Books in Penguin Classic Biography series

If I were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old...I would give my soul for that! The wish uttered by Dorian Gray as he gazes on his portrait forms the basis of the plot of this brilliant and disturbing story of a gilded and spoil hedonist who, Faust-like, is willing to sell his soul for his beauty. First published to scandalize protest in 1890, Oscar Wilde's fantastic melodrama was widely condemned by his contemporaries as an affront to the value of polite society. It has since become one of the most celebrated works, a brilliant example of his power as a storyteller and of his flamboyant wit and aestheticism.

Lady Eleanor Butler, a handsome, unconventional woman, was twenty–nine when she met Sarah Ponsonby, a sensitive, retiring girl of thirteen. They developed an intensely close friendship, and ten years later in 1778, to the horror of their families, they eloped. After their dramatic escape across the Irish sea, they settled together in an idyllic cottage in Llangollen, Wales. There, amid scandal and innuendo, their unorthodox relationship blossomed, and their generous, civilized, and romantic way of living eventually became a legend. Their fame traveled widely: Lady Caroline Lamb and Josiah Wedgwood visited them, Wordsworth and Southey wrote poetry under their roof, and other celebrities of the day became cherished friends. Depicting a relationship that lasted over fifty years, Elizabeth Mavor’s beautifully detailed biography, first published in 1971, gives us a fascinating glimpse into the life and times of two remarkable women.

This classic biography of Abraham Lincoln provides a superb introduction for young readers to one of our nation’s most revered presidents. While it summarizes the life of Lincoln from his humble birth, through his early struggles, to his tragic death, it concentrates on the years of his youth. Much of the narrative is in the form of anecdotes, stories told by those who knew him best. In their voices we glimpse the eager student, the hopeful young lawyer, and the courageous, resourceful president.