Classic Books

New Products For March - Classic Books

The Adventures of Huckelberry Finn
After he and his good buddy Tom Sawyer had uncovered a small fortune, Huckleberry Finn finds himself restrained by the demands of an overbearing guardian. Never one to be confined by the proprieties of society, Huck bolts from this dull life in pursuit of a more exciting and mischievous life.Free

The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe
Robinson Crusoe survives shipwreck on an uninhabited island, and spends the next twenty-five years alone. Salvaging as much as possible from the ship, with great perseverance and industry he makes himself a secure and reasonably comfortable. Then, after twenty five years, he sees another human being and rescues him from death.Free

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas
French naturalist Dr Aronnax embarks on an expedition to hunt down a sea monster, but discovers instead the Nautilus, a self-contained world built by its enigmatic captain. Together Nemo and Aronnax explore the underwater realms of the globe, undergo a transcendental experience amongst the ruins of Atlantis, and plant a black flag at the South Pole. Nemo's mission is finally revealed to be a violent one-and his methods coldly efficient.Free

The Scarlet Pimpernel
The first and most successful in the Baroness’s series of books that feature Percy Blakeney, who leads a double life as an English fop and a swashbuckling rescuer of aristocrats, The Scarlet Pimpernel was the blueprint for what became known as the masked-avenger genre. As Anne Perry writes in her Introduction, the novel “has almost reached its first centenary, and it is as vivid and appealing as ever because the plotting is perfect. It is a classic example of how to construct, pace, and conclude a plot. . . . To rise on the crest of laughter without capsizing, to survive being written, rewritten, and reinterpreted by each generation, is the mark of a plot that is timeless and universal, even though it happens to be set in England and France of 1792.”Free

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
A consummate prankster with a quick wit, Tom Sawyer dreams of a bigger fate than simply being a “rich boy.” Yet through the novel’s humorous escapades—from the famous episode of the whitewashed fence to the trial of Injun Joe—Mark Twain explores the deeper themes of the adult world, one of dishonesty and superstition, murder and revenge, starvation and slavery.Free

Pride and Prejudice
Austen’s most celebrated novel tells the story of Elizabeth Bennet, a bright, lively young woman with four sisters, and a mother determined to marry them to wealthy men. At a party near the Bennets’ home in the English countryside, Elizabeth meets the wealthy, proud Fitzwilliam Darcy. Elizabeth initially finds Darcy haughty and intolerable, but circumstances continue to unite the pair. Mr. Darcy finds himself captivated by Elizabeth’s wit and candor, while her reservations about his character slowly vanish. The story is as much a social critique as it is a love story, and the prose crackles with Austen’s wry wit.Free

Peter Pan
The eternally youthful Peter Pan encounters Wendy and her brothers, who decide to join him in Neverland and never grow old. Their plans do not reckon with either the sinister Captain Hook or the unsuspected dark side of perpetual childhood. Peter’s adventures with Wendy take place in a glorious world of imagination, where fairies and Wild Boys are boon companions in swashbuckling conflict with wild beasts and pirates. But in Peter and Wendy we can see another conflict, that between the love of family and responsibility of the adult world and the carefree, impulsive freedom of childhood. This is truly a tale to be appreciated equally, yet differently, by both children and grown-ups. This dual appeal, and the lasting, fundamental charisma of Peter himself, have made Peter Pan both enjoyable and relevant for each new generation.Free

Great Expectations
One of the finest novels by iconic British author Charles Dickens, this Victorian tale follows the good-natured orphan Pip as he makes his way through life. As a boy, Pip crosses paths with a convict named Magwitch, a man who will heavily influence Pip’s adulthood. Meanwhile, the earnest young man falls for the beautiful Estella, the adoptive daughter of the affluent and eccentric Miss Havisham. Widely considered to be Dickens's last great book, the story is steeped in romance and features the writer's familiar themes of crime, punishment, and societal struggle.Free

Uncle Remus and Brer Rabbit
"Once 'pon a time," said Uncle Remus to the little boy-"But when was once upon a time?" the child interrupted to ask. The old man smiled. "I speck 'twuz one time er two times, er maybe a time an' a half. You know when Johnny Ashcake 'gun ter bake? Well, 'twuz 'long in dem days. Once 'pon a time," he resumed, "Mr. Man had a gyarden so fine dat all de neighbors come ter see it. Some 'ud look at it over de fence, some 'ud peep thoo de cracks, an' some 'ud come an' look at it by de light er de stars. An' one un um wuz ol' Brer Rabbit; starlight, moonlight, cloudlight, de nightlight wuz de light fer him. When de turn er de mornin' come, he 'uz allers up an' about, an' a-feelin' purty well I thank you, suh!Free