Popular in the Renaissance, these stories have been less familiar in later centuries. Translations of the Greek stories were not readily available in English before B.P. Reardon’s excellent volume. Nine complete stories are included here as well as ten others, encompassing the whole range of classical themes: ideal romance, travel adventure, historical fiction, and comic parody. A new foreword by J.R. Morgan examines the enormous impact this groundbreaking collection has had on our understanding of classical thought and our concept of the novel.

    Nietzsche outlined a distinction between its two central forces: the Apolline, representing beauty and order, and the Dionysiac, a primal or ecstatic reaction to the sublime. He believed the combination of these states produced the highest forms of music and tragic drama, which not only reveal the truth about suffering in life, but also provide a consolation for it. Impassioned and exhilarating in its conviction, The Birth of Tragedy has become a key text in European culture and in literary criticism.

    Their happiness is interrupted when Seth travels west in search of his fortune. His obsession almost leads him to lose all that is precious. Seth’s legacy continues when the 7 pieces of his torn treasure map find their way into the hands of 7 more colorful brides and their pioneer husbands. RUBY'S RACE Ruby Murphy is a young orphan who is used cruelly by her aunt and cousins. When one of her cousins attempts to molest her and she defends herself, she is kicked out into the street and left to fend for herself. Homeless and unable to find employment, she turns in desperation to The Western Matrimonial Agency and answers a complete stranger’s advertisement for a bride. CORAL'S CRY Despite all her friends’ warnings, Coral is determined to marry Richard. Then, when he leaves her at the altar for his secret lover, Coral is unable to face people’s looks and disdain. The chance to move west and marry Thomas Winters seems the perfect escape route. AMBER'S ESCAPE Amber is highly amused at the sight of the ridiculous Lord Richard Clarington The Third, Earl of Suffolk, but she is horrified when she discovers that her father and stepmother intend to marry her off to him. When she refuses, her parents confine her to her rooms, but she and her maid, Felicia, plot her means of escape: Amber will become a Mail Order Bride. JADE'S JOURNEY Forced to sell her family home, Jade Fern finds her ancestor’s papers, including a piece of a map. Jade decides to go to Rainbow Mountain. Meanwhile, Julius Neil discovers deeds to the same land. A spirited rivalry springs up between them, but Sheriff Augustus Gordon has a scheme to bring them togther. SAPPHIRE'S SURPRISE The determined Sapphire Alexander is a successful nurse and midwife at San Francisco’s prestigious Central Memorial Hospital, but she is plagued by the attentions of Dr. Michael “Itchy Fingers” Spinks. Her repeated rebuffs only anger him, and he eventually has her fired because she won’t give in to him. Forced to travel west and terrible accident leads to love. AMETHYST'S SECRET Amethyst Mayfield is the daughter of an archeologist whose travels lead him to the Amazon forest - he never returns. Amongst the artifacts that he leaves is a fragment of parchment promising rich returns from the Montana hills. Amethyst, fascinated and keen to continue her father’s legacy, devises a way to move to Montana as a Mail Order Bride. VIOLET'S VICTORY Violet Wakefield faces the impossible dilemma of providing the necessary fees for her sick mother’s urgent medical care. She is led to respond to the pleas of a lonely logger from Rainbow Mountain, willing to pay a handsome dowry for a suitable Christian bride. She reluctantly leaves her mother to join Martin Allen, who pays for her mother’s medical care 7 COLORS OF LOVE Each of our brides has found love in Montana, but all are unaware that a storm is brewing. Creeping from the past comes a greedy hand ready to grasp the hidden treasure, but first the seven brides must be lured where their bounty can be stolen. Watch and wonder as the thrilling finale of the Rainbow Mountain Brides gallops to its conclusion.

    Steel is known for her heartfelt love stories and this piece joins the ranks with the charming romance between Stephanie Adams and Chase Taylor. Although the plot itself is the familiar blueprint to many romance novels, Steel’s well-developed characters steal the show and provide an enjoyable performance. Stephanie and Chase shine in the leading roles, their strong likeability factor making them a team to root for. Steel takes care to give all the characters a clear purpose and journey of their own, adding to their depth and to their level of importance in Stephanie and Chase’s lives. Stephanie Adams has devoted her entire life to her husband and her children, remaining trapped in a loveless marriage in an effort to keep her family intact. The sudden death of her husband sends her reeling and she feels lost without his familiar presence. With her children grown and living elsewhere, she is forced to face the reality that her life no longer holds the purpose it once did. Danielle Steel’s novel is a sweet romantic tale that brings together an underappreciated widow with a famous music star in a simple twist of fate that changes their lives forever. This companion to Country also includes the following: • Book Review • Story Setting Analysis • Story elements you may have missed as we decipher the novel • Clear, concise description and analysis of personalities • Summary of the text, with some analytical comments interspersed • Thought Provoking /or Discussion Questions for both Readers & Book Clubs • Discussion & Analysis of Themes, Symbols… • And Much More! This Analysis fills the gap, making you understand more while enhancing your reading experience.

    Half-man, half-god, musician, magician, theologian, poet and lover, his story never leaves us. He may be myth, but his lyre still sounds, entrancing everything that hears it: animals, trees, water, stones, and men.In this extraordinary work Ann Wroe goes in search of Orpheus, from the forests where he walked and the mountains where he worshipped to the artefacts, texts and philosophies built up round him. She traces the man, and the power he represents, through the myriad versions of a fantastical life: his birth in Thrace, his studies in Egypt, his voyage with the Argonauts to fetch the Golden Fleece, his love for Eurydice and journey to Hades, and his terrible death. We see him tantalising Cicero and Plato, and breathing new music into Gluck and Monteverdi; occupying the mind of Jung and the surreal dreams of Cocteau; scandalising the Fathers of the early Church, and filling Rilke with poems like a whirlwind. He emerges as not simply another mythical figure but the force of creation itself, singing the song of light out of darkness and life out of death.

    Set during the siege of Troy, and complete with duels, battles, larger-than-life characters like Achilles, and the famed Greek gods, The Iliad is truly the ultimate adventure story.

    

    When a lustful Trojan prince abducts the beautiful Queen Helen of Sparta, Helen`s husband vows to recover her no matter the cost. So begins the Trojan War. From far and wide the ancient kings of Greece bring their ships to join the massive force to pledge their allegiance to High King Agamemnon. Featuring the greatest of the Greek heroes: Achilles, Odysseus, and Herakles, along with a cast of thousands. AGE OF BRONZE: A THOUSAND SHIPS reveals hidden secrets of the characters` pasts, serving up joy and sorrow, leading up to the brink of war, and foreshadowing the terror to come. Age of Bronze will be included in a major international exhibition travelling to three German museums in 2002. The exhibit is centered on the current excavations at Troy and features Age of Bronze in an exhibit devoted to modern interpretations of Troy. Age of Bronze has been nominated for numerous Eisner (The comic industry's Oscar) Awards. Rack it in your mythology and historical fiction sections for even more sales success.

    Love action, deception, romance, power struggles, and more!Mythlopedia is a series where the superstars of Greek myth meet the modern age--complete with profiles, headshots, and family trees; fascinating sidebars; and irreverent surprises for readers (Ages 10-14).