First published in 1871, “Little Men” or “Life at Plumfield with Jo’s Boys” is considered the second book in the unofficial “Little Women” trilogy by author Louisa May Alcott. “Little Men” follows the adventures of Alcott’s beloved character Jo March and her husband, Professor Fredreich Bhaer, as they run their Plumfield Estate School. As to be expected, Jo and her husband do not run their school along conventional lines and they encourage their ...
A classic and thrilling tale of espionage and murder, Joseph Conrad’s “The Secret Agent” was first published in 1907. Set in London in 1886, the novel centers around Mr. Adolf Verloc, a spy who owns a small shop and lives with his wife Winnie, her mother and her mentally disabled brother Stevie, above his business. He is also a member of a largely ineffectual anarchist group, whom he meets with regularly to discuss politics and produce anarchist ...
Originally published in serial form between October 1899 and November 1900, Joseph Conrad’s “Lord Jim” is the story of Jim, a young British Seamen and the first mate of the “Patna”, a ship full of Muslim pilgrims on a hajj to Mecca. When the ship is damaged and begins to take on water, Jim, along with the Captain and some of the crew abandon the ship and its passengers. Jim’s group and the “Patna” are rescued separately and the crew’s reprehensi ...
First published in 1813, “Pride and Prejudice” is a story set in the English countryside outside of London during the early 19th century which centers on the life of Elizabeth Bennet, the second of five sisters who are all unmarried. When a wealthy and sociable young gentleman, Charles Bingley, rents the nearby manor of Netherfield Park the opportunity to find husbands presents itself. While attending a ball the Bennets meet Charles Bingley and ...
Collected together here are three of Jane Austen’s posthumously published works; “Sanditon”, “The Watsons”, and “Lady Susan”. These fragmentary tales show Austen experimenting with different literary styles and parodying the popular novels of her day. In “Sanditon,” Austen uses the premise of an idyllic and modern seaside town to examine its inhabitants and their various social circles with her trademark sharp social observations and wit. “The W ...
Originally published in serial form in 1884 to 1885, “Germinal” is Emile Zola’s realistic depiction of the coalminers’ strike in northern France in the 1860s. In this faithful translation from the original French by Havelock Ellis, the story centers on Etienne Lantier, a young migrant worker who arrives at the coalmining town of Montsou in search of work. Set against a backdrop of extreme poverty and oppression, “Germinal” is the story of the id ...
First published in 1915, “The Voyage Out”, Virginia Woolf’s first novel, may be her most accessible. It is a witty social satire that chronicles the maturity of the young Englishwoman Rachel Vinrace as she takes a long voyage to South America from London on her father’s ship. Rachel encounters an eclectic array of passengers on the boat and through them Woolf satirizes Edwardian life. This physical passage also becomes a journey of self-discover ...
Originally published in 1848, “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall” is the second and final novel written by Anne Bronte. Considered one of the first feminist novels, it was both instantly successful and highly controversial. The story follows the relationship between Gilbert Markham, a prosperous farmer, and the mysterious widow Mrs. Helen Graham, who takes up residence with only her son and a servant in the nearby tumbledown mansion of Wildfell Hall. ...
First published in 1913, Edith Wharton’s “The Custom of the Country” tells the story of Undine Spragg, a girl from a Midwestern town with unquenchable social aspirations. Though Undine is narcissistic, pampered, and incredibly selfish, she is also a fascinating, vibrant, and beguiling heroine whose marital initiation into New York high society from its trade-wealthy fringes is only the beginning of her relentless plans. Undine is never satisfied ...
