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Dr. Watson is still in mourning, when his best friend, presumed dead till now, appears in his office. And thank God he is back – for there is work to be done, and Scotland Yard is in dire need of a helping hand. "The Return of Sherlock Holmes" comprises 13 detective stories where our characters have to solve difficult puzzles, outsmart intelligent criminals, or find the missing piece in complicated mysteries. It is a strongly emotional collection of fast-paced narration and breathtaking escapades. Recommended to fans of the genre.Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) was born in Scotland and studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh. After his studies, he worked as a ship’s surgeon on various boats. During the Second Boer War, he was an army doctor in South Africa. When he came back to the United Kingdom, he opened his own practice and started writing crime books. He is best known for his thrilling stories about the adventures of Sherlock Holmes. He published four novels and more than 50 short-stories starring the detective and Dr Watson, and they play an important role in the history of crime fiction. Other than the Sherlock Holmes series, Doyle wrote around thirty more books, in genres such as science-fiction, fantasy, historical novels, but also poetry, plays, and non-fiction.

"Remember to the last, that while there is life there is hope."Onboard the ship The Golden Mary we meet a dignified woman in black, a man who wants to try his luck in the gold rush in California, a mother and her daughter heading to meet the father, and of course Captain Ravender, a great believer in duty before self. When the ship is struck by an iceberg and sinks, the crew and passengers are moved to lifeboats. But they are still far from safety.Like in the 1997 movie about the Titanic starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, The Wreck of the Golden Mary lets us get well-invested in its passengers before things start to derail. It’s an emotional and bleak story at times, but one little girl represents a glimmer of hope for the passengers and for the reader that will make it all worth it.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English author, social critic, and philanthropist. Much of his writing first appeared in small instalments in magazines and was widely popular. Among his most famous novels are Oliver Twist (1839), David Copperfield (1850), and Great Expectations (1861).

A group of rich Russians gather one night for hospitality and conversation, all admitting that they aren’t happy and aren’t optimistic that their children will ever find happiness either. They agree that the ideal of spirituality is one thing, but that it’s easier said than done. Here follows a story about the lives of a couple of ordinary men who convert from paganism to Christianity.Walk in the Light While There is Light is an inspiring and uplifting Christian short story.Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) was a Russian author, a master of realistic fiction and one of the world’s greatest novelists. Tolstoy’s major works include "War and Peace" (1865–69) and "Anna Karenina" (1875–77), two of the greatest novels of all time and pinnacles of realist fiction. Beyond novels, he wrote many short stories and later in life also essays and plays.

"Please, speak softly, we might be overheard,"Two college friends run into each other in Paris and one tells the other of a mysterious woman he’s been seeing. She sets appointments to meet him and doesn’t show up, and she asks him not to write her at her home address but gives him an alias name and address instead. As the tension builds, the friends start to suspect that maybe the real mystery is that there isn’t a mystery at all.The Sphinx Without a Secret suggests that the thrill of the chase will always end in disappointment when it comes to love, because sooner or later the chase must end. With charm and a great understanding of the human condition, Oscar Wilde more than succeeds with this suspenseful Sherlock Holmes-like mystery.Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) was an Irish playwright, novelist, essayist, and poet, famous for ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ and ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ to name a couple. He was believed to be a homosexual and met a lot of resistance in his life on that account. He died in Paris at the age of 46.

"The Queen of Spades" is a short story that explores the sins of gambling and the bottomless greed of man. When an officer learns that there is a woman who holds the key to always winning at cards, he almost sells his soul to the Devil. The following actions reveal the secret to him, but at a horrifying price. The story is Pushkin’s probing into human wickedness and how often our greatest desires spell our greatest downfall. A well-paced, supernatural story that keeps you hooked till the last page – and then winks at you for man’s greed knows no end.Deservedly labelled "the best Russian poet", Pushkin’s short life (1799-1837) did not prevent him from ushering Russian literature into its modern era. A master of the vernacular language and multifarious and vivid writing style, Pushkin’s oeuvre was of great influence to a whole legion of Russian writers and literary styles. Among his best-known works are the narrative poems "Ruslan and Ludmila" and "Eugene Onegin", the drama "Boris Godunov", several novels, short stories, and fairy tales.

