Publisher: JH
In this amusing novel, Jerome K. Jerome takes what should be grim subject — bargaining with an angel who is attempting to record one's life's deeds and misdeeds — and transforms it into a thought-provoking and funny meditation on the true meaning of good works, charity and morality.
An old man recounts the story of a death he witnessed as a young boy working in the theater: His boss, Mr. Haliday, had married a pretty young lady from the theater, much to the chagrin of the other women working in the company. It was a marriage of convenience, but in the beginning they got along well enough. After a handsome younger man, Henry Mortimer, joins the theater company, Mrs. Haliday and Mortimer start up a romance that everyone but Mr. Haliday seem to notice. However, during a performance one night, something seems to go terrible wrong as a piece of equipment falls from the stage and kills Mortimer. Although it seems like a simple stage malfunction, the young theater boy notices something that the rest do not -- a strange piece of metal that he found on stage immediately following the death of Mortimer that seems to say that Mr. Haliday wasn't as clueless as everyone had thought about the actions of his wife and the handsome young actor. Bram Stoker (1847-1912) was an Irish writer of novels and short stories, most famous for his gothic horror novel Dracula. Although he wrote throughout his life while working as a personal assistant and theatre manager, he did not achieve much literary fame until after his death.Show book
The home of the Canterville Ghost was the ancient Canterville Chase, which has all the accoutrements of a traditional haunted house. Descriptions of the wainscoting, the library panelled in black oak, and the armour in the hallway characterize the setting. Wilde mixes the macabre with comedy, juxtaposing devices from traditional English ghost stories such as creaking floorboards, clanking chains, and ancient prophecies...A classic by a master, Wilde defuses the horror elements with his wonderful humor and intelligence!Show book
For an ambitious, keenly intelligent woman, lying proves to be the easiest way to get through life, in this Victorian-era classic. Lizzie Greystock is a woman of rare cunning and determination—both of which she uses to better her lot in life. This is especially true when she manages to convince the ailing Sir Florian Eustace to marry her shortly before his demise, leaving Lizzie both a wealthy widow and the mother to Florian’s young son. A born deceiver, Lizzie is easily able to keep up the front of a proper mourning widow. But while her inherited wealth provides her with comfort, her true love is saved for the opulent diamond necklace her late husband gifted to her. Though it is a family heirloom, she adamantly refuses to give it up, and it soon becomes the focus of her life and the lives of those around her. The story of one woman’s ability to mask her true self and manipulate those who would do the same, TheEustace Diamonds shows the true mastery of witty storytelling and social mores that made Anthony Trollope a revered author. The Eustace Diamonds is the 3rd book in the Palliser Novels, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.Show book
The first book in renowned author P. G. Wodehouse’s Jeeves series, My Man Jeeves is a classic, humorous novel from one of the 20th century’s most widely read humorists. My Man Jeeves is a collection of short stories by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom in May 1919 by George Newnes. Of the eight stories in the collection, half feature the popular characters Jeeves and Bertie Wooster, while the others concern Reggie Pepper, an early prototype for Bertie Wooster.Show book
Charles Dickens was a writer and social critic who created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime, and by the twentieth century critics and scholars had recognised him as a literary genius. His novels and short stories enjoy lasting popularity.THE SHIPWRECK: Never had I seen a year going out, or going on, under quieter circumstances. Eighteen hundred and fifty-nine had but another day to live, and truly its end was Peace on that sea-shore that morning.Show book
In a faraway medieval realm, Manfred, an arrogant and evil prince, rules with an iron fist. Banishing his wife to the castle dungeon, he confines — and plans to wed — the lovely Isabella, fiancée of his recently deceased son. The prince's plans are foiled, however, when a well-meaning peasant helps the young woman escape through the castle's underground passages. Grisly, supernatural events further aid in fulfilling a prophecy that spells doom for the prince and justice for Isabella's rescuer and rightful heir to the throne.Show book
