Dr Mark Akrigg, founder of Project Gutenberg Canada, now has a personal substack (a type of blog or online newsletter):
 
https://markbearakrigg.substack.com/
 
Some of the content has to do with politics and copyright law, and therefore touches on the public domain and on free ebooks. He encourages you to visit, subscribe to, and recommend the substack to your friends. Naturally, there is no charge for any of this! His views are personal and his alone: none of what he says is an official statement by Project Gutenberg Canada. That said, you might enjoy the substack. Have a look!

 
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BREAKING NEWS! The Tr*mp-Trudeau twenty-year copyright extensions breach Canada's legal obligations to other countries and to its citizens, and must be cancelled ASAP. Dr Mark Akrigg of Project Gutenberg Canada explains.
 
3 JUNE 2024: Tr*mp is now a convicted felon, 34 times over. It's time to cleanse Canada's copyright laws of his filthy extensions.

Let's get our public domain back!

Why should Canadians wait until 2044 to see the public domain titles of 2024? Or 2043 to see the titles of 2023? The Trudeau government took them away from us! Why does Trudeau pay so much attention to D*nald Tr*mp, and so little to the Canadian people?
 
And why didn't the other parties actually do something? Aren't the "opposition" parties supposed to oppose government actions which threaten our country?
 
They actually helped the government in its act of treachery, voting for Tr*mp's copyright extensions.
 
We want these titles back. Immediately.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Stop bullying your allies. Respect their right to make their own laws. Including copyright laws.

CANADA'S PARLIAMENT
Your allegiance is to the people of Canada and no one else. Restore Canada's copyright laws and repeal the U.S.'s coercive twenty-year extensions.

THE PEOPLE OF CANADA
Make sure that your politicians represent Canadians. Not foreign corporations, and not foreign tyrants. Insist that Parliament repeal the copyright extensions immediately. The public domain does not belong to them. It belongs to YOU and you alone.

CANADA'S POLITICAL PARTIES
Every single one of you voted for Tr*mp's copyright extensions, enslaving Canadians to the past and creating new monopolies. It's time for you to wake up and serve the people who elected you by getting rid of the extensions.


 

A Tale of Two Countries and of Two Autocrats

How the Ukrainian government handled Putin

They completely rejected his attempts to take over their country.

How the Canadian government handled Tr*mp

Simply rolled over and played dead. In the NAFTA "negotiations" Tr*mp sought control of Canada's copyright laws, and got that and more. Our government thinks we're a U.S. colony, imposes U.S. laws on us, and takes away our property, the Canadian public domain.

It's time for Canadians to behave like Ukrainians!

Canada is not a colony. We are a sovereign nation. Let's act like one.


 

Make Canada Canadian Again


 
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Bienvenue à Projet Gutenberg Canada! Les éditions numériques du présent site vous sont offertes sans frais: elles font partie du domaine public canadien. Si vous ne vivez pas au Canada, vous devez vous assurer qu'un livre appartient au domaine public de votre pays avant de le télécharger.

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Most of our ebooks are available in the convenient and popular EPUB format. For information on EPUB, see this Wikipedia article. In it you will find a useful list of software to use with EPUB, generally free of charge.

La plupart de nos livres numériques sont disponsibles au format EPUB. Pour de plus amples renseignements sur ce format (et les logiciels EPUB, généralement gratuits), vous n'avez qu'à consulter fr.wikipedia .



2024/12/05: A SHORT BUT VERY INTERESTING MONOGRAPH BY E. M. FORSTER !!

Forster, E. M. [Edward Morgan] (1879-1970) [English novelist, travel writer, and critic] Wikipedia

Anonymity: An Enquiry (1925) [Essay, short and nicely written. Surely a written work is complete in and of itself. Why should we then want to know who wrote it? The famous novelist explores this question.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #74818]

2024/11/12: LE PREMIER ROMAN DE MAURICE LEBLANC QUI A MIS EN VEDETTE M. ARSÈNE LUPIN !!

Leblanc, Maurice (1864-1941) [Romancier français / French novelist] fr.wikipedia en.wikipedia

L'Aiguille creuse (1909) fr.wikipedia [Le premier roman qui met en vedette M. Arsène Lupin. L'action se déroule en Creuse (Nouvelle-Aquitaine) et en Normandie dans plusieurs époques, dont celle de Louis XIV.] EPUB [fr.wikisource]
 
English translation by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos (1865-1921) Wikipedia:
The Hollow Needle (1910) Wikipedia [Mystery novel. "Further adventures of Arsène Lupin" -- need we say more? The action starts in a picturesque but lightly populated area of central France called Creuse, but soon moves to Normandy. Yes, Lupin duly enters the plot. French history plays a role as well, including Louis XIV!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #24839]

2024/11/10: OUR LATEST NOVEL FROM J. S. FLETCHER TAKES PLACE IN HIS NATIVE YORKSHIRE !!

Fletcher, J. S. [Joseph Smith] (1863-1935) [English novelist and historian] Wikipedia

The Rayner-Slade Amalgamation (1917) [It is painful to consider the shenanigans of Canada's federal "leaders": every one of them abandoned Canada and voted for Tr*mp's coercive copyright extensions in the "new NAFTA", which turned our country into a mere colony, taking orders from our imperial masters in Washington. What cowards our "leaders" are, and what bullies! It's time to cancel NAFTA and declare Canada an independent country, not a US colony. Still, if we won't be seeing Dame Agatha Christie until 2047 instead of 2027, we do have other mystery novelists in the public domain, very good ones, such as J. S. Fletcher. This mystery novel begins in Fletcher's native Yorkshire, and is set in May 1914, when the First World War was about to erupt, but no one had noticed. Marshall Allerdyke, a successful Bradford manufacturer, has just arrived back from a business trip to Manchester, and is immediately handed a telegram summoning him to meet his cousin James Allerdyke in Hull: he has just arrived at a hotel there, on his way back from a business trip of his own, to Moscow and Scandinavia. So off goes Marshall to Hull, where he finds his cousin -- dead! And that's just the beginning! The novel is written with Fletcher's customary skill and energy, as befits a contemporary of Arthur Conan Doyle.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #10443]

2024/11/06: OUR LATEST NOVEL FROM YORKSHIRE'S J. S. FLETCHER !!

Fletcher, J. S. [Joseph Smith] (1863-1935) [English novelist and historian] Wikipedia

The Root of All Evil (1921) [It is painful to consider the shenanigans of Canada's federal "leaders": every one of them abandoned Canada and voted for Tr*mp's coercive copyright extensions in the "new NAFTA", which turned our country into a mere colony, taking orders from our imperial masters in Washington. What cowards our "leaders" are, and what bullies! It's time to cancel NAFTA and declare Canada an independent country, not a US colony. Still, if we won't be seeing Dame Agatha Christie until 2047 instead of 2027, we do have other mystery novelists in the public domain, very good ones, such as J. S. Fletcher. The root of all evil, according to 1 Timothy 6:10, is not money, but the love of money: that is, the effect it has on people's behaviour. And that is reflected in this novel, which is about William Farnish, his daughters Jeckie and Rushie, and the family farm, Applecroft, which had been poorly run, and the family is now at risk of losing.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #40603]

2024/10/30: A SATIRICAL NOVEL BY E. M. DELAFIELD, ONE OF OUR FAVOURITE AUTHORS HERE AT PROJECT GUTENBERG CANADA !!

Delafield, E. M. [Dashwood, Edmée Elizabeth Monica, née de la Pasture] (1890-1943) [English novelist and essayist] Wikipedia

Tension (1920) [Satirical novel. Why did the novelist and publisher think "Tension" was an attractive title? Hard to say, but the novel is low on stress and high on entertainment and social satire, as is usual with this most agreeable of English novelists. The novel starts by introducing us to the rather grand Rossiter family. There is a bombshell announcement: Aunt Iris has written a book which has been accepted for publication: Why, Ben! A Story of the Sexes. A provocative title indeed. And this is just the beginning of the novel! As for the main story, Sir Julian Rossiter is the chairman of the "Commercial and Technical College for the South-West of England", and Lady Rossiter does not hesitate to get involved with the college, its people, and its conflicts. Hence arises the Tension of the title.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #74638]

2024/10/21: OUR FIRST TITLE BY FYODOR DOSTOEVSKY !!

Dostoevsky, Fyodor / Dostoïevski, Fiodor (1821-1881) (Russian novelist, critic, translator, and journalist / romancier russe) Wikipedia fr.wikipedia

The Gambler (1866 [Russian original] 1915 [this translation]) Wikipedia [translated by Charles James Hogarth (1869-1945) Wikipedia . Dostoevsky was in an excellent position to write this novella, for he was a gambler himself, in fact a problem gambler. This famous novella is about debt, gambling, inheritances (real or imagined) and related topics, a world which would have seemed utterly alien to Canadians not so many years ago, when betting was actually illegal in our country and gambling debts not collectible. But all that has changed thanks to the corporations and their servants, our governments. Sports events on television have become nonstop advertisements for online gambling! So the popularity of gambling has not diminished, but neither has the lasting fame of Dostoevsky's novella, nor its relevance to society.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #2197]

2024/10/15: HALLOWEEN ISN'T SO FAR OFF -- HOW ABOUT SOME GHOST STORIES ??

Patten, William [William Hardiman] (1868-1936) [American editor and anthologizer]

Ghost Stories (1906) [Published as volume 2 of Great Short Stories, a three-volume set from P. F. Collier and Son of New York, publishers of Collier's Wikipedia, famous among other things for their short stories. Eighteen ghost stories, most of them by classic authors who need no introduction, Charles Dickens for example, but a few of them by names somewhat less familiar: the Scottish author William Sharp, aka Fiona Macleod (1855-1905) Wikipedia; the nautical author William Clark Russell (1844-1911) Wikipedia; the novelist, travel writer and Egyptologist Amelia Edwards (1831-1892) Wikipedia; Bristol's Frederick John Fargus, aka Hugh Conway (1847-1885) Wikipedia; and, writing in collaboration, the Alsatian authors Émile Erckmann (1822-1899) and Alexandre Chatrian (1826-1890) Wikipedia] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #74549]

2024/10/11: FROM THE EARLY GOLDEN AGE OF DETECTIVE FICTION, A FINE COLLECTION OF SHORT STORIES !! !!

Patten, William [William Hardiman] (1868-1936) [American editor and anthologizer]

Detective Stories (1906) [Published as volume 1 of Great Short Stories, a three-volume set from P. F. Collier and Son of New York, publishers of Collier's Wikipedia, famous among other things for their short stories. Three of the nine detective stories are from Edgar Allan Poe, two from Arthur Conan Doyle, and one from Robert Louis Stevenson, none of whom need introduction. The first of the three remaining authors is Anna Katharine Green (1846-1935), "the mother of the detective novel" Wikipedia, The second is Bertram Fletcher Robinson (1870-1907) Wikipedia, who according to his friend Arthur Conan Doyle assisted "both in the general plot and in the local details" of The Hound of the Baskervilles. He was possibly the inspiration for Edward Malone, the narrator of The Lost World. The third is Earl Victor Broughton Brandenburg (1876-1963). According to Patten he was "a young Ohioan, was educated at Otterbein and Princeton Universities, became a war correspondent at twenty, serving in the Spanish-American and Boer wars, and shortly thereafter attracted attention as a traveler and sociological investigator"; he worked as a journalist in Dayton, Buffalo, and New York City.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #74548]

2024/10/07: A FAMOUS AND VERY INFLUENTIAL INSTRUCTION MANUAL ON HOW TO DRAW !!

Lutz, Edwin George (1868-1951) [American illustrator and cartoonist] Wikipedia

What to Draw and How to Draw It (1913) [Lutz's first published work is a justly famous introduction to drawing. Aimed at beginners, it is extremely practical in its approach: the many examples show how a drawing emerges from a series of penstrokes, each new stroke contributing something new. Simple geometrical shapes change before your eyes into finished drawings!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #74518]

2024/10/03: A SUPERBLY CONSTRUCTED MYSTERY FROM YORKSHIRE'S J. S. FLETCHER !!

Fletcher, J. S. [Joseph Smith] (1863-1935) [English novelist and historian] Wikipedia

The Borough Treasurer (1921) [It is painful to consider the shenanigans of Canada's federal "leaders": every one of them abandoned Canada and voted for Tr*mp's coercive copyright extensions in the "new NAFTA", which turned our country into a mere colony, taking orders from our imperial masters in Washington. What cowards our "leaders" are, and what bullies! It's time to cancel NAFTA and declare Canada an independent country, not a US colony. Still, if we won't be seeing Dame Agatha Christie until 2047 instead of 2027, we do have other mystery novelists in the public domain, very good ones, such as J. S. Fletcher. This fine mystery novel begins in the yard of Mallalieu & Cotherstone, a successful, and eminently respectable building firm, who also do property rentals. But how respectable are they, really? A new tenant arrives from out of town who seems to know things about them they would prefer remain hidden. Yes, blackmail ensues, And much more! "The latest J. S. Fletcher novel is... one of those cold analytical detective stories that can boast a couple of murders and never upset the reader's mood of contemplation. "The Borough Treasurer" (Knopf) is a clever portrayal of crime and character... Mr. Fletcher has adopted a dry and unusual method of unfolding his plot that, together with an amusingly faithful picture of the small town fluttering in the face of murder, accusation, and trial, makes this a fascinating book of its kind." ("J. F.", The Bookman [US], September 1921)] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #20630]

2024/09/30: JOHN WESLEY POWELL'S OWN ACCOUNT OF HIS FAMOUS 1869 DESCENT OF THE COLORADO RIVER THROUGH THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE GRAND CANYON !!

Powell, John Wesley (1834-1902) [American soldier, ethnologist, geologist, and explorer] Wikipedia

First through the Grand Canyon. Being the record of the pioneer exploration of the Colorado River in 1869-70. (1915 version of the 1875 original, with an introduction by Horace Kephart [1862-1931] Wikipedia) [It is hard to exaggerate the scale of John Wesley Powell's achievement in organizing and taking to completion his expedition down the Grand Canyon in 1869. Many had thought it impossible, but he and his small band of companions actually accomplished their objective. Horace Kephart describes his edition as follows: "Major Powell's report on this first exploration of the Colorado River was published by the Smithsonian Institution in 1875. Together with the scientific data appended, it forms a large quarto volume, which is now out of print. The narrative part is here republished without abridgement." Powell's vivid and straightforward account of his expedition makes for excellent reading. There are no illustrations, but the Wikimedia Commons offer you a collection of magnificent colour photographs and other materials.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #74466]

2024/09/23: SOME AUTHORS AND THEIR WORKS DO NOT FADE WITH TIME AT ALL. ONE OF THESE AUTHORS IS E. M. DELAFIELD !!

Delafield, E. M. [Dashwood, Edmée Elizabeth Monica, née de la Pasture] (1890-1943) [English novelist and essayist] Wikipedia

Humbug. A Study in Education. (1921) ["Humbug" is a word less common now than formerly, but it certainly deserves a place in our language. It means nonsense, a special kind of nonsense, produced to deceive people and give them a false impression of the way things work. Parents are often guilty of humbug, and what a joy it is to see children as they grow up become aware of parental indoctrination and start to think for themselves. But the process of healing and growth does not always happen. This is the story of Lily and Yvonne Stellenthorpe, and the influence their mother tries to wield over them: she "had all a good woman's capacity for the falsification of moral values." This is a satirical novel, and a pleasure to read: why should a light novel not deal with deep topics? Particularly if it comes from E. M. Delafield!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #74452]

2024/09/17: A TRULY IMMORTAL SCIENCE FICTION CLASSIC BY THE GREAT MASTER, H.G. WELLS !!

Wells, H. G. [Herbert George] (1866-1946) [English novelist and historian] Wikipedia

The Invisible Man. A Grotesque Romance. (1897) Wikipedia [Most novels come and go: not so very long after first appearing, they're gone, and don't come back. That is why Tr*mp's copyright extensions, coercively imposed by a foreign tyrant, are so harmful to Canadians, and must be cancelled. If books are in the public domain, they can be scanned and made available for free, on the internet. That's how Project Gutenberg Canada works! But a handful of novels become permanently popular, The Invisible Man for example. It was published in 1897, and has remained hugely popular ever since. In 2020 a new film version came out, starring Elisabeth Moss, and was a huge commercial success. It makes no sense that the media companies are so much in favour of insanely long copyright periods, since they benefit as much as anyone from having full access to the public domain. But there has never been an oversupply of common sense in Hollywood. The plot centres on Jack Griffin, a scientist who discovers how to make himself invisible. His body, that is, not his clothing. And other complications ensue. It's quite a read!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #5230]

2024/09/10: AN EARLY AND EXCELLENT MYSTERY NOVEL BY MARY ROBERTS RINEHART, SET IN HER NATIVE PITTSBURGH !!

Rinehart, Mary Roberts (1876-1958) [American mystery novelist] Wikipedia

The Case of Jennie Brice (1913) Wikipedia [Mystery novel. It is painful to consider the shenanigans of Canada's federal "leaders": every one of them abandoned Canada and voted for Tr*mp's coercive copyright extensions in the "new NAFTA", which turned our country into a mere colony, taking orders from our imperial masters in Washington. What cowards our "leaders" are, and what bullies! It's time to kick them out of office. Still, if we won't be seeing Dame Agatha Christie until 2047 instead of 2027, we do have other mystery novelists in the public domain, One of them is Mary Roberts Rinehart, "the American Agatha Christie". But she was writing mystery stories years before Christie! This novel begins in Rinehart's home town of Pittsburgh, where the annual flooding has just occurred. (Perhaps Pittsburgh was like Toronto today, with certain areas where floods are predictable, but each seems to come as a complete surprise to the residents. What's a flood plain, anyway?) Years before the novel's opening, Jennie Brice had been part of Pittsburgh's theatre scene -- but then she mysteriously disappeared! How and why? The illustrations are by the American artist M. Leone Bracker (1885-1937). Born in Cleveland, he spent most of his professional life in New York City, specializing in magazine covers, posters, and advertisements.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #11127]

2024/09/05: NOTRE COLLECTION ARSÈNE LUPIN NE CESSE DE CROÎTRE !! / OUR ARSÈNE LUPIN COLLECTION KEEPS GROWING !!

Leblanc, Maurice (1864-1941) [Romancier français / French novelist] fr.wikipedia en.wikipedia

La Demoiselle aux yeux verts (1927) fr.wikipedia [Roman policier. Il s'agit non seulement d'une demoiselle aux yeux verts, mais également d'une Anglaise aux yeux bleus. M. Arsène Lupin s'intéresse à toutes les deux...] EPUB [fr.wikisource]
 
English translation by an unknown hand:
Arsène Lupin, Super-Sleuth (1927) [Mystery novel. "Ralph de Limézy," the novel begins, "was strolling along the boulevards with the careless air of a happy man." In Paris being happy is not difficult. But who is this man Ralph is following? And who is this lady whom the man seems to be stalking?] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #74269]

2024/09/01: HAPPY LABOUR DAY!! TODAY'S EBOOK IS AN EARLY SUCCESS BY E. M. DELAFIELD -- ONE OF OUR FAVOURITE NOVELISTS HERE AT PROJECT GUTENBERG CANADA !!

Delafield, E. M. [Dashwood, Edmée Elizabeth Monica, née de la Pasture] (1890-1943) [English novelist and essayist] Wikipedia

The War-Workers (1918) [The First World War was an unmitigated disaster that the world inflicted on itself: even the "victors" had in fact lost the war, as became clear afterwards. But it did accelerate some social changes: for example, while the men of England were being sent to the slaughterhouse in France, many of the women took their places in the workforce. Of course, social conflicts could arise, as in the (fictional) Midland Supply Depôt in Questerham. It is run by Miss Vivian, who is well aware of her own importance. Then Grace Jones arrives from Wales: she has "a curious quality of absolute sincerity", which in a deeply politicized work environment can be a dangerous thing. And so the comedy begins!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #37181]

2024/08/28: OUR FIRST NOVEL FROM E. F. BENSON'S MAPP AND LUCIA SERIES !!

Benson, E. F. [Edward Frederic] (1867-1940) [English novelist] Wikipedia

Lucia in London (1927) Wikipedia [The third novel in Benson's Mapp and Lucia series of satirical novels. Emmeline Lucas ("Lucia") is something of a social climber, and no doubt found the provincial atmosphere of the town of Riseholme somewhat confining. But then an aged relative dies, who owned a house in London. A very fashionable part of London. That changes everything!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #74310]

2024/08/20: OUR FIRST EBOOK BY ELEANOR VERE BOYLE IS HER ADEPT RETELLING OF "BEAUTY AND THE BEAST", WITH FINE ILLUSTRATIONS, TEN OF THEM IN VERY GOOD COLOUR !!

Boyle, Eleanor Vere (1825-1916) [Scottish illustrator and author] Wikipedia

Beauty and the Beast. An Old Tale New-Told, with Pictures, By E. V. B. (1875) [A retelling of the famous French fairy tale Wikipedia in a deliberately archaic style, with many fine drawings and no fewer than ten colour plates of surpassing excellence! On seeing them, you will immediately understand why Boyle became so famous during her lifetime.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #74277]

2024/08/15: SHORT STORIES FROM HAWAII, FROM AN AUTHOR WHO WAS LIVING THERE WHEN IT WAS STILL AN INDEPENDENT COUNTRY !!

Soares, Rae (1888-1955) [American author]

Cupid and the Law (1908) [Soares's father Antonio Victorino Soares had emigrated from the Azores to the United States in 1878 at the age of 18, and moved to Honolulu in 1890, where he was ordained and became pastor of the Portuguese Evangelical Church, later known as the Pilgrim Church. Accompanying him to Honolulu was his very young son Antonio Rae Soares, known simply as Rae Soares. Hawaii was still an independent country, with the American annexation coming in 1893: a blatantly illegal act for which Congress in 1993 issued an Apology Resolution -- not a moment too soon! So Soares spent his earliest years in Hawaii when it was an independent kingdom, and these eight stories have historical significance. They reflect Hawaii's ethnic diversity, and (warning!) have racist language from time to time. But they are a unique record of a time that will never be recreated, and are easy reading.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #74214]

2024/08/10: THE SECOND AND FINAL PART OF EMMA GOLDMAN'S ACCOUNT OF THE TWO REVOLUTIONS SHE HAD WITNESSED IN 1917: THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION, WHICH FULLY ACHIEVED ITS OBJECTIVES, AND THEN THE BOLSHEVIK REVOLUTION, IN OCTOBER WHICH REVERSED THESE SUCCESSES !!

Goldman, Emma (1869-1941) [Lithuanian political thinker and activist] Wikipedia

My Further Disillusionment in Russia. Being a Continuation of Miss Goldman's Experiences in Russia as given in 'My Disillusionment in Russia'. (1924) Wikipedia [Emma Goldman's eyewitness account of what actually happened in Russia in the course of the year 1917 has been confirmed by the verdict of history. The true Russian Revolution took place in March, and largely achieved its objectives. The Bolshevik Revolution took place in October, and resulted in power being seized by a small group of activists, and was disastrous for Russia. But Goldman's account of all this has a very strange history. "My manuscript was sent to the original purchaser in two parts, at different times. Subsequently the publishing house of Doubleday, Page & Co. bought the rights to my work, but when the first printed copies reached me I discovered to my dismay that not only had my original title, "My Two Years in Russia," been changed to "My Disillusionment in Russia," [already available at Project Gutenberg Canada!] but that the last twelve chapters were entirely missing, including my Afterword which is, at least to myself, the most vital part." The Publishers' Note states that "While the conclusion of the book as we published it was abrupt it was not more so than is frequently the case; and, therefore, there was no internal evidence to indicate its incompleteness... We are now rectifying this serious error by the publication in a separate volume of the twelve missing chapters under the title, 'My Further Disillusionment in Russia.' This material is even more important in its revelations and of even greater interest than that already published." Goldman and her publisher were not wrong in their high opinion of this second part of her account: vigorously written, it is an unforgettable account of the year 1917 in Russia and its consequences.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #74192]

2024/08/08: OUR FIRST BOOK BY THE ANARCHIST WRITER EMMA GOLDMAN! BORN IN LITHUANIA, SHE TRAVELLED WIDELY, BUT LIVED IN CANADA FOR SOME YEARS, AND SPENT HER FINAL DAYS IN TORONTO !!

Goldman, Emma (1869-1941) [Lithuanian political thinker and activist] Wikipedia

My Disillusionment in Russia (1923) Wikipedia [The cultural vandalism of the Tr*mp/Trudeau copyright extensions is with us every day, and countless works have been taken from their rightful owners, the Canadian people! Goldman, who spent her final days in Toronto, would have understood at once the despotic nature of these shenanigans. Fortunately her own works are in the Canadian public domain, including today's title, her personal narrative of what she calls the actual Russian Revolution in the summer of 1917, and the Bolshevik revolution which followed in October. "To-day it is no exaggeration to state that the Bolsheviki stand as the arch enemies of the Russian Revolution." The published edition omitted the final twelve chapters of the book, but few readers noticed this at the time, so this book can stand alone and be read with pleasure: it is very well written, has a feeling of immediacy, and bears its years lightly. We do intend to supply these later chapters in a second ebook, My Further Disillusionment in Russia.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #60315]

2024/08/04: OUR THIRD CHILDREN'S BOOK BY MINNESOTA'S WANDA GÁG !!

