Special Collections
Free Books for All!
- Table View
- List View
Redburn
by Herman MelvilleThe life of a sailor isn’t all its cracked up to be.
Wellingborough Redburn cannot find employment in his native New York, and so signs aboard the merchantship Highlander, on its journey to Liverpool.
He discovers that he is a “boy,” the lowest rank among the crew, and has to contend with the worst, most offensive duties, and the abuse of the seaman Jackson. Redburn proves to be a quick study at both the craft of seafaring and the surprisingly intricate social dynamics among the crewmembers, but will it be enough to turn his voyage around?
Drawing equally on Melville’s experiences at sea and his talent for cleverly poking fun at human foibles, this is a wonderful treat from a spectacular writer.
Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
Moby-Dick; or, The Whale
by Herman Melville“Call me Ishmael.” Thus begins one of the classics of American literature.
A masterful tale of revenge, Moby Dick follows the relentless quest of Captain Ahab to find and slay the whale that stole his leg. The story touches of topics ranging from the technicalities of whale oil to the existence of God, and all things in between.
It is Melville’s most ambitious novel, bending genres and styles, and is still considered one of the greatest achievements in American writing. Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values.
Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
Israel Potter
by Herman MelvilleThe Odyssey meets Forrest Gump. Israel Potter is a simple farmer from the Berkshires, but when the American Revolution breaks out, he bravely volunteers to fight for country and freedom. After a disastrous first battle on land, he tries his hand at seafaring, only to be captured by the British. Thus begins a whirlwind string of adventures that put him in the path of some of history’s greatest figures – but no closer to returning to the home that he misses so dearly.
The Confidence-Man
by Herman MelvilleA Canterbury Tales for pre-Civil War America. On April Fool’s Day the titular Confidence-Man stows away aboard a steamboat, where he tests the motley group of passengers, forcing them to wrestle with their own confidence and where they place their trust. Melville weaves their stories together into an amazing satirical tapestry that crosses genres and styles. It was his final novel, and one of his most challenging. Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
Bartleby, the Scrivener
by Herman MelvilleA deceptively simple premise – a scrivener who refuses to work – gives way to one of the most spectacular works of a great American author. When a Manhattan lawyer’s workload increases, he hires a new scrivener to help manage the workload. At first Bartleby, is an excellent addition to the office. But when his productivity starts dropping – and doesn’t stop – his boss has to intervene. Yet he is baffled when the only answer he can get from Bartleby about working is, “I would prefer not to.” Bartleby refuses to work, but refuses to leave. What’s to be done with Bartleby? Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
by Carson McCullersThe Heart Is a Lonely Hunter is the first novel from the critically acclaimed author Carson McCullers, and one that made her an overnight literary sensation at age twenty-three. Ambitious in scope, this book presents five radically different characters whose troubled lives intersect in the Depression-era south. At the center of the novel is John Singer, a deaf-mute, who becomes a confidant to the town’s four misfits, helping them to navigate their troubles. The five characters unite in a cry of isolation from being voiceless and rejected; the result is a vision of existence as terrible as it is real and as violent as it is beautiful. Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
by Horace McCoyA classic hard-boiled novel, trading back alleys and detectives offices for a dance marathon. Robert is an aspiring director which, in Depression-era Hollywood, means that he’s an out-of-work extra. This might explain why he lets Gloria, similarly unemployed and similarly hunting for a break, talk him into being her partner in a marathon dance competition, despite having only just met her. But hey, there’s free food and a place to sleep (for 10 minutes every hour), so that can’t be terrible, right? But as the days and weeks wear on, Gloria’s gloominess and talk of dying become more and more frequent, leaving Robert to wonder what he’s gotten himself into. Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
Scalpel
by Horace McCoyWhat do you do when everything that you could possibly want doesn’t make you happy? Colonel Tom Owen has found a comfortable place in the world. He has a distinguished career as a military surgeon, starting during World War II and extending into the lingering action in Europe. He is content, until a period of leave brings him back home to Coalville, Pennsylvania. His brother Lloyd was killed in a mining accident and has been blamed for causing it. His nephew has left school and his mother is under siege from striking miners. Almost as shocking is his encounter with Helen Curtis – the daughter of the mine’s owner - who falls for him as hard as he falls for her. She convinces him to leave the army and hang his shingle back in Pittsburgh, but treating the ailments and the rich and fashionable quickly loses its charm. Dr. Owen believes himself a hack and fraud … maybe he’s right? Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
No Pockets in a Shroud
by Horace McCoyIs the pen really mightier than the sword – or the gun?
