The Confessions of Saint Augustine

Autor anonimowy

Confessions is the name of an autobiographical work, consisting of 13 books, by St. Augustine of Hippo, written between AD 397 and AD 398. Heartfelt, incisive, and timeless, The Confessions of Saint Augustine has captivated readers for more than fifteen hundred years. The son of a pagan father and a Christian mother, Saint Augustine spent his early years torn between conflicting faiths and world views. His Confessions, written when he was in his forties, recount how, slowly and painfully, he came to turn away from his youthful ideas and licentious lifestyle, to become instead a staunch advocate of Christianity and one of its most influential thinkers. Philosophically and theologically brilliant, sincere in its feeling, and both grounded in history and strikingly contemporary in its resonance, The Confessions of Saint Augustine is a timeless classic that will persist as long as humanity continues to long for meaning in life and peace of soul.

The Confidence-Man. His Masquerade

Herman Melville

A post-modern masterpiece; a century ahead of its time. The novel portrays a Canterbury Tales-style group of steamboat passengers whose interlocking stories are told as they travel down the Mississippi River toward New Orleans. The novel is written as cultural satire, allegory, and metaphysical treatise, dealing with themes of sincerity, identity, morality, religiosity, economic materialism, irony, and cynicism. And the novel itself tests the confidence of the reader as each character slides away beneath the muddy prose waters of the river. Melville introduces characters who change identities so rapidly that the reader is confronted with a portrait of the American frontier as perceived through a series of disguises.

The Conspirators

Alexandre Dumas

In the center of the novel is the fate of Adjutant Bonaparte Roland de Montrevel, and already in connection with this story we are faced with the image of Napoleon himself. But this does not stop Dumas from paying him much attention in the novel. And if at the beginning of the novel Napoleon appears as a very young general of the period of the Egyptian campaign and subsequent events, then in the finale he already measures the crown after Marengo and his other brilliant victories.

The Cooks Wedding and Other Stories

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov

Many stories from this collection about animals and children. This is perhaps the cutest collection, with unusual animals and kittens. This story you can live and feel through the eyes of a child. The choice of the main character leaves a lot of question in the future, but we ourselves can guess the reason for this choice.

The CopyCat and Other Stories

Mary E. Wilkins Freeman

This is an excellent collection of softly written short stories set in early 20th century New England. In all the first stories of the collection, the main characters are children. Many of these stories are about ordinary peoples lives and the ways they find a way out of a difficult life.

The Corner House

Fred M. White

This is a mysterious story about The Corner House, where there are many secrets and various rumors about it. Some time ago, the Corner House was the center of what could be an exciting tragedy. Some of the neighbors could hear about the night cry, how to stamp their feet, about a beautiful woman with poison in her hand. No one ever revealed her secret, no one crossed her threshold. However, there is always someone brave who will do it.

The Corsican Brothers

Alexandre Dumas

The bonds that tie family together are among the strongest on earth. But what of those between two brothers born as Siamese twins? The Corsican Brothers is a richly drawn tale of fraternal love and revenge. Alexandre Dumas weaves the compelling story of Siamese twins who are separated physically but never in spirit. They have a truly remarkable psychic link, and can feel each others pains and triumphs. When one of the brothers is murdered, the other leaves Corsica for Paris to avenge the killing. Dumas, a master storyteller, brings this thrilling tale to life with his fascinating descriptions of Italy and France and his powerful portrayal of the undying love of brother for brother. One of Dumas earliest novels, and set in the present (1841), the book falls outside of Dumas historical canon.

The Cossacks. A Tale of 1852

Leo Tolstoy

The main character of the story, Dmitry Olenin, is close to the author both in spiritual experience and in moral aspirations. Like Tolstoy, he finds himself in the Caucasus in an attempt to start a new life, "in which there will be no more mistakes, there will be no remorse, and probably there will be only happiness." But instead of imagining paintings on the way to the Caucasus in the spirit of Russian romantic literature, the hero of the story had to see real life and feel like a stranger in a world untouched by civilization.

The Council of Justice

Edgar Wallace

The Council of Justice is the sequel to much-lauded The Four Just Men, a novel which caused a sensation way back in 1905 by encouraging readers to guess the mystery ending. The Four Just Men, in this second of Wallaces ingenious series of thrillers, pit themselves against The Red Hundred, an organization dedicated to international anarchy, led by the charismatic and beautiful assassin, the Woman of Gratz. As always, the avengers methods are meticulously planned and ruthlessly executed. Edgar Wallaces prolific pen was never more successful than with the creation of these timeless stories which remain relevant in every way. Edgar Wallace provides a thrill of another sort!

