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First published in 1922, "Jacob's Room" is Virginia Woolf's third novel and a surprising and innovative departure from her other work. It is the life story of the character Jacob Flanders, from his childhood in pre-war England, through his time at Cambridge, and following him into his adulthood and travels abroad. The novel is told entirely from other character's viewpoints, most often from the women in Jacob's life, and focuses on their memories and feelings. Considered to be a highly experimental novel, "Jacob's Room" is a study in character development, as well as perception and emotion. Jacob primarily exists as a character or object in the lives of others and the reader experiences him through the eyes of the women rather than as an individual in his own right. Woolf, through the use of symbology, stream of consciousness, monologue, and brief dialogues, brilliantly focuses her novel on the psychology of her characters instead of any specific plot or action of the story. "Jacob's Room" is a critically acclaimed impressionistic work that focuses on the very meaning of existence and identity. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

First appearing as an anonymous serial in "Harper's Magazine" in 1895, "Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc" was Mark Twain's final novel and was published as a complete work under his name in 1896. The novel is a stark departure from Twain's usual comic and satirical writings, which is why Twain insisted it initially be published anonymously so that the public would take it seriously. The work is told from the perspective of a fictionalized version of Joan's page, Louis de Conte, and is divided into three parts based on Joan's life: her upbringing, her victorious time as a military commander, and her trial at Rouen. The novel is sympathetic to Joan and suggests that the English deliberately rigged the trial of Joan of Arc to convict her of witchcraft and heresy, a view that recent scholarship seems to support. Twain was deeply fascinated by Joan of Arc for much of his life. He considered "Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc" to be his best and most important work and spent nearly 15 years researching and working on the novel. The result is a work of sincere and engrossing historical fiction. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

The second novel of Anthony Trollope's "Chronicles of Barsetshire" series and widely considered one of his best and most popular works, "Barchester Towers" was published in 1857 and continues the story of Mr. Harding and his daughter Eleanor in the beautiful cathedral city of Barchester. Upon the death of the popular and beloved bishop, the citizens fully expect his son, Archdeacon Grantly, to fill the vacancy. Much to their consternation, however, the far more Evangelical Bishop Proudie is given the position. A struggle for power ensues between these traditional and new forces. Mrs. Proudie, the Bishop's overbearing wife, and the Bishop's new chaplain, the distasteful and hypocritical Mr. Slope, use their power to control the selection of the new warden of the local hospital over the objections of the rest of the clergy. Clerical reinforcements are called in on both sides and the struggle between the different factions of the church plays out amid the romantic entanglements and dramas of the town's inhabitants. In the end, the results are more than satisfactory for Eleanor and other citizens of Barchester in this witty comedy. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

A cycle of twelve narrative poems, "Idylls of the King" is Alfred Tennyson's classic 19th century retelling of Arthurian legend. Linked by their common focus, these poems relate the stories of King Arthur's ascent to power, quest to create a perfect kingdom, and his eventual defeat. Included in this epic work are the stories of Arthur's love for Guinevere, their marriage, and her betrayal. Much of the work is also devoted to the exploits of the knights of the round table as well as the involvement of the wizard Merlin. Tennyson relied heavily on previous Arthurian works including Sir Thomas Malory's "Le Morte d'Arthur", which was first published in 1485, and the "Mabinogion", one of the earliest prose stories of Britain, one based on older oral traditions, written during the 12th century. However, "Idylls of the King" is not merely a retelling of the same stories of these previous works, but rather an expansion of the legend and an effort to bring the concerns and values of Victorian England to these timeless tales. Tennyson's poems are a complex, beautiful, and thoughtful addition to the genre of Arthurian literature. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