Mike Dolan is an investigative journalist with his eyes on a baseball bribery scandal until his editor kills the story.
Mike quits his job and starts his own magazine, determined to unearth corruption and make the world a better place. But as he goes after more and more dangerous and powerful people, will he find that he’s bitten off more than he can chew?
Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values.
Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
by Horace McCoyA classic hard-boiled noir, taking the reader on a whirlwind ride from the heights of American society to its seediest depths and back again. Ralph Cotter is an Ivy League graduate, which means he’s smart enough to get himself into prison – and out again. He’s on the run, in a city where he knows no one and no one knows him. With nothing to lose, he might as well shoot for the moon. But he didn’t expect to meet Margaret Dobson, a wealth heiress who sees right through him.
Corruption City
by Horace McCoyWho better to clean up a city than a twenty-nine-year-old law professor? John Conroy is an unlikely choice to face off against Nemo Crespi and his widespread organized crime ring, but the governor needs someone free of political ties and ambitions, and Conroy fits the bill. The young law professor is willing to take on the gangster – after all, it will let him take his theory that all power corrupts out of the classroom and into the real world. And his father, a chief investigator for the police, has a connection in the syndicate feeding him information. That must be an upside … right? Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
The Razor's Edge
by W. Somerset MaughamLarry Darrell is a pilot, wounded and traumatized in the first world war. He turns his back on a normal life to wander the world in search of meaning and happiness.
His wanderings eventually land him in Paris, where he reconnects with his former fiancé Isabel and her new husband Gray, a victim of the 1929 stock market crash.
In a place where none of them quite belong, they all must discover how to find happiness in their lives - and with each other. <>The Razor's Edge has been adapted for film twice, with the most recent version starring Bill Murray. Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values. <>Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
The Painted Veil
by W. Somerset MaughamKitty Garstin, a wealthy debutante, loves her life.
She attends all the best functions, and attracts all the best men, though she would never dream of accepting any of their marriage proposals. Never, that is, until she finds herself at twenty-five, most prospects exhausted, facing the possibility of her younger sister beating her to the altar.
Not wanting to risk life as a spinster, she accepts the proposal of Walter Fane, a doctor, and joins him on a posting in Hong Kong.
In the wake of an affair with one of Walter's superiors, she accompanies her husband to the Chinese mainland, where a cholera epidemic is ravaging the populace.
While Walter battles the illness, Kitty's conflict is within - Who is she? Who does she want to be? And who can she be? Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
Of Human Bondage
by W. Somerset MaughamWhen Philip Carey’s parents pass away he is sent to live with his Aunt Louisa and Uncle William, a vicar.
Because of his club foot and his odd childhood, Philip has trouble fitting in at school, and passes up a scholarship at Oxford to try and make his own way.
He tries an apprenticeship, and pursues a career as a painter, before finally settling on a career in medicine.
But nothing is ever simple for Philip Carey, and the often banal realities of real life confound him at every turn.
Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values.
Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
The Magician
by W. Somerset MaughamArthur Burdon is a man of science – a gifted surgeon, a saver of lives. But on a trip to Paris to visit his fiancé Margaret, an art student, his horizons are expanded when he meets Oliver Haddo. Haddo claims to be a magician – and displays gifts that seems to prove it. At first Arthur and his friends are blown away by Haddo’s astounding feats, but things take a turn for the worse when Haddo steals away Margaret. Oliver and his friends must rescue Margaret from the magician, lest she be sacrificed to fuel his dark arts…
Cakes and Ale
by W. Somerset MaughamSuccessful author William Ashenden is contacted by Alroy Kear, an aspiring writer who has been contracted to write a biography of the late Edward Driffield by his second wife, and hopes that Ashenden can help shed some light on Driffield’s past. Ashenden is one of the select few to understand the importance of Rosie, Driffield’s first wife, scorned for her sexual liberty but the source of inspiration for her former husband’s greatest works. Ashenden must consider carefully how much to reveal, and how, to ensure that both Edward and Rosie are done justice by Kear’s pen and history’s eye. Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
The Prince
by Niccolo MachiavelliThe ultimate treatise on statecraft. Machiavelli's work has held such power to shock that he was at one time identified with Satan himself. Published in 1532, it remains relevant—and fascinating—for modern readers.Sayre Street Books offers the world's greatest literature in easy to navigate, beautifully designed digital editions.