The Council of Lithuanian Jews 1623-1764

Anna Michałowska-Mycielska

The Council of Lithuanian Jews (Lithuanian Vaad) was the central representative organ of the Jews in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It operated for nearly one and a half centuries (1623-1764), touching all spheres of the Jewish community's life. It undertook important initiatives for the benefit of its constituency at diets and dietines (legislative assemblies of the nobility), at the courts of the King and important magnates, and in non-Jewish courts of law. This book discusses the Council's activities in the context of processes and phenomena present in Jewish society of the time, illustrating the life of Lithuanian Jewry as a separate estate guided by a common sense of identity transcending local affiliation.

The Councillors of Falconhoe

Fred M. White

The Councillors of Falconhoe, the new serial story, written by Mr. Fred. M. White. The story begins in the London club Mars and Jupiter, where several diplomats enjoy a quiet place, and the interest of the reader from the very beginning is maintained in an atmosphere of excitement. Hilary Gelicors, a central figure in the story, after an exciting adventure in the war, is unable to adapt to the relatively peaceful routine of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He prefers to work through other channels for the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and in the book he is fascinating to resist the machinations of those who would throw Europe further into the abyss.

The Count of Monte Cristo

Alexandre Dumas

Set against the turbulent years of the Napoleonic era, Alexandre Dumass thrilling adventure story is one of the most widely read romantic novels of all time, along with The Three Musketeers. The historical setting is a fundamental element of the book, an adventure story primarily concerned with themes of hope, justice, vengeance, mercy, and forgiveness. It centers on Edmond Dantes who is wrongfully imprisoned, escapes from jail, acquires a fortune, and sets about exacting revenge on those responsible for his imprisonment. Acting as destinys agent, Dantes must face not only his enemies, but also the moral dilemmas raised by his ruthless quest for justice. His plans have devastating consequences for both the innocent and the guilty. Can the man who once had so much to live for, complete his mission and find peace, or will fate thwart his plan at the very last? Dumas novel presents a powerful conflict between good and evil embodied in an epic saga of rich diversity that is complicated by the heros ultimate discomfort with the hubristic implication of his own actions.

The Count of the Saxon Shore

Alfred J. Church

So little is known from history about the last years of the Roman occupation that the writer of fiction has almost a free hand. In this story a novel, but, it is hoped, not an improbable, view is taken in an important event the withdrawal of the legions. This is commonly assigned to the year 410, when the Emperor Honorius formally withdrew the Imperial protection from Britain. But the usurper Constantine had actually removed the British army two years before; and, as he was busied with the conquest of Gaul and Spain for a considerable time after, it is not likely that they were ever sent back. Mr. Church is a most excellent writer, keeps the novel moving, the excitement on edge and the heroes and heroin coming alive on page after page after page consequently.

The Countess of Charny. Or, The Execution of King Louis XVI

Alexandre Dumas

This swashbuckling yarn is the continuation of the story in Memoirs of a physician, The Queens necklace, and Six Years Later. The Countess of Charny or, The Execution of King Louis XVI is the seventh in Dumas series on the retelling of the French Revolution. Known as one of the important early figures in the burgeoning genre of historical fiction, Alexandre Dumas spent much of his life chronicling the social and political unrest that utterly transformed France and by extension, the rest of the world -- in the eighteenth century. This sweeping epic focuses on several parallel plot lines, all leading up to the death by beheading of the king in 1793, marking him with the dubious distinction of being the only French king to be executed. Highly recommended for fans of Dumass historical work, and is not to be missed by the discerning collector.

The Countess of Lowndes Square and Other Stories

E.F. Benson

A collection of fourteen short stories. These are stories about blackmail and own experiments. Some stories may seem close. Thus, the stories will be read in one breath. Since the reader will perceive them with interest. A hint is attached to each story, but you will have to solve some problems yourself.

The Country Doctor

Honoré de Balzac

The Country Doctor (Le Médecin de Campagne), by Honoré de Balzac, belongs to the series known as Scenes from Country Life; a part of his great cycle of fiction, The Comedy of Human Life. It is one of Balzacs noblest pieces of fiction, presenting beautiful traits of human nature with sympathy and power. The scene is laid in a village near Grenoble in France, and the story begins with the year 1829. Doctor Benassis is the title character of this novel. He is a compassionate and conscientious physician who ministers to the psychological and spiritual as well as physical needs of the villagers among whom he has chosen to practice medicine. A chance visitor is enchanted with the small, exceedingly well-run village and intrigued by the unparalleled popularity of Doctor Benassis. Slowly he learns the history, not only of the village but of the man himself, including why he buried himself in such a remote area.