Gág, Wanda (1893-1946) [American artist and children's author] Wikipedia

Millions of Cats (1928) Wikipedia [A very famous and beautifully illustrated picture book for children. The story has one or two darker moments, like the folktales collected by Gág's beloved Brothers Grimm, some of which she translated: Project Gutenberg Canada offers you her 1938 version of their Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. At the start of Millions of Cats we meet an elderly couple who "lived in a nice clean house which had flowers all around it, except where the door was. But they couldn't be happy because they were so very lonely." So they decided to get a cat, a decision with unexpected consequences!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #74181]

2024/07/31: AN ACTION NOVELLA BY "SAPPER", BUT WRITTEN UNDER HIS LEGAL NAME (H. C. McNEILE). NO SIGN OF BULLDOG DRUMMOND ANYWHERE, BUT THE HERO IS THE VERY SATISFACTORY JIM MAITLAND !!

Sapper [McNeile, Herman Cyril] (1888-1937) [English novelist] Wikipedia

The Seven Missionaries (1923) [Action novella, written with the expertise one would expect from the creator of Bulldog Drummond, but featuring Jim Maitland, who appears in other works by McNeile. "Jim Maitland Encounters Modern Pirates Aboard the Andaman" is the accurate one-line summary in the October 1923 issue of McClure's Magazine, where the story first appeared: saying anything more would spoil the story! Includes some fine colour illustrations by the American illustrator George William Gage (1887-1957) ] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #74118]

2024/07/22: TODAY'S EBOOK COMPLETES OUR SET OF LOUIS BROMFIELD'S TETRALOGY, ESCAPE !!

Bromfield, Louis (1896-1956) [American novelist, journalist, and organic farmer] Wikipedia

Possession (1925) [The third of the four novels in Bromfield's Escape tetralogy. It is not so much a sequel to The Green Bay Tree as its logical counterpart in the tapestry he was weaving about "the waning years of the nineteenth century up to the present time." In his foreword Bromfield explains that in the first novel he had deliberately played the character of Ellen Tolliver down, and this for two reasons: "first, because she was a character of such violence that, once given her way, she would soon have dominated all the others; second, because the author kept her purposely in restraint, as he desired to tell her story in proportions worthy of her." And he tells her remarkable story in this novel. "She would, doubtless," Bromfield comments, "have been successful in any direction she saw fit to direct her boundless energy." In the event, she chose the demanding career of a classical pianist, and the action takes place in some glamorous locales, notably New York and Paris, cities which Bromfield knew intimately.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #73188]

2024/07/19: LOUIS BROMFIELD'S FOURTH NOVEL, THE FINAL ONE IN HIS "ESCAPE" TETRALOGY !!

Bromfield, Louis (1896-1956) [American novelist, journalist, and organic farmer] Wikipedia

A Good Woman (1927) ["The last of a series of four novels," said Bromfield, "dealing from various angles with a strongly marked phase of American life." He suggested Escape as the title for the tetralogy, which he thought could be considered a single novel. The "good woman" of the title is Emma Downes: deserted by her husband, she opens a bakery which develops into a large and thriving restaurant. Her husband Jason never returns, but she still has their son Philip, a missionary in Africa. But one day she gets a letter from him: "I ought to tell you that I've made a mistake in my calling. I'm not going to be a missionary any longer." When Philip arrives home, Emma finds that he is no longer the submissive young man she had raised. Many events follow!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #74011]

2024/07/13: AN EARLY AND VERY WELL WRITTEN NOVEL FROM YORKSHIRE'S MASTER OF MYSTERY, J. S. FLETCHER !!

Fletcher, J. S. [Joseph Smith] (1863-1935) [English novelist and historian] Wikipedia

The Middle of Things (1922) [It is painful to consider the shenanigans of Canada's federal "leaders": every one of them abandoned Canada and voted for Tr*mp's coercive copyright extensions in the "new NAFTA", which turned our country into a mere colony, taking orders from our imperial masters in Washington. What cowards our "leaders" are, and what bullies! It's time to kick them out of office. Still, if we won't be seeing Dame Agatha Christie until 2047 instead of 2027, we do have other mystery novelists in the public domain, very good ones, such as J. S. Fletcher. "A mystery story containing the usual amount of thrills, and more than the usual amount of good writing", said The Bookman [U.S.] (December 1922) of this book, and they were right! At the beginning of the novel we meet a young man named Richard Viner, who shares a house in Bayswater with an aunt, the formidable Miss Bethia Penkridge. Miss Penkridge likes nothing better than a mystery novel, "a story which began with crime and ended with a detection--a story which kept you wondering who did it, how it was done, and when the doing was going to be laid bare to the light of day." She strongly believes that such books describe real life. Her nephew disagrees. But then a real-life murder occurs, and by the end of the novel Richard Viner has learned a great deal about how the world actually works.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #9902]

2024/07/09: OHIO'S LOUIS BROMFIELD IS DEFINITELY A PGC AUTHOR. BUT ALTHOUGH WE HAVE OFFERED A FULL DOZEN OF HIS BOOKS, WE HAVE NOT OFFERED HIS VERY FIRST NOVEL -- UNTIL TODAY !!

Bromfield, Louis (1896-1956) [American novelist, journalist, and organic farmer] Wikipedia

The Green Bay Tree (1924) [Bromfield's first novel! His native Ohio is the principal setting, but France plays a role as well: Bromfield knew the country well, having served in the US Army Ambulance Corps during the First World War, and shortly after publishing this novel he would move to Paris, where he would become a familiar of Gertrude Stein and Ernest Hemingway. The novel centres on two sisters, Lily and Irene Shane, who move in high social circles. Irene is very devout, Lily is not: she's the one who moves to France!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #73944]

2024/06/29: HERE AT PROJECT GUTENBERG CANADA WE DON'T CELEBRATE CANADA DAY ANY MORE: CANADA CEASED TO BE A COUNTRY AND BECAME A U.S. COLONY WHEN THE TR*MP/TRUDEAU "NEW NAFTA" WENT INTO EFFECT FOUR YEARS AGO.
 
BUT LIFE CONTINUES, EVEN IN COLONIES LIKE CANADA: FOR THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND, HERE'S A VERY FAMOUS MYSTERY NOVEL BY R. AUSTIN FREEMAN! P.S. WE DO CELEBRATE PGC'S ANNIVERSARY, THOUGH: WE WERE LAUNCHED ON 1 JULY 2007, AND UNLIKE CANADA WE STILL EXIST -- THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT !!

Freeman, R. Austin [Richard Austin] (1862-1943) [English physician and mystery novelist] Wikipedia

The Eye of Osiris [U.S. title: The Vanishing Man] (1911) [It is painful to consider the shenanigans of Canada's federal "leaders": every one of them voted for Tr*mp's coercive copyright extensions in the "new NAFTA", which turned Canada into a mere colony, taking orders from our imperial masters in Washington. What cowards our "leaders" are, and what bullies! It's time to kick them out of office. Still, if we won't be seeing Dame Agatha Christie until 2047 instead of 2027, we do have other mystery novelists in the public domain, very good ones, such as R. Austin Freeman. This is a truly classic mystery novel. We start in London, at St Margaret's Hospital, where the famous Dr John Thorndyke is discussing with students the question of survivorship: when is the last moment that someone is known to be alive? He mentions the famous archaeologist John Bellingham, who has just returned from Egypt: hence the mention of Osiris. "Old Dr. Thorndyke, the expert in medical jurisprudence, resolves another mysterious disappearance for us in this well-constructed and well-written story, which is not only plausible but convincing. We know of no detective story writer who can do a more competent job than Mr. Freeman... (Walter R. Brooks, The Outlook, 16 January 1929)] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #10476]

2024/06/24: UNE "SOTIE" D'ANDRÉ GIDE !!

Gide, André (1869-1951) [Romancier français; prix Nobel de littérature, 1947] fr.wikipedia alalettre.com

Les Caves du Vatican (1914) fr.wikipedia [Le pape est-il prisonnier dans le Vatican? Ou plutôt "dans le Château Saint-Ange, qui, comme le savait certainement la comtesse, communiquait avec le Vatican par un corridor souterrain..."? Roman, ou "sotie" (ainsi la classait Gide), en cinq livres assez variés.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 6739]

English translation by Dorothy Bussy (1865-1960) [English translator and novelist] Wikipedia:
The Vatican Swindle (1926) [This is no ordinary novel. It is "a parti-colored semi-novel of many intertwined fantastic strands. There is the theme of the Millipede, the gang of swindlers, headed by the redoubtable Protos, who work on the credulity of the faithful to raise large sums of money for the alleged purpose of freeing the Pope from secret imprisonment by the freemasons; there is the theme of the conversion and subsequent apostacy of Anthime Armand-Dubois... there is the theme of the unmotivated crime and Lafcadio Wluiki, as fascinating a devil-hero as one can meet in modern fiction. Humour, social satire, realism, and thrills race one another through what is essentially an Arabian Nights fantasia." (Ernest Sutherland Bates, Saturday Review, 6 February 1926)] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #73838]


2024/06/18: FROM YORKSHIRE'S J. S. FLETCHER, A BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED NOVEL ABOUT BURIED TREASURE, PACKED WITH CHARACTER AND INCIDENT! "THE BEST WORK OF THIS MASTER OF DETECTIVE FICTION, WITH QUAINT ATMOSPHERE, THRILLS, MYSTERY, AND LOVE." (Literary Digest, 19 August 1922)

Fletcher, J. S. [Joseph Smith] (1863-1935) [English novelist and historian] Wikipedia

Ravensdene Court (1922) [It is painful to consider the shenanigans of Canada's federal "leaders": every one of them voted for Tr*mp's coercive copyright extensions in the "new NAFTA", which turned Canada into a mere colony, taking orders from our imperial masters in Washington. What cowards our "leaders" are, and what bullies! It's time to kick them out of office. Still, if we won't be seeing Dame Agatha Christie until 2047 instead of 2027, we do have other mystery novelists in the public domain, very good ones, such as J. S. Fletcher. This suspense novel is set far from London in a distant corner of Northumberland, and involves the discovery and attempted theft of a monastic treasure buried centuries earlier. We shall not attempt to summarize the novel, for "as in all Mr. J. S. Fletcher's stories, there is enough plot to furnish half a dozen books" (Literary Digest, 19 August 1922).] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #26324]

2024/06/11: ANTON CHEKHOV WROTE MANY PLAYS AND STORIES, BUT ONLY ONE NOVEL -- AND IT'S A MURDER MYSTERY !!

Chekhov, Anton (1860-1904) [Russian physician, playwright, and novelist] Wikipedia

The Shooting Party (1884 [Russian original]; 1926 [this translation]) Wikipedia [Chekhov's only full-length novel -- and it's a mystery story, an accomplished one! The murder takes place during a hunting party in the Russian countryside. But who is the murderer? The translation is by Alfred Edward Chamot (1855-1934). Chamot had lived in Russia until 1918, and been administrator of the Imperial Palace Gardens at Strelna, to the west of Saint Petersburg, on the south side of the Gulf of Finland.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #73729]

2024/06/07: IN 1924, THE GREAT PHILOSOPHER BERTRAND RUSSELL HAD WRITTEN A MONOGRAPH, ICARUS, IN WHICH HE OUTLINED THE THREAT POSED TO HUMANITY BY THE RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENCE. IN 1925, HE PUBLISHED A SECOND MONOGRAPH, DISCUSSING THE BRIGHT FUTURE WHICH MIGHT LIE AHEAD !!

Russell, Bertrand [Arthur William], 3rd Earl Russell [Welsh philosopher, mathematician, and peace activist; Nobel Prize in Literature, 1950] (1872-1970) Wikipedia

What I Believe (1925) ["In this little book, I have tried to say what I think of man's place in the universe, and of his possibilities in the way of achieving the good life. In Icarus [available from Project Gutenberg Canada!] I expressed my fears; in the following pages I have expressed my hopes." And he has done so in five short and very readable chapters: Nature and Man, The Good Life, Moral Rules, Salvation: Individual and Social, and finally Science and Happiness. Has anyone ever equalled Lord Russell's depth of thought and ease of expression?] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #73782]

2024/06/05: D. H. LAWRENCE'S PERSONAL FAVOURITE AMONG ALL HIS NOVELS !!

Lawrence, D. H. [David Herbert] (1885-1930) [English novelist] Wikipedia

The Plumed Serpent (1926) Wikipedia [Lawrence's Mexican novel inspired a variety of reactions when it was published. As it begins, a group of friends, recently arrived in Mexico City, are about to go to their first bullfight. Some view this prospect with pleasure, others do not. And so begins Lawrence's exploration of Mexican society, politics, and religion: the "plumed serpent" of the title is the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl Wikipedia. Lawrence considered this his finest novel, and E. M. Forster agreed; Mexico's Octavio Paz was an admirer as well!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #73677]

2024/06/03: OUR FIFTH NOVEL AND FOURTH MYSTERY BY GLASGOW'S J. J. CONNINGTON. THE MYSTERY INVOLVES NOT A MURDER, BUT A JEWELLERY HEIST !!

Connington, J. J. [Stewart, Alfred Walter] (1880-1947) [Scottish chemist, physicist, and writer of mysteries and science fiction] Wikipedia

The Dangerfield Talisman (1926) [It is painful to consider the shenanigans of Canada's federal "leaders": every one of them voted for Tr*mp's coercive copyright extensions in the "new NAFTA", which turned Canada into a mere colony, taking orders from our imperial masters in Washington. What cowards our "leaders" are, and what bullies. It's time to kick them out of office! Still, if we won't be seeing Dame Agatha Christie until 2047 instead of 2027, we do have other mystery novelists who have already made it into our public domain, very good ones, such as Glasgow's J. J. Connington. He mainly wrote murder mysteries, but not always, as this novel proves: it is about a heist involving an extremely valuable piece of jewellery, the Dangerfield Talisman. As the novel opens we are at a bridge party. Among those present is old Rollo Dangerfield, owner of the Dangerfield Talisman, last appraised in his grandfather's time, at some £50,000. And that was when a pound was a pound! Up to now, the Talisman has never been stolen, or, if stolen, its disappearance has been only for a short time. Is that about to change?] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #73753]

2024/05/29: THE VERY FIRST MYSTERY NOVEL BY G. D. H. COLE !!

Cole, G. D. H. [George Douglas Howard] (1889-1959) [English labour activist, economist, and mystery novelist] Wikipedia

The Brooklyn Murders (1923) [Most of Cole's mystery novels were written in collaboration with his wife, Margaret Cole (1893-1980), who outlived her husband by 21 years. The monstrous "New NAFTA", imposed on Canada by the foreign autocrat Tr*mp, extended copyright terms by twenty years: an act of cultural vandalism involving completely unacceptable coercion and interference in Canada's affairs. Consequently the many mystery novels they collaborated on have been blocked from joining Canada's public domain until 2051! It's time for these extensions to be annulled, or, still better, thrown out by Canada's courts. Still, he wrote The Brooklyn Murders without his wife's assistance, and so it entered the Canadian public domain in 2010: we are delighted to present it to you! The "Brooklyn" in the title refers not to the famous New York borough of that name, but to an English acting family. "At seventy Sir Vernon Brooklyn was still the outstanding figure in the theatrical world," the novel begins. To celebrate his seventieth birthday, Sir Vernon has left his country place in Sussex and returned to his very grand house in London, overlooking Green Park, where the guests are gathering. As the title suggests, things start happening! "A story of more than usual skill and interest," said The Outlook (19 November 1924). "Some good amateur detective work, and odd investigations into the night life of London." Our ebook includes the cover art from the 1924 U.S. edition by the Polish-American painter Samuel Halpert (1884-1930) Wikipedia] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #73716]

2024/05/25: A SET OF ESSAYS BY D. H. LAWRENCE !!

Lawrence, D. H. [David Herbert] (1885-1930) [English novelist] Wikipedia

Reflections on the Death of a Porcupine and Other Essays (1925) [Seven essays on various topics. The first essay and by far the longest (it is divided into chapters) is "The Crown" a wide-ranging riff starting from the nursery rhyme The Lion and the Unicorn, which also inspired Lewis Carroll in Through the Looking-Glass. The second, "The Novel", is full of miscellaneous observations on the literary form in which Lawrence chiefly worked. "Him with his Tail in his Mouth" is a reflection on philosophy and religion. "Blessed are the Powerful" discusses the role of power in how relationships come into being and develop. "...Love Was Once a Little Boy" is a set of random reflections on the nature of love. No mystery about "Reflection on the Death of a Porcupine"! Lawrence kills a porcupine, then reflects on the consequences of his act. The final essay, "Aristocracy", analyzes the nature and consequences of inequality. The essays are not always straightforward reading, but have some interesting insights, and can be considered a supplement to the author's famous novels.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #73691]

2024/05/20: HAPPY VICTORIA DAY! THE WEATHER IS FINE, SUMMER IS ALMOST HERE, AND IT'S A GOOD TIME (IT'S ALWAYS A GOOD TIME) FOR A TRULY EXCELLENT CRIME NOVEL BY YORKSHIRE'S J. S. FLETCHER !!

Fletcher, J. S. [Joseph Smith] (1863-1935) [English novelist and historian] Wikipedia

The Paradise Mystery (1920) [It is painful to consider the shenanigans of Canada's federal "leaders": every one of them voted for Tr*mp's coercive copyright extensions in the "new NAFTA", which turned Canada into a mere colony, taking orders from our imperial masters in Washington. What cowards our "leaders" are, and what bullies! It's time to kick them out of office. Still, if we won't be seeing Dame Agatha Christie until 2047 instead of 2027, we do have other mystery novelists in the public domain, very good ones, such as J. S. Fletcher. The (fictional) cathedral town of Wrychester is impossibly picturesque, and very peaceful. It has a thirteenth-century cathedral, and some of the houses near it are almost as old: "Under those high gables, behind those mullioned windows, in the beautiful old gardens lying between the stone porches and the elm-shadowed lawn, nothing, one would think, could possibly exist but leisured and pleasant existence: even the busy streets of the old city, outside the crumbling gateway, seem, for the moment, far off." Nothing bad could every happen there, right? Wrong! Murder plays a central role, of course, and there are many surprises -- as when a retired tradesman turns out to be a retired policeman!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #5308]

2024/05/13: A MYSTERY NOVEL BY J. S. FLETCHER, SET IN HIS NATIVE COUNTY OF YORKSHIRE !!

Fletcher, J. S. [Joseph Smith] (1863-1935) [English novelist and historian] Wikipedia

The Talleyrand Maxim (1919) [It is painful to consider the shenanigans of Canada's federal "leaders": every one of them voted for Tr*mp's coercive copyright extensions in the "new NAFTA", which turned Canada into a mere colony, taking orders from our imperial masters in Washington. What cowards our "leaders" are, and what bullies! It's time to kick them out of office. Still, if we won't be seeing Dame Agatha Christie until 2047 instead of 2027, we do have other mystery novelists in the public domain, very good ones, such as J. S. Fletcher. Today's mystery novel has a mysterious title! The Talleyrand in question is the famous French diplomat Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord (1754-1838), who somehow managed to retain his high position through all the regime changes from Louis XVI to Louis Philippe I. The maxim in question, we are told, is this: "With time and patience, the mulberry leaf is turned into satin." In other words, success takes time. Linford Pratt is very fond of this maxim. He is a "senior clerk to Eldrick & Pascoe, solicitors, of Barford, a young man who earnestly desired to get on in life, by hook or by crook, with no objection whatever to crookedness, so long as it could be performed in safety and secrecy." And he is about to receive a visit from the old and wealthy antiquarian book dealer, Antony Bartle, who will disclose to him some curious recent incidents in Barford, involving some mysterious deaths and a will. The adventure begins!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #9834]

2024/05/09: A NOVEL FROM THE EARLY PRIME OF YORKSHIRE'S J. S. FLETCHER -- SET IN CENTRAL LONDON, NOT FAR FROM FLEET STREET !!

Fletcher, J. S. [Joseph Smith] (1863-1935) [English novelist and historian] Wikipedia

The Middle Temple Murder (1919) [Canadians have no right to look down on Americans for choosing Donald Tr*mp: our own federal "leaders", every one of them, voted for Tr*mp's coercive copyright extensions in the "new NAFTA", against the will of Canadians. What cowards they are, and what bullies! It's time to kick them out of office. Still, if we won't be seeing Dame Agatha Christie until 2047 instead of 2027, we do have other mystery novelists in the public domain, very good ones, such as J. S. Fletcher. If you are not an English barrister, you may wonder what the "Middle Temple" might be. Well, it is one of the four Inns of Court: barristers in England and Wales must belong to one of them. Middle Temple is quite large; from its gatehouse, Middle Temple Lane leads down to the Victoria Embankment on the Thames. And it is in Middle Temple Lane that a journalist named Spargo, on his way home one night to Bloomsbury from Fleet Street, runs across a breaking news story: a newly discovered corpse! Fortunately he recognizes Driscoll, the constable who is handlng the case. And matters proceed from there.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #10373]

2024/05/05: OUR FIRST EBOOK BY IRISH POET WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS !!

Yeats, W. B. [William Butler] (1865-1939) [Irish poet and dramatist; Nobel Prize in Literature 1923] Wikipedia

The Tower (1928) Wikipedia [A collection of twenty-one poems, all of them previously published in various magazines and collections. The first of them, Sailing to Byzantium, is one of Yeat's most famous poems, but it is in very good company, since the collection includes The Tower as well as Leda and the Swan. This is a truly extraordinary collection. Also extraordinary is the cover illustration by an English poet whom Yeats greatly admired, Thomas Sturge Moore (1870-1944) Wikipedia. Moore was also an engraver, and a fine one. Our ebook includes this engraving, which shows Thoor Ballylee, a fifteenth-century tower house in County Galway, where Yeats and his family were living when he published this collection.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #72985]

2024/05/01: A NOVEL BY YORKSHIRE'S J. S. FLETCHER, SET IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF LONDON'S PADDINGTON STATION !!

Fletcher, J. S. [Joseph Smith] (1863-1935) [English novelist and historian] Wikipedia

The Orange-Yellow Diamond (1920) [Canadians have no right to look down on Americans for choosing Donald Tr*mp: our own federal "leaders", every one of them, voted for Tr*mp's coercive copyright extensions in the "new NAFTA", against the will of Canadians. What cowards they are, and what bullies! It's time to kick them out of office. Still, if we won't be seeing Agatha Christie until 2047 instead of 2027, we do have other mystery novels to choose from, very good ones, such as this title, set in the area of London near Paddington Station which includes Praed Street. Yes, the same Praed Street as in Cecil Street's The Murders in Praed Street, also available from PGC. You will not be surprised to learn that murder plays a major role in the plot. And that the novel is written in beautiful classic English prose: a pleasure but not a surprise, since when Fletcher was born, Victoria had been on the throne for only sixteen years! The novelist is not impressed with the neighbourhood: "an assemblage of mean streets, the drab dulness of which forms a remarkable contrast to the pretentious architectural grandeurs of Sussex Square and Lancaster Gate, close by. In these streets the observant will always find all those evidences of depressing semi-poverty which are more evident in London than in any other English city." A breeding ground of crime, perhaps. Certainly of urban poverty, of which Fletcher provides a memorable description. CAUTION: Certain language in this ebook today would be considered grossly racist. But let us not be too quick to condemn our author: times change, and there are no doubt aspects of modern culture which Fletcher would find intolerable.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #9297]

2024/04/29: WE NOW OFFER YOU TWO DIGITAL EDITIONS OF THIS FAMOUS NOVEL FOR CHILDREN, FEATURING DOCTOR DOLITTLE !!

Lofting, Hugh [Hugh John] (1886-1947) [English civil engineer, poet, illustrator, and writer of stories for children] Wikipedia

Doctor Dolittle in the Moon (1928) Wikipedia [Novel for children. Years have passed since the Doctor first left Puddleby-on-the-Marsh and started his travels around the world. This time he is not travelling to distant partts of the Earth, but is actually planning to visit the Moon! Accompanied, of course, by various animal members of his household, and by his young and capable assistant Stubbins. We offer you a choice of two digital editions of this enchanting work!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #73411] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [Project Gutenberg of Australia]

2024/04/15: OUR SIXTH MYSTERY NOVEL BY YORKSHIRE'S J. S. FLETCHER -- AND ITS A WINNER !!

Fletcher, J. S. [Joseph Smith] (1863-1935) [English novelist and historian] Wikipedia

The Copper Box (1923) [Novel, written in beautiful nineteenth-century English: Fletcher was born when Dickens, Trollope, and George Eliot were alive, and it shows! Winter lasts a long time in Northumberland and the Borders region. The narrator is from a region of England far to the south and is taken by surprise during an overambitious day trip near the Scottish border. "The morning was bright and promising, and for many enjoyable hours all went well. But about three o'clock came a disappearance of the sun and a suspicious darkening of the sky and lowering of temperature; before long snow began to fall, and in a fashion with which I, a Southerner, was not at all familiar. It was thick, it was blinding, it was persistent; it speedily obscured tracks, and heaped itself up in hollows; I began to have visions of being lost in it." And that's just the beginning! "Among the writers of mystery stories Mr. Fletcher is distinguished by a certain refinement of style and quality of writing. The present tale is light, contains no horrible murder and no detective worth speaking of, but it has a queer little mystery which holds the reader's attention steadily to the end. Few mystery stories have so pleasant a tone or so much quiet humor." (The Outlook, 30 May 1923)] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #73344]

2024/04/11: OUR SECOND BOOK BY ARTHUR EDDINGTON. HIMSELF A PHYSICIST OF THE VERY FIRST ORDER, HE WAS UNEXCELLED IN HIS ABILITY TO EXPLAIN ADVANCED TOPICS TO A GENERAL AUDIENCE !!

