Before he chose to diddle away his later years writing book after book of history, playing house with Rousseau, annoying the religious authorities, and forging a lasting reputation as an all-around good guy, Hume dedicated his youth to writing the this book, which is nothing less than the single greatest work of philosophy in the English language. Indeed, I dont think there are even any other close competitors for that title. Naturally, then, th ...
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeares most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers. <p> Romeo and Juliet belongs to a tradition of tragic romances stretching back to antiquity. Its plot is based on an Italian tale, translated into verse as The Tragical Histor ...
This was the first Holmes collection since 1893, when Holmes had died in The Adventure of the Final Problem. Having published The Hound of the Baskervilles in 1901?1902 (although setting it before Holmes death) Doyle came under intense pressure to revive his famous character. <p> The first story is set in 1894 and has Holmes returning in London end explain the period from 1891-94, a period called The Great Hiatus by Sherlockian enthusias ...
The story starts conventionally enough with friends sharing ghost stories round the fire on Christmas Eve. One of the guests tells about a governess at a country house plagued by supernatural visitors. But in the hands of Henry James, the master of nuance, this little tale of terror is an exquisite gem of sexual and psychological ambiguity. Only the young governess can see the ghosts; only she suspects that the previous governess and her lover a ...
If youve ever been curious about where the term masochism comes from, you will find it laden in the pages of Leopold von Sacher-Masochs masterpiece, Venus in Furs, for whom the term was named. Drawn in part from his own life experiences, Sacher-Masochs novel develops an eroticism unlike any other. The books protagonist, Severin, is so infatuated and obsessed with the object of his desire, Wanda, that he asks to be her slave. Although hesitant at ...
Uncle Toms Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in 1852, the novel helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War, according to Will Kaufman. <p> Stowe, a Connecticut-born teacher at the Hartford Female Academy and an active abolitionist, featured the character of Uncle Tom, a long-suffering black slave around whom the stories of other characters?both fellow slaves and ...
At first all the stories are just depressing. Some memorably so, others humorously so, others still just morosely so. Many are about poverty, vices, the lusts of money, fear of the cold, or loneliness, oppression, and cruelty, but each of them seems to focus very strongly on the crappiness of life. They stay with you, and they keep pulling you along. Best of all, they can be taken in at length- most short stories collections get tiring after thr ...
Oedipus, the banished king of Greek mythology who killed his father and married his mother, is the subject of Sophocles Oedipus Trilogy, a series of three tragedies that tell a connected story. Despite their antiquity, these timeless works bring up questions that remain relevant in our society, and their exciting, colorful stories have a universal appeal that still captivates readers. <p> This is a high quality book of the original class ...
