Books published by publisher Goldfish Classics Publishing

The Fall of The House of Usher - Literature Classics, Complete EditionADDITIONAL CONTENT : + Active Table of Contents + The Author Biography + Annotations - Plot Summary - Publications - AdaptationsOVERVIEW:"The Fall of the House of Usher" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe.SUMMARY:The tale opens with the unnamed narrator arriving at the house of his boyhood friend, Roderick Usher, having received a letter from him in a distant part of the country complaining of an illness and asking for his help. Although strong-willed Poe wrote this short story before the invention of modern psychological science, Roderick's symptoms can be described according to its terminology. They include hyperesthesia (hypersensitivity to light, sounds, smells, and tastes), hypochondria (an excessive preoccupation or worry about having a serious illness), and acute anxiety. It is revealed that Roderick's twin sister, Madeline, is also ill and falls into cataleptic, death-like trances. The narrator is impressed with Roderick's paintings, and attempts to cheer him by reading with him and listening to his improvised musical compositions on the guitar. Roderick sings "The Haunted Palace", then tells the narrator that he believes the house he lives in to be sentient, and that this sentience arises from the arrangement of the masonry and vegetation surrounding it.REVIEWS:5 Stars Review : Sean - GoodreadsThis atmospheric horror story is great example of how an author such as Poe gets straight to the point. He doesn't bore the reader with lots of filler, but rather only describes every detail that is important to the story. This writing style is a great example why Poe can be read over and over again. Each sentence is a diamond that shines brighter and brighter with each subsequent reading.Brittany - GoodreadsA-Ma-ZING! The house takes on the physical and emotional ailments of both it's living characters and those who are dead, keeping them suspended in a half-living state. Terrifying!Katy - GoodreadsLOVE it. Poe has this amazing talent where he is able to create extrasensory feelings through words. I always thought it was visuals that were frightening, that is until I read this! (And Dracula, talk about a wonderfully frightening read!)Jessica Smith - GoodreadsOne of my favorite stories by him! If you want to read a awesome story of his that totallyIncorporate his personality and style this is the one you need to read!

The Call of the Wild - Classics Children's Book, Complete EditionADDITIONAL CONTENT : + Active Table of Contents + Illustration from Original Book + The Author Biography + Annotation - Plot Summary - Development - AdaptationsOVERVIEW:The Call of the Wild is a novella by American author Jack London published in 1903. The story takes place in the extreme conditions of the Yukon during the 19th-century Klondike Gold Rush where strong sled dogs were in high demand. After Buck, a domesticated dog, is snatched from a pastoral ranch in California, he is sold into a brutal life as a sled dog. The novella details Buck's struggle to adjust and survive the cruel treatment he receives from humans, other dogs, and nature. He eventually sheds the veneer of civilization altogether and instead relies on primordial instincts and the lessons he has learned to become a respected and feared leader in the wild.SUMMARY:Buck, a physically impressive dog, is living the good life in California when he gets stolen and put into dog slavery. For him, this means pulling a ridiculously heavy sled through miles and miles of frozen ice with little or nothing to eat and frequent beatings. As the definition of a domestic dog, Buck is out of his element until he begins to adapt to his surroundings, and learn from the other dogs. Buck also starts having strange dreams about the primitive days of dogs and men, before the advent of cities or houses or culture. There are no rules or morality here (interesting, since Buck’s first owner was a judge), save for what is called "the law of club and fang," a kill-or-be-killed, ruthless way of thinking.REVIEWS:5 Stars Review : Kaitlin - GoodreadsThis is one of my all time favorite books....I could reread this book over and over and over and over and over and over again!5 Stars Review : Jed Layton - GoodreadsIt has been a long time since I read a book with as original of a storyline, plot and main character as Call of the Wild. London's descriptions of life and the world from a dog's point of view may not be accurate, who could ever really know what it is like to be a dog? But if nothing else provides a different outlook from that typically held by humans. Call of the Wild is intriguing and captivating. It is easy to root for Buck. Added to an interesting period of American history--the Alaskan gold rush in the 1800s--Call of the Wild is a great read, even if you aren't a dog lover. I am certainly not, and I still thoroughly enjoyed it.5 Stars Review : Karen B - GoodreadsBuck has been treated kindly and awfully during the course of his life. But through it all, his inner voice longs to live free. Great read.5 Stars Review : Cynthia - GoodreadsA true classic in every sense of the word! A book that I honestly had tried reading mmultiple times but was never able to get past the first two chapters. It is now a book that I have read multiple times. I notice something new every time I read it. The way that Jack London gives human characteristics to animals while at the same time maintaining the animals' basic, in-the-moment reactions to life is truly one of the best parts of this book. The regression that the main character makes, while at the same time progressing through the story, allows the reader to really understand the simplicity of the character. Buck, although a dog, is truly a character that will stay with the reader long after the book is finished.

