Engelske bøger

Covering for your sister can lead to the most unexpected of outcomes, as Audrey Bedford discovers in Edgar Wallace's 'The Face in the Night'.Selling her chicken farm and relocating to London to join her stepsister, Audrey Bedford is arrested shortly thereafter, having been caught transporting the Queen of Finland’s stolen jewelry. Audrey decides to admit culpability and go behind bars for a year rather than "rat out" her sibling, who is in fact the true perpetrator of the crime. Once released, she takes on a position as scribe to the mysterious Mr. Malpas, who broods for days on end in his apartment and permits visitors to approach him no closer than from across a vast darkened room. When Malpas’ neighbour Mr. Marshalt is discovered murdered, Audrey rapidly finds herself ensnared in a web of missing diamonds, raging ill-forgotten feuds and a budding romance in the unlikeliest of places.Wallace’s work has been adapted for the big screen many times with actors like Jack Black, Adrien Brody and Jamie Bell portraying characters from his books.Edgar Wallace (1875-1932) was an English writer so prolific, that one of his publishers claimed that he was behind a quarter of all books sold in England. An author, journalist and poet, he wrote countless novels, short stories, screen plays, stage plays and historical non-fiction. Today, more than 160 films have been made from his work. He died suddenly in Hollywood in 1932, during the initial drafting of his most famous work, 'King Kong'.

An aristocratic lady travels alone to picturesque Monaco, expecting a peaceful vacation. It turns into a place of horror for the woman, however, as she experiences something unspeakable at the artificial lake. She details her experiences in a letter to a dear friend. This grim tale was Maupassant's dive into something new, and his experiment paid off - creating a chilling story that rivals even the masters of the supernatural genre.Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) was a French writer. Famed for being a master of the short story, he also wrote travel books and occasionally dabbled in poetry. His stories mainly focus on the relationships between men and women sitting at crossroads in their lives - whether personal or professional. His dramatic flair is largely influenced by French novelist Gustave Flaubert and is perfect for fans of Anton Chekhov's short stories. The most notable of the 300 short stories that he wrote include 'Bel Ami', 'Une Vie', and 'The Dumpling'.

The gun club of "From the Earth to the Moon" and "Around the Moon" returns after a long retirement. "The Purchase of the North Pole" brings back the three explorers who have come up with a new engineering project. If they fire a huge enough cannon, they can achieve displacement of the Earth’s rotation axis. They seem to have a secret motive and we are left to wonder what they expect to achieve.Why are they not willing to give up on their plan? Have they made a huge mistake? Let's hope it's not too late to save the world from the damage one gun club can cause.Jules Verne (1828-1905) was a French novelist who mostly wrote adventure fiction inspired by the scientific advances of the 19th century. With the help of editor Pierre-Jules Hetzel he wrote a series of books called "Extraordinary Travels", which includes "Journey to the Center of the Earth" (1864), "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" (1870), and "Around the World in Eighty Days" (1873).There have been many film adaptations of Jules Verne’s books with the most notable being "Journey to the Center of The Earth" (2008) starring Brendan Fraser and Josh Hutcherson (The Hunger Games), "Around the World in 80 Days" (1956), and "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" (2012) starring Dwayne Johnson.Widely popular with both children and adults, Verne is one of the most translated authors of all time, and still inspires people the world over.

This way lies monsters and madness. Because you’re about to enter the imagination of H.P. Lovecraft. A master of the short story form, Lovecraft made the unknowable scarily real. Parallel universes, alien worlds, vengeful spirits—all realised in the space of a few pages. And all brought to life with spare, simple language, making Lovecraft’s fiction an easy read for modern audiences. This volume contains five of his short stories: "The Horror at Martin’s Beach", "The Nameless City", "The Ghost Eater", "The Crawling Chaos" and "The Doom that Came to Sarnath". It’s an essential collection for fans of otherworldly horror. H.P. Lovecraft was an American horror and science fiction writer. Born in Rhode Island, he became a pioneer of ‘cosmic horror’, conjuring up a lore of supernatural creatures who exist beyond our understanding. His best known stories include "The Call of Cthulhu", "At the Mountains of Madness" and "The Colour Out of Space". While he was a mainstay of pulp magazines, Lovecraft never achieved wider literary recognition in his lifetime. But his posthumous influence has been profound. It can be found in everything from the fiction of Stephen King and Neil Gaiman to the HBO series "Lovecraft Country".

