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Toru, a quiet and preternaturally serious young college student in Tokyo, is devoted to Naoko, a beautiful and introspective young woman, but their mutual passion is marked by the tragic death of their best friend years before. Toru begins to adapt to campus life and the loneliness and isolation he faces there, but Naoko finds the pressures and responsibilities of life unbearable. As she retreats further into her own world, Toru finds himself reaching out to others and drawn to a fiercely independent and sexually liberated young woman. A magnificent blending of the music, the mood, and the ethos that was the sixties with the story of one college student's romantic coming of age, Norwegian Wood brilliantly recaptures a young man's first, hopeless, and heroic love.

"It is the horrible texture of a fabric that should be woven of ships' cables and hawsers. A Polar wind blows through it, and birds of prey hover over it." So Melville wrote of his masterpiece, one of the greatest works of imagination in literary history. In part, Moby-Dick is the story of an eerily compelling madman pursuing an unholy war against a creature as vast and dangerous and unknowable as the sea itself. But more than just a novel of adventure, more than an encyclopaedia of whaling lore and legend, the book can be seen as part of its author's lifelong meditation on America. Written with wonderfully redemptive humour, Moby-Dick is also a profound inquiry into character, faith, and the nature of perception. This edition of Moby-Dick, which reproduces the definitive text of the novel, includes invaluable explanatory notes, along with maps, illustrations, and a glossary of nautical terms.

In occupied France, a young divorcee and her lover, the head of a Resistance network, choose the country home of the lover's childhood friend as a cover for their political activities

The French Riviera: home to the Beautiful People. And none are more beautiful than Cécile, a precocious seventeen-year-old, and her father Raymond, a vivacious libertine. Charming, decadent and irresponsible, the golden-skinned duo are dedicated to a life of free love, fast cars and hedonistic pleasures. But then, one long, hot summer, Raymond decides to marry, and Cécile and her lover Cyril feel compelled to take a hand in his amours, with tragic consequences. Bonjour Tristesse scandalized 1950s France with its portrayal of teenager terrible Cécile, a heroine who rejects conventional notions of love, marriage and responsibility to choose her own sexual freedom.

"The Essential Stories of Anton Chekhov" is a captivating collection that brings together some of the most remarkable and beloved works by the acclaimed Russian writer Anton Chekhov. This anthology showcases Chekhov's unparalleled talent for depicting the complexities of human nature, the intricacies of relationships, and the nuances of everyday life.Each story in this collection is a testament to Chekhov's unparalleled ability to capture the subtlest emotions and psychological depths of his characters. Whether portraying the despair of unrequited love, the quiet desperation of unfulfilled dreams, or the bittersweet joys of fleeting moments, Chekhov's prose resonates with authenticity and profound insight.With its richly descriptive language and astute observations of human behavior, "The Beauties" offers readers a chance to immerse themselves in Chekhov's world—a world that is at once familiar and yet filled with unexpected revelations. Through his stories, Chekhov invites us to contemplate the complexities of the human condition, the fleeting nature of happiness, and the universal yearning for connection and understanding.This collection is not only an ideal introduction to Chekhov's work for those new to his writings, but also a treasured addition to the libraries of avid Chekhov enthusiasts. "The Essential Stories of Anton Chekhov" is a testament to the enduring power of his storytelling, cementing his status as one of the greatest literary voices of all BEAUTIESTHE SCHOOLMISTRESSA NERVOUS BREAKDOWNMISERYCHAMPAGNEAFTER THE THEATREA LADY’S STORYIN EXILETHE CATTLE-DEALERSSORROWON OFFICIAL DUTYTHE FIRST-CLASS PASSENGERA TRAGIC ACTORA TRANSGRESSIONSMALL FRYTHE REQUIEM

Steppenwolf is a poetical self-portrait of a man who felt himself to be half-human and half-wolf. This Faust-like and magical story is evidence of Hesse's searching philosophy and extraordinary sense of humanity as he tells of the humanization of a middle-aged misanthrope. Yet his novel can also be seen as a plea for rigorous self-examination and an indictment of the intellectual hypocrisy of the period. As Hesse himself remarked, "Of all my books Steppenwolf is the one that was more often and more violently misunderstood than any of the others".

Tales of love and loneliness in which the author blends reality and illusion. “The quirkiness and grace of the writing, the originality of the imagination at work,...and a certain lovable nuttiness make this collection well worth reading” (Margaret Atwood). Translated by William Weaver, Peggy Wright, and Archibald Colquhoun. A Helen and Kurt Wolff Book