SHE : A History of Adventure - Literature Classics, Complete EditionADDITIONAL CONTENT : + Active Table of Contents + The Author Biography + Annotations- Plot Summary- Characters Lists- Legacy- AdaptationsOVERVIEW:She, subtitled A History of Adventure, is a novel by Henry Rider Haggard, first serialized in The Graphic magazine from October 1886 to January 1887. She is one of the classics of imaginative literature, and with over 83 million copies sold in 44 different languages, one of the best-selling books of all time. Extraordinarily popular upon its release, She has never been out of print. According to the literary historian Andrew M. Stauffer, "She has always been Rider Haggard's most popular and influential novel, challenged only by King Solomon's Mines in this regard".SUMMARY:A Cambridge University professor, Horace Holly, and his ward, Leo Vincey, together with their servant, Job, travel to Africa. They follow instructions on the "Sherd of Amenartas" left to Leo by his father. They travel to Africa and suffer shipwreck on the eastern shore of Central Africa. They survive together with an Arab, Mahomed, and journey into an unexplored part of the African interior, where they discover the lost kingdom of Kôr, inhabited by the primitive Amahagger people. The adventurers learn that the natives are ruled by a fearsome white queen, who is worshiped as Hiya or "She-who-must-be-obeyed". The Amahagger are curious about the white-skinned interlopers; She had warned them of their coming.REVIEWS:5 Stars Review : Zobaer - GoodreadsThis book was well written and the adventure well thought out. The level of detail that Haggard uses to describe the Amahagger's (the tribe Leo and Holly discover) were extraordinary. She is easily understood to be a sophisticated woman who has strong powers of life and death over her subjects. However, I found the book a little hard to read. The lengthy paragraphs that detailed the Amahagger society were not needed and slowed the pace of the book. The best book i've ever read.This book is very good if you like to read. The first few chapters can drag on and most would lose interest, however, once Holly, Leo, and Job embark on their adventure, the story is captivating. Ting - GoodreadsA really good adventure tale in the best 19th century English tradition. The men are brave, strong, and forthright, the women are nubile and beautiful albeit subservient (apart from She), and the non-whites are barbaric and motivated by very uncivilized (i.e non-English) motives or demonstrate a lack of back-bone. It is a product of its time so if one is politically correct there are parts that will make you cringe and if you are a feminist, well suffice it to say, don't bother. A good read and very enjoyable. I couldn't put it down once I started it and highly recommend it to those who can suspend their delicate 21st century sensibilities.Shahlal Ahmed - GoodreadsI think this is an excellent novel if one reads it for a certain purpose. For pure entertainment, I like it but would not highly suggest it for some. I actually wrote my college thesis on this book from the viewpoint of Haggard hating progressive women and instead beliving all women should be the "angel in the household." While She has power, she will always be under the thumb of the lover she lost. Likewise, Haggard always thought women should be under the thumb of their men. So, is it quite a sexist bit of work? Yup. Yet, it was still highly entertaining for me. This is a really fun adventure novel from the Victorian era...

