Join Mark Twain on his trip on board a steamboat from St. Louis to New Orleans. He describes the competition from railroads, and the new, large cities, and adds his observations on greed, gullibility, tragedy, and bad architecture. The book also introduces a brief history of the river as reported by Europeans and Americans, beginning with the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto.

A Yankee engineer from Connecticut is accidentally transported back in time to the court of King Arthur, where he fools the inhabitants of that time into thinking he is a magician—and soon uses his knowledge of modern technology to become a magician in earnest, stunning the English of the Early Middle Ages with such feats as demolitions, fireworks and the shoring up of a holy well. He attempts to modernize the past, but in the end he is unable to prevent the death of Arthur and an interdict against him by the Catholic Church of the time, which grows fearful of his power.

Sherlock, one of the greatest detectives of all time. This Fractal Press edition features complete collection of the four Sherlock Holmes novels, including: A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of the Four, The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Valley of Fear.

Charles Pooter and his wife Caroline have just moved to a new home. Mr Pooter is a City of London clerk with Perkupps. The couple have a 20-year-old son, Lupin, who works as a bank clerk in Oldham. From the beginning a pattern is set whereby the small vexations of the Pooters' daily lives are recounted, many of them arising from Pooter's unconscious self-importance and pomposity. Trouble with servants, tradesmen and office juniors, together with minor social embarrassments and humiliations, occur regularly.

Three wishes are granted to the owner of the monkey's paw, but the wishes come with an enormous price for interfering with fate.

The book is unusually divided into four seasons instead of chapters and represents a semi-fictional autobiographical work by George Gissing in which the author casts himself as the editor of the diary of a deceased acquaintance, selecting essays for posthumous publication. Observing how suitable many of the reflections were to the month with which they were dated.

One of the four major plays that Chekhov wrote at the end of his life. The play was specifically written for the Moscow Art Theatre and was first directed by the legendary Constantin Stanisklavski. Since its debut, the play remained a perennial favourite of actors and audiences internationally.

A semi-autobiographical novel, which Jack London wrote at the age of 33 at the height of his literary career. The story follows life of Marin Eden, an intelligent young man who becomes a writer through an intense and passionate pursuit of self-education in order to gain acceptance and the respectability of his society-girl sweetheart. Ruth spurns Eden when his writing is rejected initially and later tries to win his heart when he achieves fame. Was Eden’s quest for bourgeois respectability hollow?

"Volumul Picaj al Ioanei Miron e de fapt un poem amplu scris parc? sub imperiul aceleia?i st?ri, una a dezordinii interioare, a hausului existen?ial. Poezia ?ncearc? s? pun? ordine ?ntr-o lume dezmembrat? ?i schizoid?. Spa?iile psihice sunt ?n acord cu toate acele lucruri dezlocuite de sens. Cea care a decis s? dep??easc? un oarecare prag existen?ial are nevoie de o propulsare spre altceva cu adev?rat autentic ?i plin de con?inut. De aici, un r?zboi interior, o tenta?ie a punctului zero, un picaj. Cartea nu descrie traiectoria descendent? a unui spirit din ce ?n ce mai lucid. Nu e vorba aici de o probu?ire, dup? cum ar putea sugera titlul. Confruntarea cu limita (suportabilit??ii?) stimuleaz? ?nfiriparea unei dimensiuni material-spiritual?. Materialitatea dur?, abraziv?, t?ioas? poate fi ?n?eleas? ?n dou? feluri: ca nevoie de echilibru, de fixitate ?i, mai plauzibil, ca o ?ngreunare a spiritului dornic de libertate. Dincolo de toate acestea, timpul cunoa?te reprezent?ri clar delimitate:? ?ncet ?ncet ne facem loc aici/ o s? ne aciu?m mai bine/ cine ne spune cu adev?rat cine suntem cine o s? ne descopere/ de ce s? taci ?ine-m? bine minte/ ?mpreun? am scotocit prin d?rm?turi/ ?i cu toate astea n-ai dat impresia de nesiguran??/ s?-mi poveste?ti ce ?i c?nd/ cum ?i de ce se ?nt?mpl? s? mai ?i uit?m/ ?n lipsa concentr?rii aerul devine ?ngust/ & str?zile cu tot restul/ bitimul cald ?mp?ienjenit privirile ?ntinse/ un loc sigur ?n care te infiltrezi”." (?erban Axinte) "Poezia Ioanei Miron face chiar lucrurile pe care teoriile literare au ?ncercat mereu f?r? succes s? le explice. Alege diferite scenarii existen?iale ?i decupeaz? secven?ele relevante pentru circula?ia unei energii speciale. Face acest lucru chiar ?i atunci c?nd reformuleaz? mizele t?cerii: "am ?nv??at s? mim?m t?cerea/ despre noi ?i despre al?ii am ?nv??at/ s? fim o singur? gur? din care iese orice imbold orice/ striden??". Arta Ioanei Miron ?ine mai ales de injectarea cu for?? a unor expresii al c?ror sunet pare str?in de ceea ce ?tim deja c? este poezie ?i totul se ?nt?mpl? contur?nd circuite controlate poetic. Dintre variantele de titlu pe care Ioana Miron mi le-a ar?tat, "Blocaje tactile" era sintagma care mie mi se p?rea c? sugereaz? linia investiga?iei poetice din acest volum: "schimb?ri comune gesturi banale/ facem corp comun cu obiectele/ am stat pe iarb? important e s? fim ?n locuri cunoscute ?i/ sigur te-a? convinge/ s? ne ?nt?lnim la ?nt?mplare s? ?nlocuim/ aerul cu sufl?rile tale tactile/". S-ar putea s? m? fi ?n?elat, ?ns? picajul este numai cadrul acestui demers ?n care se ?nc?p???neaz? Ioana Miron, ?n ciuda tuturor celor care ?in s? rezume poezia la fluctua?iile ipocriziei militante." (R?zvan ?upa)

