Books in the Collins Classics series

HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.

HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.

HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.

HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.

HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.

HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.'Fear urged him to go back, but growth drove him on...'Set in the frozen forests of the Yukon Territory, Canada, during the Klondike Gold Rush of the 1890s, 'White Fang' tells the story of a young wolf-dog's journey from the wild into human territory. As White Fang learns that civilisation is every bit as vicious and violent as nature - and that survival is only awarded to the fittest - we too see how instinct, sensation and emotion drive every one of us.Published in 1906 to wide and instant acclaim, this is a remarkable and moving look at the timeless relationship between man and dog.

Join Ratty, Mole, Badger and Toad on more adventures read by the wonderful Richard Briers. Join Ratty, Mole, Badger and Toad on more adventures read by the wonderful Richard Briers.

HarperCollins is proud to present its range of best-loved, essential classics.'"e;Come along, Toto,"e; she said. "e;We will go to the Emerald City and ask the Great Oz how to get back to Kansas again."e;'Swept away from her home in Kansas by a tornado, Dorothy and her dog Toto find themselves stranded in the fantastical Land of Oz. As instructed by the Good Witch of the North and the Munchkins, Dorothy sets off on the yellow brick road to try and find her way to the Emerald City and the Wizard of Oz, who can help her get home.With her companions the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion, Dorothy experiences an adventure full of friendship, magic and danger. A much-loved children's classic, The Wizard of Oz continues to delight readers young and old with its enchanting tale of witches, flying monkeys and silver shoes.

King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1603 and 1606. READ BY PAUL SCHOFIELD AND CAST. King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1603 and 1606. It is considered one of his greatest works. King Lear descends into madness after wrongly distributing his estate on the strength of flattery. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological pre-Roman Celtic king. It has been widely adapted for stage and screen, with the part of Lear played by many of the world's most accomplished actors. There are two distinct versions of the play: The True Chronicle of the History of the Life and Death of King Lear and His Three Daughters, which appeared in quarto in 1608, and The Tragedy of King Lear, a more theatrical version, which appeared in the First Folio in 1623. The two texts are commonly printed in a conflated version, although many modern editors have argued that each version has its individual integrity. After the Restoration, the play was often modified by theatre practitioners who disliked its dark and depressing tone, but since the 19th century it has been regarded as one of Shakespeare's supreme achievements. The tragedy is particularly noted for its probing observations on the nature of human suffering and kinship.

Like many of Shakespeare's comedies, this one centres on mistaken identity performed by Siobhan McKenna, Paul Schofield and cast. For the first time as a digital download. Like many of Shakespeare's comedies, this one centres on mistaken identity. The leading character, Viola, is shipwrecked on the shores of Illyria during the opening scenes. She loses contact with her twin brother, Sebastian, whom she believes is dead. Masquerading as a young page under the name Cesario, she enters the service of Duke Orsino through the help of the sea captain who rescues her. Orsino is in love with the bereaved Lady Olivia, whose father and brother have recently died, and who will have nothing to do with any suitors, the Duke included. Orsino decides to use "e;Cesario"e; as an intermediary to tell Olivia about his love for her. Olivia, believing Viola to be a man, falls in love with this handsome and eloquent messenger. Viola, in turn, has fallen in love with the Duke, who also believes Viola is a man, and who regards her as his confidant. Olivia (1888) by Edmund Blair Leighton. Much of the play is taken up with the comic subplot, in which several characters conspire to make Olivia's pompous head steward, Malvolio, believe that his lady Olivia wishes to marry him. It involves Olivia's uncle, Sir Toby Belch; another would-be suitor, a silly squire named Sir Andrew Aguecheek; her servants Maria and Fabian; and her father's favorite fool, Feste. Sir Toby and Sir Andrew get drunk and disturb the peace of their lady's house by continuously singing catches late into the night at the top of their voices, prompting Malvolio to chastise them. This is the basis for Sir Toby's, Sir Andrew, and Maria's revenge on Malvolio.

Another in the great Caedmon Shakespeare series from the 1960s. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic scenes, and is best known for Shylock and the famous 'pound of flesh' speech.Shylock, a greedy Jewish money-lender, has lost his beloved daughter when she elopes with a man who belongs to a virulently anti-Semitic society. Shylock seeks a literal 'pound of flesh' from the Merchant of Venice - Antonio when he fails to pay the debt. Portia defends Antonio from Shylock's legal suit. Shylock ends by renouncing his faith and his fortune.

Performed by Sir Michael Redgrave and others, The Tempest possesses a truly wonderful narrative carried by a wonderful cast. Available to download for the first time online. The Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed written in 1610-11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place using illusion and skillful manipulation. He conjures up a storm, the eponymous tempest, to lure his usurping brother Antonio and the complicit King Alonso of Naples to the island. There, his machinations bring about the revelation of Antonio's low nature, the redemption of the King, and the marriage of Miranda to Alonso's son, Ferdinand.