Eddington, Arthur Stanley (1882-1944) [English astronomer and physicist] Wikipedia

Stars and Atoms (1927) [An expanded version of an "Evening Discourse" Eddington had delivered in Oxford the preceding year. Our knowledge of astrophysics may have grown since Eddington's time, but his ability to explain complex physics to a general audience remains unsurpassed.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #73362]

2024/04/08: NOT ONLY THE NOVEL WHICH INTRODUCED LORD PETER WIMSEY TO THE WORLD, BUT THE VERY FIRST MYSTERY NOVEL WHICH DOROTHY SAYERS EVER WROTE !!

Sayers, Dorothy L. [Dorothy Leigh] (1893-1957) [English theologian, translator, playwright, and novelist] Wikipedia New York Times obituary The Dorothy L Sayers Society

Whose Body? (1923) Wikipedia [Here at PGC we had been looking forward to 2027, when Agatha Christie's works were slated to enter Canada's public domain. But Justin Trudeau followed orders from D*nald Tr*mp, and against the will of Canadians added twenty years to Canada's copyright terms: unacceptable coercion by a foreign despot, unacceptable weakness in a Canadian prime minister, and a complete failure to defend the citizens of Canada against foreign threats. Remember this in next year's election!

However, Dame Agatha was but one of many fine writers of her period, and we are delighted to present this fine mystery novel by her famous contemporary Dorothy L. Sayers, whom she knew personally. Not only was it her very first mystery novel, it was the first of many books and stories she was to write about Lord Peter Wimsey! And from the beginning he is the aristocratic sleuth we know from the many books that were to follow. "Here is quite the maddest, jolliest crime story of recent memory. Seldom has a murder been made so delightfully mysterious, and rarely has the gentleman detective been cast in quite so attractive a guise as that of Lord Peter Wimsey, to whom books in first folios and bodies in bathtubs are of equal interest. An absorbing story and a well-written book." (The Nation, 5 September 1923)]
 
The original text, from 1923:

Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #58820]
The 1935 revision:
"This re-issue of WHOSE BODY? (which has received some corrections and amendments from MISS SAYERS) has for a Preface a short biography of Lord Peter Wimsey, brought up to date (May 1935) and communicated by his uncle PAUL AUSTIN DELAGARDIE."
HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #103]


2024/04/01: WE WISH OUR READERS AN EXCELLENT EASTER WEEK! OUR HOLIDAY PRESENT TO YOU IS NOT A MYSTERY NOVEL, BUT NO FEWER THAN TWELVE SHORT STORIES BY DOROTHY L. SAYERS, ALL OF THEM FEATURING HER ALREADY FAMOUS SLEUTH LORD PETER WIMSEY !!

Sayers, Dorothy L. [Dorothy Leigh] (1893-1957) [English theologian, translator, playwright, and novelist] Wikipedia New York Times obituary The Dorothy L Sayers Society

Lord Peter Views the Body (1928) Wikipedia [Here at PGC we had been looking forward to 2027, when Agatha Christie's works were slated to enter Canada's public domain. But Justin Trudeau followed orders from D*nald Tr*mp, and against the will of Canadians added twenty years to Canada's copyright terms: unacceptable coercion by a foreign despot, unacceptable weakness in a Canadian prime minister, and a complete failure to defend the citizens of Canada against foreign threats. Remember this in next year's election!

However, Dame Agatha was but one of many fine writers of her period, and we are delighted to present this fine set of twelve short stories by her famous contemporary Dorothy L. Sayers, whom she knew personally. All of the stories feature her most famous sleuth, Lord Peter Wimsey. No space here to summarize the twelve stories, but no need to either: simply have a look at the book's Wikipedia article!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #73295]

2024/03/26: WE NOW OFFER TWO DIGITAL EDITIONS OF THIS CLASSIC MYSTERY NOVEL BY RONALD KNOX -- THE FIRST TO FEATURE INSURANCE INVESTIGATOR MILES BREDON !!

Knox, Ronald Arbuthnott (1888-1957) [English theologian, translator, and detective novelist] Wikipedia

The Three Taps: A detective story without a moral (1927) [Mystery novel, the first of several to feature Miles Bredon, who works for the Indescribably Company as an investigator of suspicious claims. The Indescribable is a very large insurance company, and Bredon by no means your everyday sleuth. He had been in military intelligence during the first war; "his Colonel happened to be a friend of some minor director of the Indescribable, and, hearing that a discreet man was needed to undertake the duties outlined, recommended Bredon. The offer fell at his feet just when he was demobilized; he hated the idea of it, but was sensible enough to realize, even then, that ex-officers cannot be choosers. He was accepted on his own terms, namely, that he should not have to sit in an office kicking his heels; he would always be at home, and the company might call him in when he was wanted." The taps in question are not for water, but for gas being supplied to gas lamps. If gas is accidentally left on, the consequences can be fatal!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #73198] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped

2024/03/19: OUR FOURTH NOVEL AND THIRD MYSTERY BY SCOTLAND'S J. J. CONNINGTON !!

Connington, J. J. [Stewart, Alfred Walter] (1880-1947) [Scottish chemist, physicist, and writer of mysteries and science fiction] Wikipedia

Mystery at Lynden Sands (1928) [Here at PGC we had been looking forward to 2027, when Agatha Christie's works were slated to enter Canada's public domain. But Justin Trudeau followed orders from D*nald Tr*mp, and against the will of Canadians added twenty years to Canada's copyright terms: unacceptable coercion by a foreign despot, unacceptable weakness in a Canadian prime minister, and a complete failure to defend the citizens of Canada against foreign threats. Remember this in next year's election!

However, Dame Agatha was but one of many fine writers of her period, and we are delighted to present this fine mystery novel by J. J. Connington, featuring Chief Constable Sir Clinton Driffield. Lynden Sands, as you might guess, is a beach area and indeed a resort area, with a hotel and a new golf course. A wonderful place for a holiday, where nothing bad can happen, until it does. Fortunately Sir Clinton Driffield is also an accomplished golfer, and is visiting Lynden Sands when all this starts!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #73126]

2024/03/16: UNE TRADUCTION DE JOSEPH CONRAD... PAR ANDRÉ GIDE, S'IL VOUS PLAÎT !!

Conrad, Joseph [Korzeniowski, Józef Teodor Konrad] (1857-1924) [Polish mariner and novelist / marin et romancier polonais] Wikipedia fr.wikipedia

Typhoon (1902, with a preface from 1920) Wikipedia [Novella involving, not surprisingly, a major storm in the Pacific Ocean. It was based, Conrad tells us, on a genuine incident involving a steamship carrying a large number of passengers from Singapore to northern China. "I never met anybody personally concerned in this affair, the interest of which for us was, of course, not the bad weather but the extraordinary complication brought into the ship's life at a moment of exceptional stress by the human element below her deck." And that nicely describes the events of the book, and what faces its central character, the unforgettable Captain MacWhirr. "MacWhirr is not an acquaintance of a few hours, or a few weeks, or a few months. He is the product of twenty years of life. My own life. Conscious invention had little to do with him."] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #1142] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

Traduction française par André Gide (1869-1951) fr.wikipedia
Typhon (édition de 1923) fr.wikipedia [Nouvelle. L'histoire du capitaine MacWhirr, de sa navire, et d'une tempête. Un jour "MacWhirr considérait la baisse d'un baromètre dont il n'avait aucune raison de se défier. La baisse -- étant donné l'excellence de l'instrument, le moment de l'année et la position du navire sur l'écorce terrestre -- était certes de mauvais augure; mais la face rouge de l'homme ne trahissait aucun trouble intérieur. Les présages n'existaient point pour lui, et la signification d'une prophétie ne savait lui apparaître qu'après que l'événement l'avait surpris. «Pas d'erreur: c'est une baisse», pensait-il. «Il doit faire là-bas un sale temps peu ordinaire.»" Faut-il dire qu'il ne se trompait pas?] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 73022]

2024/03/13: OUR SECOND TITLE BY D. H. LAWRENCE !!

Lawrence, D. H. [David Herbert] (1885-1930) [English novelist] Wikipedia

Lady Chatterley's Lover (1928 version) Wikipedia [Lawrence's final novel, and certainly his most controversial, being banned for many years in various countries (including Canada) because of its language and explicit sexual content. If you don't like that sort of thing, you have been warned! There is much social narrative and even satire in this novel, with a good share of family politics, but fundamentally it is the story of Sir Clifford Chatterley, who gets married in 1917, and a few months later is severely wounded (in the war, naturally), but recovers, more or less, "with the lower half of his body, from the hips down, paralysed for ever." This does not bother him all that much: after all, he is still alive! But Lady Constance ("Connie") wants a physical relationship with a man, so looks elsewhere. As the title suggests, her search is successful.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #73144]

2024/03/03: OUR FIRST BOOK BY MINNESOTA'S CHARLES MACOMB FLANDRAU -- A CLASSIC ACCOUNT OF LIFE IN MEXICO BEFORE THE FIRST WORLD WAR !!

Flandrau, Charles Macomb (1871-1938) [American essayist] Wikipedia

Viva Mexico! (1908) [These days the United States often seems like a great big armed encampment, its citizens peering out warily at the wicked world, which these days seems to include Canada, of all places, and certainly Mexico. But for many decades (the period before the Wall) relations between the three countries were on the whole harmonious, and there was much visiting and migration back and forth. This is a memoir of those happy days. Flandrau's extended visit gave him ample opportunity to experience the country. He liked the Mexicans, but his view of his fellow American expatriates was not quite so enthusiatic. But this is a wonderful book, entertaining and informative!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #72552]

2024/02/25: THE SECOND MYSTERY BY FREEMAN WILLS CROFTS TO FEATURE INSPECTOR JOSEPH FRENCH !!

Crofts, Freeman Wills (1879-1957) [Irish engineer and mystery novelist] Wikipedia

Inspector French and the Cheyne Mystery [U.S. title: The Cheyne Mystery] (1926) Wikipedia [Here at PGC we had been looking forward to 2027, when Agatha Christie's works were slated to enter Canada's public domain. But Justin Trudeau followed orders from a foreign autocrat named D*nald Tr*mp, and against the will of Canadians added twenty years to Canada's copyright terms: unacceptable coercion by a foreign despot, unacceptable weakness in a Canadian prime minister, and a complete failure to defend the citizens of Canada against foreign threats. Remember this in next year's election!

However, Dame Agatha was but one of many fine writers of her period, and we are delighted to present this mystery novel by Freeman Wills Crofts, the second of many to feature Inspector Joseph French. The novel starts in Plymouth, a city familiar to Maxwell Cheyne, since during the First World War he had served in the Royal Navy, like his father before him. There is much intrigue, the action moves to the new London suburb of Wembley, and then to Belgium. As for the outcome, can it be in doubt after Inspector French intervenes? We include the cover illustration from the first edition: it is by "C. Morse", that is, the famous and prolific Dutch-born illustrator Salomon van Abbé (1883-1955) Wikipedia] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #72986]

2024/02/21: WHO BETTER TO WRITE AN INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY THAN THE VERY GREAT WELSH MATHEMATICIAN AND PHILOSOPHER BERTRAND RUSSELL? WE'RE PROUD TO ADD OUR FOURTH TITLE BY HIM TO THE PGC CATALOGUE !!

Russell, Bertrand [Arthur William], 3rd Earl Russell [Welsh philosopher, mathematician, and peace activist; Nobel Prize in Literature, 1950] (1872-1970) Wikipedia

An Outline of Philosophy [U.S. title: Philosophy] (1927) [Bertrand Russell was a man of extraordinary talents: a brilliant mathematician and philosopher, and, in his nineties (!) a fierce and effective opponent of the Vietnam War. What would he make of the world today? We can be sure that whatever he might write would be masterly: clearly expressed, and with not a word wasted, as this fine work demonstrates. It consists of four parts: Man from Without, The Physical World, Man from Within, and The Universe. Clearly Lord Russell has a lot to teach us -- as you will discover!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #72981]

2024/02/19: OUR FOURTH TITLE BY RHODE ISLAND'S H. P. LOVECRAFT !!

Lovecraft, H. P. [Howard Phillips] (1890-1937) [American writer of fantasy and horror] Wikipedia

The Horror at Red Hook (1927) Wikipedia [Short story. A New York police detective named Thomas F. Malone has been under medical treatment in Pascoag, Rhode Island in the wake of a traumatic set of experiences in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn: "a maze of hybrid squalor near the ancient waterfront opposite Governor's Island". Has he recovered? Not really. Are the Red Hook horrors now fully over? Perhaps not! CAUTION: Some racist language.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #72966]

2024/02/14: AT PROJECT GUTENBERG CANADA WE LOVE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR SITE VISITORS! OUR VALENTINE'S DAY PRESENT FOR YOU: OUR FIRST EBOOK FROM THE CLASSIC ENGLISH MYSTERY WRITER CECIL STREET !!

Street, Cecil (1884-1964) [English military officer and mystery novelist] Wikipedia

Novel published under the name of John Rhode :
 
The Murders in Praed Street (1928) [Here at PGC we had been looking forward to 2027, when Agatha Christie's works were slated to enter Canada's public domain. But Justin Trudeau followed orders from a foreign autocrat named D*nald Tr*mp, and against the will of Canadians added twenty years to Canada's copyright terms: unacceptable coercion by a foreign despot, unacceptable weakness in a Canadian prime minister, and a complete failure to defend the citizens of Canada against foreign threats. Remember this in next year's election!

However, Dame Agatha was but one of many fine writers of her period, and we are delighted to present our first novel by her contemporary Cecil Street: both of them lived for many years and wrote a huge number of mystery novels. Praed Street is located in central London. It is less than a kilometre in length, but is famous as the location of Paddington Station. The novel is the fourth to feature Street's famous detective, Dr Lancelot Priestley, who appears in no fewer than seventy-two of his novels. The title indicates what you can expect in the novel, but only by reading it can you experience the marvelous quality of Street's truly addictive writing. Go ahead, take the plunge!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #72926]

2024/02/08: THE VERY FIRST MYSTERY NOVEL BY ANTHONY BERKELEY COX, AND THE FIRST TO FEATURE HIS FAMOUS SLEUTH ROGER SHERINGHAM !!

Cox, Anthony Berkeley (1893-1971) [English journalist and writer of mysteries] Wikipedia

The Layton Court Mystery (1925) [Here at PGC we had been looking forward to 2027, when Agatha Christie's works were slated to enter Canada's public domain. But Justin Trudeau followed orders from D*nald Tr*mp, and against the will of Canadians added twenty years to Canada's copyright terms: unacceptable coercion by a foreign despot, unacceptable weakness in a Canadian prime minister, and a complete failure to defend the citizens of Canada against foreign threats. Remember this in next year's election!

However, Dame Agatha was but one of many fine writers of her period, and we are delighted to present the first mystery novel by her friend Anthony Berkeley Cox, published anonymously in 1925. It was a success, needless to say, and featured Roger Sheringham, who was to be the detective in many of Cox's subsequent mysteries. As the novel opens, Sheringham is talking with William, the gardener at Layton Court, about greenfly, a type of aphid. Then as now, aphids are hard to control, and William is concerned about his roses. Moving on, the body is found of the decidedly wealthy Victor Stanworth, and with that body a suicide note. Is that the end of the case? Certainly not!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #72883]

2024/02/04: A MYSTERY NOVEL BY DOROTHY L. SAYERS, FEATURING LORD PETER WIMSEY — FINE READING FOR A CHILLY WINTER WEEKEND !!

Sayers, Dorothy L. [Dorothy Leigh] (1893-1957) [English theologian, translator, playwright, and novelist] Wikipedia New York Times obituary The Dorothy L Sayers Society

The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club (1928) Wikipedia [Here at PGC we had been looking forward to 2027, when Agatha Christie's works were slated to enter Canada's public domain. But Justin Trudeau followed orders from D*nald Tr*mp, and against the will of Canadians added twenty years to Canada's copyright terms: unacceptable coercion by a foreign despot, unacceptable weakness in a Canadian prime minister, and a complete failure to defend the citizens of Canada against foreign threats. Remember this in next year's election!

However, Dame Agatha was but one of many fine writers of her period, and we are delighted to present this fine mystery novel by her famous contemporary Dorothy L. Sayers, whom she knew personally. At the start of the novel an aged general dies mysteriously at his club. It's not entirely clear what he died of, nor at what time, And money's involved, a lot of it: all in all, quite a mess. Fortunately Lord Peter Wimsey is on hand to sort things out!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #72855]

2024/01/31: J. J. CONNINGTON IS BACK -- A MYSTERY NOVELIST ADMIRED BY DOROTHY L. SAYERS AND JOHN DICKSON CARR, NO LESS !!

Connington, J. J. [Stewart, Alfred Walter] (1880-1947) [Scottish chemist, physicist, and writer of mysteries and science fiction] Wikipedia

The Case with Nine Conclusions (1928) [Here at PGC we had been looking forward to 2027, when Agatha Christie's works were slated to enter Canada's public domain. But Justin Trudeau followed orders from D*nald Tr*mp, and against the will of Canadians added twenty years to Canada's copyright terms: unacceptable coercion by a foreign despot, unacceptable weakness in a Canadian prime minister, and a complete failure to defend the citizens of Canada against foreign threats. Remember this in next year's election!

However, Dame Agatha was but one of many fine writers of her period, and we are delighted to present this fine mystery novel by J. J. Connington, featuring Chief Constable Sir Clinton Driffield. The best summary of its opening is from the mouth of Dr Ringwood, who has been substituting for a colleague who is unwell. "I'm Dr. Carew's locum and a stranger in Westerhaven; and in this fog I went to the wrong house--the one next door to here: Ivy Lodge, 28 Lauderdale Avenue. Mr. Hassendean's house. The place was lit up and a car was at the door; but I got no answer when I rang the bell. Something roused my suspicions and I went inside. The house was empty: no maids or anyone on the premises. In a smoke-room on the ground floor I found a youngster of about twenty-two or so, dying. He'd been shot twice in the lung and he died on my hands almost as I went in." What a situation! Fortunately Dr Ringwood is talking to no ordinary policeman, but Sir Clinton Driffield, whose butler has been under his medical care. And Sir Clinton takes on the case!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #72816]

2024/01/29: BEFORE AGATHA CHRISTIE'S MISS MARPLE, THERE WAS BARONESS ORCZY'S LADY MOLLY OF SCOTLAND YARD !!

Baroness Orczy [Orczy, Emmuska] (1865-1947) [English novelist] Wikipedia

Lady Molly of Scotland Yard (1910) Wikipedia [Here at PGC we had been looking forward to 2027, when Agatha Christie's works were slated to enter Canada's public domain, and we could offer you the Miss Marple novels. But Justin Trudeau followed orders from D*nald Tr*mp and against the will of Canadians added twenty years to Canada's copyright terms, unacceptable coercion by a foreign despot; unacceptable weakness in a Canadian prime minister, and a complete failure to defend the citizens of Canada against foreign threats. Remember this in next year's election!

In the meantime, we offer you another female sleuth, Baroness Orczy's famous creation Lady Molly Robertson-Kirk. At the start of the book the narrator comments that "we shouldn't have half so many undetected crimes if some of the so-called mysteries were put to the test of feminine investigation." Over the course of the twelve stories Lady Molly amply demonstrates how true this is. We now offer two digital editions of these stories. The PG US ebook includes the illustrations from the 1910 first edition by Cyrus Cuneo (1879-1916) Wikipedia The PG Canada ebook offers a handy text-only version of the stories.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #72581] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1223]

2024/01/26: THE FOURTH MYSTERY BY FREEMAN WILLS CROFTS TO FEATURE INSPECTOR JOSEPH FRENCH !!

Crofts, Freeman Wills (1879-1957) [Irish engineer and mystery novelist] Wikipedia

The Sea Mystery (1928) Wikipedia [This mystery novel, the fourth to feature Inspector Joseph French, takes place on the south coast of Wales. Mr Morgan and his fourteen year old son Evan have been out fishing, and on their way back retrieve a large sunken crate. What was in this crate? Here at PGC we try to avoid spoilers, but we can reveal that the crate's contents are enough to have Inspector Joseph French take the next day's 1.55 P.M. luncheon car express from Paddington to Wales. And this, of course, is only the beginning of the adventure!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #72771]

2024/01/24: IRAN (PERSIA) IS MUCH IN THE NEWS THESE DAYS, BUT HAS PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN WORLD HISTORY FOR LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF YEARS !!

Grundy, G. B. [George Beardoe] 1861-1948 [English historian and geographer] Wikipedia

The Great Persian War and its Preliminaries. A Study of the Evidence, Literary and Topographical. (1901) [Persia (Iran) is much in the news these days. What many people do not know is that Iran is hardly a new arrival on the world stage. G. B. Grundy was an eminent historian and geographer, and this clearly written and thoroughly researched history of the war Wikipedia between Persia and an alliance of small Greek states some twenty-six centuries ago (!) certainly retains its value. Grundy had a historian's passion for getting things right, and personally visited many of the locales he mentions. Some of the many fine illustrations are by Edward Lear (1812-1888) who was famous for his limericks, but a man of many talents. These illustrations are excellent!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 72704]

2024/01/22: THE VERY FIRST NOVEL PUBLISHED BY THE ANGLO-ARMENIAN SATIRIST MICHAEL ARLEN !!

Arlen, Michael (1895-1956) [English novelist, playwright, and essayist] Wikipedia

The London Venture (1920) [Novel, with many fine drawings by émigré Russian artist Michel Sevier (1886-1941). This is the first work published by Arlen under the name we know him by: up till its publication he had been known as Dikran Kouyoumdjian. As this name suggests, he was of Armenian descent, and had been born in Ruse, Bulgaria, on the banks of the Danube. However, he had been living in England for a good length of time when he published this lighthearted and apparently autobiographical novel about a young writer living in London. It was based on "The London Papers", a series of essays he had published in The New Age.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 40375]

2024/01/17: OUR SECOND MYSTERY NOVEL BY ANTHONY BERKELEY COX !!

Cox, Anthony Berkeley (1893-1971) [English journalist and writer of mysteries] Wikipedia

Mr Priestley's Problem [U.S. title: The Amateur Crime] (1927) [There is a wonderful lightness of touch in the mysteries of A. B. Cox, reminiscent of P. G. Wodehouse, who was his contemporary, and with whom he shared a publisher, Herbert Jenkins -- who is, by the way, a PGC author! At the start of the novel, we are introduced to Matthew Priestley, who is thirty-six years of age, independently wealthy, and, as he thinks, remarkably happy. A friend insists that he cannot possibly be happy, since he is in a rut. "Mr. Priestley looked round the cosy bachelor room in the cosy bachelor flat; if it was a rut, it was a remarkably pleasant one." Pleasant or not, he is shaken out of this rut: murder will do that!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 72675]

2024/01/11: COULD THE CREATOR OF WINNIE-THE-POOH WRITE A CLASSIC MYSTERY NOVEL? OF COURSE HE COULD !!

Milne, A. A. [Alan Alexander] (1882-1956) [English novelist, poet, and dramatist] Wikipedia

The Red House Mystery (1922) Wikipedia [Quite literally a country house mystery, the place in question being, of course, the Red House, an entirely magnificent residence. The novel was an immediate success, and has gone through many editions. Hint: there's a murder!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #1872]

2024/01/06: RONALD KNOX'S MYSTERY NOVELS ARE ESTEEMED BY CONNOISSEURS. YET THEY ARE RARITIES: HE WROTE ONLY SIX OF THEM, AND THEY'RE HARD TO FIND. BUT WITH TODAY'S ADDITION WE OFFER FOR YOUR READING PLEASURE THREE OF HIS SIX MYSTERY NOVELS !!

Knox, Ronald Arbuthnott (1888-1957) [English theologian, translator, and mystery novelist] Wikipedia

The Viaduct Murder (1925) [Mystery novel. In modern Canadian English, we would probably say "The Railroad Bridge Murder", for that is what Knox means by Viaduct. He comments that "railways ennoble our landscape; they give to our unassuming valleys a hint of motive and destination. More especially, a main line with four tracks pillowed on a sweep of tall embankment, that cannot cross a meandering country stream without a stilt-walk upon vast columns of enduring granite, captivates, if not the eye, at least the imagination." So this is quite a railroad bridge we're talking about. And it's an impressive venue for a murder. There are no fewer than four detectives who work the case: all of them amateur, all of them with something to contribute. How providential that they should have been enjoying a day of golf when they discover the body. Closely reasoned, beautifully written: exactly what one would expect from Ronald Knox!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #72585]

2024/01/01: NO NEW PUBLIC DOMAIN TITLES FOR 2024. LET'S CALL JUSTIN TRUDEAU "THE GRINCH WHO TOOK OUR PUBLIC DOMAIN". TIME TO GET RID OF TRUDEAU'S 20-YEAR COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS !!

Nast, Thomas (1840-1902) [American cartoonist] Wikipedia

Thomas Nast's Christmas Drawings for the Human Race (1892) [Thomas Nast was one of the most famous cartoonists of all time. This fine album shows why!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #72546]

2023/12/23: WHAT BETTER HOLIDAY READING THAN GHOST STORIES BY E. F. BENSON ??