The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle : Doctor Dolittle Series Classic Children's Book was the second of Hugh Lofting's Doctor Dolittle books to be published, coming out in 1922. It is nearly four times longer than its predecessor and the writing style is pitched at a more mature audience. The scope of the novel is vast; it is divided into six parts and the illustrations are also more sophisticated. It won the Newbery Medal for 1923.+Active Table of Contents+Illustrated from original book+Biography of Hugh Lofting+Doctor Dolittle Summary & Characters

Through the Looking-Glass : Alice in Wonderland Series - Children's Books Literature Classics, Complete EditionADDITIONAL CONTENT : + Active Table of Contents + Illustration Color from Original Book + The Author Biography + Annotation- Plot Summary- Characters List- AdaptationsOVERVIEW:Through the Looking-Glass (1871) is a work of literature by Lewis Carroll (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson). It is the sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865). The themes and settings of Through the Looking-Glass make it a kind of mirror image of WonderlandSUMMARY:Alice is playing with a white kitten (whom she calls "Snowdrop") and a black kitten (whom she calls "Kitty") the offspring of Dinah, Alice's cat in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland when she ponders what the world is like on the other side of a mirror's reflection. Climbing up on the fireplace mantel, she pokes at the wall-hung mirror behind the fireplace and discovers, to her surprise, that she is able to step through it to an alternative world. In this reflected version of her own house, she finds a book with looking-glass poetry, "Jabberwocky", whose reversed printing she can read only by holding it up to the mirror. She also observes that the chess pieces have come to life, though they remain small enough for her to pick up.5 STARS REVIEWS:Keely - GoodreadsI think that the failure not only of Children's Literature as a whole, but of our very concept of children and the child's mind is that we think it a crime to challenge and confront that mind. Children are first protected from their culture--kept remote and safe--and then they are thrust incongruously into the very world we spent twenty years telling them is so unsafe and unsavory. And we expected them not to blanch. It has been my policy that writing for children is not a trifling thing, not a simplification of the adult or a sillier take on the world. Good children's literature is some of the most difficult to write because the author must challenge, engage, please, and awe a mind without resorting to archetypes or life experience. Once a body grows old enough, we are all pleased by the reunion of old friends, amused by a faux pas, or saddened by the thought of a breakup. We have knowledge and memory. The pain returns to the surface when beckoned, often we cannot even control it. But we are not born with these understandings, so to make children understand pain, fear, and loss is no trivial thing. Education is the transformation of an erratic and hedonistic little beast into a creature with a rational method to judge the world. A child must be taught not to fear monsters but to fear instead electrical outlets, pink slips, poor people, and lack of social acceptance. The former is frightening in and of itself, the latter for complex, internal reasons. Cultures fear exposing children to sexuality and violence because they are such natural urges. We fear to trigger them because we cannot control the little beasts: we cannot watch them every minute. So, the process of creating children's literature is writing something complex and challenging, an idea the child can turn over in their mind without inadvertently wondering about things like anal sex and drug addiction. There is a fine line between exposing them to the world and simply leaving them exposed. We must remember that nothing we can come up with will be more strange or disturbing to a child than the pure, unadulterated world that we will always have failed to prepare them for. However, perhaps we can fail a little less and give them Alice. Not all outlets are to be feared, despite what your parents taught you. In fact, some should be prodded with regularity, and if you dare, not a little joy.Bonnie - GoodreadsRead both as a child, and again as an adult. Loved and appreciated it then; love and appreciate it now. A book everyone should read at least once, and one that I hope children are still reading today.

