{"title":"Gift Guide - Affordable Gifts - Literature","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9780486264653","title":"The Red Badge of Courage","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e \u003cdiv\u003e \u003cp\u003eFirst published in 1895, this small masterpiece set the pattern for the treatment of war in modern fiction. The novel is told through the eyes of Henry Fleming, a young soldier caught up in an unnamed Civil War battle who is motivated not by the unselfish heroism of conventional war stories, but by fear, cowardice, and finally, egotism. However, in his struggle to find reality amid the nightmarish chaos of war, the young soldier also discovers courage, humility, and perhaps, wisdom. Although Crane had never been in battle before writing \u003ci\u003eThe Red Badge of Courage\u003c\/i\u003e, the book was widely praised by experienced soldiers for its uncanny re-creation of the sights, sounds, and sense of actual combat. Its publication brought Crane immediate international fame and established him as a major American writer. Today, nearly a century later, the book ranks as an enduring landmark of American fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eReprint of the D. Appleton \u0026amp; Co., New York, 1895 edition.\u003c\/div\u003e civil war novel; confederate; union soldiers; army; classic; American literature; historical fiction; war stories; battle of Chancellorsville; manhood; heroism; honor; bravery; henry fleming; friend Wilson; cowardice; battlefield; combat; south; wounded; realism; naturalism; narrative; military; survival ","brand":"Stephen Crane","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47159581606209,"sku":"9780486264653","price":5.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0812\/3262\/5985\/files\/9780486264653_d2acca2e-6f84-42c6-a935-4fa8d814d070.jpg?v=1775839908"},{"product_id":"9780486264721","title":"The Call of the Wild","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp\u003eJack London's novels and ruggedly individual life seemed to embody American hopes, frustrations, and romantic longings in the turbulent first years of the twentieth century, years infused with the wonder and excitement of great technological and historic change. The author's restless spirit, taste for a life of excitement, and probing mind led him on a series of hard-edged adventures from the Klondike to the South Seas. Out of these sometimes harrowing experiences — and his fascination with the theories of such thinkers as Darwin, Spencer, and Marx — came the inspiration for novels of adventure that would make him one of America’s most popular writers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Call of the Wild\u003c\/i\u003e, considered by many London's greatest novel, is a gripping tale of a heroic dog that, thrust into the brutal life of the Alaska Gold Rush, ultimately faces a choice between living in man's world and returning to nature. Adventure and dog-story enthusiasts as well as students and devotees of American literature will find this classic work a thrilling, memorable reading experience.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e \u003cp\u003eReprint of the Macmillan Company, New York, 1903 edition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e dog; Alaska; husky; White Fang; primal; nature; wild; wilderness; classics; kids teen classic literature fiction classroom novels books; historical fiction; action; adventure; YA young adult banned books; gold rush; survival; wolves; wolf; danger; suspense; Netflix; instinct; journey; force of nature; betrayal; identity; courage; leadership; ancestry; conflict; wolf pack; freedom; drama; great outdoors; animals; species; tale; buck; animal kingdom; Klondike; untamed; humans; man; far north; adaptation; natural; elements; covenant; savage; redemption; evolution; bond; Control; balance; pet; team; quest; era; PBS; series; Canada; American; sled; native american; puppy; Yukon","brand":"Jack London","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47159583244609,"sku":"9780486264721","price":3.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0812\/3262\/5985\/products\/9780486264721_686fd20c-6257-4562-b7ae-de3f60cd5041.jpg?v=1710209328"},{"product_id":"9780486278070","title":"The Picture of Dorian Gray","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn this celebrated work, his only novel, Wilde forged a devastating portrait of the effects of evil and debauchery on a young aesthete in late-19th-century England. Combining elements of the Gothic horror novel and decadent French fiction, the book centers on a striking premise: As Dorian Gray sinks into a life of crime and gross sensuality, his body retains perfect youth and vigor while his recently painted portrait grows day by day into a hideous record of evil, which he must keep hidden from the world. For over a century, this mesmerizing tale of horror and suspense has enjoyed wide popularity. It ranks as one of Wilde's most important creations and among the classic achievements of its kind.