Near the English colony of Belize, a silver mine is attacked by pirates. They murder a number of the British colonist and take the rest hostage. When all hope seems lost, the colonists’ survival is suddenly down to a couple of remarkable and brave imprisoned English women.Co-written by Dickens’ friend Wilkie Collins, The Perils of Certain English Prison is a thrilling adventure novel filled with murder, intrigue and strong female characters. Told in the first person and with the same sense of adventure, the novel is similar in style to Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English author, social critic, and philanthropist. Much of his writing first appeared in small instalments in magazines and was widely popular. Among his most famous novels are Oliver Twist (1839), David Copperfield (1850), and Great Expectations (1861).

"The village street was like most other village streets: wide for its height, silent for its size, and drowsy in the dullest degree."In Tom Tiddlers Ground – the name of an ancient children’s game – Dickens introduces us to a hermit named Mr. Mopes. An interesting and reflective story, it talks about solitude and how different people respond to it.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English author, social critic, and philanthropist. Much of his writing first appeared in small instalments in magazines and was widely popular. Among his most famous novels are Oliver Twist (1839), David Copperfield (1850), and Great Expectations (1861).

"The Lady with the Dog" is one of Chekhov’s most popular short stories, following the adulterous relationship between two married people. Dmitri is unhappy in his marriage and curses the monotony of his life. Anna’s marriage does not offer her the happiness she seeks, and the two form a strange pair, held together by their misfortune. After the vacation, things go back to normal. Or do they really? A story of suppressed desires, hidden love, and anger, "The Lady with the Dog" is a bittersweet tale of charming adventures, unbearable life, and the pursuit of happiness. It is definitely well worth reading.A prolific writer of seven plays, a novel and hundreds of short stories, Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) is considered one of the best practitioners of the short story genre in literature. True to life and painfully morbid with his miserable and realistic depictions of Russian everyday life, Chekhov’s characters drift between humour, melancholy, artistic ambition, and death. Some of his best-known works include the plays "Uncle Vanya", "The Seagull", and "The Cherry Orchard", where Chekhov dramatizes and portrays social and existential problems. His short stories unearth the mysterious beneath the ordinary situations, the failure and horror present in everyday life.

Love, art, ambitions and sacrifices. O. Henry’s "A Service of Love" tells the story of the artist Joe and the pianist Delia who fall in love with each other. They marry and although everything seem to go according to their plans and expectations, things start to fall apart.Can money separate people who love each other? Will they get out of the web of lies that they have self weaved? Will they stay together or the burden they have to carry is too heavy?William Sidney Porter (1862-1919), known simply as O. Henry, was a prolific American author of humorous literary pieces. His fame came exceptionally quickly and he became a bestselling author of short story collections, among the most famous being "Cabbages and Kings", "The Voice of the City", and "Strictly Business." As a result of the outstanding literature legacy that O. Henry left behind, there is an American annual award after his name, given to exceptional short stories.

"The total number of legs belonging to the manufacturing population of one great town in Yorkshire was, in round numbers, forty thousand, while the total number of chair and stool legs in their houses was only thirty thousand (...) Ten thousand individuals were either destitute of any rest for their legs at all, or passed the whole of their leisure time sitting upon boxes."The Mudfog Papers is a collection of sketches about the very local politics of the town of Mudfog (originally the hometown of Oliver Twist). Follow the shenanigans of its crazy mayor and sit in on the meetings of the Society for the Advancement of Everything. The Mudfog Papers is Dickensian satire at its best.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English author, social critic, and philanthropist. Much of his writing first appeared in small instalments in magazines and was widely popular. Among his most famous novels are Oliver Twist (1839), David Copperfield (1850), and Great Expectations (1861).