The Country of the Knife

Robert E. Howard

This early work by Robert E. Howard was originally published in 1936. Knife Country is a novel from the El Borak series of Texans in the early 20th century in Afghanistan. Very interesting book.

The Counts Chauffeur. Being the Confessions of George Ewart, Chauffeur to Count Bindo Di Ferraris

William Le Queux

When I was fourteen, we moved to London with my father. He became an agent on Wood Street, City, representing a large silk maker in Lyon. At the age of twenty, I worked in an office with dusty books and a large armchair that I did not really like. I was always interested in mechanics, but my father did not perceive her as a profession and wanted me to walk in his footsteps.

The Court of St. Simon

E. Phillips Oppenheim

E. Phillips Oppenheim, writing as Anthony Partridge, in 1912. A curious tale in three parts. The Court of St. Simon, by E. Phillips Oppenheim tells the story of Monsieur Simon with his consort Josephine, who lives in the demi-monde of Paris, consorts with criminals and artists, and exacts contributions from various evil-doers in the Court of St. Simon an underground tribunal of, for, and by, the criminal class. One evening, he brings along with the jaded youth Eugene dArgminac who falls under the spell of blood lust and becomes a criminal himself. Edward Phillips Oppenheim provides a thrill of another sort!

The Courts of the Morning

John Buchan

Although this book was listed in a collection of Richard Hannay stories, Hannay makes only a brief appearance at the beginning. Begins in the pleasant atmosphere of a country house in the Scottish borders, where Richard Hannay is the guest of his old friend, Sandy Arbuthnot. The action is set in Olifa, a fictional country on the west coast of South America. When Sandy Arbuthnots friend John Blenkiron discover that a charismatic industrial tycoon is plotting to rule the world from his base in the small South American country of Olifa, Sandy leads a revolution to scuttle the plot and allow the Olifans to decide their own fate. As it turns out, these events are only the prelude to a dramatic series of adventures which take place against the backdrop of a small South American Republic that has fallen under the spell of a ruthless Dictator.

The Crater, or, Vulcans Peak. A Tale of the Pacific

James Fenimore Cooper

Two surviving American sailors, Mark and Bob, found themselves on a bare volcanic rock in the middle of the ocean. Gradually, they manage to form a soil layer using silt, guano and algae. As a result of a storm, Bob is carried away on a boat to the ocean, but he manages to get to America, from where, after stories about adventures, a party of their 9 relatives and friends of sailors arrives.

The Creation of a Conscious Machine. The AI Quest: Building Awareness with Advanced Artificial Intelligence Technologies

Mercury Learning and Information, Jean E. Tardy

This book delves into Generative AI and the potential for AI to achieve consciousness. It covers historical and modern perspectives on AI, from ancient myths to the Turing Test and current advancements. The book explores the theoretical and practical aspects of creating a conscious AI, including specifications for synthetic consciousness and integrating AI with human cognition. It questions whether generative AI can meet traditional criteria of consciousness.The journey begins with understanding consciousness, tracing AI's origins, and clarifying human cognition through AI. It examines early AI failures, fears of success, and the engineering of consciousness. The book also explores archaic AI representations, the intelligence of automatons, and the relevance of the Turing Test, concluding with strategies for achieving synthetic consciousness.These concepts are crucial for advancing AI towards synthetic consciousness. This book transitions readers from historical perspectives to modern AI challenges, blending theory with practical insights. It is an essential resource for understanding the future of AI and its potential to achieve consciousness.

The Cricket on the Hearth

Charles Dickens

The Cricket on the Hearth - a novella by Charles Dickens, an English writer who is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era.   John Peerybingle, a carrier, lives with his young wife Dot, their baby boy and their nanny Tilly Slowboy. A cricket chirps on the hearth and acts as a guardian angel to the family. One day a mysterious elderly stranger comes to visit and takes up lodging at Peerybingle's house for a few days.  

The Crimes Club. A Record of Secret Investigations Into Some Amazing Crimes, Mostly Withheld From the Public

William Le Queux

I sometimes despair of the country ever becoming alive to the danger of the unpreparedness of our present position until too late to prevent some fatal catastrophe. This was the keynote of a solemn warning made in the House of Lords by Earl Roberts. His lordship, whilst drawing attention to our present inadequate forces, strongly urged that action should be taken in accordance with the recommendations of the Elgin Commission that no military system could be considered satisfactory which did not contain powers of expansion outside the limit of the regular forces of the Crown.