Серия книг «Collins Classics» — 165 книг — стр. 7

In this remarkable autobiography, Thomas De Quincey hauntingly describes the surreal visions & hallucinatory nocturnal wanderings he took thru London--& the nightmares, despair & paranoia to which he became prey--under the influence of the then-legal painkiller laudanum. Forging a link between artistic self-expression & addiction, Confessions seamlessly weaves the effects of drugs & the nature of dreams, memory & imagination. First published in 1821, it paved the way for later generations of literary drug users, from Baudelaire to Burroughs, & anticipated psychoanalysis with its insights into the unconscious.

In this remarkable autobiography, Thomas De Quincey hauntingly describes the surreal visions & hallucinatory nocturnal wanderings he took thru London--& the nightmares, despair &…

The Man in the Iron Mask sees D’Artagnan, Athos, Porthos and Aramis return to meet their destinies in their final adventure. D’Artagnan still remains in the service of King Louis XIV while Aramis is a priest at the Bastille prison. Upon listening to a confession from an iron-masked prisoner who tells him that he is the twin brother of the King of France, Aramis is convinced that he will be rewarded if he can help him become king and he devises a plan for his escape, pitching himself against his old comrade D’Artagnan. Far darker than Dumas’ previous novels, The Man in the Iron Mask is a fast-paced and compelling historical romance of honour and loyalty.

The Man in the Iron Mask sees D’Artagnan, Athos, Porthos and Aramis return to meet their destinies in their final adventure. D’Artagnan still remains in the service of King Louis…

When four young lovers flee from Athens and become lost in an enchanted wood, they stumble into a fairy world where King Oberon, and Queen Titania, are feuding over ownership of a young Indian prince. Seeking his revenge on Titania, Oberon and his servant Puck begin a magical, yet farcical chain of events where all become interwoven in a comedic and mischievous play about the difficulties of love.

When four young lovers flee from Athens and become lost in an enchanted wood, they stumble into a fairy world where King Oberon, and Queen Titania, are feuding over ownership of a…

HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics. "Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably". One of Shakespeare's most witty and enjoyable comedies, Much Ado About Nothing is a play that explores courtship, romance and marriage through a number of relationships. Most famously, that of the irrepressible Beatrice and Benedick as they trade their wits against one another, criticising the notion of marriage, yet slowly falling in love with one another as they do so.

HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics. "Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably". One of Shakespeare's most witty and enjoyable…

Magical and dreamlike in its tone, Shakespeare's The Tempest begins with a storm of epic proportions and a shipwreck. Banished from Italy, Prospero lives on a remote island with his daughter. Using his magic, he vows to seek revenge on the injustice dealt to him by his brother, but in doing so, Shakespeare questions the difficulty of distinguishing 'men' from 'monsters', and the realities of justice.

Magical and dreamlike in its tone, Shakespeare's The Tempest begins with a storm of epic proportions and a shipwreck. Banished from Italy, Prospero lives on a remote island with…

HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics. "Clanless, lawless, homeless is he who is in love with civil war, that brutal ferocious thing". The epic poem The Iliad begins nine years after the beginning of the Trojan War and describes the great warrior Achilles and the battles and events that take place as he quarrels with the King Agamemnon. Attributed to Homer, The Iliad, along with The Odyssey, is still revered today as the oldest and finest example of Western Literature.

HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics. "Clanless, lawless, homeless is he who is in love with civil war, that brutal ferocious thing".…

HarperCollins is proud to present its range of best-loved, essential classics. Full wise is he that can himselven knowe. Written at the end of the fourteenth century, the poet Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales are a collection of stories told in Middle-English. Thirty pilgrims leave Southwark to travel to a shrine in Canterbury and become the narrators, telling each other stories of chivalrous romance, fable, parable, debate and comedy as they journey. Their accounts of the human condition remain as resonant today as when they were first written.

HarperCollins is proud to present its range of best-loved, essential classics. Full wise is he that can himselven knowe. Written at the end of the fourteenth century, the poet…

HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics. Featuring the last 12 stories ever written about the infamous detective, The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes contains some of Conan Doyle's most villainous and unusual characters. The 1920s was a disenchanting era, and the darker mood of many of these stories reflects the environment at the time. Some even felt that the stories showed Conan Doyle exploring Spiritualism as it was an area he was interested in at the time and the mental derangement and physical disfigurements that crop up in many of the stories allude to the horrors of the First World War.

HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics. Featuring the last 12 stories ever written about the infamous detective, The Case-Book of…

King Henry IV's son, Prince Harry is quick-witted yet idle and irresponsible and lives a roguish existence keeping dubious company. However, when the kingdom is threatened Prince Harry shows his true worth and heroism and begins a journey of transformation from layabout to noble leader. Mixing comedy and history with bawdy scenes of taverns and regal scenes of kings and battles, Shakespeare shows the heavy burden of Royal power and explores the well-known historical events and characters of the time.

King Henry IV's son, Prince Harry is quick-witted yet idle and irresponsible and lives a roguish existence keeping dubious company. However, when the kingdom is threatened Prince…

HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics. "But I am not like other boys! I always tell the truth". The story of Pinocchio has remained one of the best-loved children's tales for over a century. However, the original 1883 novel about the adventures of the mischievous marionette on his quest to become a real boy began as a sophisticated story for both adults and children, and includes political satire, slapstick humour and questions about the role of tradition and society. From the moment Geppetto decides to carve himself a son from a magical piece of wood, the tale lurches from one fantastical episode to another, in one of the most enchanting fables of all time.

HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics. "But I am not like other boys! I always tell the truth". The story of Pinocchio has…

Dramatic and powerful in its scope, Othello explores the perils of suspicion and jealousy and the ensuing breakdown of relationships and disaster that can arise from such emotions. Othello, a revered soldier, secretly marries Desdemona, the daughter of a Venetian senator, but is led to believe that she has been unfaithful to him by his ensign, Iago, leading to tragic events.

Dramatic and powerful in its scope, Othello explores the perils of suspicion and jealousy and the ensuing breakdown of relationships and disaster that can arise from such…

First published in 1903, The Call of the Wild is regarded as Jack London's masterpiece. Based on London's experiences as a gold prospector in the Canadian wilderness and his ideas about nature and the struggle for existence, The Call of the Wild is a tale about unbreakable spirit and the fight for survival in the frozen Alaskan Klondike.

First published in 1903, The Call of the Wild is regarded as Jack London's masterpiece. Based on London's experiences as a gold prospector in the Canadian wilderness and his ideas…

HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics. "It is thrifty to prepare today for the wants of tomorrow." Living in Ancient Greece in the 5th Century BC, Aesop was said to be a slave and story-teller. His much-loved, enduring fables are revered the world over and remain popular as moral tales for children. With infamous vignettes, such as the race between the hare and the tortoise, the vain jackdaw, and the wolf in sheep's clothing, the themes of the fables remain as fresh today as when they were first told and give an insight into the Ancient Greek world.

HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics. "It is thrifty to prepare today for the wants of tomorrow." Living in Ancient Greece in the 5th…

HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics. "There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." A timeless and celebrated children's classic, Grahame's The Wind in the Willows has delighted for nearly 100 years. In the idyllic English countryside, Mole, Badger, Rat and Toad encounter adventure at every turn - whether it's gipsy caravans, Rat's love for the river, or Toads passion for motorcars, the loveable friends and their escapades continue to delight children and adults alike.

HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics. "There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in…

HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics. When the Green Dragon tore shrieking out of the mouth of its dark lair, which was the tunnel, all three children stood on the railing and waved their pocket-handkerchiefs without stopping to think whether they were clean handkerchiefs or the reverse. When their father is mysteriously sent away, Roberta, Peter and Phyllis have to leave London with their mother to live in a cottage in the countryside. Finding comfort in the nearby railway station and friendship in Perks the Porter and the Station Master, the children watch every day for the passing London train. Every day they wave at the same old Gentleman on the train, not knowing that he may hold the key to their father's whereabouts.

HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics. When the Green Dragon tore shrieking out of the mouth of its dark lair, which was the tunnel,…

Despite dating from the 4th century BC, The Art of Rhetoric continues to be regarded by many as the single most important work on the art of persuasion. As democracy began emerging in 5th-century Athens, public speaking and debate became an increasingly important tool to garner influence in the assemblies, councils, and law courts of ancient Greece. In response to this, both politicians and ordinary citizens became desperate to learn greater skills in this area, as well as the philosophy behind it. This treatise was one of the first to provide just that, establishing methods and observations of informal reasoning and style, and has continued to be hugely influential on public speaking and philosophy today.