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eReprint of the Ward, Lock and Company, London, 1891 edition.\u003c\/div\u003e classic novels literature fiction books; Gothic horror fiction literature; Supernatural; horror; Aesthetic; death; vice; youth; portrait; pleasure; banned books; classics; wit; danger; quest; ugly; true classic; painting; painter; double secret life; canvas; vanity; Beauty; Guilt; guilty; soul; Temptation; Art; Sin; Artist; Philosophy; Identity; victorian England era society; London; Society; Influence; grotesque; Philosophical Psychological Fiction; Tragedy; faust; best books of all time; eerie; occult; peril; narcissist; Duality; narcissism; scandalized; immoral; Consequences; human nature  ","brand":"Oscar Wilde","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47159718871361,"sku":"9780486278070","price":6.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0812\/3262\/5985\/products\/9780486278070_ddc1ada9-e96b-4cac-8ef1-504f39d7a4c7.jpg?v=1710191562"},{"product_id":"9780486284927","title":"The Merchant of Venice","description":"\u003cdiv\u003eThe Merchant of Venice is an intriguing drama of love, greed, and revenge. At its heart, the play contrasts the characters of the maddened and vengeful Shylock, a Venetian moneylender, with the gracious, level-headed Portia, a wealthy young woman besieged by suitors. At the play's climax, Shylock insists on the enforcement of a binding contract that will cost the life of the merchant Antonio — inciting Portia to mount a memorable defense.\u003cbr\u003eIn this richly plotted drama, Shylock, whom Shakespeare endowed with all of the depth and vitality of his greatest characters, is not alone in his villainy. In scene after scene, a large cast of ambitious and scheming characters demonstrates that honesty is a quality often strained where matters of love and money are concerned.\u003cbr\u003eThe gravity and suspense of the play's central plot, together with its romance, have made \u003ci\u003eThe Merchant of Venice\u003c\/i\u003e a favorite of audiences, and one of the most studied and performed of Shakespeare's plays. It is reprinted here from an authoritative text, complete with explanatory footnotes.\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eReprinted from \u003ci\u003eThe Caxton Edition of the Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Volume II\u003c\/i\u003e, Caxton Publishing Company, London, n.d.\u003c\/div\u003e george orwells;english socialism;winston reads;winston lives;orwell's dystopia;merchant antonio;emmanuel goldstein;party controls;world orwell;government gone;follows winston;past controls;shylock's daughter;smith lives;character winston;inner party;standard military;orwell's vision;wear hats;nineteen eighty;orwell's classic;official language;gentle rain;official government;al pacino;trial scene;outer party;ad absurdum;orwell envisioned;orwell created;orwell's message;orwell predicted;christian characters;stage direction;iron grip;orwell creates;literally impossible;boot stamping;nineteen eighty-four;limited vocabulary;courtroom scene;winston smith;nightmare world;security cameras;modern translation;political message;totalitarian society;negative utopia;orwell describes;dystopian literature;aldous huxley;patriot act;instruction manual;orwell wrote;current society;totalitarian government;mainstream media;totalitarian regime;orwell's 1984;civil liberties;communist regime;lung cancer;animal farm;dystopian society;dystopian world;soviet union;human nature;winstons;2+2;1984's;bassiano;gratiano;oceana;ducats;anti-judaism;thoughtcrime;usury;nerissa;caskets;moneylender;proles;oceania;doublethink;newspeak;eurasia;shylock;belmont;telescreens;ingsoc;orwellian;totalitarianism;anti-semitic;1949;o'brien;1948;freedoms;surveillance;pound;producer;communism;propaganda;ministry;venice;diet;smoke;portia;bassanio;london;books on george orwells;books on english socialisms;books on winston lives","brand":"William Shakespeare","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47159791714625,"sku":"9780486284927","price":7.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0812\/3262\/5985\/products\/9780486284927_36dd7512-3105-406b-94aa-189c5f999d8c.jpg?v=1710176593"},{"product_id":"9780486295701","title":"Tarzan of the Apes","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp\u003eHaving failed in a number of occupations as a young man, Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875–1950) found his niche as a writer with \u003ci\u003eTarzan of the Apes\u003c\/i\u003e, first published in 1914. Highly imaginative, exotic and suspenseful, the story tells of an infant — the son of an aristocratic English couple — abandoned when his parents die in the jungles of Africa. Rescued and reared by apes, he learns to speak their language and imitate their ability to travel swiftly through the treetops.