"No landlord is my friend and brother, no chambermaid loves me, no waiter worships me, no boots admires and envies me."Let the character of The Uncommercial Traveller take you on a journal through Britain, Europe and America, into pubs, workhouses and graveyards to meet tramps, lawyers and everyone in between. These sketches, which Charles Dickens wrote late in life, are based on his own travel experiences. In true Dickensian form it is apparent that his sympathies lie with the hidden underclass of Victorian England. But in between the dark and poignant stories, his wit and humour shines through as always.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English author, social critic, and philanthropist. Much of his writing first appeared in small instalments in magazines and was widely popular. Among his most famous novels are Oliver Twist (1839), David Copperfield (1850), and Great Expectations (1861).

"With all my soul I longed to be in a position to join with the people in performing the rites of their faith, but I could not do it. I felt that I would be lying to myself, mocking what was sacred to me, if I were to go through with it."At the height of his fame, a Tolstoy in his mid-fifties went through an existential crisis. Despite an accomplished writing career and a good family life, Tolstoy was considering suicide. Instead, he wrote A Confession, which describes his search for the answer to the question, "What is the meaning of life?", making him one of the first to pose the problem it in a modern way.A Confession is an interesting and heart-wrenching essay for religious people and atheists alike.Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) was a Russian author, a master of realistic fiction and one of the world’s greatest novelists. Tolstoy’s major works include "War and Peace" (1865–69) and "Anna Karenina" (1875–77), two of the greatest novels of all time and pinnacles of realist fiction. Beyond novels, he wrote many short stories and later in life also essays and plays.

"The Undertaker" is a supernatural gothic tale by Pushkin, which features Adrian Prokhorov, an undertaker, who comes to a new place. He is a very straight-forward man, and does not tolerate deviation from the norm. He is then invited to a wedding by his neighbours, where a lot of drinking is spent. The supernatural is just round the corner when a mishandled toast is proposed. The picturesque depiction of the danse macabre/walking-dead midnight party is exceptional, and Pushkin succeeds in portraying the horrifying aspect completely. A chilling story with a surprise ending that is not to be read after dark.Deservedly labelled "the best Russian poet", Pushkin’s short life (1799-1837) did not prevent him from ushering Russian literature into its modern era. A master of the vernacular language and multifarious and vivid writing style, Pushkin’s oeuvre was of great influence to a whole legion of Russian writers and literary styles. Among his best-known works are the narrative poems "Ruslan and Ludmila" and "Eugene Onegin", the drama "Boris Godunov", several novels, short stories, and fairy tales.

What can destroy sisterly love faster than a love triangle?"The Romance of Certain Old Clothes" tells the story of two sisters: Viola and Perdita, described as equally beautiful. Both women fall in love with Mr. Arthur Lloyd, who then must choose between them. The sisters vow not to be angry at his choice but after Lloyd chooses Perdita, Viola falls into jealousy and depression. Discover what is she ready to do to win the man of her heart in this story of dramatic rivalry.Henry James (1843 – 1916) is regarded one of the greatest novelists in the English language. Born in the United States, but mainly living and working in Europe, he was largely occupied with the clash of personalities and cultures between the Old World and the New World. He explored this topic in his famous novels 'The Portrait of a Lady' and 'The Wings of the Dove'. James was thrice nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature.

A typical Byronic-hero novel, Lermontov’s protagonist bombards the reader with his bipolar behavior: both sensitive and cynical, his extreme arrogance borders on deep melancholy. An existential dreamer and contemplator of the futility of life, Pechorin’s free will inevitably leads him to disaster. And hand in hand with the beautiful natural descriptions, "A Hero of Our Time" is a book that never stops providing, even when one has reached its end. It was highly praised by the other great names in Russian literature – Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Anton Chekhov.Often labelled the most important Russian poet after Alexander Pushkin, Mikhail Lermontov was also a painter, often praised for his naturalist depictions of Caucasus. He died in a duel (just like Pushkin) at the early age of 26, but that did not thwart his poetic endeavours. Despite his naturalistic poetic grandeour, Lermontov’s best-known novel "A Hero of Our Time" is one of the founding works of Russian prose. Among his poems, "Demon" and "The Death of the Poet" occupy a central place in his work. His interests also included folklore, history, and patriotism.

