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万本电子书0元读

The Magic City: (Illustrated)
The Magic City: (Illustrated)
Edith Nesbit
¥18.80
Philip Haldane and his sister lived in a little red-roofed house in a little redroofed town. They had a little garden and a little balcony, and a little stable with a little pony in it—and a little cart for the pony to draw; a little canary hung in a little cage in the little bow-window, and the neat little servant kept everything as bright and clean as a little new pin. Philip had no one but his sister, and she had no one but Philip. Their parents were dead, and Helen, who was twenty years older than Philip and was really his half-sister, was all the mother he had ever known. And he had never envied other boys their mothers, because Helen was so kind and clever and dear. She gave up almost all her time to him; she taught him all the lessons he learned; she played with him, inventing the most wonderful new games and adventures. ABOUT AUTHOR: Edith Nesbit (married name Edith Bland; 1858 – 1924) was an English author and poet; she published her books for children under the name of E. Nesbit. She wrote or collaborated on over 60 books of fiction for children, several of which have been adapted for film and television. She was also a political activist and co-founded the Fabian Society, a socialist organisation later connected to the Labour Party.
The Man Without a Country: (Illustrated)
The Man Without a Country: (Illustrated)
Edward E. Hale
¥12.18
"The Man Without a Country" first appeared in the Atlantic Monthlyfor December, 1863. It was the author's wish that it be published anonymously, in the hope that it might be ascribed to some officer of the Navy; but unfortunately, the man who compiled the year's index for the magazine, which was mailed with the December number, recognized Dr. Hale's handwriting, and gave him credit for it in the index. The story was written during the darkest period of the Civil War, and this war is perhaps the gloomiest period in the history of our great republic in the history of our great Republic; it was written at a time when one-half of the people in the United States were burning with patriotism, and were ready to lay down their lives to preserve the Union, while the other half were striving to disrupt what to them was merely a confederation of States, in no wise binding, and were damning the United States, even as did Philip Nolan; at at time when the President was bending low under the weight of sorrow for the loss of thousands of noble men who were falling in battle, and was enduring in pitiful silence the villification that was heaped upon him by the "copper-head" opposition; at a time when patriotism was preached in the pulpit, sung by our poets, and exhaled with every breath. The story launched in such an atmosphere, met with immediate favor. It was reprinted everywhere without regard for copyright, and was translated into several foreign languages. It was accepted by many as a narrative of actual facts, and provoked many discussions as to whether Philip Nolan was a real person; some even went so far as to identify him.
Japi?a
Japi?a
Banu Constantin
¥32.62
Prin volumul Istorie ?i sacralitate, Const. Miu ne poart? prin lumea cuv?ntului spus ori scris, de la ?nceputuri ?i p?n? ?n prezent. Autorul, ?n acest volum, atrage aten?ia, al?turi de al?i autori dedica?i adev?rului, pe care domnia sa ?i citeaz?, c? lingvi?tii no?tri din motive de ne?n?eles au l?sat a se ?n?elege c? limba rom?n? ar fi una de ?mprumut. Nu putem ?ti ce anume i-a determinat pe ace?tia s? conchid? ?n privin?a unor cuvinte din dic?ionarul limbii rom?ne c? ar avea r?d?cini turcice, slave ori din limba latin?. Se pare c? au uitat c? aceast? limb? este vorbit? pe ?ntreg arealul ??rii, spre deosebire de limba italian?, ce are mai multe dialecte ?i idiomuri care difer? de la o provincie la alta.