\u003cbr\u003eEventually, his courage, immense strength and exceptional intelligence earn him the respect and admiration not only of the apes, but of all the creatures of the jungle. The ape-man's story is told here in this classic, fast-paced novel, packed with riveting adventures as Tarzan avenges the killing of Kala, his ape-mother, subdues man-eating beasts of the jungle, meets and falls in love with the beautiful Jane Porter, vanquishes greedy pirate-adventurers, and deals with assorted other threats.\u003cbr\u003eAlthough Burroughs followed this story with many Tarzan sequels, it is doubtful if any ever equaled this novel for its originality, readability and sheer storytelling power. In this inexpensive edition, complete and unabridged, it will thrill a new generation with the legendary exploits of the \"Lord of the Apes.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eReprint of the A. C. McClurg \u0026amp; Co., Chicago, 1914 edition.\u003c\/div\u003e tarzan's jungle;gain economic;body allows;tarzan lives;african cannibals;intelligence combined;female ape;visited africa;ones depicted;african natives;nearby library;english nobles;ape society;time lead;economic independence;david innes;lord greystoke;write english;tarzan movies;jungle adventure;tarzan story;common traits;disney cartoon;mutinous crew;tarzan taught;tarzan teaches;abner perry;miraculously adopted;african jungle;ceaseless flow;english couple;pulp magazine;human baby;disney movies;die leaving;feral child;animated movie;magic world;missing link;due time;noble savage;fate worse;rudyard kipling;political correctness;fun adventure;entertainment value;politically correct;comic relief;pleasantly surprised;all-story;tota;tarzans;1875-1950;sabor;opar;anthropoid;ape-man;pellucidar;esmeralda;mutineers;brutes;barsoom;gorillas;haggard;marooned;1912;apes;swinging;1914;lions;civilized;infant;racist;tribe;peter jackson;erb;barbara collis;kala;jane goodall;john carter;patrick;russ manning;jane porter;gavriel kay;john clayton;alice clayton;arizona;russian;africa;united states;paris;america;england;wisconsin;books on human babies;books on tarzan 's jungles;books on jungle adventures;books on english couples;books on disney movies;books on time leads;books on economic independences;writing english;books on common traits;books on african natives;books on english nobles;books on tarzan movies;books on disney cartoons;gaining economic;books on tarzan stories;books on magic worlds","brand":"Edgar Rice Burroughs","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47159904862529,"sku":"9780486295701","price":5.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0812\/3262\/5985\/products\/9780486295701.jpg?v=1710192240"},{"product_id":"9780486296029","title":"Common Sense","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp\u003eAmong the most influential authors and reformers of his age, Thomas Paine (1737–1809) was born in England but went on to play an important role in both the American and French Revolutions. In 1774, he emigrated to America where, for a time, he helped to edit the \u003ci\u003ePennsylvania Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e. On January 10, 1776, he published his pamphlet \u003ci\u003eCommon Sense,\u003c\/i\u003e a persuasive argument for the colonies' political and economic separation from Britain.\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eCommon Sense\u003c\/i\u003e cites the evils of monarchy, accuses the British government of inflicting economic and social injustices upon the colonies, and points to the absurdity of an island attempting to rule a continent. Credited by George Washington as having changed the minds of many of his countrymen, the document sold over 500,000 copies within a few months.\u003cbr\u003eToday, \u003ci\u003eCommon Sense\u003c\/i\u003e remains a landmark document in the struggle for freedom, distinguished not only by Paine's ideas but also by its clear and passionate presentation. Designed to ignite public opinion against autocratic rule, the pamphlet offered a careful balance between imagination and judgment, and appropriate language and expression to fit the subject. It immediately found a receptive audience, heartened Washington's despondent army, and foreshadowed much of the phrasing and substance of the Declaration of Independence.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eReprint of a standard edition.\u003c\/div\u003e America 250 Merchandise; human rights;english constitution;decent degree;american situation;world hath;american crisis;hereditary succession;british empire;philosophical ideas;declaring independence;representative government;representative democracy;english government;nature disapproves;strongest natural;american republic;american colonists;independent nation;american independence;british monarchy;mother country;superficial appearance;american colonies;american political;british rule;positive aspects;american government;american public;late 18th;political system;organized religion;public opinion;british government;ruling class;founding fathers;history class;american revolution;18th century;routledge;american history;guantanamo;schmidt;rousseau;perspicuity;1965;hispanic;applewood;deism;monarchies;mexican;outcry;forefathers;1776;pamphlets;quakers;patriots;govern;founders;tyranny;declaration;reconciliation;persuasive;logically;liberty;citizen;document;kings;revolutionary;modern political philosophy;edmund burke;larkin;nader;obama;matthew mark luke;carl sagan;john locke;britian;germany;israel;pennsylvania;britain;washington;france;philadelphia;united states of america;new york;england; ","brand":"Thomas Paine","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47159908073793,"sku":"9780486296029","price":5.