万本电子书0元读

万本电子书0元读

The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales
The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales
Bret Harte
¥8.09
Collection of Bret Harte's work up to 1897. According to Wikipedia: "Bret Harte (August 25, 1836[2] – May 6, 1902) was an American author and poet, best remembered for his accounts of pioneering life in California. He was born in Albany, New York. ... He moved to California in 1853, later working there in a number of capacities, including miner, teacher, messenger, and journalist. He spent part of his life in the northern California coast town now known as Arcata, then just a mining camp on Humboldt Bay. His first literary efforts, including poetry and prose, appeared in The Californian, an early literary journal edited by Charles Henry Webb. In 1868 he became editor of The Overland Monthly, another new literary magazine, but this one more in tune with the pioneering spirit of excitement in California. His story, "The Luck of Roaring Camp," appeared in the magazine's second edition, propelling Harte to nationwide fame... Determined to pursue his literary career, in 1871 he and his family traveled back East, to New York and eventually to Boston, where he contracted with the publisher of The Atlantic Monthly for an annual salary of $10,000, "an unprecedented sum at the time." His popularity waned, however, and by the end of 1872 he was without a publishing contract and increasingly desperate. He spent the next few years struggling to publish new work (or republish old), delivering lectures about the gold rush, and even selling an advertising jingle to a soap company. In 1878 Harte was appointed to the position of United States Consul in the town of Krefeld, Germany and then to Glasgow in 1880. In 1885 he settled in London. During the thirty years he spent in Europe, he never abandoned writing, and maintained a prodigious output of stories that retained the freshness of his earlier work. He died in England in 1902 of throat cancer and is buried at Frimley."
The Silverado Squatters
The Silverado Squatters
Robert Louis Stevenson
¥8.09
Travelogue/memoir of a stay in a ghost town in northern California on Mount Saint Helena in the 1870s. According to Wikipedia: "Robert Louis (Balfour) Stevenson ( 1850 - 1894), was a Scottish novelist, poet, and travel writer, and a leading representative of Neo-romanticism in English literature. He was the man who "seemed to pick the right word up on the point of his pen, like a man playing spillikins", as G. K. Chesterton put it. He was also greatly admired by many authors, including Jorge Luis Borges, Ernest Hemingway, Rudyard Kipling, Vladimir Nabokov, and J. M. Barrie. Most modernist writers dismissed him, however, because he was popular and did not write within their definition of modernism. It is only recently that critics have begun to look beyond Stevenson's popularity and allow him a place in the canon."
The Olive Fairy Book
The Olive Fairy Book
Andrew Lang
¥8.09
Collection of classic fairy tales. According to Wikipedia: "Andrew Lang (March 31, 1844, Selkirk ? July 20, 1912, Banchory, Kincardineshire) was a prolific Scots man of letters. He was a poet, novelist, and literary critic, and contributor to anthropology. He now is best known as the collector of folk and fairy tales." With the active (hyperlinked) table of contents, click on a story title to go to that story.
The Violet Fairy Book
The Violet Fairy Book
Andrew Lang
¥8.09
Collection of classic fairy tales. According to Wikipedia: "Andrew Lang (March 31, 1844, Selkirk ? July 20, 1912, Banchory, Kincardineshire) was a prolific Scots man of letters. He was a poet, novelist, and literary critic, and contributor to anthropology. He now is best known as the collector of folk and fairy tales." With the active (hyperlinked) table of contents, click on a story title to go to that story.
A Cathedral Courtship
A Cathedral Courtship
Kate Douglas Wiggin
¥8.09
Victorian novel. According to Wikipedia: "Kate Douglas Wiggin ( 1856 - 1923) was an American children's author and educator. Kate Douglas Smith Wiggin was born in Philadelphia, and was of Welsh descent . She started the first free kindergarten in San Francisco in 1878 (the Silver Street Free Kindergarten). With her sister in the 1880s she also established a training school for kindergarten teachers. She was also a writer of children's books, the best known being The Birds' Christmas Carol (1887) and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1903)."
A Deal in Wheat, and other Stories of the New and Old West
A Deal in Wheat, and other Stories of the New and Old West
Frank Norris
¥8.09
Collection of classic short stories. According to Wikipedia: "Benjamin Franklin Norris, Jr. (March 5, 1870 – October 25, 1902) was an American novelist, during the Progressive Era, writing predominantly in the naturalist genre. His notable works include McTeague (1899), The Octopus: A California Story (1901), and The Pit (1903). Although he did not openly support socialism as a political system, his work nevertheless evinces a socialist mentality and influenced socialist/progressive writers such as Upton Sinclair. Like many of his contemporaries, he was profoundly influenced by the advent of Darwinism, and Thomas Henry Huxley's philosophical defense of it. Norris was particularly influenced by an optimistic strand of Darwinist philosophy taught by Joseph LeConte, whom Norris studied under while at the University of California, Berkeley. Through many of his novels, notably McTeague, runs a preoccupation with the notion of the civilized man overcoming the inner "brute," his animalistic tendencies. His peculiar, and often confused, brand of Social Darwinism also bears the influence of the early criminologist Cesare Lombroso and the French naturalist Emile Zola."
