Originally published as a serial story, Wives and Daughters is told with an episodic narrative, following a young woman named Molly Gibson as she comes of age. Molly is the only child of a widowed doctor. Raised in an English provincial town, Molly's childhood is filled with trips to aristocratic mansions and bonding experiences with her father. As she grows older however, men become more interested in her because of her attractive appearance. When...

When the Duke of Avon encounters a mistreated young boy on the streets of Paris, he employs the lad as his page. As the duke's closest friends ponder his actions, the precocious Léon soon becomes the talk of the aristocracy. Léon cannot believe his good fortune after being saved from a brutal beating by his older brother. He follows the duke around like a loyal puppy, a constant source of amusement for the duke, who is seen by himself-and by society-as...

"Middlemarch" by George Eliot is a literary masterpiece that immerses readers in the tapestry of a small English town during the 19th century. This novel presents a rich and intricate exploration of human lives, ambitions, and societal dynamics. The story interweaves the lives of various characters, notably Dorothea Brooke and Dr. Tertius Lydgate, as they navigate personal aspirations, love, and the challenges of their time. Dorothea, an intelligent...

The eighth novel of Charles Dickens, which was first published serially between May 1849 and November 1850, "David Copperfield", is viewed as one of the most autobiographical of all the author's novels. A classic coming-of-age story, it is the tale of its titular character from childhood to maturity which chronicles the struggle between the emotional and moral aspects of his life. Central to the theme of the novel is the idea of the disciplined heart....

An essential collection of classic stories that established Flannery O'Connor's reputation as an American master of fiction—now with a new introduction by New York Times bestselling author Lauren Groff In 1955, with the title story and others in this critical edition, Flannery O'Connor firmly laid claim to her place as one of the most original and provocative writers of her generation. Steeped in a Southern Gothic tradition...

"The Mayor of Casterbridge," penned by the literary master Thomas Hardy, stands as a compelling and tragic exploration of one man's tumultuous journey through the twists of fate. Set against the picturesque backdrop of the fictional Wessex, the novel unfolds with an air of inevitability, weaving a tale that delves deep into the complexities of human character, societal expectations, and the relentless march of time. At its heart, the narrative...

Breece D'J Pancake cut short a promising career when he took his own life at the age twenty-six. Published posthumously, this is a collection of stories that depict the world of Pancake's native rural West Virginia.

The story of a terrible gunfighter with a strange history and Columbine Belllounds, a lost child brought up by a stern old rancher who expects her out of gratitude to marry his rascally son.

Henry D. Thoreau (1817–62) was an American author, naturalist, poet, and philosopher. He wrote many essays and books, including Civil Disobedience, Walking, and The Maine Woods, among others. John Updike (1932–2009) was a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, short story writer, and poet. One of the most influential and compelling books in American literature, Walden is a vivid account of the years that Henry D. Thoreau spent alone in a secluded...

As John Banville writes in his introduction to The Love Object, Edna O'Brien "is, simply, one of the finest writers of our time." The thirty-one stories collected in this volume provide, among other things, a cumulative portrait of Ireland, seen from within and without. Coming of age, the impact of class, and familial and romantic love are the prevalent motifs, along with the instinct toward escape and subsequent nostalgia for home. Some of the...