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0812\/3262\/5985\/files\/9780486296029_65ecd821-85d5-4125-aab8-bbc9f641144b.jpg?v=1775840087"},{"product_id":"9780486406510","title":"A Tale of Two Cities","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e \u003cp\u003eIt was the time of the French Revolution — a time of great change and great danger. It was a time when injustice was met by a lust for vengeance, and rarely was a distinction made between the innocent and the guilty. Against this tumultuous historical backdrop, Dickens' great story of unsurpassed adventure and courage unfolds.\u003cbr\u003eUnjustly imprisoned for 18 years in the Bastille, Dr. Alexandre Manette is reunited with his daughter, Lucie, and safely transported from France to England. It would seem that they could take up the threads of their lives in peace. As fate would have it though, the pair are summoned to the Old Bailey to testify against a young Frenchman — Charles Darnay — falsely accused of treason. Strangely enough, Darnay bears an uncanny resemblance to another man in the courtroom, the dissolute lawyer's clerk Sydney Carton. It is a coincidence that saves Darnay from certain doom more than once. Brilliantly plotted, the novel is rich in drama, romance, and heroics that culminate in a daring prison escape in the shadow of the guillotine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eReprint of a standard edition.\u003c\/div\u003e classic novel; historical fiction; Paris France; London England; french revolution; world; English literature; ultimate sacrifice; dualities; reign of terror; resurrection; aristocracy; peasantry; carton; darnay; manette; political commentary; violence; guillotine; bastille; darkness; Best of Times ","brand":"Charles Dickens","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47160007983425,"sku":"9780486406510","price":7.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0812\/3262\/5985\/products\/9780486406510_06bd35e5-3669-42bf-958a-6b834b741acf.jpg?v=1710181065"},{"product_id":"9780486415871","title":"Crime and Punishment","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e \u003cdiv\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe two years before he wrote \u003ci\u003eCrime and Punishment\u003c\/i\u003e (1866) had been bad ones for Dostoyevsky. His wife and brother had died; the magazine he and his brother had started, \u003ci\u003eEpoch\u003c\/i\u003e, collapsed under its load of debt; and he was threatened with debtor's prison. With an advance that he managed to wangle for an unwritten novel, he fled to Wiesbaden, hoping to win enough at the roulette table to get himself out of debt. Instead, he lost all his money; he had to pawn his clothes and beg friends for loans to pay his hotel bill and get back to Russia. One of his begging letters went to a magazine editor, asking for an advance on yet another unwritten novel — which he described as \u003ci\u003eCrime and Punishment\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003cbr\u003eOne of the supreme masterpieces of world literature, \u003ci\u003eCrime and Punishment \u003c\/i\u003ecatapulted Dostoyevsky to the forefront of Russian writers and into the ranks of the world's greatest novelists. Drawing upon experiences from his own prison days, the author recounts in feverish, compelling tones the story of Raskolnikov, an impoverished student tormented by his own nihilism, and the struggle between good and evil. Believing that he is above the law, and convinced that humanitarian ends justify vile means, he brutally murders an old woman — a pawnbroker whom he regards as \"stupid, ailing, greedy…good for nothing.\" Overwhelmed afterwards by feelings of guilt and terror, Raskolnikov confesses to the crime and goes to prison. There he realizes that happiness and redemption can only be achieved through suffering. Infused with forceful religious, social, and philosophical elements, the novel was an immediate success. This extraordinary, unforgettable work is reprinted here in the authoritative Constance Garnett translation.\u003cbr\u003eA selection of the Common Core State Standards Initiative.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eReprint of a standard edition.