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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.
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.
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 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.
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.
The Children
by Edith WhartonOne man on a journey across the ocean meets seven remarkable children—children on the run from their parents, children who will change his life. Martin Boyne is not a reckless man. A bachelor despite being over forty, he is taking a transatlantic journey to meet with a widow whom he has nursed a cautious love for for years. He is disappointed that he never meets interesting people on his trips—disappointed, that is, until he makes the remarkable acquaintance of the seven Wheater children, travelling only with their nanny, to escape their parents. As if this were not remarkable enough, he discovers that he knows the parents, and the astonishing nature of the encounter is enough to overcome his caution, and he agrees to help them flee, despite the risks. 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 Canterbury Tales
by Geoffrey ChaucerWhile Geoffrey Chaucer composed several magnificent works of poetry, his reputation as “the father of English literature” rests mainly on The Canterbury Tales, a group of stories told by assorted pilgrims en route to the shrine of Thomas à Becket in Canterbury Cathedral.
From the mirthful and bawdy to the profoundly moral, the tales, taken in their entirety, reflect not only the manners and mores of medieval England, but indeed, the full comic and tragic dimensions of the human condition.
Considered the greatest collection of narrative poems in English literature, The Canterbury Tales was composed in the Middle English of Chaucer’s day, possibly to be read aloud at the court of Richard II.
However, their grandeur, humor, and relevance are timeless, as readers of this authoritative edition will discover.
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 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 Bird's Nest
by Shirley JacksonA brilliant, haunting exploration of madness. Elizabeth is, to all appearances, an ordinary, even unremarkable girl. She works an ordinary job, lives with her aunt, and sustains herself with the money she inherited from her aunt. It's not until chronic pain leads her to a psychiatrist that it becomes clear that there isn't only one Elizabeth - there are four distinct personalities at work, each with their own attitudes and goals. 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 Awakening
by Kate ChopinThe Pontellier family are spending a hot, lazy holiday on the Gulf of Mexico. No-one expects that Edna Pontellier should be preoccupied with anything more than her husband and children. When an illicit summer romance awakens new ideas and longings in Edna, she can barely understand herself, and cannot hope for aid or acceptance in the stifling attitudes of Louisiana society. Kate Chopin's compelling, candid portrait of a woman attempting to break free caused an outcry when first published in 1899.
The Age of Innocence
by Edith WhartonAn epic portrait of the 19th century American upper class that earned its author a Pulitzer Prize. Newland Archer has it all - he is a lawyer from one of the most respected families in New York, and has a highly desirable marriage with the beautiful May Welland. When May's cousin Ellen, rumoured to have just broken off her marriage with a Polish count, returns to town, Newland finds himself questioning his future. At first, he is simply concerned about the taint that Ellen's scandal might bring upon him - but then he finds himself falling for her, and questioning everything he thought he wanted from life. 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 Aeneid
by VirgilThe national epic of Ancient Rome, presented here in the John Dryden translation. The Aeneid picks up at the end of The Iliad. Aeneas, a survivor of Troy, flees with a group of Trojans. It has been foretold that he will lead them to a new home, to what will become Rome. Aeneas finds himself caught up in the scheming and machinations of the Gods, and is torn between his duty and his heart. If he is to fulfill his destiny, he must stay focused and determined - but at what cost? 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 Adventures of Tom Sawyer
by Mark TwainThe classic boy-hero of American literature.Impish, daring young Tom Sawyer is the bane of the old, the hero of the young. There were some in his dusty old Mississippi town who believed he would be President, if he escaped a hanging. For wherever there is mischief or adventure, Tom is at the heart of it. During one hot summer, Tom witnesses a murder, runs away to be a pirate, attends his own funeral, rescues an innocent man from the gallows, searches for treasure in a haunted house, foils a devilish plot and discovers a box of gold. But can he escape his nemesis, the villainous Injun Joe?
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
by Mark TwainSail down the Mississippi with rascally Huck Finn! Huck Finn spits, swears, smokes a pipe and never goes to school. With his too-big clothes and battered straw hat, Huck is in need of 'civilising', and the Widow Douglas is determined to take him in hand. And wouldn't you know, Huck's no-good Pap is also after him and he locks Huck up in his cabin in the woods. But Huck won't stand too much of this, and after a daring escape, he takes off down the Mississppi on a raft with a runaway slave called Jim. But plenty of dangers wait for them along the river -- will they survive and win their freedom?
