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

"From the discovery of a strange parchment in an old book to the fantastic descent through a dormant volcano into a subterranean world of danger and beauty, A Journey to the Center of the Earth is as wonderfully entertaining today as when it was first published. One of Jules Verne's finest novels, its unique combination of "hard" science and vivid imagination helped establish this brilliant Frenchman as the father of modern science fiction. A high-tension...

Winner of the 1921 Pulitzer Prize, The Age of Innocence is Edith Wharton's masterful portrait of desire and betrayal during the sumptuous Golden Age of Old New York, a time when society people "dreaded scandal more than disease." This is Newland Archer's world as he prepares to marry the beautiful but conventional May Welland. But when the mysterious Countess Ellen Olenska returns to New York after a disastrous marriage, Archer falls deeply in love...

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1880) by Lew Wallace is one of the most popular and beloved 19th century American novels. This faithful New Testament tale combines the events of the life of Jesus with grand historical spectacle in the exciting story of Judah of the House of Hur, a man who finds extraordinary redemption for himself and his family. --goodreads.com

This is a large print edition of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes in a collection of twelve short stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, featuring his fictional detective Sherlock Holmes.

Great Expectations is at once a superbly constructed novel of spellbinding mastery and a profound examination of moral values. Here, some of Dickens's most memorable characters come to play their part in a story whose title itself reflects the deep irony that shaped Dickens's searching reappraisal of the Victorian middle class.

Set in the small Southern town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Depression, To Kill a Mockingbird follows three years in the life of 8-year-old Scout Finch, her brother, Jem, and their father, Atticus--three years punctuated by the arrest and eventual trial of a young black man accused of raping a white woman. Though her story explores big themes, Harper Lee chooses to tell it through the eyes of a child. The result is a tough and tender novel of race,...

"Tess of the D'Urbervilles" by Thomas Hardy follows the tragic life of Tess, a young woman whose innocence is shattered by societal expectations and moral judgments. Born into poverty, Tess experiences love, betrayal, and tragedy as she navigates a society that condemns her for circumstances beyond her control. The novel explores themes of fate, morality, and the impact of societal norms on individuals. Tess's story is a poignant exploration of the...

Oliver Twist is the second novel by English author Charles Dickens and was first published as a serial 1837-39. The story is of the orphan Oliver Twist, who starts his life in a workhouse and is then sold into apprenticeship with an undertaker. He escapes from there and travels to London, where he meets the Artful Dodger, a member of a gang of juvenile pickpockets led by the elderly criminal, Fagin. Oliver Twist is notable for its unromantic portrayal...

McClure's Magazine serialized Kim from December 1900 to October 1901, Cassell's Magazine from January to November 1901, and Macmillan & Co. Ltd. published it as a book in October 1901. The narrative effectively illustrates Indian people, culture, and beliefs. "The book presents a vivid picture of India, its teeming populations, religions, and superstitions, as well as the life of the bazaars and the road." Russia and Britain's Central Asian political...