The Trial is a novel written by Franz Kafka from 1914 to 1915 and published in 1925. One of his best-known works, it tells the story of a man arrested and prosecuted by a remote, inaccessible authority, with the nature of his crime revealed neither to him nor to the reader. Heavily influenced by Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov, Kafka even went so far as to call Dostoyevsky a blood relative. Like Kafka's other novels,...

The final novel by Charles Dickens, "The Mystery of Edwin Drood", was unfinished at the time of his death in 1870. The novel revolves around John Jasper, choirmaster and opium addict, who is the guardian of his orphaned nephew Edwin Drood. Before the death of his parents, Edwin was promised to marry Rosa Bud, another orphan, but their affections have cooled upon reaching adulthood. Rosa has also attracted the affections of Jasper, her teacher, as...

Next to the Bible, The Pilgrim's Progress has probably been more widely read than any other book in the English language, and rightfully so. It is considered by many critics to be the greatest allegory in any language. And to think that it was written by a jailed tinker who received very little formal education! This classic allegory tells of a Christian's epic journey toward heaven and the many temptations and distractions he encounters along the...

Belonging in the immortal company of the great works of literature, Dante Alighieri's poetic masterpiece, The Divine Comedy, is a moving human drama, an unforgettable visionary journey through the infinite torment of Hell, up the arduous slopes of Purgatory, and on to the glorious realm of Paradise -- the sphere of universal harmony and eternal salvation.

Hamlet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. Set in Denmark, the play depicts Prince Hamlet and his revenge against his uncle, Claudius, who has murdered Hamlet's father in order to seize his throne and marry Hamlet's mother.

Presents the original text of Shakespeare's play side by side with a modern version, with marginal notes and explanations and full descriptions of each character.

When their father dies, the Dashwood women--Mrs. Dashwood, Elinor, Marianne, and young Margaret--are plunged into poverty. Things take a turn for the better when sensible Elinor finds herself falling deeply in love with shy kindred spirit Edward Ferrars. But they are soon split apart when the Dashwoods move to a small cottage on the country estate of distant relatives. There Marianne, an impulsive romantic, is swept off her feet by the seemingly perfect...

This richly illustrated edition of Shakespeare's classic comedy in the New Folger Library features an accurate text in modern spelling and punctuation, scene-by-scene plot summaries and full explanatory notes, in-depth guides with tips on reading Shakespeare's language, and much more.

"On Liberty and Other Essays" brings together the most important works of philosopher and political economist John Stuart Mill. In "On Liberty" Mill eloquently ponders the question of where the line should be drawn between the freedom of individuals and the authority of the state. As he puts it, "The struggle between liberty and authority is the most conspicuous feature in the portions of history with which we are earliest familiar..." Second in this...