Benson, E. F. [Edward Frederic] (1867-1940) [English novelist] Wikipedia

The Room in the Tower and Other Stories (1912) [Benson was famous for his ghost stories: here are seventeen of them! "These stories have been written in the hopes of giving some pleasant qualms to their reader, so that, if by chance, anyone may be occupying in their perusal a leisure half-hour before he goes to bed when the night and the house are still, he may perhaps cast an occasional glance into the corners and dark places of the room where he sits, to make sure that nothing unusual lurks in the shadow."] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #72421]

2023/12/20: OUR FIFTH MYSTERY BY FREEMAN WILLS CROFTS -- FINE HOLIDAY READING !!

Crofts, Freeman Wills (1879-1957) [Irish engineer and mystery novelist] Wikipedia

The Pit-Prop Syndicate (1922) Wikipedia [Coal mining has now disappeared from England, but it was still of central importance when Crofts published this novel, his fifth. Coal mine tunnels require pit props: reinforcements, usually of wood, to ensure their stability. Murder does occur in the course of events, but the novel's central mystery is why pit-props are being brought to England from Bordeaux, when Norway would be a better choice. Is there some kind of financial crime lurking in the background?] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #2013]

2023/12/16: THE FIRST ZORRO BOOK WAS A HUGE SUCCESS. NO WONDER IT SOON HAD A SEQUEL !!

McCulley, Johnston (1883-1958) [American novelist] Wikipedia

The Further Adventures of Zorro (1922) [The Mask of Zorro was a huge success, and it could not have been difficult to decide that a sequel was called for. And so here it is: Same hero, same locale, same excitement!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #72159]

2023/12/14: FREEMAN WILLS CROFTS' FIFTH NOVEL, THE FIRST OF MANY TO FEATURE INSPECTOR JOSEPH FRENCH !!

Crofts, Freeman Wills (1879-1957) [Irish engineer and mystery novelist] Wikipedia

Inspector French's Greatest Case (1924) [Mystery novel, Crofts' fifth, which introduced Inspector Joseph French Wikipedia who plays a central role in most of the many mystery novels which Crofts was subsequently to write. French works out of Scotland Yard, naturally, and in this initial case has to solve a murder in Hatton Garden Wikipedia , then as now the centre of London's jewellery trade.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #65553]

2023/12/10: NOTRE PREMIÈRE TRADUCTION FRANÇAISE DE JOSEPH CONRAD !!

Conrad, Joseph [Korzeniowski, Józef Teodor Konrad] (1857-1924) [Polish mariner and novelist / marin et romancier polonais] Wikipedia fr.wikipedia

Heart of Darkness (1899) Wikipedia [Rarely have an author's personal experiences been so powerfully transformed into literature: Conrad himself had captained a boat on the Congo River, and eight years later he gave the world this classic novella. In essence, it is an attack on the catastophes that European colonialism brought to Africa, and centres on the life and death of Mr. Kurtz, who runs a trading post in a very remote area upriver in central Africa, and is both feared and worshipped by the people in his trading area. Not all of the story takes place in Africa. At the beginning of the story, the narrator, an English seaman named Charles Marlow, describes how he crosses the Channel to sign his contract, and duly arrives "in a city that always makes me think of a whited sepulchre... I had no difficulty in finding the Company's offices. It was the biggest thing in the town, and everybody I met was full of it. They were going to run an over-sea empire, and make no end of coin by trade." At the end of the novel Marlow finds himself back in Europe, and his outlook has been permanently changed by the appalling things he has seen. If this happens to remind you of Francis Ford Coppola's film Apocalypse Now Wikipedia, that is no coincidence, for this famous novella inspired that famous film!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #219] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

Traduction française par André Ruyters (1876-1952) fr.wikipedia
Coeur des ténèbres (1925) fr.wikipedia [Le célèbre roman dont le cinéaste Francis Ford Coppola s'est servi pour créer son chef d'oeuvre Apocalypse Now. Avec une note bibliographique par G. Jean-Aubry (1882-1950) fr.wikipedia, qui a également contribué sa traduction de Youth (Jeunesse).] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 72252]

2023/12/03: ONE YEAR AFTER PUBLISHING HIS FIRST NOVEL, FREEMAN WILLS CROFTS PUBLISHED HIS SECOND MYSTERY. HE WAS ALREADY A MASTER OF HIS CRAFT !!

Crofts, Freeman Wills (1879-1957) [Irish engineer and mystery novelist] Wikipedia

The Ponson Case (1921) [Crofts' second mystery novel. As it opens, we are introduced to Sir William Ponson, who "had retired from business some ten years before our story opens and, selling his interest in the large ironworks of which he was head, had bought Luce Manor and settled down to end his days in the rôle of a country squire." Very much "a self-made man", in Crofts' words, and one presumably accustomed to living life on his own terms. And yet in spite of his wealth, "he remained a simple, honourable, kindly old man, a little headstrong and short tempered perhaps, but anxious to be just, and quick to apologise if he found himself in the wrong." Could such a man have mortal enemies? Since he's the main character of a mystery novel named after him, the answer could well be yes!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #72235]

2023/11/20: INTRODUCING DON DIEGO VEGA, BETTER KNOWN AS... ZORRO  !!

McCulley, Johnston (1883-1958) [American novelist] Wikipedia

The Mark of Zorro (1924; first serialized in 1919 as The Curse of Capistrano) Wikipedia [The Spanish language is by no means a mere historical relic in California, but a daily living presence on the streets and in the homes of Los Angeles and San Francisco. For that matter, we hear it on the streets of Montreal and Toronto! This famous novel has inspired many sequels and adaptations, and is set in the mid nineteenth century, the final period of Mexican rule. Don Diego Vega, known as Zorro ("the fox"), attempts to counter the misdeeds of the local Mexican administrators, with considerable success.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #61620]

2023/11/10: OUR FIFTH MYSTERY BY YORKSHIRE'S J. S. FLETCHER !!

Fletcher, J. S. [Joseph Smith] (1863-1935) [English novelist and historian] Wikipedia

In the Mayor's Parlour (1922) [A mystery novel from J. S. Fletcher is always something special. Naturally there is a murder at the centre of this fine novel, and if you have identified this victim as the Mayor in the title, congratulations on your sleuthing! He is indeed John Wallingford, recently elected mayor of the ancient town of Hathelsborough. Now you have enough to start with: enjoy the novel!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #25424]

2023/11/01: CHARLES DICKENS' THIRD NOVEL IS AN ETERNAL CLASSIC: NICHOLAS NICKLEBY !!

Dickens, Charles [Charles John Huffam] (1812-1870) [English novelist and editor / romancier et éditeur anglais] Wikipedia fr.wikipedia

Nicholas Nickleby (1839; with a later Author's Preface) Wikipedia [Novel, Dickens' third, continually famous since its publication, and often adapted to stage and screen. Its full title is The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, Containing a Faithful Account of the Fortunes, Misfortunes, Uprisings, Downfallings, and Complete Career of the Nickleby Family, virtually a summary in itself. But the Wikipedia article includes a fuller description. And there's a lot to summarize: no fewer than sixty-five chapters, describing how our hero lost his father at a young age, and the many events that followed. The Project Gutenberg US ebook includes the many illustrations by Dickens' favourite artist Hablot Knight Browne (1815-1882) ["Phiz"] Wikipedia.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #967] We also offer the handy text-only Adelaide ebook: EPUB [University of Adelaide]

Traduction française par Paul Lorain (1799-1861)
Vie et aventures de Nicolas Nickleby (1885) fr.wikipedia [Le troisième roman de Dickens. Le très jeune Nicholas Nickleby perd son père; sa famille déménage à Londres, où son oncle bien nanti lui offre... plus ou moins rien. Prochaine escale: le Yorkshire!] EPUB [fr.wikisource]


2023/10/26: OUR SECOND TITLE BY THE ANGLO-ARMENIAN SATIRIST MICHAEL ARLEN !!

Arlen, Michael (1895-1956) [English novelist, playwright, and essayist] Wikipedia

The Green Hat (1924) Wikipedia [Certainly Arlen's most famous novel, set in a world similar to the early novels of Evelyn Waugh, namely London of the 1920s; later successfully adapted to the stage and the screen. The film, A Woman of Affairs, was released in 1928, and starred Greta Garbo, John Gilbert, and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. It changed the names of all the characters, and omitted controversial topics, such as sexual orientation and recreational drugs. For all that, best stick to the novel!)] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #71913]

2023/10/16: IN 1925 JOHN DOS PASSOS PUBLISHED MANHATTAN TRANSFER, HIS PANORAMA OF LIFE IN NEW YORK CITY. AND AMERICAN LITERATURE WAS NEVER THE SAME AGAIN !!

Dos Passos, John [American novelist and poet] (1896-1970) Wikipedia

Manhattan Transfer (1925) Wikipedia [Novel, in three sections, which describe life in Manhattan across the decades, through the eyes of characters of different ages and social classes. "Just to rub it in, I regard 'Manhattan Transfer' as more important in every way than anything by Gertrude Stein or Marcel Proust or even the great white boar, Mr. Joyce's 'Ulysses.' For Mr. Dos Passos can use, and deftly does use, all their experimental psychology and style, all their revolt against the molds of classic fiction. But the difference! Dos Passos is interesting! Their novels are treatises on harmony, very scholarly, and confoundedly dull; 'Manhattan Transfer' is the moving symphony itself." (Sinclair Lewis, Saturday Review, 5 December 1925)] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #71853]

2023/10/11: THE BOOK WHICH FIRST BROUGHT FAME TO SWEDEN'S SELMA LAGERLÖF !!

Lagerlöf, Selma [Selma Ottilia Lovisa] (1858-1940) [Swedish teacher and author; Nobel Prize in Literature, 1909] Wikipedia

The Story of Gösta Berling (1891 [Swedish original: Gösta Berlings saga] Runeberg ; 1898 [this translation]) Wikipedia [Selma Lagerlöf's first novel, to this day the most famous of her many works. In 1890 she entered the first part of the book in a literary contest, which she won, and the entire book was published the following year, then subsequently turned into a 1924 film (starring Greta Garbo!) and a 1925 opera by Riccardo Zandonai. This translation by Pauline Bancroft Flach (1869-1966) first appeared in 1898, and since then has been reprinted frequently. As the book starts we meet Gösta Berling, who is conducting a church service. Yes, he is a priest, but a controversial one, for he has a drinking habit. Many events ensue, from which we learn that the Swedish countryside is not as placid a society as one might think!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #56158]
 
Die treffliche Übersetzung von Mathilde Mann (1859-1925) de.wikipedia:
Gösta Berling: Erzählungen aus dem alten Wermland (1877) de.wikipedia Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #28751]

2023/10/06: OUR VERY FIRST ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF AN ARSÈNE LUPIN BOOK !!

Leblanc, Maurice (1864-1941) [Romancier français / French novelist] fr.wikipedia en.wikipedia

Arsène Lupin contre Herlock Sholmès (1908) fr.wikipedia [Deux nouvelles de Maurice Leblanc, La Dame blonde et La Lampe juive), écrits dans un style léger et assez amusant, qui mettent en vedette Arsène Lupin... et son illustre homologue anglais Herlock Sholmès! Faut-il dire que Herlock Sholmès et Sherlock Holmes se ressemblent beaucoup?]
La Dame blonde: EPUB [fr.wikisource]
La Lampe juive: EPUB [fr.wikisource]
 
English translation by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos (1865-1921) Wikipedia:
Arsène Lupin versus Holmlock Shears (1910) Wikipedia [The 1910 U.S. edition (the basis of this ebook) has a longer title: "The Blonde Lady. Being a Record of the Duel of Wits between Arsène Lupin and the English Detective". In fact it includes the second novella as well ("The Jewish Lamp"), and is illustrated by the American artist Henry Richard Boehm (1871-1914).] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #24839]

2023/10/04: A COLLECTION OF NO FEWER THAN FORTY COLOUR PRINTS -- FROM TWO CENTURIES AGO, BUT THEY HAVEN'T AGED A DAY !!

Salaman, Malcolm Charles (1855-1940) [English art historian and critic] Wikipedia
edited by: Holme, Charles (1848-1923) [English art critic and editor] Wikipedia
Old English Colour-Prints (1909) [Forty colour prints by various engravers and artists of the eighteenth century, with a very few from the beginning of the nineteenth century. They are all gathered at the end of the book, after a full-length discussion by Salaman of the history of colour printing.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #24839]

2023/09/27: DEUX AVENTURES D'ARSÈNE LUPIN !!

Leblanc, Maurice (1864-1941) [Romancier français] fr.wikipedia

Arsène Lupin contre Herlock Sholmès (1908) fr.wikipedia [Deux nouvelles de Maurice Leblanc, La Dame blonde et La Lampe juive), écrits dans un style léger et assez amusant, qui mettent en vedette Arsène Lupin... et son illustre homologue anglais Herlock Sholmès! Faut-il dire que Herlock Sholmès et Sherlock Holmes se ressemblent beaucoup?]
La Dame blonde: EPUB [fr.wikisource]
La Lampe juive: EPUB [fr.wikisource]

2023/09/18: DID ANY MYSTERY WRITER EVER EXCEED THE EASY MASTERY OF YORKSHIRE'S J. S. FLETCHER ?

Fletcher, J. S. [Joseph Smith] (1863-1935) [English novelist and historian] Wikipedia

The Herapath Property (1920) [Mystery novel, written in Fletcher's notably attractive style. Your first question might be, who is Herapath? That's easy to answer: Jacob Herapath is "a Member of Parliament, the owner of a sort of model estate of up-to-date flats, and something of a crank about such matters as ventilation, sanitation, and lighting." As you might guess, he is wealthy. But he unfortunately is no longer alive. Murder or suicide? That's only the first of many questions that need answers. "In Mr. J. S. Fletcher's stories there is no stint of adventure. The solution of this mystery is most unexpected. The reader will find it hard to lay down." (Literary Digest, 28 January 1922)] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #25388]

2023/09/12: FRENCH HISTORY IS PART OF CANADIAN HISTORY -- PARTICULARLY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CARDINAL RICHELIEU !!

Price, Eleanor Catharine (1847-1933) [English journalist, novelist, and historian]

Cardinal de Richelieu (1912) [Biography of Louis XIII's chief minister Wikipedia, who played an important role in Canadian history as the patron of Samuel de Champlain, the founder of New France. The book is carefully researched and attractively illustrated: a pleasure to read. It was intended for the general reader, but Price respects her audience, and does not talk down to us or oversimplify. She was a prominent journalist, critic, and novelist, of outstanding literary gifts, as this excellent biography makes clear.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #71607]

2023/09/04: A NICELY WRITTEN AND VERY APPROACHABLE HISTORY OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION !!

Mallet, Charles [Charles Edward] (1862-1947) [English historian and politician] Wikipedia

The French Revolution (1893) [Charles Mallet was a graduate of Balliol College and a lecturer for Oxford University Extension. The "University Extension" movement, which continues to this day, seeks to make university-level education available to everyone, much as Project Gutenberg Canada seeks to make fine literature available to everyone. And so this beautifully written account of the French Revolution and its origins, full of interesting and important information, was published as part of the University Extension Manuals series, "to aid the University Extension Movement throughout Great Britain and America".] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #71551]

2023/09/03: FOR LABOUR DAY WEEKEND, A MYSTERY BY YORKSHIRE'S J. S. FLETCHER -- SET IN THE WORLD OF ENGLISH THEATRE !!

Fletcher, J. S. [Joseph Smith] (1863-1935) [English novelist and historian] Wikipedia

Scarhaven Keep (1920) [A classic mystery novel by a classic author. "Mystery, character, love, a setting that combines the romance of the theatrical profession with the oddity of a quaint village on the Scottish border: satisfying ingredients for a detective yarn... here is one that I can recommend with vigor." ("J. F.", The Bookman [US], March 1922)] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #9807]

2023/08/31: A BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN HISTORY OF FRANCE (AND EUROPE!) IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY !!

Wakeman, Henry Offley (1852-1899) [English historian]

The Ascendancy of France 1598-1715 (1897 edition) [First published in 1894, this military and political history of Europe in the seventeenth century was frequently reissued in the decades that followed, and deserved this success: it is thoroughly researched and makes for attractive reading. Its author was a fellow of All Souls College, Oxford and taught at Keble College: in his relatively short life he achieved high eminence and lasting fame as a church historian. But as this book shows, he was no slouch when it came to political and military history!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #71365]

2023/08/23: J. J. CONNINGTON'S FIRST NOVEL WAS PUBLISHED IN 1923, BUT ONE HUNDRED YEARS LATER CERTAINLY SPEAKS TO US, VERY CLEARLY INDEED. IT'S ABOUT A WORLDWIDE ENVIRONMENTAL CATASTROPHE, AND HOW A MULTIMILLIONAIRE PROPOSES TO PROTECT HIMSELF FROM IT !!

Connington, J. J. [Stewart, Alfred Walter] (1880-1947) [Scottish chemist, physicist, and writer of mysteries and science fiction] Wikipedia

Nordenholt's Million (1923) [Disaster novel. Environmental catastrophe has arrived on Earth and the multimillionaire Nordenholt constructs a refuge for himself and some others. Not in today's favoured location of New Zealand, but in the Clyde Valley of Scotland! Parallels to the COVID-19 pandemic and the behaviour of our modern ultrarich are easy to see. How did Connington foresee all this? Well, he certainly knew his science: he was a famous organic chemist. And a fine writer: he went on to write a considerable number of mystery novels!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #64567]

2023/08/19: J. B. BURY'S CLASSIC BIOGRAPHY OF SAINT PATRICK: DEEPLY LEARNED AND BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN !!

Bury, J. B. [John Bagnell] (1861-1927) [Irish historian] Wikipedia

The Life of St. Patrick and his Place in History (1905) [These days St Patrick's Day is marked by worldwide drunkenness, which seems strange given the saint's apparent character. He lived in the fifth century, an age that is not well documented, but Patrick was certainly a historical personage: in fact, several of his works have survived to our times! Still, much mystery surrounds various aspects of his life, and so Bury's famous biography was definitely needed: it would be hard to imagine a more thorough or more readable study of his life by a famous historian of late antiquity -- who was himself born in Ireland!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #71431]

2023/08/16: THE EARLIEST SHORT STORIES OF ANZIA YEZIERSKA -- WHAT A BEGINNING TO HER CAREER !!

Yezierska, Anzia (1880s-1970) [American novelist] Wikipedia

Hungry Hearts (1920) [Yezierska's first published collection of short stories, a considerable success when published. As you might guess from the title, these short stories are not about the wealthy! They are about a world Anzia Yezierska knew well: that of first-generation immigrants in New York City, very much like Yezierska and her family when they arrived there in the 1890s.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #41232]

2023/08/11: OUR FIRST NOVEL BY J. J. CONNINGTON -- A MYSTERY NOVELIST ADMIRED BY DOROTHY L. SAYERS AND JOHN DICKSON CARR, NO LESS !!

Connington, J. J. [Stewart, Alfred Walter] (1880-1947) [Scottish chemist, physicist, and writer of mysteries and science fiction] Wikipedia

Murder in the Maze (1927) [Mystery novel, featuring Chief Constable Sir Clinton Driffield. We begin at Whistlefield, which belongs to Roger Shandon, who is not just a barrister, but a King's Counsel (KC), if you please! Which is presumably why he can afford a house like Whistlefield, which has not only a name. but also grounds, and on those grounds a maze. Which, of course, is where a murder is discovered. Hence the intervention of Sir Clinton!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #71351]

2023/08/09: OUR FIRST TITLE BY ANZIA YEZIERSKA, FAMOUS FOR HER PORTRAYALS OF THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE -- WHICH SHE KNEW ABOUT, FIRST HAND !!

Yezierska, Anzia (1880s-1970) [American novelist] Wikipedia

Children of Loneliness (1923) [Nine short stories, vividly written, about the experiences of immigrant children in New York City: much would apply to Toronto or Montreal. With a notably sincere and interesting introduction, which makes clear that the stories are rooted in Yezierska's own experiences as a child immigrant from Poland.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #71361]

2022/08/06: A NOVEL BY UPTON SINCLAIR ABOUT GREEDY EMPLOYERS, OPPRESSED WORKERS, AND INDIFFERENT UNIONS -- THINGS REALLY DON'T CHANGE !!

Sinclair, Upton (1878-1968) [American novelist, journalist, and politician] Wikipedia

King Coal (1917) Wikipedia [Novel, with a definite social message. An idealistic young man goes to the coal fields of the American Rockies, seeking not riches but social justice. He finds that employers are greedy, workers oppressed, and unions selective about which causes they will embrace. He learns a lot, though! The book is closely based on actual events, in particular the Colorado coal strike of 1913-14. With a fine introduction by the Danish critic Georg Brandes (1842-1927) Wikipedia "Upton Sinclair is one of the writers of the present time most deserving of a sympathetic interest. He shows his patriotism as an American, not by joining in hymns to the very conditional kind of liberty peculiar to the United States, but by agitating for infusing it with the elixir of real liberty, the liberty of humanity."] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #7522]

2023/08/01: LE PREMIER ROMAN DE GEORGES BERNANOS !!

Bernanos, Georges (1888-1948) [Romancier français] fr.wikipedia

Sous le soleil de Satan (1895) [Le premier roman de Bernanos. Un portrait de la vie et des croyances de l'abbé Donissan, et des défis auxquels il fait face: "Le ministère paroissial... est une charge au-dessus de mes forces." Sera-t-il capable de surmonter ces défis?] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 71272]

2023/07/26: IN MARCH WE OFFERED YOU A MAGNIFICENT SET OF ETCHINGS BY GIOVANNI BATTISTA PIRANESI. HERE'S A SECOND SET !!

Piranesi, Giovanni Battista (1720-1778) [Italian artist and archaeologist] Wikipedia

Selected Etchings by Piranesi, Series II ([1914]) ["The demand which followed the issue of the first series of small reproductions of Piranesi's etchings has tempted the Publishers to put forth a further selection." And it is our pleasure to present this second volume. Like its predecessor (which we also offer) it has fifty plates, and was edited by the English architect and university teacher Charles Herbert Reilly (1874-1948) Wikipedia] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #71256]

2023/07/23: A TRULY EXCELLENT SURVEY OF UKRAINIAN GEOGRAPHY (AND CULTURE, AND HISTORY, AND LANGUAGE...) !!

Rudnitsky, Stephen (1877-1937) [Ukrainian geographer and cartographer] Internet Encyclopedia of Ukraine

Ukraine. The Land and its People. (1918) [Stephen Rudnitsky played a central role in developing the study of Ukrainian geography. He was born in the Austro-Hungarian province of Galicia, and studied at the University of Lviv and the University of Vienna; later he also taught at the University of Lviv ("Lemberg"), as the title page indicates. The original Ukrainian version of this book appeared in Kyiv in 1910; in 1915 an anonymous German version was published in Vienna "with many improvements and additions." This English version is an authorized translation from the German by an unknown hand and was published with the support of the Ukrainian Alliance of America. Less than a third of the book is devoted to physical geography: the rest is a wide-ranging and very interesting survey of Ukrainian history, economics, and linguistics.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #71254]

2023/07/22: TODAY, A NEW AUTHOR: THE ENGLISH ECONOMIST AND HISTORIAN R. H. TAWNEY !!

Tawney, R. H. [Richard Henry] (1880-1962) [English economist, historian, and social thinker] Wikipedia

Religion and the Rise of Capitalism. A Historical Study. (1926) [Tawney's most celebrated work, originally delivered in 1922 as the Holland Memorial Lectures. Tawney was a staunch socialist and a staunch Anglican, and immensely learned, so was certainly an authority on this topic. And this is his most famous work. It is about the divorce that arose after the Renaissance between religious belief and economic action. This is a topic of great interest at Project Gutenberg Canada. What moral justification is there for the Tr*mp/Trudeau copyright extensions? None, really. Actually, what economic justification is there? Again, none really. But you won't hear any of this from "your" government, nor from any Canadian political party. Oh no, certainly not! For they seem interested only in serving rich and powerful corporations, mostly foreign, not the people of Canada!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #71223]

2023/07/19: UN TRÈS BEAU RÉCIT DE VOYAGE -- À BICYCLETTE !!

Perrodil, Édouard de (1860-1931) [Journaliste et athlète français] de.wikipedia

A vol de vélo: De Paris à Vienne (1895) [Récit de voyage -- à bicyclette! "Le 23 avril 1894 était la date fixée pour le voyage à bicyclette que j'avais résolu d'accomplir de Paris à Vienne" -- neuf ans avant le premier Tour de France!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 70989]

2023/07/14: FIVE YEARS AFTER PUBLISHING THE SILVER KEY, H. P. LOVECRAFT COLLABORATED WITH E. HOFFMAN PRICE TO WRITE A SEQUEL -- A SECOND CLASSIC !!