We all know what it’s like to be in love, but when love is placed within the context of anxieties, desires and beliefs, will it survive?The sisters Bianca and Katherine might be as opposite as chalk and cheese, yet marriage finds its way into both their lives. Prompted by the notion of a love free of idealism, Petruchio is ready to marry Katherine with or without her will. Can she learn to love him? Or will marriage without love always be filled with terror and deception?Although believed to be written in the late 1500s, this classic romance is still very relevant today. Whether you will perceive Katherina and Petruchio’s relationship as romantic and energetic or violent and oppressive, this play unmistakably offers us a perpetual take on the major theme: the battle of the sexes. But unlike most modern day romances emotional desires are put second in this play’s exploration of love, marriage and courtship.If you saw and loved director Gil Junger’s "10 Things I Hate About You", this is the best-seller behind the film.William Shakespeare (1564-1616) is widely considered the world's greatest dramatist and is often referred to as England's national poet or the Bard. Most famous for his timeless plays, he also wrote a multitude of poems and sonnets. Shakespeare was the blockbuster writer of his day, his many works concerning universal themes of life, love, death, revenge, grief, jealousy, murder, magic and mystery. Among some of his most famous are "Macbeth", "Romeo and Juliet", and "Hamlet", but the list is long, and many continue to be studied and performed, both their original form and modern adaptations.

A group of old friends gathers for their annual hunting rendezvous on the coast of Normandy. Time may have passed, but their passion remains strong. One of them arrives dressed in black from head to toe, insisting that he must leave soon. Pressed for answers, he tells them his story. Fast-paced and mysterious, this is a story of priorities, friendship, and the human condition. Maupassant's musings on our inability to understand fellow humans make this perfect for fans of Anton Chekhov.Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) was a French writer. Famed for being a master of the short story, he also wrote travel books and occasionally dabbled in poetry. His stories mainly focus on the relationships between men and women sitting at crossroads in their lives - whether personal or professional. His dramatic flair is largely influenced by French novelist Gustave Flaubert and is perfect for fans of Anton Chekhov's short stories. The most notable of the 300 short stories that he wrote include 'Bel Ami', 'Une Vie', and 'The Dumpling'.

This way lies monsters and madness. Because you’re about to enter the imagination of H.P. Lovecraft. A master of the short story form, Lovecraft made the unknowable scarily real. Parallel universes, alien worlds, vengeful spirits—all realised in the space of a few pages. And all brought to life with sparse, simple language, making Lovecraft’s fiction an easy read for modern audiences.This volume contains five of his short stories: "From Beyond", "Cold Air", "The Moon-Bog", "The Music of Erich Zann" and "The Transition of Juan Romero".H.P. Lovecraft was an American horror and science fiction writer. Born in Rhode Island, he became a pioneer of ‘cosmic horror’, conjuring up a lore of supernatural creatures who exist beyond our understanding. His best known stories include "The Call of Cthulhu", "At the Mountains of Madness" and "The Colour Out of Space". While he was a mainstay of pulp magazines, Lovecraft never achieved wider literary recognition in his lifetime. But his posthumous influence has been profound. It can be found in everything from the fiction of Stephen King and Neil Gaiman to the HBO series "Lovecraft Country".

"The Fallen Leaves" is a British garage rock group that formed in Richmond, London in 2004. Their most commercially successful release was 2013's "If Only We'd Known" with their top hit being "Against the Grain" according to Spotify. And why this "American Psycho"-esque music monologue in the middle of a Wilkie Collins book description you might ask? Because this novel's protagonist, Amelius Goldenheart, might just be the original flamboyant lady killer (although only figuratively) and solicitor of prostitutes in Western Literature.Exiled from his Utopian community due to an illicit affair with an older woman, Amelius comes to London to enlist in the service of John Farnaby, a man of ill repute. He is immediately captivated by his employer's niece and soon our hero finds himself entangled in his new family's dark history. And if you thought Gilderoy Lockhear- sorry, Amelius Goldenheart, is one to turn a blind eye to misfortune and injustice, well, you are encouraged to read his ridiculous name again.A follow-up to this story titled "Second Series" was planned but ultimately never written.Novelist, playwright, genre pioneer, opium addict, mentee of Charles Dickens, magnificently bearded individual – dead Englishman Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) has many titles to his name.Having a knack for mystery and unconventional characters, Collins' biggest contribution to world literature comes in the forms of "A Women in White" (1859) and "The Moonstone" (1868), with the former being mentioned on his headstone while the latter is widely considered the first modern detective novel.

