Best of
19th-Century

1854

North and South


Elizabeth Gaskell - 1854
    Initially repulsed by the ugliness of her new surroundings in the industrial town of Milton, Margaret becomes aware of the poverty and suffering of the local mill workers and develops a passionate sense of social justice. This is intensified by her tempestuous relationship with the mill-owner and self-made man, John Thornton, as their fierce opposition over his treatment of his employees masks a deeper attraction.In North and South, Elizabeth Gaskell skillfully fuses individual feeling with social concern, and in Margaret Hale creates one of the most original heroines of Victorian literature.

The Lamplighter


Maria Susanna Cummins - 1854
    But her sudden popularity left her quite unspoiled. A singular modesty, a childlike simplicity, a deep and beauti ful religious faith, were the qualities that endeared her to her friends and that are still evidenced by what was written of her at her death, which occurred in Dorchester October 1, 1866. As her pastor, Rev. Nathaniel Hall, declared in his memorial discourse, She received her success with a simple gladness, less that she was famous than that she might be useful; less that she had gained the public's applause than that she had touched, to issues human and philanthropic, the public's heart, and caused her poor 'lamplighter' to be the means of illumining other and direr darkness than that of night.

Plays 1: Ghosts / The Wild Duck / The Master Builder


Henrik Ibsen - 1854
    The plays in this volume range from the once shockingly realistic Ghosts (1881), 'the play that launched a thousand ships of critical fury'; through The Wild Duck (1884) with its innovatory symbolism and its touching portrait of a fourteen-year-old girl held in thrall by her feckless father ('Where,' asked George Bernard Shaw, 'shall I find an epithet magnificent enough for The Wild Duck?'); to The Master Builder (1892), showing the semi-autobiographical relationship between an ageing genius and a dynamic young woman. Michael Meyer's translations are 'crisp and cobweb-free, purged of verbal Victoriana' (Kenneth Tynan)

Les Chimères


Gérard de Nerval - 1854
    Bilingual Edition. Translated from the French by William Stone. A precursor of the symbolists and the surreallists, Gerard de Nerval has fascinated many major literary figures, including Proust and Breton, Eliot and Apollinaire, Michaux and Leiris. The great sonnet cycle, in its marvellous combination of spell, quest and dream, continues to fascinate writers, readers and that special category of writerly readers, translators. Menard's translator is the gifted young poet William Stone, who explains his work in a strongly worded essay: "like a partly submerged crocodile, with one amber eye half open, the foreign line sits, waiting for the anxious translator to make a move."

The Suffering Saviour


Friedrich Wilhelm Krummacher - 1854
    Translated almost immediately into English and frequently republished, the book has been described as the greatest single volume of the entire nineteenth century on the last days of Christ's eartly ministry. Krummacher organizes his meditations around the structure of the Old Testament tabernacle. The first section, The Outer Court, covers the time from Jesus' announcement of His approaching death to His discourses on the way to Gethsemane. The central section, the longest, is entitled The Holy Place. It deals with Gethsemane, Judas' betrayal, Peter's denial, all the judicial proceedings, Christ's scourging, and the journey to Calvary. The final section, The Most Holy Place, covers the crucifixion itself, Christ's sayings from the cross, His agony and death, and His burial. This is a book to which all Christians, and especially preachers, will want to return frequently, to have their hearts warmed afresh, and their love to, and zeal for, their Saviour rekindled.

Female Piety


John Angell James - 1854
    James emphasizes the importance of developing godly character, feminine modesty, and early piety. He stresses the enduring value of personal religion and holiness in the heart. Young women are instructed how to prepare to be a good wife and a wise mother. This book is a rich resource to nurture the qualities of a "Proverbs 31" woman.

The Words of Jesus


John R. Macduff - 1854
    You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Jail Journal


John Mitchel - 1854
    This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.