Defoe's novel Robinson Crusoe (1719) tells of a man's shipwreck on a deserted island and his subsequent adventures. The author based part of his narrative on the story of the Scottish castaway Alexander Selkirk, who spent four years stranded on the island of Juan Fernandez. He may have also been inspired by the Latin or English translation of a book by the Andalusian-Arab Muslim polymath Ibn Tufail, who was known as "Abubacer" in Europe. The Latin edition of the book was entitled Philosophus Autodidactus and it was an earlier novel that is also set on a deserted island. "One day, about noon, going towards my boat, I was exceedingly surprised with the print of a man's naked foot on the shore, which was very plain to be seen on the sand."— Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, 1719 The novel has been variously read as an allegory for the development of civilisation, as a manifesto of economic individualism and as an expression of European colonial desires but it also shows the importance of repentance and illustrates the strength of Defoe's religious convictions. It is also considered by many to be the first novel written in English. Early critics, such as Robert Louis Stevenson admired it saying that the footprint scene in Crusoe was one of the four greatest in English literature and most unforgettable; more prosaically, Dr. Wesley Vernon has seen the origins of forensic podiatry in this episode. It has inspired a new genre, the Robinsonade as works like Johann David Wyss's The Swiss Family Robinson (1812) adapt its premise and has provoked modern postcolonial responses, including J. M. Coetzee's Foe (1986) and Michel Tournier's Vendredi ou les Limbes du Pacifique (in English, Friday, or, The Other Island) (1967). Two sequels followed, Defoe's The Farther Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1719) and his Serious reflections during the life and surprising adventures of Robinson Crusoe: with his Vision of the angelick world (1720). Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels (1726) in part parodies Defoe's adventure novel. ? About Author: Daniel Defoe (1660 – 24 April 1731), born Daniel Foe, was an English trader, writer, journalist, pamphleteer, and spy, now most famous for his novel Robinson Crusoe. Defoe is notable for being one of the earliest proponents of the novel, as he helped to popularise the form in Britain, and, along with others such as Samuel Richardson, is among the founders of the English novel. A prolific and versatile writer, he wrote more than 500 books, pamphlets and journals on various topics (including politics, crime, religion, marriage, psychology and the supernatural). He was also a pioneer of economic journalism. ? Early lifeDaniel Foe (his original name) was probably born in the parish of St. Giles Cripplegate, London. Defoe later added the aristocratic-sounding "De" to his name and on occasion claimed descent from the family of De Beau Faux. His birthdate and birthplace are uncertain: sources offer dates of anywhere between 1659 to 1662; considered most likely to be 1660. His father, James Foe, was a prosperous tallow chandler and a member of the Butchers' Company. In Defoe's early life he experienced firsthand some of the most unusual occurrences in English history: in 1665, 70,000 were killed by the Great Plague of London and the Great Fire of London (1666) left standing only Defoe's and two other houses in his neighborhood. In 1667, when he was probably about 7, Dutch fleet sailed up the Medway via the River Thames and attacked Chatham. His mother Annie had died by the time he was about 10.

Подарунок шанувальникам! Чотири уславлен? твори: ?Рита Гейворт ? втеча з Шоушенку?, ?Зд?бний учень?, ?Т?ло?, ?Метод дихання?! Podarunok shanuval'nikam! Chotiri uslavlen? tvori: ?Rita Gejvort ? vtecha z Shoushenku?, ?Zd?bnij uchen'?, ?T?lo?, ?Metod dihannja?!