\u003c\/div\u003e 100 Most-Loved Novels; Great American Read; PBS series; world; banned books; russian literature; classic fiction; book; religious redemption; social theories; human; psychological drama; study; murder mystery; morality tale; criminal mind; detective thriller; Inner conflict; nihilism; good and evil; poverty; alienation ","brand":"Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Translated by Constance Garnett","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47160112185665,"sku":"9780486415871","price":9.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0812\/3262\/5985\/products\/9780486415871_b73a0d25-80a4-4cae-bb06-b039a1b6929f.jpg?v=1710180901"},{"product_id":"9780486431918","title":"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight","description":"\u003cdiv\u003eThis prose rendering of a poem from the late fourteenth century (or earlier) recounts an adventure undertaken by King Arthur's famous nephew, Sir Gawain. Brave and chivalrous, faithful to his word and ever-mindful of his honor, as well as others', Gawain represents the model of knightly grace. When a gigantic stranger clad in green armor bursts in on the Round Table assembly to issue a challenge, the gallant Gawain volunteers to do battle for his king. This parable blends paganistic elements and Christian ethics to celebrate the virtue of forgiveness, and it is frequently assigned to classes in literature and history because of its short length and its excellent representation of chivalric tradition.\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eReprint of \u003ci\u003eSir Gawain and the Green Knight: A Middle-English Arthurian Romance Retold in Modern Prose,\u003c\/i\u003e Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1909 edition.\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e King Arthur; Brave; romance; Round Table; medieval classic literature; mythology; folklore; action; fantasy; tales; legend; battle; king; pagan; Christian; Camelot; temptation; challenge; honor; New Year's Eve; axe; journey; castle; magic; nature; supernatural; giant; dare; pledge; frailty; weak; faithful; virtue; knights; mysterious; nephew; promise; test; armor; feast; poems; adventure; natural ","brand":"Retold in Modern Prose by Jessie L. Weston","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47160278843713,"sku":"9780486431918","price":4.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0812\/3262\/5985\/products\/9780486431918_32c49e84-5197-4383-8df8-c6ea654b55f8.jpg?v=1710780823"},{"product_id":"9780486447469","title":"Favorite Christmas Poems","description":"\u003cdiv\u003eWhat would Christmas be without such charming and heartwarming poems as \"A Visit from St. Nicholas\"? That famous poem, also known as \"The Night Before Christmas,\" is only one of the many sparkling highlights of this festive collection, a rich and varied compilation of yuletide verse that will enchant readers of all ages.\u003cbr\u003eThese poems range from serious seasonal reflections by Martin Luther (\"From Heaven Above to Earth I Come\") and John Milton (\"On the Morning of Christ's Nativity\") to flights of fancy such as Lewis Carroll's \"Christmas Greeting from a Fairy to a Child\" and Kenneth Grahame's \"Carol of the Field Mice\" from \u003ci\u003eThe Wind in the Willows.\u003c\/i\u003e Other contributors include Christina Rossetti, Rudyard Kipling, Edgar Allan Poe, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Emily Dickinson, Thomas Hardy, John Donne, Ben Jonson, and Sir Walter Scott. Twenty-five timeless black-and-white etchings, engravings, and drawings enhance this treasury of verse.\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eDover Original.\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Edited by James Daley","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47160492261697,"sku":"9780486447469","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0812\/3262\/5985\/products\/9780486447469.jpg?v=1710177705"},{"product_id":"9780486836485","title":"Walking","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\"For I believe that climate does thus react on man — as there is something in the mountain air that feeds the spirit and inspires.\"\u003cbr\u003eHenry David Thoreau's \u003ci\u003eWalking\u003c\/i\u003e began as a lecture in 1851 and ultimately appeared in \u003ci\u003eThe Atlantic Monthly\u003c\/i\u003e in 1862, shortly after the author's death. The impassioned essay, which praises the merits of time spent in nature, has become one of the most influential works of the modern environmentalist movement. Thoreau's view of walking in nature as a self-reflective activity invites readers to embark on their own ramble in order to gain a \"wild and dusky\" self-knowledge unattainable elsewhere.\u003cbr\u003eAmericans felt the pressures of a changing world even in the relatively slow-paced 1800s, and Thoreau proposed balancing social stress with unhurried wanderings in fields and woods. His writings, from \u003ci\u003eCivil Disobedience\u003c\/i\u003e to \u003ci\u003eWalden\u003c\/i\u003e, remain popular because of their enduring relevance, and \u003ci\u003eWalking\u003c\/i\u003e bears a special resonance for modern readers who may have become disconnected from the natural world.