The Story of Doctor Dolittle : Doctor Dolittle Series Classic Children's BookADDITIONAL CONTENT : + The Author Biography + Summary & Charactors of Doctor Dolittle + Illustration from Original Book + Active Table of Contents for an easy navigation within the bookOVERVIEW: The Story of Doctor Dolittle, Being the History of His Peculiar Life at Home and Astonishing Adventures in Foreign Parts (1920), written and illustrated by Hugh Lofting, is the first of his Doctor Dolittle books, a series of children's novels about a man who learns to talk to animals and becomes their champion around the world.SUMMARY : John Dolittle, MD, is a respected physician and quiet bachelor living with his spinster sister in the small English village of Puddleby-on-the-Marsh. His love of animals grows over the years and his household menagerie eventually scares off his human clientele, leading to loss of wealth. But after learning the secret of speaking to all animals from his parrot Polynesia, he takes up veterinary practice. His fortunes rise and fall again after a crocodile takes up residence, but his fame in the animal kingdom spreads throughout the world. He is conscripted into voyaging to Africa to cure a monkey epidemic just as he faces bankruptcy. He has to borrow supplies and a ship, and sails with a crew of his favourite animals, but is shipwrecked upon arriving to Africa. On the way to the monkey kingdom, his band is arrested by the king of Jolligingki, a victim of European exploitation who wants no white men traveling his country. The band barely escapes by ruse, but finally makes it to the monkey kingdom where things are dire indeed with the raging epidemic. He vaccinates the well monkeys and finally nurses the sick back to health. In appreciation, the monkeys find a pushmi-pullyu, a shy two-headed gazelle-unicorn cross, whose rarity may bring Dr. Dolittle money back home. Setting off on the return trip, they again are captured in Jolliginki. This time they escape with the help of Prince Bumpo, who gives them a ship in exchange for Dolittle's bleaching his face white, his greatest desire being to act as a European fairy-tale prince. Dolittle's crew then have a couple of run-ins with pirates, leading to Dolittle's winning a pirate ship loaded with treasures and boy whose uncle was abandoned on a rock island. After reuniting the two, Dolittle finally makes it home and tours with the pushmi-pullyu in a circus until he makes enough money to retire to his beloved home in Puddleby.TABLE OF CONTENTSINTRODUCTIONI : PUDDLEBYII : ANIMAL LANGUAGEIII : MORE MONEY TROUBLESIV : A MESSAGE FROM AFRICAV : THE GREAT JOURNEYVI : POLYNESIA AND THE KINGVII : THE BRIDGE OF APESVIII : THE LEADER OF THE LIONSIX : THE MONKEYS' COUNCILX : THE RAREST ANIMAL OF ALLXI : THE BLACK PRINCEXII : MEDICINE AND MAGICXIII : RED SAILS AND BLUE WINGSXIV : THE RATS' WARNINGXV : THE BARBARY DRAGONXVI : TOO-TOO, THE LISTENERXVII : THE OCEAN GOSSIPSXVIII : SMELLSXIX : THE ROCKXX : THE FISHERMAN'S TOWNXXI : HOME AGAINBIOGRAPHY of HUGH LOFTINGABOUT of THE STORY OF DOCTOR DOLITTLEABOUT THE AUTHOR : Hugh John Lofting (January 14, 1886 – September 26, 1947) was a British author, trained as a civil engineer, who created the character of Doctor Dolittle - one of the classics of children's literature. Lofting was born in Maidenhead, England, to English and Irish parents. His early education was at Mount St Mary's College in Sheffield, after which he went to the United States, completing a degree in civil engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He traveled widely as a civil engineer before enlisting in the Irish Guards to serve in World War I. Not wishing to write to his children of the brutality of the war, he wrote imaginative letters that were the foundation of the successful Doctor Dolittle novels for children. Seriously wounded in the war, he moved with his family to Co

THE JUNGLE BOOK - Childrens Literature Classics, Complete EditionADDITIONAL CONTENT : + Active Table of Contents + Illustration from Original Book + The Author Biography + Annotation- Characters Lists- AdaptationsOVERVIEW:The Jungle Book (1894) is a collection of stories by British Nobel laureate Rudyard Kipling. The stories were first published in magazines in 1893–94. The original publications contain illustrations, some by Rudyard's father, John Lockwood Kipling. Kipling was born in India and spent the first six years of his childhood there. After about ten years in England, he went back to India and worked there for about six-and-half years. These stories were written when Kipling lived in Vermont.REVIEWS:5 Stars Review : Dani - GoodreadsOf all the Rudyard Kipling I read when I was a kid, somehow I missed The Jungle Book. Of course there were so many movie adaptations that I feel like I still knew this story inside and out. This book is more like linked short stories than a novel. Each chapter tells of an exciting adventure, usually entailing Balou the bear and Bagheera the panther trying to keep Mowgli their "man cub" from Shere Khan the old, worn out lion who makes it his sole mission to eat a human child, specifically Mowgli. Each story is fun to read and Kipling is so masterful at rendering the setting that I could smell dirty monkeys while reading... Though on second thought that could have just been my cat's fishy breath. No one ever broke into song or dance in the book, thank God, as the "Bear Necessities" would have been too kitschy for my taste! :)5 Stars Review : Steve Mitchell - GoodreadsI first read this when I was about ten years old and some thirty years later it is still as good as I remember. If you think you know these stories because you have seen the Disney film of the same name then you should think again. Although the movie does sort of follow the basic plot of this collection of short stories, the screenplay has been sanitised for younger viewers. The film also fails to include my favourite of all the stories; that of the courageous mongoose Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, although it is understandable that the story of the White Seal did not make it to the big screen. This edition of the book contains many of the illustrations that were drawn by Rudyard Kipling’s father. (Incidentally, the songs at the end of each story also demonstrate that Kipling was actually not a very good poet; he was merely just the best of the really mediocre poets!)5 Stars Review : Lindsay - GoodreadsThe Jungle Book is such a good, classic story. My four year old loves the younger version of course as well as the movie. I think this is a cute story for eight or nine year olds to read with an adult or on their own if they are a good reader. The illustrations on the front cover will excite any little boy I think to pick this book up and read it. It's pretty realistic. Even though there are so many different spin offs of this book, this one is really good and a good read aloud for a teacher as well.5 Stars Review : Molly - GoodreadsI just finished reading this to my 7 year old, reading one chapter per night, before bed. She loves stories about animals and the outdoors, and this one really fit the bill. The simpler writing and story lines (compared to the Rudyard Kipling original) made it much more accessible to her. The violence and drama weren't too much. She even enjoyed going over the questions at the end and discussing the book that way.

