The Bell
2) Ghosts
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Ibsen's classic psychological drama is accompanied by full commentary, notes, and questions for further study.
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The Grand Inquisitor' is a short story that appears in one of Dostoevsky's most famous works, 'The Brothers Karamazov', but it is often read independently due to its standalone story and literary significance. In the tale, Jesus comes to Seville during the Spanish Inquisition and performs miracles but is soon arrested and sentenced to be burned. The Grand Inquisitor informs Jesus that the church no longer needs him as they are stronger under the direction...
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The Lifted Veil's sickly narrator, Latimer, believes himself to be cursed with the ability to see the future and sense the thoughts and feelings of those around him. Disgusted by what he sees in the minds of others, he accepts that he will lead an unobtrusive life, constantly overshadowed by his more vigorous elder brother. That is, until he meets and becomes fascinated with Bertha, his brother's beautiful and coquettish fiancée.
The Lifted Veil...
5) Uncle Vanya
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Uncle Vanya (1898) is a four-act play by Russian short story writer and playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first performed at the Moscow Art Theatre in 1899, directed by acclaimed actor Konstantin Stanislavski-who also played the role of Astrov. Reviews were lukewarm at first, but as the play continued to run, Uncle Vanya gained both popularity and critical prowess, and has since become one of the most influential dramas ever produced.
When retired...
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Three novellas that brilliantly portray English country and clergy life at the turn of the nineteenth century from the author of Middlemarch.
Initially appearing in Blackwood's Magazine, this trio of linked stories comprises George Eliot's first published work. Together they form a portrait of small-town life in Midlands, England, where changes are affecting both society at large and religious beliefs and institutions.
In "The Sad Fortunes...
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First published in 1862 after Dostoyevsky's imprisonment in a Siberian labor camp, "The House of the Dead" is a collection of memoirs, related by themes, that portrays the horrific life of convicts. The author drew on his own experiences in prison to depict the squalor, destitution, and severity of a Siberian camp with remorseless detail. Dostoyevsky reveals the characters of many of the other convicts, which includes the depravity many have come...
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Two years after his wife's death, Germain is encouraged to move on and find a new woman and home to accommodate his three growing children. He travels to visit a single woman who is eager to start a new family.
Following his daughter's death, Père Maurice has provided constant support for his son-in-law Germain. But after two years, he pushes him to find a new wife. Germain is a young man with three children in need of a mother. Maurice sends him...
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First staged in 1906, "The Doctor's Dilemma" is a play that revolves around a community of doctors, most specializing, unbeknownst to them, in different types of expensive, fraudulent treatments. Dr. Ridgeon, who has actually discovered a vaccine for tuberculosis, is conflicted about administering his limited remedy, for the husband of a woman he is in love with can pay, but his kind yet poverty-stricken colleague Dr. Blenkinsop cannot. Shaw's drama...
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The arrival of Karsten Bernick's brother-in-law leads to a series of revelations, exposing a tumultuous history that could destroy his marriage and thriving business empire. To ensure his future, Karsten goes to great lengths to protect his secrets.
Karsten Bernick is a successful businessman and prominent figure in a small Norwegian town. While planning his next big venture, he is startled by the arrival of his brother-in-law, Johan Tønnesen. Johan...
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The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsene Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar Maurice Leblanc - Arsène Lupin, with his characteristic wit, plots over the course of nine short stories to steal many of Frances best antiques and artworks from under their owners noses. Only his classic opponent Detective Ganimard has the brilliance to attempt to foil Arsènes plans, albeit with mixed results.
This first collection of nine Arsène Lupin stories were originally serialised...
12) The waste land
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The Waste Land is a long poem by T. S. Eliot. It is widely regarded as one of the most important poems of the 20th century and a central text in Modernist poetry. Published in 1922, the 434-line poem first appeared in the United Kingdom in the October issue of The Criterion and in the United States in the November issue of The Dial. It was published in book form in December 1922. Among its famous phrases are "April is the cruelest month", "I will...
13) Sea and Sardinia
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"Renowned author D. H. Lawrence recounts his voyage to Sardinia in this spellbinding travelogue In January of 1921, D. " H. Lawrence and his wife, Frieda, set out for unspoiled country: the pristine island of Sardinia. For the following nine days, Lawrence fixes his unflinching gaze upon the Mediterranean island, where ancient ruins collide with the detritus of a modernizing society. Blending mythology with historical fact, his account is both lyrical...
14) The Wild Duck
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Written in 1884 and first performed in 1885, "The Wild Duck", by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, is the first modern tragicomedy to be embraced by critics and audiences alike. The play, titled "Vilanden" in its original Norwegian, is widely considered one of Ibsen's most well-written plays. The story centers around the secrets and dramas of the Ekdal family, who live a dysfunctional life in purposeful denial of the many skeletons that lurk in their...
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"Poet and soldier, brawler and charmer, Cyrano de Bergerac is desperately in love with Roxane, the most beautiful girl in Paris. But there is one very large problem - he has a nose of stupendous size and believes she will never see past it to return his feelings. So when he discovers that the handsome but tongue-tied and dim-witted Christian is also pining for Roxane, generous Cyrano offers to help by writing exquisite declarations of love for the...
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The Dance of Death, also known as Danse Macabre, is a medieval allegory that symbolizes the universality of death. Originating in the late Middle Ages, it often depicted skeletons leading people of all social classes-kings, peasants, knights, and monks-towards their inevitable fate. This artistic and literary motif emerged during a time of significant upheaval, such as the Black Death and the Hundred Years' War, which led to an acute awareness of...
17) Uncle's Dream
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The story "Uncle's Dream" was written by Dostoyevsky after a five-year exile in Siberia and covers the tale of a provincial family desperate to better itself through a marriage of their daughter to a senile prince. The old man is hoodwinked and almost forced into a wedding that is expected to last for a short period before he dies and leaves his fortune to the young girl. There are complications however with the young girl Zina already in love with...
18) Once a week
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Think A.A. Milne's literary legacy begins and ends with the Winnie-the-Pooh stories? Think again. Milne was a prolific writer, and actually came to prefer writing for adults over time. This collection of humorous short sketches, stories, and vignettes is a perfect introduction to Milne's output for those who have long since graduated from kindergarten.
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Every day, discover an amazing Christmas tale!Written by the greatest storytellers (Charles Dickens, Hans Christian Andersen, François Coppee, Susan Coolidge...), these 35 traditional stories will keep you waiting until D-day. This collection is divided among stories for young children and older ones. Each story is fraught with the true Christmas spirit. If you like Christmas storybooks then simply get this one!
20) Excursions
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An anthology of several essays by American transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau. The book includes an introduction entitled 'Biographical Sketch' in which fellow transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson provides a description of Thoreau and nine of Thoreau's essays: Natural History of Massachusetts, A Walk to Wachusett, The Landlord, A Winter Walk, The Succession of Forest Trees, Walking, Autumnal Tints, Wild Apples, and Night and Moonlight.