HarperCollins is proud to present a range of best-loved, essential classics.'All human beings, as we meet them, are commingled out of good and evil.'After taking an elixir created in his laboratory, mild mannered Dr Jekyll is transformed into the cruel and despicable Mr Hyde. Although seemingly harmless at first, things soon descend into chaos and Jekyll quickly realises there is only one way to stop Hyde. Stevenson's quintessential novella of the Victorian era epitomizes the conflict between psychology, science and religious morality, but is fundamentally a triumphant study of the duality of human nature.

HarperCollins is proud to present a range of best-loved, essential classics.'The real evils, indeed, of Emma's situation were the power of having rather too much her own way, and a disposition to think a little too well of herself...'Beautiful, rich, self-assured and witty, Emma Woodhouse delights in matchmaking those around her, with no apparent care for her own romantic life. Taking young Harriet Smith under her wing, Emma sets her sights on finding a suitable match for her friend. Chided for her mistakes by old friend Mr Knightley, it is only when Harriet starts to pursue her own love interests that Emma realises the true hidden depths of her own heart.Delightful, engaging and entertaining, and with a dazzling gallery of characters, Emma is arguably Austen's most well-loved social comedy.

Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young "e;star-cross'd lovers"e; whose untimely deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. Read by an all star cast that include Albert Finney and Claire Bloom this audio recording is a fantastic piece of literature to ass to your collection.The tragic feud between "e;Two households, both alike in dignity/In fair Verona"e;, the Montagues and Capulets, which ultimately kills the two young "e;star-crossed lovers"e; and their "e;death-marked love"e; creates issues which have fascinated subsequent generations. The play deals with issues of intergenerational and familial conflict, as well as the power of language and the compelling relationship between sex and death, all of which makes it an incredibly modern play. It is also an early example of Shakespeare fusing poetry with dramatic action, as he moves from Romeo's lyrical account of Juliet-"e;she doth teach the torches to burn bright!"e; to the bustle and action of a 16th-century household (the play containsmore scenes of ordinary working people than any of Shakespeare's other works). It also represents an experimental attempt to fuse comedy with tragedy. Up to the third act, the play proceeds along the lines of a classic romantic comedy. The turning point comes with the death of one of one Shakespeare's finest early dramatic creations - Romeo's sexually ambivalent friend Mercutio whose "e;plague o'both your houses"e; begins the play's descent into tragedy. "e;For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo"e;.

Macbeth is a tragedy by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1606. This is a classic audiobook recording read by Sir Anthony Quayle, Robert Hardy and other cast members.Promised a golden future as ruler of Scotland by three sinister witches, Macbeth murders the king to ensure his ambitions come true. But he soon learns the meaning of terror - killing once, he must kill again and again, and the dead return to haunt him. A story of war, witchcraft and bloodshed, Macbeth also depicts the relationship between husbands and wives, and the risks they are prepared to take to achieve their desires.

This quintessential Christmas tale shows Dickens at his dazzling and provocative best, leaving Scrooge no doubts about the true spirit of Christmas, nor about the perils of ignoring the insistent ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Yet to Come.Available on digital download for the first time.This is an ideal Christmas gift, and is packed full of all of your favourite Christmas poems, carols and readings - both traditional and modern.150 much-loved poems, carols and readings have been hand-picked, and arranged alphabetically so that they can be easily found. Each item is introduced with a brief history to the piece and its author, helpfully placing it in context.The pieces are also accompanied by a complete set of indexes which detail first lines, themes, Bible references (where applicable) and authors so that the much-loved works are thoroughly cross referenced and can be found with ease.

On Christmas Eve, young Pip, an orphan being raised by his sister and her husband, encounters a convict in the village churchyard. The man, a convict who has escaped from a prison ship, scares Pip into stealing him some food and a file to grind away his leg shackle. On Christmas Eve, young Pip, an orphan being raised by his sister and her husband, encounters a convict in the village churchyard. The man, a convict who has escaped from a prison ship, scares Pip into stealing him some food and a file to grind away his leg shackle. This incident is crucial: firstly, it gives Pip, who must steal the goods from his sister's house, his first taste of true guilt, and, secondly, Pip's kindness warms the convict's heart. The convict, however, waits many years to truly show his gratitude. At his sister's house, Pip is a boy without expectations. Mrs. Joe beats him around and has nothing good to say about her little brother. Her husband Joe is a kind man, although he is a blacksmith without much ambition, and it's assumed that Pip will follow in his footsteps. Only when Pip gets invited unexpectedly to the house of a rich old woman in the village named Miss Havisham, does Mrs. Joe, or any of her dull acquaintances, hold out any hope for Pip's success.