First published anonymously in 1823, ''Twas The Night Before Christmas' has played a vital role in the tradition of Christmas. The jolly, red-cheeked, gift-bearing Santa Claus that we know (and love) today originates from Clement Clarke Moore's poem. He originally wrote it to share only with his own children on Christmas Eve. This jovial poem is wonderful for all fans of Santa Claus and the presents he delivers, young or old!Clement Clarke Moore (1779-1863) was an American writer, teacher, and poet. A highly religious man, he attended Columbia University and went on to write about a variety of subjects, including poetry, historical biographies, and translations from French. His most notable work was certainly 'A Visit From St Nicholas' which was originally written as a Christmas Eve gift to his children, and quickly gained fame, being known today as 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.'

A gripping, fast-paced mystery by the prolific Edgar Wallace, 'The Three Oak Mystery' puts forth a tale of two whimsical London detectives, Socrates and Lexington Smith, who become inadvertently intertwined in a chain of inexplicable paranormal events one evening whilst staying overnight at a friend's manor house."Come three oaks" a ghostly light dashing across the lawn spells in Morse code. Shaken by the happenings of the night before, the brothers elect to take a walk down the same route the following morning and, horrified, discover the body of a petrified elderly gentleman tied to an oak tree, a purple bullet wound gleaming in the sunlight. This gruesome unearthing is only the first of a menagerie of mysterious occurrences which the two men stumble upon that day, leaving them with no choice but to bite the bullet and unravel the curse of the Three Oaks.Readers will be delighted to find that Wallace’s work has been adapted for film many times with actors like Jack Black, Adrien Brody and Jamie Bell portraying characters from his books.Edgar Wallace (1875-1932) was an English writer so prolific that one of his publishers claimed that he was behind a quarter of all books sold in England. An author, journalist and poet, he wrote countless novels, short stories, screen plays, stage plays and historical non-fiction. Today, more than 160 films have been made from his work. He died suddenly in Hollywood in 1932, during the initial drafting of his most famous work, 'King Kong'.

'The Valley of Ghosts' squarely plants you smack-bang in the middle of a tiny close-knit aristocratic English town that is beset by more than just ghosts alone, as he is all too quick to discover.The guilt-ridden past and present of the town's inhabitants together with the ever-growing restlessness of the "ghosts" transforms the plot into a wild goose chase of buried secrets intertwined with blackmail, love intrigues, and shady under-the-table dealings.The mysterious murder around which the story revolves and the troubled lives of the town’s residents lend many levels of complexity and suspense to this detective tale, which is why it is perhaps not surprising to find it was later adapted into a silent movie in 1928. In fact, Wallace’s work has been adapted for film many times with actors like Jack Black, Adrien Brody and Jamie bell portraying characters from his books.Edgar Wallace (1875-1932) was an English writer so prolific, that one of his publishers claimed that he was behind a quarter of all books sold in England. An author, journalist and poet, he wrote countless novels, short stories, screen plays, stage plays and historical non-fiction. Today, more than 160 films have been made from his work. He died suddenly in Hollywood in 1932, during the initial drafting of his most famous work, 'King Kong'.

Seized by wanderlust for a sixth time, even Sindbad begins to regret his restlessness when he’s shipwrecked on a seemingly barren island, and has to watch his crew starve to death. But Sindbad’s cunning and good fortune haven’t run out yet, as he discovers in the twenty-first of 34 tales in the classic Arabian Nights collection translated by Andrew Lang.A treasure-trove of timeless stories, the One Thousand and One Nights or Arabian Nights have been loved, imitated, and added to over many centuries. Similar to the fairy tales collected by the Brothers Grimm, the Arabian Nights are drawn from the folklore of India, Iran and the Middle East, and were collected in Arabic versions throughout the medieval period; others were added as recently as the eighteenth century. These stories of the exotic East have been popularised for new generations by film adaptations such as Disney’s Aladdin, starring Robin Williams and Gilbert Gottfried in 1992, and Will Smith in 2019, and Dreamworks’ Sinbad, starring Brad Pitt and Michelle Pfeiffer. They continue to inspire writers as varied as Salman Rushdie and Neil Gaiman, while numerous Bollywood and manga versions attest to their popularity around the world. These stories of magic, adventure and romance have shaped readers’ imaginations for generations, and are sure to be retold for years to come.This selection was translated by Andrew Lang from the French versions by Antoine Galland, who was the first to include the stories of Aladdin and Ali Baba. Born in Scotland in 1844, Lang was a scholar of ancient Greek, a journalist, historian, novelist and poet, and the author of 25 popular collections of fairy tales; his edition of the Arabian Nights’ Entertainment was published in 1898. He became a Fellow of the British Academy in 1906, and died in 1912.