Malaria Андрея М. Мелехова – это необычный приключенческий роман о прошлом, настоящем и будущем. Читая его, мы становимся свидетелями последних месяцев существования СССР. Последний съезд КПСС, последний футбольный чемпион умирающей империи, первые ростки капитализма и начало раскола советского народа по национальному признаку. Война в Ираке и конфликт в Нагорном Карабахе. Несколько сот советских военных советников, специалистов и переводчиков, занесённых в раздираемую гражданской войной Анголу, служат, спекулируют, рассуждают о судьбе страны, любят женщин, торгуют запчастями от истребителей и иногда становятся героями. Планируют операции против партизан УНИТА, попадают в засады и чудом спасаются из сбитых вертолётов. Они с тоской читают советские газеты месячной давности и болеют малярией. Главный герой романа – юный офицер-переводчик, закончивший первый курс Военного института. Честный, справедливый и пока во многом наивный юноша. Волею судьбы восемнадцатилетний парень становится участником событий, призванных изменить судьбы мира на десятилетия вперёд. Как это ни странно, лишь в малярийном бреду ему открывается загадочная связь между далёким прошлым и далёким будущим...

Вражаюча ?стор?я, яку розпов?да?... Смерть! До влади в Н?меччин? прийшли фашисти. Вперше Смерть побачив маленьку Л?зель, коли прийшов забрати душу ?? братика. В?н став св?дком того, як д?вчинка вкрала першу книжку, ? зац?кавився ?? долею. В?н приходив до ?? будинку, де, ризикуючи життям, родина переховувала ?врея. В?н слухав, як Л?зель читала книжки п?д час бомбардувань. Смерть завжди був поруч. П?д час останньо? зустр?ч? в?н розкри? крад?йц? книжок свою найб?льшу та?мницю... Vrazhajucha ?stor?ja, jaku rozpov?da?... Smert'! Do vladi v N?mechchin? prijshli fashisti. Vpershe Smert' pobachiv malen'ku L?zel', koli prijshov zabrati dushu ?? bratika. V?n stav sv?dkom togo, jak d?vchinka vkrala pershu knizhku, ? zac?kavivsja ?? doleju. V?n prihodiv do ?? budinku, de, rizikujuchi zhittjam, rodina perehovuvala ?vreja. V?n sluhav, jak L?zel' chitala knizhki p?d chas bombarduvan'. Smert' zavzhdi buv poruch. P?d chas ostann'o? zustr?ch? v?n rozkri? krad?jc? knizhok svoju najb?l'shu ta?mnicju...

A new client arrives to meet Holmes and, after trying to hide his identity for about two seconds, comes clean: he is Wilhelm Gottsreich Sigismond von Ormstein, Grand Duke of Cassel-Felstein and hereditary King of Bohemia (whoa, that's a lot of letters for one name! Bohemia, by the way, is now part of the modern-day Czech Republic). His problem is that he's about to marry the daughter of the King of Scandinavia. The thing is, though, she's from a family with very strict morals, and she wouldn't be pleased to know that he had a serious affair with another woman before their engagement. This woman is Irene Adler – who lives on in Holmes's memory as the woman. She's a singer who met the King in Warsaw, where they subsequently had a bit of a fling. Unfortunately, the King allowed himself to be photographed with Adler, and she has the picture. The King wants Holmes to recover the incriminating photo. Holmes agrees. Holmes then puts on a disguise and goes to Irene Adler's current house in London to stake it out. He finds out that she gets frequent calls from a lawyer, Godfrey Norton. Holmes even happens to be on the site when Adler rushes out of her house to meet Norton at a small church and – get this – our detective is actually called upon (still in disguise) to be the witness for her marriage to the guy. After their surprise elopement, Adler goes back to her house, and Holmes realizes he has to hurry to get the photo back before she has a chance to leave with her new husband.

Он обошел на яхте ?Спрей? вокруг земного шара, оставаясь один на один с морской стихией. On oboshel na jahte ?Sprej? vokrug zemnogo shara, ostavajas' odin na odin s morskoj stihiej.

Un incredibile tornado si abbatte sul Kansas travolgendo la fattoria della piccola Dorothy e trasportandola, insieme con il suo cagnolino Toto, in un paese lontano e sconosciuto. Qui, dopo aver schiacciato la malvagia Strega dell'est, la bambina è accolta come un'eroina dal popolo che la megera teneva in ostaggio. Ma per tornare a casa Dorothy dovrà affrontare mille avventure accompagnata da uno Spaventapasseri, un Taglialegna di Latta e un Leone Vigliacco. Insieme sperano di incontrare il potente Mago di Oz nella splendida città di Smeraldo, l'unico che si dice sarà in grado di aiutarli.