A collection of most well known stories by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The title Twice-Told Tales, is based on a line from William Shakespeare's The Life and Death of King John: Life is as tedious as a twice-told tale. The collection was considered as one of the most influential for its time and Hawthorne praised for purity and effectiveness of thought.

Richard Mutimer is a young lower-class working-man who unexpectedly inherits a large fortune. He becomes the leader of a socialist movement and decides to use his inheritance to set up a cooperative factory. However, his new wealth and power serve to highlight the defects of his character and he begins to treat his workers harshly, as well as abandoning the girl of his own station to whom he had been engaged.

Miriam Baske, a young widow, freed from the constraints of making a living, leaves behind the grey stone chapels and flinty hearts of Lancashire for the sun and artistic splendour of Italy. She meets a host of her countrymen vacationing and occupying themselves with travel, art, philosophy, romance, and improving their health.

A young wealthy gentleman looses everything in speculation and is forced into a humble life of a grocer. He finds his circumstances tragic at first and keeps his fate secret from all his friends and family. He re-considers his attitudes only when the woman with whom he is falling in love discovers he is a grocer, and throws him over.

An officer by the name of Jilin served in the army in the Caucasus. One day he received a letter from home. It was from his mother, who wrote, 'I am getting old now, and I want to see my beloved son before I die. Come and say good-bye to me, and when you have buried me, with God’s grace, you can return to the Army. I have found a nice girl for you to marry; she is clever and pretty, and has some property of her own. If you like her perhaps you will marry and settle down for good.'

It once occurred to a King that if he knew the right moment when to begin on any work and the right kind of people to have or not to have dealings with and the thing to do that was more important than any other thing, he would always be successful. And he proclaimed throughout his kingdom that he would give a great reward to any one who could tell him what was the right moment for any action, and who were the most essential of all people, and what was the most essential thing of all to do.

Geo Vasile ne propune o selec?ie riguroas? de 100 de prozatori ?i esei?ti ale?i din ?ntreaga istorie a literaturii. Elementul inedit, provocator ?i inevitabil ?n acest context este selectarea ?i plasarea, evident, justificat?, a unor redutabili prozatori ?i esei?ti rom?ni ?n contextul generos ?i selectiv deopotriv? al concertului universal al litera?ilor. Astfel, al?turi de autori precum Paul Auster, Saul Bellow, Mario Vargas Llosa, Julio Cortázar, Henri Miller, Philip Roth etc., sunt a?eza?i Nicolae Breban, Augustin Buzura, Petru Cimpoe?u ?i mai tinerii s?i colegi, argumenta?ia adus? ?n arena de litere de istoricul ?i criticul literar Geo Vasile fiind una perfect justificat?, iar criteriul de selec?ie – unul atotputernic: valoarea.