A good fairy tale needs a happy ending, and if he can’t provide one for the rags-to-riches-to-rags-again story of his sixth brother, the barber of Kashgar can at least add one to the history of the little hunchback, in the twenty-fifth of 34 tales in the classic Arabian Nights collection translated by Andrew Lang.A treasure-trove of timeless stories, the One Thousand and One Nights or Arabian Nights have been loved, imitated, and added to over many centuries. Similar to the fairy tales collected by the Brothers Grimm, the Arabian Nights are drawn from the folklore of India, Iran and the Middle East, and were collected in Arabic versions throughout the medieval period; others were added as recently as the eighteenth century. These stories of the exotic East have been popularised for new generations by film adaptations such as Disney’s Aladdin, starring Robin Williams and Gilbert Gottfried in 1992, and Will Smith in 2019, and Dreamworks’ Sinbad, starring Brad Pitt and Michelle Pfeiffer. They continue to inspire writers as varied as Salman Rushdie and Neil Gaiman, while numerous Bollywood and manga versions attest to their popularity around the world. These stories of magic, adventure and romance have shaped readers’ imaginations for generations, and are sure to be retold for years to come.This selection was translated by Andrew Lang from the French versions by Antoine Galland, who was the first to include the stories of Aladdin and Ali Baba. Born in Scotland in 1844, Lang was a scholar of ancient Greek, a journalist, historian, novelist and poet, and the author of 25 popular collections of fairy tales; his edition of the Arabian Nights’ Entertainment was published in 1898. He became a Fellow of the British Academy in 1906, and died in 1912.

If you visited a paradise, how could return to living in the normal world?That’s the question which haunts Lionel Wallace in H.G. Wells’ "The Door in the Wall". When he was a child, Lionel found a magical green door. He stepped through it into a sun-dappled garden, inhabited by angelic women and friendly animals. Then suddenly he was cast out, back into reality. For the rest of his life, he longs to find that green door once again."The Door in the Wall" has invited countless interpretations over the years—is it about repressed trauma, or missed opportunities, or a fable about industrialisation? Read it to make up your mind.H.G. Wells (1866–1946) was an English author often called the "father of science fiction". His work popularised some of the genre’s most abiding concepts, such as time travel and parallel universes, while also exploring social issues of the day. Among his most famous books are "The Time Machine", "The Island of Doctor Moreau", "The Invisible Man" and "The First Men in the Moon".Wells was also one of the first writers to imagine an alien invasion. In "The War of the Worlds" he depicts a devastating attack by Martians, who stalk the earth in huge metal tripods. Orson Welles famously created an American radio version in the 1930s, panicking some listeners who thought it was a real news bulletin. The book has been adapted for the screen many times, including a movie starring Tom Cruise and a BBC television series.

Just as they are about to depart from London for a dazzling holiday in Montecarlo, Inspector Holt and his valet Sunny are abruptly summoned by Scotland Yard to investigate a string of sudden, bizarre instances of untimely death that had been met by numerous wealthy men in recent days. With hardly anything to go on besides an eery similarity in the life insurance policies taken on the names of the deceased, a baffled Holt attempts to draw out a link between these suspicious deaths. With his assigned case secretary Diane at his side, whose analytic prowess leave him in speechless admiration and awe, little does Holt expect he will be thrown into a surreptitious yet adrenaline-packed world of adventure and romance threatening to sweep him off his feet. Will the monsters behind these atrocities ever see the light of day, or will they continue staring out of the dark?A perfect read for a dark and stormy night , 'The Dark Eyes of London' is a gripping crime thriller penned by the renowned British writer Edgar Wallace, best known for creating the iconic 'King Kong'. 'The Dark Eyes of London' was also adapted for the silver screen and screened in America as 'The Human Monster' starring Bela Lugosi.Edgar Wallace (1875-1932) was a prolific English mystery and crime writer with such an impressive output that one of his publishers claimed he was behind a quarter of all books sold in England at that time. An author, journalist and poet, Wallace wrote countless novels, short stories, screen plays, stage plays and historical non-fiction. Over 160 films inspired by his work have been made worldwide, more than any other author ever and over 50 million copies of his books were sold during his lifetime. He died suddenly in Hollywood in 1932, during the initial drafting stages of his most famous and enduring work, 'King Kong'.

