"First published in 1886, Beyond Good and Evil by renowned German philosopher and thinker, Friedrich Nietzsche, expands on the philosophical ideas of his Thus Spake Zarathustra. The book presents a sharp critique of morality and the tendency to view morality in binaries of good and evil, thus rejecting the concept of universal morality for all humankind. In this book, divided into nine parts, Nietzsche begins by exposing the deficiencies of the old philosophers, emphasising the need for free spirits, and strongly opposes the ideas of universal morality as propagated by religion, anti-Semitism and feelings of nationalism. The ideas introduced in this book continue to influence and inspire philosophers all around the world."


Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900) was a notable German philosopher who remains one of the most influential modern thinkers. He is renowned for writing on the concept of the super-man, the end of religion in a modern society as well as his exploration of the concepts of good and evil. Some of his major philosophical works are Thus Spake Zarathustra (1883), The Antichrist (1885) and Twilight of the Idols (1889). Many major thinkers of the 20th century such as Jean-Paul Sartre, Sigmund Freud and Albert Camus, among others, were influenced by Nietzsche's ideas.
After his death, the misappropriation of his works by the Nazi Party in the 30s and 40s of the last century to further their fascist activities resulted in a negative reputation for generations whereas Nietzsche himself was steadfastly against anti-Semitism.
Nietzsche died on 25 August 1900, aged 55.

"Originally published as Moby-Dick, or, The Whale (1851), Herman Melville's masterpiece, is one of the greatest American novels. The deceptively simple novel of the sea is filled with allegories and is open to interpretation, both religious and agnostic, amongst others. At the simplest level, the novel narrates Captain Ahab's murderous obsession with the titular character, the whale, Moby-Dick after he loses his leg to it on a whaling mission. His quest for revenge drives him insane and deeply affects those around him. Beautifully written, Melville's masterly narrative comes to the fore in his magnum opus, which was dedicated to American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne."


Born on 1 August 1819, Herman Melville, best known for his masterpiece, Moby-Dick, or, The Whale (1851), was an American novelist, poet and short story writer. Considered one of America's greatest writers, he barely won much acclaim during his lifetime.
Melville's novels of the sea such as Typee (1846) and Omoo (1847) are inspired by his own marine adventures. His own struggles and conflicts during his lifetime are manifested beautifully in his artistic vision.
In the latter part of his writing career, Melville's short stories became more dark and complex, and his prose reflected the materialism and moral degradation of American society in the 19th century.
He died on 28 September 1891, aged 72.

"The merit of all things lies in their difficulty. The Three Musketeers originally published in French as Les Trois Mousquetaires (1844) is one of the most famous works by Alexandre Dumas. Set in the 1620s, the story follows the adventures of the youthfully ambitious d’Artagnan as he seeks a place in the prestigious Musketeers of the Guard. However, d’Artagnan loses an important letter of introduction due to a series of misfortunes, and is unable to join the Guard immediately. However, he ends up befriending Athos, Porthos and Aramis, the three valiant musketeers who exemplify loyalty and devotion in friendship, and live by the motto, “all for one and one for all”. What follows is a brilliant tale of political intrigue, espionage, duels, murders, romance and friendship. The success of the novel led to two sequels—Twenty Years After (1845) and The Vicomte of Bragelonne: Ten Years Later (1850). The Three Musketeers has also been adapted into film, television, stage as well as other art forms."


Born as Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie on 24 July 1802, in Villers-Cotterêts, Picardy, France, AlexAndre dumAs was one of the most prolific authors of his time.The last name ‘Dumas’ was adopted from his grandmother, a former enslaved Haitian woman. His father,Thomas-Alexandre, assumed the name Dumas when he enlisted in Napoleon’s army. Here, he was given the dubious nickname ‘Black Devil.’
Popular for his historical adventure novels like The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers (initially published as serials), Dumas immersed himself in literature after he moved to Paris in 1822. During the 1830 revolution, he worked as a scribe for the Duc d’Orléans (later named King Louis Philippe), and began writing dramas and comedies. Dumas had a penchant for writing volumes of essays on some of the most infamous cases in history. It is believed that his published works totalled 100,000 pages and his works have been translated into more than 100 languages.
A household name and a celebrity in France and across Europe, Dumas founded the Théâtre Historique in Paris in the 1840s.
Dumas died on 5 December 1870, in Puys, France. He was buried at his birthplace of Villers- Cotterêts in the department of Aisne.
In 1970, as a mark of honour, the Alexandre Dumas Paris Métro station was named after
the author. His country home outside Paris, the Château de Monte-Cristo, has been restored as a museum.

