Set in the harsh Puritan environment of 17th century Boston, The scarlet letter describes the plight of Hester Prynne, an independent-minded woman who stands alone against society. Having given birth to a child after an illicit affair, she refuses to name the father and is forced to wear the letter A for adulteress embroidered on her dress

First published in 1918, and set in Nebraska in the late 19th century, this tale of the spirited daughter of a Bohemian immigrant family planning to farm on the untamed land (not a country at all but the material out of which countries are made) comes to us through the romantic eyes of Jim Burden. He is, at the time of their meeting, newly orphaned and arriving at his grandparents' neighboring farm on the same night her family strikes out to make...

The story of a high-born woman and the tragic fate that befalls her when she allows her passion for a handsome officer, Count Vronsky, to dominate her life. Anna's tempestuous story is contrasted with that of Konstantin Levin, who also demands something more of life than his position allows. Tolstoy uses the stories of these two characters and their different worlds to explore social, moral, and philosophical issues. He exposes the Russian aristocracy's...

"At the twilight of an empire, Anna Karenina ... the beautiful high-ranking wife of one of imperial Russia's most esteemed men ... has it all. But when she meets the dashing cavalry officer Vronsky ... there is a mutual spark of instant attraction that cannot be ignored. She's immediately swept up in a passionate affair that will shock a nation and change the lives of everyone around her"--Container.

This richly illustrated edition of Shakespeare's classic comedy in the New Folger Library features an accurate text in modern spelling and punctuation, scene-by-scene plot summaries and full explanatory notes, in-depth guides with tips on reading Shakespeare's language, and much more.

Life seems perfect for John Brennan until his wife, Lara, is arrested for a murder she says she didn't commit. Three years into her sentence, John is struggling to hold his family together, raising their son and teaching at college while he pursues every means available to prove her innocence. With the rejection of their final appeal, Lara becomes suicidal and John decides there is only one possible, bearable solution: to break his wife out of prison....

Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson are wonderful together in this lighthearted look at modern romance headed for failure, based on Nora Ephron's best-selling novel. She's a magazine writer who gives up her career for love and family. He's a playboy newspaper columnist who can't quite give up his old tricks. And if that combination doesn't give a relationship HEARTBURN, nothing will!

London, the 1920s. Lottie and Rose are two married women who share the misery of empty marriages and decide to rent an Italian castle for the spring to get away. In order to save money, they advertise for two other women to join them. Mrs. Fisher is an elderly widow is struggling with a lonely and regimented existence. She jumps at the chance to join the vacation. Lady Caroline Dester is a gorgeous flapper who has been grabbed one too many times and...

"Trudy has betrayed her husband, John. She's still in the marital home--a dilapidated, priceless London townhouse--but John's not here. Instead, she's with his brother, the profoundly banal Claude, and the two of them have a plan. But there is a witness to their plot: the inquisitive, nine-month-old resident of Trudy's womb. Told from a perspective unlike any other, Nutshell is a classic tale of murder and deceit from one of the world's master storytellers"--...

Chronicles the life of 18th century aristocrat Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. She was reviled for her extravagant political and personal life. She was a vibrant beauty and celebrity of her time. Georgiana is trapped in an unhappy marrital triangle with her husband and his live-in mistress. She falls passionately in love with Earl Grey, an ambitious young politician, and the affair causes a bitter conflict with her husband and threatens to erupt...