"'Wessex Tales' by Thomas Hardy is a collection of captivating short stories that encapsulate the essence of rural life in Victorian England. As a master of realism and regionalism, Hardy paints a vivid portrait of the people, landscapes, and traditions of the fictional region of Wessex. At its core, 'Wessex Tales' explores the intricacies of human nature, delving into themes of love, fate, and the struggle for social mobility. Through a diverse cast...

As a scandalized Victorian society looks on, Alice Vavasor, Lady Glencora, and the Widow Greenow continue their romantic entanglements with disreputable suitors. Trollope deftly explores the tensions in Victorian society between reform and tradition, and the interplay between money, power, and politics.

The Vicar of Bullhampton is an 1870 novel by Anthony Trollope. It is made up of three intertwining subplots: the courtship of a young woman by two suitors; a feud between the titular Broad church vicar and a Low church nobleman, abetted by a Methodist minister; and the vicar's attempt to rehabilitate a young woman who has gone astray. Trollope expected his depiction of a fallen woman to be controversial, and unusually for him wrote a preface defending...

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...

"When Dr. Croft takes in orphan Eleanor Beady, he doesn't realize that he's gained an apprentice. Raised amidst Croft's experiments, "Nora" becomes his most trusted assistant-an unthinkable and unlawful pursuit for a woman. Nora helps Croft's groundbreaking research and his clinic gain recognition, and she finds she doesn't mind working in the background, as long as she can continue to hone her skills. But the arrival of a new surgical resident threatens...

"The Christmas Stories by Charles Dickens: Illustrated" is a festive treasury that gathers together some of the most beloved holiday tales penned by the celebrated author, Charles Dickens. This enchanting collection includes timeless classics such as "A Christmas Carol," "The Chimes," "The Cricket on the Hearth," "The Battle of Life," "A Christmas Tree," and several others. Charles Dickens, known for his masterful storytelling, invites readers into...

In this 1866 Anthony Trollope novel, heroine Clara Amedroz faces a bleak future. Her father's fortune has been squandered on her wastrel of a brother, leaving Clara destitute with no money and no inheritance to her name. Despite this, Clara finds herself caught up in a complex love-triangle between warm-hearted Will Belton and the aloof Captain Frederic Aylmer. Themes of marriage, inheritance and morality are all explored in this sometimes-overlooked...

One of Anthony Trollope's later tales, 'Is He Popenjoy?' is a comic novel which deals with themes of inheritance and illegitimacy. The novel centres around the contested inheritance of Manor Cross, a large family estate. Having spent time abroad, the Marquis of Manor Cross returns to England with his new Italian wife and son, Lord Popenjoy, but soon reveals himself to be a tyrannical character. His brother Lord George Germain must vacate the property...

Critics call her “a veritable treasure, a matchless storyteller” (Romantic Times). Readers have fallen in love with Mary Balogh’s sparkling blend of wit and romance. Now this dazzling writer sweeps us back to Regency England, into a world of dangerous secrets and glittering intrigue, as a dashing lord meets his match in a fiery beauty who vows to be ... No Man’s Mistress.
The dark, devastating stranger rode...

'A Christmas Carol' has gripped the public imagination since it was first published in 1843, and it is now as much a part of Christmas as mistletoe or plum pudding. This edition reprints the story alongside Dickens's four other Christmas Books: 'The Chimes', 'The Cricket on the Hearth', 'The Battle of Life', and 'The Haunted Man'. All five stories show Dickens at his unpredictable best, jumbling together comedy and melodrama, genial romance and urgent...