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Books published by publisher Hesperus Press Ltd.

  • Something of Myself

    Rudyard Kipling

    Paperback (Hesperus Press, Nov. 1, 2007)
    This captivating portrait of the greatest writer of the Colonialist age, as told by himself, is the last work he wrote. Shedding light on both his life and his work, this charming autobiographical sketch opens with an account of his miserable early childhood, his time at school, and his beginnings as a journalist in India, where he first started to write. He describes how he felt on being published ("Lord ha’ mercy, this is none of I"), the writers he met, and the people he worked with. Most interestingly of all, Kipling recalls the books and incidents that inspired and shaped his many writings.
  • In a German Pension

    Katherine Mansfield, Linda Grant

    Paperback (Hesperus Press, April 1, 2003)
    In a German Pension is a remarkable collection of short stories, displaying all Katherine Mansfield’s skill in the genre. Written shortly after the author visited Germany as a young woman, these short stories form a series of satirical sketches of German characters. From a young wife’s preoccupation with her husband’s stomach, to a society lady’s inability to see beyond the latest fashion, Katherine Mansfield depicts, in exquisite detail, the minute changes of human behavior. In a German Pension reveals her as a true disciple of Chekhov. A key figure in the Modernist movement, Katherine Mansfield is most remarkable for perfecting the art of the short story.
  • The Gold Bug

    Edgar Allan Poe, Tobias Hill

    Paperback (Hesperus Press, April 1, 2007)
    Believing William Legrand to have gone insane following an insect bite, his friend initially decries his quest for gold as the ramblings of a madman. Yet when Legrand's conviction fails to waiver, they set off on a bizarre journey, accompanied by Jupiter, Legrand's loyal and equally skeptical servant. What follows is a strange tale of coded messages, hidden treasure, and uncanny prophecy that will both enthrall and baffle even the most perceptive readers.Part horror story, part detective fiction, The Gold Bug is an ingenious tale bearing all the hallmarks of Poe's extraordinary narrative skill. It is presented here with The Sphinx, a similarly themed and equally disturbing short story. Wonderfully versatile as an author and best known for his tales of terror and the macabre, Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849) holds a venerable place in the history of American literature.
  • The Castle of Otranto

    Horace Walpole

    Paperback (Hesperus Press, )
    None
  • The Flood

    Émile Zola, Anthony Cummins

    Paperback (Hesperus Press, Dec. 1, 2013)
    A wonderful collection of three surreal stories from French master Émile Zola given a fresh new translation Sixty-two-year-old Louis Roubieu sees his family's long-awaited prosperity as a reward rained upon him by God for years of arduous toil on the land. Yet it is the very abundance of God's rain, initially observed from the window of their imposing farmhouse, which comes to pose a dire threat to not merely their livelihood but their very lives. Along with the complementary stories presented here, the celebrated "Blood" and "Three Wars," this is a departure from the dark realism for which Zola is more commonly known.
  • The Mystery of Cloomber

    A Conan Doyle

    Paperback (Hesperus Press, Sept. 1, 2004)
    Master of detective fiction, Arthur Conan Doyle here reveals his deep fascination with spiritualism and the paranormal. To his fellow residents on the remote western coast of Scotland, Major Heatherstone’s behavior seems far from orthodox. Spurning all attempts at friendship, he instead becomes a recluse in Cloomber Hall, forbidding his children even to leave their home. Yet unbeknownst to him, they strike up a friendship with the neighboring Hunter Wests, who slowly begin to learn the cause of the Major’s paranoia and his fear of the fifth of October. As September draws to a close, and as they hear of the mysterious arrival of three Buddhist monks, they can only watch in vain. It seems the Major’s secret will not be laid to rest until vengeance is done. Scottish-born writer and novelist Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is best known as the creator of Sherlock Holmes; among his other works is The Tragedy of the Korosko.
  • Scholastic Classics Little Women

    Louisa May Alcott

    Paperback (Hesperus Press Ltd, Sept. 1, 2014)
    Little Women
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  • Cousin Phillis

