A prophecy from three witches sets the ambitious Macbeth on a bloody path to power, spurred on by his ruthless wife and his own dark desires. As guilt and paranoia take hold, Macbeth’s descent into tyranny and madness becomes inevitable. One of Shakespeare’s most gripping and atmospheric tragedies, Macbeth explores the corrosive effects of unchecked ambition, fate, and the supernatural.
This book is a selection by Andrew Lang of the most relevant tales found in the one thousand and one nights, some of which became classics of literature and inspired animated films. There are numerous high definition illustrations beautifully drawn by H. J. Ford. (Preface) The stories in the Fairy Books have generally been such as old women in country places tell to their grandchildren. Nobody …
Follow the remarkable story of a gentle, hardworking horse named Black Beauty in nineteenth century England. Narrated as an autobiographical memoir told by the titular horse, Black Beauty recounts early life on the farm with his mother and the hardships he later faced as an over-worked cab puller in London. A timeless story of cruelty and kindness that touches on universally relevant themes inc…
Even when we mean to be kind we can sometimes be cruel. We each have a streak of nastiness inside us. In these ten tales of cruelty master storyteller Roald Dahl explores how and why it is we make others suffer. Among others, you'll read the story of two young bullies and the boy they torment, the adulterous wife who uncovers her husband's secret, the man with a painting tattooed on his back…
Emma Woodhouse believes herself to be an excellent matchmaker, though she herself does not plan on marrying. But as she meddles in the relationships of others, she causes confusion and misunderstandings throughout the village, and she just may be overlooking a true love of her own.
It is one of the most memorable first lines in all of literature: "When Gregor Samsa woke one morning from uneasy dreams, he found himself transformed into some kind of monstrous vermin." So begins Kafka's famous short story, The Metamorphosis. Kafka considered publishing it with two of the stories included here in a volume to be called Punishments. The Judgment explores an enigmatic power stru…
Peter Pan and Tinkerbell lead the three Darling children over the rooftops of London and away to Neverland - the island where the lost boys play. Magic and mischief is in the air but if villainous Captain Hook has his way, before long someone will be swimming with the crocodiles . . .
When Cyril, Anthea, Robert, Jane and their baby brother move to the countryside, they encounter ‘It’ – a grumpy, strange-looking Sand-fairy known as a Psammead. The Psammead can grant the children one wish every day – but whether they request to be beautiful or rich, to fly or live in a castle, it seems every wish is destined to lead the five children into a great deal of trouble . .…