The classic Victorian tale of the little orphan who dared to ask for `more' retains its heartwarming charm and relevance in our era. Oliver's story is full of pathos and excitement, from abandonment in a workhouse to falling in with Fagin's gang in London's murky underworld and his eventual rescue by the kindly Mr Brownlow, who is able to reveal Oliver's true parentage.

'It happen'd one Day about Noon going towards my Boat, I was exceedingly surpriz'd with the Print of a Man's naked Foot on the Shore.'Shipwrecked in a storm at sea, Robinson Crusoe is washed up on a remote and desolate island. As he struggles to piece together a life for himself, Crusoe's physical, moral and spiritual values are tested to the limit. For 24 years he remains in solitude and learns to tame and master the island, until he finally comes across another human being. Considered a classic literary masterpiece, and frequently interpreted as a comment on the British Imperialist approach at the time, Defoe's fable was and still is revered as the very first English novel.

`The reaches opened before us and closed behind, as if the forest had stepped leisurely across the water to bar the way for our return. We penetrated deeper and deeper into the heart of darkness.' At the peak of European Imperialism, steamboat captain Charles Marlow travels deep into the African Congo on his way to relieve the elusive Mr Kurtz, an ivory trader renowned for his fearsome reputation. On his journey into the unknown Marlow takes a terrifying trip into his own subconscious, overwhelmed by his menacing, perilous and horrifying surroundings. The landscape and the people he meets force him to reflect on human nature and society, and in turn Conrad writes revealingly about the dangers of imperialism.

Hardy's classic 'pastoral tale' of wilful and capricious Bathsheba Everdene and her three suitors, the faithful shepherd, the lonely widower and the dashing but faithless soldier.An immediate success when it was first published in 1874, Thomas Hardy's 'pastoral tale' of the wilful and capricious Bathsheba Everdene, her three suitors - the faithful shepherd Gabriel Oak, the lonely widower Farmer Boldwood, and the dashing but faithless Sergeant Troy - and the tragic consequences of her eventual choice remains one of the most enduring and popular English novels.

Swift's scornful satire, written "e;to vex the world rather than divert it"e;, takes a caustic look at those most contemporary concerns irrational prejudice, social inequality, ivory tower elitism and the correct way to open a boiled egg.'I cannot but conclude the bulk of your natives to be the most pernicious race of little odious vermin that nature ever suffered to crawl upon the surface of the earth.'Shipwrecked on the high seas, Lemuel Gulliver finds himself washed up on the strange island of Lilliput, a land inhabited by quarrelsome miniature people. On his travels he continues to meet others who force him to reflect on human behaviour - the giants of Brobdingnag, the Houyhnhnms and the Yahoos. In this scathing satire on the politics and morals of the 18th Century, Swift's condemnation of society and its institutions still resonates today.

'Ah, but let her cover the mark as she will, the pang of it will be always in her heart.' A tale of sin, punishment and atonement, The Scarlet Letter exposes the moral rigidity of a 17th-Century Puritan New England community when faced with the illegitimate child of a young mother. Regarded as the first real heroine of American fiction, it is Hester Prynne's strength of character that resonates with the reader when her harsh sentence is cast. It is in her refusal to reveal the identity of the father in the face of her accusers that Hawthorne champions his heroine and berates the weakness of Society for attacking the innocent.

Tess, the young and lovely heroine of Hardy's classic tale, knows instinctively that the path she is choosing is the wrong one. But, a child of her times, what can she do but follow the dictates of her family?Against the lovely background of the English countryside, Thomas Hardy sets his tale of seduction and betrayal as Tess, his beautiful heroine, speeds to her destruction.Lusted after by one man, set on a pedestal by another, Thomas Hardy's lovely heroine Tess is betrayed by both. Full of images of light and shade, Tess of the d'Urbervilles makes splendid listening in a tale that is both passionate and tender.

The classic tale of young scoundrel Huck Finn and runaway slave Jim's breathtaking raft journey down the Mississippi. A masterpiece of American literature.'We said there warn't no home like a raft, after all. Other places do seem so cramped up and smothery, but a raft don't. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft.'Huck Finn escapes from his alcoholic father by faking his own death and so begins his journey through the Deep South, seeking independence and freedom. On his travels, Huck meets an escaped slave, Jim, who is a wanted man, and together they journey down the Mississippi River. Raising the timeless and universal l issues of prejudice, bravery and hope, the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was and still is considered the great American novel.

HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.

HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics.

The Water Babies by Charles Kingsley is a captivating novel that takes readers on an extraordinary journey. Published in 2012 by HarperCollins Publishers, this book has been a favorite among readers of all ages. The story is a unique blend of fantasy and adventure, making it a standout in its genre. Charles Kingsley, a renowned author known for his creative storytelling, brings to life a world that is both enchanting and thought-provoking. The Water Babies is not just a book, it's an experience that leaves a lasting impression on the reader. HarperCollins Publishers is proud to bring this timeless tale to the English-speaking audience.