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Oscar Wilde's classic work is about a man who sells his soul for eternal youth: only his portrait ages, while he remains forever handsome and young. Wilde's allegory, first published in 1890, provides an interesting take on the Faust myth and also a probing examination of human values. Wilde himself described it as the story of an idea that is old in the history of literature, but to which I have given new form. He was shocked and angered by the response to it by the English press, which considered the novel decadent, corrupting, and--worst of all--French-influenced.
Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005.
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Roger Ackroyd has waited the required year after Mrs. Ferrars' husband died to ask for her hand in marriage. However, Mrs. Ferrars announces that she cannot marry him and tells him a secret that is the reason for her refusal. Shortly thereafter Mrs. Ferrars abruptly expires.
Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005.
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Told in the form of letters to his brother back home in Pennsylvania, this is the story of 12-year-old Austin's 1851 journey to Oregon along the Overland Trail. An orphan, Austin joins the wagon train as a passenger of the the Morrison family, and along the way must face illness, death, lack of supplies, and fights between his fellow travelers. Illustrated with b&w drawings.
Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005.
For personal use only.
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Shakespeare's dark portrait of ambition begins when the eponymous hero, a Scottish soldier, encounters three witches, who mysteriously refer to him as the future king. As, step by step, their prophecy begins to be fulfilled, the seeds of ambition are planted not only in Macbeth but in his scheming wife, who soon is plotting the murder of Duncan, King of Scotland. This murder--and the string of killings that inevitably follow--sets in motion a series of dark deeds that torment Macbeth and Lady Macbeth with guilt, which manifests itself most pointedly when a sleepwalking Lady Macbeth attempts to wash the blood from her hands, famously uttering Out, damn'd spot! MACBETH was probably written between 1603 and 1606; it is the last of Shakespeare's major tragedies and is peculiarly concise, perhaps because Shakespeare had learned of King James's penchant for shorter works. The plot was inspired by the Chronicles of Holinshed's narrative of the reigns of Duncan and Macbeth in Scotland. Richard Burbage, one of the most prominent actors of the Elizabethan stage, is said to have originated the title role.
Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005.
For personal use only.
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