Серия книг «Penguin Popular Classics» — 169 книг — стр. 3

"Vanity Fair", Thackeray's panoramic, satirical saga of corruption at all levels of English society, was published in 1847 but set during the Napoleonic Wars. It chronicles the lives of two women who could not be more different: Becky Sharp, an orphan whose only resources are her vast ambitions, her native wit, and her loose morals; and her schoolmate Amelia Sedley, a typically naive Victorian heroine, the pampered daughter of a wealthy family. Becky's fluctuating fortunes eventually bring her to an affair with Amelia's dissolute husband; when he is killed at Waterloo, Amelia and her child are left penniless, while Becky and her husband Rawdon Crawley rise in the world, managing to lead a high life in London solely on the basis of their shrewdness. (The chapter entitled "How to Live on Nothing" is a classic). Thackeray's subtitle, "A Novel Without a Hero", is understating the case; his view of humanity in this novel is distinctly bleak and deliberately antiheroic. Critics of the time misunderstood the book, decrying it as (among other things) vicious, vile, and odious.
But "Vanity Fair" has endured as one of the great comic novels of all time, and a landmark in the history of realism in fiction.

"Vanity Fair", Thackeray's panoramic, satirical saga of corruption at all levels of English society, was published in 1847 but set during the Napoleonic Wars. It chronicles the…

An ancient parchment bearing a mysterious cryptogram maps the most hazardous journey of Professor Lidenbrock's career.
With his nephew and a guide the Professor travels to Iceland. Their journey to the centre of the earth begins on the summit of a volcano and takes them down through secret passages, across a desolate underground sea populated by prehistoric marine monsters, on what may be a voyage of no return.
Few writers have conveyed the sheer excitement of exploration and discovery so grippingly as Jules Verne. The great science fiction writer Arthur C.Clarke wrote: "The reason Verne is still read by millions today is simply that he was one of the best storytellers who have ever lived; and journey to the Centre of the Earth is a particularly flawless specimen of his art".

Формат: 11 см x 18 см.

An ancient parchment bearing a mysterious cryptogram maps the most hazardous journey of Professor Lidenbrock's career.
With his nephew and a guide the Professor travels to…

Yet as the evening approaches, the unexpected arrival from India of her first lover Peter Walsh, triggers vivid memories of the past until, piece by piece, Clarissa brings to the surface the story of her life, of childhood dreams, and the row so many years ago that precipitated her uneventful marriage.
She is suddenly and startlingly aware of the force of life going on around her; of Septimus Warren Smith going quietly mad with shell-shock; of her daughter Elizabeth, almost now a woman, and of Peter, unaltered, yet changed as she feels herself to be. In Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Woolf reveals the differences in the way people think and see and treat one another, brilliantly evoking the feel of the time and, through the eyes of each character, the feel of life itself.

Yet as the evening approaches, the unexpected arrival from India of her first lover Peter Walsh, triggers vivid memories of the past until, piece by piece, Clarissa brings to the…

In 'The Fall of the House of Usher' and 'The Black Cat' h wrote the first and best tales of terror; with 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue' and his fictional detective M.Dupin he invented the detective story; and tales such as 'MS. Found in a Bottle'

In 'The Fall of the House of Usher' and 'The Black Cat' h wrote the first and best tales of terror; with 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue' and his fictional detective M.Dupin he…

William Shakespeare was born to John Shakespeare and mother Mary Arden some time in late April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. He wrote about 38 plays (the precise number is uncertain), a collection of sonnets and a variety of other poems.

William Shakespeare was born to John Shakespeare and mother Mary Arden some time in late April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. He wrote about 38 plays (the precise number is…

Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson had been sharpening their detective skills deducing the characteristics of the man whose walking stick is in their possession, when the owner arrives greatly in need of their help.
Dr James Mortimer tells them that he has discovered the body of Sir Charles Baskerville in the grounds of his Devon home. Baskerville's face bore an expression of terror and his body showed signs of exhaustion, as if he had been fleeing something - or someone. Mortimer was aware of only one clue as to how Baskerville met his death: "the footprints of a gigantic hound".
Dr Watson is dispatched by Holmes to the desolate moorland of Devon. He learns about the ancient myth of the Baskerville hound, and as he uncovers the malevolent fury that lay behind Baskerville's death, he comes perilously close to meeting his own...
An intriguing case for Holmes and Watson, The Hound of the Baskervilles is also one of Conan Doyle's most gripping and disturbing novels.

Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson had been sharpening their detective skills deducing the characteristics of the man whose walking stick is in their possession, when the owner arrives…

"Northanger Abbey" is Jane Austen's amusing and bitingly satirical pastiche of the "Gothic" romances popular in her day.
Catherine Morland, an unremarkable tomboy as a child, is thrown amongst all the "difficulties and dangers" of Bath at the ripe age of seventeen. Armed with an unworldly charm and a vivid imagination, she must overcome the caprices of elegant society, encountering along the way such characters as the vacuous Mrs. Allen, coquettish Isabella and the brash bully John Thorpe. Catherine's invitation to Northanger Abbey, in her eyes a haven of coffins, skeletons and other Gothic devices, does lead to an adventure, though one she didn't expect, and her misjudgment of the ambitious, somewhat villainous General Tilney is not wholly unjustified. However, with the aid of the "unromantic" hero Henry Tilney, Catherine gradually progresses towards maturity and self-knowledge.

"Northanger Abbey" is Jane Austen's amusing and bitingly satirical pastiche of the "Gothic" romances popular in her day.
Catherine Morland, an unremarkable tomboy as a child, is…

This title contains beautifully told tales, a perfect introduction to Shakespeare's greatest plays. Charles and Mary Lamb's labour of love brings vividly alive the power of "Hamlet" and "Othello", the fun of "As You Like It" and "The Taming of the Shrew", the magic of "The Tempest" and the drama of "Pericles". Conveying all Shakespeare's wit, wisdom and humanity, and never losing the feel of his beautiful language, these tales are classic literature in their own right.

This title contains beautifully told tales, a perfect introduction to Shakespeare's greatest plays. Charles and Mary Lamb's labour of love brings vividly alive the power of…

Jude Fawley, a stone-mason, has already suffered. His academic ambitions were thwarted by his poverty and class: trapped into a loveless marriage, he is now alone but not free. He comes to love his cousin Sue who, seemingly emancipated, is herself miserably married. Sue's words to Jude are prophetic, for although together they defy conventional morality to seize a chance of happiness, they are ultimately defeated by both circumstance and the flaws within their own nature.

Jude Fawley, a stone-mason, has already suffered. His academic ambitions were thwarted by his poverty and class: trapped into a loveless marriage, he is now alone but not free. He…

Emma Rouault leaves her father to marry Charles Bovary, an insignificant local doctor, and to live among the bourgeoisie of Yonville. An ardent devourer of sentimental novels, Emma fills her head with fantastic notions of gallantry and high romance, which she soon finds lacking in her dull husband. Disillusioned and frustrated she finds solace in a tempestuous love affair with the local squire, naively imagining that he will fulfil her desires.

Emma Rouault leaves her father to marry Charles Bovary, an insignificant local doctor, and to live among the bourgeoisie of Yonville. An ardent devourer of sentimental novels,…

When Helen Huntingdon decides to leave her brutish, drunkard husband, she is not only flouting convention but also going against the laws of the land.

Fleeing with her small son, she determines to lead an independent existence and takes on the tenancy of Wildfell Hall. Self-possessed, surrounded by secrecy, it is not long before Helen finds herself the victim of local slander.

Set in Regency times and written during the 1840s, `The Tenant of Wildfell Hall` is a novel of startling modernity in its bold treatment of the issue of women`s equality and is unforgettable in its intensity, burning sincerity and psychological truth.

When Helen Huntingdon decides to leave her brutish, drunkard husband, she is not only flouting convention but also going against the laws of the land.

Fleeing with her small…

Heidi is only five when she is taken to live with her grandfather, known as Uncle Alp, in the Swiss mountains. Notorious in the village for his gloomy outlook and reclusive nature, Uncle Alp nevertheless comes to love little Heidi, and she him. Heidi is growing fond of her new mountain family and friends when she is suddenly taken to Frankfurt to be a companion to Clara, an invalid. Although she brings great joy into Clara's life, Heidi pines for her home in the mountains.
Only a miracle can bring joy to both Heidi and Clara, but for someone with Heidi's faith and goodness, miracles really can happen...

Heidi is only five when she is taken to live with her grandfather, known as Uncle Alp, in the Swiss mountains. Notorious in the village for his gloomy outlook and reclusive…

A mysterious creature, larger and more rapid than a whale, has been haunting the deep: Professor Aronnax has been invited to join a task force to rid the seas of the monster.
With him on the Abraham Lincoln are his ever-faithful servant, Conseil, and the harpooner Ned Land. Their glorious mission becomes a nightmare when they are thrown from their ship and taken aboard the "monster" itself: a man-made submarine - "Nautilus" - exploring the wonders of the underwater world. There they are the captives of the inscrutable Captain Nemo.
Resigned to their fate, they are shown unimaginable wonders of the oceans: the reef of coral that formed a cemetery, the ice floes of the South Pole, the huge oyster and its priceless pearl, the volcanic wonders of the lost land of Atlantis and a great many more extraordinary sights that were to compensate for their lack of liberty.