Around the World in Eighty Day - Literature Classics Collection, Complete EditionADDITIONAL CONTENT : + Active Table of Contents + Illustration from Original Book + The Author Biography + Annotation- Plot Summary- AdaptationsOVERVIEW:Around the World in Eighty Days (French: Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours) is a classic adventure novel by the French writer Jules Verne, first published in 1873. In the story, Phileas Fogg of London and his newly employed French valet Passepartout attempt to circumnavigate the world in 80 days on a £20,000 wager (equal to £1,324,289 today) set by his friends at the Reform Club. It is one of Verne's most acclaimed works.SUMMARY:The story starts in London on October 2, 1872. Phileas Fogg is a rich English gentleman and bachelor living in solitude at Number 7 Savile Row, Burlington Gardens. Despite his wealth, which is £40,000 (equal to £2,648,577 today), Mr Fogg, whose countenance is described as "repose in action", lives a modest life with habits carried out with mathematical precision. Very little can be said about Mr. Fogg's social life other than that he is a member of the Reform Club. Having dismissed his former valet, James Forster, for bringing him shaving water at 84 °F (29 °C) instead of 86 °F (30 °C), Mr Fogg hires a Frenchman by the name of Jean Passepartout, who is about 30 years old, as a replacement.Later, on that day, in the Reform Club, Fogg gets involved in an argument over an article in The Morning Chronicle, stating that with the opening of a new railway section in India, it is now possible to travel around the world in 80 days. He accepts a wager for £20,000 from his fellow club members, which he will receive if he makes it around the world in 80 days. Accompanied by Monsieur Passepartout, he leaves London by train at 8:45 P.M. on October 2, 1872, and thus is due back at the Reform Club at the same time 80 days later, on December 21.REVIEWS:5 Stars Review : Signoranimal - GoodreadsLovely book, never dull, always kept me at the edge of my seat.5 Stars Review : Vera - GoodreadsIt was good to actually read the book because I've always heard about the story. This seemed nearly like steampunk because it used some unorthodox methods of travel when needed, but it was written in the 1800's. A good read.5 Stars Review : Lea Cs - GoodreadsFabulous book!!five stars. I love this book so much because it has such an interesting story line and it is so well written, it really takes you in!5 Stars Review : George Berkeley - GoodreadsClassic Jules Verne! This book is my favorite of his, at least so far. It's got everything in it - suspense, action, romance, travel, humor. Just read it. It's fantastic!