The only full-length novel by Edgar Allan Poe, "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym" was first published in 1838. It is the story of a boy from Nantucket, Arthur Gordon Pym, who stows away aboard a whaling ship, the "Grampus", with the help of his friend Augustus, the ship captain's son. Pym and Augustus experience many unexpected adventures and misfortunes at sea, including mutiny, violent storms, cannibalism, and the destruction of the ship. Eventually, only Pym and another sailor, Dirk Peters, have survived and are clinging to the debris when they are rescued by the "Jane Guy", a fishing ship headed to the southern seas. Pym becomes fascinated by the interesting birds and wildlife to be found near the Antarctic and convinces the captain to sail even further south. Pym's adventures continue as the sailors meet aggressive natives and strange new lands. Rich with symbolism and allegory, Poe who sought to make the novel full of believable details, was heavily inspired by many popular travel journals of his time. "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym" greatly influenced writers such as Herman Melville and Jules Verne and remains to this day an exciting nautical adventure. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

A classic work of ancient Greek literature from Plato, one of the most famous of all ancient Greek philosophers, the "Phaedo" is the moving story of the last moments of Socrates life as recounted by Phaedo, a student of Socrates and a first-hand witness to his final hours. "Phaedo" is the fourth and last dialogue by Plato of Socrates final days, following "Euthyphro", "Apology", and "Crito". In "Phaedo" we see the famous philosopher in his last hours before drinking poison hemlock, as he has been sentenced to do by an Athenian jury for his refusal to believe in the gods of the state and for corrupting the youth with his ideas. Socrates explains to the students there to witness his death that his suicide does not matter because his soul is immortal. In support of his belief, Socrates introduces many of the themes and dualities that have come to define Western culture and philosophy: life and death, soul and body, reason and emotion, science and belief. Here in this masterpiece of ancient Greek literature, two of history's greatest philosophers are brought together, one as the subject and the other as the author. Presented here is the classic translation with introduction by Benjamin Jowett in an edition printed on premium acid-free paper.

One of the most famous of Honore de Balzac's novels, "Lost Illusions" paints a faithful picture of the spectacular but superficial world of mid-19th century French society, and the indissoluble relationship between the bourgeois and aristocratic classes. Originally published serially from 1837 to 1843, the story features the main characters Lucien Chardon, a vain and naïve poet and journalist, and his friend and brother-in-law David Sechard, an innovative, hard-working young printer from the provincial Angouleme, with aspirations to revolutionize the production of paper and provide for his new family. The victim of a callous father and unscrupulous competitors, David finds himself in constant turmoil from the reckless exploits and betrayals of his friend Lucien. Lucien, in contrast, is full of grand dreams and aspirations and must leave for Paris as the result of a scandalous affair. He seeks fame and fortune in the city as a poet, while his impetuous actions wreak havoc for many at home. Readers will be drawn to the intertwined stories of these two men in a novel that exemplifies the eternal battles of love, ambition, greed, loyalty, vanity, and betrayal. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper and follows the translation of Ellen Marriage.

Originally published in Polish in 1896 by Nobel Prize-winning author Henryk Sienkiewicz, "Quo Vadis: A Narrative of the Time of Nero" is the story of a love that develops in Rome between a young Christian woman, Lygia, and Marcus Vinicius, a Roman patrician, during the reign of Nero in 64 AD. The title "Quo Vadis" is translated from Latin as "Where are you going?" The quote is a reference to the New Testament verse John 13:36, which states "Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards." Sienkiewicz exhaustively researched the Roman Empire and the result is an incredibly detailed and believable story. The novel is one of contrasts: the violence of ancient Rome and its gladiators contrasted with the sweet and touching love story between Marcus and Lygia, and the contrast between the piety, poverty, and spirituality of the early Christians with the decadence and waste of Nero and his court. "Quo Vadis: A Narrative of the Time of Nero" is a captivating and timeless tale of love and devotion amid violence and ruin. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

The cycle of 55 sonnets that comprise Rainer Maria Rilke's "Sonnets to Orpheus" were written in a period of three weeks during 1922, a time which the poet himself described as a "savage creative storm." Inspired by the death of his daughter's friend, Wera Knoop, Rilke commenced to the production of "Sonnets to Orpheus", a work filled with mythological and biblical allusions. During the same burst of creative energy he set to working on the completion of the "Duino Elegies", a work begun some ten years earlier but set aside due to Rilke's own emotional distress over the tragic events of World War I and his conscription into the Austro-Hungarian army. He wrote in a letter to the deceased girl's mother that Wera's ghost was "commanding and impelling" him to write. The results of this "savage creative storm" are generally considered as Rilke's masterpieces. "Duino Elegies" is an intensely spiritual group of verses that ponders the beauty and existential suffering of life. Together these works exhibit why Rilke is widely recognized as one of the most lyrically intense of all German-language poets. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