‘A Faint Heart’ is one of Dostoevsky’s earliest short stories and it focuses on the tragedy of Vasya Shumkov, a passionate but naïve young man. The tale begins with Vasya informing his best friend, Arkady, that he is engaged to a woman he courted secretly out of fear that bad luck would befall the relationship. Dostoevsky writes tenderly about the men’s friendship as they find themselves in many hilarious situations while celebrating the engagement, but tragedy soon strikes. In a cruel twist of fate, Vasya’s fear of losing his happiness causes him to fall into a pit of misfortune that he struggles to free himself from. What follows is a gripping and heartbreaking tale as Arkady rushes around the city to find and rescue Vasya before it is too late. This short portrays the combination of irony and tragedy that would define Dostoevsky’s later works and has some of the celebrated author’s most poignant and romantic images. ‘A Faint Heart’ is a must-read for fans of Dostoevsky’s well-known novels such as ‘The Idiot’.Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881) was a famous Russian writer of novels, short stories, and essays. A connoisseur of the troubled human psyche and the relationships between the individuals, Dostoevsky’s oeuvre covers a large area of subjects: politics, religion, social issues, philosophy, and the uncharted realms of the psychological. He is most famous for the novels ‘Crime and Punishment’, ‘The Idiot’, and ‘The Brothers Karamazov’. James Joyce described Dostoevsky as the creator of ‘modern prose’ and his literary legacy is influential to this day as Dostoevsky’s work has been adapted for many movies including ‘The Double’ starring Jesse Eisenberg.

‘The Possessed’ is considered to be one of the four masterpieces written by Dostoevsky after he returned from his Siberian exile. The story takes place in a small Russian town that is thrown into chaos by the arrival of a mystery man, Pyotr Stepanovich. Paranoia grips the town as family and friends betray one another while Pyotr plans a violent political uprising. The novel builds to a brutal and bloody climax, as the town is engulfed by flames and the death toll rises. ‘The Possessed’ displays Dostoevsky’s mastery of tragedy and social satire as the established political and familial norms of the town are uprooted and destroyed by the young revolutionaries. Dostoevsky explores the loss of morality in 19th Century Russia, as a society without a moral grounding tragically turns to nihilism and violence, but its ideas are just as resonant in today’s secular world. Celebrated author Joyce Carol Oates described ‘The Possessed’ as a work of ‘unparalleled genius’ and its epic scope and blend of political intrigue and familial tragedy make it the perfect read for fans of classic Russian or Greek literature.Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881) was a famous Russian writer of novels, short stories, and essays. A connoisseur of the troubled human psyche and the relationships between the individuals, Dostoevsky’s oeuvre covers a large area of subjects: politics, religion, social issues, philosophy, and the uncharted realms of the psychological. He is most famous for the novels ‘Crime and Punishment’, ‘The Idiot’, and ‘The Brothers Karamazov’. James Joyce described Dostoevsky as the creator of ‘modern prose’ and his literary legacy is influential to this day as Dostoevsky’s work has been adapted for many movies including ‘The Double’ starring Jesse Eisenberg.

This way lies monsters and madness. Because you’re about to enter the imagination of H.P. Lovecraft. A master of the short story form, Lovecraft made the unknowable scarily real. Parallel universes, alien worlds, vengeful spirits—all realised in the space of a few pages. And all brought to life with spare, simple language, making Lovecraft’s fiction an easy read for modern audiences. This volume contains six of his short stories: "Dagon", "The Tree", "The Evil Clergyman", "The Very Old Folk", "Pickman's Model" and "Azathoth".H.P. Lovecraft was an American horror and science fiction writer. Born in Rhode Island, he became a pioneer of ‘cosmic horror’, conjuring up a lore of supernatural creatures who exist beyond our understanding. His best known stories include "The Call of Cthulhu", "At the Mountains of Madness" and "The Colour Out of Space". While he was a mainstay of pulp magazines, Lovecraft never achieved wider literary recognition in his lifetime. But his posthumous influence has been profound. It can be found in everything from the fiction of Stephen King and Neil Gaiman to the HBO series "Lovecraft Country".

First published in 1839, ‘The Voyage of the Beagle’ by famous naturalist Charles Darwin is a vivid travel journal written over the course of his five-year journey about HMS Beagle. Full of detailed scientific observations, the journal also details his changing beliefs about species, which would go on to inform his theories on evolution and natural selection. Packed full of vivid descriptions, this is a fascinating window into the mind and workings of the renowned naturalist from this now legendary trip.Charles Darwin (1809-1882) was an English naturalist, best known for his work on the science of evolution. Though controversial at the time, his theory on natural selection and 1859 book ‘On the Origin of Species’ is now a fundamental part of modern science and studies of the natural world. His five-year voyage aboard HMS Beagle established him as a geologist and naturalist, and it was knowledge gleaned on this trip that led to his now internationally renowned theory of natural selection. Plagued by ill health in later life, Darwin died at the aged of 73 and was honoured with a burial in Westminster Abbey.

