A Russian Proprietor and Other Stories

Leo Tolstoy

In this work, the main character is Vasily Andreevich Brekhunov, this is the owner. And the worker, a man of about fifty, named Nikita, is from a neighboring village. The relationship of the owner with the workers is one of the most difficult topics not only in literature, but also in life. Leo Tolstoy in his story describes the characters of these people, comparing them. One miser, because the author is not in vain, gave this name to Vasily Andreevich. The second hero is not afraid of any work, flexible, but in his life, too, not everything is so smooth...

The Rubicon

E.F. Benson

We must judge people by their best qualities, not their worst; by their capabilities, and not by their limitations the protagonist of the novel had such an opinion. He sat at the hotel and wrote his next work. The next day, after rereading what he had written, he was surprised because he had already seen something like this somewhere with another professor. A large number of people show false love before the government and it excites the main character.

Sonata Belzebuba, czyli Prawdziwe zdarzenie w Mordowarze. Sztuka w 3 aktach

Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz

Dramat Sonata Belzebuba, czyli prawdziwe zdarzenie w Mordowarze stanowi Witkacowską wersję mitu faustowskiego. Autor szuka w nim odpowiedzi na pytania o rolę sztuki i artysty w skazanym na zagładę świecie. Podejmuje temat niezależności artysty i jego wywyższenia ponad społeczeństwo. Sztuka jawi się jako ostatnia szansa ocalenia ludzkiej indywidualności.

On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. Or, The Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life

Charles Darwin

Everyone has opinions about evolution, but how many people have actually read Charles Darwin? If you havent done so yet, youre missing out on what is surely one of the greatest books ever written. Written for the general public of the 1850s, it is a rigorously documented but highly readable account of the scientific theory that now lies at the root of our present attitude to the universe. Darwins book contains a wealth of evidence that the diversity of life arose through a branching pattern of evolution and common descent. Challenging notions such as the fixity of species with the idea of natural selection, and setting forth the results of pioneering work on the ecology of animals and plants, it made a lasting contribution to philosophical and scientific thought. Such an important foundational book that changed the course of the world and laid foundation to many new branches of science.

The Merchant of Venice

William Shakespeare

In this work you can see the obsession with money, vindictiveness and even nationalism. There are two Venetian merchants, Bassanio and Antonio, in an extremely difficult financial situation. Bassanio, as a way out of this situation, decides to go to woo the rich heiress Portia, but he has no money for it. Antonio also has no money, but he borrows a large amount from a Jew Shylock under his honest name.

Sezonowa miłość

Gabriela Zapolska

Co się stanie, gdy znudzona życiem, nieco zblazowana żona urzędnika uda się dla kuracji do Zakopanego i spotka tam młodego, przystojnego aktora? Czy tak właśnie zaczyna się sezonowa miłość? Historia romansu na tle polskich Tatr dziś również zadziwia celnością obserwacji zachowań ludzkich i znajomością charakterów, które Zapolska mistrzowsko wykorzystuje w powieści.

Dzieje Tristana i Izoldy

Joseph Bédier

Tristan i Izolda to bohaterowie celtyckiej legendy związanej z opowieściami z cyklu arturiańskiego. Tristan jest siostrzeńcem i wasalem króla Kornwalii, Marka. Władca chce poślubić właścicielkę złotego włosa i wysyła na poszukiwania Tristana. Rycerz odnajduje Izoldę Złotowłosą i wyrusza z nią w podróż powrotną do Kornwalii. W czasie podróży główni bohaterowie wypijają przypadkowo napój miłosny, przygotowany przez matkę królewny dla niej i dla króla...

The Mayor on Horseback

E. Phillips Oppenheim

The young handsome Mayor of Mechester, Daniel Poynton is the owner of a very successful shoe manufacturer, the major employer in the city and the mayor will soon be a Lord Mayor. Never before interested in women, or even in social affairs, he is stricken by the beauty of The Lady Ursula Manningham and falls in love. As the novel develops, Poyntons factory is threatened by foreign manufacturers who want to establish a cooperative monopoly with him. At the same time, Poyntons relationship with Violet Grey, who is a competent secretary, continues to develop and becomes more important to his business and social life. Meanwhile his infatuation with Lady Ursula progresses to the point of asking her to marry... The book shows interesting color on the interaction between socialist workers unions and managements enlightened response to worker unrest.

The Hash Knife Outfit

Zane Grey

The sequel to The Drift Fence, featuring the continuing story of Jim Traft and Molly Dunn and introducing Jims sister Glorianna, who finds more than she bargained for in the West. When Gloriana Traft came to Arizona to visit her tenderfoot brother Jim, trouble was rampant in Yellow Jacket. The notorious Hash Knife Outfit of rustlers and gunmen were stealing the ranchers cattle and terrorizing the beautiful valley. Guns would blaze and blood would run hot and red before Goloriana and her brother became true and valiant citizens of the frontier West. Zane Grey paints a pretty picture of the land, the men and women who settled it, and they danger of cowboy life.