Idolii pe?terii
Idolii pe?terii
Logan Genoveva
¥24.44
Aceste povestiri au fost scrise ?n perioada 2010?2014 ?i publicate, ?n parte, ?n periodice. Le?am numit parabole, av?nd o anumit? inten?ionalitate, ?i am aplicat ?n realizarea lor aceea?i structur? (cvadripartit?) ?i acela?i registru can?titativ (aproximativ o mie de cuvinte).Pe cele din C?l?uzitorul de suflete (cea dint?i sec?iune) le consider europene, ac?iunea lor petrec?ndu?se ?n loca?ii diferite de pe b?tr?nul continent ?i majoritatea ideilor pe care se bazeaz? n?sc?ndu?se ?n timpul unor peregrin?ri (iubirile, c?r?ile, muzica ?i c?l?toriile sunt, dup? umila?mi p?rere, cele mai frumoase lucruri care ni se pot ?nt?mpla ?ntr?o via??). Cu excep?ia primei ?i a ultimei lucr?ri care schi?eaz? un posibil cadru, ordinea povestirilor este alfabetic?. De?i g?ndite ca fantastice, ele au ?i o dimensiune experien?ial?, ?n acela?i timp put?nd fi citite ?i ca poeme ?n proz?: ale ora??elor prin care am trecut, ale oamenilor pe care i?am cunos?cut ?i, desigur, ale sufletului meu, undeva, ?n str?fundurile mele consider?ndu?m?, ca mul?i semeni de?ai mei, oarecum poet… (Ladislau Daradici)
Through Russia: [Illustrated Edition]
Through Russia: [Illustrated Edition]
Maxim Gorky
¥23.14
This Book, is a collection of short stories about Russia. Book contains many collections of short stories by the popular and influential Russian author, a founder of the socialist realism literary method and arguably the greatest Russian literary figure of the 20th century. Maxim Gorky also wrote about stories, plays, memoirs and novels which touched the imagination of the Russian people, and was the first Russian author to write sympathetically of such characters as tramps and thieves, emphasizing their daily struggles against overwhelming odds..Some Other Books Maxim Gorky: Mother (1907) Creatures That Once Were Men (1918) Twenty-six and One and Other Stories (1902) The Man Who Was Afraid (1901)
Bok B?ce?i: "Andersen'den"
Bok B?ce?i: "Andersen'den"
Yalçın Ceylanoğlu
¥18.56
Güne, onun üzerinde parlyor ve ok güzel ldyordu. Bok bcei, “Dünya, henüz o kadar akln karmam.”, dedi ve unu syledi: “Sadece ona katlanmann yolunu yordamn bilmeniz gerekiyor.” Dünya güzeldi: mparatorun süvari atna, nallar verilmiti ünkü binicisi, “Bok Bcei” olacakt. Bok bcei unu syledi: “imdi ineceim ve dier bok bceklerine, uruma ne kadar fazla ey yapldn anlatacam. Dardaki yolculuumda tiryakisi olduum tüm zevklerden bahsedeceim ve artk at, nallarn eskitene kadar yuvamda kalacam syleyeceim!” Yazar Hakknda: “1972 ylnda Adana'da dodu. lk, orta ve lise eitimini Adana'da tamamlad. ukurova niversitesi Biyoloji Blümü'nden 1994 ylnda mezun oldu. eviri iiyle urat. 2004 ylndan bu yana, zel bir irkette muhasebe eleman olarak alyor. Hobi olarak, blog yazarl, editrlük (Adana Blog Yazarlar Facebook sayfas) ve eviri yapyor. Yabanc dil olarak, ngilizce biliyor. Mitoloji ve simgecilik konularyla ilgileniyor."
Cinderilla: "Or, the Little Glass Slipper"
Cinderilla: "Or, the Little Glass Slipper"
Charles Perrault
¥9.24
Cinderella, or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances, that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune. The oldest documented version comes from China, and the oldest European version from Italy. The most popular version was first published by Charles Perrault in Histoires ou contes du temps passé in 1697, and later by the Brothers Grimm in their folk tale collection Grimms' Fairy Tales. Although the story's title and main character's name change in different languages, in English-language folklore "Cinderella" is the archetypal name. The word "Cinderella" has, by analogy, come to mean one whose attributes were unrecognized, or one who unexpectedly achieves recognition or success after a period of obscurity and neglect. The still-popular story of "Cinderella" continues to influence popular culture internationally, lending plot elements, allusions, and tropes to a wide variety of media. ONCE there was a gentleman who married, for his second wife, the proudest and most haughty woman that was ever seen. She had, by a former husband, two daughters of her own humour and they were indeed exactly like her in all things. He had likewise, by another wife, a young daughter, but of unparalleled goodness and sweetness of temper, which she took from her mother, who was the best creature in the world. No sooner were the ceremonies of the wedding over, but the stepmother began to shew herself in her colours. She could not bear the good qualities of this pretty girl; and the less, because they made her own daughters appear the more odious. She employed her in the meanest work of the house; she scoured the dishes, tables, &c. and rubbed Madam's chamber, and those of Misses, her daughters; she lay up in a sorry garret, upon a wretched straw-bed, while her sisters lay in fine rooms, with floors all inlaid, upon beds of the very newest fashion, and where they had looking-glasses so large, that they might see themselves at their full length, from head to foot.