'The Monomaniac' narrates Jacques Lantiere’s perpetual yet ultimately catastrophic descent into a maelstrom of madness unfolding upon the railroads between Paris and Le Havre during the late 19th Century.The protagonist Lantiere, a deputy station master by day, suspects his wife of infidelity by night. Tormented by memories of events that occurred many years ago, Lantiere resolves to excavate the past piece by piece, but little does he know what sort of skeletons he is going to unleash from the proverbial closet. Nor does he bear an inkling of the unfathomable repercussions of his actions.'The Monomaniac' is a fast-paced and suspenseful psychological thriller casting light on the dark passions simmering underneath the surface of every human being and exploring how, accompanied by even darker emotions, these passions may lead to a man's untimely demise if not held in restraint before it is too late. Beloved by fans of 19th Century French literature and true crime alike, this gripping tale based on a real-life account is bound to haunt you long after you have turned the final page.Widely regarded as the founding father of scientific naturalism in literature, which aimed to describe things as they really were at the time, Zola was considered an influence by many prominent artists and writers of his time and the coming era, such as Vincent van Gogh, Tom Wolfe and John Steinbeck.Émile Zola (1840-1902) was a French novelist, journalist, playwright and pioneer of French naturalism, making him one of France’s most significant and prolific writers in the 19th century alongside Balzac. His fascination with the human condition and going above beyond realism lead him to important literary topics such as violence and its repercussions, alcoholism, prostitution and domestic abuse. His most celebrated works include 'Germinal', 'Nana' and 'Work' and over twenty of his novels are a part of a collection named Les Rougon-Macquart. Zola was nominated twice for the Nobel Prize in Literature and many of his works have been filmed.

"Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave" is the 1845 autobiography of freed slave and abolitionist Frederick Douglass. It recounts his life as a slave in Maryland and his flight for freedom. The account is accompanied by texts written by well-known fellow abolitionists of the time: William Lloyd Garrison and Wendell Philipps, acting as proof of the legitimacy of the author’s claims. Upon its publication, the texts was well received, although it did get some negative feedback both from people acquainted with Douglass’s old masters, and with people doubting their cruelty, or that a black man could have written such a text. Nevertheless, "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave" had a huge impact on society, and remains one of the most read and studied personal accounts of slavery in America in the 19th century to this day. Frederick Douglass (1818-1995) was an American abolitionist and author. Born into slavery in Maryland, he was of African, European, and Native American descent. He was separated from his mother at a young age and lived with his grandmother until he was sold on. Frederick was taught his alphabet by the wife of one of his owners, a knowledge he passed on to other slaves. In 1838, he successfully escaped slavery by jumping on a north-bound train. After less than 24 hours, he was in New York and free. The same year, he married the woman that had inspired his run for freedom and started working actively as a social reformer, orator, statesman, and women’s rights defender. He remains most known today for his 1845 autobiography "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave."

When Jeanne’s husband shaves off his mustache, she sees it as a vile, rebellious act committed specifically to upset her, and becomes impatient to embark on a journey of praising its virtues. Eroticism and sexual descriptions make this single epistolary conversation between the two women into an intriguing, humorous piece of art. Maupassant's distinctive voice shines throughout this short story, and it raises an important question - are mustaches more interesting than most people?Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) was a French writer. Famed for being a master of the short story, he also wrote travel books and occasionally dabbled in poetry. His stories mainly focus on the relationships between men and women sitting at crossroads in their lives - whether personal or professional. His dramatic flair is largely influenced by French novelist Gustave Flaubert and is perfect for fans of Anton Chekhov's short stories. The most notable of the 300 short stories that he wrote include 'Bel Ami', 'Une Vie', and 'The Dumpling'.