S?nge albastru nu mai exist? pe pia?a de carte de zeci de ani. De fapt, de la debut, din 1969. C?nd scriu aceste r?nduri, ?nc? nu mi-am rev?zut ?i recitit cartea. Aproape c? pot spune c? nu am habar ce am scris ?n S?nge albastru. ?i nici nu cred c? a? putea fi obiectiv? fa?? de valoarea estetic? a c?r?ilor mele de ?nceput. Nu-mi amintesc s? fi scris cineva, vreun critic, c?t ar fi fost el de neverosimil, despre carte. E?ecul a fost total. To?i colegii de v?rsta mea debutaser? deja, cu brio. Pentru ei ?ncepuser? vremurile recunoa?terii ?i ale privilegiilor. Eu s?pam, ca o c?rti?? kafkian?, bolnav? ?i oarb?, prin p?m?ntul poeziei din capul meu. ?tiu, doar, c? n-am putut dintr-o pudoare (ne)verosimil? s?-mi exhib sentimentele legate de boala care nu m? l?sa s? respir. Aveam tuberculoz? pulmonar? sever?. Am fost inocent?. S?nt ?i acum, dar altfel. A venit Alex Goldi?, un t?nar critic de aproximativ treizeci de ani, care a readus ?n scen? S?nge albastru, un gest exorbitant ?i riscant din partea lui, pentru care ?i mul?umesc. (Angela Marinescu)De peste patru decenii, Angela Marinescu a r?mas una dintre cele mai excentrice figuri ale poeziei rom?ne?ti, de ne?ncadrat ?n nici o poetic? genera?ionist?. ?n S?nge albastru, excelentul volum de debut din 1969 (care m? face s? m? ?ntreb unde s?nt str?lucitele debuturi de alt?dat?), t?n?ra poet? r?sturna abstractismul panteist ?i livresc à la Nichita St?nescu sau Ana Blandiana ?ntr-un imaginar dens ?i grav, ?nc?rcat de fantasme sexuale ?i funerare. Simbolurile ascensiunii, ale tinere?ii ?i ale purit??ii, tipic ?aizeciste, f?ceau loc unui con?inut poetic ponderabil ?i impudic. Ce ?mp?rt??ea poezia Angelei Marinescu cu versurile colegilor de genera?ie era, poate, doar o anumit? calofilie barbian? a formei, la care va renun?a pe parcurs. Cu optzeci?tii are autoarea Blindajului final ?i mai pu?ine lucruri ?n comun, c?ci formula ei poetic? e tot ce poate fi mai str?in ?nscen?rilor textuale. E explicabil, a?adar, faptul c? tocmai postura de outsider o recomand? pe Angela Marinescu drept mam? absolut? a autenticismului rom?nesc. (Alex Goldi?)

Ceea ce surprinde i fascineaz din capul locului n Ppdia electric este naturaleea cu care erban Axinte i transcrie viziunile. Discursul su nu are nimic contrafcut, strident, literar; din contr, poetul las impresia c nu face dect s repertorieze ct mai neutru, cu o precizie de grefier, o lume care i se ofer de-a gata i care, n ultim instan, l cuprinde. E drept c asemenea fotograme, care nu pot fi captate dect n stri liminale, precum visul, hipnoza, beia sau demena, au un aspect halucinant i misterios, de underworld rsrit parc din aburii alcoolului ori cufundat ntr-o memorie lichefiat. Numai c acest efect nu provine din anularea, ci tocmai din dilatarea percepiei comune, din celulele surescitate ale retinei care descoper nu att o irealitate imediat, ct o realitate remixat, n care lucrurile pot fi i aa, i altminteri. N-a putea bga mna-n foc c lumea i-a mai ieit i de aceast dat lui erban Axinte aa cum a vrut. Poezia, ns – cu siguran.“ – Andrei Terianerban Axinte este, dup cum tie toat lumea, unul dintre cele mai bune produse ale criticii literare din ultimul deceniu. Cronicar la Observator cultural, el este i autorul uneia dintre cele mai ambiioase sinteze recente – Definiiile romanului. De la Dimitrie Cantemir la G. Clinescu, o morfologie istoric a romanului romnesc care merit cu prisosin o receptare en fanfare.ns, pe de alt parte, taman faptul c toat lumea tie cine e criticul literar erban Axinte nu-i face un PR prea grozav poetului erban Axinte, cu toate c cel din urm e egalul absolut n drepturi al celui dinti. Lucrul s-a vzut i la precedenta sa carte de poezie, Lumea i-a ieit cum ai vrut (Vinea, 2006) – recomandat de prefaa empatic a lui Doris Mironescu, volumul n-a avut totui receptarea pe care ar fi meritat-o. Iar acum, dup cum se vede, scriu la rndul meu o prefa empatic, spernd din toat inima c Ppdia electric va fi o carte mai norocoas.(...)Ppdia electric e construit din trei cicluri (ca i Lumea i-a ieit aa cum ai vrut, de altfel – ceea ce poate s sugereze un anumit pattern arhitectural urmrit cu schepsis), intitulate decoct, bulb i acele electrice; ei bine, poemele tuturor acestor trei cicluri sunt inervate de imagini remarcabile, deseori de-a dreptul memorabile – citez aproape la ntmplare: s ni se ridice din inim o lumin att de puternic nct custura lumilor s nu se mai vad (acele electrice), ceva crete acum din mine, / cineva sufl asupra mea / cu miliarde de fotoni. // aura / nflorete din bulbul cretetului meu / ntr-o uria ppdie electric (ppdia electric), de ce i este fric, atta timp ct stai acolo, / nimic nu te poate atinge. // ce vd n tine, ce vd n tine, // un cimitir n care toi dumnezeii pmntului / i-au lsat morii s nfloreasc (de ce i este fric) .a.m.d. Sunt, toate, imagini de o mare frumusee, cu care empatizezi instantaneu i te fac s stabileti cu textul de sub ochi acel contract de ncredere despre care vorbea cndva Borges ca de o condiie sine qua non a lecturii de poezie.(...) Aadar, dac inem s-l etichetm generaionist pe erban Axinte, nu putem dect conchide c e cel mai atipic doumiist. Cu excepia obsesiei pentru hapax-ul existenial, nimic nu-l leag de generaia sa: nici poetica, nici maniera, nici tehnica. O atipie profund transpare din tot scrisul lui poetic; or, dup cum se tie, atipicii sunt ntotdeauna ctigtori pe termen lung.“ – Radu Vancu

