Books in Signet Classics series

The Signet Classics edition of William Shakespeare's incomparable tragic play."To be, or not to be: that is the question"There is arguably no work of fiction quoted as often as William Shakespeare's Hamlet. This haunting tragedy of a troubled Danish prince devoted to avenging his father's death has captivated audiences for centuries. This title in the Signet Classics Shakespeare series includes:• An overview of Shakespeare's life, world, and theater• A special introduction to the play by the editor, Sylvan Barnet• A note on the sources from which Shakespeare derived Hamlet• Dramatic criticism from Samuel Taylor Coleridge, A.C. Bradley, Maynard Mack, and others• A comprehensive stage and screen history of notable actors, directors, and productions of Hamlet• Text, notes, and commentaries printed in the clearest, most readable format• Recommended readings

A comprehensive and insightful compilation of Benjamin Franklin’s The Autobiography and other essays which offers an in-depth look into the life of America’s most fascinating Founding Father.Benjamin Franklin was a true Renaissance man: writer, publisher, scientist, inventor, diplomat, and politician. During his long life, he offered advice on attaining wealth, organized public institutions, contributed to the birth of a nation, and negotiated with foreign powers to ensure his country’s survival. Through the words of the elder statesman himself, The Autobiography and Other Writings presents a remarkable insight into the man and his accomplishments. Additional writings from Benjamin Franklin’s wife and son provide a more intimate portrait of the husband and father who became a legend in his own time. Edited by L. Jesse Lemich With an Introduction by Walter Isaacson and an Afterword by Carla Mulford

Here is the classic novel of supreme horror that has held readers spellbound since its publication in 1816. This new edition will also feature an examination of the films inspired by Shelley's groundbreaking work, plus a fascinating look into genetic engineering and the modern implications of this immortal tale. @NotoriousDOC Just did a bit-torrent-style grave robbery. My new ‘man’ will be an artful collage. Also, good conversation starter. It’s alive! I’d better beat it over the head repeatedly with a fire extinguisher. So sometimes you build something, and it gets away. They’re gonna can me at the university if they find out about this. From Twitterature: The World's Greatest Books in Twenty Tweets or Less

One of Rudyard Kipling’s most enduringly popular works, Captains Courageous is both a stirring tale of the sea and a classic coming-of-age story. Harvey Cheyne, the pampered fifteen-year-old son of an American millionaire, is sailing to Europe when he falls overboard. Saved from drowning by a New England fishing schooner, he finds his rough new companions unimpressed by his wealth and shocked by his ignorance. He will have to prove his worth in the only way the captain and crew will accept: through the slow and arduous mastery of skills upon which their common survival depends. With an Introduction by Marilyn Sides and an Afterword by Jane Yolen

Published in 1893, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets shocked a world unprepared for its grim and starkly realistic exploration of a pretty young girl’s fall on New York’s Bowery, and its critical depiction of the irresponsibility of men toward women. The five other stories in this collection are tales of quiet tension and raw intensity. From the local color of small-town life to the bustle of the city to war stories imbued with an ironic view of heroism, these stories are brilliantly constructed, extraordinarily lyrical, and psychologically penetrating. As a whole, this masterful collection demonstrates the unique and stunning genius of Stephen Crane and makes up an enduring testimony to one of America’s finest writers. Edited and with an Introduction by Alfred Kazin and an Afterword by Tom Wolfe

First published in 1903, this extraordinary work not only recorded and explained history—it helped alter its course. Written after Du Bois had earned his Ph.D. from Harvard and studied in Berlin, these fourteen essays contain both the academic language of sociology and the rich lyricism of African spirituals, which Du Bois called “sorrow songs.”Often revealingly autobiographical, DuBois explores topics as diverse as the death of his infant son and the politics of Booker T. Washington. In every essay, he shows the consequences of both a political color line and an internal one, as he grapples with the contradictions of being black and being American. One of our country's most influential books, The Souls of Black Folk reflects the mind of a visionary who inspired generations of readers to remember the past, question the status quo, and fight for a just tomorrow.With an Introduction by Randall Kenanand an Afterword by Cheryl Townsend Gilkes

