Books with title Bliss: And Other Stories

Candide is the story of a gentle man who, though pummeled and slapped in every direction by fate, clings desperately to the belief that he lives in "the best of all possible worlds." On the surface a witty, bantering tale, this eighteenth-century classic is actually a savage, satiric thrust at the philosophical optimism that proclaims that all disaster and human suffering is part of a benevolent cosmic plan. Fast, funny, often outrageous, the French philosopher's immortal narrative takes Candide around the world to discover that — contrary to the teachings of his distinguished tutor Dr. Pangloss — all is not always for the best. Alive with wit, brilliance, and graceful storytelling, Candide has become Voltaire's most celebrated work.

Brilliant short stories and a novella by the author of Moby-Dick"Billy Budd, Sailor," a classic confrontation between good and evil, is the story of an innocent young man unable to defend himself from wrongful accusations. Other selections include "Bartleby," "The Piazza," "The Encantadas," "The Bell-Tower," "Benito Cereno," "The Paradise of Bachelors," and "The Tartarus of Maids."For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Originally published in 1923, A. E. Coppard's The Black Dog is a collection of short stories to savor. Alfred Edgar Coppard (1878 – 1957) was an English writer and poet, noted for his influence on the short story form. A writer of fantastical -- and sometimes disturbing -- stories, he writes with assured literary flare and is a writer's writer.As for his own influences, Coppard listed Sterne, Dickens, James, Hardy, Shaw, Chekhov and Joyce as authors he valued; conversely, he expressed a dislike for the works of D. H. Lawrence, T. E. Lawrence, and Rudyard Kipling. Some of Coppard's collections, such as Adam and Eve and Pinch Me and Fearful Pleasures, contain stories with fantastic elements, either of supernatural horror or allegorical fantasy.Coppard's short stories were praised by Ford Madox Ford and Frank O'Connor. The Times Literary Supplement praised Coppard's "brilliant virtuosity as a pure spinner of tales" Coppard's supernatural fiction was admired by Algernon Blackwood, and Brian Stableford argues that Coppard's fantasy has a similar style to that of Walter de la Mare and that "many of his mercurial and oddly plaintive fantasies are deeply disturbing."

[Read by Joan Hickson, David Suchet, Hugh Fraser, and Simon Vance]The title story, the novella Three Blind Mice, is followed by eight short stories of mysteries solved to perfection by Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple.A blinding snowstorm -- and a homicidal maniac -- traps a small party of friends in an isolated estate. Out of this deceptively simple setup, Agatha Christie fashions one of her most ingenious puzzlers, which in turn would provide the basis for The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in the history of the London theater.From this classic title novella to the deliciously clever stories that follow -- solved to perfection by Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple -- this rare collection of murder most foul showcases Christie at her inventive best, proving her reputation as ''the champion deceiver of our time'' (New York Times). Stories in this collection include:''Three Blind Mice''''Strange Jest''''Tape Measure Murder''''The Case of the Perfect Maid''''The Case of the Caretaker''''The Third Floor Flat''''The Adventure of Johnny Waverly''''Four and Twenty Blackbirds''''The Love Detectives''

"Typhoon and Other Stories" is a collection of four shorter works by Joseph Conrad. In the title work "Typhoon" we have a classic tale of the sea which describes how Captain MacWhirr sails the Siamese steamer "Nan-Shan" into a typhoon. "Typhoon" excellently depicts sea-faring life at the turn of the 20th century. Also included in this collection is "Amy Foster", the story of a Polish immigrant who on his way to America becomes shipwrecked off the cost of England. Since he speaks no English, he is treated as a madman and imprisoned by the local Englishmen who find him. In "Amy Foster" Conrad draws upon his Polish heritage to provide a convincing story of the difficulties arising from acclimating oneself to a foreign land. You will also find the stories "Falk: A Reminiscence" and "To-Morrow" in this collection of nautically themed works.

Share in fifty years of a really remarkable cat…Mog is everyone’s favourite family cat! Come play with her in this bumper board book collection of funny and warm-hearted stories especially for younger readers, now as a full colour ebook!(This ebook is optimised for Kindle tablets and the Kindle App. It is not suitable for e-Ink kindle devices, such as the PaperWhite. We recommend you download a sample to your device before purchase if in doubt.)From the creator of The Tiger Who Came to Tea and Mog the Forgetful Cat comes this bumper ebook collection filled with four delightful family adventures about a really remarkable cat, perfect for her younger fans!Contains:Mog and MeMog in the GardenMog’s KittensMog’s Family of CatsMog the Forgetful Cat was first published fifty years ago, and Mog has been delighting children all over the world with her adventures ever since. These books are the perfect gifts for boys, girls and families everywhere!

Known best for his avantgarde and modernistic style, Herman Melville's stories come together in the compilation "Billy Budd and Other Stories." In "Billy Budd, Foretopman," Melville returns to the sea life and describes the tale of a wellliked sailor who is wrongly convicted of trying to enact mutiny against the ship's master at arms. Billy Budd accidentally kills his superior during a fight, and he is sentenced to death and hung in front of the whole crew. It is a story about good and evil, with Billy Budd representing the right, while his antagonist is frequently described as a snake, like the serpent in the Bible. The story is also about justice and how justice isn't always served in certain cases. In his other works, Melville leads his audience on journeys to uncover the identity of America; many of America's citizens were suffering an identity crisis due to the shifting social and political climate of the 1800's, and Melville personified these feelings in his shorter works. Melville had a difficult time finding an audience during his life, though, so many of his works went unnoticed and undiscovered until the 20th century during a "Melville Revival." It is because of this revival that works like "The Piazza" and "The Bell Tower" have found their place in the great canon of American literature.

“Michael Marcus takes us on a wild adventure through the darkest depths of addiction, sexuality, deceit, and depravity with a raw grace and eloquence that brings to mind the voices of Jim Carroll in THE BASKETBALL DIARIES, Irvine Welsh in TRAINSPOTTING, Denis Johnson in JESUS’ SON, and Junot Diaz in DROWN. Not for a moment do we question our narrator’s truth as he depicts larger-than-life characters who are in a constant struggle to survive. “Marcus has an engaging voice as an author that is matched by his raucous humor. To read #1 SON is an experience of monumental proportions. A powerful, fresh new voice has taken center stage on the literary scene.” --Jon Hess, from his introduction