Cartea Autori ?i opere reune?te prefe?e, postfe?e, studii introductive ori de sine st?t?toare elaborate de-a lungul mai multor decenii de profesorul Ion Iano?i, rev?zute ?i ?mbun?t??ite pentru actuala edi?ie. Lucrarea ?nsumeaz? trei volume, cu subtitlurile: Culturi occidentale, Cultura rus?, Cultura rom?n?. Volumul I, Culturi occidentale, cuprinde 15 studii, organizate ?n trei par?i. Partea 1 trateaz? ?ase scriitori clasici ?i importante opere ale lor, majoritar rom?ne ale secolului XX. Partea a 2-a analizeaz? tot ?ase scrieri distincte apar?in?nd unor g?nditori ilu?tri din veacurile XIX ?i XX. Partea a 3-a prezint? opera de ansamblu a c?torva filosofi. Printre autorii discuta?i ?i amintim pe Italo Svevo, Franz Kafka, Robert Musil; Heinrich Heine, Friedrich Nietzsche, Martin Heidegger: dup? cum se vede, ?n majoritatea lor de limb? german?. Volumele Autori ?i opere ?ntregesc monografiile profesorului Ion Iano?i, prima – pe cele despre Thomas Mann ?i Hegel, cea de a doua – despre Dostoievski ?i Tolstoi, cea de a treia – despre Constantin Noica. Astfel, ele ?mplinesc preocup?ri de o via?? cu privire la figuri tutelare din literatura ?i filosofia german?, rus? ?i rom?neasc?, din ultimele secole.

Volumul de eseuri Melancolii portugheze radiografiaz? c?teva dintre v?rstele literaturii portugheze. Secven?ele alese ?i au ca protagoni?ti pe Luis de Camoes, Mariana Alcoforado, Fernando Pessoa, José Saramago ?i Antonio Lobo Antunes. De la ardoarea baroc? la melancolie, de la ie?iri patetice la replieri nostalgice, traseul puncteaz? treptele ?i centrii de tensiune ai unui tip de sensibilitate aparte, ?ntors, dup? expresia lui Camoes, ?cu spatele la p?m?nt ?i fa?a spre mare“. Demersul nu va fi str?in de procedeele, artificiile ?i ?ntregul arsenal al criti-fic?iunii.

Volum nominalizat la sec?iunea ?Critic?. Istorie ?i Teorie Literar?“ – Premiile ?Observator cultural“, edi?ia a VI-a, 2012 Lucrarea de fa?? pleac? de la ideea c?, odat? cu sf?r?itul anilor ‘60/?nceputul anilor ‘70, se configureaz?, ?n context rom?nesc, o mi?care poetic? cu caracter experimentalist, care se ?ndep?rteaz? de paradigmele modernismului, urm?nd modelul avangardelor interbelice. Principiul fundamental al unei asemenea poezii trebuie c?utat ?n pragmatica ?tiin?ei contemporane, c?ci ea presupune elaborarea unor ?axiomatici“ (concretizate ?n abord?ri teoretice, programe ?i manifeste artistice), urmat? apoi de investigarea, printr-o mi?care de extensie, a limitelor, de c?utarea obstinat? a noului, care se raporteaz? la propria sa ?axiomatic?“ ?n calitate de diferen??, de ?paralogie“, extinz?ndu-i limitele, dar ?i problematiz?nd-o, printr-un demers care e constructiv ?i deconstructiv totodat?, contestatar ?i autocontestatar ?n acela?i timp.