In the earlier play Ostrovsky had adopted a satiric tone that proved him a worthy disciple of Gogol, the great founder of Russian realism. Not one lovable character appears in that gloomy picture of merchant life in Moscow; even the old mother repels us by her stupidity more than she attracts us by her kindliness. No ray of light penetrates the "realm of darkness" -- to borrow a famous phrase from a Russian critic -- conjured up before us by the young dramatist. In Poverty Is No Crime we see the other side of the medal. Ostrovsky had now been affected by the Slavophile school of writers and thinkers, who found in the traditions of Russian society treasures of kindliness and love that they contrasted with the superficial glitter of Western civilization. Life in Russia is varied as elsewhere, and Ostrovsky could change his tone without doing violence to realistic truth. The tradesmen had not wholly lost the patriarchal charm of their peasant fathers. A poor apprentice is the hero of Poverty Is No Crime, and a wealthy manufacturer the villain of the piece. Good-heartedness is the touchstone by which Ostrovsky tries character, and this may be hidden beneath even a drunken and degraded exterior. The scapegrace, Lyubim Tortsov, has a sound Russian soul, and at the end of the play rouses his hard, grasping brother, who has been infatuated by a passion for aping foreign fashions, to his native Russian worth. Alexander Ostrovsky (1823-1886) was an early Russian Realist whose work led to the founding of the Moscow Arts Theatre and to the career of Stanislavsky. He has been acknowledged to be the greatest of the Russian dramatists.

    Bitter rivalries. Jealousy. Betrayals. Star-crossed lovers. When you consider all these plot points, it's pretty surprising William Shakespeare didn't write Mean Girls. But now fans can treat themselves to the epic drama--and heroic hilarity--of the classic teen comedy rendered with the wit, flair, and iambic pentameter of the Bard. Our heroine Cady disguises herself to infiltrate the conniving Plastics, falls for off-limits Aaron, struggles with her allegiance to newfound friends Damian and Janis, and stirs up age-old vendettas among the factions of her high school. Best-selling author Ian Doescher brings his signature Shakespearean wordsmithing to this cult classic beloved by generations of teen girls and other fans. Now, on the 15th anniversary of its release, Mean Girls is a recognized cultural phenomenon, and it's more than ready for an Elizabethan makeover.

    He aspires to be like him in every way and moulds his whole personality around armed robbery so that this is all he lives for. He holds normal working people (or plebs, as he calls them) in contempt and tries to ape Gavin without truly understanding what it is that makes him tick. When Gavin gets sentenced to 15 years in prison, Chris steps into his boots and tries to take over as head of a small crew of blaggers. He complicates things further by having an affair with Heather, Gavin's wife, while neglecting his own treacherous, money-grabbing partner, Debbie. A mistake that could cost him his life.

    Banks learns that one of the young men he has seen occasionally about the house is about to become his son-in-law. Daughter Kay announces the engagement out of nowhere. Mrs. Banks and her sons are happy, but Mr. Banks is in a dither. The groom-to-be, Buckley Dunstan, appears on the scene and Mr. Banks realizes that the engagement is serious. Buckley and Kay don't want a "big" wedding just a simple affair with a few friends! We soon learn, however, that the "few" friends idea is out. Then trouble really begins. The guest list grows larger each day, a caterer is called in, florists, furniture movers and dressmakers take over, and the Banks household is soon caught in turmoil.

    But then a stranger sits next to her on a train to London and explains his plan to propose to the woman of his dreams. Maybe true love does exist after all?When the man accidentally leaves the engagement ring behind, Ruby is determined to save the day. But she hasn't counted on fellow passenger Curtis stepping in and insisting he should be the one to track the stranger down. As summer closes in, the unlikely pair make a promise to reunite the ring with its owner. But can they find their own happy ever after along the way?

    Drebber discovered last night in empty London house. No obvious cause of death. Address given as Cleveland Ohio. Any information would be appreciated.After a mysterious murder leaves the police baffled, the world's best amateur detective is asked to investigate. Along with his fellow lodger, Dr Watson, Sherlock Holmes sets about uncovering a quest for revenge that runs far deeper than anybody suspected.About The Sherlock Holmes Children's CollectionElementary-age reading, my dear Watson! This fun series adapts the classic mysteries of Holmes & Watson for young readers, and makes the perfect introduction to whodunit fun for ages 7 and up. All titles are also leveled for classroom use, including GRLs.