First published in 1872 by the famed and beloved Scottish author George MacDonald, "The Princess and the Goblin" is a classic and widely influential children's fantasy novel. It is the story of the young and lonely Princess Irene who lives in a large castle in a desolate land with only her nursemaid for company. One day while exploring her castle home, Princess Irene finds a secret stairway in the castle, discovers her great-great-grandmother living in a secret chamber, and is introduced to a new magical world. Princess Irene begins to explore her world outside of the castle, discovers the existence of goblins, whom she was unaware lived nearby, and is rescued from danger by a young miner named Curdie. He and Princess Irene quickly become friends and have more adventures discovering magic and avoiding the violent goblins. When Curdie is captured by the goblins and overhears a plot to kidnap the Princess and flood the King's mine he is challenged to foil the nefarious plan of the goblins and save the Princess. A masterpiece of children's literature and a touching story of courage and loyalty, "The Princess and the Goblin" is a timeless treasure. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

First published in 1920, "The Story of Doctor Dolittle", or "Being the History of His Peculiar Life at Home and Astonishing Adventures in Foreign Parts", is Hugh Lofting's classic children's novel about the animal-loving British country doctor, John Dolittle, who learns he can talk to animals with help from his pet parrot Polynesia. In this first book in a series of titles about Doctor Dolittle's adventures, the good doctor puts his unique skills to use when he has to leave his beloved home in Puddleby-on-the-Marsh and travel to Africa with his pets to help cure a terrible monkey epidemic. Doctor Dolittle and his pets, including Jip, his loyal dog and Dab-Dab, his housekeeping duck, encounter all manner of adventure and misfortune during their trip, from a shipwreck, to being kidnapped, to encounters with pirates, and to the discovery of unique and interesting animals. After finally curing the monkeys, Doctor Dolittle and his pets are able to return to their idyllic country home with grand treasures and amazing stories to tell from their voyage. This edition includes all the original illustrations by the author and is printed on premium acid-free paper.

First published in 1751, "An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals" by David Hume, the Scottish Enlightenment philosopher, was the enquiry subsequent to his 1748 work "Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding" and is often referred to as "the second Enquiry". In Hume's own opinion it was the very best of all his writings. In "An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals", Hume expands upon his ideas of morality first discussed in his earlier work "A Treatise of Human Nature". Hume seeks to understand how humans make moral judgments and whether ethics have a basis in objective reality or reason. Hume argues that ethics is fundamentally rooted in sentiment and emotion and that ethics has no meaning apart from human understanding. Rather, whether something is ethical or not depends largely on the feelings that the behavior evokes. Hume also makes the compelling argument that true virtue is based on the natural world and is not dependent on laws or social systems. Instead, the most important and worthy virtues are found in the highest merit that human nature is capable of, such as being merciful, generous, friendly, and benevolent. "An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals" remains an important and thought-provoking masterpiece of philosophy nearly three hundred years later. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

First published in 1853, "The Two Babylons" is a religious work by the Scottish theologian Alexander Hislop, a prominent leader of the Presbyterian Free Church of Scotland. Hislop argues in this influential work that the Catholic Church and the trappings of the papacy have their roots in the religion of ancient Babylon as described in the Bible. Hislop draws many parallels in his comparison of the traditions, holidays, and ceremonies of the Catholic Church throughout history to the practices of the religion founded by the Biblical king Nimrod and his wife Semiramis. Hislop relies on the descriptions of the Babylonian religious traditions in the book of Revelation in the Bible and in the apostle Paul's writings from the first century. He was also inspired by the findings of English archaeologist Austen Henry Layard and his excavations at Nineveh, which was discovered in 1851. The author found many comparisons between the ancient gods found in the forgotten city and modern Catholic holidays and traditions. "The Two Babylons" was controversial when it was first published for its criticism of the Catholic Church and its theories continue to be debated to this day. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.