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Gulliver's Travels
by Jonathan SwiftAlso known as Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships, Gulliver’s Travels is a wickedly clever novel satirizing both human nature and the “travellers’ tales” literary subgenre, and was an immediate success upon publication in 1726. To this day, Gulliver’s Travels is Swift’s best-known work and one of the most popular books in the world. The novel describes the four voyages of Lemuel Gulliver, a ship’s surgeon. In Lilliput, he discovers a miniature world; in Brobdingnag, a land of giants; in Laputa, a flying island, he encounters a society of speculators and projectors who have lost grip on everyday reality; and in the land of the Houyhnhnms, gentle horses come in contrast to the bestial Yahoos that closely resemble humans. Swift’s savage satirical prose views humankind in a distorted hall of mirrors as a diminished, magnified, and bestial species, presenting readers with an uncompromising reflection of our existence. 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 Gods Arrive
by Edith WhartonVance and Halo have found each other. But can they find happiness? Picking up from the events of Hudson River Bracketed, Vance’s wife has passed away, and his novel is a success. Halo cannot escape her happy marriage while she stays in America, but between a sudden inheritance and Vance’s newfound wealth, the two can escape to Europe. But what will they find there? Freedom from the pettiness and hollowness they see in the States? Or just more of the same? And can their relationship survive the journey? 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 Glimpses of the Moon
by Edith WhartonAn expertly drawn portrait of two young lovers, caught between bright-eyed passion and the bitter allure of wealth. Nick Lansing and Susy Branch are torn - they are in love, but believe that they can never be happy without the wealth that their friends so cavalierly throw around. They wed, but with an agreement to divorce if a more financially suitable prospect appears for either of them. This agreement makes a certain banal sense, at least at first, but when it is tested by the messy realities of love, lust, desire, and ambition, Nick and Susy realize that they are in over their heads. 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 Glass Key
by Dashiell HammettUnlike most of Hammett's works, the protagonist of The Glass Key isn't a private detective; Ned Beaumont is a gambler, and the friend of a criminal boss.
The action starts when he discovers the body of a senator's son, and his friend wants him to help cover it up as a means of gaining the senator's favour. This draws Beaumont into a brewing gang war, and he has to solve the mystery if he wants to get out alive. It has been adapted for film twice. 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.
Ghost Stories of an Antiquary
by M. JamesGhost Stories of an Antiquary consists of eight classic tales by M. R. James, including “Number 13,” “The Ash-Tree,” “Lost Hearts,” and “Canon Alberic’s Scrapbook.” Known for their wit, erudition, and suspense, these tales represent a turning point in the ghost story genre. They plunge readers into a world of pervasive unease and an unsettling atmosphere, populated by vengeful phantoms and disturbing visions—a world that taps into our most primal fears. 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.
Gaudy Night
by Dorothy L. SayersThe seedy underbelly of academia threatens to erupt into violence, if Lord Peter and Harriet Vane can’t put a stop to it. Famous mystery writer Harriet Vane is asked to help when her alma mater becomes plagued by scandalous letters, threats, and vandalism. Fearing that things might escalate to murder, she asks Lord Peter Wimsey to assist her investigation, but his reentrance into her life brings to a head her uncertainty regarding love and marriage – and Lord Peter himself. 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 Fruit of the Tree
by Edith WhartonJustine is a young nurse, born into a wealth that was lost before she reached adulthood. When she takes a job assisting with the recovery of an injured mill-worker, she finds herself at the centre of a struggle for power, dignity, and a better life.
John Amherst, the assistant manager of the mill, is fed up with the deplorable working and living conditions of the workers in his charge. When the mill's owner passes away, leaving control in the hands of his widow, Amherst sees a chance to change things for the better. Bessy, the widow, is initially receptive to his ideas, but breaking down a lifetime of embedded ideology about class and wealth is no easy feat.
The Franchise Affair
by Josephine TeyRobert Blair has a quiet life as a solicitor in a small town until the Sharpes, a mother and daughter living in The Franchise, their country home, are accused of kidnapping and abuse.
Blair, with some guidance from Scotland Yard's brilliant Inspector Grant, dons the cap of the amateur detective, determined to get to the bottom of these startling accusations. 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.
Five Red Herrings
by Dorothy L. SayersPainting can be a dangerous pastime. When a famous artist is found dead, and a painting done in his style used to stage the death as accidental, Lord Peter Wimsey must solve a murder with exactly six suspects - six local artists talented enough to have painted the fake, and with motive to kill the painter. Five of them are Red Herrings, but one is a murderer. Initially published as Suspicious Characters in the United States.
Ethan Frome
by Edith WhartonA grim tale of one man’s search for simple happiness, and the harsh realities that intrude upon his path. The novel’s narrator, an unnamed man, is spending a winter in the New England town of Starkfield, where he encounters Ethan Frome, a mysterious long-time resident of the town. Though none of his fellow townsfolk are willing or able to shed much light on Frome’s background, the narrator is determined. He eventually finds himself a guest of Frome’s while seeking shelter from a winter storm, and his host begins to reveal parts of his complicated and fraught history.
Ending Book Hunger
by Lea ShaverAn eye-opening exploration of “book hunger”—the unmet need for books in underserved communities—and efforts to universalize access to print Worldwide, billions of people suffer from book hunger. For them, books are too few, too expensive, or do not even exist in their languages. Lea Shaver argues that this is an educational crisis: the most reliable predictor of children’s achievement is the size of their families’ book collections.
This book highlights innovative nonprofit solutions to expand access to print. First Book, for example, offers diverse books to teachers at bargain prices. Imagination Library mails picture books to support early literacy in book deserts. Worldreader promotes mobile reading in developing countries by turning phones into digital libraries. Pratham Books creates open access stories that anyone may freely copy, adapt, and translate.
