Modern Classics

The Innocent: A Landmark in Japanese Literature By seminal figure Saneatsu Mushanokoji (1885-1976). Michael Guest's translation is approved by the author's estate for global publication. Discover The Innocent, the first English translation of Saneatsu Mushanokoji's 1911 masterpiece, Omedetaki Hito (often referred to as "The Good-Natured Person"). This intriguing work, the original 'I-novel', explores identity and self-expression during Japan's Meiji Restoration, a period of immense cultural and existential transformation. Plot Summary Follow the compelling journey of a young man obsessed ...

To all appearances, John Wilder has all the trappings of success, circa 1960: a promising career in advertising, a loving family, a beautiful apartment, even a country home. John's evenings are spent with associates at quiet Manhattan lounges and his weekends with friends at glittering cocktail parties. But something deep within this seemingly perfect life has long since gone wrong.

Robert Prentice has spent all his life attempting to escape his mother's stifling presence. His mother, Alice, for her part, struggles with her own demons as she attempts to realize her dreams of prosperity and success as a sculptor. As Robert goes off to fight in Europe, hoping to become his own man, Richard Yates portrays a soldier in the depths of war striving to live up to his heroic ideals.

This is a story from the Canterbury Tales I: Modern Verse Translation collection. Chaucer's greatest work, written towards the end of the fourteenth century, paints a brilliant picture of medieval life, society and values. The stories range from the romantic, courtly idealism of "The Knight's Tale" to the joyous bawdy of the Miller's; all are told with a freshness and vigor in this modern verse translation that make them a delight to hear.

E. M. Forster's first novel is a witty comedy of manners that is tinged with tragedy. It tells the story of Lilia Herriton, who proves to be an embarrassment to her late husband's family as, in the small Tuscan town of Monteriano, she begins a relationship with a much younger Italian man - classless, uncouth, and highly unsuitable. A subtle attack on Edwardian values and a humanely sympathetic portrayal of the clash of two cultures, Where Angels Fear to Tread is also a profound exploration of character and virtue.

Embattled agent Bernard Samson is used to being passed over for promotion as his younger, more ambitious colleagues - including his own wife, Fiona - rise up the ranks of MI6. When a valued agent in East Berlin warns the British of a mole at the heart of the Service, Samson must return to the field and the city he loves to uncover the traitor's identity. This is the first novel in Len Deighton's acclaimed Game, Set and Match trilogy.

Mark Haddon's gripping modern classic has been adapted and edited by Angela T. Wesker and specially designed for learners of ESL at a B1+ level or native English-speaking school students who need a quicker reading with a complete and extended analysis. This edition aims at encouraging a love of reading and promoting thoughtful interaction with books while developing language and thinking skills. The text comes with an introduction, notes, and a wide range of activities for a deeper understanding. This guided version of "The Curious Incident of the Dog at Night-Time" is a family drama, a ...

Bernard is trying hard to readjust his life in the face of questions about his wife, Fiona, and her defection to the East. Is she the brilliant high-flyer that her Department seems to think she is? Or is she a spent force, a wife and mother unwilling or unable to face her domestic responsibilities? Bernard doesn't know but is determined to find out. Bernard's boss, Dicky Cruyer, is certainly not anxious to reveal what he knows, as he jostles for power with Fiona herself in London Central, and takes to the road with Bernard on a mysterious mission to Poland.

From Salman Rushdie, one of the great writers of our time, comes a spellbinding work of fiction that blends history, mythology, and a timeless love story. A lush, richly layered novel in which our world has been plunged into an age of unreason, Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights is a breathtaking achievement and an enduring testament to the power of storytelling.

1963 Berlin is dark and dangerous. The anonymous hero of The IPCRESS File has been sent to help arrange the defection - in an elaborate mock coffin - of a leading Soviet scientist. But, as he soon discovers, this deception hides an even deadlier truth. One of the first novels written after the construction of the Berlin Wall, Funeral in Berlin revels in the murky, chilling atmosphere of a divided city.

