eBooks classic - Search Books

Anonymous ., ROBERT ARNOT Armenian Literature

POETRY, DRAMA, FOLK-LORE, AND CLASSIC TRADITIONS

Language & Literature
English
48199 Words
Ages 18 and up
2
0

Robert Arnot (1744–1808) was a Scottish Presbyterian minister and Professor of Divinity in St Andrews University, who was [more]

For Free

Emily Bronte Wuthering Heights

Fiction
English
115907 Words
Ages 10 and up
409
3

Wuthering Heights is a novel by Emily Bronte. Wuthering Heights is the name of the farmhouse on the Yorkshire moors where the story unfolds. The book's core theme is the destructive effect that jealousy and vengefulness have, both on the jealous or vengeful individuals and on their communities. Wuthering Heights is now widely regarded as a classic of English literature. When first published it was considered controversial because its depiction of mental and physical cruelty was unusually stark, and it challenged strict Victorian ideals of the day, including religious hypocrisy, morality, social classes and gender inequality. [more]

Keywords: wuthering heights, emily bronte, bronte sisters, classic literature, english literature, romance

$2.99

Jonathan Kieran Rowan Blaize and the Starbane Exile

Book Three of the Enchanted Heritage Chronicles

Fantasy
English
1041 Words
No Age Recommendation
413
1

Cast adrift into the wilderness, a teenaged boy flees a sorceress crowned with the skull of a dragon-hatchling, a sorceress who loves to pluck the wings off faery queens and assassinate rival magicians ... just for fun. Contending with warlords, werewolves, and the wrath of winter spirits, young Starbane is aided by a quarrelsome spy and a vagabond maiden on his journey, but it seems that everyone has a conflicting agenda and the shape-shifting witch, Oblixta, will not allow anyone to escape her clutches without a fight. Politics threatens to keep the exile from finding Rowan Blaize, a reclusive warlock from another dimension, trapped by a spell in Starbane's unforgiving world. Can Blaize help the boy thwart doom and break his own confining curse, or will an eerie twist of fate lead to a magical showdown that ruins them all? Ideal for admirers of the classic fantasy genre, Rowan Blaize and the Starbane Exile (Enchanted Heritage Chronicles: Book III) offers a timeless tale of Good vs. Evil ... and a glimpse into the perilous affairs of witches and wizards at war. [more]

Keywords: literature, fiction, fantasy, contemporary, science fiction, paranormal, adventure, prose, narrative, classic, verse, series

For Free

Charles Dickens Great Expectations

Fiction
English
184434 Words
Ages 8 and up
420
2

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens is a coming-of-age novel and it is a classic work of Victorian literature. It depicts the growth and personal development of an orphan named Pip. The novel represents Dickens's peak and maturity as an author. It is set among the marshes of Kent and in London in the early to mid-1800s. From the outset, the reader is "treated" by the terrifying encounter between Pip, the protagonist, and the escaped convict, Abel Magwitch. Great Expectations is a graphic book, full of extreme imagery, poverty, prison ships, "the hulks," barriers and chains, and fights to the death. It combines intrigue and unexpected twists of autobiographical detail in different tones. Regardless of its narrative technique, the novel reflects the events of the time, Dickens's concerns, and the relationship between society and man. Great Expectations has a colourful cast that has entered popular culture: the capricious Miss Havisham, the cold and beautiful Estella, Joe the kind and generous blacksmith, the dry and sycophantic Uncle Pumblechook, Mr Jaggers, Wemmick with his dual personality, and the eloquent and wise friend, Herbert Pocket. Throughout the narrative, typical Dickensian themes emerge: wealth and poverty, love and rejection, and the eventual triumph of good over evil. [more]

Keywords: great expectations, chales dickens, classic literature, dickens, historical fiction, english literature

$2.99

Kenneth Grahame The Wind in the Willows

Juvenile Fiction
English
58332 Words
Ages 6 and up
312
2

The Wind in the Willows is a classic of children's literature by Kenneth Grahame. Alternately slow moving and fast paced, it focuses on four anthropomorphized animal characters in a pastoral version of England. The novel is notable for its mixture of mysticism, adventure, morality, and camaraderie and celebrated for its evocation of the nature of the Thames valley. A book that we all greatly loved and admired and read aloud or alone, over and over and over: The Wind in the Willows. This book is, in a way, two separate books put into one. There are, on the one hand, those chapters concerned with the adventures of Toad; and on the other hand there are those chapters that explore human emotions—the emotions of fear, nostalgia, awe, wanderlust. My mother was drawn to the second group, of which "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" was her favorite, read to me again and again with always, towards the end, the catch in the voice and the long pause to find her handkerchief and blow her nose. My father, on his side, was so captivated by the first group that he turned these chapters into the children's play, Toad of Toad Hall. In this play one emotion only is allowed to creep in: nostalgia. [more]

Keywords: the wind in the willows, classic childrens fiction, mysticism, action and adventure, morality, talking animals, quest

$2.99

Alexander Dumas The Count of Monte Cristo

Adventure
English
458845 Words
Ages 8 and up
424
2

The Count of Monte Cristo is an adventure novel by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is one of the author's most popular works, along with The Three Musketeers. Like many of his novels, it is expanded from plot outlines suggested by his collaborating ghostwriter Auguste Maquet. The story takes place in France, Italy and islands in the Mediterranean during the historical events of 1815–1838. It begins from just before the Hundred Days period (when Napoleon returned to power after his exile) and spans through to the reign of Louis-Philippe of France. The historical setting is a fundamental element of the book. An adventure story primarily concerned with themes of hope, justice, vengeance, mercy and forgiveness, it focuses on a man who is wrongfully imprisoned, escapes from jail, acquires a fortune and sets about getting revenge on those responsible for his imprisonment. However, his plans have devastating consequences for the innocent as well as the guilty. In addition, it is a story that involves romance, loyalty, betrayal and selfishness, shown throughout the story as characters slowly reveal their true inner nature. The book is considered a literary classic today. According to Luc Sante, "The Count of Monte Cristo has become a fixture of Western civilization's literature, as inescapable and immediately identifiable as Mickey Mouse, Noah's flood, and the story of Little Red Riding Hood." [more]

