French naturalist Dr Aronnax embarks on an expedition to hunt down a sea monster, only to discover instead the Nautilus, a self-contained world built by its enigmatic captain. Together Nemo and Aronnax explore the underwater marvels, undergo a transcendent experience amongst the ruins of Atlantis, and plant a black flag at the South Pole.
When the calm, resourceful Phileas Fogg takes up a wager at the London Reform Club to prove that the world is a smaller place that can be circumnavigated in 80 days, little did his valet, Passeportout, realise the adventures they had in store
[Penguin Readers Level 2]'All for one and one for all' is the motto of the Three Musketeers. Young d'Artagnan wants to fight for the King and his country, but other fights and adventures come first. Who are the Three Musketeers and why do they want to kill him?
Two years after his wife's death, Germain is encouraged to move on and find a new woman and home to accommodate his three growing children. He travels to visit a single woman who is eager to start a new family. Following his daughter's death, Père Maurice has provided constant support for his son-in-law Germain. But after two years, he pushes him to find a new wife. Germain is a young man with three children in need of a mother. Maurice sends him to visit the daughter of a friend, who is also widowed and interested in remarrying. Germain reluctantly agrees, taking his son and the teenager Mary, who is seeking employment. The trip proves to be an eye-opening experience for the duo who form an unexpected bond. Similar to Sand's previous work, Indiana, The Devil's Pool examines the obligations of marriage. The story illustrates how duty and perception take priority over love and kindness. It's a dichotomy that continues to present itself, regardless of one's social or political status. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Devil's Pool is both modern and readable.
This translation of Lancelot brings to English-language readers, the fourth of Chretien's five surviving romantic Arthurian poems. This poem was the first to introduce Lancelot as an important figure in the King Arthur legend.
The story follows Tartarin, a character with an exaggerated sense of heroism, as he embarks on humorous adventures in the picturesque landscapes of Provence. Through satire and comedy, the novel cleverly critiques French society's quirks and idiosyncrasies. Daudet's lighthearted narrative explores themes of heroism, identity, and the human spirit, providing a joyful and imaginative escape for readers. With its vivid portrayal of Southern France and engaging storytelling, the book delivers a delightful blend of adventure and humor.
The story centers on François, an abandoned child navigating the challenges of love and belonging in the French countryside. George Sand masterfully depicts the intricacies of rural life in nineteenth-century France, highlighting the contrast between the warmth of human relationships and the harsh realities faced by peasants. Through François's journey, the narrative explores deep emotional themes, making it a compelling and poignant read.
Le commissaire Maigret a la visite de la grande perche, une femme qu'il a jadis arrêtée, venue lui demander de l'aide. Une collection de lectures dans un français adapté à l'apprentissage de la langue avec le CD MP3.
Designed to appeal to the book lover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautifully bound pocket-sized gift editions of much loved classic titles. Bound in real cloth, printed on high quality paper, and featuring ribbon markers and gilt edges, Macmillan Collector's Library are books to love and treasure. The Count of Monte Cristo is the ultimate novel of retribution. Based on a true story, it recounts the story of Edouard Dantes, his betrayal and imprisonment in the sinister Chateau d'If. Years later, Paris is intrigued by the mysterious Count of Monte Cristo, who bursts onto the Paris social scene with his millions. He encounters the three principal betrayers of Dantes who have prospered in the post-Napoleonic boom and, one by one, their lives fall apart. The book was a huge, popular success when it was first serialized in 1844, and remains the greatest tale of revenge. Abridged, with an afterword by Marcus Clapham.
Under the canvas of a small caravan, a young woman dies after a painful illness, leaving her little girl, Perrine, on the harsh pavement of Paris. The child must now navigate alone along paths filled with hostile figures: cantankerous old men, unyielding foremen, shrill scolds, and distrustful peasants. This vibrant yet absurd humanity ruminates on the bitterness of buried pains, creating a world haunted by the grimacing masks of the human carnival. Against this harsh and contrasting backdrop, the portrait of a brave and delicate little soul unfolds.
Au début du XIXe siecle, Jacquou et ses parents vivent comme métayers au domaine du comte de Nansac. Victimes de la cruauté du comte, les parents meurent et Jacquou veut se venger.
Un lord anglais et un savant allemand réussissent à pénétrer dans le tombeau d'un pharaon, dans la Vallée des Rois. Là, apparaît la momie d'une très belle jeune fille, Tahoser, qui a gardé l'apparence de la vie. Un papyrus, placé à ses côtés, explique l'énigme de la présence d'une femme dans une tombe destinée habituellement à un roi... A la suite de quels mystérieux événements Tahoser, orpheline d'un grand prêtre, a-t-elle régné sur l'Egypte ?