The English philosopher and physician John Locke (1632 - 1704) is widely regarded as one of the most influential of Enlightenment thinkers. His work had a significant effect on the development of epistemology and political philosophy. The Second Treatise on Civil Government places sovereignty in the hands of the people, as Locke's fundamental argument is that people are equal and invested with natural rights in a state of nature in which they live free from outside rule.

Orwell chronicled his experiences as a militiaman in the Spanish Civil War in Homage to Catalonia. Here he brings to bear all the force of his humanity, passion and clarity, describing with bitter intensity the bright hopes and cynical betrayals of that chaotic episode: the revolutionary euphoria of Barcelona, the courage of ordinary Spanish men and women he fought alongside, the terror and confusion of the front, his near-fatal bullet wound and the vicious treachery of his supposed allies.

A modern day BWWM Pride and Prejudice Inspired Variation of the Classic Tale, just in time for the holidays! Olivia is the second oldest of the Bennett sisters, and the brain trust behind their brilliant new design firm, Divine Designs. Spunky, confident and full of big ideas, she notices the tall, dark and handsome Mr. Darcy at a gala fund-raiser from across the ballroom. When he turns out to be a snob, she shrugs it off and goes on living her best life. But Will Darcy regrets his sharp words. He finds himself in the strange position of defending his friend Martin Bingley from love with ...

The New Atlantis (1627) is a utopian novel by Sir Francis Bacon in which he describes a vision of the future of human discovery, expressing his aspirations and ideals for humanity. The novel portrays a utopian world where "generosity and enlightenment, dignity and splendour, piety and public spirit" are the dominant qualities of the inhabitants.

Also sprach Zarathustra was conceived and written by Friedrich Nietzsche during the years 1881-1885; the first three Parts were published in 1883 and 1884. The book formed part of his "campaign against morality", in which Nietzsche explored the ethical consequences of the "death of God".

Five timeless adventures. One unforgettable collection. Step into the breathtaking worlds of Jules Verne, reimagined for a new generation. In Five Journeys of Wonder, Christina Chavis brings vivid, cinematic storytelling to five of Verne’s greatest masterpieces — modernizing the language while preserving the awe, adventure, and daring spirit of the originals. 🌋 Journey to the Center of the Earth — Descend into a hidden realm beneath our feet, where prehistoric monsters still roam. 🏝️ The Mysterious Island — Stranded and alone, a group of survivors battles nature — and ...

Yamamoto Tsunetomo was a samurai for thirty years, following his father, and grandfather. Tsunetomo did not commit ritual suicide on his master's death (as was the practice) because his master forbid it. Later, Tsunetomo recounted his thoughts and stories to Tashiro Tsuramoto who compiled and published this work in 1716. "Hagakure" (literally "hidden leaves" or "in the shadow of leaves") is also known as "The Way of the Samurai". Aphorisms from the book were popularized in the 1999 Jim Jaramusch film "Ghost Dog" starring Forest Whitaker.

An allegorical story of World War I set in the trenches in France and dealing ostensibly with a mutiny in a French regiment.

Tom Ripley is now the owner of a beautiful estate in France, a wealthy art collector and married to an heiress. The Buckmaster Gallery is staging an exhibition by the celebrated artist Derwatt, but an American collector claims that the expensive masterpiece he bought three years ago is a fake. It is, of course, and he wants to talk to Derwatt - but Derwatt, inconveniently, is dead. Ripley needs the perfect solution to keep his role in the fraud a secret and his reputation clean, but not everyone's nerves are as steady as his.

History is swamped by patriotic myths about the aerial combat fought between the RAF and the Luftwaffe over the summer of 1940. In his gripping history of the Battle of Britain, Len Deighton drew on a decade of research and his own wartime experiences to puncture these myths and point towards a more objective, and even more inspiring, truth.