Keywords: the count of monte cristo, alexander dumas, action and adventure, historical fiction, classic literature

$2.99

Arthur Conan Doyle The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

Mystery & Crime
English
87570 Words
Ages 8 and up
296
2

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes is a collection of classic detective stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. Another series of the adventures of Sherlock Holmes as reported by his faithful biographer Dr. Watson and it becomes clearer than ever that the real draw of these stories is the fascinating character of Holmes himself. The mysteries are secondary to the enjoyment, though many of them do prove to have distinct elements of interest (otherwise why would the great detective have bothered himself about them?), but it really is in observing the fascinating character of Holmes himself that the reader is immersed in them. Indeed, this collection provides a rare treat for the reader in that we learn more about the detective and his early life and connections than has previously been the case. Of course one can’t leave off discussion of this volume without making mention of “The Final Problem” the story in which Holmes’ greatest adversary Moriarty, the Napoleon of Crime, is born. After months of playing cat-and-mouse with Moriarty and his insidious league of crime Holmes finally has gathered the pieces he needs to crush the vast criminal organization and its most dangerous leader. Moriarty, of course, is not likely to take such a possibility lying down and thus we have a final chase across London and Switzerland that ends in Watson’s final realization of what has happened to his friend. [more]

Keywords: memoirs of, sherlock homes, detective fiction, mystery, mystery novel, short stories, classic english literature

$2.99

Oscar Wilde The Picture of Dorian Gray

Fiction
English
78934 Words
Ages 16 and up
684
2

The Picture of Dorian Gray is the only published novel by Oscar Wilde, appearing as the lead story in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine. The magazine's editors feared the story was indecent as submitted, so they censored roughly 500 words, without Wilde's knowledge, before publication. But even with that, the story was still greeted with outrage by British reviewers, some of whom suggested that Wilde should be prosecuted on moral grounds, leading Wilde to defend the novel aggressively in letters to the British press. The novel tells of a young man named Dorian Gray, the subject of a painting by artist Basil Hallward. Basil is impressed by Dorian's beauty and becomes infatuated with him, believing his beauty is responsible for a new mode in his art. Dorian meets Lord Henry Wotton, a friend of Basil's, and becomes enthralled by Lord Henry's world view. Espousing a new hedonism, Lord Henry suggests the only things worth pursuing in life are beauty and fulfillment of the senses. Realizing that one day his beauty will fade, Dorian (whimsically) expresses a desire to sell his soul to ensure the portrait Basil has painted would age rather than he. Dorian's wish is fulfilled, and when he subsequently pursues a life of debauchery, the portrait serves as a reminder of the effect each act has upon his soul, with each sin displayed as a disfigurement of his form, or through a sign of aging. The Picture of Dorian Gray is considered a work of classic Gothic fiction with a strong Faustian theme. [more]

Keywords: the picture of dorian gray, oscar wilde, dorian gray, satire, gothic fiction, classic literature

$2.99

Jonathan Swift Gulliver's Travels

Fantasy
English
104112 Words
Ages 6 and up
371
3

Gulliver's Travels is a novel by Irish writer and clergyman Jonathan Swift, that is both a satire on human nature and a parody of the "travellers' tales" literary sub-genre. It is Swift's best known full-length work, and a classic of English literature. The book became popular as soon as it was published. John Gay wrote in a letter to Swift that "It is universally read, from the cabinet council to the nursery." Since then, it has never been out of print. The book begins with a short preamble in which Lemuel Gulliver, in the style of books of the time, gives a brief outline of his life and history before his voyages. He enjoys travelling, although it is that love of travel that is his downfall. During his first voyage, Gulliver is washed ashore after a shipwreck and finds himself a prisoner of a race of tiny people, less than 6 inches tall, who are inhabitants of the island country of Lilliput. After giving assurances of his good behavior, he is given a residence in Lilliput and becomes a favorite of the court. From there, the book follows Gulliver's observations on the Court of Lilliput. He is also given the permission to roam around the city on a condition that he must not harm their subjects. Gulliver assists the Lilliputians to subdue their neighbors, the Blefuscudians, by stealing their fleet. However, he refuses to reduce the island nation of Blefuscu to a province of Lilliput, displeasing the King and the court. Gulliver is charged with treason for, among other crimes, "making water" (urination) in the capital, though he was putting out a fire and saving countless lives. He is convicted and sentenced to be blinded, but with the assistance of a kind friend, he escapes to Blefuscu. Here he spots and retrieves an abandoned boat and sails out to be rescued by a passing ship, which safely takes him back home. This book of the Travels is a topical political satire. [more]

Keywords: gullivers travels, jonathan swift, satire, fantasy, classic literature, parody, political satire

$2.99

Crane, Stephen Red Badge of Courage

Juvenile Fiction
English
20761 Words
No Age Recommendation
683
3

Classic

Keywords: Civil war, War

For Free

BookRix

eBooks „classic“

Books (833)

eBooks „classic“

Books (833)

New privacy policy and customized terms