Fear cut through the unconscious mind of Wilbur Hawkes. With almost physical violence, it tightened his throat and knifed at his heart. It darted into his numbed brain, screaming at him. He was a soft egg in a vast globe of elastic gelatine. Two creatures swam menacingly through the resisting globe toward him. The gelatine fought against them, but they came on. One was near, and made a mystic pass. He screamed at it, and the gelatine grew stronger, throwing them back and away. Suddenly, the creatures drew back. A door opened, and they were gone. But he couldn't let them go. If they escaped.... Hawkes jerked upright in his bed, gasping out a hoarse cry, and the sound of his own voice completed the awakening. He opened his eyes to a murky darkness that was barely relieved by the little night-light. For a second, the nightmare was so strong on his mind that he seemed to see two shadows beyond the door, rushing down the steps. He fought off the illusion, and with straining senses jerked his head around the room. There was nothing there. Sweat was beading his forehead, and he could feel his pulse racing. He had to get out—had to leave—at once!He forced the idea aside. There was something cloudy in his mind, but he made reason take over and shove away some of the heavy fear. His fingers found a cigarette and lighted it automatically. The first familiar breath of smoke in his lungs helped. He drew in deeply again, while the tiny sounds in the room became meaningful. There was the insistent ticking of a clock and the soft shushing sound of a tape recorder. He stared at the machine, running on fast rewind, and reversed it to play. But the tape seemed to be blank, or erased. He crushed the cigarette out on a table-top where other butts lay in disorder. It looked wrong, and his mind leaped up in sudden frantic fear, before he could calm it again. This time, reason echoed his emotional unease.Hawkes had never smoked before!But his fingers were already lighting another by old habit. His thoughts lurched, seeking for an answer. There was only a vague sense of something missing—a period of time seemed to have passed. It felt like a long period, but he had no memory of it. There had been the final fight with Irma, when he'd gone stalking out of the house, telling her to get a divorce any way she wanted. He'd opened the mail-box and taken out a letter—a letter from a Professor....His mind refused to go further. There was only a complete blank after that. But it had been in midwinter, and now he could make out the faint outlines of full-leafed trees against the sky through the window! Months had gone by—and there was no faintest trace of them in his mind. They'll get you! You can't escape! Hurry, go, GO!...The cigarette fell from his shaking hands, and he was half out of the bed before the rational part of his mind could cut off the fear thoughts. He flipped on the lights, afraid of the dimness. It didn't help. The room was dusty, as if unused for months, and there was a cobweb in one corner by the mirror.His own face shocked him. It was the same lean, sharp-featured face as ever, under the shock of nondescript, sandy hair. His ears still stuck out too much, and his lips were a trifle too thin. It looked no more than his thirty years; but it was a strained face, now—painted with weeks of fatigue, and grayish with fear, sweat-streaked and with nervous tension in every corded tendon of his throat. His somewhat bony, average-height figure shook visibly as he climbed from the bed.Hawkes stood fighting himself, trying to get back in the bed, but it was a losing battle. Something seemed to swing up in the corner of the room, as if a shadow moved. He jerked his head toward it, but there was nothing there. He heard his breath gasping harshly, and his knuckles whitened. There was the taste of blood in the corner of his mouth where he was biting his lips.Get out! They'll be here at once! Leave—GO!