"First published in 1818, Frankenstein, or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley is the foremost gothic novel of the Romantic tradition, and inspired several other works in the horror genre. Shelley was inspired to write the story, often considered the first science fiction story ever written after a visit to the Frankenstein Castle, where, it was believed that two centuries back, an alchemist had conducted experiments. The story traces the life of Victor Frankenstein, a student of sciences at the University Of Ingolstadt, who creates a grotesque humanoid, commonly referred to as 'the monster' in the novel. What follows is a tale of tragedy, isolation, betrayal and absolute horror. Frankenstein, or, The Modern Prometheus has been adapted to film, stage and television, and remains an evergreen classic."


Mary Shelley (1797-1851) was a renowned English novelist, editor, biographer and short story writer. The daughter of political philosopher William Godwin and feminist writer Mary Wollstonecraft, Shelley was highly educated and infused radical political elements in her works. She is best-known for the widely acclaimed gothic novel Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus (1818), which is considered the first true science fiction story. Other major works by Shelley include Valperga (1823), The Last Man (1826) and Lodore (1835). Besides being an accomplished writer, Shelley also edited and promoted the works of her husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley, the renowned Romantic poet. She died in 1851, aged 53.

"And all the lives we ever lived and all the lives to be are full of trees and changing leaves. Virginia Woolf’s most autobiographical novel, To the Lighthouse (1927) revolves around the Ramsay family and their life in the summer home situated at a distance from a lighthouse, in the Hebrides, Isle of Skye in Scotland between 1910 and 1920. Enjoying the summer with their eight children, the Ramsays host an assortment of guests—Charles Tansley, an admirer of Mr. Ramsay’s work as a philosopher; Lily Briscoe, a young artist, and William Bankes, an old friend of the Ramsays, among others. Six-year-old James Ramsay wants his father to take him to the lighthouse, but Mr Ramsay keeps delaying the trip. And when the summer ends, war and death alter many realities. The journey to the lighthouse is deferred. A book of childhood desires, conflicting adult relationships, philosophical introspection, and multiple subjectivities, To the Lighthouse, divided into three sections—The Window, Time Passes, The Lighthouse—is about many journeys and an evergreen classic."


Born on 25 January 1882, Virginia Woolf was one of the most influential modernist 20th-century English writers, notable for using stream of consciousness as a literary technique in her works. While writing anonymous reviews for journals, she resolved to ‘re-form’ the novel by experimenting with dreams and delirium. Her novel Melymbrosia, which she completed in 1912 was born out of this determination. Recast and published in 1915 as The Voyage Out, it was about a young woman’s journey of selfdiscovery on her father’s ship in South America. Later, she modelled many of her characters on real-life associates and acquaintances.
At the onset of 1924, the Woolfs moved their residence from the suburbs back to Bloomsbury, where a relationship blossomed between the aristocratic Vita Sackville-West and Virginia. With Sackville-West, she learned to face her anxieties and overcome her nervous ailments. In fact, Orlando, a fantastical biography is partly a portrait of Vita Sackville-West.
One of the most important chapters in her early life was the summer home the family visited in St Ives, Cornwall, where she first beheld the Godrevy Lighthouse. To the Lighthouse (1927) is, therefore, considered one of her most autobiographical novels. Apart from her extremely popular extended essay, ‘A Room of One’s Own’ (1929), her other seminal works include—Mrs Dalloway (1925), Orlando (1928) and The Waves (1931).
In 1941, Virginia Woolf drowned herself in a river, aged 59. Her last work, Between the Acts, was posthumously published later that year.

From the repertoire of William Shakespeare’s most remarkable romantic comedies and classical tragedies, Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb is a keepsake collection for all lovers of literature. From Portia’s spontaneous wit to Desdemona’s untainted innocence; Cordelia’s candour to Romeo and Juliet’s tragic tale of passionate love, Tales from Shakespeare explores all facets of human personality with utmost sensitivity and great finesse. Charles and Mary Lamb promise their young readers a unique rediscovery of the Bard’s 20 phenomenal plays, bringing them closer to the relevance of the revered author’s prose and verse in the 21st century. The language is simple, the literary flavour is intact and the reading experience is exceptionally soul-satisfying. This collection is a perfect companion for all seasons.


