Book picks similar to
Three Great Novels: The Woman in White; The Moonstone; The Law and the Lady by Wilkie Collins
classic
victorian
sensation
gothic-literature
The Four Faces: A Mystery
William Le Queux - 1914
Overhearing a conversation at his club one day, he becomes interested in a discussion regarding a man named Gastrell. Gastrell is somewhat of a mystery to the club members in spite of his renting a house from one of them. Berrington’s interest in Gastrell intensifies as his fiancé, Dulcie Challoner, befriends a wealthy widow, Mrs. Connie Stapleton who evidently has some type of relationship with Gastrell. As the plot progresses, Berrington finds himself involved with sensational robberies, brutal murders, coded messages, and even mind control! As in many Le Queux books, there are twists and turns as new characters and locations are introduced. When you are sure you know the ending, something new occurs and you wonder how it will affect the conclusion of the book.Excerpt:"I confess I'd like to know somethin' more about him." "Where did you run across him first?" "I didn't run across him; he ran across me, and in rather a curious way. We live in Linden Gardens now, you know. Several of the houses there are almost exactly alike, and about a month ago, at a dinner party we were givin', a young man was shown in. His name was unknown to me, so I supposed that he must be some friend of my wife's. Then I saw that he was a stranger to her too, and then all at once he became very confused, inquired if he were in Sir Harry Dawson's house - Sir Harry lives in the house next to ours - and, findin' he was not, apologized profusely for his mistake, and left hurriedly."
Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher
Robert Lanier - 1839
He finds himself a solitary guest in the foreboding, inscrutable Usher mansion. A mysterious ailment has possessed Roderick Usher, lord of the manor, which has resisted all medical treatment and threatens to extinguish the line of Usher forever. Yet a darker enigma faces Powell, and the further he probes the more obscure and horrifying seems the truth. Building to its heart-stopping climax this classic tale of the macabre by the great American author Edgar Allan Poe has been faithfully adapted for the stage preserving much of the beloved text in the script. It is sure to delight all Poe fans and to convert the uninitiated.
Theatre
W. Somerset Maugham - 1937
Somerset Maugham–the author of the classic novels Of Human Bondage and Up at the Villa–introduces us to Julia Lambert, a woman of breathtaking poise and talent whose looks have stood by her forty-six years. She is a star UK stage actress–-so good, in fact, that perhaps she never stops acting.It seems that noting can ruffle her satin feathers, until a quiet stranger challenges Julia's very sense of self. As a result, she will endure rejection for the first time, her capacity as a mother will be affronted, and her ability to put on whatever face she desired for her public will prove limited. In Theatre, Maugham subtly exposes the tensions and triumphs that occur when acting and reality blend together, and–for Julia–ultimately reverse.
Cometh Up As a Flower
Rhoda Broughton - 1867
Nell is in love with one man, but marries another. The heroine's frank discussion of her sexual attraction to her lover, and her dispassionate evaluation of loveless marriage as a form of self-sale was criticized by many critics of the day; however, Cometh Up was one of Rhoda Broughton's most successful sensation novels and was widely read.
The P.G. Wodehouse Collection
P.G. Wodehouse - 2014
Wodehouse was an English author and one of the most widely read humourists of the 20th century, known for novels and short stories with elaborate plots, and for a unique writing style based on a combination of very formal language, references to classical literature, and contemporary club-room slang.Widely considered a master of his craft, the P.G. Wodehouse Collection features the following 7 novels and one collection of short stories:The Gold BatPsmith in the CityPsmith, JournalistA Damsel in DistressMy Man JeevesIndiscretions of ArchieJill the RecklessandRight Ho, Jeeves
The End of the Affair
Graham Greene - 1951
Now, a year after Sarah's death, Bendrix seeks to exorcise the persistence of his passion by retracing its course from obsessive love to love-hate. At first, he believes he hates Sarah and her husband, Henry. Yet as he delves deeper into his emotional outlook, Bendrix's hatred shifts to the God he feels has broken his life, but whose existence at last comes to recognize.