Lovecraft, H. P. [Howard Phillips] (1890-1937) [American writer of fantasy and horror] Wikipedia

Through the Gates of the Silver Key (1929) Wikipedia [The American writer E. Hoffman Price (1898-1988) Wikipedia was himself an admirer of H.P. Lovecraft, upon whom he clearly made a good impression, for they collaborated on this novella, a sequel to Lovecraft's The Silver Key from five years earlier (which you will find in our catalogue). Randolph Carter had "disappeared from the sight of man on the seventh of October, 1928, at the age of fifty-four." But this does not mean that his adventures were over. Quite the contrary! With an illustration by H. R. Hammond and cover art by Margaret Brundage (1900-1976) Wikipedia] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #71167]

2023/07/12: A SET OF ESSAYS ON ZEN BUDDHISM BY SOMEONE WHO CERTAINLY KNEW WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT -- DAISETZ TEITARO SUZUKI !!

Suzuki, Daisetz Teitaro (1870-1966) [Japanese writer on Buddhism] Wikipedia

Essays in Zen Buddhism (First Series) (1927) ["Zen in its essence is the art of seeing into the nature of one's own being, and it points the way from bondage to freedom. By making us drink right from the fountain of life, it liberates us from all the yokes under which we finite beings are usually suffering in this world." Suzuki was a famous academic, but his opening words make clear that these essays, demanding at times, are nonetheless directed to a general audience. Suzuki's first language was Japanese, but he writes a beautifully lucid English prose.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #71157]

2023/07/06: AN EXQUISITE SHORT STORY BY HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN, WITH EQUALLY EXQUISITE ILLUSTRATIONS BY SHROPSHIRE'S MARY J. NEWILL !!

Andersen, Hans Christian (1805-1875) [Danish writer and poet; écrivain et poète danois] Wikipedia fr.wikipedia

The Nightingale (1844 [Danish original], 1896 [this edition]) [Short story, The Emperor of China learns of the existence of a nightingale who lives not in the emperor's magnificent garden, but in the forest, and wants to know more. Translation by Henry William Dulcken (1832-1894) with some fine illustrations by the English designer and illustrator Mary J. Newill (1860-1947) Wikipedia] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 71096]

2023/07/01: HAPPY CANADA DAY! IT'S SIX MONTHS SINCE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IMPOSED TR*MP'S TWENTY-YEAR FREEZE ON THE CANADIAN PUBLIC DOMAIN. OUR POLITICIANS DID NOTHING TO PREVENT THIS. BUT HERE AT PGC, WE CAN'T FORGET WHAT HAPPENED, AND WE WON'T -- WE HAVE A DUTY TO CANADIANS !!

Crofts, Freeman Wills (1879-1957) [Irish engineer and mystery novelist] Wikipedia

Inspector French and the Starvel Tragedy [U.S. title: The Starvel Hollow Mystery] (1927) Wikipedia [Mysterious deaths on the moors of western Yorkshire. Inspector French to the rescue!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #59854]

2023/06/28: AN EBOOK ABOUT THE DANUBE RIVER! WHAT A NICE WAY OF LEARNING ABOUT CENTRAL EUROPE'S GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY !!

Jerrold, Walter (1865-1929) [English travel writer and biographer] Wikipedia

The Danube (1911) [The Danube Wikipedia is famously the river of Vienna, but also of Budapest, Bratislava, and Belgrade. It rises in Germany's Black Forest, close to the French border, and flows through or beside no fewer than ten European countries, Ukraine being the easternmost. That's a lot of geography, and a lot of history! Fortunately Walter Jerrold is an agreeable and very well informed guide. The book includes thirty illustrations, twelve in colour, by the Scottish artist Louis Weirter (1873-1932) Wikipedia] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 70968]

2022/06/22: A FINE MYSTERY NOVEL BY R. AUSTIN FREEMAN -- FEATURING DR THORNDYKE, OF COURSE !!

Freeman, R. Austin [Richard Austin] (1862-1943) [English physician and mystery novelist] Wikipedia

The D'Arblay Mystery (1926) [Novel, featuring Dr Thorndyke and his capable assistant, Nathaniel Polton. As the story begins, we meet Stephen Gray, "a youngster of twenty-five, the owner of a brand-new medical diploma, wending [his] way gaily down Wood-lane, Highgate, at about eight o'clock on a sunny morning in early autumn.": he is taking a day off, and makes a grisly discovery. However, he also meets the young and beautiful Marion D'Arblay: the two events are connected. The famous Dr Thorndyke is brought in: he teaches Medical Jurisprudence at Dr Gray's medical school. And things proceed from there!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 70996]

2023/06/12: OUR FIRST MYSTERY NOVEL BY ANTHONY BERKELEY COX -- A FINE AND VERY INFLUENTIAL WRITER (HE KNEW AGATHA CHRISTIE AND DOROTHY SAYERS), AND THE CREATOR OF SLEUTH ROGER SHERINGHAM !!

Cox, Anthony Berkeley (1893-1971) [English journalist and writer of mysteries] Wikipedia

Novel published under the name of Anthony Berkeley :
 
Roger Sheringham and the Vane Mystery [U.S. title: The Mystery at Lover's Cave] (1927) [Mystery, skilfully written in a light and entertaining style. As the novel opens, the sparkling and witty Roger Sheringham has been asked by the Daily Courier to visit Hampshire to report on an apparent murder in the small seaside town of Ludmouth Bay. With him he takes his cousin Anthony Walton. "Although there were more than ten years between the cousins (Roger was now thirty-six, Anthony a bare twenty-five), they had always been good friends, and that also in spite of the fact that they had scarcely a taste or a feeling in common." The two of them prove an effective and entertaining pair of investigators.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 70877]

2023/05/31: TODAY'S EBOOK HAS RECENTLY BECOME NEWLY FAMOUS! IT'S ABOUT DOCTORS, MEDICAL RESEARCH, MONEY, THE REALITIES OF PANDEMICS, AND THE EFFECT OF ALL THIS ON INDIVIDUALS. THESE ISSUES BECAME NEWLY RELEVANT WHEN COVID-19 SPREAD WORLDWIDE IN 2020, AND COVID IS STILL WITH US: THE ISSUES WILL BE WITH US FOREVER. WE NOW OFFER YOU TWO DIFFERENT DIGITAL EDITIONS OF THIS CLASSIC NOVEL -- TAKE YOUR CHOICE !!

Lewis, Sinclair (1885-1951) [American novelist; Nobel Prize in Literature, 1930] Wikipedia Nobelprize.org

Arrowsmith (1925) Wikipedia [Novel about the life of Martin Arrowsmith from his early days in the small Midwestern town of Elk Mills, which follows him through medical school, life as a GP, hospital work, medical research, and bubonic plague in the Caribbean. We see how all these experiences affect Arrowsmith and those around him, and how he deals with the ethical conflicts which arise. It is an amazingly comprehensive study of the world of medicine, is absolutely relevant today, and its fame has only increased since the advent of COVID-19. Its accuracy is no accident, as in a short preface to the original edition Lewis recorded his debt to the famous microbiologist Paul de Kruif (1890-1971) Wikipedia "not only for most of the bacteriological and medical material in this tale but equally for his help in the planning of the fable itself--for his realization of the characters as living people, for his philosophy as a scientist."] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 70875] EPUB [University of Adelaide]: the Adelaide edition omits Lewis's gracious acknowledgement of the help provided by Paul de Kruif.]

2023/05/24: NOUS VOUS PRÉSENTONS... M. ARSÈNE LUPIN !!

Leblanc, Maurice (1864-1941) [Romancier français] fr.wikipedia

Arsène Lupin: Gentleman-Cambrioleur (1907) fr.wikipedia [Le début littéraire de M. Arsène Lupin! Neuf nouvelles, publiées par le mensuel Je sais tout entre 1905 et 1907. "Et la vogue qu'a si bien commencée le magazine, le livre va la continuer." (Préface de Jules Claretie (1840-1913) fr.wikipedia) Ce qui est bien le cas!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 32854]

2023/05/19: A UNIQUELY FASCINATING FIRSTHAND ACCOUNT OF THE TRANSITION OF JAPAN FROM FEUDALISM TO MODERNITY !!

Sugimoto, Etsu Inagaki (1872/73-1950) [Japanese critic, journalist, and university instructor] Wikipedia

A Daughter of the Samurai (1925) [It's hard to come up with a better summary than what's on the title page: "How a daughter of feudal Japan, living hundreds of years in one generation, became a modern American". She did eventually return to Japan for a time, but while in the United States taught Japanese language and history at Columbia University. Who better to give us this vivid portrait of Japan's epoch-making transition from feudalism to modernity? Includes an introduction by Project Gutenberg Canada author Christopher Morley (1890-1957) and a frontispiece by the photographer Ichiro Hori (1879-1969) -- celebrated in New York during his time there -- as well as a fine illustration by Tekisui Ishii (1882-1945).] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #70766]

2023/05/13: CHARLES III WAS PRINCE OF WALES FOR MANY YEARS BEFORE BECOMING KING. THE SAME WAS TRUE OF HIS GREAT-GREAT-GRANDFATHER EDWARD VII !!

Belloc Lowndes, Marie (1868-1947) [Anglo-French novelist] Wikipedia

His Most Gracious Majesty King Edward VII (1901) [Charles III ascended the throne in 2023, at the age of 74. The only precedent for such a long period as heir apparent is Edward VII, son of Queen Victoria, who became king in 1901 at age 59. "This book," states the preface, "originally published as a Life of the Prince of Wales, has now been much enlarged and brought up to the latest date, including His Majesty's Accession and the events which followed. Fresh illustrations have also been added." And indeed it has a huge set of illustrations, carefully selected. Belloc Lowndes would go on to become an extremely famous novelist, and the book itself is beautifully written, as one would expect. But it is also thoroughly researched, and contains a wealth of information.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #52237]

2023/05/10: NOUS VOUS OFFRONS SEPT AVENTURES DE SHERLOCK HOLMES !!

Doyle, Arthur Conan (1859-1930) [Scottish physician and author / médecin et écrivain écossais] Wikipedia fr.wikipedia

Nouveaux Exploits de Sherlock Holmes [1930] [Traduction anonyme de sept nouvelles: L'Homme estropié [Le Tordu], La Cycliste solitaire, Aventure de trois étudiants [Les Trois Étudiants], Les Propriétaires de Reigate, L'Interprète grec, Le Malade pensionnaire [Le Pensionnaire en traitement], et Le Problème final [Le Dernier Problème]. Pour de plus amples renseignements, vous n'avez qu'à consulter fr.wikipedia] EPUB [fr.wikisource]

2023/05/06: THE THIRD SOLOMON KANE STORY, BY ROBERT E. HOWARD TAKES OUR HERO TO GERMANY -- TO THE BLACK FOREST, IN FACT !!

Howard, Robert E. [Robert Ervin] (1906-1936) [American fantasy and horror author] Wikipedia

Rattle of Bones (June 1929) Wikipedia [The third Solomon Kane story finds our hero in Germany, in the Black Forest in fact, where he is staying at the Cleft Skull Tavern. Here he meets another guest, Gaston l'Armon. Any story with names like that must be special! The ebook we offer you includes the cover illustration by Hugh Rankin (1878-1956) from Weird Tales, where the story first appeared, and also the illustration he created for the story itself.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #70653]

2023/05/03: L'IRAN NE CESSE D'OPÉRER SA MAGIE, SEMBLE-T-IL. CLAUDE ANET NOUS EN RACONTE LES MERVEILLES !!

Anet, Claude [pseudonyme de Jean Schopfer] (1868-1931) [Journaliste et romancier français] fr.wikipedia

Les Roses d'Ispahan: La Perse en automobile à travers la Russie et le Caucase (1906) [Récit de voyage, avec plusieurs photos. Un portrait inoubliable de la Perse et ses pays voisins avant le déclenchement de la Première Guerre mondiale, une époque que nous ne reverrons jamais.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 70650]

2023/04/30: LESS THAN 10,000 YEARS AGO, YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO TAKE A FERRY TO GET FROM ENGLAND TO FRANCE, BELGIUM, THE NETHERLANDS, OR GERMANY !!

Reid, Clement (1853-1916) [English geologist] Wikipedia

Submerged Forests (1913) [Scientific treatise. The author begins by telling us of parts of the English coastline where "the fishermen will tell you of black peaty earth, with hazel-nuts, and often with tree-stumps still rooted in the soil, seen between tide-marks when the overlying sea-sand has been cleared away by some storm or unusually persistent wind." It turns out that these areas were flooded only a few thousand years ago, when sea levels rose sharply, by as much as 90 feet: up until that point England had been joined to the rest of Europe by a large area of land which we now call Doggerland Wikipedia. This epoch-making and very thorough book wears its years lightly, and does demonstrate that coastal areas can be submerged as a result of changes in geology and climate. Circumstances today are not the same, but one does wonder about the effects of the global heating we are now witnessing.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #70654]

2023/04/28: OUR SECOND SOLOMON KANE STORY, BY ROBERT E. HOWARD !!

Howard, Robert E. [Robert Ervin] (1906-1936) [American fantasy and horror author] Wikipedia

Skulls in the Stars (January 1929) Wikipedia [The second Solomon Kane story, introduced by a quotation from the English poet Thomas Hood (1799-1845): "He told how murderers walk the earth..." As the story opens, Solomon Kane is on his way to Torkertown. It is late in the day, and he is advised to postpone his trip until the next day. But he decides to proceed. Similarly, there is a fork in the road, and he is advised to take the inconvenient swamp road rather than the moor road, which is shorter but has an evil reputation: "Some foul horror haunts the way and claims men for his victims." You can guess which road he chooses! The ebook we offer you includes the cover illustration by C. C. Senf (1873-1949) from Weird Tales, where the story first appeared, and also the illustration created by Hugh Rankin (1878-1956) for the actual story.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #70540]

2023/04/26: SIX NOUVELLES QUI METTENT EN VEDETTE SHERLOCK HOLMES !!

Doyle, Arthur Conan (1859-1930) [Scottish physician and author / médecin et écrivain écossais] Wikipedia fr.wikipedia

Souvenirs de Sherlock Holmes [1918] [Traduction par Jeanne de Polignac (1861-1919) de six nouvelles: Silver Blaze [Flamme d'Argent], Le Document volé [Le Traité naval]. Le Gloria Scott, Le Visage jaune [La Figure jaune], Le Commis d'agent de change [L'Employé de l'agent de change], et Le Rituel des Musgraves [Le Rituel des Musgrave]. Pour de plus amples renseignements, vous n'avez qu'à consulter fr.wikipedia] EPUB [fr.wikisource]

2023/04/22: AN EARLY NOVEL BY JAMES HILTON, NOT ABOUT A SCHOOLMASTER (MR CHIPS LAY IN THE FUTURE), BUT ABOUT A BACTERIOLOGY RESEARCHER IN LONDON !!

Hilton, James (1900-1954) [English novelist] Wikipedia

Terry (1927) [This early novel already shows the smoothness and expertise we are familiar with from Hilton's famous later novels. This novel, written ten years before Good-bye, Mr. Chips, tells the story of Dr M. Terrington ("Terry"), a research-lecturer in bacteriology at University College in London. A very prestigious position, which he attained in spite of being born into poverty. Once he has achieved this degree of success, "after habitually working three times as hard as he ought", his life begins to change...] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #70587]

2023/04/20: CINQ NOUVELLES QUI METTENT EN VEDETTE SHERLOCK HOLMES !!

Doyle, Arthur Conan (1859-1930) [Scottish physician and author / médecin et écrivain écossais] Wikipedia fr.wikipedia

Nouvelles Aventures de Sherlock Holmes [1905] [Traduction par Jeanne de Polignac (1861-1919) de cinq nouvelles: L'Association des Hommes Roux [La Ligue des rouquins], Un cas d'identité [Une affaire d'identité], Le Mystère de la vallée de Boscombe [Le Mystère du Val Boscombe], L'Aventure des Cinq Pépins d'orange [Les Cinq Pépins d'orange], et L'Homme à la lèvre retroussée [L'Homme à la lèvre tordue]. Pour de plus amples renseignements, vous n'avez qu'à consulter fr.wikipedia] EPUB [fr.wikisource]

2023/04/18: WE NOW OFFER YOU TWO SEPARATE EBOOKS OF ROBERT E. HOWARD'S VERY FIRST SOLOMON KANE STORY !!

Howard, Robert E. [Robert Ervin] (1906-1936) [American fantasy and horror author] Wikipedia

Red Shadows (August 1928) Wikipedia [Fantasy story in five sections, starting with The Coming of Solomon. Yes, this is the first appearance in literature of Howard's famous creation Solomon Kane: other stories were to follow, and even a 2009 film. In this story he is in France, where he is battling the evil Le Loup. "All his life he had roamed about the world aiding the weak and fighting oppression, he neither knew nor questioned why. That was his obsession, his driving force of life. Cruelty and tyranny to the weak sent a red blaze of fury, fierce and lasting, through his soul... If he thought of it at all, he considered himself a fulfiller of God's judgment, a vessel of wrath to be emptied upon the souls of the unrighteous. Yet in the full sense of the word Solomon Kane was not wholly a Puritan, though he thought of himself as such." Both of our digital editions include the August 1928 cover illustration by C. C. Senf (1873-1949). from Weird Tales, where the story first appeared. The Project Gutenberg US ebook also includes the two illustrations which the magazine provided for the actual story: they are by Hugh Rankin (1878-1956) Wikipedia] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #70570] EPUB [Wikisource]

2023/04/12: A MAGNIFICENT COLLECTION OF DRAWINGS BY THE LEGENDARY MEXICAN CARTOONIST MIGUEL COVARRUBIAS, PUBLISHED LESS TWO YEARS AFTER HIS ARRIVAL IN NEW YORK. AND WHAT A COLLECTION IT IS !!

Covarrubias, Miguel (1904-1957) [Mexican cartoonist and painter] Wikipedia

The Prince of Wales and Other Famous Americans (1925) Wikipedia [In his preface, the famous American photographer Carl Van Vechten (1880-1964) describes how eighteen months earlier he had first met Miguel Covarrubias, newly arrived in New York from Mexico City, looked at the drawings Covarrubias had with him, and "was immediately convinced that I stood in the presence of an amazing talent, if not, indeed, genius. That afternoon he made the sketches for his caricature of me, delivered two days later, the first, I think, of this New York series." And what a series it is! The Prince of Wales was not American of course, but was visiting New York. And a famous Canadian was among Covarrubias' subjects: the film actress Mary Pickford, born in Toronto!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #70493]

2023/04/10: SIX NOUVELLES CLASSIQUES DE SHERLOCK HOLMES !!

Doyle, Arthur Conan (1859-1930) [Scottish physician and author / médecin et écrivain écossais] Wikipedia fr.wikipedia

Les Aventures de Sherlock Holmes (1924) [Traduction de six nouvelles par Jeanne de Polignac (1861-1919) , avec une belle préface littéraire et biographique par la traductrice. Les six nouvelles: L'Escarboucle bleue, Aventure de la bande mouchetée [Le Ruban moucheté], Le Pouce de l'ingénieur. L'Aristocratique célibataire [Un Aristocrate célibataire], Le Diadème de béryls, et Les Hêtres rouges [Les Hêtres pourpres]. Pour de plus amples renseignements, vous n'avez qu'à consulter fr.wikipedia] EPUB [fr.wikisource]

2023/04/07: FOR THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND, A SHORT STORY (NOT SO SHORT, REALLY) BY H. P. LOVECRAFT !!

Lovecraft, H. P. [Howard Phillips] (1890-1937) [American writer of fantasy and horror] Wikipedia

The Silver Key (1929) Wikipedia ["When Randolph Carter was thirty," this famous story begins, "he lost the key to the gate of dreams." His waking life had been dull and unrewarding, but the dreams he had every night more than made up for this -- until now. What was a man to do? Follow the instructions of his late grandfather (in a dream, naturally) and find "in an antique box a great silver key handed down from his ancestors." And this famous story proceeds from there. The illustration at the start of the ebook is from the January 1929 cover of Weird Tales, where the story first appeared, and is by C. C. Senf (1873-1949). The drawing at the end of the ebook is from the actual text of the story in Weird Tales, and is by Hugh Rankin (1878-1956) Wikipedia.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #70478]

2023/04/05: WE NOW OFFER TWO DIGITAL EDITIONS OF THIS CLASSIC NOVEL BY DOROTHY L. SAYERS -- ONE OF HER FIRST BOOKS TO FEATURE THAT ARISTOCRATIC SLEUTH, LORD PETER WIMSEY !!

Sayers, Dorothy L. [Dorothy Leigh] (1893-1957) [English theologian, translator, playwright, and novelist] Wikipedia New York Times obituary The Dorothy L Sayers Society

Clouds of Witness (1926; revised 1935) Wikipedia [The second Sayers novel to feature Lord Peter Wimsey. As the novel opens, we find ourselves in Paris, where Lord Peter and his manservant Bunter are staying at the luxurious Hôtel Meurice, having just spent three months in Corsica. Really, everyone should be a lord! But they stay in Paris only a single night: he learns from the morning newspaper that his brother, the Duke of Denver, has been charged with murder! Clearly Lord Peter must get back to England and find out what has really happened.]
The original text, from 1926:
Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #70432]
The 1935 revision:
"This re-issue of CLOUDS OF WITNESS (which has received some corrections and amendments from MISS SAYERS) has for a Preface a short biography of Lord Peter Wimsey, brought up to date (May 1935) and communicated by his uncle PAUL AUSTIN DELAGARDIE." HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #156]

2023/04/03: LOUIS HÉMON DÉCRIT SON VOYAGE DE LIVERPOOL À QUEBEC -- ET NOUS DONNE UN PORTRAIT INOUBLIABLE DE LA VILLE DE QUÉBEC DE SON ÉPOQUE. UNE FOIS ÉTABLI AU CANADA, IL NOUS DONNERA SON CHEF D'OEUVRE, MARIA CHAPDELAINE !!

Hémon, Louis (1880-1913) [écrivain français] fr.wikipedia Dictionnaire biographique du Canada en.wikipedia Dictionary of Canadian Biography

Itinéraire (1927) [Récit de voyage. Le 18 octobre 1911 l'écrivain français Louis Hémon est arrivé à Québec après un voyage de six jours: il passera le reste de sa vie au Canada. Ce charmant recueil comprend quatre essais: De Québec à Montréal, Sur la Terrasse, Dans les rues de Québec, et De Liverpool à Québec. "Que Québec est une cité historique; la plus intéressante peut-être, historiquement, de l'Amérique du Nord unique en son genre sur ce continent... tout le monde sait cela. Mais c'est aussi une cité plus complexe qu'on ne veut bien le dire... Un Français venant directement de France, au contraire, et qui n'aura pas eu le temps de vraiment perdre contact avec les choses de son pays, remarquera surtout dans Québec non pas ce qui est français, mais ce qui ne l'est point."] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 70094]

2023/03/31: TO END THE MONTH, A MAGNIFICENT SET OF ETCHINGS BY GIOVANNI BATTISTA PIRANESI !!

Piranesi, Giovanni Battista (1720-1778) [Italian artist and archaeologist] Wikipedia

Selected Etchings by Piranesi, Series I (1914) [Giovanni Piranesi's etchings of ancient Roman architecture have been famous ever since their first publication in the eighteenth century. This selection of no fewer than fifty of his etchings was made by the English architect and university teacher Charles Herbert Reilly (1874-1948) Wikipedia] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #70405]

2023/03/28: UN CÉLÈBRE ROMAN POLICIER -- OU PLUTÔT UN ROMAN SHERLOCK HOLMES !!

Doyle, Arthur Conan (1859-1930) [Scottish physician and author / médecin et écrivain écossais] Wikipedia fr.wikipedia

Le Chien des Baskerville (1902 [version originale anglaise] 1905 [cette traduction]) fr.wikipedia [Traduction de The Hound of the Baskervilles par Adrien de Jassaud (1881-1937). Sherlock Holmes et le docteur Watson font face à un cas assez perplexe. Un grand chien noir terrifie le voisinage de Baskerville Hall dans le Devonshire: "une horrible bête, noire, de grande taille, ressemblant à un chien, mais à un chien ayant des proportions jusqu'alors inconnues".] EPUB [fr.wikisource]

2023/03/25: A VERY FAMOUS PERSONAL ACCOUNT OF ALGERIA DURING ITS COLONIAL DAYS !!

Bodley, R. V. C. [Ronald Victor Courtenay] (1892-1970) [English soldier and writer]] Wikipedia

Algeria from Within (1927) [Colonies are important to Canada, if only because we live in one: the United States recently demonstrated this by coercively imposing a twenty year extension on Canadian copyrights, against the will of Canadians. The Ottawa administration did what they were told, and not a single MP, senator, or political party objected. This could not happen in a truly sovereign nation. Algeria, by way of contrast, overthrew French colonial rule in 1962: an example for Canadians. France most definitely does not rule Algeria today, but for more than a century it did. After his service in the First World War, our author attended the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, and there he met Lawrence of Arabia, who advised him to go and live with the Arabs. Which he did, learning Arabic and living with a Saharan tribe for seven years. This book is his account of the Algeria he saw, and became an instant classic.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #70287]

2023/03/23: LE PROFESSEUR CHALLENGER ET LE JOURNALISTE EDWARD MALONE DÉCOUVRENT UN MONDE DISPARU DEPUIS LONGTEMPS... TRÈS LONGTEMPS !!