"When I began to settle down in this right-principled and well-conducted House, I noticed, under the bed in No. 24 B (which it is up an angle off the staircase, and usually put off upon the lowly-minded), a heap of things in a corner."When a waiter in a hotel stumbles upon some luggage that has been left behind, he searches through it to identify its owner only to find a handful of stories instead. The writing is so good that he gets the stories published. One day, a visitor comes calling...Somebody's Luggage is a thoroughly entertaining and cleverly written mystery, and as always with Dickens’ work, the characters and places come alive on the page.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English author, social critic, and philanthropist. Much of his writing first appeared in small instalments in magazines and was widely popular. Among his most famous novels are Oliver Twist (1839), David Copperfield (1850), and Great Expectations (1861).

Arthur Conan Doyle’s second novel featuring Sherlock Holmes, "The Sign of Four" revolves around a blood pact between four convicts in India about a stolen treasure. Holmes is sitting in his armchair in a drug-induced monotony, and Dr. Watson prays for a miracle to get him out of the stupor. The answer to his prayers come in the face of a young woman, whose father goes missing. A complex plot, mysterious characters and even more mysterious happenings turn the novel into a pleasant read, perfect for Sherlock Holmes’ aficionados and detective fiction enthusiasts.Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) was born in Scotland and studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh. After his studies, he worked as a ship’s surgeon on various boats. During the Second Boer War, he was an army doctor in South Africa. When he came back to the United Kingdom, he opened his own practice and started writing crime books. He is best known for his thrilling stories about the adventures of Sherlock Holmes. He published four novels and more than 50 short-stories starring the detective and Dr Watson, and they play an important role in the history of crime fiction. Other than the Sherlock Holmes series, Doyle wrote around thirty more books, in genres such as science-fiction, fantasy, historical novels, but also poetry, plays, and non-fiction.

In 1820, Pushkin visited the famous Fountain of Tears in Crimea, where he read about the ancient Crimean khans and rulers. Shrouded in secrets and legends, the ancient building impressed the young poet so much that he decided to write a poem about it. The resulting tale is a sad and tragic outcome of the sharp contradictions between the characters' expectations in the Khan’s palace. Reality and dreams cannot coexist, and everyone has to pay a bitter price for their cherished desires. A profound and historically thrilling poem that is definitely worth its reading.Deservedly labelled "the best Russian poet", Pushkin’s short life (1799-1837) did not prevent him from ushering Russian literature into its modern era. A master of the vernacular language and multifarious and vivid writing style, Pushkin’s oeuvre was of great influence to a whole legion of Russian writers and literary styles. Among his best-known works are the narrative poems "Ruslan and Ludmila" and "Eugene Onegin", the drama "Boris Godunov", several novels, short stories, and fairy tales.

"The Sleeper Awakes" belongs to the genre of dystopian science fiction, the preferred working ground for Wells. A futuristic Rip-van-Winkle who has been sleeping for more than two hundred years, awakes one day to find himself the richest man alive. All his dreams and prayers have been answered. But his new life is not that peaceful and fortunate. Wells’ dystopian vision openly criticizes the march of progress, human greed, and urbanization. The future London in Graham’s post-sleeping world is not a paradise, but living hell. "The Sleeper Awakes" is a novel that readers might easily relate to Orwell’s "1984" or Fritz Lang’s cinematic masterpiece "Metropolis".H. G. Wells (1866-1946) was an English writer, remembered mostly for his science fiction works. Often described as a futurist, H. G. Wells’s influence cannot be neglected for his works foresaw many technological innovations such as space travel, the atomic bomb, and the Internet. Four times Nobel Prize in Literature nominee, Wells explored a wide array of themes in his works, occupying one of the central seats in the canon of British literature. Some of his best works include the time-travel novel "The Time Machine", the sci-fi adventure novel "The Island of Dr. Moreau", the mankind-versus-aliens novel "The War of the Worlds" and more than seventy short stories.