PETER PAN (Peter and Wendy) - Literature Classics Collection, Complete EditionADDITIONAL CONTENT : + Active Table of Contents + Illustration from Original Book + The Author Biography + Annotations- Summary- Characters Lists- AdaptationsOVERVIEW:Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie (1860–1937). A mischievous boy who can fly and who never ages, Peter Pan, spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with mermaids, Native Americans, fairies, pirates, and occasionally ordinary children from the world outside of Neverland. In addition to two distinct works by Barrie, the character has been featured in a variety of media and merchandise, both adapting and expanding on Barrie's works.SUMMARY:Peter Pan opens in London, in the home of the slightly eccentric, but typical, Darling family. Mr. and Mrs. Darling worry about paying the bills, and cut corners to make ends meet. Hence the childrens' nurse, Nana, a Newfoundland dog who cares for Wendy, John and little Michael as they sleep, watching them protectively from her kennel in the nursery.But who is this Peter Pan of whom the children speak? Surely he must be a figment of their imagination, appearing only in dreams? Yet to Mrs. Darling, the name brings with it a nagging sensation of youthful memories, long since muddied by adulthood.REVIEWS:5 Stars Review : Kathy - Christianbook.comPeter Pan is the boy who never wanted to grow up and he never has! Peter Pan is the timeless classic beloved by children of all ages around the world. This particular edition of the book is delightful due to the oil painting illustrations which bring the story to life.This is one of my favorite books of childhood as well as a beloved family favorite.5 Stars Review : Asher G - GoodreadsThis book has really beautiful imagery and the way J.M. Barrie talks about themes of betrayals and loss with little children is amazing. Peter's character is brilliant, with his cockiness and the way he forgets things that seem so important to other people. The idea of a world where real food is interchangeable with pretend food is great as a symbol for the way Neverland sits on the verge of reality and pretend. Captain Hook's character becomes super fascinating when he starts to confuse reality with the struggles of his teenagers years. The second part of the book, Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, was much less powerful and interesting. I would give that half of the book less stars, but the first half is so great that I still want to give the book five stars.5 Stars Review : Alicia - GoodreadsI had seen all kinds of versions of this story on film, but I only read the book for the first time after I graduated from college. One day I was complaining to a coworker how disappointed I was in the book. "A dog for a nurse? That's just....stupid!" But my friend told me I needed to read it from a child's perspective. If you're a child,the idea of having an actual dog for a babysitter sounds pretty cool. Peter Pan is written like a bed-time story. It is both exciting and soothing. And, well, brilliant.

White Fang - Literature Classics, Complete EditionADDITIONAL CONTENT : + Active Table of Contents + The Author Biography + Annotations- Plot Summary- ReceptionOVERVIEW:White Fang is a novel by American author Jack London. First serialized in Outing magazine, it was published in 1906. The story takes place in Yukon Territory, Canada, during the Klondike Gold Rush at the end of the 19th-century, and details a wild wolfdog's journey to domestication. White Fang is a companion novel (and a thematic mirror) to London's best-known work, The Call of the Wild, which concerns a kidnapped, domesticated dog embracing into his wild ancestry to survive and thrive in the wild.SUMMARY:The story begins before the three-quarters wolf-dog hybrid is born, with two men and their sled dog team. The men, Bill and Henry, are stalked by a large pack of starving wolves over the course of several days. Finally, after all of their dogs and Bill have been eaten, four more teams find Henry trying to escape from the wolves; the wolf pack scatters when they hear the large group of people coming. The story then follows the pack, which has been robbed of its last prey.REVIEWS:5 Stars Review : Jade - Goodreadsnot to treat animals,earth humans or anything with disrespect. We are all equal. Animals and pets don't choose thier owners, we choose them. Animals don't know if thier owner is mean, nice, neglctive, they get good owners out of luck. 5 Stars Review : Liam - GoodreadsThe book White Fang was about a wolf dog. It is broken into sections. It’s starts off with the unborn dog’s family and their pursuit of two men transporting a body across the Great North West. The two character where short lived and unimportant in the rest of the story. The next section was about White Fang growing up during a famine (famines occurred many time in this books). Then White Fang’s mother is reunited with her old Indian owner’s brother. White Fang is now left with his mom in a Indian camp until they both get traded on separate occasions. White Fang however, is sold at the price not in bills but bottles. He is then used as a fighting dog and very successful until his last fight with an English bulldog that leaves his close to dead. In this moment of near death the fight is broken up White Fang’s new owner. Here White Fang falls in love with his new owner (not at first though). Then he is taken to California where he lives the rest of his day’s in peace, well oh most. Scott’s (his owner) father is a judge and is saved from a criminal he put away. 5 Stars Review : Stefani - GoodreadsJack London books are not for the uninitiated into the world of non-superfluous writing about man's infinite struggle with nature. Several months earlier, I made a vain attempt to read "Call of the Wild," but was unable to get beyond the first few pages of tedious prose that seemed to only worsen with each turn of the page.5 Stars Review : Benjamin Laborde - GoodreadsWhite Fang by Jack London is about a dog named white fang. As a young wolf he was captured by an native american and soon learned not to mess with other dogs bigger than him. as he grows bigger and stronger he starts winning fights against the other dogs. When he and his owner leave to a trading village across the river he is taken be a man and forced to fight other dogs. this goes on for a very long time until one day while he is about to lose a fight another man comes in and rescues him from the fight. white fang soon becomes very obedient to his new master. one day his master leaves on a trip without him. he soon becomes very ill. as soon as his master comes home he starts to get better. when his master tries to go on another trip white fang breaks out of the cabin and follows him to his boat. White fangs master decides that he can go with him, when they get to California the meet his masters family and he soon grows fond of these people also.