If you have ever come across the word "rogue" before, chances are you have either been playing video games, perused old X-Men comics or have overheard it as part of your aunt's vocabulary, while she was being cajoled over the phone by that slick, dapper mediterranean gentleman she met on her holiday in Barcelona. Shockingly, and somewhat regrettably, Wilkie Collins is less romantically inclined and resorts to using the word in its traditional sense of "a proper scoundrel".With character names such as "Frank Softly" and "Dr. Dulcifer", you would be forgiven for thinking that this story is a comedy (or a piece of pornography) but not quite so, although it does contain humorous elements. Frank Softly is unsuccessful in his career choices but manages to fall in love with the good doctor's daughter. Continuing his streak of questionable luck, Frank's new father-in-law turns out to be a professional fraudster – a business in which our happy-go-lucky protagonist unwillingly finds himself entangled, becoming the eponymous "rogue". A moment whose modern equivalent would be the point in the comic book movie where somebody says the film's title aloud. An uplifting tale of thwarted ambition and clandestine love, "A Rogue's Life" is a short novel originally published in "Household Words" in 1856 and in book form in 1879.Novelist, playwright, genre pioneer, opium addict, mentee of Charles Dickens, magnificently bearded individual – Englishman Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) has many titles to his name.Having a knack for mystery and unconventional characters, Collins' biggest contribution to world literature comes in the forms of "A Women in White" (1859) and "The Moonstone" (1868), with the former being mentioned on his headstone while the latter is widely considered the first modern detective novel.

Many legends are told about whales so huge they are mistaken for islands, and wake up when sailors light a campfire on their backs, plunging into the depths and drowning the poor mariners. An encounter with this leviathan is only the start of the adventures in the first voyage of Sindbad the Sailor, the sixteenth of 34 tales in the classic Arabian Nights collection translated by Andrew Lang.A treasure-trove of timeless stories, the One Thousand and One Nights or Arabian Nights have been loved, imitated, and added to over many centuries. Similar to the fairy tales collected by the Brothers Grimm, the Arabian Nights are drawn from the folklore of India, Iran and the Middle East, and were collected in Arabic versions throughout the medieval period; others were added as recently as the eighteenth century. These stories of the exotic East have been popularised for new generations by film adaptations such as Disney’s Aladdin, starring Robin Williams and Gilbert Gottfried in 1992, and Will Smith in 2019, and Dreamworks’ Sinbad, starring Brad Pitt and Michelle Pfeiffer. They continue to inspire writers as varied as Salman Rushdie and Neil Gaiman, while numerous Bollywood and manga versions attest to their popularity around the world. These stories of magic, adventure and romance have shaped readers’ imaginations for generations, and are sure to be retold for years to come.This selection was translated by Andrew Lang from the French versions by Antoine Galland, who was the first to include the stories of Aladdin and Ali Baba. Born in Scotland in 1844, Lang was a scholar of ancient Greek, a journalist, historian, novelist and poet, and the author of 25 popular collections of fairy tales; his edition of the Arabian Nights’ Entertainment was published in 1898. He became a Fellow of the British Academy in 1906, and died in 1912.

On their trip to a Norman hunting ground, our narrator and Baron Rene du Treilles encounter a local farmer. His apparent devotion to the baron shocks the narrator. As they retire for the day, the Baron settles down to tell the story of their profound connection. Splendid descriptions, emotional musings, and captivating characters make this short story an immersive read.Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) was a French writer. Famed for being a master of the short story, he also wrote travel books and occasionally dabbled in poetry. His stories mainly focus on the relationships between men and women sitting at crossroads in their lives - whether personal or professional. His dramatic flair is largely influenced by French novelist Gustave Flaubert and is perfect for fans of Anton Chekhov's short stories. The most notable of the 300 short stories that he wrote include 'Bel Ami', 'Une Vie', and 'The Dumpling'.

Francois is a lonely and mediocre man. He rides the horse-drawn cart every day and regularly sees an attractive girl riding with him. They begin to get to know each other, go out, and then the inevitable happens. "The Father" is the story of a man who loses everything because of his apprehensions, uncertainties, and unbalanced emotions.Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) was a French writer. Famed for being a master of the short story, he also wrote travel books and occasionally dabbled in poetry. His stories mainly focus on the relationships between men and women sitting at crossroads in their lives - whether personal or professional. His dramatic flair is largely influenced by French novelist Gustave Flaubert and is perfect for fans of Anton Chekhov's short stories. The most notable of the 300 short stories that he wrote include 'Bel Ami', 'Une Vie', and 'The Dumpling'.

This way lies monsters and madness. Because you’re about to enter the imagination of H.P. Lovecraft. A master of the short story form, Lovecraft made the unknowable scarily real. Parallel universes, alien worlds, vengeful spirits—all realised in the space of a few pages. And all brought to life with spare, simple language, making Lovecraft’s fiction an easy read for modern audiences.This volume contains five of his short stories: "The Outsider", "The Festival", "The Green Meadow", "He" and "Till A' the Seas". H.P. Lovecraft was an American horror and science fiction writer. Born in Rhode Island, he became a pioneer of ‘cosmic horror’, conjuring up a lore of supernatural creatures who exist beyond our understanding. His best known stories include "The Call of Cthulhu", "At the Mountains of Madness" and "The Colour Out of Space". While he was a mainstay of pulp magazines, Lovecraft never achieved wider literary recognition in his lifetime. But his posthumous influence has been profound. It can be found in everything from the fiction of Stephen King and Neil Gaiman to the HBO series "Lovecraft Country".