CHARLES LAMB (1775-1834), an English essayist and playwright, is best-known for his collection of essays Essays of Elia. His older sister, MARY LAMB (1764-1847) was an English writer Despite his unstable mental state, Charles Lamb enjoyed an active social life, with his London salon as a weekly meeting place for the most eminent authors, artists and actors of the era. However, Mary's mental state was more unstable than her brother's, and in 1976, she suffered from a nervous breakdown, after which she was put in the care of her younger brother In 1807, encouraged by their close friend, novelist and philosopher William Godwin, they both collaborated to write the groundbreaking book, Tales from Shakespeare aiming at simplifying 20 of Shakespeare's plays for young readers. The book is one of the world's leading classics today

"First published as Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, Gulliver's Travels is a fine example of satire on human nature as well as on the genre of travel writing. A masterpiece of English literature, the novel has never gone out of print since its publication in 1726. Its universality is truly commendable as it can be read as a children's story as well as a work of satire on English politics and society. The story follows the adventures of Lemuel Gulliver as he travels to four distinct lands-Lilliput, Brobdingnag, the kingdom of Laputa and surrounding territories, and the Land of the Houyhnhnms where he meets curious creatures and witnesses worldviews starkly opposed to that of the English society he is so familiar with. An evergreen tale, Gulliver's Travels has been adapted to music, film, television and radio several times over the years."


Born on 30 November 1667, Jonathan Swift was a famous Irish author, satirist and clergyman well known for writing Gulliver's Travels and A Tale of a Tub. Popular for being a political satirist, he worked as editor of the political magazine Examiner, the official paper of the Tories when they came to power in 1710. Swift also published an important political pamphlet known as The Conduct of the Day which was a sharp attack on the Whigs. He later went on to become the dean of St. Patric's Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland.

"One of the founders of innovative science fiction novels, H.G. Wells was as taken up with the real world as his imaginary realm. Dissatisfied with the quality of history books at the end of World War I, the writer began penning his own history of the world. First published in 1922, A Short History of the World presents a groundbreaking study of the civilisation from the origins of the Earth spanning the Neolithic Era, the rise of Judaism, the Golden Age of Athens, Christ's life, the great discovery of America to the consequences of World War I. Inspired by Wells's The Outline of History (1919) a work in three volumes, beginning with Prehistory and following the world's significant events through World War I this condensed work chronicles the physical, intellectual and spiritual evolution of the human race. Wells adopts a Darwinian approach and avoids presenting history within a politicised framework. Passionately told, A Short History of the World remains an evergreen classic."


HERBERT GEORGE WELLS was born on 21 September 1866, in Bromley, England. In 1874, Wells, the son of domestic helpers-turned-shopkeepers, had an accident that left him bedridden for months. It was during this time that an avid reader was born. His father would bring him books from the local library and Wells would spend hours devouring the written word. Later, when his mother returned to working as a maidservant in a country house in Sussex, Wells found himself in the owner's magnificent library, immersed in the works of stalwarts like Jonathan Swift, Charles Dickens, Sir Thomas More, Plato, Daniel Defoe and others. As a teenager, Wells worked as a draper's assistant but eventually quit. Later, he won a scholarship to the Normal School of Science (later, the Royal College) where he learned about astronomy, biology, chemistry, and physics, among other subjects. All through, Wells nursed the secret desire to become a writer someday. In 1895, following the publication of The Time Machine, Wells became an overnight sensation. The story of an English scientist developing a time travel machine earned him the title of Father of Futurism. Wells' successive books, often termed as 'scientific romances' included The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896), The Invisible Man (1897) and The War of the Worlds (1898) Wells' works reflected the need for a society that flourished on the ideas and principles of global socialism. Published in 1920, The Outline of History is regarded as Wells' best-selling work. A champion of social and political ideas, he also ran for Parliament as a Labour Party candidate between 1922 and 192 The visionary author, sociologist, journalist, and historian breathed his last on 13 August 1946, aged 79.