The beautiful scenery of the Moselle has too long been left without notice. It is true, some of our Artists have presented to us scenes on the banks of this river; but English travellers are, for the most part, ignorant how very charming and eminently picturesque are the shores of this lovely stream. “The Rhine! the Rhine!” is quoted by every one, and admired or abused at every fireside, but the Moselle is almost wholly unexplored. Lying, as she does, within a district absolutely overrun with summer-tourists, it is altogether inexplicable that a river presenting scenery unsurpassed in Europe should be so neglected by those who in thousands pass the mouth of her stream. When the Roman Poet Ausonius visited Germany, it was not the Rhine, but the Moselle which most pleased him; and although glorious Italy was his home, yet he could spare time to explore the Moselle, and extol the loveliness of her waters in a most eloquent poem. The Moselle, which rises among the wooded mountains of the Department des Vosges, never during its whole course is otherwise than beautiful. Below Trèves it passes between the Eifel and Hunsruck ranges of mountains, which attain to the height of ten or twelve hundred feet above the level of the river. In the Thirty Years’ War the Moselle country suffered severely from the ravages of the different armies; but there still remain on the shores of this river more old castles and ruins, and more curious old houses, than can elsewhere be found in a like space in Europe. Having in the following pages endeavoured to lay before English readers the interesting scenery of the Moselle, I trust, that although in summer my countrymen do not mount her stream, fearful, perhaps, of discomfort; yet that by the fireside in winter the public will not object to glide down the river, in the boat now ready for them to embark in; and hoping that they will enjoy the reproduction of a tour that afforded me so much pleasure, I subscribe myselfTheir humble servant, ? ? ? ? THE AUTHOR.? ? ? ?Richmond, December 1858. "At a short distance from Bussang, a little town in the Department des Vosges in France, is the source of the Moselle; trickling through the moss and stones that, together with fallen leaves, strew the ground, come the first few drops of this beautiful river. A few yards lower down the hill-side, these drops are received into a little pool of fairy dimensions; this tiny pool of fresh sweet water is surrounded by mossy stones, wild garlic, ferns, little creepers of many forms, and stems of trees. Here, then, O reader, let us pause and contemplate the birth-place of our stream; leaving the world of stern reality, let us plunge together into the grateful spring of sweet romance; and while the only sounds of life that reach our ears are the rustling of the leaves, the buzz of the great flies, the murmur of the Moselle, and the distant ringing of the woodman’s axe, let us return with Memory into the past, and leaving even her behind, go back to those legendary days when spirits purer than ourselves lived and gloried in that beautifully created world which we are daily rendering all unfit for even the ideal habitation of such spirits. And reverie is not idleness; in hours like these we seem to see before us, cleared from the mists of daily cares, the better path through life—the broad straight path, not thorny and difficult, as men are too prone to paint it, but strewed with those flowers and shaded with those trees given by a beneficent Creator to be enjoyed rightly by us earthly pilgrims. Life is a pilgrimage indeed, but not a joyless one. While the whole earth and sky teem with glory and beauty, are we to believe that these things may not be enjoyed? Our conscience answers, No; rightly to enjoy, and rightly to perform our duties, with thankfulness, and praise, and love within our hearts, such is our part to perform, and such the lesson we are taught by the fairy of the sweet Moselle.."

