The Colossus of Arcadia

E. Phillips Oppenheim

This late novel of E. Phillips Oppenheim begins as the Train Bleu pulls into the railroad station in Monaco. Its a leisurely spy fiction tale set in Monaco as various members of aristocracy from different countries plus one vacationing American woman find themselves involved with international intrigue. The bulk of the book consists of members of the leisure class drinking cocktails, playing baccarat, and generally spending time in Monacos elite clubs. Oppenheims work often reflected the current political and social events he was living through. In the late 1930s, Oppenheim was living in the South of France, near Monaco, as that playground of the wealthy slowly emptied out it wealthy and royal clientele in advance of the coming war.

Le Ventre de Paris

Émile Zola

Le Ventre de Paris le monde du marché central, le monde de la nourriture et la fete de lestomac. Emil Zola a peint de maniere colorée et détaillée tous les magasins et boutiques de ce coin de la ville, représentant de maniere colorée les vendeurs, leurs intérets et leurs interconnexions. Ici, les gens naissent, grandissent, tombent amoureux et meurent. Il y a des intrigues et des complots que le palais royal lui-meme envie. Le principal conflit du travail est la confrontation de personnes épaisses et minces, de personnes entierement satisfaites de la vie bien remplie et de personnes souhaitant changer quelque chose, meme a un prix défiant

The Gambler

Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky

Inspired by Dostoevskys own gambling addiction and written under pressure in order to pay off his creditors and retain his rights to his literary legacy, The Gambler is set in the casino of the fictional German spa town of Roulettenburg and follows the misfortunes of the young tutor Alexei Ivanovich working in the household of an imperious Russian general. He begins gambling to win enough money to become a rich man and therefore win the favor of the woman that he loves. In the disastrous love affairs and gambling adventures of Alexei Ivanovich, Dostoevsky explores the irresistible temptation to look into the abyss of ultimate risk that he believed was an essential part of the Russian national character. In The Gambler, Dostoevsky reaches the heights of drama with this stunning psychological portrait

Vingt ans apres

Alexandre Dumas pere

Vingt ans apres cest imposant volume et une suite du premier opus Les trois mousquetaires et le dernier chapitre de cette grande fresque littéraire est Le vicomte de Bragelonne. Vingt ans ont passé et les temps ont bien changé. Paris est secoué par les soubresauts de la Fronde. Si DArtagnan parvient retrouver et rallier ses quatre amis, nul doute que la Fronde entiere sera forcée de plier le genou devant eux...

The Velvet Hand

Hulbert Footner

Madame Rosika Storey was one of the most celebrated fictional female private investigators during the Golden Age of the mystery (1920-40). She is a beautiful detecative who solves four cases for you in a manner most effecative, arriving at conclusions by processes subliminal, since intuition is her guide in locating the criminal. See what happen in each case, both dangerous and difficult. And since her intuition is so perfectly reliable, and backed up by ingenious proof whose force is undeniable all of which of course is written in a manner most enjoyable were sure that youll agree no crook could ever catch Rosika out, and if you ever need a dick we hope that you will seek her out.

Słówka

Tadeusz Boy-Żeleński

Błyskotliwe i zabawne krótkie formy poetyckie Boya-Żeleńskiego celnie komentują ludzkie zwyczaje. Boy nie kryguje się w wyborze tematu sięga do różnych sfer, z każdej potrafi zakpić i zadrwić, wytykając obłudę. Czytelników zachwyca lekkość tonu i trafność spostrzeżeń. Tom Słówka stał się na dekady skarbnicą złotych myśli i skrzydlatych słów, które do dziś z lubością powtarzamy.

The Closed Book. Concerning the Secret of the Borgias

William Le Queux

These strange facts would never have been placed on record, nor would this exciting chapter of an eventful life have been written, except for two reasons: first, because the discovery I made has been declared to be of considerable importance to scientists, bibliophiles, and the world at large; and, secondly, because it is my dear wifes wish that in order to clear her in the eyes of both friends and foes nothing should be concealed, misrepresented, or withheld.

The Descent of Man and Other Stories

Edith Wharton

The Descent of Man and Other Stories is the third collection of ten short fiction from Edith Wharton, first published in 1904. It includes the title piece Descent of Man, as well as The Other Two, Expiation, The Ladys Maids Bell, The Mission of Jane, The Reckoning, The Letter, The Dilettante, The Quicksand, and A Venetian Nights Entertainment. Wharton dissecting some of the customs, habits and vagaries of courtship and marriage, particularly as practiced in the upper reaches of New York society at the turn of the twentieth century. Fidelity is only one problem; others may arise from the machinations and emotions of the protagonists or outsiders. Wharton handles the questions with her usual gentle irony and curiosity about human behavior.