The Sea-Wolf
by Jack LondonNot all rescuers are heroes… Humphrey van Weyden is an intellectual, more accustomed to using his words than his hands. When his ferry collides with another vessel and sinks off San Francisco, he is rescued by the seal-hunting vessel Ghost and taken in by its captain, Wolf Larsen. Larsen is one part scholar and one part thug, well-educated (and entirely self-taught) but brutal, tyrannically ruling over his ship. He appreciates van Weyden’s intellect but insists on subjecting him to the worst menial labour and abuses by the crew to toughen him up. When the ship rescues the intelligent and beautiful poet Maud Brewster, and van Weyden begins to fall for her, it will take all his old intelligence and newfound toughness to keep them both safe. Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you high quality, classic works of literature in e-book form. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
Martin Eden
by Jack LondonA brilliant critique of class hierarchies and The American Dream. Martin Eden is in love with Ruth Morse, but their union cannot be. Eden is a poor, uneducated sailor, and Ruth comes from a bourgeoisie family.
To allow them to be together, Martin commits to a tireless enterprise of education and self-refinement, hoping to elevate himself to the upper classes through literary achievements.
But if he makes it, will Martin like what he finds?Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you high quality, classic works of literature in e-book form.
Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
The Iron Heel
by Jack LondonAn early example of modern dystopian fiction, The Iron Heel dabbles in sci-fi, and is a wonderfully unique, though often terrifying, example of London’s writing. Avis Everhard was born into a position of privilege as the daughter of an esteemed scientist and is also married to a socialist revolutionary. Despite her blessed life, Avis must still watch in horror as, in the early years of the twentieth century, democracy collapses in the United States, replaced by The Oligarchy, or Iron Heel. The middle class has been destroyed, and workers have been reduced to serfdom or poverty. Avis joins an underground resistance, and together they plan the glorious Second Revolt which is sure to obliterate The Oligarchy and put power back in the hands of the people – if they can pull it off…
The Call of the Wild
by Jack LondonA dog must learn to survive in the harsh conditions of Canada’s northernmost reaches. Buck, a dog born on a ranch in California, is kidnapped and sold as a sled dog in the Yukon. It is the height of the gold rush and such dogs are in high demand. If Buck is to adapt to his new conditions, he’ll need to channel the wild animal within and assert his dominance over the pack. Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you high quality, classic works of literature in e-book form. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
The Complete Papers and Writings of Abraham Lincoln
by Abraham LincolnA complete documentary archive of Abraham Lincoln&’s writings, from historic speeches to personal letters and telegrams. Collected here are numerous documents written by Abraham Lincoln from 1832 to 1865, over the course of his long career as a lawyer, statesman, and president of the United States. From the man who led the nation through the Civil War and into its Reconstruction, Lincoln&’s written statements—including the Emancipation Proclamation and the Gettysburg Address—are some of the most significant documents in American history. Included with these works are telegrams to politicians and wartime generals as well as personal letters discussing a range of topics, from youth and marriage to depression. This extensive collection is not only an excellent documentary history of America&’s greatest trial as a nation, but also an opportunity to enjoy the intellect and wit of one of America&’s greatest orators. As Theodore Roosevelt says in his introductory comments, &“Lincoln&’s deeds and words are not only of consuming interest to the historian, but should be intimately known to every man engaged in the hard practical work of American political life.&” This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
It Can't Happen Here
by Sinclair LewisWritten during the Great Depression, It Can’t Happen Here, Sinclair Lewis’s novel satirizing American politics, describes the rise of a totalitarian regime in the United States. When Berzelius “Buzz” Windrip is elected president of the United States, he does so by inciting fear and dissent, promising massive economic and social changes in order to regain America’s prominence in the world. Once in office, he moves quickly to gain total control of the government and empowers a ruthless paramilitary force to carry out his rule and suppress all those who stand in his way. Depicting a frightening world where fascism has taken hold in America, Lewis’s novel is a prescient and alarming tale of power, corruption, and how easily democracy can fall prey to manipulation. Described by the Guardian as “the 1935 novel that predicted the rise of Donald Trump,” It Can’t Happen Here is as timely now as it was when it was first published.
The Phantom of the Opera
by Gaston LerouxA classic ghost story, inspired by true events. Christine is an up-and-coming talent at the Paris Opera, so talented and beautiful that she attracts the attention of the opera house's mysterious phantom, in reality a deformed man named Erik. Overcome by love, the Phantom kidnaps her in a bid to make her his bride. It was famously adapted for the stage by Andrew Lloyd Webber in 1986 and to the screen in 1925, with Lon Cheney in the leading role. Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
Literary Lapses
by Stephen LeacockStephen Leacock is one of Canada's most celebrated humourists and was, for a period in the early 20th century, the most-widely read English language author the world over. His success comes in no small part due to Literary Lapses, his first collection of fiction. Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.