The Inspector-General is a satirical masterpiece portraying greed, stupidity, and the endemic corruption of power in tsarist Russia. It caused such uproar when published in 1836 that only the personal intervention of Tsar Nicholas I allowed it to be staged. Although it used the forms, elements, and premises of plays written before, it marks the beginning of a new tradition. Widely adapted. Seemingly the clear inspiration for the hotel inspector episode of the TV series, Fawlty Towers.

"Kessel proves himself again a master not just of science fiction, but also of the modern short story, crafting compelling characters and following them through plots that never fail to please - or to defy prediction." --Metro Magazine

"Kessel's blend of dark humor and reality-stretching scenarios is consistently mesmerizing." --Booklist

"One of the best collections of the year." --Locus

"These well-crafted stories, full of elegantly drawn characters, deliver a powerful emotional punch." --Publishers Weekly

A satire on Victorian morals and marriage.

A collection of short stories highly praised by Herman Melville. Melville later dedicated Moby Dick to Hawthorne in "admiration for his genius".

A retelling of Greek myths, aimed mainly at children.

Winner of the 1921 Pulitzer Prize.

The impending marriage of a society couple is disturbed by the appearance of a woman. In 1993 Martin Scorsese directed an adaptation that was regarded as one of his best works.

Winner of the 1919 Pulitzer Prize.

Henry Adams was the grandson of the American President John Quincy Adams and great-grandson of President and Founding Father John Adams. In early old age he began recording his personal struggle to come to terms with his view of the coming twentieth century.