"The Valley of Fear" is the last novel by Arthur Conan Doyle where the reader meets Sherlock Holmes, the famous detective. He and Doctor Watson arrive to a country manor to investigate a possible murder. After receiving a coded message, Holmes links the murder to the name in the message. Clue by clue, our friends get closer to Holmes’ arch enemy Professor Moriarty. It is a brilliantly executed mystery, riddled with sufficient evidence and compelling, plot-driven structure. Detective fiction enthusiasts will not be disappointed.Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) was born in Scotland and studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh. After his studies, he worked as a ship’s surgeon on various boats. During the Second Boer War, he was an army doctor in South Africa. When he came back to the United Kingdom, he opened his own practice and started writing crime books. He is best known for his thrilling stories about the adventures of Sherlock Holmes. He published four novels and more than 50 short-stories starring the detective and Dr Watson, and they play an important role in the history of crime fiction. Other than the Sherlock Holmes series, Doyle wrote around thirty more books, in genres such as science-fiction, fantasy, historical novels, but also poetry, plays, and non-fiction.

"Out-and-out young gentlemen may be divided into two classes – those who have something to do, and those who have nothing."In Sketches of Young Gentlemen Charles Dickens presents this list of types of men that young ladies might encounter in society; a sort of Buzzfeed article of the 19th century. How’s about The Censorious Young Gentlemen, who expresses all opinions "with a dubious sneer, accompanied with a half smile"? No? Maybe The Poetical Young Gentleman, who "is lounging on a sofa with his eyes fixed upon the ceiling" then? or maybe The Domestic Young Gentleman, "who lives at home with his mother"?Dickens isn’t too impressed with these bachelors and doesn’t think the ladies should be either. Sketches of Young Gentlemen is an excellent and quick read, just as amusing as it is accurate.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English author, social critic, and philanthropist. Much of his writing first appeared in small instalments in magazines and was widely popular. Among his most famous novels are Oliver Twist (1839), David Copperfield (1850), and Great Expectations (1861).

More than 10 000 years ago something terrible happened in the land of Mnar. Shepherd people built a new city called Sarnath. But the land they took to themselves was not uninhabited – there was a strange race living in the area, and they even had their own town called Ib.The people of Sarnath decided to destroy the other race. But they didn’t know that one day these creatures would return and have their revenge...H.P. Lovecraft (1890–1937) was an American horror writer. His best known works include ‘The Call of Cthulhu’ and ‘the Mountains of Madness’. Most of his work was originally published in pulp magazines, and Lovecraft rose into fame only after his death at the age of 46. He has had a great influence in both horror and science fiction genres.

"¿Temes que esté envenenada? Mira," dijo la vieja, "corto la manzana en dos partes; tú comerás la parte roja y yo la blanca."Un mundo fantástico, de bosques tenebrosos, espejos mágicos, madrastras envidiosas y enanos amistosos. Una princesa, la más hermosa de la región, que deberá encontrar la forma de sobrevivir y mantenerse a salvo de las tramas de la Reina malvada. Despojada de su vida en la realeza, ya nada es lo que parece y peligros se esconden en cada esquina.El cuento de hadas en que se basa el clásico animado "Blanca Nieves y los Siete Enanitos" y el éxito de taquilla "Blanca Nieves y la leyenda del Cazador", protagonizado por Kristen Stewart y Chris Hemsworth. Entra en el mundo fantástico inmortalizado por los hermanos Grimm y presencia la aventura de la princesa clásica como sólo los pioneros de los cuentos de hadas originales pueden relatar.Jacob y Wilhelm Grimm eran lingüistas alemanes, dedicados al estudio de los orígenes de la lengua alemana. Comenzaron a coleccionar y publicar cuentos de hadas a comienzos del siglo XIX, llegando a tener más de 200 cuentos que antes sólo se contaban de boca en boca. Publicaron clásicos de la fantasía como Cenicienta, Rapunzel, La Bella Durmiente y Hansel & Gretel. Sus cuentos han mantenido una popularidad tal que hoy han sido traducidos a más de 100 lenguas y han sido la base para muchas películas de Walt Disney y Universal Pictures entre otros.