"First published in 1719, Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe is one of the foremost works of English literature. A mix of adventure fiction, travelogue and autobiography, the novel was a huge success following its publication, running into several prints within Defoe's lifetime. Although the novel is believed to have been based on the story of the Scottish castaway Alexander Selkirk, Defoe masterfully crafts the main story into a fascinating tale of ambition, adventure, spiritualism and bravery. The protagonist and narrator, Robinson Crusoe, writes about his voyages at sea and his mercantile drive which take him far from his native England. In the course of his journey, he is enslaved, shipwrecked on an island in the midst of cannibals, travels to Brazil and secures a plantation, besides much else. This wonderful tale gave rise to a literary genre, the Robinsonade. Robinson Crusoe remains an evergreen classic and has been adapted to film, television, comics and video games."


Daniel Defoe (1660-1731), an English political pamphleteer, journalist and novelist was best known for his groundbreaking novels Robinson Crusoe (1719) and Moll Flanders (1722). Before becoming a writer, Defoe faced several hardships as a failing businessman who was constantly in debt. Moreover, his political pamphlets repeatedly led to his imprisonment.
It was only around the age of 59 that Defoe set off completely on a literary course and published his magnum opus Robinson Crusoe. This novel sealed his reputation as a writer. Thereafter followed other renowned works of fiction such as Moll Flanders (1722), Colonel Jack (1722) and The Fortunate Mistress: or, A History of the Life (1724).

"One of the founders of innovative science fiction novels, H.G. Wells was as taken up with the real world as his imaginary realm. Dissatisfied with the quality of history books at the end of World War I, the writer began penning his own history of the world. First published in 1922, A Short History of the World presents a groundbreaking study of the civilisation from the origins of the Earth,spanning the Neolithic Era, the rise of Judaism, the Golden Age of Athens, Christ's life, the great discovery of America to the consequences of World War I. Inspired by Wells's The Outline of History (1919) a work in three volumes, beginning with Prehistory and following the world's significant events through World War I this condensed work chronicles the physical, intellectual and spiritual evolution of the human race. Wells adopts a Darwinian approach and avoids presenting history within a politicised framework. Passionately told, A Short History of the World remains an evergreen classic."


HERBERT GEORGE WELLS was born on 21 September 1866, in Bromley, England. In 1874, Wells, the son of domestic helpers-turned-shopkeepers, had an accident that left him bedridden for months. It was during this time that an avid reader was born. His father would bring him books from the local library and Wells would spend hours devouring the written word. Later, when his mother returned to working as a maidservant in a country house in Sussex, Wells found himself in the owner's magnificent library, immersed in the works of stalwarts like Jonathan Swift, Charles Dickens, Sir Thomas More, Plato, Daniel Defoe and others. As a teenager, Wells worked as a draper's assistant but eventually quit. Later, he won a scholarship to the Normal School of Science (later, the Royal College) where he learned about astronomy, biology, chemistry, and physics, among other subjects. All through, Wells nursed the secret desire to become a writer someday. In 1895, following the publication of The Time Machine, Wells became an overnight sensation. The story of an English scientist developing a time travel machine earned him the title of Father of Futurism. Wells' successive books, often termed as 'scientific romances' included The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896), The Invisible Man (1897) and The War of the Worlds (1898) Wells' works reflected the need for a society that flourished on the ideas and principles of global socialism. Published in 1920, The Outline of History is regarded as Wells' best-selling work. A champion of social and political ideas, he also ran for Parliament as a Labour Party candidate between 1922 and 192 The visionary author, sociologist, journalist, and historian breathed his last on 13 August 1946, aged 79.

It sounds plausible enough tonight, but wait until tomorrow. Wait for the common sense of the morning. Born out of H.G. Wells’ literary vision of the future, The Time Machine (1895) is an extraordinary work of early science fiction. A Victorian scientist builds a time machine and lands in the year 802,701 AD. Initially, he is transported to the pastoral idyll of an unknown land which is delightfully peaceful. Soon, however, the paradisiacal façade shatters and he discovers the reality of two distinct species: Eloi are useless, childlike adults surviving on a fruit based diet, and Morlocks who are barbarians thriving underground. The Time Traveller saves one of the Eloi from drowning, and navigates through tunnels to retrieve his time machine that has gone missing. Before returning to his era, The Time Traveller also visits a land where a bloated red sun stares motionless in the sky and the only sign of life is a black blob with tentacles. Once again, the scientist prepares to leave on another time travel, but this time will he return?

