton. Its crisp style sets a new standard for Sanskrit translation, and its unblushing faithfulness to the original text sparked controversy in certain corners of the Victorian world. A wellspring of erotic knowledge, it remains an inspiration to readers of every era.

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