Summer
by Edith WhartonLove, lust, dreams, and ambition clash and intermingle in this brilliant novel. Charity Royall is a bored, eighteen-year-old librarian living in the small town of North Dormer. Her life becomes considerably more exciting when Lucius Harney, an architect, moves to town to conduct research for a book. The two bond quickly, and find themselves falling for one another, but there is competition in the form of Annabel Balch, a wealthy socialite who has taken a shine to Lucius, and Charity’s guardian, Lawyer Royall, whose feelings for Charity are more than simply protective. 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.
Shooting an Elephant
by George OrwellA biting critique of British imperialism, wrapped in a highly personal story about a police officer in colonial Burma. While he is most famous for his long-form fiction, including such works as Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farm, George Orwell was also an accomplished essayist, and Shooting an Elephant stands as one of his best, and most well known, pieces. Orwell worked as a police officer in Burma earlier in his, and there has been a great deal of debate about whether the story is autobiographical. Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in eibook form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
Scoop
by Evelyn WaughHow far will one man go for a scoop that he doesn’t know, or care, about? William Boot is poor, but not unhappy. He is not burdened by the hustle and bustle of the big city and can fill his time in nature. He even writes a little about nature for a national newspaper. This is all well and good until he is mistaken for his cousin, a famous novelist, and shipped to a nation caught in a war to act as a foreign correspondent. If he can get out in one piece, much less get the scoop the paper wants, it will be a miracle. 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.
Save Me the Waltz
by Zelda FitzgeraldZelda Fitzgerald’s semi-autobiographical account of her life and her marriage to F. Scott Fitzgerald. Save Me the Waltz is the story of Alabama Beggs and her husband, the artist David Knight. Alabama’s determination to not live in her husband’s shadow leads her to devote herself to ballet. But will success on the stage make up for the unhappiness in her marriage? When the novel was published, it was largely ignored or derided as an inferior reflection of her husband's work, but recent readers have rediscovered it as a wonderfully unique perspective on the same subjects.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.
Sanctuary
by William FaulknerA powerful novel examining the nature of evil, informed by the works of T. S. Eliot and Freud, mythology, local lore, and hardboiled detective fiction, Sanctuary is the dark, at times brutal, story of the kidnapping of Mississippi debutante Temple Drake, who introduces her own form of venality into the Memphis underworld where she is being held.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.
Sanctuary
by Edith WhartonAn early work by the great Edith Wharton, displaying incredible maturity and depth of insight. Kate is eagerly anticipating being married; wrapped up in fantasies of an idyllic future with her husband-to-be, Denis. These fantasies are tainted when she discovers that Denis has inherited money from his step-brother by failing to bring up his wife and child in court. She marries him anyway, but vows to protect their son, Dick, from falling into the same immorality as his father. 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.
Rockbound
by Frank DayA dreamy, optimistic, and youthful David Jung comes to claim his small share of the harsh domain of Rockbound, an island currently governed by the righteous and rapacious Uriah Jung. As David tries to find his way in a narrow and controlled world, he struggles for survival against his many conflicts and enemies: the sea, his own behavior, his best friend Gershom Born, the secret love he has for his teacher Mary Dauphiny, and—inevitably—his Jung relatives and their greedy ambitions for money and power. Rockbound is enormously evocative in the power, terror, and dramatic beauty of the Atlantic sea; unrelenting in its portrait of back-breaking labour, cunning bitterness, and family strife; and, most prominently, an incredible story of many passions—love, pride, greed, and yearning—and the rocky landscape of the human spirit. Simultaneously a book of its time and a timeless story, Rockbound was brought out from the quiet backlist of Canadian literature and ardently championed by Donna Morrissey to win Canada Reads 2005, hitting multiple bestseller lists on its way up. 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.
Robinson Crusoe
by Daniel DefoeRobinson Crusoe runs away from home to join the navy. After a series of adventures at sea, he is shipwrecked in a devastating storm, and finds himself alone on a remote desert island. He remains there many years, building a life for himself in solitude, until the day he discovers another man’s footprint in the sand . . .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.
Riders of the Purple Sage
by Zane GreyThe novel that shaped the Western. Jane Withersteen is a wealthy landowner and rancher living in Utah. The Mormon church is the dominant power in the area, and at the novel's outset Jane is being courted by one of their Elders, who seeks to possess her. Jane, ever the optimist, believes in a fundamental decency in all people, but is increasingly forced to confront the darkness in the church as is threatens to consume her, her friends, and her family. Riders of the Purple Sage stands as one of the earliest, most influential Western novels, and has been filmed several times. 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.