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E. M. Forster's The Longest Journey is a searching meditation on the costs of conformity and the elusive pursuit of authenticity in Edwardian England. The story, Forster's favorite among his own novels, centers on Frederick (Rickie) Elliot, a physically frail and introspective Cambridge graduate, whose aspirations as a writer are thwarted by the suffocating expectations of family and society. Rickie's ill-fated marriage to the pragmatic Agnes Pembroke...

"When 17-year-old Pavol fatally sets himself on fire in Prague in 1969 to protest the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, his three best friends must figure out how to survive an oppressive regime without him"-- Provided by publisher.

A simple country vicar's faith sustains him through the trials and tribulations that beset his loved ones.

Orphaned as a babe in the African jungle, tiny John Clayton, the only child of Lord and Lady Greystoke, is rescued by a tribe of great apes. The child, now named "Tarzan," grows to manhood in this savage world among the fierce anthropoids. Aided by his keen knife and innate intelligence, Tarzan ascends to become king of the apes, able to face any peril and conquer all foes. When men come to Tarzan's jungle, they bring danger that is motivated by greed...

Penrod sat morosely upon the back fence and gazed with envy at Duke, his wistful dog. A bitter soul dominated the various curved and angular surfaces known by a careless world as the face of Penrod Schofield. Except in solitude, that face was almost always cryptic and emotionless; for Penrod had come into his twelfth year wearing an expression carefully trained to be inscrutable. Since the world was sure to misunderstand everything, mere defensive...

Claude Wheeler, the sensitive, aspiring protagonist of this beautifully written Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, resembles the youngest son of a peculiarly American fairy tale. His fortune is ready-made for him, but he refuses to settle for it. Alienated from his parents, all but rejected by his wife, and dissatisfied with farming, Claude is an idealist without an ideal to cling to. It's only when America enters the First World War that Claude finds...

The novel follows Kenneth Ward, a determined youth drawn to the ideals of forestry and conservation. From early days camping with his brother, he dreams of protecting wild lands despite family doubts. Sent west to Arizona, Kenneth faces isolation, danger, and moral tests as he confronts ruthless men and untamed nature. His journey becomes one of adventure, responsibility, and coming of age in the wilderness.

The short story is often viewed as an inferior relation to the Novel. But it is an art in itself. To take a story and distil its essence into fewer pages while keeping character and plot rounded and driven is not an easy task. Many try and many fail. In this series we look at short stories from many of our most accomplished writers. Miniature masterpieces with a lot to say. In this volume we examine some of the short stories of Katherine Mansfield...

On vacation from school, Denis goes to stay at Crome, an English country house inhabitated by several of Huxley's most outlandish characters--from Mr. Barbecue-Smith, who writes 1,500 publishable words an hour by "getting in touch" with his "subconscious," to Henry Wimbush, who is obsessed with writing the definitive history of chrome. Denis's stay proves to be a disaster amid his weak attempts to attract the girl of his dreams and the ridicule he...

A young Englishman traveling on the Continent with the mysterious Lord Rutven comes to realize that his companion is an evil and murderous vampire.