Arianna Vairo Book order (chronological)

The Penguin English Library Edition of Moby-Dick by Herman Melville 'The frail gunwales bent in, collapsed, and snapped, as both jaws, like an enormous shears, sliding further aft, bit the craft completely in twain...' Moby-Dick is one of the most expansive feats of imagination in the whole of literature: the mad, raging, Shakespearean tale of Captain Ahab's insane quest to kill a giant white whale that has taken his leg, and upon which he has sworn vengeance, at any cost. A creation unlike any other, this is an epic story of fatal monomania and the deepest dreams and obsessions of mankind. The Penguin English Library - 100 editions of the best fiction in English, from the eighteenth century and the very first novels to the beginning of the First World War.

The story follows Monsieur Jourdain, a middle-class merchant who naively aspires to join the upper class, leading him to endure various humiliations while seeking guidance from unscrupulous instructors. His ambition makes him a target for a broke nobleman who exploits him for a lavish lifestyle. Caught in his schemes, Jourdain's wife and daughter navigate chaotic love affairs and a disruptive orchestra and ballet in their home. Ultimately, it is the resourceful servants who must restore order amid the comedic turmoil.