Verne v knize zpracoval napínavý příběh patnácti chlapců, kteří měli vyjet na prázdninový výlet jachtou na moře. Během příprav k vyplutí v Aucklandu na Novém Zélandu odešla posádka na břeh a loď s chlapci na palubě se díky nedopatření dostala na moře. Zde byla hroznou bouří zahnána přes celý Pacifik k břehům neobydleného ostrova, kde ztroskotala. Podoba románového ostrova Hanover je smyšlená, nicméně ostrov toho jména nedaleko pobřeží Chile skutečně existuje. Tak se z městských školáků, z nichž nejmladšímu bylo osm a nejstaršímu čtrnáct let, stali robinzoni, odkázaní jen sami na sebe. Většina z nich byli Britové, nejstarší byl Američan a dva chlapci byli Francouzi. Jejich prázdninový výlet se protáhl na dlouhé dva roky. Za tu dobu si chlapci na ostrově vybudovali vzkvétající osadu, kde každý pracoval podle svých sil a schopností a podřizoval se nutné kázni. Proto mohli úspěšně čelit všem nebezpečím a překlenout i vážnou roztržku, která hrozila rozdělit osadu na dva tábory. Když na ostrově přistála skupina pirátů, podařilo se jim za pomoci dvou dospělých lidí z bývalé posádky pirátské lodi nad zločinci zvítězit a po mnohých útrapách se navrátit zpět do vlasti. V této knize Verne opět ukázal (jako v mnoha jiných svých dílech) sílu kolektivu, který je schopen dosáhnout takových výsledků, jakých by nikdy nemohl člověk dosáhnout sám.
One of the defining novels of the entire crime genre, Gaston Leroux's The Mystery of the Yellow Room has inspired readers and writers including Agatha Christie and John Dickson Carr, and is now republished in hardback in the Detective Club series with a brand new introduction.
Poor, plain spinster Bette is compelled to survive on the condescending patronage of her socially superior relatives in Paris: her beautiful, saintly cousin Adeline, the philandering Baron Hulot and their daughter Hortense. Already deeply resentful of their wealth, when Bette learns that the man she is in love with plans to marry Hortense, she becomes consumed by the desire to exact her revenge and dedicates herself to the destruction of the Hulot family, plotting their ruin with patient, silent malice. Cousin Bette is a gripping tale of violent jealousy, sexual passion and treachery, and a brilliant portrayal of the grasping, bourgeois society of 1840s Paris. The culmination of the Comédie humaine, Balzac's epic chronicle of his times, it is one of his greatest triumphs as a novelist.
Headstrong and naïve, the young Italian aristocrat Fabrizio del Dongo is determined to defy the wrath of his right-wing father and go to war to fight for Napoleon. He stumbles on the Battle of Waterloo, ill-prepared, yet filled with enthusiasm for war and glory. Finally heeding advice, Fabrizio sneaks back to Milan, only to become embroiled in a series of amorous exploits, fuelled by his impetuous nature and the political chicanery of his aunt Gina and her wily lover. Judged by Balzac to be the most important French novel of its time, The Charterhouse of Parma is a compelling novel of extravagance and daring, blending the intrigues of the Italian court with the romance and excitement of youth. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
1572. La France des guerres de religion est devenue le champ clos des grands seigneurs et des prétendants au trône. A Paris, le jeune roi protestant de Navarre, le futur Henri IV, vient d'épouser Marguerite de Valois, dite Margot ; mariage politique qui n'empêche pas les Guise et le roi Charles IX de fomenter les horreurs de la Saint-Barthélemy. Sur les pas du jeune comte de La Mole, dont s'éprend éperdument la belle Margot, et de son compagnon, le tonitruant Annibal de Coconnas, nous entrons dans ce labyrinthe d'intrigues, d'alliances, de trahisons. Les poignards luisent sous les pourpoints. René le Florentin fournit les poisons à l'implacable Catherine de Médicis. Le vieux Louvre avec ses fêtes brillantes, ses passages secrets, son peuple de soldats et de jolies femmes, est le théâtre où se déploient en mille péripéties les jeux de l'amour, de la politique, de la haine. Le père des Trois Mousquetaires nous en donne une passionnante chronique, où sa pétulante bonne humeur survit aux plus sanglants épisodes.
