New Classics

This introduction is not scholarly. It is not designed to impress, but to connect with possibly new fans of Joseph Conrad. As the current trends of purges of past collide with the present, it is my hope this work will not be one of those deleted or banned in libraries. Conrad began writing Suspense in 1920, four years before his death. Yet as early in 1905, the late author used Memories of the Countess De Boigne as a basis for many of the characters the listener will see in the work. This is not a slight; not many academics criticized Conrad for doing so.

Set in an early New England colony, the novel shows the terrible impact a single, passionate act has on the lives of three members of the community: the fiery, tortured Reverend Dimmesdale; the obsessed, vengeful Chillingworth; and the defiant Hester Prynne, who, unwilling to name her partner in adultery, is condemned to wear a scarlet "A" on the breast of her gown for the remainder of her life.

Marina Caliban and water have had a close relationship her entire life. So much so that a life in the Coast Guard was almost a given. She has hidden away her inhuman abilities when she is out in the waves from everyone. A rescue mission on a floating power generation platform in the Pacific Ocean during what is being called the storm of the millennium, changes everything for her. Along with her family and Doctor Selina Selkirk, Marina is thrust into a world of supernatural myth that could spell the end for all of mankind.

Rediscover The Pilgrim's Progress, one of the greatest works of Christian literature, now brought to life in a vibrant, modern translation. This beloved allegory has been faithfully retold with engaging, easy-to-understand storytelling while preserving all the original content and spiritual depth.

A mean wizard sends three monsters to torment the Kingdom of Glee led by King Gentle, with the hope of discovering: Why the people living there are so happy? One-by-one the monsters’ plans are spoiled, until the wizard succeeds in discovering a secret that changes his life, forever. This stunning addition to the New Classics Books collection contains a heartfelt story by Nicholas Tana with wonderful sound design and compositions by German film composer, Richard Albert, destined to delight children and adults alike for years to come.

This is the first complete English-language translation of a classic of Yiddish literature, one of the great comic novels of the 20th century. The Zelmenyaners describes the travails of a Jewish family in Minsk that is torn asunder by the new Soviet reality. Four generations are depicted in riveting and often uproarious detail as they face the profound changes brought on by the demands of the Soviet regime and its collectivist, radical secularism.

"Приемная дочь богатой аристократки - красавица, которую ждет выгодное замужество. Что скрывает ее прошлое? Она жила в приюте, влачила жалкое существование и в минуту отчаяния присвоила себе чужие документы, чужую историю жизни. Но призрак прошлого врывается в настоящую жизнь - обманутая несчастная требует ответа. Хватит ли мужества у Принцессы превратиться в Золушку, пожертвовать любовью и богатством.

Cicero's Stoic Paradoxes is a brilliant and accessible summary of the six major ethical beliefs of Stoicism. The nature of moral goodness, the possession of virtue, good and bad conduct, the transcendence of wisdom, and the sources of real wealth are all discussed with the author's characteristic intensity and wit. This is the only existing modern translation of this little-known classic, as well as the most detailed study. Translator Quintus Curtius has returned to the original Latin texts to provide a modern, fresh interpretation of these forgotten classics.

A young Puritan woman gives birth to an illegitimate child in 17th-century New England and must endure public condemnation and the burden of a terrible secret.

On the eve of the First World War, sociology student Vandyck Jennings goes on an expedition with two of his friends to search for a society rumored to consist only of women. On the way to what they will name “Herland,” Van and his friends ponder the type of women they hope or expect to see when they get there … but they find no fantasies when they arrive. Herland is an all-female, community-driven utopia. Van and his friends are skeptical of a society that doesn’t even need men to procreate, but women and girls who live there have been raised in a world removed the patriarchy of the world.

We face a crisis of sexuality. During the last few years, we have witnessed an unprecedented breakdown of traditions and mores concerning sexuality and the family. Countries across the West have suddenly and seemingly irrevocably instituted same-sex marriage; a former athlete has won awards for publicly changing gender; and no one seems to know what restroom to use any more. What used to be taboo and frowned upon has become normal and even encouraged. What used to be normal and sought after is now viewed as unnecessary and possibly harmful.

Some of us were lucky enough to have one passionate, funny, inspiring English teacher who helped us fall in love with books. Add a lifetime of teaching Dharma - authentic, traditional approaches to meditation and awakening - and you get award-winning author Dean Sluyter. With droll humor and irreverent wisdom, he unpacks the Dharma of more than twenty major writers, from William Blake to Dr. Seuss, inspiring listeners to deepen their own spiritual life and see literature in a fresh new way: as a path of awakening.

Incunabula/Ong's Hat was a bizarre Internet phenomenon: an “immersive” online experience—part mystery, part game, part who knows what... The Incunabula Papers/Ong’s Hat was, or is, a “many-threaded, open-ended interactive narrative” that ”weds an alternate history of chaos science and consciousness studies to conspiracy theories, parallel dimensions, and claims that computer-mediated environments can serve as magical tools…. the documents provoked a widespread “immersive legend-trip” in the late 1990s.

A cat goes out of its way to entertain its bored and impatient kitten leading to profound questions about the meaning of life until eventually, both discover an obvious yet often overlooked solution. A deceptively simple story by Nicholas Tana, its profound message is certain to entertain both children and adults. Award-winning, German-based film composer, Richard Albert, teamed up with the author to create the perfect accompanying composition and sound design, in this marvelous philosophical addition to the New Classics Books collection.

A boy learns to face his fear of monsters after discovering that monsters are afraid of his baby sister. Inspired by a child’s imagination, this children’s story published by New Classics Books features a timeless, rhythmical tale by writer and filmmaker Nicholas Tana along with fantastic sound design and original compositions from the award-winning German film composer Richard Albert.

"Understood Betsy" is a beloved children's book that was first published in 1916. It tells the story of Elizabeth Ann, a young girl who has been raised in a sheltered and overprotective environment by her Aunt Frances. Elizabeth Ann is a timid and obedient child who has never been allowed to make her own decisions or take risks. She has always been told what to do and how to behave. However, when Aunt Frances falls ill and is unable to care for Elizabeth Ann, she is sent to live with her previously unknown relatives in rural Vermont.

One of the greatest novels to have come from the 19th century, a realistic, gritty exposure of the lives, loves, intrigue and rivalry that existed in the literary world of London. The art form and culture of writing is becoming a business, expanding rapidly, and profit is more important than integrity of purpose.

Up until recently, Freeman has been known primarily as a "feminist" writer, for her classic stories like "A New England Nun", and "The Revolt of Mother". However, she also wrote many well crafted supernatural stories which have only recently begun to attract appreciative critical attention. These stories combine pragmatism and supernaturalism and are very much in the tradition of an "Americanized" Gothic.

Who hasn't dreamed of running away to a more exciting life? Toby Tyler is one boy who did just that, spending 10 weeks working for the circus as it toured New England in the 1870s. But was this great adventure everything he dreamed it would be? Toby Tyler or, Ten Weeks with a Circus is a classic story beloved by generation after generation of children. Author James Otis Kaler actually traveled with the Phineas T. Barnum Circus as a young reporter, and he used his firsthand knowledge to acquaint children with the behind-the-scenes details of what the circus is really like, while introducing the unforgettable character of Toby Tyler.

The time has come: Hell's gates shall be thrown wide and the power of creation shall run rampant upon the Earth. In this, the first audiobook of the Saga of the New Gods, a group of young college students bring about Armageddon in the most literal sense of the word. With a simple wish upon a unique wedding band given to him by his love, Michelle, Adam unleashes a power that could - if left to reign unchecked - destroy the entire world.…