The Praise of Folly |
Desiderius Erasmus (1466 - 1536) |
The Praise of Folly is considered one of the most influential works of literature in Western civilization and one of the catalysts of the Protestant Reformation. It starts as a piece of virtuoso foolery but then moves into some darker orations praising self-deception and madness. Published in 1511, Folly's influence echoed down the subsequent centuries and in part spawned the art of adoxography, the praise of worthless subjects. |
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The Princess of Cleves |
Madame de Lafayette (1634 - 1693) |
Regarded by many as one of the first European novels and a classic of its era. Published anonymously in March 1678, and set in the royal court of Henry II of France a century earlier, it tells the story of the unspoken and unrequited love between Mme de Cleves and the irresistible Duc de Nemours. It recreates that era with remarkable precision as a backdrop for a poignant study of the human heart. |
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The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam |
Omar Khayyam (1048 - 1131) |
This is Edward Fitzgerald's poetic version. As a work of English literature, it was a high point of the 19th century. As a work of accurate line-by-line translation of Omar Khayyam's quatrains, it is noted more for freedom than for fidelity. This collection of four line poems have provided later authors with a rich source of titles and allusions; "The Moving Finger writes: and, having writ, Moves on: ...", "A book of verse, a jug of wine, and thou....". |
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The Shadow Line |
Joseph Conrad (1857 - 1924) |
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The Tenant of Wildfell Hall |
Anne Bronte (1820 - 1849) |
Considered to be one of the first feminist novels. Originally published in 1848, it challenged the prevailing morals of the time; a critic went so far as to pronounce it "utterly unfit to be put into the hands of girls". It is concerned with the story of a woman who leaves her abusive, dissolute husband, and who must then support herself and her young son. |
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The Thirty Nine Steps |
John Buchan (1875 - 1940) |
In May 1914 Europe is close to war. Richard Hannay has just arrived back in London from Rhodesia and learns of an assassination plot. On returning to his flat later, he discovers his confidant, Scudder, dead. Under surveillance by the plotters, and feeling himself a prime suspect in Scudder's murder, he makes his way to Scotland where he hopes to foil the plot and clear his name. Thrilling, suspenseful action. Buchanan eventually wrote four other novels featuring Richard Hannay. |
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The Woman in White |
Wilkie Collins (1824 - 1889) |
One of the first and finest "sensation novels", the story begins when the protagonist, Walter Hartright, encounters a mysterious woman dressed all in white on a moonlit road in Hampstead. She is confused and in distress, and Hartright helps her to find her way back to London. In return she gives him a warning. Soon after, Hartright learns that she might have escaped from an asylum. The story is told by a succession of character, each with different motivations and agendas. |
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