Middlemarch [Unabridged Original Edition, Annotated]

Middlemarch
Complete & Unabridged Original Classic Edition
by George Eliot

Considered the masterpiece of of the career of George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans 1819-1880) “Middlemarch” is also regarded as one of the greatest books in English literature.

Not a machine-scanned text or reproduction of an old version, this quality edition includes the unabridged classic tale of “Middlemarch”, prepared by professional human editors and printed on heavyweight, bright white paper in a large 7.44″x9.69″ format, with a fully laminated cover featuring an original design. Also included is introductory analytical commentary making the novel more accessible to today’s readers and an author biography discussing the life and works of George Eliot. Continue reading “Middlemarch [Unabridged Original Edition, Annotated]”

Allan Quatermain

Allan Quatermain
Complete & Unabridged Classic Edition
by H. Rider Haggard

This 1887 sequel to “King Solomon’s Mines”, opens with “Hunter” Quatermain mourning the death of his only son, a medical student who died of smallpox while working in a hospital, and growing restive with the life of a wealthy English gentlemen. When his old companions, Sir Henry Curtis and Captain Good, appear unexpectedly at his door and express their longing to return to Africa and the adventures of the wilderness, Quatermain reveals his own intention to journey to an unexplored region in search of a fabled lost tribe of white men isolated from the rest of Africa.

Joined by the aging but still mighty Zulu warrior Umslopogaas, the company battles Masai warriors, finds and navigates an underground river, and discovers the land of Zu-Vendis hidden beyond a mountain range. The land is ruled by two sisters as queens, and the advent of Quatermain’s party sets in motion a chain of events leading to conflict and ultimately civil war, in which Quatermain and his companions play a major role. Continue reading “Allan Quatermain”

King Solomon’s Mines

King Solomon’s Mines
Unabridged Classic Authorized Edition
by H. Rider Haggard

When originally published in 1885 “King Solomon’s Mines” quickly became the best-selling book of the year, with the publisher working feverishly to print copies fast enough to meet demand. Ironically the book, which was written in less than four months and perhaps in as little as six weeks, had been rejected by numerous publishers who believed its novelty left it without commercial value.

It was both the first example of the popular “lost world” genre and the first English adventure novel set in Africa. The use of first-person subjective viewpoint and a narrative in familiar conversational style were radical departure from the ornate language and omniscient viewpoint of the books of the day. Continue reading “King Solomon’s Mines”

The Last of the Mohicans [Large Print]

The Last of the Mohicans
Unabridged Large Print Edition
by James Fenimore Cooper
Foreword by Nathaniel Waring Barnes

Widely regarded as the masterpiece of a writing career spanning thirty years, over thirty novels and an extensive body of lesser works, The Last of the Mohicans was James Fenimore Cooper’s sixth novel and the second in the “Leatherstocking Tales” saga.

Set in 1757 during the Seven Years’ War (The French and Indian War in America) between Britain and France, the tale recounts the exploits of Natty Bumppo, called Hawkeye in this story, and his companions Chingachgook and Uncas against the backdrop of a French siege of British-held Fort William Henry. Crossing paths with a relief column also escorting the daughters of the British garrison commander, the three companions become embroiled in a series of frontier adventures involving forest battles, captures, rescues, flights and pursuits through the wilderness. Continue reading “The Last of the Mohicans [Large Print]”

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
The Complete & Unabridged Original Classic Edition
by James Joyce

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916) is the first novel by Irish writer James Joyce. Written in a modernist style, with unconventional punctuation and stream-of-consciousness narration, it follows the religious, social and intellectual awakening of young Stephen Dedalus, Joyce’s fictional alter ego. Stephen questions and rebels against the Catholic and Irish conventions under which he has grown, culminating in his self-exile from Ireland to Europe. The work uses techniques that Joyce developed more fully in Ulysses (1922) and Finnegans Wake (1939). Continue reading “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man”

Northanger Abbey

Northanger Abbey
Unabridged Original Classic Edition
by Jane Austen

Northanger Abbey is a coming-of-age story and satire of the Gothic novels which were pervasive in late 18th century England. The story follows Catherine Morland, a 17-year-old who lacks life experience and is determined to see the best in people. Her fondness for Gothic novels and active imagination distort her view of the world, and while she has a good-natured personality and is observant she is also naïve, not seeing the underlying intentions in people’s actions.

With Austen’s characteristic wit, and sarcasm the novel follows Catherine as she matures and acquires a better understanding of people’s natures, of herself, and of the world around her. Continue reading “Northanger Abbey”

The Great Gatsby [Large Print]

The Great Gatsby
Unabridged Large Print Edition
by F. Scott Fitzgerald

This quality large print edition is not a machine-scanned text or reproduced “blowup” of an old version. It contains the unabridged original classic version of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, freshly edited and formatted by human editors and printed on heavyweight 6″x9″ bright white paper, with a fully laminated cover featuring an original design. We have used a non-serif font, spacing between paragraphs, and no justification on the right margin in keeping with the current guidelines for readability in large print books. Additionally, we have not inserted unnecessary blank pages or large whitespaces before chapter headings to reduce the consumption of resources.

Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, near New York City, “The Great Gatsby” (1925) depicts the interactions of first-person narrator Nick Carraway with mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and Gatsby’s obsessive pursuit of a reunion with his former lover, Daisy Buchanan. Continue reading “The Great Gatsby [Large Print]”

The Border Legion

The Border Legion
Unabridged Original Classic Edition
by Zane Grey

This quality volume is not machine-scanned or a reproduction of an older edition. Prepared by human editors, it presents the complete unabridged text of Zane Grey’s classic tale in a freshly edited and newly formatted edition printed on heavyweight bright white paper with a fully laminated cover. A generous 6″x9″ page size and 11-point print make this edition easier on the eyes than most modern “trade” or “grocery store” paperbacks.

A classic of the western genre by master storyteller Zane Grey, “The Border Legion” follows the story of Jack Kells, a notorious outlaw leading the feared Border Legion, a gang of ruthless bandits terrorizing the Wild West. Kells encounters Joan Randle, a strong-willed and courageous woman who becomes a pivotal figure in his life. Continue reading “The Border Legion”

In The Mayor’s Parlour (Annotated)

In The Mayor’s Parlour
by J. S. Fletcher
Original Classic Edition, Annotated

This Apex Classic Mysteries Edition is not an electronic scan or reproduction. The text has been formatted and edited by human editors faithfully following the second edition published in London in 1922. With a generous 6×9 page size, it is printed on heavyweight bright white paper with a fully laminated cover featuring an original design.

Fletcher’s writings often contain “phonetic” spellings intended to convey a character’s manner of speech, as well as actual words from the old northern English dialect and Latin legal terms. Apex editors have annotated dialectical or legal terms where the meaning may be unclear or confusing, or particularly obscure to the modern reader. Continue reading “In The Mayor’s Parlour (Annotated)”

Persuasion

Persuasion
Unabridged Original Classic Edition
by Jane Austen

Persuasion is Jane Austen’s last completed novel, published six months after her death in 1817, along with Northanger Abbey.

The story follows Anne Elliot, a 27-year-old Englishwoman whose family moves and rents their home to an admiral and his wife to lower their expenses and reduce their debt. The wife’s brother, Captain Frederick Wentworth, had been engaged to Anne earlier, but Anne was persuaded by her friends and family to break the engagement because his low social status and lack of wealth made him an unsuitable match for a woman of her social standing. Continue reading “Persuasion”