HERBERT GEORGE WELLS was born on 21 September 1866, in Bromley, England. In 1874, Wells, the son of domestic helpers-turned-shopkeepers, had an accident that left him bedridden for months. It was during this time that an avid reader was born. His father would bring him books from the local library and Wells would spend hours devouring the written word. Later, when his mother returned to working as a maidservant in a country house in Sussex, Wells found himself in the owner's magnificent library, immersed in the works of stalwarts like Jonathan Swift, Charles Dickens, Sir Thomas More, Plato, Daniel Defoe and others. As a teenager, Wells worked as a draper's assistant but eventually quit. Later, he won a scholarship to the Normal School of Science (later, the Royal College) where he learned about astronomy, biology, chemistry, and physics, among other subjects. All through, Wells nursed the secret desire to become a writer someday. In 1895, following the publication of The Time Machine, Wells became an overnight sensation. The story of an English scientist developing a time travel machine earned him the title of Father of Futurism. Wells' successive books, often termed as 'scientific romances' included The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896), The Invisible Man (1897) and The War of the Worlds (1898) Wells' works reflected the need for a society that flourished on the ideas and principles of global socialism. Published in 1920, The Outline of History is regarded as Wells' best-selling work. A champion of social and political ideas, he also ran for Parliament as a Labour Party candidate between 1922 and 192 The visionary author, sociologist, journalist, and historian breathed his last on 13 August 1946, aged 79.

"I cannot make you understand. I cannot make anyone understand what is happening inside me. I cannot even explain it to myself. Originally published in German as Die Verwandlung (1915), The Metamorphosis is one of the Austrian writer Franz Kafka's finest stories. A masterpiece of absurdist Kafkaesque fiction, the novella traces the life of a salesman, Gregor Samsa, who wakes up one day to find himself transformed into a hideous insect. With its myriad psychological, sociological, feminist and artistic interpretations, this novella remains a favourite amongst literary critics. Subsequent writers of absurdist fiction were deeply inspired by The Metamorphosis, that has been adapted into film, television and theatre since it was first published."


Franz Kafka (1883-1924), a German-speaking Bohemian Jewish novelist, was one of the foremost writers of the 20th century. His novels The Judgement (1913) and The Trial (1925), cemented his reputation as a writer. Kafka had a concise style of writing and the themes of despair and alienation were recurrent in his works. He was also a writer of fine short stories that were existentialist in tone.
Although he received little literary attention while he was alive, Kafka became an important figure of German literature when his close friend and literary executor, Max Brod, refused to destroy his novels, diaries and letters upon his death, as was instructed by Kafka. The term Kafkaesque derives from Kafka's name and denotes the nightmarish, absurd and oppressive situations that the protagonists often face in his works.
Kafka died of tuberculosis, aged 40.

Tom Sawyer, a mischievous young boy, lives in the fictional town of St. Petersburg, Missouri with his Aunt Polly and half-brother Sid. Together with his friend Huckleberry Finn, the son of a drunk, ruthless father, he accidentally witnesses a murder. What unfolds in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) is a series of exhilarating events: both friends identify Injun Joe, the real murderer, in court; testify to the innocence of the person wrongly accused and find buried treasure in a haunted house. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), Huck escapes from the clutches of his father and encounters Jim, a runaway slave. They embark on an exciting journey along the Mississippi River, meeting different people and participating in their unusual lives. With time, Huck finds himself in a moral dilemma over societal values and his own friendship with Jim. With The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain presents a sharp social commentary on 19th-century American life through scathing satire, folksy humour, colloquial speech and coarse language.


Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by his pen name, Mark Twain, was America’s most famous literary icon. Born on 30 November 1835, in the town of Florida, Missouri, he was the sixth child of John and Jane Clemens. Four years after his birth, in 1839, the Clemens family moved to the town of Hannibal, a developing port city on the banks of the Mississippi.
At the age of nine, Twain witnessed the murder of a cattle rancher and when he turned 10, he saw a slave being struck by a piece of iron by a white overseer. Violence was commonplace and such incidents shaped the writer in him.
Twain became the chronicler of hypocrisies and vanities through the colloquial, raw, and vivid voice of the common folk. Satire and irreverence were the weapons that he used to deflate the arrogance of the pretentious. In 1865, one of his remarkable short stories about life in a mining camp, “Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog,’ was published in newspapers and magazines, earning him national acclaim. A few years later, in 1869, The Innocents Abroad was published, and became a bestseller.
This one-of a kind travel book was born out of his five-month sea cruise in the Mediterranean.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and its sequel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884) are among Twain’s seminal works. In 1935, Ernest Hemingway remarked, “All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn.” Mark Twain died on 21 April 1910.

