Le Fantôme de lOpéra

Gaston Leroux

Le fantôme de lOpéra a réellement existé! Oui, il a existé, en chair et en os, bien quil se donnât toutes les apparences dun vrai fantôme, cest--dire dune ombre... La tension afflue de la premiere la derniere page et ne donne pas le temps pour prendre un peu de souffle. Accidents et disparitions, pendaison du machiniste, chute dun lustre dans le public, enlevements et séquestration... Quest-ce que cest? Ce roman gothique tres envotant.

Kai Lungs Golden Hours

Ernest Bramah

The second volume of amusing Chinese fantasies. A captivating collection thats ripe for rediscovery, Kai Lungs Golden Hours stands as the very best of these beguiling books. As with other Kai Lung novels, the main plot serves primarily as a vehicle for the presentation of the gem-like, aphorism-laden stories told by the protagonist Kai Lung, an itinerant story-teller of ancient China. With the help of beautiful Hwa Mei, who has the attention of evil Ming Shu, Kai tries to regain his freedom by spinning a series of entertaining tales that intrigue his captor. In a unique defense, Kai Lung recites his beguiling tales to the Mandarin, successfully postponing his conviction time after time until he is finally set free. Laced with romance and adventure, spiced with fantasy and the supernatural, these stories will transport readers to a mandarins court in ancient China. Kai Lungs Golden Hours is a frame story or frame novel, that is, the narrative provides a frame for different stories.

Śluby panieńskie, czyli Magnetyzm serca. Komedia w 5 aktach wierszem

Aleksander Fredro

Dwie młode damy Aniela i Klara postanawiają nie wychodzić nigdy za mąż i igrać z męskimi uczuciami. Jak w tej sytuacji odnajdą się starający się o ich względy panowie? Czy miłość rzeczywiście przyciąga nieodwołalnie jak magnes? Aleksander Fredro stworzył komedię obfitującą w zabawne intrygi i dowcipne dialogi, a jednocześnie dowodzą wielkiej siły miłosnych uczuć.

The Iliad

Homer

One of the greatest stories ever told, "The Iliad" has survived for thousands of years because of its insightful portrayal of man and its epic story of war, duty, honor, and revenge. The poem itself centers on the figure of Achilles the Greek warrior, his quarrel with King Agamemnon the Greek leader, the death of Achilles friend Patroclus, and Achilles ultimate defeat of the Trojan warrior Hector. In the course of relating this core story, the main events of the whole war are covered. Revenge and meddling gods weave through this epic of a seemingly endless war. Seven Greek cities claim the honor of being the birthplace of Homer, the poet to whom the composition of "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" are attributed. "The Iliad" is one of the foremost achievements in Western literature, but the identity or even the existence of Homer himself is a complete mystery, with no reliable biographical information having survived.

Anna Karenina. Roman

Lew N. Tolstoi

Lew Tolstois Roman Anna Karenina spielt abwechselnd in Moskau, auf einem Landgut und in St. Petersburg und bietet eine ausgezeichnete Schilderung der russischen Gesellschaft in der zweiten Hälfte des 19. Jahrhunderts. Glücklos mit einem hohen Beamten verheiratet, verfällt die bezaubernde, kluge und sanftmütige Anna dem jungen Offizier Graf Wronski in unwiderstehlicher Liebe. Anna Karenina ist bereit, dieser Liebe alles zu opfern. Doch ihre Liebe scheitert und endet in Eifersucht, Hass und Verzweiflung. Schließlich richtet Anna sich selbst, aber auch ihren Mann und den Geliebten zugrunde. In der anderen großen Figur des Romans, dem Gutsbesitzer Lewin, hatte sich Tolstoi selbst verewigt.

The Life, Adventures and Piracies of the Famous Captain Singleton

Daniel Defoe

With a page-length title promising thrilling adventures in exotic locations, Captain Singleton is often viewed as an attempt by Defoe to capitalize upon the success achieved by Robinson Crusoe, which had been published a year earlier and had already merited a sequel. Defoe here offers a searching exploration of society from the point of view of its outcasts. The narrative describes the life of an Englishman, stolen from a well-to-do family as a child and raised by Gypsies who eventually makes his way to sea. The novel comprises two distinct halves. The first one is set in an east-west journey across central Africa, with a lot of not surprisingly dubious details of the wildlife, natives and scenery encountered. The second half involves piracies in diverse locations around the globe, including Brazil, the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific. Originally was published in 1720, The Life, Adventures and Piracies of the Famous Captain Singleton is an absorbing and delightful tale.

Before Adam

Jack London

Before Adam is a striking story about our distant Neanderthal ancestors, who are just starting to become aware of themselves as people. According to the plot of the story, the protagonist has dreams in which he watches a movie about his adventures in prehistoric times in the person of the Big Tooth boy living with his mother in a nest in a big tree... The author tried to diversify the heros dreams with various adventures: problems with his mother, constantly changing husbands; complex relationships between different subspecies of modern people; cruel relationships between people and so on.

Jaszczur

Honoriusz Balzak

Powieść Jaszczur Honoriusza Balzaka należy do Studiów filozoficznych cyklu Komedia Ludzka. Akcja powieści rozgrywa się bezpośrednio po rewolucji lipcowej, kiedy to na tron wstąpił Ludwik Filip I. Główny bohater utworu, dwudziestopięcioletni Rafael de Valentin, postanawia wówczas popełnić samobójstwo. Przegrał bowiem w kasynie ostatnie posiadane pieniądze. Przypadkiem trafia do sklepu z dziełami sztuki. Właściciel sklepu pokazuje Rafaelowi kawałek jaszczuru z inskrypcją w sanskrycie. Mówi ona, że właściciel jaszczura będzie mógł spełnić każde swoje marzenie, jednak równocześnie skóra będzie się kurczyć. Kiedy zniknie całkowicie, jej posiadacz umrze...