"The greatest writer of his time."-Edmund Wilson "One of the great poets of the novel, a genius of his art"-Edgar Johnson "His characters are marvelous, his insights wonderful…you don't expect reality but you get something bigger and better."-Ruth Rendell The Old Curiosity Shop was initially published in a weekly serial, "Master Humphrey's Clock", between 1840 and 1841. Charles Dickens' story of the frail and innocent orphan had become such...

Winesburg, Ohio is a 1919 short story cycle by the American author Sherwood Anderson. The work is structured around the life of protagonist George Willard, from the time he was a child to his growing independence and ultimate abandonment of Winesburg as a young man. It is set in the fictional town of Winesburg, Ohio (not to be confused with the actual Winesburg), which is based loosely on the author's childhood memories of Clyde, Ohio. Mostly written...

"Serving on the jury at a murder trail, Prince Dmitri Nekhlyudov is devasted when he sees the prisoner - Katyusha, a young woman he seduced and abandoned years before. As Dmitri faces the consequences of his actions, he decides to give up his life of wealth and luxury to devote himself to rescuing Katyusha, even if it means following her into exile in Siberia. But can a man truly find redemption by saving another person?"--Page 4 of cover.

Widely considered the masterpiece of the fascinating and mysterious man known as Stendahl, "The Red and the Black" is a two volume novel first published in 1830. It follows the ambitious desires of Julien Sorel, a young man raised in the French countryside who wishes to rise above his station and explore Paris and its society. Through a series of events, Julien's talent and hard work give way to deception and hypocrisy when he loses the will to believe...

A TAPESTRY OF DUBLIN LIFE James Joyce wrote this collection of fifteen stories in 1914 when he was only twenty-five years old. His first major work, Dubliners provides a fascinating snapshot of early 20th century life in Ireland, bringing his city to the world for the first time. In these depictions of middle-class life, Joyce portrays ordinary, often defeated people where at least one character in each story has an "epiphany" – a unique moment...

The first installment of the French author's multivolume autobiographical novel, originally published in 1913, in which he recalls his childhood and first infatuation.

"The twelve central characters of this multi-voiced novel lead vastly different lives: Amma is a newly acclaimed playwright whose work often explores her black lesbian identity; her old friend Shirley is a teacher, jaded after decades of work in London's funding-deprived schools; Carole, one of Shirley's former students, works hard to earn a degree from Oxford and becomes an investment banker; Carole's mother Bummi works as a cleaner and worries about...

Silas Marner is a lowly weaver who is wrongfully accused of a crime, loses the woman he loves and the respect of his conservative neighbors. Shamed and broken, he attempts to build a new life without the reminder of everything he's lost. In the early nineteenth century, Silas Marner, is part of a small congregation where he earns a living as a weaver. When the group is suddenly robbed, members suspect Silas, prompting him to leave and embrace a life...

Dr. Rick Warren lectures on spiritual growth and Christianity.

"Crabs are fascinating animals that grow and develop in unique ways. How do they mature from an egg to the creatures seen on beaches around the world? Readers explore the life cycle of a crab through accessible main text that presents basic biology facts in a fresh way. As readers discover essential information about each life cycle stage, they're presented with vibrant, full-color photographs and helpful diagrams that introduce them to the physical...