El aristócrata solterónTras una majestuosa boda, la novia desaparece durante la recepción. El adinerado Lord Simon, su nuevo esposo, no tiene la más mínima idea si su nueva esposa se encuentra viva, secuestrada o si a escapado con otro hombre a sus espaldas.La ansiedad y los nervios de perderla influirán para que Simon, desesperadamente y con el corazón en la mano, solicite la ayuda de Sherlock Holmes y su fiel compañero Watson. Se supone que una boda es un momento sumamente importante de la vida.¿Qué habrá salido mal? ¿Qué afectó en la ceremonia para que la novia desapareciera? ¿Sigue la novia viva?Aventúrate a investigar junto con Holmes y Watson, este misterioso caso policial en donde se cuestionará el amor. Las mentiras saldrán a la luz y con la ayuda de Holmes y Watson, un esposo descubrirá una oscura verdad.Escándalo en bohemiaWilhelm Gottsreich es el rey hereditario de Bohemia, su reputación y su futura coronación peligra tras las acciones de la mujer que ama. Irene Adler es su amante, una bella cantante de Nueva jersey amenaza con hacer pública su relación e interferir con su próximo matrimonio. Wilhelm se encuentra a pocos días de contraer matrimonio con nada más y nada menos que con la joven princesa de Escandinavia y si esta información llega a ser revelada, Wilhelm podría perderlo todo.Atrévete a escuchar el sufrimiento del rey de Bohemia y como Sherlock Holmes junto con el Dr. Watson lograrán encubrir este problema real.Un caso de identidad¿Que prefieres? ¿vivir una mentira o enfrentar una triste realidad?Mary Sutherland es una mujer Inglesa quien a perdido a su prometido, Hosmer Ángel. Ángel desaparece el día de su boda, dejando a Mary con el corazón roto y sin explicación alguna tras su desafortunada ausencia. ¿Que tan volátil pueden llegar a ser los sentimientos de un hombre, cuando existe dinero de por medio?Mary busca respuestas tras lo ocurrido, por lo que contactará a Sherlock Holmes y el Dr. Watson. La pareja de investigadores se incursará en un drama que cambiara su perspectiva ética sobre la verdad.La liga de los pelirrojosJabez Wilson tiene el cabello mas rojizo y brillante de toda Inglaterra, o por lo menos por esto fue contratado en la liga de los pelirrojos.Una extraña fijación por la roja cabellera atrae a este prestamista pelirrojo a aplicar a una oferta de trabajo en el periódico. Una gran línea de trabajadores colorados aplican para este trabajo, sorpresivamente Wilson es el único pelirrojo escogido para este puesto. Su sueldo es considerablemente bueno y lo que se le requiere hacer es muy básico. Wilson acudirá a donde Sherlock Holmes y el Dr. Watson tras enterarse que la liga de los pelirrojos a sido disuelta sin explicación alguna. Atrévete a escuchar que ocurre en este misterioso caso, en el que Sherlock Holmes una vez mas deducirá lo inimaginable.Sir Arthur Conan Doyle fue un famoso escritor y físico escocés nacido en 1859. Sus obras de crimen y ficción catapultaron su fama a nivel global, sus textos se encuentran traducidos en una inmensa variedad de idiomas y gracias a su trabajo, una variedad de películas y series han sido producidas al público.rnrnEntre sus mayores obras se encuentran la gran variedad de cuentos policiales sobre Sherlock Holmes y cuentos de ciencia ficción sobre el profesor Challenger.

Mycroft, el talentoso hermano mayor de Sherlock Holmes necesita de su ayuda.Su vecino griego le informó que sirvió de interprete en una situación ilegal. El interprete prestó sus servicios lingüísticos sin previamente entender el contexto en el cual se estaba involucrando. Fue obligado a trabajar dentro de un secuestro en donde la claridad en la información no existe, en donde la opresión y el misterio son pilares de lo ocurrido mientras el griego solo cumplió con su trabajo.Anímate a escuchar como los hermanos Holmes junto con el Dr. Watson revelan la verdad este caso.Sir Arthur Conan Doyle fue un famoso escritor y físico escocés nacido en 1859. Sus obras de crimen y ficción catapultaron su fama a nivel global. Sus textos se encuentran traducidos en una inmensa variedad de idiomas y gracias a su trabajo, una variedad de películas y series han sido producidas al público.Entre sus mayores obras se encuentran la gran variedad de cuentos policiales sobre Sherlock Holmes y cuentos de ciencia ficción sobre el profesor Challenger.

