"It was before the Idiot\'s marriage, and in the days when he was nothing more than a plain boarder in Mrs. Smithers-Pedagog\'s High-class Home for Single Gentlemen, that he put what the School-master termed his "alleged mind" on plans for the amelioration of the condition of the civilized." This humorous story describes how the Idiot sets out to improve the lot of civilized man through his inventions - the lot of barbarian man already being well tended to by missionaries and other do-gooders Views: 646
Vincent Wagner is a soldier for the Panthera Corporation. His mind has been chemically and behaviorally altered to make him a more effective soldier. Soldiers for the Panthera Corporation have no memories of what transpired during their duty. For Vincent, his duty leaves him with the impression that he is a lion in a vast meadow, moving and fighting with perfect ferocity and no long-term memory.Vincent Wagner is a soldier for the Panthera Corporation. His mind has been chemically and behaviorally altered to make him a more effective soldier. Soldiers for the Panthera Corporation have no memories of what transpired during their duty. For Vincent, his duty leaves him with the impression that he is a lion in a vast meadow, moving and fighting with perfect ferocity and no long-term memory. But then he wakes up. Views: 642
Winner of the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best Book
Following the curves of history in the first half of the twentieth century, Fall On Your Knees takes us from haunted Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, through the battle fields of World War One, to the emerging jazz scene of New York city and into the lives of four unforgettable sisters. The mythically charged Piper family--James, a father of intelligence and immense ambition, Materia, his Lebanese child-bride, and their daughters: Kathleen, a budding opera Diva; Frances, the incorrigible liar and hell-bent bad girl; Mercedes, obsessive Catholic and protector of the flock; and Lily, the adored invalid who takes us on a quest for truth and redemption--is supported by a richly textured cast of characters. Together they weave a tale of inescapable family bonds, of terrible secrets, of miracles, racial strife, attempted murder, birth and death, and forbidden love. Moving and finely written, Fall On Your Knees is by turns dark and hilariously funny, a story--and a world--that resonate long after the last page is turned.
From the Trade Paperback edition. Views: 637
The author has discovered for us in this volume the present stopping place of that famous raconteur of dear comic memory, the late Hieronymous Carl Friederich, sometime Baron Munchausen, and he transmits to us some further adventures of this traveler and veracious relator of merry tales. There are about a dozen of these tales, and, judging by Mr. Bangs' recital of them, the Baron's adventures on this mundane sphere were no more exciting than those he has encountered since taking the ferry across the Styx. Mr. Bangs proves himself well worthy of the task of reintroducing this merry old wag to modern fun-lovers, and in selecting from the tales the Baron has related to him he has chosen with an eye to the humorous which is unfailing in its clearness and keenness of perception. (Review from Book News, V. 20, 1902) Views: 633
An assassination attempt is made on the Burghermeister of Werpenstad, leaving the city stunned and in shock. As the atrocities continue it is up to Vice-mayor Karl Kreigel to take the reins of the Stad, but can the rumours of inhuman monsters stalking the sewers be believed, or are they simply the fears of a frightened populace and the ravings of a madman? A fantasy novella.Karl Kreigel is Vice-mayor of Werpenstad, an important trading town in Bergen, the westernmost Province of the Empire. When an assassination attempt is made against the Burghermeister, it is up to him to lead the investigation and take control of the town.With the killer still at large and rumours flying around about man-sized rats stalking the sewers, Karl knows that whoever - or whatever - he is, it is only a matter of time before the assassin returns to strike again... Views: 632
Thomas Mallon and Library of America invite readers to rediscover the Pulitzer Prize-winning novels of a classic American writer on the 150th anniversary of his birthMuch in need of rediscovery today, Booth Tarkington was among the most beloved and widely read writers of his era. In such classic novels as The Magnificent Ambersons and Alice Adams, both winners of the Pulitzer Prize, Tarkington displayed a mastery of realism and an astute, strikingly modern feel for psychology, capturing crucial transformations in our national life as they were manifested in changing social customs and in the very landscape itself, altered irrevocably by industrialization and environmental degradation. Out of Tarkington's prolific writings novelist and critic Thomas Mallon has selected three works that show Tarkington at his best. The Magnificent Ambersons, inspiration for Orsen Welles's classic film, is a tour de force study in egoism, depicting the fall from grace... Views: 618
First published in 1930, Wilder's best-selling novel 'The Woman of Andros1 is set on a Greek island before the birth of Christ. 'The Ides of March', first published in 1948, is an epistolary novel set in the Rome of Julius Caesar. Views: 595
A timeless statement about human foibles . . . and human endurance, this beautiful new edition features Wilder's unpublished production notes, diary entries, and other illuminating documentary material, all of which is included in a new Afterword by Tappan Wilder.
Time magazine called The Skin of Our Teeth "a sort of Hellzapoppin' with brains," as it broke from established theatrical conventions and walked off with the 1943 Pulitzer Prize for Best Drama. Combining farce, burlesque, and satire (among other styles), Thornton Wilder departs from his studied use of nostalgia and sentiment in Our Town to have an Eternal Family narrowly escape one disaster after another, from ancient times to the present. Meet George and Maggie Antrobus (married only 5,000 years); their two children, Gladys and Henry (perfect in every way!); and their maid, Sabina (the ageless vamp) as they overcome ice, flood, and war -- by the skin of their teeth. Views: 585
Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy. Views: 570
Booth Tarkington, a leading American novelist of the Interwar period,
was famous for his novels ‘The Magnificent Ambersons’ and ‘Alice Adams’.