The Man Called Gilray

Fred M. White

Lovers of detectives and mysteries, this story will appeal. Gilrays body was found in his office. It is curious that Gilray died a week after his servant was also found dead. But the journalist Philip Temple suspects that there is something wrong in this case, too many coincidences.

The Bishop and Other Stories

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov

One of the last stories of Chekhov. This is the tragedy of a representative of the intelligentsia, whose pursuit of a very successful church career cuts him off from real human intercourse. Until he faces death, the bishop does not understand that something important is missing in his life, namely, love and respect for himself, and not for his title.

Sawtooth Ranch

B.M. Bower

B. M. Bower (a woman who actually lived in early 20th century Montana when this story was written) has a good sense of humor and touches on some of the big issues of the West such as water rights and land ownership and development. Her intrepid heroine starts out as a girl actor in the silly Westerns of early Hollywood and then switches to a remote ranch for the real cowgirl experience. Many of Bowers books were adapted for the big screen, and her characters and landscape descriptions have been indelibly stamped on the conventions of classic Western films. Whether youre a first-time reader or a long-time fan, Sawtooth Ranch will surely please fans of classic Westerns.

Puck of Pooks Hill

Rudyard Kipling

Brother and sister meet Elf Pak. He introduces them to people and events of bygone years that took place in the vicinity of the estate during the time of old England. This is the south of the island of Britain, on the English Channel. Many important events in British history took place here: the Romans marched here, here the Gauls aka winged hats tried to conquer Britain. Through the fates of ordinary people, valiant, noble, decent, who participated in significant events for Britain, Kipling tells the story of the island and the formation of the people.

Już nie zapomnisz mnie. Opowieść o Henryku Warsie

Ryszard Wolański

Biografia Henryka Warsa (właściwie Henryka Warszawskiego, po wojnie Henryego Varsa), jednego z największych polskich twórców muzyki filmowej okresu międzywojennego. Jego piosenki śpiewały ówczesne gwiazdy ekranu, m.in. panie: Loda Halama, Hanka Ordonówna, Tola Mankiewiczówna, Zula Pogorzelska, oraz panowie: Eugeniusz Bodo, Andrzej Bogucki, Adolf Dymsza i Aleksander Żabczyński. Podczas II wojny światowej prowadził The Polish Parade polski teatr rewiowy, utworzony przy armii gen. Władysława Andersa, z którym przeszedł cały szlak bojowy II Korpusu. Zdemobilizowany we Włoszech w 1947 r. wyjechał do USA. Skomponował tam muzykę do kilkudziesięciu filmów kinowych i telewizyjnych, realizowanych przez Columbię, Universal Picture, Warner Brothers, United Artists, 20th Century Fox i Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Największą sławę przyniosła mu muzyka do nakręconego w 1963 r. filmu Flipper (wyświetlanego w Polsce pod tytułem Mój przyjaciel delfin). Popularność jego muzyki zaowocowała wieloma kontaktami towarzyskimi i artystycznymi. Poznał Henryego Manciniego, zaprzyjaźnił się z Polą Negri, jego piosenki śpiewali Bing Crosby, Jimmie Rodgers, Doris Day, Brenda Lee i Mel Thorme, a Over and Over and Over w wykonaniu Margaret Witting stała się w USA wielkim przebojem lat 60. W 1967 r. odwiedził Warszawę. Jest także kompozytorem muzyki symfonicznej i licznych utworów kameralnych. Równolegle z premierą e-booka choć niezależnie od niego ukazał się w Złotej Kolekcji wytwórni Pomaton dwupłytowy album CD z przebojami Henryka Warsa pt. Miłość ci wszystko wybaczy/Jak za dawnych lat. Zawiera 39 największych przebojów kompozytora w postaci przedwojennych oryginałów (śpiewanych m.in. przez Eugeniusza Bodo, Tadeusza Faliszewskiego czy Adama Astona) i powojennych coverów (w wykonaniu m.in. Ireny Santor, Anny Dereszowskiej czy Andrzeja Zauchy). Płytę opracował dla wytwórni autor naszej książki, Ryszard Wolański.

Tregarthens Wife. A Cornish Story

Fred M. White

Another fantastic story from Fred M. White. The island of Tregarthen is a long green succulent piece from the mainland, about eight miles long and five wide. It is protected from the east and north by granite walls, rising a thousand feet up and dark, and its music is the Atlantic thunder and the cry of countless sea birds. Where is it? What matters it? Not so many leagues from Tintagel, for they tell tales of King Arthur, and there is a deep apple orchard in the heart of the island where Lancelot slew the dragon whose teeth were flaming swords.

Island Nights Entertainments

Robert Louis Stevenson

The famous novel by Robert Louis Stevenson tells about the exciting and dangerous adventures of young Jim and his older comrades who set off in search of a pirate treasure. Jim had to face such serious tests that an adult could not stand. But the courage, nobility, honesty and kindness of this wonderful boy helped him cope with all the difficulties!