A young girl named Fanny Price comes to live with her wealthy uncle and aunt, Sir Thomas and Lady Bertram. Fanny's family is quite poor; her mother, unlike her sister Lady Bertram, married beneath her, and Fanny's father, a sailor, is disabled and drinks heavily. Fanny is abused by her other aunt, Mrs. Norris, a busybody who runs things at Mansfield Park, the Bertrams' estate. The Bertram daughters, Maria and Julia, are shallow, rather cruel girls, intent on marrying well and being fashionable. The elder son, Tom, is a roustabout and a drunk. Fanny finds solace only in the friendship of the younger son, Edmund, who is planning to be a clergyman. Fanny grows up shy and deferential, caught as she typically is between members of the Bertram family. Sir Thomas leaves Mansfield Park for Antigua, where he owns plantations. In his absence, two new figures arrive at Mansfield: Henry and Mary Crawford, the brother and sister of the local minister's wife. Henry and Mary are attractive and cheerful, and they soon become indispensable members of the Mansfield circle. Henry flirts extensively with Maria, who is engaged to marry the boring but wealthy Rushworth. He also flirts with Julia when it suits his purposes. At first, Mary is interested in Tom, the older son and heir, but she soon realizes that he is boring and not really interested in her. She finds herself increasingly attracted to Edmund, although the prospect of marrying a clergyman does not appeal to her, and she is often cruel to him on this account. In the meantime, Fanny has innocently fallen in love with Edmund, although she does not even admit this to herself. Yates, a visiting friend of Tom's, proposes that the group should put on a play. His idea is eagerly received by all except for Edmund and Fanny, who are horrified at the idea of acting. The play goes on anyways, however; Maria and Henry, as well as Mary and Edmund (who has been prevailed upon to take a role to avoid bringing in an outsider to play it), get to play some rather racy scenes with one another. When one of the women cannot make a rehearsal, Fanny is pressured to take a role. She is almost forced to give in when Sir Thomas makes a sudden entrance, having arrived from Antigua. Sir Thomas is unhappy about the play and quickly puts a stop to the improprieties. Since Henry has not declared his love, Maria is married to Rushworth. She and Julia leave Mansfield Park for London. Relationships between the Crawfords and the Bertrams intensify. Edmund nearly proposes to Mary several times, but her condescension and amorality always stop him at the last minute. He confides his feelings to Fanny, who is secretly upset by them. In the meantime, on a lark, Henry has decided to woo Fanny. He is surprised to find himself sincerely in love with her. Fanny has become indispensable as a companion to her aunt and uncle, and on the occasion of her brother William's visit, they give a ball in her honor. Some time after the ball, Henry helps William get a promotion in the Navy. Using this as leverage, he proposes to Fanny, who is mortified and refuses. He continues to pursue her. Her uncle is disappointed that she has refused such a wealthy man, and, as an indirect result, she is sent to stay with her parents in their filthy house. Meanwhile, Edmund has been ordained and continues to debate over his relationship with Mary, to Fanny's dismay. Henry comes to see Fanny at her parents' and renews his suit. He then leaves to take care of business on his estate. Fanny continues to receive letters from Mary encouraging her to take Henry's proposal. A series of events then happen in rapid succession: Tom Bertram falls dangerously ill as a result of his partying and nearly dies; Henry, who has gone not to his estate but to see friends, has run off with the married Maria; Julia, upset over her sister's rash act, elopes with Yates, Tom's friend. Julia and Yates are reconciled to the family. Edmund finally comes and marries Fanny

Mon Agent Андрея М. Мелехова – третий роман об Аналитике. Как и предыдущие книги серии – Malaria и Analyste – Mon Agent представляет из себя необычную комбинацию приключенческого романа и мистического триллера. Он предлагает читателю не только получить удовольствие от весьма неожиданных поворотов нескольких сюжетных линий, но и задуматься над широким кругом философских, религиозных и мировоззренческих проблем, волнующих современного человека.Действие романа происходит в Лондоне и Москве, в Раю и в Преисподней. Его персонажами являются террористы и агенты спецслужб, герои Библии и герои тайных операций, великие пророки прошлого и политики настоящего, ангелы Божьи и слуги Сатаны, люди и говорящие животные. В произведении нашлось место большой любви и большой ненависти, острой политической сатире и тонкому юмору. Как и все книги Мелехова, Mon Agent написан для тех, кто способен подвергнуть сомнению догмы, стереотипы и предубеждения, кто может рассмеяться, говоря даже о весьма серьёзных вещах. Если вы хотите узнать, чем простые (и непростые!) смертные смогли помочь вдруг начавшим стареть и умирать обитателям Рая и как отнеслись бы сегодня люди к новому пришествию Христа – эта книга для вас, читатель! Вам предлагается новая редакция романа.