Playwright Kimball Webb is due to be married to the beautiful heiress Elsie Powell. One morning Kimball fails to appear, and when his family go to investigate they find his door locked but his room empty. Kimball has vanished without trace. With the help of Detective Coley Coe, Kimball’s fiancé Elsie is determined to track him down. An intriguing thriller from popular mystery author Carolyn Wells.Carolyn Wells (1862-1942) was a prolific American novelist and poet, best known for her children’s literature, mystery novels and humorous verse. Following school in New Jersey, Wells worked as a librarian, where she developed her love of reading. It was during 1896 that Wells' first book ‘At the Sign of the Sphinx’ was published. From 1900 she dedicated herself to her literary career, writing over 170 novels in total across a range of genres. Some of her most loved works include the ‘Patty Fairfield’ and ‘Marjorie Maynard’ series for girls, as well as the ‘Fleming Stone’ mystery series for adults. Wells is also well-known for her humorous nonsense verse, and was a frequent contributor of verse to magazines. She published an autobiography ‘The Rest of my Life’ in 1937. Wells died in New York City in 1942.

Even in peace the scars of war remain."The Tale of Old Mortality", from Scott’s collection "Tales of my Landlord", provides a window in to a time many of us could hardly imagine. A nation torn and divided, this volume tracks the lives and times of some of Scotland’s most iconic names.At first it follows Robert Paterson (not Robert Pattinson of Twilight fame) who travels the nation repairing and maintaining the graves of all those lives lost in rebellion. They fought and died for their beliefs, their conquerors labelling them traitors, condemned them to unmarked earth.We are also introduced to Henry Morton, a young and sharp warrior, idealistic in his spirit and strong in his resolve. His belief in justice might be the end of him, as he is forced down a path where he must forsake his one true love and all those he holds dear.This tale of a nation religiously divided is richly populated with stunning and emotive characters, nail-biting narration and insatiable intrigue.Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) was a Scottish writer, poet, and historian. A jurist by formation, he was also a judge and a soldier, serving with the Edinburgh Dragoons in anticipation of a French invasion. He played a major role in bringing the Sturm und Drang literary movement to the United Kingdom, through translations, but also through his own artistic creations. Thanks to his command of history and his literary skill, he is a seminal figure in the establishment of the historical novel genre and a pillar of European literary Romanticism. He wrote numerous well-known historical novels, including "Waverley," "Rob Roy", and "Ivanhoe", which have inspired countless authors and adaptations ever since.

Old-timey horror is often a hard sell to a modern, visually-oriented audience whose palettes have long been cleansed, and numbed, by jumpscares, the gorefests of SAW-movies and the now common trope of evil children. Thus pampered by excess, it can be hard to ignore the old works' ghost strings, cheap rubber masks and the fact that the world and its horrors back then was simply... simpler. And when Wilkie Collins, on top of all that, graces this story with what sounds like the working title of Frasier Crane's disastrous classic radio drama "Nightmare Inn" from season 4 of the eponymous sitcom, the hill suddenly seems all the steeper.Fear not, however – well, not yet at least, as "The Haunted Hotel" is classified as "unusually horrific for Collins" by collinseurs.Breaking off his engagement to Agnes Lockwood, Lord Montbarry moves into an old dilapidated palace in Venice with his new wife and her brother. But when the lord suddenly ends up dead, his brother Henry and Agnes suspect an insurance fraud on part of Montbarry's new family. As the palace is refurbished into a hotel, the pair opts to stay there in search of the truth and even with Collins' normal flair for the supernatural in mind, the story veers in almost tangible spookiness. For the time, at any rate."The Haunted Hotel" was originally published in book form with "My Lady's Money" (1877) and dedicated to his friends Mr. and Mrs. Sebastian Schlesinger.Novelist, playwright, genre pioneer, opium addict, mentee of Charles Dickens, magnificently bearded individual – Englishman Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) has many titles to his name.Having a knack for mystery and unconventional characters, Collins' biggest contribution to world literature comes in the forms of "A Women in White" (1859) and "The Moonstone" (1868), with the former being mentioned on his headstone while the latter is widely considered the first modern detective novel.