Although he was considered by many to be America’s greatest living
author in the 1910’s and 1920’s, being one of only three novelists to
win the Pulitzer Prize multiple times, his works are sadly neglected
today. This comprehensive eBook presents Tarkington’s collected works,
featuring many rare novels for the first time in digital publishing. As
well as numerous illustrations and informative introductions, this
edition offers readers the opportunity to rediscover this important
American novelist. (Version 1)
Description
* Beautifully illustrated with images relating to Tarkington’s life and works
* Concise introductions to the major texts
* 24 novels, with individual contents tables
* Includes the complete Growth trilogy and the complete Penrod novels
* Rare novels appearing for the first time in digital publishing,
including ‘The Plutocrat’ and the unfinished novel ‘The Show Piece’
* Images of how the books were first published, giving your eReader a taste of the original texts
* Excellent formatting of the texts
* Famous works such as ‘The Magnificent Ambersons’ and ‘Penrod’ are fully illustrated with their original artwork
* Rare story collections available in no other collection
* Special chronological and alphabetical contents tables for the short stories
* Easily locate the short stories you want to read
* Rare plays – available in no other collection
* Scholarly ordering of texts into chronological order and literary genres
CONTENTS:
The Growth Trilogy
The Penrod Series
The Novels
The Gentleman from Indiana
Monsieur Beaucaire
Cherry
The Two Vanrevels
The Beautiful Lady
The Conquest of Canaan
The Guest of Quesnay
His Own People
The Flirt
Penrod
The Turmoil
Penrod and Sam
Seventeen
The Magnificent Ambersons
Ramsey Milholland
Harlequin and Columbine
Alice Adams
Gentle Julia
The Midlander
Women
The Plutocrat
Claire Ambler
Penrod Jashber
The Show Piece
The Shorter Fiction
In the Arena
Beasley’s Christmas Party
The Spring Concert
Captain Schlotterwerz
The Fascinating Stranger and Other Stories
The Short Stories
List of Short Stories in Chronological Order
List of Short Stories in Alphabetical Order
The Plays
The Man from Home
Beauty and the Jacobin
The Gibson Upright
The Non-Fiction
The Rich Man’s War
Views: 550
Marking the thirtieth anniversary of Theophilus North, this beautiful edition features Thornton Wilder's unpublished notes for the novel and other illuminating documentary material, all of which is included in a new Afterword by Tappan Wilder.
The last of Wilder's works published during his lifetime, this novel is part autobiographical and part the imagined adventure of his twin brother who died at birth. Setting out to see the world in the summer of 1926, Theophilus North gets as far as Newport, Rhode Island, before his car breaks down. To support himself, Theophilus takes jobs in the elegant mansions along Ocean Drive, just as Wilder himself did in the same decade. Soon the young man finds himself playing the roles of tutor, spy, confidant, lover, friend, and enemy as he becomes entangled in the intrigues of both upstairs and downstairs in a glittering society dominated by leisure.
Narrated by the elderly North from a distance of fifty years, Theophilus North is a fascinating commentary on youth and education from the vantage point of age, and deftly displays Wilder's trademark wit juxtaposed with his lively and timeless ruminations on what really matters about life, love, and work at the end of the day—even after a visit to Newport. Views: 544
Julian scratches metal flamenco in a dive where humans and synthetics intermix. A man invites him to play a song for his disabled neighbor. Although he plays he is uncomfortable around her and never sees Lee again. Lee, on the other hand, has her own ideas.Julian scratches metal flamenco in a dive where humans and synthetics intermix. A man invites him to play a song for his disabled neighbor. Although he plays he is uncomfortable around her and never sees Lee again. Lee, nearing death, finds in Julian a new reason to complete her synthetic research. The song he wrote for her becomes a hit, and Julian learns Lee thinks his public performance of the song reciprocates her feelings for him. Views: 527
One man’s spiritual quest leads him to a mysterious guru high up in the Himalayas, a man who is rumoured to be able to show the way to Enlightenment - but only to those who are ready to embrace it. A short story.Joshua Laden is tired of ashram life. Setting out with a group of friends, he goes in search of a mysterious Yogi living in isolation far up into the mountains. It is said that this man has achieved Enlightenment - the divine state of bliss - and not only that, he is willing to share his experience with anyone willing to make the effort to go and find him... A short story Views: 502
Mitch Tacit is Hyperion Dazzle's best friend, and being best friends with the universe's most famous media star requires going to extreme lengths. With Hyperion's new album ready to be released, Mitch uncovers a coup threatening his position as best friend. Thankfully, Mitch has his own network of friends to rely on for support.Mitch Tacit is Hyperion Dazzle's best friend, and being best friends with the universe's most famous media star requires going to extreme lengths. With Hyperion's new album ready to be released, Mitch uncovers a coup threatening his position as best friend. Thankfully, Mitch has his own network of friends to rely on for support, including a hive mind and his employer, the entity responsible for his best friend's persona. Views: 501
The Girl of the Golden West is a theatrical play written, produced and directed by David Belasco and later made into an opera, La fanciulla del West, by Puccini. The four-act melodrama set in the California Gold Rush opened at the old Belasco Theatre in New York on November 14, 1905 and ran for 224 performances. Blanche Bates originated the role of The Girl, Robert C. Hilliard played Dick Johnson, and Frank Keenan played Jack Rance. Bates was joined by Charles Millward and Cuyler Hastings for two-week Broadway runs in 1907 and 1908. William Furst composed the play\'s incidental music. The play toured throughout the US for several years, and was made into four films, in 1915, 1923, 1930 and 1938. Belasco wrote a novel based on the play in 1911. Views: 472