The story starts in London on Tuesday, October 1, 1872. Fogg is a rich English gentleman and bachelor living in solitude at Number 7 Savile Row, Burlington Gardens. Despite his wealth, which is ?40,000 (roughly ?3,020,000 today), Fogg, whose countenance is described as "repose in action", lives a modest life with habits carried out with mathematical precision. Very little can be said about his social life other than that he is a member of the Reform Club. Having dismissed his former valet, James Foster, for bringing him shaving water at 84 °F (29 °C) instead of 86 °F (30 °C), Fogg hires a Frenchman by the name of Jean Passepartout, who is about 30 years old, as a replacement. Later on that day, in the Reform Club, Fogg gets involved in an argument over an article in The Daily Telegraph, stating that with the opening of a new railway section in India, it is now possible to travel around the world in 80 days. He accepts a wager for ?20,000 (roughly ?1,510,000 today) from his fellow club members, which he will receive if he makes it around the world in 80 days. Accompanied by Passepartout, he leaves London by train at 8:45 P.M. on Wednesday, October 2, 1872, and thus is due back at the Reform Club at the same time 80 days later, Saturday, December 21, 1872. Mr. Phileas Fogg lived, in 1872, at No. 7, Saville Row, Burlington Gardens, the house in which Sheridan died in 1814. He was one of the most noticeable members of the Reform Club, though he seemed always to avoid attracting attention; an enigmatical personage, about whom little was known, except that he was a polished man of the world. People said that he resembled Byron—at least that his head was Byronic; but he was a bearded, tranquil Byron, who might live on a thousand years without growing old. Certainly an Englishman, it was more doubtful whether Phileas Fogg was a Londoner. He was never seen on 'Change, nor at the Bank, nor in the counting-rooms of the "City"; no ships ever came into London docks of which he was the owner; he had no public employment; he had never been entered at any of the Inns of Court, either at the Temple, or Lincoln's Inn, or Gray's Inn; nor had his voice ever resounded in the Court of Chancery, or in the Exchequer, or the Queen's Bench, or the Ecclesiastical Courts. He certainly was not a manufacturer; nor was he a merchant or a gentleman farmer. His name was strange to the scientific and learned societies, and he never was known to take part in the sage deliberations of the Royal Institution or the London Institution, the Artisan's Association, or the Institution of Arts and Sciences. He belonged, in fact, to none of the numerous societies which swarm in the English capital, from the Harmonic to that of the Entomologists, founded mainly for the purpose of abolishing pernicious insects. Phileas Fogg was a member of the Reform, and that was all. The way in which he got admission to this exclusive club was simple enough. He was recommended by the Barings, with whom he had an open credit. His cheques were regularly paid at sight from his account current, which was always flush. Was Phileas Fogg rich? Undoubtedly. But those who knew him best could not imagine how he had made his fortune, and Mr. Fogg was the last person to whom to apply for the information. He was not lavish, nor, on the contrary, avaricious; for, whenever he knew that money was needed for a noble, useful, or benevolent purpose, he supplied it quietly and sometimes anonymously. He was, in short, the least communicative of men. He talked very little, and seemed all the more mysterious for his taciturn manner. His daily habits were quite open to observation; but whatever he did was so exactly the same thing that he had always done before, that the wits of the curious were fairly puzzled. ABOUT AUTHOR: Jules Gabriel Verne (1828 – 1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright best known for his adventure novels and his profound influence on the literary genre of science fiction. Born to bourgeois parents in the seaport of Nantes, Verne was trained to follow in his father's footsteps as a lawyer, but quit the profession early in life to write for magazines and the stage. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the Voyages Extraordinaires, a widely popular series of scrupulously researched adventure novels including Journey to the Center of the Earth, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, and Around the World in Eighty Days.

Соловей – життствердна надзвичайно зворушлива сторя, що розгортаться на тл Друго свтово вйни пд час нацистсько окупац Франц. Двох сестер – В’янн та забель Морак – роздлили час обставини, змусивши кожну йти свом шляхом. Одну – приднатися до партизанського руху спротиву, ншу – длити дах з ворогом та пережити нелюдськ страждання заради порятунку власних дтей. Ця книга – вдверта розповдь про Другу свтову очима жнки та роль у цй вйн, про материнство справжню сестринську любов, про вддансть , зрештою, перемогу.

