Due to a lack of biographical evidence regarding the identity of Homer it has been suggested that the two great works attributed to him, the "Iliad" and the "Odyssey" may in fact be the work of multiple authors passed down through a long oral tradition. While scholarship on the subject will likely never definitely prove one way or the other, it is now generally accepted that these two great epic poems are the work of a single Greek author, Homer,...

"Widely acknowledged as the first English novel, Daniel Defoe's adventure story of a shipwrecked sailor became an instant classic upon its publication in 1719 and the yardstick for countless castaway narratives to follow." "Robinson Crusoe, an English sailor, finds himself marooned on a desert island after the rest of his shipmates drown in a terrible wreck. He survives on the island for nearly three decades, domesticating livestock, cultivating plants,...

Frankenstein: Using parts from corpses, Victor Frankenstein creates a large, man-like creature. Rejected and abused by humans, the creature takes revenge by committing murder. Frankenstein then pursues the creature, determined to kill him or die in the attempt. -- The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: When Dr. Henry Jekyll begins to look ill and isolates himself from his friends, they fear for his life. A mysterious evil man named Edward...

A coastal city in Algeria is struck by bubonic plague and is shut off from the world for months.

Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie's tale of the boy who wouldn't grow up, remains one of the most beloved children's books ever written. For nearly a hundred years, kids across the world have drifted off to sleep dreaming about Tinker Bell and the Lost Boys, pixie dust and ticking clocks, crocodiles and Captain Hook. But in spite of the story's visual richness, it has never been illustrated photographically until now. In this lavishly produced edition of the...

Pippi moves into in a house at the edge of a Swedish village with a horse, a monkey, a suitcase full of gold, and no grown-ups to tell her what to do. She has upside-down braids and is wild and funny and her crazy ideas have a way of making anything exciting! Naturally, the children next door, Tommy and Annika are curious about their new neighbor. The three children have the most rollicking adventures on their own, with horses and monkeys, the circus,...

Dorothy Gale lives with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. She has a pet dog named Toto. When Miss Gulch takes Toto away, Toto escapes and runs back to Dorothy. Soon, she runs away from home, and runs into the fake psychic, Professor Marvel. He tells Dorothy that her Auntie Em is sick, so Dorothy and Toto run back home, but a tornado comes and takes Dorothy and Toto to Oz, a place somewhere over the rainbow. She lands in Munchkinland. Her house accidentally...

Passions unleashed cause much wooing and confusion in the magical woods of Athens. Whether real or induced by magical potions seems to mak little difference, showing that love is far from rational, though those afflicted might feel otherwise. A Midsummer night's dream is a delightful comedy that offers something for everyone. The intertwined love constellations include Hermia and Lysander, who having decided to elope, steal away into the forest. Demetrius,...

Landmark 19th century novel in which a woman defies the standards of conventional French society.

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer: a misfit reindeer and his friends look for a place that will accept them. Frosty the snowman: a living snowman and a little girl struggle to elude a greedy magician who is after the snowman's magic hat. Santa Claus is comin' to town: A mailman reveals the origins of Santa Claus. The little drummer boy: an orphan drummer boy who hates humanity finds his life changed forever when he meets three wise men en route to...