The Haunted Man and The Ghost's Bargain : Literature ClassicsADDITIONAL CONTENT : + The Author Biography + Plot Summary of The Haunted Man and The Ghost's Bargain + Illustration from Original Book + Active Table of ContentsOVERVIEW:The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain, A Fancy for Christmas-Time, (better known as The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain) is a novella by Charles Dickens first published in 1848. It is the fifth and last of Dickens' Christmas novellas. The story is more about the spirit of the holidays than about the holidays themselves, harking back to the first of the series, A Christmas Carol. The tale centers around a Professor Redlaw and those close to him.PLOT SUMMARY :Redlaw is a teacher of chemistry who often broods over wrongs done him and grief from his past life.He is haunted by a spirit, who is not so much a ghost as Redlaw's phantom twin and is "an awful likeness of himself...with his features, and his bright eyes, and his grizzled hair, and dressed in the gloomy shadow of his dress..." This specter appears and proposes to Redlaw that he can allow him to "forget the sorrow, wrong, and trouble you have known...to cancel their remembrance..." Redlaw is hesitant at first, but finally agrees. However, before the spirit vanishes it imposes an additional consequence: "The gift that I have given you, you shall give again, go where you will."Besides Redlaw, the book is populated with the people of Redlaw's life. Most of them are semi-comical characters such as the Tetterby family who rent a room to one of Redlaw's students and Swidger family who are Redlaw's servants. Milly Swidger, William Swidger's wife, is another of the absolutely and completely good females that frequent many of Dickens' stories.As a consequence of the ghost's intervention Redlaw is without memories of the painful incidents from his past. He experiences a universal anger that he cannot explain. His bitterness spreads to the Swidgers, the Tetterbys and his student. All become as wrathful as Redlaw himself. The only one who is able to avoid the bitterness is Milly.The narrative climaxes when Milly presents the moral of the tale: "It is important to remember past sorrows and wrongs so that you can then forgive those responsible and, in doing so, unburden your soul and mature as a human being." With this realization, the novel concludes with everyone back to normal and Redlaw, like Ebenezer Scrooge, a changed, more loving and a whole person learn to be humble on Christmas and the Holiday.TABLE OF CONTENTSCHAPTER I - The Gift BestowedCHAPTER II - The Gift DiffusedCHAPTER III - The Gift ReversedBIOGRAPHY of CHARLES DICKENSABOUT of THE HAUNTED MAN AND THE GHOST' S BARGAINABOUT THE AUTHOR :Charles John Huffam Dickens ( 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic novels and characters.Many of his writings were originally published serially, in monthly instalments or parts, a format of publication which Dickens himself helped popularise at that time. Unlike other authors who completed entire novels before serialisation, Dickens often created the episodes as they were being serialised. The practice lent his stories a particular rhythm, punctuated by cliffhangers to keep the public looking forward to the next instalment. The continuing popularity of his novels and short stories is such that they have never gone out of print.Dickens's work has been highly praised for its realism, comedy, mastery of prose, unique personalities and concern for social reform by writers such as Leo Tolstoy, George Gissing and G.K. Chesterton; though others, such as Henry James and Virginia Woolf, have criticised it for sentimentality and implausibility.