What is Man ? and Other Essays
What is Man ? and Other Essays
Mark Twain
¥8.09
Collection of humorous and skeptical essays, including: What Is Man? The Death of Jean, The Turning-Point of My Life, How to Make History Dates Stick, The Memorable Assassination, A Scrap of Curious History, Switzerland, the Cradle of Liberty, At the Shrine of St. Wagner, William Dean Howells, English as She is Taught, A Simplified Alphabet, As Concerns Interpreting the Deity, Concerning Tobacco, Taming the Bicycle, Is Shakespeare Dead? According to Wikipedia: "Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835 – 1910), better known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist. Twain is most noted for his novels Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which has since been called the Great American Novel and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. He is extensively quoted. During his lifetime, Twain became a friend to presidents, artists, industrialists and European royalty. Twain enjoyed immense public popularity, and his keen wit and incisive satire earned him praise from both critics and peers. American author William Faulkner called Twain "the father of American literature."
The Prince
The Prince
Niccolo Machiavellil
¥8.09
Based largley on examples from the life of Cesare Borgia (son of Pope Alexander VI and sister of Lucrezia Borgia), this book was intended as practical advice for how to unify Italy with force. Machiavelli begins with the assumption that the end justifies the means -- so any action is permitted that leads to a unified Italy. His work has served for centuries as a handbook for would-be dictators and conquerors. According to Wikipedia: "Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli (1469 – 1527) was an Italian diplomat, political philosopher, musician, poet and playwright. Machiavelli was a figure of the Italian Renaissance, and a servant of the Florentine republic. In June of 1498, following the ouster and execution of Savonarola, the Great Council elected Machiavelli as the Secretary to the second Chancery of the Republic of Florence. He is most famous — or notorious — for one of his shorter works, The Prince, sometimes described as a work of realist political theory. However, both that text and the more substantial republican Discourses on Livy — as well as History of Florence (commissioned by the Medici family) — were printed only after his death, all appearing in the early 1530s. In his own lifetime, while he circulated The Prince among friends, the only work Machiavelli promoted through printing was his dialogue on The Art of War. But generations from the sixteenth century onwards were most attracted and repelled by the cynical approach to power on display in The Prince, Discourses and History. Whatever Machiavelli's own intentions (and they remain a matter of heated debate), his name became synonymous with ruthless politics, deceit and the pursuit of power by any means."
The Fortunes of Nigel
The Fortunes of Nigel
Sir Walter Scott
¥8.09
Historical novel, first published in 1822. Set in London and Greenwich, England, in 1616-1618. According to Wikipedia: "Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (1771 – 1832) was a prolific Scottish historical novelist and poet popular throughout Europe during his time. In some ways Scott was the first English-language author to have a truly international career in his lifetime, with many contemporary readers all over Europe, Australia, and North America. His novels and poetry are still read, and many of his works remain classics of both English-language literature and of Scottish literature. Famous titles include Ivanhoe, Rob Roy, The Lady of The Lake, Waverley, The Heart of Midlothian and The Bride of Lammermoor."
Woodstock
Woodstock
Sir Walter Scott
¥8.09
Historical novel, first published in 1826. Set in Woodstock and Windsor, England, and in Brussels in 1652. According to Wikipedia: "Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (1771 – 1832) was a prolific Scottish historical novelist and poet popular throughout Europe during his time. In some ways Scott was the first English-language author to have a truly international career in his lifetime, with many contemporary readers all over Europe, Australia, and North America. His novels and poetry are still read, and many of his works remain classics of both English-language literature and of Scottish literature. Famous titles include Ivanhoe, Rob Roy, The Lady of The Lake, Waverley, The Heart of Midlothian and The Bride of Lammermoor."
Miscellanies: A collection of essays
Miscellanies: A collection of essays
Oscar Wilde
¥8.09
Book-length collection of essays. According to Wikipedia: "Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (1854 - 1900) was an Irish playwright, novelist, poet, and author of short stories. Known for his barbed wit, he was one of the most successful playwrights of late Victorian London, and one of the greatest celebrities of his day. As the result of a famous trial, he suffered a dramatic downfall and was imprisoned for two years of hard labour after being convicted of the offence of 'gross indecency.'"
Peveril of the Peak
Peveril of the Peak
Sir Walter Scott
¥8.09
Historical novel, originally published in 1822. Set in Derbyshire, the Island of Man, and London in 1658-1680. According to Wikipedia: "Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (1771 – 1832) was a prolific Scottish historical novelist and poet popular throughout Europe during his time. In some ways Scott was the first English-language author to have a truly international career in his lifetime, with many contemporary readers all over Europe, Australia, and North America. His novels and poetry are still read, and many of his works remain classics of both English-language literature and of Scottish literature. Famous titles include Ivanhoe, Rob Roy, The Lady of The Lake, Waverley, The Heart of Midlothian and The Bride of Lammermoor."