    Pheobe Throssel and Valentine Brown are a young couple separated by the Neopoleonic wars for ten years, only to find themselves the unfortunate victims of time and age upon their reunion. This story of lost love, spinsters, secret disguises, and the complexities of human emotion will enchant readers today as much as it did the audiences of New York and London over a century ago.

    One of his best-loved and most famous plays, it exposes the lies plaguing the family of a wealthy Southern planter of humble origins.

    Complete vocal score to the Broadway sensation with 11 songs: The Best of Times * I Am What I Am * A Little More Mascara * Look over There * Song on the Sand (La Da Da Da) * With You on My Arm * and more.

    A farce with a hilarious drunk scene for two stylish comediennes.

     Unfortunately for Cole, he never got the hang of bravery and he was born with two left feet. So, instead of becoming a hero, Cole became an actor. He was good at it too until someone murdered his stunt double and sent his life spiraling out of control. Haunted by a sinister presence, the former child-star and present-day America’s sweetheart is desperate to uncover the threat to his life before it’s too late. But with no proof and the production of his latest film on the line, Cole will have to go to extremes to protect himself while remaining in the spotlight. Violet Monroe wouldn’t exactly call herself a killing machine. She’s more of an entrepreneur who knows martial arts and carries a gun. As the owner and sole employee of Elite Security, Violet is desperate to get her company off the ground. What she needs is a high-profile client and no one is more high profile than Cole O’Donnell. Pretending to be the action star’s wife might be extreme, but the move could be just what she needs to put Elite on the map. Highly trained, sensual, and deadly, Violet is the perfect bodyguard and all too soon Cole finds himself falling for the mysterious femme fatale. But to protect Violet he’ll have to step into the line of fire and give being a hero just one more shot. Luckily for Cole and his two left feet, Violet hasn’t lost a client yet and she sure as hell isn’t about to start with the man who stole her heart. With a target on them both and neither willing to back down, will Cole and Violet be cast for a romantic comedy or will tragedy strike and leave them scrambling to pick up the pieces? A Full-Length Fake Wife Romance steamy romance novel. Absolutely no Cheating and a guaranteed HEA. Also includes a never before published bonus - "The Billionaire's Secret" after the main story.

    Frollein comics have been stirring emotion in people all over the world with heartfelt and earnest strips making fun of the mundane. These perfectly poignant webcomics find inspiration in the everyday, encompassing rainy coffee mornings, playful relationship adventures, and quiet introspective moments. The small, unexpected minutes that quilt life together.In addition to many of the most recent fan-favorite Mrs. Frollein strips, Small Hours also includes twenty-five all-new, never before released comics as well as a foreword from fellow web-comic luminaries, Jonathan Kunz and Elizabeth Pich of War and Peas.

    Play as Hamlet, Ophelia, or King Hamlet--if you want to die on the first page and play as a ghost. It's pretty awesome! Readers can follow Yorick skull markers to stick closely to Shakespeare's plot, or go off-script and explore alternative possibilities filled with puzzles and humor.Each ending in the book is accompanied by a full-color, full-page illustration by one of the 65 most excellent artists working today, so each rereading yields new surprises and rewards. Ryan's prose is, as always, colloquial and familiar but full of clever references, vivid imagination, and only the most choice of jokes. Inventive devices like a book-within-a-book (to mirror Hamlet's play-within-a-play) take full advantage of the gamebook medium and liven up the original story for even the most disinterested of Shakespeare readers!To Be or Not to Be became a sensation when it launched: over 15,000 people backed the book in just one month, and it remains the number-one most funded publishing project ever on Kickstarter.com.To be, or not to be: that is the adventure!

    This e-sampler includes book excerpts, reading group guides, and other classified materials from the hilarious Spellman Files series.The Spellman Files is an irresistible, totally hilarious series about a family of private investigators (the Spellmans) who put the "fun" in "dysfunctional."

    Artificial, irreverent, and bawdy, the Restoration theatre came as a violent reaction to the strict ordinance of the Commonwealth.