Considered by many to be Maugham's masterpiece, «Of Human Bondage» is the semi-autobiographical tale of Philip Carey, who like Maugham, is orphaned and brought up by his uncle. «Of Human Bondage» is a «bildungsroman» that traces the travels of its main character to Germany, Paris and London while exploring the intellectual, emotional and psychological development of the protagonist and later his destructive relationship with the main female ...
Considered the second book in the «Little Women» trilogy, «Little Men» is Louisa May Alcott's classic novel that tells the story of Jo Bhaer who along with her husband, Professor Bhaer runs the Plumfield Estate School. The novel details the lives of the two and the children that attend the school. In the tradition of «Little Women», the experiences of the youngsters exemplify important life lessons as they learn to grow into proper young ge ...
While James Fenimore Cooper’s 1840 novel «The Pathfinder» is the fourth installment in «The Leatherstocking Tales» series, the action takes place third chronologically. Set amongst the wilderness of the Great Lakes region of the United States during the French and Indian War, «The Pathfinder» is a classic tale of early American frontiersman Natty Bumpo in which he finds himself rather uncharacteristically falling in love, a romance which pits hi ...
Alan Alexander (A. A.) Milne (1882-1956) is most prominently remembered as the author of the well-known Winnie-the-Pooh tales, written for his son, Christopher Robin. Milne was born in London and raised in his father's private school, Henley House, after which he attended Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge to study mathematics. By 1925 he had published 18 plays and 3 novels, including «The Red House Mystery» (1922). This was ...
Anthony Trollope achieved great success as a novelist in the Victorian Era, producing myriad works on political, social and gender issues of his day. This story is set in the fictional parish of Bowick, England, where a respectable American couple by the name of Peacocke have been hired as a house-mother and teacher at Dr. Wortle's Christian seminary academy. Scandal arises when the brother of Mrs. Peacocke's allegedly dead first husba ...
Henry James (1843-1916) was an American-born English writer whose novels, short stories and letters established the foundation of the modernist movement in twentieth century fiction and poetry. His career, one of the most significant and influential in English literature, spanned over five decades and resulted in a body of work that has had a profound impact on generations of writers. Born in New York, but educated in France, Germany, England an ...
The last novel written by Tolstoy, «Resurrection» was first published in 1899 amidst huge anticipation. What surprised the world was Tolstoy's story of a guilt-ridden nobleman, haunted by the sins of his past and seeking a way to atone for them. The aristocratic Prince Dmitri Ivanovich Nekhlyudov serves on a jury of a murder trial, only to discover that the accused prostitute is Maslova, a maid he seduced and abandoned years before. Though ...
"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" is the classic story of fantasy that has delighted readers young and old for decades. Dorothy finds herself transplanted to the magical land of Oz when her house is sucked up by a tornado. To get back home she must follow the yellow brick road to the Emerald City to ask the Wizard to help her get back to Kansas. Along the way she meets several interesting characters including the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and ...
"The Antiquary" (1816) is Sir Walter Scott's self proclaimed best novel. Set in Scotland during the late 18th century, this tale follows the mysterious Mr. William Lovel and the various relationships that shape and transform his life in Scotland. Considered Scott's only gothic novel, «The Antiquary» is replete with a fantastic grittiness that is unseen in his «Ivanhoe» (1819). As Lovel reaches the seaside town of Fairport he meets ...