True to the Old Flag
True to the Old Flag
G. A. Henty
¥8.09
Historical novel, set during the American Revolution, and told from the British perspective. The Preface begins: "You have probably been accustomed to regard the war between England and her colonies in America as one in which we were not only beaten but, to some extent, humiliated. Owing to the war having been an unsuccessful one for our arms, British writers have avoided the subject, and it has been left for American historians to describe. These, writing for their own countrymen, and drawing for their facts upon gazettes, letters, and other documents emanating from one side only, have, naturally, and no doubt insensibly, given a very strong color to their own views of the events, and English writers have been too much inclined to accept their account implicitly. There is, however, another and very different side to the story, and this I have endeavored to show you. The whole of the facts and details connected with the war can be relied upon as accurate. According to Wikipedia: "George Alfred Henty (8 December 1832 - 16 November 1902), referred to as G. A. Henty, was a prolific English novelist, special correspondent, and Imperialist born in Trumpington, Cambridgeshire, England. He is best known for his historical adventure stories that were popular in the late 19th century. His works include Out on the Pampas (1871), The Young Buglers (1880), With Clive in India (1884) and Wulf the Saxon (1895)."
The Love Affairs of Great Musicians
The Love Affairs of Great Musicians
Rupert Hughes
¥8.09
First published in 1903. Biographical chapters cover Liszt, Mozart, Bach, Haydn, Beethoven, Chopin, Purcell, Gluck, Wagner, Tschaikovski, Schumann, and others.
Agnes Grey
Agnes Grey
Victor Hugo
¥8.09
Class novel by the third Bronte sister. According to Wikipedia: "Anne Bronte ( 1820 - 1849) was a British novelist and poet, the youngest of the Bronte literary family. She used the pen name Acton Bell."
Cinq Semaines en Ballon
Cinq Semaines en Ballon
Jules Verne
¥8.09
Roman d'aventure classique dans le fran?ais original. Selon Wikipédia: ?Jules Gabriel Verne (8 février 1828 - 24 mars 1905) est un auteur fran?ais qui a été le pionnier du genre de la science-fiction, notamment des romans comme Voyage au centre de la terre (1864), Vingt mille lieues sous la mer (1870) et autour du monde en quatre-vingts jours (1873) Verne a écrit sur l'espace, l'air et les voyages sous-marins avant que les voyages aériens et les sous-marins pratiques soient inventés. Selon Index Translationum, il est le troisième auteur le plus traduit au monde, certains de ses livres ont été transformés en films ... Verne, avec HG Wells, est souvent surnommé le ?père de la science-fiction?
A Final Reckoning
A Final Reckoning
G. A. Henty
¥8.09
Historical novel, set in Australia's equivalent of the Wild West, in the mid-19th century. According to Wikipedia: "George Alfred Henty (8 December 1832 - 16 November 1902), referred to as G. A. Henty, was a prolific English novelist, special correspondent, and Imperialist born in Trumpington, Cambridgeshire, England. He is best known for his historical adventure stories that were popular in the late 19th century. His works include Out on the Pampas (1871), The Young Buglers (1880), With Clive in India (1884) and Wulf the Saxon (1895)"
The Lost World
The Lost World
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
¥8.09
The source for the television series of the same title, by the author of the Sherlock Holmes stories. According to Wikipedia: "Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was an author most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, which are generally considered a major innovation in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger. He was a prolific writer whose other works include science fiction stories, historical novels, plays and romances, poetry, and non-fiction."
The Law and the Lady
The Law and the Lady
Wilkie Collins
¥8.09
Classic novel. According to Wikipedia: "William Wilkie Collins (8 January 1824 - 23 September 1889) was an English novelist, playwright, and writer of short stories. He was hugely popular in his time, and wrote 27 novels, more than 50 short stories, at least 15 plays, and over 100 pieces of non-fiction work. His best-known works are The Woman in White, The Moonstone, Armadale and No Name."
The Pathfinder: Or the Inland Sea, Third of the Leatherstocking Tales
The Pathfinder: Or the Inland Sea, Third of the Leatherstocking Tales
James Fenimore Cooper
¥8.09
Third of the Leatherstocking Tales (in terms of story sequence). Historical novel set in the 1750s and first published in 1840. The other Leatherstocking Tales are Deerslayer, Last of the Mohicans, Pioneers, and Prairie. according to Wikipedia: "James Fenimore Cooper (September 15, 1789 – September 14, 1851) was a prolific and popular American writer of the early 19th century. He is best remembered as a novelist who wrote numerous sea-stories and the historical novels known as the Leatherstocking Tales, featuring frontiersman Natty Bumppo. Among his most famous works is the Romantic novel The Last of the Mohicans, which many consider to be his masterpiece."
Sketches and Studies
Sketches and Studies
Nathaniel Hawthorne
¥8.09
This book includes: Life of Franklin Pierce, Chiefly about War Matters, Alice Doane's Appeal, and The Ancestral Footstep. According to Wikipedia: "Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804 –1864) was an American novelist and short story writer... Much of Hawthorne's writing centers around New England and many feature moral allegories with a Puritan inspiration. His fiction works are considered part of the Romantic movement and, more specifically, dark romanticism. His themes often center on the inherent evil and sin of humanity and his works often have moral messages and deep psychological complexity. His published works include novels, short stories, and a biography of his friend Franklin Pierce."