"Tom Sawyer, a mischievous young boy, lives in the fictional town of St. Petersburg, Missouri with his Aunt Polly and half-brother Sid. Together with his friend Huckleberry Finn, the son of a drunk, ruthless father, he accidentally witnesses a murder. What unfolds in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) is a series of exhilarating events: both friends identify Injun Joe, the real murderer, in court; testify to the innocence of the person wrongly accused and find buried treasure in a haunted house. After autobiographical works like The Innocents Abroad (1869), and Roughing It (1872), this book was Mark Twain’s debut novel that reflected the author’s own experiences of youth and adulthood. He even chose to name his protagonist after a fireman whom he had met in San Francisco in 1863. Twain presents a sharp social commentary on 19th-century American life through Tom’s tale of childhood resentment against societal hypocrisies."



Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by his pen name, Mark Twain, was America’s most famous literary icon. Born on 30 November 1835, in the town of Florida, Missouri, he was the sixth child of John and Jane Clemens. Four years after his birth, in 1839, the Clemens family moved to the town of Hannibal, a developing port city on the banks of the Mississippi.
At the age of nine, Twain witnessed the murder of a cattle rancher and when he turned 10, he saw a slave being struck by a piece of iron by a white overseer. Violence was commonplace and such incidents shaped the writer in him.
Twain became the chronicler of hypocrisies and vanities through the colloquial, raw, and vivid voice of the common folk. Satire and irreverence were the weapons that he used to deflate the arrogance of the pretentious. In 1865, one of his remarkable short stories about life in a mining camp, “Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog,’ was published in newspapers and magazines, earning him national acclaim. A few years later, in 1869, The Innocents Abroad was published, and became a bestseller.
This one-of a kind travel book was born out of his five-month sea cruise in the Mediterranean.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and its sequel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884) are among Twain’s seminal works. In 1935, Ernest Hemingway remarked, “All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn.” Mark Twain died on 21 April 1910.

In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a sequel to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Huck escapes from the clutches of his abusive drunk father ‘Pap’, and the ‘sivilizing’ guardian Widow Douglas. After faking his own death in pursuit of freedom, during one of his travels, Huck, encounters Jim, a runaway slave. Together, they embark on an exciting journey along the Mississippi River, meeting different people and participating in their unusual lives. With time, Huck finds himself in a moral dilemma over societal values and his own friendship with Jim. First published in 1884, the book was an indictment of racism, class prejudices and identity conflicts. Regarded as one of the Great American Novels, this timeless classic by Mark Twain is also among the first in American literature to be written in regional English, relying on scathing satire, folksy humour, colloquial speech and coarse language.

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by his pen name, Mark Twain, was America’s most famous literary icon. Born on 30 November 1835, in the town of Florida, Missouri, he was the sixth child of John and Jane Clemens. Four years after his birth, in 1839, the Clemens family moved to the town of Hannibal, a developing port city on the banks of the Mississippi.
At the age of nine, Twain witnessed the murder of a cattle rancher and when he turned 10, he saw a slave being struck by a piece of iron by a white overseer. Violence was commonplace and such incidents shaped the writer in him.
Twain became the chronicler of hypocrisies and vanities through the colloquial, raw, and vivid voice of the common folk. Satire and irreverence were the weapons that he used to deflate the arrogance of the pretentious. In 1865, one of his remarkable short stories about life in a mining camp, “Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog,’ was published in newspapers and magazines, earning him national acclaim. A few years later, in 1869, The Innocents Abroad was published, and became a bestseller.
This one-of a kind travel book was born out of his five-month sea cruise in the Mediterranean.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and its sequel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884) are among Twain’s seminal works. In 1935, Ernest Hemingway remarked, “All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn.” Mark Twain died on 21 April 1910.

"Published on 16 October 1847, Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre was originally titled Jane Eyre: An Autobiography. The novel earned its author the distinction of being ‘the first historian of the private consciousness’. Jane Eyre, an orphan, living with her cruel aunt is punished for bullying her cousin and imprisoned in a ‘red room’.This is the same room where Jane’s uncle had died. Locked in, a young Jane is haunted by her uncle’s screams. Memories of an oppressive upbringing follow her like a shadow even at Lowood Charity School where she finds herself at the mercy of an abusive headmaster. As a governess at Thornfield Hall, Jane falls in love with her mysterious Byronic employer, Edward Rochester. Soon, she discovers a bitter truth about him and his ‘mad’ wife Bertha Mason. After a series of crests and troughs when Jane is ready to embark on yet another unpredictable journey, she is compelled to return to the man she had once abandoned."