Aristotle, the grandfather of philosophy, student of Plato, and teacher of Alexander the Great, was one of the first people to create a comprehensive system of philosophy, encompassing logic, morality, aesthetics, politics, ethics, and science. Although written over 2,000 years ago, The Art of Rhetoric remains a comprehensive introduction for philosophy students into the subject of rhetoric, as well as a useful manual for anyone today looking to improve their oratory skills of persuasion.

Despite dating from the 4th century BC, The Art of Rhetoric continues to be regarded by many as the single most important work on the art of persuasion. As democracy began…

HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics. 'The quality of mercy is not strain'd, It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven' Bassiano, a noble Venetian, hopes to woo the beautiful heiress Portia. However, he requires financial assistance from his friend Antonio. Antonio agrees, but he, in turn, must borrow from the Jewish moneylender Shylock. As recourse for past ills, Shylock stipulates that the forfeit on the loan must be a pound of Antonio's flesh. In the most renowned onstage law scene of all time, Portia proves herself one of Shakespeare's most cunning heroines, disguising herself as a lawyer and vanquishing Shylock's claims; meanwhile, Shylock triumphs on a humanitarian level with his plea for tolerance: 'Hath not a Jew eyes?' Viewed paradoxically as anti-Semitic, while at the same time powerfully liberal for its time, The Merchant of Venice is at its core a bittersweet drama, exploring the noble themes of prejudice, justice and honour.

HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics. 'The quality of mercy is not strain'd, It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven'…

HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics.
Now seen as one of the great English comic novels, 'Tristram Shandy' caused a stir on publication in polite 18th-century English society. The novel broke with conventions of form and structure, foreshadowing postmodern authors by 200 years, and scandalized with bawdy descriptions and rambling prose. Hugely influenced by Francis Bacon, Rabelais and Jonathan Swift, clergyman Lawrence Sterne manages to both eloquently champion the literary and scientific views of the day, and to satirize those same idols in the next outrageous breath.
The questionable 'hero' and narrator of the novel, the eponymous Tristram Shandy, attempts to tell the reader his life story, but as he digresses ever further on everything from sexual practices, the importance of a name, obstetrics, linguistics, weaponry and philosophy, the reader quickly learns that the path won't be a linear one, and gets wrapped up in the author's exuberance and wit - as Tristram's ill-fated conception and birth don't even enter the story until Volume III. Encompassing a humorously memorable cast of misfits, including his eccentric father Walter, obsessive Uncle Toby, accident-prone mother Susannah, pastor Yorick, and a gaggle of other characters, Tristram Shandy's restless energy and modern-seeming wit explain why Nietzsche, Karl Marx, Schopenhauer, Michael Winterbottom, and Michael Nyman count among its numerous fans.

HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics.
Now seen as one of the great English comic novels, 'Tristram Shandy' caused a stir on…

THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS, John Bunyan's masterful religious allegory, narrates the journey of an everyman hero, Christian, as he attempts to navigate the trials and tribulations of this world, the City of Destruction, on the path towards paradise, the Celestial City. Though weighed down by the burden of original sin, Christian overcomes the distractions of the world, moving past the Slough of Despond, the Hill of Difficulty and the Valley of the Shadow of Death, while simultaneously resisting the temptations of the Worldy Wise, the Vain and the Ignorant. The product of a lifetime of religious work and thought, Bunyan's virtuosic narrative fundamentally altered Protestant belief, and remains one of the most important and influential works in the English language.

THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS, John Bunyan's masterful religious allegory, narrates the journey of an everyman hero, Christian, as he attempts to navigate the trials and tribulations of…

HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics. Every summer, the Ramsays visit their summer home on the beautiful Isle of Skye, surrounded by the excitement and chatter of family and friends, mirroring Virginia Woolf's own joyful holidays of her youth. But as time passes, and in its wake the First World War, the transience of life becomes ever more apparent through the vignette of the thoughts and observations of the novel's disparate cast. A landmark of high modernism and the most autobiographical of Virginia Woolf's novels, To the Lighthouse explores themes of loss, class structure and the question of perception, in a hauntingly beautiful memorial to the lost but not forgotten. Chosen by TIME magazine as one of the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present.

HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics. Every summer, the Ramsays visit their summer home on the beautiful Isle of Skye,…