Books published by publisher Royal Classics

Gulliver's misadventures begin when he is first shipwrecked, then abandoned, then attacked by strangers, then attacked by his own crew. Gulliver's attitude hardens as the book progresses. Throughout, Gulliver is presented as being gullible; he believes what he is told, never perceives deeper meanings, is an honest man, and expects others to be honest. This makes for fun and irony; what Gulliver says can be trusted to be accurate, and he does not always understand the meaning of what he perceives.Gulliver's Travels has been the recipient of several designations: from Menippean satire to a children's story, from proto-Science Fiction to a forerunner of the modern novel. A possible reason for the book's classic status is that it can be seen as many things to many different people. Broadly, the book has three themes. First, a satirical view of the state of European government, and of petty differences between religions. Second, a restatement of the older "ancients versus moderns" controversy. Third, an inquiry into whether men are inherently corrupt or whether they become corrupted. Gulliver's Travels is Swift's best known full-length work, and a classic of English literature.This cloth-bound book includes a Victorian inspired dust-jacket, and is limited to 100 copies.

Journey with Alice down the rabbit hole into a world of wonder where oddities, logic and wordplay rule supreme. Encounter characters like the grinning Cheshire Cat who can vanish into thin air, the cryptic Mad Hatter who speaks in riddles and the harrowing Queen of Hearts obsessed with the phrase "Off with their heads!" This is a land where rules have no boundaries, eating mushrooms will make you grow or shrink, croquet is played with flamingos and hedgehogs, and exorbitant trials are held for the theft of tarts. Amidst these absurdities, Alice will have to find her own way home.Alice's Adventures in Wonderland began as a story told to three little girls in a rowboat, near Oxford. Ten year old Alice Liddell asked to have the story written down and two years later it was published with immediate success. Carroll's unique play on logic has undoubtedly led to its lasting appeal to adults, while remaining one of the most beloved children's tales of all time. This edition is complete with all 42 original illustrations by Sir John Tenniel.This cloth-bound book includes a Victorian inspired dust-jacket, and is limited to 100 copies.

The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano is the autobiography of Olaudah Equiano. The narrative is argued to represent a variety of styles, such as a slavery narrative, travel narrative, and spiritual narrative. The book describes Equiano's time spent in enslavement, and documents his attempts at becoming an independent man through his study of the Bible, and his eventual success in gaining his own freedom and in business thereafter.The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano was one of the first widely read slave narratives. The structure and rhetorical strategies of the book were influential and created a model for subsequent slave narratives. The work has proven so influential in the study of African and African-American literature that it is frequently taught in both English literature and History classrooms in universities.This cloth-bound book includes a Victorian inspired dust-jacket, and is limited to 100 copies.

Utopia is a work of fiction and socio-political satire by Thomas More, published in 1516. The book is a frame narrative primarily depicting a fictional island society and its religious, social, and political customs. More pieces his world together in great detail, taking pleasure in what makes his world different from our own. However, he wants the reader to take his story seriously, which is why he bases it in reality, saying it is a part of the "New World," this being the parts of America and its surrounding islands which were recently discovered.The first part of Utopia expresses strong criticism of then-modern practices in England and other Catholicism-dominated countries, such as the crime of theft being punishable by death, and the over-willingness of kings to start wars. Part two deals with a socialist state called Utopia and the narrator's aim of convincing the reader about its superior state of affairs. Since publication, Utopia has become one of the most talked about works both in defense of socialism and against it.This cloth-bound book includes a Victorian inspired dust-jacket, and is limited to 100 copies.

On an expedition to find a giant sea monster, three men are hurled into the ocean. They are rescued by Captain Nemo in his technologically advanced submarine. In order to keep his submarine a secret, Nemo tells the three companions that they can never leave. Their adventures take them to the submerged land of Atlantis, to the Antarctic ice shelves, and to the ocean floor in diving suits to hunt sharks with air-guns. What follows is a gripping tale of excitement as the companions try to solve Nemo's deepest secrets.In 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The description of Nemo's ship, called the Nautilus, was considered ahead of its time, as it accurately describes features on submarines, which at the time were very primitive vessels. In Journey to the Center of the Earth, readers were brought face to face with prehistoric creatures deep within the bowels of the Earth. In Around the World in 80 Days, Jules Verne helped make the world seem a little smaller, and accessible to young adventurers, spurring many to attempt a voyage around the world.This cloth-bound book includes a Victorian inspired dust-jacket, and is limited to 100 copies.

