Akron Public Library

Recounts the story of Martin Eden, a young seaman struggling to obtain social and intellectual recognition as a writer.

Set among the elegant brownstones of New York City and opulent country houses like gracious Bellomont on the Hudson, the novel creates a satiric portrayal of what Wharton herself called "a society of irresponsible pleasure-seekers" with a precision comparable to that of Proust. And her brilliant and complex characterization of the doomed Lily Bart, whose stunning beauty and dependence on marriage for economic survival reduce her to a decorative object,...

Chaos prevails when the bubonic plague strikes the Algerian coastal city of Oran. A haunting tale of human resilience in the face of unrelieved horror, Camus' novel about a bubonic plague ravaging the people of a North African coastal town is a classic of twentieth-century literature.

This sprawling and often brutal novel, set in the rich farmlands of California's Salinas Valley, follows the intertwined destinies of two families--the Trasks' and the Hamilton's--whose generations helplessly reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel. The story of two brothers, Aron is a clean-cut model student, engaged to be married, the pride of his hardworking father. Cal is a rebellious loner, sternly rejected...

"Mowgli, lost in the deep jungle as a child, is adopted into a family of wolves. Hunted by Shere Khan, the Bengal tiger, Mowgli is allowed to run with the wolf pack under the protection of Bagheera, the black panther, and of Baloo, the brown bear who teaches wolf cubs The Law of the Jungle. Through many legendary adventures, Mowgli evolves from a vengeful member of the pack to a just and compassionate human being who at last returns to join--perhaps...

Sister Carrie is a Theodore Dreiser novel about a young country girl who moves to the big city where she starts realizing her own American Dream. She first becomes a mistress to men that she perceives as superior and later emerges as a famous actress. Sister Carrie is considered as the "greatest of all American urban novels." Theodore Dreiser was an American novelist and journalist who the naturalist school and is known for portraying characters whose...

These writings create an unforgettable portrait of life in wartime that continues to resonate with truth and humanity.

Written during the final stages of her illness, this was Katherine Mansfield's last collection of stories to be published in her lifetime. Comprising fifteen stories, this edition comes with an introduction and notes by Lorna Sage.

Contains English translations of twelve stories and novellas by German Nobel Laureate Thomas Mann, featuring the title work about the quest for love and beauty in the midst of decaying splendor