Кра?на, яку залишили ?? творц?, винах?дники та мислител?, приречена на в?йну, голод ? смерть. Владу захоплюють нев?гласи, корупц?онери й мародери. ?стор?я трива? бодай тому, що одна вольова ж?нка на ?м’я Да?н? Та??арт переконана, що досконалий св?т справжн?х ц?нностей ?сну?. Вона намага?ться зламати сценар?й неминучо? катастрофи. ?? Атлантида не м?ф. У св?т? ще ? см?ливц?, спроможн? створити сусп?льний лад, де нема? конфл?кт?в, не виника? потреби в самопожертв?, жодна людина не становить загрози для мети ?нших. Бунт?вн? атланти знають, що розум таки переможе. Риторичне питання, хто такий Джон ?олт, насправд? ма? в?дпов?дь, а неймов?рн? ?де? — сво? вт?лення, яке проголомшу? людську уяву. В останн?й частин? свого фундаментального роману ?дей Айн Ренд змальову? ц?л?сну ф?лософську систему, яка дос? виклика? палк? дискус??, де в?д захвату до обурення — один крок.

Tai pasakojimas apie ma?ut? ?irnio s?kl?, kuri per skyl? ?krenta ? vieno namo stogo pal?p?. Tame name gyvena moteris su dukrele, vardu Karolina. Mergait? sunkiai serga ir d?l to jau seniai guli lovoje. Karolina susidom?jusi stebi ma?? augaliuk?, kuris i?auga i? s?klos. Kas nutiks sergan?ios mergait?s gyvenime? Perskaitykite patys. Pasakojim? papildo gra?ios, spalvotos iliustracijos.

Quando ‘Il Capitano’ muore, lasciando nel proprio baule la mappa di un’isola dove sembra sia stato nascosto un favoloso tesoro, il dodicenne Jim Hawkins si imbarca con una ciurma non proprio onesta e affidabile, alla ricerca dell’isola. Inattesi ammutinamenti, pericolosi naufragi, fughe e scontri all’ultimo sangue, indimenticabili personaggi come Long John Silver e il pirata abbandonato Ben Gunn sono il contorno della più straordinaria storia di pirati di tutti i tempi.

Коли старанно прихован? ? запорошен? скелети таки вибираються з? старих шаф на св?т божий, — чекай б?ди. Головна геро?ня, письменниця, неспод?вано отриму? запрошення на д?вич-веч?рку шк?льно? подруги, з якою не сп?лкувалася рок?в десять. Вих?дн? мають промайнути весело — скляний будинок у густих англ?йських л?сах, весела компан?я, гучн? посиденьки. Та щось п?шло не так... За дв? доби вона, зранена та скал?чена, приходить до тями в л?карнян?й палат? ? з жахом усв?домлю?, що н?чог?с?нько не пам’ята?... Хоча й в?дчува?: трапилося щось жахливе.

You're a bad lot, Bernard Brooks. I don't think I ever knew a wuss boy." "Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Snowdon. Let me suggest, however, that wuss is hardly correct English." The speaker was fifteen years of age, but as tall as most boys of seventeen. He had a bold, aggressive manner, which he only assumed with those he thought were hostile or unfriendly. He could be a devoted friend, and a loyal subordinate to one who gained his good will. Mr. Snowdon he did not look upon as a friend, though he had been placed in his charge two months before by a cousin of his deceased father. Ezekiel Snowdon, a man of perhaps sixty, tall and with stooping shoulders, colored with anger at the boy's sarcastic words. He claimed to have been educated at a small Wes-tern college, and on the strength of it had established himself in the country and advertised for private pupils at a low rate. These were mostly young, and not competent to see his deficiencies, but Bernard was old enough and well enough educated to perceive and comment on them. This greatly annoyed Mr. Snowdon, who felt that the boy did not treat him with proper respect. "Quit your impudence!" said Snowdon with a vicious look in his greenish lived eyes. "I don't need no criticisms from a whipper snapper like you." "I intended it for your benefit, Mr. Snowdon," said Bernard demurely. "Besides, you criticise me. You called me a bad lot." "And so you are. A wuss—a worse boy I never seen." "Saw would be more correct, Mr. Snowdon." "Young man, you'd better look out. I won't submit to your aggravating impudence. Besides, you are ignorant of the fact that Chaucer and Spenser use seen for saw. Them are my favorite poets, so it is not strange that I should occasionally make use of their diction." "Thank you for the information, Mr. Snowdon. I did not know that you had such high authority. I have read a little of Chaucer and Spenser, and I never observed the word you mention." "Perhaps you have not read the same works as I," said Mr. Snowdon. "Very likely," remarked Bernard, struggling to suppress a smile.