\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eReprint of a standard edition.\u003c\/div\u003e poetry psychology philosophy motivational spiritual inspirational books; self improvement help books; self love care reliance; the wild; walden; hiking; great outdoors; spirit; nature; wilderness; freedom; wild; untamed; alone; meditation; forest; woods; landscape; field; outside; calm; serenity; quiet; stress anxiety relief; autobiography; peace; relaxation; bond; balance; enlightenment; climate change; society; mountain; transcendence; minimalism; essays ","brand":"Henry David Thoreau","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47180188582209,"sku":"9780486836485","price":6.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0812\/3262\/5985\/files\/9780486836485_af30a801-bce6-4487-b6d8-f36891c99755.jpg?v=1763657493"},{"product_id":"9780486297132","title":"The Circular Staircase","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp\u003eRachel Innes, a middle-aged spinster, has barely settled in at the country house she has rented for the summer when a series of bizarre and violent events threaten to perturb her normally unflappable nature. A strange figure appears briefly in the twilight outside a window. At night, a rattling, metallic sound reverberates through dark halls, and — most disconcerting of all — the body of a strange man is found lying in a pool of blood at the bottom of a circular staircase.\u003cbr\u003eBefore this spine-tingling tales ends, five connected deaths shatter the normally placid atmosphere of the vacation retreat. Rachel's devoted niece and nephew are among the prime suspects in one of the murders; stolen securities and a bank default threatens the young pair's financial security; and Aunt \"Ray\" ultimately fights for her life in an airless secret room.\u003cbr\u003eAuthor of more than 60 chilling mysteries, Mary Roberts Rinehart (1876–1958) is credited with inventing the \"Had-I-But-Known\" school of detective fiction, which typically involved an attractive heroine caught up in a seemingly endless succession of dangerous predicaments. \u003ci\u003eThe Circular Staircase \u003c\/i\u003e— originally published in 1908 — is considered the first of the genre. A clever blend of intrigue, villainy, and heart-pounding suspense, leavened with traces of wry humor, this immensely popular novel will delight today's crime fiction buffs as much as it galvanized readers almost 90 years ago.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eReprint of a standard edition.\u003c\/div\u003e classic mysteries;perennial classics;murder mystery;today's mystery;fashion mystery;hide evidence;fashioned mystery;modern mysteries;local banker;spiral staircase;old-fashioned mystery;black servants;black character;maiden aunt;ms oliver;ngaio marsh;summer house;hundred years;darkies;summer home;country home;elderly spinster;fun mystery;implausible plot;mystery genre;summer vacation;valancourt;tart-tongued;morays;heyer;sunnyside;hyperventilated;halsey;aunty;1907;fainting;1908;rents;sayers;niece;rented;noises;bumps;racist;middle-aged;offensive;happenings;nephew;maid;country house mysteries;liddy;miss innes;rachael;john bailey;jane austen;paul armstrong;avery hopwood;jamieson;gore;america;california;books on hundred years;books on sayers;books on fashioned mysteries;books on hide evidences;books on morays;books on summer houses;books on noises;books on fun mysteries;books on modern mysteries;books on nieces;books on black characters;books on maiden aunts;books on ngaio marshes;books on rents;books on maids;books on today 's mysteries;books on old-fashioned mysteries;hiding evidence;books on perennial classics;books on summer homes;books on ms olivers;books on summer vacations;books on classic mysteries;books on mystery genres;books on darkies;books on valancourt;books on bumps;books on black servants;books on sunnyside;books on fashion mysteries;books on heyer;books on halsey;books on spiral staircases;books on country homes;books on offensives;books on murder mysteries","brand":"Mary Roberts Rinehart","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47181387366721,"sku":"9780486297132","price":9.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0812\/3262\/5985\/products\/9780486297132.jpg?v=1710210085"},{"product_id":"9780486845593","title":"The Great Gatsby","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\"One of the most important works in American literature — and, to many, \u003ci\u003ethe\u003c\/i\u003e great American novel.\" — \u003ci\u003eTime\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I want to write something \u003ci\u003enew,\u003c\/i\u003e\" F. Scott Fitzgerald told his editor, Maxwell Perkins, \"something extraordinary and beautiful and simple and intricately patterned.\" A century later, Fitzgerald's little book of big ideas retains its freshness and excitement. The quintessential portrait of Jazz Age America, it reflects the era's postwar exuberance as well as the corruption and immorality lurking behind the glamour of wild parties, dancing, and illegal drinking.