Doyle, Arthur Conan (1859-1930) [Scottish physician and author / médecin et écrivain écossais] Wikipedia fr.wikipedia

Le Monde perdu (1912 [version originale anglaise]; 1913 [cette traduction]) fr.wikipedia [Un classique immortel parmi les romans d'aventures, qui a inspiré plusieurs films et romans. Traduit par Louis Labat (1867-1947) avec des gravures executées par l'illustrateur normand Géo Dupuis (1874-1932) fr.wikipedia. Un jeune journaliste irlandais, Edward Malone, doit accompagner le professeur Georges-Édouard Challenger en Amérique du Sud, où ils font des découvertes tout à fait étonnantes.] EPUB [fr.wikisource]
 
Nous vous offrons également la version originale anglaise: EPUB [Wikisource]

2023/03/19: A CLASSIC NOVEL BY W. SOMERSET MAUGHAM ABOUT A STOCKBROKER WHO LEAVES LONDON FOR PARIS, AND BECOMES A PAINTER !!

Maugham, W. Somerset [William Somerset] (1874-1965) [English novelist and playwright] Wikipedia

The Moon and Sixpence (1919) Wikipedia [We often discover that people are not quite who we thought they were. The hero of this novel is Charles Strickland, "whose youth was past, a stockbroker with a position of respectability, a wife and two children." Not someone you would expect to leave his family and move to Paris. His explanation? "I've got to paint." Which he does, and eventually moves to Tahiti, for what turns out to be the rest of his life. The novel has parallels with the life of Paul Gauguin Wikipedia. Maugham also drew on his own life experience: he had been born in Paris, and knew the city well. The novel's mysterious title is easily explained: there is a proverb that if you look down to the ground looking for a coin, you will not notice the moon up in the sky. That is, it's easy to miss what should be obvious, in this case presumably the reasons for Strickland's outwardly inexplicable behaviour. Our text of the novel is drawn from an early reprint of the 1919 New York first edition.] EPUB [Wikisource]

2023/03/14: IN 1913 THE FAMOUS AMERICAN NOVELIST OF SOCIAL REALISM THEODORE DREISER PUBLISHED AN ACCOUNT OF HIS FIRST TRIP TO EUROPE (IT'S IN OUR CATALOGUE!). IN 1916 HE PUBLISHED A SECOND TRAVEL BOOK -- THIS TIME ABOUT A ROAD TRIP TO HIS HOMETOWN: WARSAW, INDIANA !!

Dreiser, Theodore [Theodore Herman Albert] (1871-1945) [American journalist, poet, and novelist] Wikipedia

A Hoosier Holiday (1916) [For readers not familiar with Indiana, a "Hoosier" is anyone from that great state -- such as the celebrated novelist Theodore Dreiser. In 1913 he had published A Traveler at Forty, which you will find in our catalogue. But after the First World War started, travel to Europe was not so easy to arrange. So instead, he and his fellow Hoosier Franklin Booth (1874-1948) Wikipedia went on a road trip to Warsaw, Indiana, which Dreiser had left some twenty-eight years before: it is a hundred miles up the road from Booth's birthplace of Carmel, itself just north of Indianapolis. It is Booth, a well known artist, who contributed the book's many illustrations. The trip started in New York City and largely paralleled the Ontario border to the north. But the trip was not merely to Indiana, but also to Dreiser's earliest years. Much had changed, much had not: he stays longer than first intended, and shares with his readers vivid and pleasurable recollections of what was already a past age.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #70269]

2023/03/10: COUNT LEO TOLSTOY WAS A VERY GREAT LITERARY FIGURE, AND HE WAS RUSSIAN. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT HE WOULD IN ANY WAY APPROVE OF RUSSIA'S INVASION OF UKRAINE -- QUITE THE CONTRARY !!

Tolstoy, Lev (Leo / Léon) Nikolayevich (1828-1910) [Russian novelist and social critic / romancier et philosophe russe] Wikipedia fr.wikipedia

Two Wars (1898) [Here at Project Gutenberg Canada we are planning to continue our publication of works by Tolstoy and other classic Russian authors. But this does not mean that we in any way condone the war against Ukraine. Tolstoy would certainly condemn it, just as in this article he condemned the recently concluded Spanish-American War, and the Russian persecution of the Doukhobors. In fact, he helped many Doukhobors escape to Canada! Our translation is by the Massachusetts-born translator and critic Nathan Haskell Dole (1852-1935) Wikipedia] EPUB (interim version) [Wikisource]

2023/03/08: LE PLUS CÉLÈBRE ROMAN DE NOTRE LITTÉRATURE DU TERROIR -- PAR LE ROMANCIER FRANÇAIS LOUIS HÉMON !!

Hémon, Louis (1880-1913) [écrivain français] fr.wikipedia Dictionnaire biographique du Canada en.wikipedia Dictionary of Canadian Biography

Maria Chapdelaine (version 1916) fr.wikipedia ["Récit du Canada français" (première parution en 1913), dont l'action se déroule à Péribonka, dans la région du lac Saint-Jean, où Hémon a travaillé dans les fermes pour apprendre leurs moeurs. Marie Chapdelaine est la fille de Samuel et Laura Chapdelaine, a dix-huit ans, et doit choisir son mari... et son destin. "Précédé de deux préfaces: par M. Émile Boutroux [1845-1921] fr.wikipedia, de l'Académie française, et par M. Louvigny de Montigny (1876-1955) fr.wikipedia, de la Société royale du Canada." Avec des "Illustrations originales" de Marc-Aurèle de Foy Suzor-Côté [1869-1937] fr.wikipedia] EPUB [fr.wikisource]

English translation:
Maria Chapdelaine: A Tale of the Lake St. John Country (1921) Wikipedia [To this day probably the most famous novel to come from French Canada. But its author was from France! He came to Canada in 1911, lived and worked for a time in Péribonka, in the Saguenay, and based his novel on what he saw while living there. The main character, Maria Chapdelaine, is eighteen years old, and must choose what to do with her life. In particular, whom should she marry? And should she stay in Péribonka or not? The translation is by William Hume Blake (1861-1924). Blake was an eminent Toronto lawyer, who spent many summers in the Charlevoix region of Quebec, not far from Péribonka.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #4383] EPUB [en.wikisource]


2023/03/02: A NOVELLA, LIGHT IN TONE, BY RONALD FIRBANK -- AN AUTHOR MUCH ADMIRED BY E. M. FORSTER AND EVELYN WAUGH, AMONG OTHERS !!

Firbank, Ronald (1886-1926) [English novelist] Wikipedia

Caprice (1917) [Written in the depths of the First World War, although the novella is not at all dark in tone: such was not the way of Ronald Firbank. With a fine frontispiece by Augustus John (1878-1961) Wikipedia. This is the story of Miss Sarah Sinquier, the daughter of Canon Sinquier. She was born in "the sleepy peaceful town of Applethorp", but as the novella opens she is about to visit London, which as it turns out she likes very much. Particularly the West End!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #70073]

2023/02/28: LA PREMIÈRE TRADUCTION FRANÇAISE D'UNE AVENTURE DE SHERLOCK HOLMES !!

Doyle, Arthur Conan (1859-1930) [Scottish physician and author / médecin et écrivain écossais] Wikipedia fr.wikipedia

La Marque des quatre (1890 [version originale anglaise] 1896 [cette traduction] fr.wikipedia [Traduction de The Sign of the Four (1890) par Jeanne de Polignac (1861-1919). La deuxième aventure de Sherlock Holmes, mais la première traduite en français! Le docteur Watson est préoccupé, voire fâché. Trois fois par jour depuis des mois Sherlock Holmes prend de la morphine ou de la cocaïne. Comment résoudre ce problème? "Fournissez-moi soit des problèmes à résoudre, soit un travail à faire, proposez-moi l'énigme la plus indéchiffrable ou l'analyse la plus subtile, je me sentirai aussitôt dans l'atmosphère qui me convient. C'est alors que les stimulants artificiels me deviennent inutiles." Mais l'ennui de Sherlock Holmes ne va pas durer longtemps. Madame Hudson frappe à leur porte, portant une carte sur un plateau. Miss Mary Marston entre en scène!] EPUB [fr.wikisource]

2023/02/24: DOES A FREE PRESS REALLY EXIST IN CANADA? WELL, PROBABLY NOT. HOW ELSE TO EXPLAIN THE COMPLETE ABSENCE OF PRESS ATTENTION TO THE TR*MP/TRUDEAU COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS THIS YEAR? THEY WERE A HUGE TRANSFER OF PUBLIC PROPERTY TO MOSTLY FOREIGN CORPORATE INTERESTS. AND WHAT PASSES FOR "NEWS" SEEMS TO BE EXACTLY THE SAME ACROSS ALL THE MEDIA. BUT THINGS HAVE BEEN LIKE THIS FOR MANY YEARS, AS THIS BOOK BY THE FAMOUS AMERICAN FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT GEORGE MARION SHOWS !!

Marion, George (1905-1955) [American journalist and social thinker] Social Networks and Archival Context

The "Free Press": Portrait of a Monopoly (1946) [The title says it all, and this fine piece of reporting is in no way dated: the system Marion describes is still very much in place. Marion was a Communist adherent who did little to hide his beliefs. But he was also an outstanding journalist, so much so that the newspapers and publishers of his day went to extreme lengths to make sure that he got as little coverage and distribution as possible. But they are gone, and Marion's fine book remains -- well worth your time! He wrote it shortly after leaving the New York Mirror in 1946 -- a Hearst newspaper. You'll learn a lot about how the press monopoly came into being, and you'll be amazed at how durable this monopoly has turned out to be!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #70107]

2023/02/22: ONE OF CHARLES DICKENS' EARLIEST NOVELS (PUBLISHED WHEN VICTORIA WAS JUST ASCENDING THE THRONE) AND ONE OF HIS MOST FAMOUS ONES !!

Dickens, Charles [Charles John Huffam] (1812-1870) [English novelist and editor / romancier et éditeur anglais] Wikipedia fr.wikipedia

Oliver Twist; or, the Parish Boy's Progress. (1838) Wikipedia [One of Dickens' earliest novels, and certainly one of the most famous! It is the personal history of Oliver Twist, who is born into poverty and grows up in it, at one point becoming a member of a gang of young pickpockets, who turn out to be a remarkable group of characters. The Wikisource EPUB we offer contains the famous illustrations by Dickens' friend George Cruikshank (1792-1878) Wikipedia. We also offer the handy text-only Adelaide EPUB.] EPUB [Wikisource] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

Traduction française par Alfred Gérardin (1825-1881) sous la direction de Paul Lorain (1799-1861)
Olivier Twist (1893) fr.wikipedia [Ce célèbre roman nous raconte la vie et les aventures d'un orphelin anglais, mais finit par nous donner un portrait sans égal de la vie quotidienne anglaise à l'époque de Dickens!] EPUB [fr.wikisource]


2023/02/18: LA PREMIÈRE AVENTURE DE SHERLOCK HOLMES !!

Doyle, Arthur Conan (1859-1930) [Scottish physician and author / médecin et écrivain écossais] Wikipedia fr.wikipedia

Un crime étrange (1887 [version originale anglaise] 1903 [cette traduction] fr.wikipedia [Traduction anonyme du roman policier A Study in Scarlet, où Sherlock Holmes et le docteur James Watson font leurs débuts littéraires. Le docteur Watson se trouve à Londres à la suite de son service militaire en Afghanistan et fait la connaissance de Holmes, qui "parut ravi à l'idée de partager son logement avec moi: «J'ai un appartement en vue, me dit-il, il est situé Baker Street, et nous irait comme un gant...»"] EPUB [fr.wikisource]

2023/02/15: ELIZABETH GASKELL WROTE MANY FAMOUS WORKS, BUT NONE MORE FAMOUS THAN CRANFORD -- WHICH SHE CREATED WITH THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF CHARLES DICKENS !!

Gaskell, Elizabeth Cleghorn (1810-1865) [English novelist and biographer] Wikipedia The Gaskell Society

Cranford [1853] Wikipedia [Mrs Gaskell's most famous novel, written with the encouragement of Charles Dickens! It describes the busy social life of the village of Cranford, which is completely dominated by its women: "If a married couple come to settle in the town, somehow the gentleman disappears; he is either fairly frightened to death by being the only man in the Cranford evening parties, or he is accounted for by being with his regiment, his ship, or closely engaged in business all the week... In short, whatever does become of the gentlemen, they are not at Cranford." But the women are definitely there, and this chronicle of their busy village life is addictive reading. We offer two separate digital editions. The first is from Project Gutenberg US: it is based on a printed edition from 1891, lavishly illustrated by Hugh Thomson (1860-1920) Wikipedia and with a fine introduction by Anne Thackeray Ritchie (1837-1919) Wikipedia -- yes, her famous father wrote and illustrated Vanity Fair, which you'll find in our catalogue! We also offer a handy text-only EPUB of Cranford from the University of Adelaide.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #57539] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2023/02/11: NOUS VOUS PRÉSENTONS... M. SHERLOCK HOLMES !!

Doyle, Arthur Conan (1859-1930) [Scottish physician and author / médecin et écrivain écossais] Wikipedia fr.wikipedia

Premières aventures de Sherlock Holmes [1913] fr.wikipedia [Traduction anonyme de sept nouvelles célèbres: L'Escarboucle Bleue, Aventure de la Bande mouchetée, Le Pouce de l'Ingénieur, L'Aristocratique Célibataire, Le Diadème de Béryls, Les Hêtres Pourpres, et Un Scandale en Bohême fr.wikipedia avec des dessins tout à fait exceptionnels par Gaston Simoes de Fonseca (1874-1943) fr.wikipedia] EPUB [fr.wikisource]

2023/02/08: OUR SECOND NOVEL FOR ADULTS BY E. NESBIT !!

Nesbit, Edith ("E. Nesbit") [Bland, Edith] (1858-1924) [English novelist, poet, and political activist] Wikipedia

Daphne in Fitzroy Street (1909) [Novel, written for adults, although E. Nesbit's clear and attractive style certainly reflects her expertise in writing for children: a difficult art. As the novel opens, it is an April day, and it is Daphne's eighteenth birthday: she is at a very special international school in France for the daughters of the wealthy. This is the story of her return to England and what ensues. Includes a frontispiece by the American magazine artist F. Graham Cootes (1879-1960) Encyclopedia Virginia.] EPUB [Wikisource]

2023/02/03: UN CÉLÈBRE ROMAN GAI PAR... ANDRÉ GIDE !!

Gide, André (1869-1951) [Romancier français; prix Nobel de littérature, 1947] fr.wikipedia alalettre.com

L'Immoraliste (1902) fr.wikipedia [Roman avec des éléments autobiographiques: un chef d'oeuvre de la littérature gaie. Au début du roman Michel, un jeune savant, vient de se marier: « Je connaissais très peu ma femme et pensais, sans en trop souffrir, qu'elle ne me connaissait pas plus. Je l'avais épousée sans amour, beaucoup pour complaire à mon père, qui, mourant, s'inquiétait de me laisser seul. » Il va sans dire que Michel ne se connaissait pas très bien non plus, mais à la fin du roman, il se connaît beaucoup mieux. L'action se déroule à Paris, en Afrique du nord, et en Normandie.] EPUB [fr.wikisource]

2023/02/01: E. NESBIT WROTE NOVELS NOT ONLY FOR CHILDREN, BUT ALSO FOR ADULTS !!

Nesbit, Edith ("E. Nesbit") [Bland, Edith] (1858-1924) [English novelist, poet, and political activist] Wikipedia

The Red House (1902) [Novel, one of many which E. Nesbit wrote not for children, but for adults! Although in the tenth chapter ("The Invaders") the Bastable family from her children's novels make a short but memorable appearance. The main plot centres on a newly married couple, Len and Chloe, happily adjusting to their new lives together, and to their new and beautiful house. "It has hawthorn hedges, and an old garden with a sun-dial in it, and roses and jasmines and lilacs and all sorts of sweet-scented things running riot. They have little money, much trouble with servants, and great joy in doing housework themselves. Dust-pans, scrubbing-brushes, and brooms are their delights." (The Outlook, 22 November 1902) A novel written in the same happy spirit as Nesbit's novels for children.] EPUB [Wikisource]

2023/01/28: SOMETHING SPECIAL TODAY: A SECOND DIGITAL EDITION OF A MYSTERY BY YORKSHIRE'S J. S. FLETCHER !!

Fletcher, J. S. [Joseph Smith] (1863-1935) [English novelist and historian] Wikipedia gadetection

The Charing Cross Mystery (1923) gadetection ["Mr. Fletcher is noted among writers of detective stories as being one of two or three to write good English and to have the knack of making his people talk like human beings." So commented The Outlook (21 March 1923), in what is clearly meant to be high praise. And this praise was deserved : how can we explain otherwise the enduring worldwide popularity of an author who seems to have avoided publicity throughout his writing career? Perhaps his concentration on the writer's craft explains the excellence of his novels. As for this novel, it involves the Charing Cross railway station in London and an apparent murder, and it "is built up in a workmanlike way, and its surprises are not so startling as to make the reader put it down with a feeling that he has been fooled or tricked." What more could be asked for?] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #59893] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #647]

2023/01/25: GEORGE MOORE WAS IRISH, BUT SPENT YEARS IN PARIS, WHERE HE LEARNED A GREAT DEAL ABOUT FRANCE AND ABOUT LIFE -- AND GAVE US THIS WONDERFUL NOVEL (REALLY AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY) ABOUT WHAT HE SAW THERE !!

Moore, George Augustus (1852-1933) [Irish novelist] Wikipedia

Confessions of a Young Man (1888 English version) Wikipedia. [In 1886 Moore first published this autobiographical novel in French, and two years later in English! By that point he spoke French better than English, and had gotten to know some famous painters (Degas, Pissaro, Monet...) and writers as well! An unforgettable account of artistic life in Paris from someone who was literally there. Our ebook includes a 1917 introduction by the American novelist and critic Floyd Dell (1887-1969) Wikipedia.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #11654]

2023/01/18: ARNOLD BENNETT'S FIRST NOVEL !!

Bennett, Arnold [Enoch Arnold] (1867-1931) [English novelist] Wikipedia

A Man from the North (1898) [In Canada the centres of literature are Toronto and Montreal; in France it is Paris; and in England it is of course London. Naturally this situation creates obstacles for writers not from these centres. So the opening sentence of Bennett's first novel reads, "There grows in the North Country a certain kind of youth of whom it may be said that he is born to be a Londoner." The Northerner in question is Richard Larch, who in the early chapters of the book moves from Staffordshire to London in pursuit of a literary career. This obviously autobiographical novel (which won the praise of Joseph Conrad, no less!) recounts Larch's subsequent adventures.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #52247]

2023/01/13: OUR E. NESBIT SERIES CONTINUES, TODAY'S NEW TITLE BEING THE ENCHANTED CASTLE, MAGNIFICENTLY ILLUSTRATED BY H. R. MILLAR !!

Nesbit, Edith ("E. Nesbit") [Bland, Edith] (1858-1924) [English novelist, poet, and political activist] Wikipedia

The Enchanted Castle (1907) Wikipedia [Novel for children and intelligent adults, with illustrations by H. R. Millar (1869-1942) from the first edition. Jerry, Jimmy, and Cathy are schoolchildren in the West of England who are looking forward to their holidays back home in Hampshire, but at the last moment learn that they will have to stay where they are through the holidays. This turns out not so badly, particularly when they start exploring and find an estate complete with a magnificent garden and an actual castle. Could it be an enchanted castle? The answer, they increasingly suspect, is yes, it could!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #34219]

2023/01/10: SECRET SERVICE WORK EXISTED LONG BEFORE JAMES BOND! THOMAS MILLER BEACH WAS A BRITISH SECRET AGENT -- AND MUCH OF HIS WORK INVOLVED INTELLIGENCE WORK TO DEFEND CANADA AGAINST THE FENIAN BROTHERHOOD !!

Beach, Thomas Miller ["Major Henri Le Caron"] (1841-1894) [English intelligence agent] Wikipedia Dictionary of Canadian Biography

Twenty-five years in the Secret Service. The Recollections of a Spy. (1892) [The author calls this "the story of my eventful life", and his life certainly was an eventful one. He apologizes for being in no sense a practised writer, but this apology was certainly not needed: he writes beautifully about his early life in England, his time in France, his move to the United States, and his accidental but astoundingly successful work as a British agent countering the Irish republican Fenian movement and its raids into Canada. He did not regret the decisions he had taken: "I can admit no shame and plead no regret. By my action lives have been saved, communities have been benefited, and right and justice allowed to triumph, to the confusion of law-breakers and would-be murderers." The book sold well: our ebook is based on the third edition!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #68765]

2023/01/06: THIS YEAR'S NEW PUBLIC DOMAIN TITLES HAVE BEEN SHOVED DOWN THE ROAD TO 2043, SO WE'RE NOT PUBLISHING THEM THIS YEAR, OBVIOUSLY. THANKS, JUSTIN! SAY HI TO YOUR BUDDY "DONALD" -- THE ONE WHO LIVES IN FLORIDA! HE GOT WHAT HE WANTED, BUT CANADIANS CERTAINLY DIDN'T! SO, WE SHOULD ALL GET USED TO LIFE IN A U.S. COLONY, FOR THAT'S WHAT CANADA HAS CLEARLY BECOME, WITH NO RESISTANCE FROM ANY OF OUR POLITICIANS !!

Wells, H. G. [Herbert George] (1866-1946) [English novelist and historian] Wikipedia

Tono-Bungay (1909) Wikipedia [Novel, but more than just a novel, as we can expect from H. G. Wells! "Tono-Bungay" is a trade name, as you might guess: it is a patent medicine. The novel's narrator, George Pondorevo, is invited to help his uncle Edward in promoting this medicine, and so begins his voyage of discovery, during which he discovers a great deal about life in modern times. "Nothing could exceed the sheer radiance of 'Tono-Bungay.' It is a work that glows with reality. It projects a whole epoch with unforgettable effect... it is a work of art of the soundest merit, for it both represents accurately and interprets convincingly, and under everything is a current of feeling that coordinates and informs the whole." (H. L. Mencken, Prejudices, First Series [1919]).] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #718] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2023/01/01: HAPPY NEW YEAR! WE START 2023 WITH THE FINAL NOVEL IN E. NESBIT'S PSAMMEAD TRILOGY !!

Nesbit, Edith ("E. Nesbit") [Bland, Edith] (1858-1924) [English novelist, poet, and political activist] Wikipedia

The Story of the Amulet (1906) Wikipedia [As the third and final Psammead novel opens, the five children's father is working as a war correspondent in distant Manchuria, and their mother is in Madeira, recovering from a major illness. Consequently the children are "in the care of old Nurse, who lived in Fitzroy Street, near the British Museum". With the museum being so close, it is not surprising that Nurse's other lodger is a "learned gentleman" who knows a great deal about Ancient Egypt. At this point it's not giving much away to say that the novel (1) has much to do with Egypt, (2) features the return of the Psammead from the first two books, (3) involves considerable time travel, and (4) is one of the most admired of Nesbit's famous novels. And it has a magnificent set of illustrations by H. R. Millar (1869-1942) from the first edition!] EPUB [Wikisource]

2022/12/30: THE SECOND OF E. NESBIT'S THREE PSAMMEAD NOVELS !!

Nesbit, Edith ("E. Nesbit") [Bland, Edith] (1858-1924) [English novelist, poet, and political activist] Wikipedia

The Phoenix and the Carpet (1904) Wikipedia [The five children are no longer living in the country, but strange events seem to follow them back to the city. They find a mysterious egg in a second-hand carpet, an egg which then hatches! And so the Phoenix enters the story. Many adventures follow!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #836]

2022/12/27: ONE OF E. NESBIT'S MOST FAMOUS NOVELS -- THE INAUGURAL NOVEL IN HER PSAMMEAD TRILOGY, WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY H. R. MILLAR !!

Nesbit, Edith ("E. Nesbit") [Bland, Edith] (1858-1924) [English novelist, poet, and political activist] Wikipedia

Five Children and It (1902) Wikipedia [Five children leave London and move to a deeply rural part of Kent -- quite a transition! The house is beside a gravel pit, and in that pit they discover a Psammead (pronounced "Sammyadd"), a sand-fairy with a quick temper. And the ability to grant wishes! So start the adventures in this novel and its two famous successors. Includes a fine set of illustrations by H. R. Millar (1869-1942). ] EPUB [Wikisource]

2022/12/24: MERRY CHRISTMAS! OUR CHRISTMAS GIFT TO YOU IS A NOVEL BY E. NESBIT, WITH A FINE SET OF ILLUSTRATIONS BY HER FREQUENT COLLABORATOR H. R. MILLAR !!

Nesbit, Edith ("E. Nesbit") [Bland, Edith] (1858-1924) [English novelist, poet, and political activist] Wikipedia

The Magic City (1910) Wikipedia [A novel about magic and about family dynamics, with illustrations by H. R. Millar (1869-1942) from the first edition. As the novel opens, we meet Philip Haldane, who is ten years old and living a happy life with his half-sister Helen, who is twenty years older: she looks after him, since both are orphans. This happiness comes to a sudden halt when Helen unexpectedly (from Philip's perspective) gets married. One day he starts to construct a model city on a writing-table, a very convincing model city. It turns out that this city may be a model, but there are people living there!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #20606]

2022/12/21: FIFTEEN SHORT STORIES BY E. NESBIT -- FOUR OF THEM ABOUT THE BASTABLE CHILDREN !!