Born on 21 April 1816 in Thornton,Yorkshire, England, Charlotte Brontë was the third of six children of Patrick Brontë and Maria Branwell.
In April 1821, Charlotte’s mother died of cancer a few months after the family moved to Haworth.Thereafter, her mother’s sister came to live with the family.After her elder sisters Elizabeth and Maria fell critically ill at school, her father withdrew Charlotte and her younger sister Emily.The rigours of life at boarding school, unsanitary conditions, outbreaks of ‘low fever,’ or typhus, withdrawal of many students formed the base of Lowood School in Jane Eyre.
In 1833, Charlotte penned her novella, The Green Dwarf, under the name of Wellesley.
The Professor, Charlotte’s first manuscript, did not immediately find a publisher, although Smith, Elder & Co. of Cornhill expressed their desire to acquire her longer-form works and narratives. In her response, she completed her second manuscript in August 1847. Six weeks later, Jane Eyre was published under the pen name, Currer Bell. The Professor was published posthumously in 1857.
Charlotte Brontë explored themes of sexual politics, betrayal, romance, revenge, loss, and betrayal.

"Published in 1847, Emily Brontë’s only novel Wuthering Heights is an evergreen classic. A passionate tale of love between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, the novel challenged Victorian ideals of morality, class, religion and gender inequality. Heathcliff, an orphan, brought to Wuthering Heights by Mr. Earnshaw, represents the quintessential Byronic hero—brooding and enigmatic, whose social status is foregrounded by his lack of a first name. Spurned by Catherine and humiliated by her brother, Hindley, Heathcliff leaves the Heights, only to return later as a revenge-seeking, wealthy and polished man. Catherine chooses to marry Edgar Linton, an antithesis to Heathcliff. What follows is a series of disastrous events in which the characters are consumed by their tragic fate. Evocative and gothic, the novel was initially termed ‘abhorrent’ and later appreciated for its originality and poetic grandeur."


Born on 30 July 1818 in Thornton, Yorkshire, England, Emily Jane Brontë was the younger sister of Charlotte Brontë, and the fifth of six children. Emily Brontë was considered an enigmatic literary figure and remains a difficult subject for biographers till date. Her only nove —Wuthering Heights—was published under the pseudonym ‘Ellis Bell’. In April 1821, Emily’s mother died of cancer a few months after the family moved to Haworth. Thereafter, her mother’s sister came to live with the family. At the tender age of six, Emily joined the Clergy Daughters’ School at Cowan Bridge along with her sisters Charlotte, Elizabeth and Maria. Unfortunately, their father had to withdraw both Charlotte and Emily after elder sisters Elizabeth and Maria became critically ill at school and eventually died of tuberculosis in 1825. First published in London in 1847, Wuthering Heights appeared as part of a three-volume collection including younger sister Anne Brontë’s debut novel Agnes Grey (under the pseudonym ‘Acton Bell’). Critics and reviewers were perplexed at the structure of Wuthering Heights; some even described it as a work of fiction that could have been written only by a man. Emily’s real name was printed on the title page much later—posthumously, in 1850 for a commercial edition. Soon after the release of the novel, Emily’s health—she had been battling tuberculosis— deteriorated. On 19 December 1848, Emily Brontë died in Haworth, Yorkshire, England.

"The truth is rarely pure and never simple. Two women fall in love with men of the same name. This mythical suitor is called ‘Ernest’, a name that has been adopted by both Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff to win the hearts of their beloveds, Gwendolen Fairfax and Cecily Cardew, respectively. As pandemonium breaks out at Jack’s country home on the same weekend, and while the identity of ‘Ernest’ is still uncertain, only an insignificant handbag and an old nursemaid can save the day! A farce where characters take on fictitious roles, Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest is a delightful carnival of lovers in conflict, warped identities, clandestine arrangements, witticism and incisive, artful conversations. The eccentricity and effervescence in Wilde’s plot and characters are enjoyed by readers and viewers even today. Ever since it was first performed in London’s St. James’ Theatre on 14 February 1895, this brilliant tour de force has inspired many other adaptations. The Importance of Being Earnest remains an evergreen classic!"