Mantre f?c?toare de minuni. Curs de magie
Mantre f?c?toare de minuni. Curs de magie
Vladimir Lermontov
¥35.97
O c?l?torie necontrolat? ?n timp este anun?at? de obicei cu c?teva minute, uneori ore sau chiar zile ?nainte, prin senza?ii de ame?eal? ce afecteaz? capul, stomacul ?i/sau picioarele. Mul?i purt?tori ai genei au relatat, de asemenea, despre dureri de cap asem?n?toare migrenelor.Primul salt ?n timp – numit ?i saltul de ini?iere – are loc ?ntre al 16-lea ?i al 17-lea an de via?? al purt?torilor genei.Extras din Cronicile Gardienilor, volumul 2, Reguli general valabileCe faci c?nd ?i-a fost fr?nt? inima? Corect: vorbe?ti la telefon cu cea mai bun? prieten?, m?n?nci ciocolat? ?i te b?l?ce?ti s?pt?m?ni la r?ndul ?n propria-?i nefericire. Mai prost e c?, ?mpotriva voin?ei ei, Gwendolyn are nevoie de toat? energia pentru cu totul ?i cu totul altfel de lucruri: de exemplu, pentru a supravie?ui. C?ci i?ele ?nc?lcite de dubiosul Conte de Saint-Germain ?n trecut ajung s? ?eas? ?i ?n prezent o p?nz? primejdioas?. Pentru a descifra secretul, Gwendolyn ?i Gideon – l?s?nd la o parte chinurile iubirii – trebuie nu numai s? danseze ?mpreun? menuet la un bal tumultuos din secolul al XVII-lea, ci ?i s? se arunce cu capul ?nainte ?n tot felul de aventuri...Un montagne-russe al sentimentelor, travers?nd secolele: aventurile lui Gideon ?i ale lui Gwen, grandios puse ?n scen? de autoarea Kerstin Gier, ?n cartea a treia a seriei Culorile dragostei. At?t de frumoas?, ?nc?t sigur te vei ?ndr?gosti de ea!
The Galoshes of Fortune
The Galoshes of Fortune
Hans Christian Andersen
¥9.24
I t was in Copenhagen, in one of the houses on East Street, not far from King's Newmarket, that someone was giving a large party. For one must give a party once in a while, if one expects to be invited in return. Half of the guests were already at the card tables, and the rest were waiting to see what would come of their hostess's query: "What can we think up now?" Up to this point, their conversation had gotten along as best it might. Among other things, they had spoken of the Middle Ages. Some held that it was a time far better than our own. Indeed Councilor of Justice Knap defended this opinion with such spirit that his hostess sided with him at once, and both of them loudly took exception to Oersted's article in the Almanac, which contrasted old times and new, and which favored our own period. The Councilor of Justice, however, held that the time of King Hans, about 1500 A.D., was the noblest and happiest age. While the conversation ran pro and con, interrupted only for a moment by the arrival of a newspaper, in which there was nothing worth reading, let us adjourn to the cloak room, where all the wraps, canes, umbrellas, and galoshes were collected together. Here sat two maids, a young one and an old one. You might have thought they had come in attendance upon some spinster or widow, and were waiting to see their mistress home. However, a closer inspection would reveal that these were no ordinary serving women. Their hands were too well kept for that, their bearing and movements too graceful, and their clothes had a certain daring cut. They were two fairies. The younger one, though not Dame Fortune herself, was an assistant to one of her ladies in waiting, and was used to deliver the more trifling gifts of Fortune. The older one looked quite grave. She was Dame Care, who always goes in her own sublime person to see to her errands herself, for then she knows that they are well done. They were telling each other about where they had been that day. The assistant of Fortune had only attended to a few minor affairs, she said, such as saving a new bonnet from the rain, getting a civil greeting for an honest man from an exalted nincompoop, and such like matters. But her remaining errand was an extraordinary one.