Grimm's Fairy Tales is a collection of German fairy tales first published in 1812 by the Grimm brothers, Jacob and Wilhelm. They were among the best-known storytellers of folk tales, and popularized stories such as The Frog Prince, Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel, Rumpelstiltskin, Little Red Riding Hood, and Snow White. The influence of these fairy tales was widespread. W. H. Auden praised the collection as one of the founding works of Western culture.The popularity of the Grimms' folk tales has endured well. The tales are available in more than 100 languages and have been later adapted by Walt Disney, with films such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Tangled.This cloth-bound book includes a Victorian inspired dust-jacket, and is limited to 100 copies.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit follows the mischievous and disobedient young Peter Rabbit as he is chased about the garden of Mr. McGregor. He hides in a watering can in a shed, sneaks past a cat, and loses his jacket and shoes. Peter escapes and returns home to his mother who puts him to bed after dosing him with camomile tea.The tale was written for five-year-old Noel Moore, son of Potter's former governess Annie Carter Moore, in 1893. It was revised and privately printed by Potter in 1901 after several publishers' rejections, until it was published in 1902. The book was a success, has been translated into 36 languages, and with 45 million copies sold it is one of the best-selling books of all time.This cloth-bound book includes a Victorian inspired dust-jacket, and is limited to 100 copies.

Shortly after astronomers observe explosions on the surface of Mars, meteor-like objects begin crashing into Earth. Martians emerge from their craters in large tripods, wiping out army units with heat-rays as they roam the English countryside. When the order is given to evacuate London, all seems lost. But there is one minor detail that the Martians did not plan for.H. G. Wells is credited with the popularisation of time travel in 1895 with The Time Machine, introducing the idea of time being the "fourth dimension" a decade before the publication of Einstein's first Relativity papers. In 1896, he imagined a mad scientist creating human-like beings from animals in The Island of Doctor Moreau, which created a growing interest in animal welfare throughout Europe. In 1897 with The Invisible Man, Wells shows how a formula could render one invisible, recognizing that an invisible eye would not be able to focus, thus rendering the invisible man blind. With The War of the Worlds in 1898, Wells established the idea that an advanced civilization could live on Mars, popularising the term 'martian' and the idea that aliens could invade Earth.This cloth-bound book includes a Victorian inspired dust-jacket, and is limited to 100 copies.

When a mysterious stranger arrives at a local inn with his face hidden behind bandages, he soon becomes the talk of the village. Locking himself in his room, he spends most of his time mixing chemicals, desperately trying to reverse the affects of invisibility. But when his money runs out, the invisible man soon discovers that he is ill-equipped on his own, and that he must place his trust in others if he is to survive.H. G. Wells is credited with the popularisation of time travel in 1895 with The Time Machine, introducing the idea of time being the "fourth dimension" a decade before the publication of Einstein's first Relativity papers. In 1896, he imagined a mad scientist creating human-like beings from animals in The Island of Doctor Moreau, which created a growing interest in animal welfare throughout Europe. In 1897 with The Invisible Man, Wells shows how a formula could render one invisible, recognizing that an invisible eye would not be able to focus, thus rendering the invisible man blind. With The War of the Worlds in 1898, Wells established the idea that an advanced civilization could live on Mars, popularising the term 'martian' and the idea that aliens could invade Earth.This cloth-bound book includes a Victorian inspired dust-jacket, and is limited to 100 copies.

Edna Pontellier struggles with her role as a housewife, and yearns for social freedom. Her increasingly unorthodox views on femininity and motherhood fuel her desires and passion, despite the prevailing social attitudes of the South. On a quest of self discovery, Edna flees her domestic role in search of love and spiritual freedom in a world that isn't ready for her.The Awakening is one of the earliest novels that focuses on women's issues without condescension. The novel was particularly controversial upon publication because Chopin didn't condemn Edna's desire for an affair. Instead, Chopin focused on human behaviour and the complexities of social structures while exploring the banalities of everyday life and the consequences of social norms.This cloth-bound book includes a Victorian inspired dust-jacket, and is limited to 100 copies.