Born on 16 October 1854, Oscar Wilde was a famous Irish poet and playwright. Part of a family of intellectuals, he was educated at the most prestigious colleges in Great Britain Trinity College, University of Dublin and Magdalen College, University of Oxford. During his years in university, he was drawn to Aestheticism, the art movement prevalent in late 19th century. He wrote essays, propagated ideas as a lecturer and also wrote the famous novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, which he vehemently defended using the concept of making ‘art for art’s sake’.

His aesthetic sensibilities mixed with his wit were apparent in notable plays such as The Importance of Being Earnest and Lady Windermere’s Fan, and established him as a successful playwright.
However, Wilde had a harrowing personal life because of his homosexuality. He was prosecuted and imprisoned in 1895 for two years. The idea of homosexuality in his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray was used against him to strengthen the case. Upon his release, he left for France, never to return to England.
His health declined after his release from prison and he died of meningitis in 1900, aged 46.

"The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame. The Picture of Dorian Gray, the only novel by Oscar Wilde is also his most famous work. First published in Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine in 1890, the novel was recognised as a masterpiece decades later. Initially, it garnered negative criticism due to the undercurrents of homosexuality which hurt Victorian sensibility. In his characteristic witty fashion, Wilde conveys brilliantly the relationship between art, life and morality. Dorian Gray, a disarmingly good-looking young man, marvels at his own portrait and is resentful of the idea of the portrait remaining beautiful while he is destined to age. Thus, he makes a Faustian wish to remain young and retain his physical beauty forever whereas his portrait is to be marked with age and his moral degradation. Oscar Wilde notably defended The Picture of Dorian Gray by seeking the artist’s right to make ‘art for art’s sake’, a concept famous during Aestheticism in the latter half of the 19th century. The Picture of Dorian Gray remains influential even in the 21st century."


Born on 16 October 1854, Oscar Wilde was a famous Irish poet and playwright. Part of a family of intellectuals, he was educated at the most prestigious colleges in Great Britain Trinity College, University of Dublin and Magdalen College, University of Oxford. During his years in university, he was drawn to Aestheticism, the art movement prevalent in late 19th century. He wrote essays, propagated ideas as a lecturer and also wrote the famous novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, which he vehemently defended using the concept of making ‘art for art’s sake’.

His aesthetic sensibilities mixed with his wit were apparent in notable plays such as The Importance of Being Earnest and Lady Windermere’s Fan, and established him as a successful playwright.
However, Wilde had a harrowing personal life because of his homosexuality. He was prosecuted and imprisoned in 1895 for two years. The idea of homosexuality in his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray was used against him to strengthen the case. Upon his release, he left for France, never to return to England.
His health declined after his release from prison and he died of meningitis in 1900, aged 46.

"If a thing is right, it can be done, and if it is wrong, it can be done without; and a good man will find a way. Black Beauty, a young colt, is raised with love and care by his benevolent master, Farmer Grey. Once he grows up to be a handsome stallion, due to a cruel twist of fate, his master is forced to sell him. Leaving his carefree days on an English farm behind, Black Beauty soon finds himself in the hands of several ruthless owners and carriage drivers in London. Battling the bitterness of his masters, he yearns to return to the freedom and comforts of his country life. Black Beauty, the autobiography of a horse, was written during the last seven years of Anna Sewell’s life. A testimony to her outrage against the ill-treatment of horses in Victorian England and her empathy for animals, it remains an evergreen classic!"


Born on 30 March 1820 in Norfolk, England, Anna Sewell wrote only one book—Black Beauty: The Autobiography of a Horse that was published in November 1877. Little did she know that it would become one of the bestselling and most loved classics of all time. From an early age, Anna Sewell assisted her mother, Mary Wright Sewell, a well-known author of children’s books, in editing her manuscripts. For lack of means and fortune, she was home-schooled.
At 14, she slipped and gravely injured her ankles. Following this mishap, she spent most of her life confined to her home, and her mobility depended only on horsedrawn carriages. A fictional autobiography of a high-bred horse, Black Beauty was not just a novel for children. Anna Sewell’s intent behind writing the book was, ‘to induce kindness, sympathy, and an understanding treatment of horses’. The use of anthropomorphism as a literary device in Black Beauty stems from her love of horses and her deep resentment against the ill-treatment of animals. Anna Sewell never married. She died in 1878, five months after Black Beauty was published.