Can such efforts expand to bring books to the next billion would-be readers? Shaver reveals the powerful roles of copyright law and licensing, and sounds the clarion call for readers to contribute their own talents to the fight against book hunger.
Eleanor Roosevelt's Book of Common Sense Etiquette
by Eleanor RooseveltIn an era of incivility, discover a timeless guide to good manners from First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. “The basis of all good human behavior is kindness,” says Eleanor Roosevelt in this classic handbook, first published in 1962 as a “modern book of etiquette for modern Americans.” As a politician, diplomat, and activist, as well as the longest-serving First Lady of the United States, Mrs. Roosevelt knew that thoughtful, civil behavior was essential to peaceful, productive relationships. In this etiquette guide, she teaches that decorum is not about strict adherence to formal rules; it is about approaching all social situations with consideration for others. She advises, “If ever you find yourself in a situation in which following a formal rule would be manifestly unkind, forget it, and be kind instead.” Drawing from her personal and professional experiences, Roosevelt covers a broad range of topics, including business dealings and family affairs, writing letters and receiving guests, and entertaining at home and traveling abroad. Beginning with the necessity of good manners between husband and wife, she considers the importance of courtesy in society at large and the role all Americans play as ambassadors of democracy while visiting foreign countries. In an era of incivility, Eleanor Roosevelt’s Book of Common Sense Etiquette is more relevant than ever. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
Dust Tracks on a Road
by Zora Neale HurstonA candid, funny, bold and poignant autobiography from one of literature's most cherished voices. Dust Tracks on a Road is the enthralling account of Zora Neale Hurston's rise from an impoverished childhood in the rural South to celebrated artist of the Harlem Renaissance. 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.
Down and Out in Paris and London
by George OrwellThe first book from the author of Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four. Down and Out in Paris and London is an account of George Orwell's experiences with poverty in France and England.
First, in France, he struggles to make ends meet while looking for work at various Restaurants, and when he manages to find employment, he discovers that the hours of cruelly long and the pay low staggeringly low. Eventually, he retreats to England with the promise of work, only to find that it will not start for several weeks. When his meager savings run out, he is forced to live on the streets until his new positions begins. It is a frank, honest depiction of a bleak way to live. 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.
Don Quixote
by Miguel De Cervantes SaavedraRevered as one of the greatest and most influential works of fiction ever written, Don Quixote was published in two parts (1605 and 1615). It chronicles the adventures of Don Quixote (Alonso Quixano), an aging knight bemused by reading chivalric romances who sets off on his horse—faithful squire in tow—to seek adventure. Experimental in form and literary playfulness, Don Quixote is funny, heartwarming, and an instant classic. 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.
Decline and Fall
by Evelyn WaughA brilliant satire of 1920s British culture.
Poor Paul Pennyfeather. One night of drunken shenanigans, and a spot of public pantslessness and he finds himself expelled from Oxford and disinherited by default. What ever will he do? A teaching job at a small school in Wales should be nice and peaceful, right? Perhaps not so much…
The Day of the Locust
by Nathanael WestIn The Day of the Locust a young artist, Tod Hackett, arrives in Los Angeles full of dreams. But celebrity and artifice rule and he soon joins the ranks of the disenchanted that drift around the fringes of Hollywood. When he meets Faye Greener, an aspiring actress, he is intoxicated and his desperate passion explodes into rage.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.
David Copperfield
by Charles Dickens“The most perfect of all the Dickens novels.” –Virginia WoolfWhen David Copperfield escapes from the cruelty of his childhood home, he embarks on a journey to adulthood which will lead him through comedy and tragedy, love and heartbreak and friendship and betrayal. Over the course of his adventure, David meets an array of eccentric characters and learns hard lessons about the world before he finally discovers true happiness.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 Daughter of Time
by Josephine TeyWhat does a great detective do when he's stuck in bed? Inspector Grant is used to prowling the streets, solving crimes and unraveling mysteries, so when he finds himself bedridden in the hospital, he needs something to occupy his mind.
He turns his attention to the figure of Richard III--generally considered a murderous monster by history. But is the reputation really earned? Soon the inspector has his friends delivering stacks of history books to him, but can any detective, even one of his skill, solve a 400-year-old mystery? In 1990, the UK Crime Writers' Association ranked it at number one on their list of The Top 100 Crime Novels of All Time. 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 Dain Curse
by Dashiell HammettThe nameless detective known only as the Continental Op is tasked with investigating the theft of diamonds from the Leggets, who have ties to the Dain family - a family that is said to be plagued by a terrible curse that leads those near them to
gruesome deaths. The Op will have to solve the mysteries behind lies, murders, and even a cult if he's going to get to the heart of the matter. 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 Count of Monte Cristo
by Alexandre DumasImprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit, Edmond Dantès spends fourteen bitter years in a dungeon. When his daring escape plan works he uses all he has learnt during his incarceration to mastermind an elaborate plan of revenge that will bring punishment to those responsible for his fate. No longer the naïve sailor who disappeared into the dark fortress all those years ago, he reinvents himself as the powerful Count of Monte Cristo.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.
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.
A Cool Million
by Nathanael WestA great American satirist, Nathanael West laughs in the face of the Horatio Alger myth. Like many an Alger, Lemuel Pitkin leaves his home on the farm to seek his fortune in the Big City. By the time he is through, he has been robbed, jailed, has lost his teeth, his eye, a leg, his scalp, and has witnessed a remarkable number of assults and political riots. In A Cool Million, West etches a classic parable of America in the chaotic Thirties.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 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.