\u003cbr\u003e  Narrator Nick Carraway — a transplant from the Midwest like Fitzgerald himself — observes the wasteful lives of his well-to-do neighbors in this tale of money, love, and the pursuit of the American dream. The unforgettable cast is headed by Jay Gatsby, a self-made man whose determination to realize his fantasies embodies both the glories of imagination and the grimness of reality. Above all, \u003ci\u003eThe Great Gatsby\u003c\/i\u003e is animated by the magic of Fitzgerald's incandescent prose and its timeless exploration of the importance of honesty, the temptations of wealth, and the struggle to escape the past.\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eReprint of the Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1925 edition.\u003c\/div\u003e Historical American Fiction; Movie; broadway; classic novels literature fiction books; Banned Books; time; fate; class; hope; nostalgia; betrayal; money; identity; redemption; past; future; race; lie; deception; fantasy; reality; obsession; party; honest; rich; temptation; love; timeless; beloved; pursuit of happiness; American Dream; Leonardo DiCaprio movies; guilt; masterpiece; greed; luxury; status; drinking; desire; flapper","brand":"F. Scott Fitzgerald","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47202284437825,"sku":"9780486845593","price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0812\/3262\/5985\/products\/9780486845593.jpg?v=1710201556"},{"product_id":"9780486849256","title":"Lupin","description":"\u003cdiv\u003eThe first collection of short stories by French novelist Maurice Leblanc — and the inspiration for countless retellings, interpretations, and adaptations in film, television, comic books, games, and more — \u003ci\u003eLupin\u003c\/i\u003e depicts the elaborate capers and adventures of a suave thief and master of disguise as he steals from the rich and powerful. Charmingly written and full of wit, the stories include “The Queen’s Necklace,” “The Arrest of Arsène Lupin,” “The Escape of Arsène Lupin,” and many more of Leblanc’s most popular tales.\u003c\/div\u003e crime; detective; literature; classic; mystery; novels; books; fiction; French; Netflix streaming series; comics; movie; TV; film; private investigation; mysteries; tales; suspense; Gentleman thief; thrillers; short stories; burglar; Sherlock Holmes; Watson; Victorian; whodunit; murder; sleuth; clues; British  ","brand":"Maurice Leblanc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47202304524609,"sku":"9780486849256","price":9.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0812\/3262\/5985\/products\/9780486849256_051a91e9-d1e0-486c-acfa-8585db7d1796.jpg?v=1710205896"},{"product_id":"9780486855356","title":"The Maltese Falcon","description":"“When a man’s partner is killed he’s supposed to do something about it. It doesn’t make any difference what you thought of him. He was your partner and you’re supposed to do something about it.” —Sam Spade\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e A physically menacing character—“he looked rather pleasantly like a blond satan”—Detective Sam Spade is a lone wolf with an ambiguous moral compass. When his partner gets killed during a tense stakeout, he’s plunged headfirst into an entangled web of deceit, greed, and murder involving an extraordinary treasure with a shady backstory—the Maltese Falcon, a priceless bejeweled bird. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Dashiell Hammett was a master of hard-boiled fiction, revolutionizing American detective stories with the archetypal tough guy character: aloof, sharp, and relentless. Hammett’s classic gumshoe mysteries reflected the gritty realism of his own turbulent life, from wartime experiences and political activism in the post-WWI Red Scare to a stint as a Pinkerton detective. His groundbreaking work reshaped crime writing, blurring the lines between hero and villain and transporting generations of readers into a noir world filled with betrayal and corruption. classic novels fiction literature books; Crime; Mystery; thriller; murder mystery; black mask; pulp fiction; dark shadows; black bird; Detective; Stakeout; deceit; Murder; noir; deception; banned books; betrayal; power; Justice; Obsession; Hard-boiled; Humprey Bogart movies; Sam Spade; Fat Man; Femme fatale; Double-cross; San Francisco; Mysterious; greed; Loyalty; Antihero; killing; film noir; villain; lone wolf; Treasure hunt; tough guy; Shootout; False identity; wealth; Peter Lorre; detective stories; private eye investigator; Crime fiction ","brand":"Dashiell Hammett","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50435858497857,"sku":"9780486855356","price":9.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0812\/3262\/5985\/files\/9780486855356.jpg?v=1755276789"}],"url":"https:\/\/store.doverpublications.com\/collections\/gift-guide-affordable-gifts-literature\/bisac-humor-general.oembed","provider":"Dover Publications","version":"1.0","type":"link"}