Nesbit, Edith ("E. Nesbit") [Bland, Edith] (1858-1924) [English novelist, poet, and political activist] Wikipedia

Oswald Bastable and Others (1905) [We'd call this the fourth book about the Bastable children, whom we first met in The Story of the Treasure Seekers, but while the first four of the stories are about the Bastables, the eleven that follow are about others. Bastables or not, all of the stories are well worth reading -- after all, they're from E. Nesbit! And they come with magnificent illustrations from the first edition by Charles E. Brock (1870-1938) and H. R. Millar (1869-1942). ] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #28804]

2022/12/18: ARGENTINA'S TEAM HAS DONE VERY WELL AT THE WORLD CUP -- WE HONOUR THEM WITH THIS WONDERFUL MEMOIR OF LIFE IN ARGENTINA'S COUNTRYSIDE DURING THE MID NINETEENTH CENTURY !!

Hudson, William Henry (W.H.) [Guillermo Enrique] (1841-1922) [Argentinian writer and ornithologist] Wikipedia

Far Away and Long Ago. A History of my Early Life. (1918) [Hudson was born in Argentina, and only moved to England when already in his thirties. But he never forgot his native Argentina, and Argentina has never forgotten him. "It was never," he says, "my intention to write an autobiography." However, many years after his birth he found himself on the southern English coast "laid up for six weeks with a very serious illness. Yet when it was over I looked back on those six weeks as a happy time", the reason being that he "fell into recollections of my childhood, and at once I had that far, that forgotten past with me again as I had never previously had it", and immediately wrote down these resurfaced memories: hence this book. This is an era of history which can never be repeated: Hudson's first-hand account of these years are fascinating to read and will always be famous, in Argentina and beyond.] EPUB Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #6093]

2022/12/14: FOR HOLIDAY READING, E. NESBIT'S MOST FAMOUS BOOK OF ALL !!

Nesbit, Edith ("E. Nesbit") [Bland, Edith] (1858-1924) [English novelist, poet, and political activist] Wikipedia

The Railway Children (1905) Wikipedia [Nesbit's most famous novel, in part because of the 1970 film version, popular to this day. "They were not railway children to begin with," are its opening words. And indeed the three children were not: their names were Roberta ("Bobbie"), Peter, and Phyllis, they lived in a London suburb and lacked for nothing, until the day when their father was arrested on an (unfounded) suspicion of wrongdoing, which meant that the family was suddenly on its own, and had to leave London. But leaving London meant going somewhere else, and this somewhere else turned out to be a house in the countryside called Three Chimneys, near a railway station. "They did not guess then how they would grow to love the railway, and how soon it would become the centre of their new life, nor what wonders and changes it would bring to them."] EPUB [University of Adelaide] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #1874]

2022/12/02: THIS NOVEL BY WILLA CATHER WON HER THE 1923 PULITZER PRIZE !!

Cather, Willa [Willa Sibert] (1873-1947) [American novelist] Wikipedia Full biography by James Woodress

One of Ours (1922) Wikipedia [The novel which won Cather the 1923 Pulitzer Prize: she wrote most of it while visiting Canada, and completed it while in Toronto! The novel tells the life story of Claude Wheeler, whose relatively unhappy youth in Nebraska was followed by a relatively unhappy marriage. Then the First World War started, which cannot really be said to have been a good thing for Wheeler, since he did not survive it. However, in the short term he did find new meaning in life, and clearly he found military life more congenial than civil. Cather's inspiration was her cousin Grosvenor Cather, who grew up on the Nebraska farm next to hers; after his death in 1918 she found herself thinking about him more and more, which eventually resulted in her writing this novel.] EPUB [University of Adelaide] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #2369]

2022/11/28: IS LIFE MERELY A DREAM? IN THE CASE OF HENRY MORTIMER SMITH, BORN IN THE 1890s, THE ANSWER, APPARENTLY, IS YES! AND WHO IS DREAMING SMITH'S LIFE? WHY SORNAC, OF COURSE -- BORN AROUND THE YEAR 4000. SUCH A NOVEL CAN ONLY HAVE COME FROM THE PEN OF H. G. WELLS !!

Wells, H. G. [Herbert George] (1866-1946) [English novelist and historian] Wikipedia

The Dream (1924) Wikipedia [Not so much a novel of the future as a novel about Wells' day as seen from the distant future. Sornac was born around the year 4000, and is a scientific researcher; his girlfriend is a writer and artist "making stories and pictures of happiness and sorrow in the past ages of the world, and she was full of curious speculations about the ways in which the ancestral mind has thought and felt." On vacation they explore what remains of a small town and railway station destroyed about two thousand years earlier. "For the rest of the day the talk was all of the terrible days of the last wars in the world and the dreadfulness of life in that age." Sarnac then has a very convincing dream of an entire lifetime of that period -- a life belonging to one Henry Mortimer Smith!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #69394] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/11/21: E. NESBIT'S THIRD BOOK ABOUT THE BASTABLE CHILDREN !!

Nesbit, Edith ("E. Nesbit") [Bland, Edith] (1858-1924) [English novelist, poet, and political activist] Wikipedia

New Treasure Seekers, or The Bastable Children in Search of a Fortune (1904) [The Bastable children are back for a third set of adventures. They are an autonomous community, operating independently of the adults around them, and things tend to happen around them, as this book shows: it starts with a chaotic family wedding at Christmastime, then H.O. vanishes mysteriously, leaving a helpful note: "I am going to be a Clown." But he will apparently be back once he is rich and famous -- welcome to life with the Bastables! The book has many illustrations by two famous artists of the period: Gordon Browne (1858-1932) Wikipedia, and Lewis Baumer (1870-1963) Wikipedia.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #25496]

2022/11/15: IT LOOKS AS THOUGH THE MAR-A-LAGO PRESIDENT IS GOING TO GIVE THE WHITE HOUSE ANOTHER TRY -- YES, THE ONE WHO SEIZED CONTROL OF CANADA'S COPYRIGHT LAWS AND ADDED TWENTY YEARS TO CANADA'S COPYRIGHT LENGTHS. AND OUR LEADERS STOOD BY AND DID NOTHING! SOVEREIGNTY, IT SEEMS, INVOLVES APPEARING AT INTERNATIONAL PHOTO OPS, BUT DOES NOT INVOLVE ACTUALLY STANDING UP FOR CANADA. ANYWAY, WE'RE PLEASED TO OFFER A SECOND DIGITAL EDITION OF SINCLAIR LEWIS'S IT CAN'T HAPPEN HERE. WE NOW KNOW THAT NOT ONLY COULD IT HAPPEN, IN 2016 IT DID HAPPEN. WILL IT HAPPEN AGAIN?

Lewis, Sinclair (1885-1951) [American novelist; Nobel Prize in Literature, 1930] Wikipedia Nobelprize.org

It Can't Happen Here (1935) Wikipedia [Novel, written during the rise of European fascism, and dealing with the question of whether an authoritarian regime could be imposed on the United States. The novel's title suggests it could not; the actual novel suggests it could. After the election of 2015, we know that it definitely could: in 1935. eighty years earlier, Sinclair Lewis had known what he was talking about! The main character, Buzz Windrip, is elected president on a platform of patriotism and values. Once in office, he goes in quite a different direction. If his reminds you of another president, not a fictional one, you're not alone: Jules Stewart, Guardian, 9 Oct 2016 Malcolm Harris, Salon, 29 Sept 2015 (Note: Canada is important in the novel, as a haven for American refugees!)]
EPUB HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #1498] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/11/13: A CLASSIC SHORT STORY OF THE SUPERNATURAL BY J. SHERIDAN LE FANU !!

Le Fanu, Joseph Thomas Sheridan (1814-1873) [Irish writer of ghost stories and tales of horror] Wikipedia

Strange Events in the Life of Schalken the Painter (1851 version) [Horror story, a particular favourite of M. R. James, no less! Godfried Schalken (1643-1706) Wikipedia was by no means a fictional character, but a Dutch painter. This is the "fearful story" connected to one of his paintings.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/11/09: THE BASTABLE CHILDREN ARE BACK! TODAY'S EBOOK IS E. NESBIT'S THE WOULDBEGOODS !!

Nesbit, Edith ("E. Nesbit") [Bland, Edith] (1858-1924) [English novelist, poet, and political activist] Wikipedia

The Wouldbegoods. Being The Further Adventures of the Treasure Seekers. (1901) [Sequel to The Story of the Treasure Seekers: yes, the Bastable children are back, all six of them! They are resolved to improve on their past history of getting into scrapes of various kinds, and have even given themselves a new name: the Society of the Wouldbegoods. "The way in which their best intentions miscarry, through ignorance on their own part and misconception on the part of their elders, makes deliciously humorous reading..." (The Outlook, 5 October 1901). Our ebook includes the illustrations for the first edition by the Anglo-American artist Reginald Bathurst Birch (1856-1943) Wikipedia.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #32466]

2022/11/06: THE SECOND MYSTERY NOVEL PUBLISHED BY MARY ROBERTS RINEHART WAS WELL RECEIVED, AND MADE IT CLEAR THAT MANY MORE FINE MYSTERIES MIGHT WELL BE COMING FROM HER -- AS TURNED OUT TO BE THE CASE !!

Rinehart, Mary Roberts (1876-1958) [American mystery novelist] Wikipedia

The Man in Lower Ten (1909) [Rinehart's second mystery novel, set on an overnight passenger train from Washington to Rinehart's native Pittsburgh ("Pittsburg"); hence the title. The daytime seating in Pullman sleeping cars is converted at night into two beds ("berths"), complete with curtains, and the car is transformed into a place of mystery, a narrow corridor with thick curtains on the side. The lower berth usually costs more because it is easier to get into. However, it doesn't offer much protection if there's a murderer on the train! The novel includes illustrations, most of them signed by the famous American illustrator Howard Chandler Christy (1872-1952) Wikipedia.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #1869]

2022/11/01: TO START NOVEMBER, OUR SECOND TITLE BY GEORGE MACDONALD, WITH A BEAUTIFUL SET OF COLOUR ILLUSTRATIONS BY JESSIE WILLCOX SMITH !!

MacDonald, George (1824-1905) [Scottish theologian and novelist] Wikipedia

The Princess and the Goblin (1872 [text]; 1920 [illustrations]) Wikipedia ["There was once a little princess whose father was king over a great country full of mountains and valleys." A promising beginning to this famous novel, nominally directed to children, but like many "childrens'" novels equally suitable for adults. And some famous adults have admired the book, C. S. Lewis, to name only one! Princess Irene lives essentially alone, or at least so she thinks. Then she makes some curious discoveries, and things begin happening. And happening. The illustrations in both the ebooks we offer are by Jessie Willcox Smith (1863-1935) Wikipedia, one of the most famous American illustrators of her day.] EPUB [University of Adelaide] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #34339]

2022/10/29: A NOVEL BY PHYLLIS BOTTOME (SHE AND HER HUSBAND WERE TO TEACH IAN FLEMING GERMAN), PUBLISHED ON THE EVE OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR !!

Bottome, Phyllis (1882-1963) [English psychologist, teacher, and novelist] Wikipedia

"Broken Music" (1914) [Good fortune is rarely complete. Jean d'Ucelles is from an aristocratic family, has talent (he is a composer), but unfortunately no money, which does pose a problem. What's an impoverished aristocrat to do? Move to Paris, of course!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #69246]

2022/06/26: WILLA CATHER'S SECOND NOVEL -- SET IN NEBRASKA, BUT REALLY IT COULD BE A STORY OF MANITOBA OR SASKATCHEWAN !!

Cather, Willa [Willa Sibert] (1873-1947) [American novelist] Wikipedia Full biography by James Woodress

O Pioneers! (1913) Wikipedia [A truly epic novel about a Swedish immigrant family's experiences through several generations. It starts in the 1880s, and is set in the fictional Nebraska town of Hanover, which was very similar to the towns being founded further north in Canada along the Canadian Pacific Railway: "The dwelling-houses were set about haphazard on the tough prairie sod... The main street was a deeply rutted road, now frozen hard, which ran from the squat red railway station and the grain "elevator" at the north end of the town to the lumber yard and the horse pond at the south end." The life of these early residents was not an easy one, but after their father's passing the Bergsons decide to stay in Hanover when many others are leaving. Or rather, Alexandra decides to stay and obtains her brothers' reluctant cooperation. Will things work out financially? And will peace descend on the Bergson clan?] EPUB [University of Adelaide] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #24]

2022/10/23: HAPPY DIWALI! THE BENGALI LANGUAGE IS SPOKEN BY MORE THAN 300 MILLION PEOPLE, AND HAS AN IMPORTANT PRESENCE IN CANADA. SO IT IS A PLEASURE TO PRESENT A CLASSIC TRANSLATION OF THIS WONDERFUL NOVEL, WHICH CHANGED BENGALI LITERATURE FOREVER !!

Mitra, Peary Chand (1814-1883) [Bengali novelist, teacher, librarian, journalist, and social activist] Wikipedia

The Spoilt Child. A Tale of Hindu Domestic Life. ["Alaler Gharer Dulal"] (1857 [Bengali original]; 1893 [this translation]) Wikipedia [The first novel ever to be published in colloquial Bengali, without literary vocabulary imported from Sanskrit. It was rapturously received at the time: "We hail this book as the first novel in the Bengali language... a tale the like of which is not to be found within the entire range of Bengali literature," (Calcutta Review). Its reputation has never diminished since. As the novel opens, we are introduced to Baburam Babu, a senior official in the Revenue and Criminal Courts, who "had acquired considerable wealth within a very short time. In this country a man's reputation keeps pace with the increase of his riches or with his advancement: learning and character have not anything like the same respect paid to them." A comment which sets the stage for the drama/satire to come. For Baburam Babu has a son, who "having been indulged in every possible way from his boyhood, was exceedingly self-willed": he is, of course, the "spoilt child" of the title. And what a journey he takes us on! We owe this translation to George Devereux Oswell (1851-1910) , who held an M.A. from Oxford and at the time was attached to the Court of Wards in Bengal; that is, he was involved in the trusteeship of inherited properties belonging to minors. The year after publishing this translation he became the Principal of Rajkumar College in Raipur, which is famous to this day, and was founded by and for the elite of the region. Oswell served there for the rest of his life.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #69173]

2022/10/18: A NOVEL BY H. G. WELLS -- NOT SCIENCE FICTION, STRICTLY SPEAKING, BUT CERTAINLY NOT EVERYDAY LIFE !!

Wells, H. G. [Herbert George] (1866-1946) [English novelist and historian] Wikipedia

The Sea Lady. A Tissue of Moonshine. (1902) Wikipedia ["Such previous landings of mermaids as have left a record," this fine novel begins, "have all a flavour of doubt... But now, face to face with indisputable facts... I see these old legends in a very different light." Yes, this is a novel about a mermaid, who takes the name of Miss Doris Thalassia Waters when she comes onto dry land, near Folkestone to be specific, at the time a seaside resort very popular among England's ruling class. She is in pursuit of an Englishman who had caught her fancy "in the South Seas--near Tonga". Will she find him? And if she does, will their attraction be mutual? With illustrations by Lewis Baumer (1870-1963) Wikipedia, the English cartoonist and illustrator.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/10/14: E. NESBIT'S FIRST BOOK FOR CHILDREN, AND A VERY FAMOUS ONE! SHE WOULD GO ON TO WRITE MANY OTHER CHILDREN'S CLASSICS, INCLUDING THE RAILWAY CHILDREN !!

Nesbit, Edith ("E. Nesbit") [Bland, Edith] (1858-1924) [English novelist, poet, and political activist] Wikipedia

The Story of the Treasure Seekers, being the adventures of the Bastable children in search of a fortune (1899) Wikipedia ["This is the story of the different ways we looked for treasure," starts this novel for and about children, the first such book by E. Nesbit, whose later novels include The Railroad Children, "and I think when you have read it you will see that we were not lazy about the looking." And so the Bastable children make their first appearance in literature. No spoilers here: the book's title gives more than enough information, and you'll know after a paragraph or two whether this book is for you. And chances are that it will be: its reputed admirers include J. K. Rowling, no less, and C. S. Lewis!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #770]

2022/10/10: "IT WAS THE BEST OF TIMES, IT WAS THE WORST OF TIMES..." YES, THESE ARE THE FAMOUS OPENING WORDS OF TODAY'S EBOOK, A TALE OF TWO CITIES, CHARLES DICKENS' CELEBRATED HISTORICAL NOVEL ABOUT THE TERRORS OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION !!

Dickens, Charles [Charles John Huffam] (1812-1870) [English novelist, editor, and social activist] Wikipedia

A Tale of Two Cities (1859) Wikipedia [Canadians are very much aware of how things can change in a neighbouring country. The US, with whom we had had tranquil relations for two centuries, elected an autocrat as president, and everything changed. The US even seized control of Canada's copyright laws, hardly the behaviour of an ally. So much for government "by the people, for the people"! (Abraham Lincoln) The neighbours of France had a similar shock with the advent of the French Revolution in 1789, when they had thought that "things in general were settled for ever." And this famous novel is about the Revolution and its effects on the citizens of Paris and London, the "two cities" of the title. The principal character is Sydney Carton, the "idlest and most unpromising of men", who becomes a hero by the time the novel ends. The Project Gutenberg US edition we offer you includes the illustrations from the 1859 first edition, by Hablot Knight Browne ["Phiz"] (1815-1882) ] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #98]

2022/10/06: A SCIENCE FICTION NOVELLA BY FLETCHER PRATT !!

Pratt, Fletcher (1897-1956) [American military historian and science fiction writer] Wikipedia

The Blue Star (1952) Wikipedia [Science fiction novel, one of Pratt's most famous works, set in a universe not our own: in it there exist the Blue Stars, which are not celestial bodies, but a special type of jewel: "the witch-stone... barely a finger joint across, but seeming to have depth, so that even in the candlelight all the sapphirean fires of ocean and cold hell were in its heart." The Blue Stars are held only by certain families, or rather by certain women of certain families, and their power is wielded not by these woman but by their men, as one of these men is told: "while you wear this jewel, you are of the witch-families, and can read the thoughts of those in whose eyes you look keenly. But only while you are my man and lover, for this power is yours through me. If you are unfaithful to me, it will become for you only a piece of glass; and if you do not give it up at once when I ask it back, there will lie upon you and it a deadly witchery, so that you can never rest again." This leads to some exciting situations!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #56889]

2022/10/04: OUR FIRST EBOOK BY WILKIE COLLINS IS PERHAPS THE FIRST ENGLISH DETECTIVE NOVEL EVER WRITTEN -- CONTINUOUSLY FAMOUS TO OUR DAY, AND LIKELY FOREVER !!

Collins, Wilkie (1824-1889) [English novelist] Wikipedia

The Moonstone (1868) Wikipedia [Perhaps the very first English detective novel! Dorothy L. Sayers and G. K. Chesterton thought it probably the finest English detective novel ever written: a century and a half after it was published, who are we to disagree? It features an accomplished "amateur" sleuth, Franklin Blake, and the very capable Sergeant Richard Cuff, called in from (where else?) Scotland Yard. The Moonstone itself is an ancient gem which had been stolen by a British soldier in 1799 during the British conquest of India. (One of the novel's many strengths is its realistic assessment of the true nature of British colonialism.) But when the Moonstone arrives in England, the intrigue and violence which have dogged its history follow it from India.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/09/29: JOHN BUCHAN'S BREAKTHROUGH NOVEL -- SET IN SOUTH AFRICA !!

Buchan, John [first Baron Tweedsmuir of Elsfield] (1875-1940) [Scottish novelist; Governor General of Canada 1935-1940] Wikipedia

Prester John (1910) Wikipedia [Buchan's first true action novel, his first set outside the British Isles, and his first to achieve large and lasting popularity. The novel begins in Scotland, in a town overlooking the North Sea, where the young David Crawfurd, the novel's narrator, has spent his entire life. After his father's passing he goes to South Africa (a country Buchan knew well) where he becomes a storekeeper in a remote town where, he is told, something mysterious has been happening: "You look as if you had a stiff back, so I'll be frank with you. There is something about the place. It gives the ordinary man the jumps. What it is, I don't know, and the men who come back don't know themselves. I want you to find out for me. You'll be doing the firm an enormous service if you can get on the track of it." Crawfurd tells us what he discovers, and the exciting events he witnesses during his investigation. CAUTION: Certain elements of plot and language may seem racist, indeed extremely racist, by the standards of today.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/09/27: A SCIENCE FICTION NOVELLA BY FLETCHER PRATT !!

Pratt, Fletcher (1897-1956) [American military historian and science fiction writer] Wikipedia

Potemkin Village (1953) [What is a Potemkin village? In the course of this science fiction novella Pratt, a famous military historian among other things, provides the answer: "Oh, back in the old imperial days an Empress named Catherine went on a progress through the country to see how it was getting along under her prime minister, Potemkin. He went ahead of her and had villages set up, just the dummy fronts of houses, with actors to play the part of villagers." Can such a deception be engineered centuries later in a Russian space colony on Venus?] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #69042]

2022/09/25: ELEVEN YEARS AFTER THE BAD CHILD'S BOOK OF BEASTS, HILAIRE BELLOC PUBLISHED CAUTIONARY TALES FOR CHILDREN, PERHAPS HIS MOST FAMOUS BOOK OF LIGHT VERSE -- AND THAT'S SAYING A LOT !!

Belloc, Hilaire [Joseph Hilaire Pierre René] (1870-1953) [Anglo-French man of letters and controversialist] Wikipedia

Cautionary Tales for Children (1907) Wikipedia [Satirical verses, similar to Belloc's very successful verses about animals from a decade earlier, but these are about children, and were "Designed for the Admonition of Children between the ages of eight and fourteen years." Like the earlier books, it was illustrated by Belloc's college friend Basil Temple Blackwood (1870-1917) .] EPUB [University of Adelaide] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #27424]

2022/09/21: OUR SECOND MYSTERY NOVEL BY YORKSHIRE'S J. S. FLETCHER !!

Fletcher, J. S. [Joseph Smith] (1863-1935) [English novelist and historian] Wikipedia gadetection

The Chestermarke Instinct (1918) [Yorkshire-born J. S. Fletcher was not a celebrity in the modern sense, that is, he was not a public figure. He was, however, an extremely skilled writer of mysteries, which acquired an international following. This novel shows why! The main character is named Wallington Neale: he is a bank clerk in the ancient and very quiet market town of Scarnham. With the passage of time Neale is more and more aware of how monotonous his job truly is. But this monotony is broken by the sudden disappearance of his guardian, John Horbury, who had gotten him his position at Chestermarke's Bank!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #27965]

2022/09/18: WE NOW OFFER TWO DIGITAL EDITIONS OF JOHN BUCHAN'S FIFTH AND FINAL THRILLER FEATURING RICHARD HANNAY !!

Buchan, John [first Baron Tweedsmuir of Elsfield] (1875-1940) [Scottish novelist; Governor General of Canada 1935-1940] Wikipedia

The Island of Sheep [U.S. title: The Man from the Norlands] (1936) Wikipedia [Buchan's fifth and final novel starring Richard Hannay, who is no longer young but whose talents have by no means deserted him, as we discover. The novel starts in London, but then moves to the (fictional) Norland Isles in the arctic seas, a Danish possession: one of these isles is the Island of Sheep. Dark doings are afoot, a considerable challenge even for Richard Hannay! "Buchan enthusiasts will rejoice to know that this is a Richard Hannay tale, and that, before the feud is disposed of, the action has reached from South Africa to Scotland. The author, as usual, states his case and develops it, relying upon no tricks to sustain suspense. If one is seeking a high adventure tale with a colorful background, here it is." (The Literary Digest, 22 August 1936). CAUTION: Certain elements of plot and language may seem racist by the standards of today.] EPUB [University of Adelaide] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1011]

2022/09/16: IN 1896 HILAIRE BELLOC AND HIS FRIEND BASIL TEMPLE BLACKWOOD HAD GREAT SUCCESS WITH THEIR BAD CHILD'S BOOK OF BEASTS -- HUMOROUS VERSES WITH WONDERFUL DRAWINGS. WHAT TO DO IN THE WAKE OF THIS SUCCESS? PUBLISH A SEQUEL, OF COURSE !!

Belloc, Hilaire [Joseph Hilaire Pierre René] (1870-1953) [Anglo-French man of letters and controversialist] Wikipedia

More Beasts (For Worse Children) (1897) [Further satirical animal verses, nominally directed towards children, published the year after the success of The Bad Child's Book of Beasts. As in the earlier book, the illustrations match the poems perfectly, and are by Belloc's college friend Basil Temple Blackwood (1870-1917). The book includes the Python, the Porcupine, the Crocodile, the Llama, and various other animals.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #27176]

2022/09/14: WE NOW OFFER TWO DIGITAL EDITIONS OF JOHN BUCHAN'S FOURTH THRILLER FEATURING RICHARD HANNAY !!

Buchan, John [first Baron Tweedsmuir of Elsfield] (1875-1940) [Scottish novelist; Governor General of Canada 1935-1940] Wikipedia

The Three Hostages (1924) Wikipedia [The fourth Richard Hannay thriller. Hannay is now married, has a young son, and is living in the Cotswolds. His life is a calm and prosperous one, and his exciting but disruptive earlier adventures are now firmly in the past. Or are they? Soon enough Hannay finds himself in London, and then in Norway: his unexpected new adventure has well and truly begun! CAUTION: Certain elements of plot and language may seem racist by the standards of today.] EPUB [University of Adelaide] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #678]

2022/09/12: MARY ROBERTS RINEHART WAS PERHAPS THE MOST FAMOUS OF ALL AMERICAN MYSTERY WRITERS DURING THE "GOLDEN AGE OF DETECTIVE FICTION". TODAY, WE'RE DELIGHTED TO PRESENT HER FIRST FULL-LENGTH NOVEL, FROM 1908: A HUGE SUCCESS AND AN ENDURING CLASSIC !!

