Literary Criticism
The Autobiography of Goethe
This Autobiography of Goethe has a lengthy introduction and short biography of Goethe's life by Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) and was translate…
The Bohemians of the Latin Quarter
As much as any other work of literature, Henri Murger’s 1851 collection of witty sketches Scènes de la vie de bohème shaped th…
Jacob's Room
Virginia Woolf’s third novel lacks a conventional narrative style and some say even a plot. It follows Jacob from his childhood, through his…
Essays on Paul Bourget
In this engaging collection, Mark Twain offers his sharp wit and keen observations on the works and ideas of French novelist and critic Paul…
Father Goriot
One of Balzac's most popular works, set around 1815 during the re-ascendancy of the Bourbon kings following the defeat of Napoleon. Said to …
The Romantic
As a simple story told, "The Romantic" is one of Sinclair’s tightest and most compelling. Charlotte Redhead, a young British secre…
The Longest Journey
Frederick Elliot is a student at early 20th century Cambridge, a university that seems like paradise to him, amongst bright if cynical compa…
Miscellaneous Essays
Miscellaneous Essays by Thomas De Quincey offers a captivating glimpse into the mind of one of the 19th century's most intriguing literary f…
Harrington
Harrington follows the protagonist of the same name who tries to explore his memories in order to understand his views on Jews. It begins wi…
Chance
Apparently a two part story about a Damsel and a Knight, perhaps a damsel who depends upon the kindness of strangers. It was originally enti…
Maria Chapdelaine
The novel Maria Chapdelaine portrays life in rural Quebec at the beginning of the 20th century. Published first in French in 1913, it is a f…
Celibates
The author is considered the first great Irish writer of realist fiction and is said to have been an inspiration for James Joyce. Celibates …
The Birthplace
Neither the name of Shakespeare nor that of Stratford appears directly in this short piece by James, and yet both are absolutely central to …
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman is a groundbreaking novel that defies conventional storytelling. Through the eyes of its…
The Struggles of Brown, Jones, and Robinson
Billed as a satire concerning the dishonest advertising and business practices of the day, it tells the tale of an upstart clothing business…
A Raw Youth
Arkady Dolgoruky, is a 19-year-old intellectual. He is the illegitimate son of a landowner and dreams to become rich. In his quest to fulfi…
The Plain Speaker
The Plain Speaker is a thought-provoking collection of essays by the renowned English essayist William Hazlitt, curated posthumously by his …
Prefaces and Prologues to Famous Books
Charles W. Eliot, 21st President of Harvard University, edited this volume of prefaces ... authored by a Who's Who of World Literature: Baco…
Bel Ami
“He had faith in his good fortune, in that power of attraction which he felt within him - a power so irresistible that all women yielded to …
Fidelity
The small Midwestern town of Freeport was scandalized years ago when Ruth Holland, then a young girl, ran away to the West with a married ma…