Małe niedole pożycia małżeńskiego

Honoriusz Balzak

Małe niedole pożycia małżeńskiego Honoriusza Balzaka należą do Studiów analitycznych cyklu Komedia Ludzka. Utwór stanowi luźny zbiór porad dla młodych małżonków. Pisarz posługuje się archetypicznymi postaciami Adolfa i Karoliny de Chodoreille, parą typowych młodych małżonków wywodzących się z mieszczaństwa. W kolejnych studiach przypadków opisuje napotykane przez młode małżeństwo problemy emocjonalne, rodzinne, ekonomiczne oraz te związanych z wychowaniem dzieci. Mimo iż przywołane w utworze sytuacje są fikcyjne, autor inspirował się własnymi doświadczeniami lub też opowieściami zasłyszanymi w swoim bliskim otoczeniu.

The Strangers Gate

E. Phillips Oppenheim

This is a mystery novel surrounding German intrigue and bauxite mining in typical Oppenheim style. E. Phillips Oppenheim was the self-styled prince of storytellers and composed some one hundred and fifty novels, mainly of the suspense and international intrigue nature, but including romances, comedies, and parables of everyday life. In this one, Beverley, a handsome tycoon, operates an unknown bauxite mine in mythical kingdom of Orlac, and wages a battle of wits against German secret agents and the extravagant king when another mine is discovered. Beverley sides with a pauper Prince, on whose property the metal is found, and with his sister.

Nada the Lily

H. Rider Haggard

Nada the Lily is a historical novel. It tells about the origins of Umslopogaas, the illegitimate son of the Zulu king in the 19th century. Parts of the story are inspired by the real historical events and fairy tales that Haggard heard during his time in South Africa. Haggard portrays the Zulus as real peoplepeople with hopes and dreams, as well as flaws.

Athabasca Bill. A Tale of the Far West

Bessie Marchant

In Alberta, Canada, young Freds family awaits the return of their father who is looking for a site for a new home for them. But just as he return, bloodhounds seeking the thief who stole a box containing hundreds of dollars trace the scent to Freds father. Fred sets out to find Athabasca Bill who may have information that will prove that his father is innocent. Elizabeth Marchant (18621941) was a prolific English writer who wrote in the style of the Victorian adventure novel. She was born in Petham in Kent and preferred to be known as Bessie. In many of her novels the lead characters in her books were very often female, although she did write books with male heroes. Athabasca Bill: A Tale of the Far West is a must-read for anyone in need for a dose of entertaining, worthwhile writing.

813

Maurice Leblanc

Lupin is back after apparently dying in the assault on the hollow needle in the previous novel but this time, he appears to be a murderer! The mystery, written before the Great War, involves finding a package of letters once written to Bismarck, locating a clock on which the number 813 has significance, as well as causing a reigning emperor to make several journeys incognito. And Lupin, the clever but patriotic French thief, does engage with them and also with the French police of his day, even if on the point of disguising himself and proving to be one of the best detectives of them all. First published in 1919, 813 is one of the very best Lupin novels written by Maurice Leblanc and translated by Alexander Teixeira De Mottos. Always cheery, fast-paced, engaging, a beautiful adventure novel.

Dr. Night

Aidan de Brune

Originally published in 1926, Dr. Night is the first story from the Dr. Night trilogy by Aidan De Brune, (1874-1946). Aidan de Brune was a big name in Australian literature but is forgotten today. He was a prolific author who wrote in a variety of genres. This story is basically rather gaudy crime yarns, which steadily veers into fantasy by the end and features a very unlikely Asian villain who is as different from Fu Manchu as you can imagine: a small, colorless man of uncertain central Asian origin whose principal obsession is raising money by any means possible to recreate a long-dead central Asian kingdom of which his distant ancestors were kings. Most of the stories from the trilogy take place in and around Sydney, although the earliest known is set in Perth Western Australia and one of the novelettes in north Queenslan.

The Scarlet Citadel

Robert E. Howard

The roar of battle had died away; the shout of victory mingled with the cries of the dying. Like gay-hued leaves after an autumn storm, the fallen littered the plain; the sinking sun shimmered on burnished helmets, gilt-worked mail, silver breastplates, broken swords and the heavy regal folds of silken standards, overthrown in pools of curdling crimson. In silent heaps lay war- horses and their steel-clad riders, flowing manes and blowing plumes stained alike in the red tide.

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...