Philip, un joven viajero americano, se encuentra extraviado en un páramo de la Bretaña francesa. Había salido de caza y no sabe encontrar el camino de regreso. Allí de pronto se encuentra a Jeanne, una misteriosa mujer que lo invita a su castillo. Se trata de la Doncella d’Ys, en cuyo castillo luego de que la relación entre ambos comienza a estrecharse, el velo de la realidad se desgarra y admite la aparición de todo tipo de criaturas asombrosas.Inesperadamente tras ser atacado por una serpiente, Philip pierde el conocimiento y cuando despierta, se halla sólo y se conmueve mediante el descubrimiento de una piedra con una dedicatoria hacia él...Robert William Chambers (1865 – 1933) nació en Brooklyn en el seno de una familia burguesa. Estudió en el New York Art Students League y en 1886 se mudó a París, donde convivió con el movimiento artístico bohemio, y donde expuso su obra en el salón de 1889. A su regreso a Nueva York, vendió ilustraciones a las principales revistas del momento. No obstante, a pesar de considerar la escritura como algo secundario, su pasión por contar historias lo llevó a publicar su primer libro, In the quarter en 1984 al cual le siguió El Rey de Amarillo, que lo convirtió en un maestro del cuento moderno de terror.Fue un escritor prolífico y sus obras alcanzaron un gran prestigio, llegando algunas a ser best-sellers. El dinero que obtuvo de ello lo invirtió en sus otras aficiones, entre las que se encontraba coleccionar mariposas y porcelana china. Chambers falleció a los sesenta y ocho años tras ser operado de una dolencia intestinal.

Een groep schoolkinderen uit Nieuw-Zeeland gaat op vakantie met een schip. Per vergissing wordt het schip al losgemaakt van de kade als de bemanning nog op de wal staat, en het schip drijft af met alleen de schoolkinderen aan boord.Door een storm vergaat het schip en stranden de kinderen op een onbewoond eiland, waar ze moeten zien te overleven. Jules Verne maakte er geen geheim van dat hij zich voor dit boek sterk had laten inspireren door Robinson Crusoë van Daniel Defoe. Het was in Verne’s tijd zelfs zo populair om een verhaal geïnspireerd op dit boek te schrijven dat het een compleet genre werd: de robinsonade.Jules Verne (1828-1905) werd geboren in de Franse havenstad Nantes en had advocaat moeten worden zoals zijn vader, maar hij rende vroeg van huis weg om toneelstukken en artikelen voor tijdschriften te schrijven. Zijn samenwerking met de uitgever Pierre-Jules Hetzel leidde tot de magisch populaire boekenreeks "Voyages extraordinaires" - fantastische reizen - waarin hij op basis van zorgvuldig onderzoek, onder andere "The journey to the interior of the earth" (1864), "A World Cruise Under the Sea" (1870) en "Earth in 80 Days" (1873) schreef.Jules Verne is ten onrechte geclassificeerd als kinderschrijver vanwege de verkorte en vervormde versies van zijn boeken, terwijl hij als auteur in Frankrijk de artistieke avant-garde heeft beïnvloed.Jules Verne is de op één na meest vertaalde auteur ter wereld - gelegen tussen Agatha Christie en William Shakespeare - en wordt vaak de vader van het science fiction-genre genoemd.