A mysterious creature, larger and more rapid than a whale, has been haunting the deep: Professor Aronnax has been invited to join a task force to rid the seas of the monster.…

The Moonstone, a large, beautiful yet fated diamond, was stolen from an Indian shrine. It is given to Rachel Verinder on her eighteenth birthday and, that same night, stolen again.
Sergeant Cuff is employed by Rachel's mother to find the precious stone and has no shortage of suspects. By turns, those on the periphery and at the heart of the mystery tell their version of events until all is unravelled at the unexpected conclusion.
A pioneer in the art of the English detective novel and a master of innovation, Wilkie Collins was one of the most successful and gifted writers of his generation. In the words of Michael Innes The Moonstone "stands alone in its kind... (there is) a sense of attending upon the birth of the detective story".

The Moonstone, a large, beautiful yet fated diamond, was stolen from an Indian shrine. It is given to Rachel Verinder on her eighteenth birthday and, that same night, stolen…

Brought up in the household of a powerful Baron, Candide is an open-minded young man, whose tutor, Pangloss, has instilled in him the belief that "all is for the best". But when his love for the Baron's rosy-cheeked daughter is discovered, Candide is cast out to make his own way in the world. And so he and his various companions begin a breathless tour of Europe, South America and Asia, as an outrageous series of disasters befall them - earthquakes, syphilis, a brush with the Inquisition, murder - sorely testing the young hero's optimism.

Brought up in the household of a powerful Baron, Candide is an open-minded young man, whose tutor, Pangloss, has instilled in him the belief that "all is for the best". But when…

Into his story of a simple but beautiful country girl's seduction by another man which causes her husband to leave her on their wedding night and thereby precipitates a course of events that ends in murder, Hardy wove a luminous tenderness and longing. 'I have never been able to put on paper all that she is, or was to me,' he said.

Into his story of a simple but beautiful country girl's seduction by another man which causes her husband to leave her on their wedding night and thereby precipitates a course of…

When her father leaves the Church in a crisis of conscience, Margaret Hale is uprooted from her comfortable home in Hampshire to move with her family to the north of England. Initially repulsed by the ugliness of her new surroundings in the industrial town of Milton, Margaret becomes aware of the poverty and suffering of the local mill workers and develops a passionate sense of social justice. This is intensified by her tempestuous relationship with the mill-owner and self-made man, John Thornton, as their fierce opposition over his treatment of his employees masks a deeper attraction. In "North and South", Elizabeth Gaskell skillfully fused individual feeling with social concern, and in Margaret Hale created one of the most original heroines of Victorian literature.

When her father leaves the Church in a crisis of conscience, Margaret Hale is uprooted from her comfortable home in Hampshire to move with her family to the north of England.…

At his club that day, Fogg bet half his fortune that he could travel the world in an easterly direction in eighty days; so he and Passepartout begin their voyage. But Detective Fix of Scotland Yard finds it coincidental that Fogg should want to escape England in such a hurry while there is a robber on the loose. Convinced they are one and the same person he joins them on the first leg of their epic travels.

Формат: 11 см x 18 см.

At his club that day, Fogg bet half his fortune that he could travel the world in an easterly direction in eighty days; so he and Passepartout begin their voyage. But Detective…

Scott Fitzgerald blends wit and cynicism in his satirical portraits of the swinging Jazz Age. The stories capture a glittering whirl of dancing, laughter and champagne, and the gods that are worshipped are glamour, wealth and social status.
"The Bowl" is a clear metaphor for this cold and brittle world, as a beautiful woman is made to suffer for the cruelty of her youth, her punishment ironically taking the shape of a cut-glass punch-bowl. The amusing "Bernice Bobs Her Hair" depicts a dull girl striving at all costs to enter society, where the competition and jealousy wrought between women leads to bitter vengeance and a quirky twist in the tale. However, the powerful and destructive influence of money is never more stunningly revealed than in Fitzgerald's most famous and unusual story, "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz".

Scott Fitzgerald blends wit and cynicism in his satirical portraits of the swinging Jazz Age. The stories capture a glittering whirl of dancing, laughter and champagne, and the…