Oameni. Fragmente de a fi om
Oameni. Fragmente de a fi om
Dragoș Rizea
¥39.24
Biblioteca pentru toi copiii“ cuprinde cele mai preuite opere ale scriitorilor clasici ai literaturii romne i universale. Crile de neuitat ale copilriei sunt disponibile astzi si in format e-book.Aventurile lui Tom Sawyer este una dintre acele cri rare despre care se poate afirma cu certitudine astzi, la mai bine de un secol de la apariia ei, c se adreseaz tuturor vrstelor, mai bine zis, copiilor de orice vrst.“ – Petre Solomon
Crea?ie ?i putere
Crea?ie ?i putere
Drăgan Simona
¥81.67
Biblioteca pentru toi copiii“ cuprinde cele mai preuite opere ale scriitorilor clasici ai literaturii romne i universale. Crile de neuitat ale copilriei sunt disponibile astzi si in format e-book.Cu sufletul lui plin de contraste, mincinos, crud i poltron, naiv, rafinat i mojic totodat, resemnat i rebel, i totui plin de fermectoare elanuri de sinceritate, de tandree i de altruism, omuleul acesta nghesuie n inima lui pirpirie o ntreag umanitate [...] Romanul lui Jules Renard nchide ntr-o suit de ntmplri, ingenios construite i pline de naturalee, una dintre cele mai sfietoare drame omeneti: drama copilriei nefericite.“ – Modest Morariu
Cum s? fii o mam? minunat?. Sfaturi ?i strategii pentru un start bun ?n via?? al
Cum s? fii o mam? minunat?. Sfaturi ?i strategii pentru un start bun ?n via?? al
Godridge Tracey
¥49.62
Biblioteca pentru toi copiii“ cuprinde cele mai preuite opere ale scriitorilor clasici ai literaturii romne i universale. Crile de neuitat ale copilriei sunt disponibile astzi si in format e-book.Am scris cri despre copii; m-am gndit la sufletul lor, care era doritor de o poveste duioas, cu animale. Fram, ursul polar e o poveste cam trist, dar e scris totui pentru copii; i e izvort dintr-un sentiment de mil pentru un pui de urs ntlnit la o menajerie.“ – Cezar Petrescu
Morcovea??
Morcovea??
Renard Jules
¥34.25
Cella Serghi este Margaret Mitchell a noastr. Aceeai for epic, aceeai curgere a personajului, acelai tip de feminitate care lupt i trebuie s nving. Cine nu i amintete ultima pagin din Pe aripile vntului, ctor cititoare nu le-a slujit drept suport, drept lecie de via Un feminism cald care e mai mult un fel de solidaritate feminin...Naturaleea, spontaneitatea scriiturii, conturarea personajului principal, att de sincer i de cuceritor, capacitatea de-a face cititorul s viseze i, nu n ultim instan, succesul de public pentru o carte de dragoste, toate acestea nseamn c avem de a face cu o carte de referin.“ – Cleopatra Loriniu
Mitul felinelor
Mitul felinelor
Petrovai Irina
¥57.14
Nu n latura caracterologic st ns meritul romanului lui Cezar Petrescu. n datele lor interne, personajele au ceva predictibil. Ascensiunile le sunt sincrone. Cderea unuia duce la prbuirea celorlali. i, de obicei, ntocmai ca n jocul de domino, toi au n preajm pe cte cineva. Momentele de singurtate sunt rare n Calea Victoriei. Admirabil, n schimb, e invenia epic, dei nu din ea, ci din lirismul difuz i s-a tras romancierului succesul. Fiecare capitol ncepe printr-un soi de avertisment metaforic, fr nicio legtur explicit cu coninutul ulterior. Unele dintre aceste puneri n tem (mai degrab dect n abis) au ntr-adevr structur de anecdote, dar att de generale, nct propriu-zis nu putem vorbi despre narativitate autentic. Cel mult, despre infuzie de stri de spirit. Procedeul ine de alegorie, i substratul vag moralizator se ghicete permanent ndrtul lui. nsi Calea Victoriei reprezint, au artat-o mai toi comentatorii, un alt nume pentru melanjul de opulen, viciu, civilitate, elegan, conspiraie i tragedie care freamt n marele ora. De altminteri, prea puine lucruri se petrec spaial pe fostul Pod al Mogooaiei.“ – Cosmin Ciotlo
Vr?jitorul din Oz
Vr?jitorul din Oz
Baum L. Frank
¥34.25