Beginnings
Ben Hammott - 2010
An entertaining quest filled action adventure.” "I am not usually a fan of action and suspense novels, but must say I enjoyed this novel very much. If you like Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt (His earlier novels), James Rollins or Matthew Reilly, then check it out. "...a terrific book with a likable protagonist, skilled plotting and interesting characters. This gripping quest for lost artifacts mystery had me hooked from the first chapter." WARNING - You will be hooked from the first page! An exciting archaeological thriller spanning more than 2000 years. Beginning with the construction of Solomon's Temple, the Fall of Jerusalem, the creation of the Copper Scrolls and the forming of the Knights Templar and their mysterious tunnelling under the Temple Mount. The story then takes us into the trap-riddled catacombs beneath Rosslyn Chapel, on to Rennes-le-Chateau, into the Tomb and beyond. Tag line: In the catacombs beneath Rosslyn Chapel, one man finds a secret they have spent centuries searching for.They are coming to claim it. Back Cover Text: A hunt for a treasure becomes a Quest for the truth. 960BC Solomon’s Temple is completed. 70AD Fall of Jerusalem and the Temple Treasure is Lost 1119AD The Knights Templar tunnel under the Temple Mount. Nine years later they find what they have been searching for and return to France. They become the richest and most powerful order the world has known. 1446 Sir William St Clair builds Rosslyn Chapel. 1891 Berenger Sauniere, a penniless priest of the small French village of Rennes-le-Château, discovers a parchment hidden in his church - it turns him into a man of great wealth. 1952 The Copper Scroll is discovered in a cave in Qumran. It is a Treasure map believed to have been written around the time Jerusalem fell. All are connected Part of a Secret buried for centuries. A secret many have been searching for without success. Ancient Families, Secret Orders, innocents wronged. All have suffered. All seek revenge. The Secret will give it to them. They just have to find something that went missing over 2000 years ago. BEGINNINGS is the first book of the Tomb, the Temple, the Treasure and thus continues in book 2 - The Priest's Secret. If you downloaded Beginnings before 28/9/2014, please update the book file via your kindle updated content in your “Manage Your Content and Devices” to the new professionally edited version.
Honeysuckle Lane
Squid McFinnigan - 2015
Next door to the O’Sheas, the Murphys are a young and upwardly-mobile couple whose marriage is thrown into ruins by Martha Murphy’s instant attraction to their sexy new neighbor.Across the street from the Murphys, the Sweenys’ abusive patriarch, Pat, has finally pushed his wife, Mary, to the breaking point. Their teenage daughter, Angie, finds escape whenever possible in the company of her boyfriend, Tony, whose life is in danger when the neighborhood creep sets his eyes on Angie.As the residents of Honeysuckle Lane’s stories collide, their secrets spill out for the world to see . . .
An Inspector Calls
J.B. Priestley - 1945
An inspector calls to interrogate the family, and during the course of his questioning, all members of the group are implicated lightly or deeply in the girl's undoing. The family, closely knit and friendly at the beginning of the evening, is shown up as selfish, self-centered or cowardly, its good humor turning to acid, and good fellowship to dislike, before the evening is over. The surprising revelation, however, is in the inspector...
Dracula
Bram Stoker - 1897
Also included are a discussion of Stoker's working notes for the novel and "Dracula's Guest," the original opening chapter to Dracula. Reviews and Reactions reprints five early reviews of the novel. "Dramatic and Film Variations" focuses on theater and film adaptations of Dracula, two indications of the novel's unwavering appeal. David J. Skal, Gregory A. Waller, and Nina Auerbach offer their varied perspectives. Checklists of both dramatic and film adaptations are included.Criticism collects seven theoretical interpretations of Dracula by Phyllis A. Roth, Carol A. Senf, Franco Moretti, Christopher Craft, Bram Dijkstra, Stephen D. Arata, and Talia Schaffer.A Chronology and a Selected Bibliography are included.