Esta es la primera novela que escribió Charlotte Brontë, la autora que se daría a conocer al mundo con su famosa Jane Eyre, que escribió dos años después.Basada en gran parte en sus experiencias personales como institutriz en Bruselas, es una novela realista que nos presenta la realidad de su experiencia personal en Bruselas, y una crítica social cruda, sin endulzar ni suavizar."Pero cuando el dolor termina el recuerdo que queda a veces se transforma en placer."A través de la historia de amor que articula la trama, la escritora denuncia las condiciones laborales de las fábricas, resultando ya con su obra debut una adelantada para la época, algo que después se reafirmaría con el conjunto de su obra.En personajes como el de la señorita Henri, quien quiere seguir activa laboralmente y realizar sus sueños profesionales aún después de haberse casado, o el del protagonista, el joven William, un personaje frío y con el que es difícil empatizar pero cuyo análisis resulta muy interesante, se ponen en examen las costumbres y la rigidez de la época victoriana.Quizás este realismo y crítica sin disfraz de la realidad social fueron el motivo por el que los editores de Brontë rechazaron en principio la publicación de esta novela, que de hecho no vio la luz hasta después de la muerte de su creadora.Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855) fue una novelista y poeta inglesa, más conocida por su novela clásica "Jane Eyre" (1847). Charlotte era la hermana mayor de los novelistas Emily y Anne Brontë ampliamente hoy.

Het kinderboek Doctor Dolittle op de Maan (1928) was bedoeld als slotstuk van Loftings grote Doctor Dolittle-serie. In tegenstelling tot de eerdere Dolittle-boeken zijn er geen subplots; er is een strakke verhaallijn die in een welhaast omineuze toon wordt verteld. Doctor Dolittle is geland op de maan en doet daar allerlei ontdekkingen. Ook ontmoet hij Otho Bludge de Maanman, een kunstenaar uit de Steentijd die op de maan is achtergebleven toen die van de aarde scheidde. Dolittle gaat om met maandieren en ontdekt hoe hij met intelligente maanplanten kan communiceren.Hugh Lofting (1886-1947) was een Britse schrijver die vooral bekend werd met de kinderboekenreeks over dokter John Dolittle, die met dieren kan praten. De reeks ontstond in de brieven die hij als frontsoldaat naar zijn kinderen stuurde om hen af te leiden van de verschrikkingen van de oorlog. Naast de Dolittle-reeks schreef Lofting diverse prentenboeken en poëziebundels voor kinderen. Hij schreef maar één werk voor volwassenen: een gedicht over de zinloosheid van oorlog.

En esta novela extensa de la autora de Jane Eyre las mujeres vuelven a ser las protagonistas y tener un rol esencial, como suele ocurrir en las novelas de Charlotte Brönte.En este caso son dos personajes casi antitéticos: Caroline Helstone, una huérfana que vive con su tío, el pastor Helstone, hombre frío y severo que desprecia a las mujeres, y Shirley Keeldar, una rica heredera, mujer independiente dueña de su propia fábrica textil.A pesar de la frialdad y casi desdén con la que el pastor Helstone trata a su sobrina, le proporciona una buena educación, lo que no era tan usual para la época tratándose de una mujer. Caroline habla francés y lee a los clásicos, pero su necesidad de amor y sentirse querida, sentimiento que no encuentra en su tío o en unos padres que no están presentes, se centra así pues en su primo Robert, que es quien dirige la fábrica de la que Shirley es dueña.Robert y su negocio se ven afectados por la crisis económica que sacude Europa en esta época convulsa entre las guerras napoleónicas, la Revolución Industrial incipiente, las revueltas sociales que esta trajo, y las hambrunas fruto de las malas cosechas. Además, Robert es medio extranjero, por lo que es en él en quien los habitantes de la parroquia vuelcan su descontento y agresividad, quemándole los telares y amenazando su empresa con la quiebra.Shirley se presenta ante sus ojos como su posible salvación, ya que ella, además de hermosa, es rica, por lo que este matrimonio podría suponerla la solución a sus problemas.Además de estos mencionados, en la novela abundan una suerte de personajes y situaciones que reflejan lo que la autora nos quiere transmitir: la lucha entre el mundo que cambia velozmente y aquéllos que tratan de preservar las costumbres y sobre todo, los privilegios de los propietarios y los que han nacido ricos de cuna."Si los pobres se unen y se lanzan en forma de turba, yo me volveré contra ellos como aristócrata".Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855) fue una novelista y poeta inglesa, más conocida por su novela clásica "Jane Eyre" (1847). Charlotte era la hermana mayor de los novelistas Emily y Anne Brontë ampliamente hoy.