De altminteri, ne asigur, mereu, autorul, tabloul societii imediat postbelice este moral fracturat att de cauze sociale multiple ct i de nelesuri foarte eterogene conferite evenimentelor de protagoniti. Or, n noua realitate fiecare se simte ndreptit s solicite ceva de la via, de la istorie, de la ceilali, i, nu chiar n ultimul rnd, de la soart. Peisajul tipologiilor umane nu este unul idilic i armonios, ci unul bazat pe dezacord, pe conflict i pe nenelegere. i stau cititorului, fa n fa, idealiti morali (Vasile Mogrea) care refuz orice compromis i orice umilin, dar i venic adaptaii la succes, dintre care erou paradigmatic este Alexandru Vardaru. El n-are deziluzii n via pentru c nu-i creeaz sperane dearte sau iluzii prosteti. Clar i rspicat, se autodefinete privindu-l cu mil, dezgust i dispre pe mutilatul nenelegtor Radu Coma: Eu m-am socotit ntotdeauna nedemn de aa-zise marile idealuri. Viaa mi s-a prut mai simpl... Omul nu se sacrific idealurilor vagi. Nu iubesc o lume imaginar; o iubesc pe cea real! Nu una viitoare; pe cea prezent!... tiu c nu putem face miracole, nici n viaa de toate zilele, nici n cea politic... Tot ce poi face e s corectezi puin i treptat realitatea. Chiar patriot, sunt fr imaginaie... Ideile generoase duc la dezordine, lirismul la catastrofe!...ntunecare este un titlu ce a ajuns s conin n sine mai multe sensuri, cel antropologic destinal fiind, desigur, cel mai profund. Dar acest neles va fi – pentru muli cititori – corelat mereu i cu semnificaii sociale i psihologice. De ce Pentru simplul motiv c baza social i cea psihologic din orice rzboi, rscoal sau revoluie aduc la suprafa multe fee ale ntunecrii. Acestea sunt stocate n memoria colectiv, iar unele au constituit obiect de analiz romanesc. Fiecare cititor apeleaz, vrnd-nevrnd, la aceste nelesuri ale ntunecrilor venite din cele dou mari surse: istoria i literatura. Oricum, ntunecare a lui Cezar Petrescu rmne un reper literar major, unul dttor de seam att pentru istoria literaturii romne, ct i pentru evoluia luminrilor i ntunecrilor colective, periodice, ale poporului nostru.“ – Vasile Morar
Amprenta omului
Amprenta omului
Faulks Sebastian
¥66.22
n anii 1870, Jacques Rebière i Thomas Midwinter, doi tineri ambiioi, descoper c au aceeai fascinaie de a nelege cum funcioneaz mintea omeneasc.Cercetrile lor n noul domeniu al psihiatriei i poart dintr-un ospiciu englezesc de la ar n cmpiile Africii, din slile de conferin ale Parisului n Alpii austrieci i n California. i nsoesc n aceast cltorie iniiatic Sonia, sora devotat a lui Thomas, i Katharina, o fost pacient, a crei sosire n sanatoriul lor de boli nervoase dezvluie pentru prima dat direciile diferite ale cercetrii lor. La trecerea ntr-un nou secol i n vreme ce Europa este divizat de Primul Rzboi Mondial, cei doi prienteni sunt constrni la o tragic introspecie a propriilor idealuri i credine.Impresionant i provocator n acelai timp, romanul lui Sebastian Faulks caut rspuns la ntrebarea ce fel de fiine suntem noi, oamenii, i dac nu cumva nebunia este preul pe care l pltim pentru a fi umani.Cel mai ambiios roman al lui Sebastian Faulks de pn acum… Dragoste, loialitate, curaj, compasiune, generozitate… acetia sunt polii n jurul crora graviteaz povetile sale.“ – The Independent
Noapte ?i zi
Noapte ?i zi
Virginia Woolf
¥49.62
Cred c niciodat scrisul nu mi-a produs atta plcere ca atunci cnd am scris ultima parte a romanului Noapte i zi.“ – Virginia Woolf Noapte i zi este libretul perfect al unei opere clasice n maniera comic, dar melancolic a lui Mozart, cu un oarecare adaos de disonane stilistice – cum st bine unui text modern.“ – Jane Marcus Romanul acesta mi pare a fi un exerciiu deliberat clasicizant. Conine tot ceea ce a caracterizat proza romanesc englez n ultimii o sut cincizeci de ani: ncredere n relaiile personale, recursul la scene umoristice secundare, accentul pe diferenierile sociale nesemnificative.“ – E.M. Forster Virginia Woolf a fost o mare scriitoare. Vocea ei este unic, la fel ca stilul ei. Opera ei exercit o influen activ asupra scriitorilor i una subtil asupra a ceea ce ne-am obinuit s ateptm de la literatura modern. [...] A fost o inovatoare care a redefinit romanul i a deschis calea evoluiilor sale ulterioare.“ – Jeanette Winterson Clasici moderni Litera pune laolalt scriitori moderni ale cror opere au devenit deja repere clasice. Cele mai importante, mai provocatoare, mai emoionante, mai revoluionare opere din ultimii 125 de ani – cri care vor continua s fie citite de la o generaie la alta.