These tales are translated from a variety of authors. The translator has been chiefly led to the task by the hope of composing an entertaining volume out of materials not generally accessible. The works in which many of them are found, are by no means common, and the indelicacy with which almost all collections of Italian tales are polluted, deservedly excludes them from general perusal. Such care has, however, been employed in the following selection, and such liberties taken with the originals, when they appeared objectionable on this account, that it is hoped this little book will escape the censure too justly cast upon Italian works of humour, in general—a censure which falls heavily upon many of the otherwise admirable tales of Boccaccio. While, however, such trifling alterations have been made as appeared necessary, these tales may still justly be considered as fair specimens of the Italian Novella, and like the celebrated collection already alluded to, furnish us with a very lively idea of the early manners of the Italians. Those tales, from which our great dramatist borrowed parts of his plots, and some of his incidents, have a double interest, both from their own nature, and as they illustrate the process by which his genius, "by happy alchemy of mind," turned all the materials which fell in his way to gold. Two or three of this kind have been purposely selected. ITALIAN TALES: THE TEACHER TAUGHT. THE UNEXPECTED REPLY. WHO AM I? THE DEAD RIDER. THE SKILFUL PHYSICIAN THE POMEGRANATE SEED THE FATAL MISTAKE THE DEAD ALIVE THE FALSE CHAMPION THE MERCHANT OF VENICE THERE IS A SKELETON IN EVERY HOUSE. THE ELOPEMENT. THE FRIAR ENTRAPPED ANTONIO AND VERONICA. BELPHAGOR. THE SLEEPING DRAUGHT THE COUNTERPARTS

В центр? сюжету — життя усп?шного драматурга Ланселота ?Лотто? ? його кохано? дружини Матильди, яка усе життя провела в т?н? чолов?ка. Д?я роману розгорта?ться у Нью-Йорку впродовж двадцяти п’яти рок?в. Але одного дня ста? зрозум?ло, що самозакоханий ген?й Лотто — лише мар?онетка в руках сво?? дружини. Зовн? ?деальний шлюб ?де тр?щинами: повага поступа?ться м?сцем брехн?, кохання — ?нтригам.

1452 год. Византия рушится под натиском осман, которые пользуются слабостью императора Константина. Спасая от гибели загадочную красавицу Ямину, правитель едва не погиб и теперь прикован к постели. Столица в осаде. Но внезапно под стенами Константинополя появляется отважный шотландский воин Джон Грант. Он обещал учителю найти и спасти его единственную дочь. Поиски таинственной незнакомки приводят в императорский дворец. Оказывается, дочь его учителя — это Ямина, невеста Константина. Отважный шотландец готов на все, но еще не знает, какие тайные узы связывают его с самим императором и роковой красавицей…1452 god. Vizantija rushitsja pod natiskom osman, kotorye pol'zujutsja slabost'ju imperatora Konstantina. Spasaja ot gibeli zagadochnuju krasavicu Jaminu, pravitel' edva ne pogib i teper' prikovan k posteli. Stolica v osade. No vnezapno pod stenami Konstantinopolja pojavljaetsja otvazhnyj shotlandskij voin Dzhon Grant. On obeshhal uchitelju najti i spasti ego edinstvennuju doch'. Poiski tainstvennoj neznakomki privodjat v imperatorskij dvorec. Okazyvaetsja, doch' ego uchitelja — jeto Jamina, nevesta Konstantina. Otvazhnyj shotlandec gotov na vse, no eshhe ne znaet, kakie tajnye uzy svjazyvajut ego s samim imperatorom i rokovoj krasavicej…