    Elizabeth Gaskell, Jenny Uglow

    Paperback (Hesperus Press, May 28, 2007)
    A haunting, beautifully controlled novella, Cousin Phyllis is considered to be among Elizabeth Gaskell's finest short works. Lodging with a minister on the outskirts of London, Paul Manning is initially dismayed to discover that the uncle he must visit in the country is also a churchman. Yet far from the oppressively religious household he envisages, Manning is delighted to meet his genial relations—not least, his cousin Phyllis. But when Phyllis falls for the charms of his more sophisticated colleague, Manning's family ties render him powerless to prevent the inevitable heartbreak that ensues. Collaborator and friend of Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins, Elizabeth Gaskell (1810–1865) is a leading figure in Victorian literature.
  • The Sea-Wolf

    Jack London

    Paperback (Hesperus Press, Dec. 1, 2013)
    Jack London's thrilling narrative of the seven seas remains just as gripping today as it was 100 years agoA classic tale of adventure at sea, this is the story of the naĂŻve young Humphrey van Weyden, whose ship is wrecked in a terrible storm. He is rescued by the mysterious Captain Wolf Larsen of the ship Ghost. Humphrey's new life aboard Ghost will test him to the limits of his endurance but also bring him the greatest happiness he has ever known. Captain Wolf Larsen is a powerful, brutal man with a razor sharp intelligence. When there is an attempted mutiny on board he shows no mercy to the would-be mutineers, and when his brother Death Larsen attempts to take over the Ghost by force, there is no love lost between them in their vicious battle. Wolf's cruel manner is thrown into sharp relief by the gentle spirit of the beautiful poetess also rescued, Maud Brewster, who charms both Wolf and Humphrey. As Humphrey falls in love with Maud, he must contend not only with the dangers of being at sea but with competition from his cruel and scheming captain. This dramatic tale of mutiny and shipwreck is at its heart the story of a love that flourishes in the unlikeliest of places.
  • The Chase of the Golden Plate

    Jacques Futrelle

    Paperback (Hesperus Press, May 2, 2012)
    Jacques Futrelle's first published book-length story featuring the arrogant, cocaine-taking, large-headed Professor Augustus S.F.X. Van Dusen, nicknamed "The Thinking Machine" A high-society fancy-dress party falls victim to a robbery—confusions of identity, long-held grudges, romance, and honor all appear in the excitement that follows. Jacques Futrelle was an American journalist and detective-story writer and Van Dusen was his most famous detective character, appearing in a number of his works.
  • Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared

    Jonas Jonasson

    Paperback (Hesperus Press Limited, March 15, 2012)
    It all starts on the one-hundredth birthday of Allan Karlsson. Sitting quietly in his room in an old people's home, he is waiting for the party he-never-wanted-anyway to begin. The mayor is going to be there. The press is going to be there. But, as it turns out, Allan is not...Slowly but surely Allan climbs out of his bedroom window, into the flowerbed (in his slippers) and makes his getaway. And so begins his picaresque and unlikely journey involving criminals, several murders, a suitcase full of cash, and incompetent police. As his escapades unfold, we learn something of Allan's earlier life in which - remarkably - he helped to make the atom bomb, became friends with American presidents, Russian tyrants, and Chinese leaders, and was a participant behind the scenes in many key events of the twentieth century. Already a huge bestseller across Europe, The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared is a fun, feel-good book for all ages.
  • The Watsons

    Jane Austen, Kate Atkinson

    Paperback (Hesperus Press, April 1, 2007)
    Left impoverished upon the death of her aunt, Emma Watson has no option but to be reunited with her estranged father and siblings. Initially delighted with her new life—including the fashionable society balls to which she now has access—Emma soon realizes that her family harbors many ill feelings, not least those springing from the sisters' hopes—and disappointments—in snaring a husband. So when the eligible and suitably rich Tom Musgrove begins to transfer his affections from her sister Margaret to Emma, the result can only be further sibling rivalry and unrest. A delightful, exquisitely drawn portrait of family life, The Watsons is Jane Austen at her storytelling best. Author of the masterpieces Pride and Prejudice and Emma, Jane Austen (1775–1817) is one of the most beloved novelists of all time.