Collected Works: Complete Editions: The Metamorphosis, In the Penal Colony
Collected Works: Complete Editions: The Metamorphosis, In the Penal Colony
Franz Kafka
¥9.24
This carefully crafted ebook is formatted with a functional and detailed table of contents.Franz Kafka (3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924) was a German-language writer of novels and short stories, regarded by critics as one of the most influential authors of the 20th century. Kafka strongly influenced genres such as existentialism. Most of his works, such as "Die Verwandlung" ("The Metamorphosis"), "Der Prozess" ("The Trial"), and "Das Schloss" ("The Castle"), are filled with the themes and archetypes of alienation, physical and psychological brutality, parent–child conflict, characters on a terrifying quest, labyrinths of bureaucracy, and mystical transformations. Kafka was born into a middle-class, German-speaking Jewish family in Prague, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In his lifetime, most of the population of Prague spoke Czech, and the division between Czech- and German-speaking people was a tangible reality, as both groups were strengthening their national identity. The Jewish community often found itself in between the two sentiments, naturally raising questions about a place to which one belongs. Kafka himself was fluent in both languages, considering German his mother tongue. Kafka trained as a lawyer and, after completing his legal education, obtained employment with an insurance company. He began to write short stories in his spare time. For the rest of his life, he complained about the little time he had to devote to what he came to regard as his calling. He regretted having to devote so much attention to his "Brotberuf" ("day job", literally "bread job"). Kafka preferred to communicate by letter; he wrote hundreds of letters to family and close female friends, including his father, his fiancée Felice Bauer, and his youngest sister Ottla. He had a complicated and troubled relationship with his father that had a major effect on his writing. He also suffered conflict over being Jewish, feeling that it had little to do with him, although critics argue that it influenced his writing.This collection contains the following works:- The Metamorphosis- A Country Doctor- A Hunger Artist- A Report for an Academy- An Imperial Message- Before the Law- In the Penal Colony- Jackals and Arabs- The Great Wall of China- The Hunter Gracchus- The Trial- Up in the Gallery
Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist
Charles Dickens
¥18.88
Charles Dickens was born on 1812, in Portsea, England. His parents were middle-class, but they suffered financially as a result of living beyond their means. When Dickens was twelve years old, his family's dire straits forced him to quit school and work in a blacking factory, a place where shoe polish is made. Within weeks, his father was put in debtor's prison, where Dickens's mother and siblings eventually joined him. At this point, Dickens lived on his own and continued to work at the factory for several months. The horrific conditions in the factory haunted him for the rest of his life, as did the experience of temporary orphanhood. Apparently, Dickens never forgot the day when a more senior boy in the warehouse took it upon himself to instruct Dickens in how to do his work more efficiently. For Dickens, that instruction may have represented the first step toward his full integration into the misery and tedium of working-class life. The more senior boy's name was Bob Fagin. Dickens's residual resentment of him reached a fevered pitch in the characterization of the villain Fagin in Oliver Twist.??After inheriting some money, Dickens's father got out of prison and Charles returned to school. As a young adult, he worked as a law clerk and later as a journalist. His experience as a journalist kept him in close contact with the darker social conditions of the Industrial Revolution, and he grew disillusioned with the attempts of lawmakers to alleviate those conditions. A collection of semi-fictional sketches entitled Sketches by Boz earned him recognition as a writer. Dickens became famous and began to make money from his writing when he published his first novel, The Pickwick Papers, which was serialized in 1836 and published in book form the following year.??In 1837, the first installment of Oliver Twist appeared in the magazine Bentley’s Miscellany, which Dickens was then editing. It was accompanied by illustrations by George Cruikshank, which still accompany many editions of the novel today. Even at this early date, some critics accused Dickens of writing too quickly and too prolifically, since he was paid by the word for his serialized novels. Yet the passion behind Oliver Twist, animated in part by Dickens’s own childhood experiences and in part by his outrage at the living conditions of the poor that he had witnessed as a journalist, touched his