This exclusive Signet Classic edition contains 203 of Aesop’s most enduring and popular fables, translated into readable, modern American English and beautifully illustrated with classic woodcuts by the great French artist J. J. Grandville.It is both amazing and wonderful that so much of the richness of our language and our moral education still owes a huge debt to a Greek slave who was executed more than two thousand years ago. Yet “sour grapes,” “crying ‘wolf,’” “actions speak louder than words,” “honesty is the best policy,” and literally hundreds of other metaphors, axioms, and ideas that are now woven into the very fabric of Western culture all came from Aesop’s Fables. An extraordinary storyteller who used cunning foxes, surly dogs, clever mice, fearsome lions, and foolish humans to describe the reality of a harsh world, Aesop created narratives that are appealing, funny, politically astute, and profoundly true. And Aesop’s truth—often summed up in the pithy “moral of the story”—retains an awesome power to affect us, reaching us through both our intellects and our hearts.Including:“The Fox and the Grapes”“The Ants and the Grasshopper”“The Country Mouse and the Town Mouse”…and 200 Other Famous FablesEdited and with an Afterword by Jack ZipesWith an Introduction by Sam Pickering

Join Captain Nemo and the Nautilus as they journey into the deep in Jules Verne’s classic science fiction tale.In an age that has seen the wildest speculations of science become reality, Jules Verne is regarded as both a technological prophet and one of the most exciting masters of imagination the world has ever known. Of all his novels, none is more compelling and thrilling than 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. This extraordinary voyage into the depths of the unknown aboard the legendary submarine Nautilus—commanded by the brilliant, tragic Captain Nemo—explores both the limitless possibilities of science and the twisted labyrinth of the human mind. The novel stands as science fiction raised to the level of literature and remains a vivid expression of a new era of technological advancement and humanity’s place within that world. Translated and with a Foreword by Mendor T. BrunettiIncludes an Introduction by Stephen Baxter and an Afterword by Walter James Miller

The classic adventure tale of a brave family who must come together to survive in their new deserted island home.Swept off course by a raging storm, a Swiss pastor, his wife, and their four young sons are shipwrecked on an uncharted tropical island. Thus begins the classic story of survival and adventure that has fired the imaginations of readers since it first appeared in 1812. With optimism and boundless enthusiasm, the Robinson family undertakes the extraordinary task of constructing a home for themselves and exploring the primitive island filled with strange and beautiful creatures and exotic fruits and plants. Rich in action and suspense, The Swiss Family Robinson is an exhilarating novel takes us to a faraway place of danger and beauty, where the courageous Robinson family embarks on a thrilling new life of adventure and discovery.With an Introduction by J. Hillis millerand an Afterword by Elizabeth Janeway

Tracing an awe-inspiring oceanic route from Boston, around Cape Horn, to the California coast, Two Years Before the Mast is both a riveting story of adventure and the most eloquent, insightful account we have of life at sea in the early nineteenth century. Richard Henry Dana is only nineteen when he abandons the patrician world of Boston and Harvard for an arduous voyage among real sailors, amid genuine danger. The result is an astonishing read, replete with vivid descriptions of storms, whales, and the ship's mad captain, terrible hardship and magical beauty, and fascinating historical detail, including an intriguing portrait of California before the gold rush. As D. H. Lawrence proclaimed, "Dana's small book is a very great book."

DON'T MISS THE NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES!Bram Stoker's gothic horror masterpiece pits good against evil and life against death, all under the thrall of the original vampire...Count Dracula sleeps in a silent tomb beneath his desolate castle. His eyes are stony and his cheeks are deathly pale. But on his lips, there is a mocking smile—and a trickle of fresh blood. He has been dead for centuries, yet he may never die...Here begins the most celebrated vampire story in history, a tale of age-old evil that is forever new. With its haunting mix of suspense and horror, Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a novel of compelling power. Reader, be warned: once you enter Castle Dracula, you might not escape its baleful spell—even after you close this book.With an Introduction by Leonard Wolfand an Afterword by Jeffrey Meyers