contemporary readers. Greatly successful, the novel was a thinly veiled protest against the Poor Law of 1834.??In 1836, Dickens married Catherine Hogarth, but after twenty years of marriage and ten children, he fell in love with Ellen Ternan, an actress many years his junior. Soon after, Dickens and his wife separated, ending a long series of marital difficulties. Dickens remained a prolific writer to the end of his life, and his novels—among them Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities, A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield, and Bleak House—continued to earn critical and popular acclaim. He died of a stroke in 1870, at the age of 58, leaving The Mystery of Edwin Drood unfinished.??The Poor Laws: Oliver Twist’s Social Commentary?Oliver Twist opens with a bitter invective directed at the nineteenth-century English Poor Laws. These laws were a distorted manifestation of the Victorian middle class’s emphasis on the virtues of hard work. England in the 1830s was rapidly undergoing a transformation from an agricultural, rural economy to an urban, industrial nation. The growing middle class had achieved an economic influence equal to, if not greater than, that of the British aristocracy.??In the 1830s, the middle class clamored for a share of political power with the landed gentry, bringing about a restructuring of the voting system. Parliament passed the Reform Act, which granted the right to vote to previously disenfranchised middle-class citizens. This desire gave rise to the Evangelical religious movement and inspired sweeping economic and political change.
Dr. Nikola's Experiment
Dr. Nikola's Experiment
Guy Newell Boothby
¥18.88
This fourth novel of Boothby's Dr. Nikola series reveals that Nikola has discovered all of the facts necessary to extend a human being's life. He has studied science and magic secrets of Tibetan monks. He explains: ?"It has been a long and tedious search, but such labour only makes success the sweeter. The machinery is now prepared; all that remains is to fit the various parts together. In six months' time, if all goes well, I will have a man walking upon this earth who, under certain conditions, shall live a thousand years."??To assist him, he hires a destitute young physician, who explains his predicament: ?"As ill luck would have it, however, I had got into the wrong set, and before I had been two years in the hospital was over head and ears in such a quagmire of debt and difficulties that it looked as if nothing but an absolute miracle co-uld serve to extricate me." ?That miracle seems to have come to him in the person of Dr. Nikola.??The nefarious and wealthy Nikola has purchased a remote castle in the north of England, where the seclusion will allow him and his new assistant and Nikola's deaf-mute malformed Chinese servant to conduct his grand experiment on a human subject. ? AUTHOR: Guy Newell Boothby was an Australian novelist and writer, born in Adelaide, son of Thomas Wilde Boothby, who for a time was a member of the South Australian Legislative Assembly. Guy Boothby's grandfather was Benjamin Boothby (1803-1868), judge of the supreme court of South Australia from 1853 to 1867. When Boothby was six, he traveled to England with his mother. Around 1890, he took the position of private secretary to the mayor of Adelaide, Australia, but was not content with the work due to little opportunity for advancement. He turned to his writing talents, writing librettos for 2 comic operas and stories about Australian life. Boothby moved back to the United Kingdom in 1894. He wrote over 50 books in the course of a decade, before dying of pneumonia in Bournemouth. Some of Boothby's earlier works were non-fiction, but later he turned to writing novels. He was once well known for his series of five novels about Doctor Nikola, an occultist anti-hero seeking immortality and world domination.
Daisy, Bold & Beautiful
Daisy, Bold & Beautiful
Ellie Collins
¥24.44
D.J. and her dad moved far from the small town and only home she ever knew. Now she’s starting middle school in the city with kids she’s never met. She tries to make friends, but they all appear to be slaves to screen time. D.J. just likes to garden, nurturing plants, watching them grow and thrive. It seems she’ll never find a way to fit in, but then she awakens in a gorgeous garden where she meets Persephone, Goddess of Spring. She must be dreaming; her new friend can’t possibly be real—and what could she know about getting along with gamers? D.J. really needs some ideas, or she might never find her own place in a complicated world. ? Daisy, Bold & Beautiful is the debut novel of middle-schooler Ellie Collins, daughter of award-winning author Stephanie Collins. Boys and girls alike will appreciate Ellie’s keen eye for the challenges of growing up that she and her friends must face. Discover the wonderful writing of Ellie now, then follow her to learn about her writing and more books to come.