Rinehart, Mary Roberts (1876-1958) [American mystery novelist] Wikipedia

The Circular Staircase (1908) Wikipedia [Novel of mystery and suspense. "This is the story," the novel begins, "of how a middle-aged spinster [the narrator] lost her mind": she unwisely rented a house in the country, a house with a sinister reputation, and sure enough things started happening. Many things. "A detective story with real humor in it is a rare article, but 'The Circular Staircase' has an ample measure of that delightful quality. It is also deliciously tantalizing, almost every chapter bringing in new complications and fresh mystifications." (The Outlook, 19 September 1908)] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #434]

2022/09/08: A CLASSIC BOOK OF LIGHT VERSE BY THE YOUNG HILAIRE BELLOC, ACCOMPANIED BY WONDERFUL LINE DRAWINGS FROM HIS OXFORD FRIEND BASIL TEMPLE BLACKWOOD !!

Belloc, Hilaire [Joseph Hilaire Pierre René] (1870-1953) [Anglo-French man of letters and controversialist] Wikipedia

The Bad Child's Book of Beasts (1896) Wikipedia [Satirical animal verses, nominally directed towards children. They appeared shortly after Belloc's graduation from Balliol College, Oxford. The illustrations match the poems perfectly, and were drawn by Belloc's college friend Basil Temple Blackwood (1870-1917) Wikipedia, who had spent part of his early life in Canada -- his father, Lord Dufferin, was our third Governor General. The book was an instant and permanent success, and led to several more collaborations by the two friends.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/09/03: WE CELEBRATE LABOUR DAY WITH A TRULY ASTOUNDING EBOOK, MAGNIFICENTLY ILLUSTRATED, OF ENGRAVINGS AND ETCHINGS FROM THE FIFTEENTH THROUGH THE EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURIES !!

Carrington, Fitzroy (1869-1954) [American art historian] Wikipedia Dictionary of Art Historians

Prints and their Makers. Essays on engravers and etchers old and modern. (1912) [A magnificently illustrated collection of essays by various eminent art historians of Carrington's era: these essays "range from Italian engravers before the time of Raphael and woodcuts by Albrecht Dürer to contemporary etchings."] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #68720]

2022/08/31: WE END AUGUST AS WE BEGAN IT: WITH A FAMOUS NOVELLA BY THE LEGENDARY IRISH AUTHOR J. SHERIDAN LE FANU !!

Le Fanu, Joseph Thomas Sheridan (1814-1873) [Irish writer of ghost stories and tales of horror] Wikipedia

Green Tea (1869) [Horror story, or rather novella. Dr Martin Hesselius, a wandering physician originally from Germany, meets a clergyman, the Rev Mr Jennings, who divides his time between his house in London and his parish in Warwickshire. When in London, he is well enough, but when in his parish, he is prone to sudden breakdowns, and now always takes an assistant with him "to supply his place on the instant should he become thus suddenly incapacitated." What is Mr Jennings' story, wonders Dr Hesselius: it turns out to be a strange story indeed, involving green tea and a small black monkey. But this is no ordinary monkey!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/08/29: LEONARD WOOLF WAS THE HUSBAND OF VIRGINIA WOOLF, AND WAS HIMSELF A WRITER, AND A VERY FINE ONE. HIS ONLY NOVEL IS A TRUE CLASSIC, DEPICTING LIFE IN COLONIAL CEYLON, AND DESCRIBING THE BRITISH EMPIRE AS EXPERIENCED BY THOSE IT RULED !!

Woolf, Leonard [Leonard Sidney] (1880-1969) [English author, journalist, and political activist] Wikipedia

The Village in the Jungle (1913) Wikipedia [Canada is a colony once more, following the 2020 trade "agreement", which allowed the US, our new colonial master, to extend OUR copyrights by 20 years, and to restrict Canadian dairy exports to third countries, and whose other provisions make it quite clear that we're not a sovereign country any more, but take orders from Washington. The experiences of other colonized countries are therefore instructive to Canadians, and this novel about Ceylon (Sri Lanka) is excellent reading. Leonard Woolf had himself been a colonial administrator there for seven years, learning both Tamil and Sinhalese, and the novel is written from the point of view not of the British governing class, but of the people they ruled.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #60627]

2022/08/25: A BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN (AND ILLUSTRATED!) TRAVEL BOOK FROM 1849 !!

Bevan, Samuel (active ca. 1849) [English man of affairs and of letters]

Sand and Canvas; A Narrative of Adventures in Egypt, with a Sojourn among the Artists in Rome (1849) [A personal memoir, beautifully illustrated *in colour* and in monochrome, with an opening straight out of a novel. When we first meet our author, he is seeking employment, since his old job has vanished -- a common experience then as now! Over breakfast he sees an ad in the Times: "Wanted immediately, for service in a foreign country, a gentleman of business-habits and good address. Salary £250. per annum. All expenses paid." He naturally applies, and on the basis of a short and strange interview is hired! His first assignment is to make his way to Cairo, not a simple task; other events follow. Bevan makes no special claims for his book: "All that awaits the reader, is a simple narrative of adventures during a few months' active employment in Egypt" and of what he sees in Italy on his way back to England. But he is far too modest: what an extraordinary tale it is, and how outstanding his skill as a writer!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #68780]

2022/08/21: THE THIRD JOHN BUCHAN THRILLER FEATURING RICHARD HANNAY !!

Buchan, John [first Baron Tweedsmuir of Elsfield] (1875-1940) [Scottish novelist; Governor General of Canada 1935-1940] Wikipedia

Mr Standfast (1919) Wikipedia [The third Richard Hannay novel, taking place during the latter part of the First World War. Hannay has been serving on the Western Front, with considerable success, and is expecting more of the same, when he is transferred out of the military and given a new assignment: he must now work undercover! Many adventures follow, in England, Scotland, and on the Continent. "Among the best of English stories of spies and plotting in the great war have been those by Mr. Buchan... decidedly above the average of its class." (The Outlook, 24 September 1919) CAUTION: Certain elements of plot and language may seem racist by the standards of today.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/08/19: HOW MANY REFERENCE WORKS RETAIN THEIR POPULARITY AND UTILITY NOT THROUGH THE YEARS BUT THROUGH THE DECADES AND INDEED THE CENTURIES? HOW ABOUT THIS FAMOUS CLASSICAL DICTIONARY BY CHANNEL ISLANDER JOHN LEMPRIÈRE !!

Lemprière, John (ca. 1765-1824) [English lexicographer and classicist] Wikipedia

A Classical Dictionary containing a full Account of all the Proper Names mentioned in Ancient Authors (1904 edition) Wikipedia [Few reference works have equalled the success of this famous book, first published in 1788 and frequently reissued up to the present day. In his preface to the first edition Lemprière wrote "it has been the wish of the author to give the most accurate and satisfactory account of all the proper names which occur in reading the Classics, and by a judicious collection of anecdotes and historical facts to draw a picture of ancient times, not less instructive than entertaining." The place names and personal names mentioned by the Greek and Latin authors remain the same today, and so does the usefulness of this famous work to the general reader.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #68769]

2022/08/17: WHO BETTER TO OFFER ADVICE ON WHAT CLASSICS OF LITERATURE TO READ THAN ARNOLD BENNETT !!

Bennett, Arnold [Enoch Arnold] (1867-1931) [English novelist] Wikipedia

Literary Taste. How to Form It. With Detailed Instructions for Collecting a Complete Library of English Literature. (1909) Wikipedia [Who better to write an instruction manual for reading classic literature than Arnold Bennett? He is now himself a classic author, but when he wrote this he was a bestselling author with a massive worldwide following. And few writers had Arnold's talent for simplicity and persuasiveness, which this book certainly displays. For obvious reasons, he does not discuss authors later than the nineteenth century, and he writes from the perspective of his own period. This does bring an advantage, however: many of the titles he discusses are available in free digital editions from sources such as Project Gutenberg Canada and Project Gutenberg US, and so acquiring a good-sized personal library need not cost you anything! (Bennett, always practical, pays close attention to how much books actually cost.)] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/08/15: THE YEAR AFTER THE SMASH SUCCESS OF THE THIRTY-NINE STEPS, JOHN BUCHAN PUBLISHED HIS SECOND NOVEL FEATURING RICHARD HANNAY -- A TALE OF WARTIME INTRIGUE SET IN THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE !!

Buchan, John [first Baron Tweedsmuir of Elsfield] (1875-1940) [Scottish novelist; Governor General of Canada 1935-1940] Wikipedia

Greenmantle (1916) Wikipedia [Buchan's second novel featuring Richard Hannay and other characters from The Thirty-Nine Steps. The First World War is now raging, and Hannay is in England recovering from a serious wound, when he is summoned to the Foreign Office. He is needed for a secret mission behind Turkish lines! CAUTION: Certain elements of plot and language may seem racist by the standards of today.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/08/12: TODAY, ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS OF ALL ACTION NOVELS -- JOHN BUCHAN'S THE THIRTY-NINE STEPS !!

Buchan, John [first Baron Tweedsmuir of Elsfield] (1875-1940) [Scottish novelist; Governor General of Canada 1935-1940] Wikipedia

The Thirty-Nine Steps (1915) Wikipedia [An action novel which achieved instant and lasting fame as soon as it was published, and has had a huge influence on subsequent novelists -- and screenplay writers! In it, as Buchan says, "the incidents defy the probabilities, and march just inside the borders of the possible." But real life is full of things that defy probability! The novel begins just before the First World War, when its main character, Richard Hannay, has just returned to London from a stay of many years in Rhodesia and South Africa. Almost immediately, he starts suffering from boredom. This boredom quickly vanishes when Hannay finds himself wrongly suspected of murder, and becomes a fugitive from justice! Adventures in Scotland and elsewhere ensue as Hannay attempts to elude his pursuers. CAUTION: Certain elements of plot and language may seem racist by the standards of today.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/08/08: THE ONLY NOVEL EVER PUBLISHED BY EDGAR ALLAN POE -- AND IT'S A CLASSIC !!

Poe, Edgar Allan (1809-1849) [American poet, editor, and author of novels and short stories] Wikipedia

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket (1838) Wikipedia [Poe's only novel, but a famous one. The hero and narrator is from the famous seafaring town of Nantucket, then at the height of its prosperity. Pym's father was "a respectable trader in sea-stores", so it is not surprising that in his late teens Pym embarks on a series of adventures at sea. To find out more about these truly astounding adventures, the simplest course is to read the novel!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/08/06: AN EARLY NOVEL BY JAMES HILTON, ABOUT A SCHOOLMASTER, BUT NOT MR CHIPS !!

Hilton, James (1900-1954) [English novelist] Wikipedia

The Passionate Year (1924) [This novel could be compared to Goodbye, Mr Chips from ten years later, since it takes place at a boys' school in England, where the main character is a teacher. But Kenneth Speed is at the start of his career, not near its end, and his adult life has only recently begun, while Mr Chips was a veteran. But the novel is not chiefly the story of Speed's career at Millstead, but of his involvement with the headmaster's daughter, their marriage, and the events that follow as new factors surface. That's a lot of passion!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #68676]

2022/08/04: A CLASSIC ADVENTURE NOVEL BY H. RIDER HAGGARD, NO LESS -- PERFECT SUMMER READING !!

Haggard, H. Rider [Henry Rider] (1856-1925) [English colonial administrator and novelist] Wikipedia

Ayesha. The Return of She. (1905) Wikipedia [Not a sequel to She, says Haggard in his introduction, but "the conclusion of an imaginative tragedy... whereof one half has been already published." Yes, Ayesha is back -- but this book's adventures take place not in Africa, but in Thibet! (Haggard's exotic spelling of what we call "Tibet".) "It is a ripe and richly imaginative piece of work: the supernatural elements that pervade it are handled with a sure and effective craftsmanship, and the thrilling and picturesque incidents and episodes of the great quest are told with unfailing vigour and fertility of invention." (The Bookman [UK], November 1905)] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/08/01: WE START AUGUST WITH A FAMOUS NOVELLA BY THE LEGENDARY IRISH AUTHOR J. SHERIDAN LE FANU !!

Le Fanu, Joseph Thomas Sheridan (1814-1873) [Irish writer of ghost stories and tales of horror] Wikipedia

Carmilla (1872) Wikipedia [Horror novella with strong lesbian elements, set in the ancient Austrian province of Styria -- not so very far from Transylvania! Laura, the narrator and main character, had a Styrian mother but an English father, who had been "in the Austrian service" and upon retirement had stayed in Styria, "where everything is so marvelously cheap." And so he naturally bought an ancient castle! "Nothing can be more picturesque or solitary." However, this solitude is interrupted by the chance arrival of a mysterious stranger, who says nothing about herself except that (1) her name was Carmilla, (2) "her family was very ancient and noble", and (3) "Her home lay in the direction of the west." Laura and Carmilla cannot possibly have seen each other before: why then are they both convinced that they have already met -- in childhood dreams they have never forgotten!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/07/29: OUR CATALOGUE HAS FOUR TITLES BY ENGLAND'S E. M. DELAFIELD -- TIME TO ADD A FIFTH !!

Delafield, E. M. [Dashwood, Edmée Elizabeth Monica, née de la Pasture] (1890-1943) [English novelist and essayist] Wikipedia

The Optimist (1922) [The world is full of people who seem to be happy, and in fact largely are, but who in fact have transferred their stresses to those around them. This gently satirical and beautifully written novel is about one such person, Canon Morchard, and his family.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #68524]

2022/07/27: THE THIRD AND FINAL NOVEL IN ARNOLD BENNETT'S CLAYHANGER TRILOGY !!

Bennett, Arnold [Enoch Arnold] (1867-1931) [English novelist] Wikipedia

These Twain (1915) Wikipedia [The concluding novel in the Clayhanger trilogy: in it we learn about the lives of Edwin Clayhanger and Hilda Lessways after their marriage, and the discoveries they make about themselves and each other. The first two novels were a difficult act to follow; did Bennett succeed in keeping the third novel at the same high level? When the novel appeared at least one critic seems to have thought so: "there is a power and security of characterization that is incontrovertible, and an amplitude of incident so natural and so significant that the sense of life never departs." (Francis Hackett, New Republic, 4 December 1915)] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/07/24: WAS THERE EVER AN AUTHOR MORE TRULY COSMOPOLITAN THAN ROBERT SERVICE? BORN IN SCOTLAND, HE MOVED TO CANADA AND BECAME WORLD FAMOUS FOR HIS HIS YUKON BALLADS. THEN HE WENT TO FRANCE, WHERE HE WROTE TODAY'S NOVEL, WHICH WE NOW OFFER IN TWO DIGITAL EDITIONS -- TAKE YOUR PICK !!

Service, Robert William (1874-1958) [Scottish poet and novelist] Wikipedia Life of Service, by Dan Duffy

The Poisoned Paradise, A Romance of Monte Carlo (1922) [Novel, a successful one, for it was the basis of a 1924 film starring Clara Bow! From which you can see that Robert Service, whom Canadians know chiefly as the poet of the Yukon, was that and much more. Behind this novel lay a deep knowledge of France, for he moved to Paris in 1913, where he married in the same year: his wife lived to 102, and died in 1989 in Monte Carlo! So Service certainly knew his subject matter: hence the easy expertise of this novel about Monte Carlo and its famous casino. We offer two digital editions of this novel: the Project Gutenberg US ebook includes an EPUB version of the novel.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #68549] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #482]

2022/07/22: THE VERY FIRST SHORT STORY EVER PUBLISHED BY EDGAR ALLAN POE !!

Poe, Edgar Allan (1809-1849) [American poet, editor, and author of novels and short stories] Wikipedia

Metzengerstein (1832) Wikipedia [Horror story. Poe entered the story in a writing contest, it did not win, but Philadelphia's Saturday Courier wisely decided to publish it anyway. "Horror and fatality have been stalking abroad in all ages," Poe begins. "Why then give a date to this story I have to tell?" And indeed he does not provide a date, but he does provide a place, Hungary, where "The families of Berlifitzing and Metzengerstein had been at variance for centuries. Never before were two houses so illustrious, mutually embittered by hostility so deadly." There is an ancient prophesy, an ancient tapestry, and much more. In short, we are very much in the world of Poe's most famous stories, and this inaugural story reveals him as already a master of horror and fantasy! The University of Adelaide digital edition includes a fine 1909 colour illustration from British artist Byam Shaw (1872-1919) Wikipedia.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/07/20: JANE AUSTEN'S FINAL NOVEL, FAMOUS AND JUSTLY POPULAR EVER SINCE ITS FIRST APPEARANCE 204 YEARS AGO, AND FREQUENTLY ADAPTED FOR STAGE AND SCREEN !!

Austen, Jane (1775-1817) [English novelist] Wikipedia

Persuasion (1818) Wikipedia [Austen's final novel, the story of Anne Elliot and Frederick Wentworth. When only nineteen, Anne had accepted an offer of marriage from Frederick, but was persuaded by her family that this was a match below her and her family's dignity. How time can change things! Some years later the Elliots are descending into (relative) poverty, so save money by renting out Kellynch Hall and moving to Bath. Not much of a hardship: their poverty really was relative. But Bath was very much a social centre, and there Anne meets Frederick once again. But the Napoleonic Wars have been good to him: he is now a Captain, and decidedly well off. A tricky situation for everyone!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
 
Traduction française par Mme Letorsay
Persuasion (1882) fr.wikipedia Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 36777]


2022/06/17: WILLA CATHER'S VERY FIRST NOVEL, WHICH HAS A DEFINITE LINK TO CANADA !!

Cather, Willa [Willa Sibert] (1873-1947) [American novelist] Wikipedia Full biography by James Woodress

Alexander's Bridge (1912) Wikipedia [Bartley Alexander is a professional engineer, and a famous one: "whatever else he might do, he would probably always be known as the engineer who designed the great Moorlock Bridge, the longest cantilever in existence." The Moorlock Bridge is in Canada, and so is his newest project, which will be the longest bridge in the world. However, it is a difficult project, and success is not certain. In addition, he is now married: gone is the world he knew as a young engineer, and his marriage to the wealthy Winifred Alexander has its own challenges, including the resurfacing in his life of Hilda Burgoyne, the London actress who has achieved stardom in the years since they went their separate ways.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/07/13: TODAY, A MARVELLOUS SET OF PICTURES OF LANDMARKS ON THE SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD LINE BETWEEN SAN FRANCISCO AND PORTLAND, OREGON !!

Anonymous

The Shasta Route in All of its Grandeur. A Scenic Guide Book from San Francisco, California, to Portland, Oregon on the Road of a Thousand Wonders. (ca. 1923) ["The illustrations shown in the following pages," says the preface to this magnificent collection, "are all made expressly for this book from photographs taken by special artists of the most striking objects of interest, which abound to a remarkable extent along the Southern Pacific Railroad, between San Francisco and Portland. Great care was taken to select only such views as every traveler actually sees along the line." And this Exclusive Edition was available to purchase only on the Shasta Route trains! The photographers are anonymous, with the exception of Chester Mullen who took a memorable photo of the Lassen Peak, which is not only a peak but also a volcano, that Mullen caught erupting sometime between 1914 and 1921: the biggest eruption was in 1915. But all of the pictures are remarkable in their different ways!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #68494]

2022/07/10: WE'RE NOW OFFERING YOU A CHOICE OF TWO DIGITAL EDITIONS OF CHARLES WILLIAMS' THEOLOGICAL NOVEL DESCENT INTO HELL !!

Williams, Charles Walter Stansby (1886-1945) [English novelist, theologian, and poet] Wikipedia The Charles Williams Society

Descent into Hell (1937) Wikipedia [Novel about an amateur theatrical production and those involved in it. But this is a Charles Williams novel, ranging from past to present, dealing with things seen and unseen. "The ideas are fresh and resonant, and they are set forth in prose that is often poetry, and that is shot through with allusiveness and allusions (ranging from Dante to Shelley). It is a novel that requires rereading, that penetrates deeply into the worlds of the imagination with the wisdom, even with something of the inspired frenzy of the true poet." (Robert Halsband, Saturday Review, 23 April 1949)] EPUB [University of Adelaide] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1111]

2022/07/08: UNE INTRODUCTION À LA RELATIVITÉ! / AN INTRODUCTION TO RELATIVITY! TRÈS BIEN ÉCRITE, AND BEAUTIFULLY TRANSLATED !!

Nordmann, Charles (1881-1940) [astronome français] fr.wikipedia

Einstein et l'univers. Une lueur dans le mystère des choses. (1921) [Traité sur la relativité, par l'Astronome de l'Observatoire de Paris: un chef-d'oeuvre de la vulgarisation scientifique, qui permet au lecteur de "monter jusqu'aux splendeurs einsteiniennes par le clair et noble escalier du langage français."] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no41903]

English translation:
Einstein and the Universe. A Popular Exposition of the Famous Theory. (1922) [Written by the longtime Astronomer to the Paris Observatory, translated by Joseph McCabe (1867-1955) Wikipedia and with a preface by Richard Haldane (1856-1928) Wikipedia who has high praise for the book: "It is the lucidity of the French author, in combination with his own gift of expression, that has made it possible for the translator to succeed so well in overcoming the obstacles to giving the exposition in our own tongue this book contains. The rendering seems to me, after reading the book both in French and in English, admirable. M. Nordmann has presented Einstein's principle in words which lift the average reader over many of the difficulties he must encounter in trying to take it in."] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #68462]

2022/07/06: OUR FIRST EBOOK BY THEOLOGIAN AND FANTASY NOVELIST GEORGE MACDONALD -- ONE OF C.S. LEWIS'S FAVOURITE AUTHORS !!

MacDonald, George (1824-1905) [Scottish theologian and novelist] Wikipedia

At the Back of the North Wind (1871) Wikipedia [Fantasy novel written "for children", but don't let that deter you! Wasn't Alice in Wonderland written for children? Now to the story! A boy named Diamond, son of a coachman, lives in a room over the stables, lightly constructed: "For one side of the room was built only of boards, and the boards were so old that you might run a penknife through into the north wind." One windy night a knot comes out of one of the boards, so Diamond plugs the resulting hole with some hay. But the wind blows the hay out of the hole. And when Diamond replaces the hay, it's blown out again, and then a third time. At which point a voice is heard: "What do you mean, little boy--closing up my window?" Yes, it's the North Wind herself! And she becomes Diamond's friend and indeed teacher, for he learns important lessons about life as he accompanies her on her travels.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/07/02: TODAY, THE SECOND NOVEL IN ARNOLD BENNETT'S FAMOUS CLAYHANGER TRILOGY, SET IN THE SAME PLACE AND TELLING SOME OF THE SAME STORIES AS IN THE FIRST NOVEL, BUT THIS TIME FROM THE VIEWPOINT NOT OF EDWIN CLAYHANGER, BUT OF HIS WIFE, BEFORE AND AFTER THEIR MARRIAGE !!

Bennett, Arnold [Enoch Arnold] (1867-1931) [English novelist] Wikipedia

Hilda Lessways (1911) Wikipedia [The second of the three novels in the Clayhanger trilogy, and a true tour de force of the novelist's craft. It follows the early years of Hilda Lessways, who in the course of the novel becomes the wife of Edwin Clayhanger. Their early lives were in some ways dissimilar (to start with, her family was much poorer than Edwin's) but had some things in common, since they did after all grow up in the same town. And so certain events appear in both books, but told from the two quite different points of view!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/06/30: IT'S 1880, AND ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON HAS BEEN LIVING IN THE BAY AREA, BUT WANTS TO EXPLORE CALIFORNIA FURTHER !!

Stevenson, Robert Louis (1850-1894) [Scottish novelist] Wikipedia RLS Website

The Silverado Squatters (1883) Wikipedia [When Robert Louis Stevenson arrived in California, his health, always precarious, was in crisis. However, with the help of his wife Fanny (they had recently married) he recovered some degree of health, and resolved to explore the region north of the Bay Area. He visited the Napa Valley, where vineyards had recently been planted, and then a mining town called Silverado, where silver mining had been abandoned, and its settlements left to decay. "There is something singularly enticing," wrote Stevenson, "in the idea of going, rent-free, into a ready-made house." And so he and Fanny became squatters. Of course things weren't that simple, as Stevenson soon discovered: there was, for example, the question of getting food. His experiences were certainly excellent material for a book, this book in fact: a unique record of the early history of modern California.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/06/27: TODAY, THE FIRST NOVEL IN ARNOLD BENNETT'S FAMOUS CLAYHANGER TRILOGY, SET IN STAFFORDSHIRE'S POTTERY DISTRICT !!

Bennett, Arnold [Enoch Arnold] (1867-1931) [English novelist] Wikipedia

Clayhanger (1910) Wikipedia [The first of the three novels in the Clayhanger trilogy, which tells the story of the family of that name, and is a remarkable panorama of the social and economic life of their native Staffordshire at the height of the Victorian era. The first novel is about Edwin Clayhanger, the son of Darius Clayhanger. Darius, who had been born into poverty, definitely wants his son to join the family's successful printing firm in Staffordshire's Pottery District, and he gets his wish. But when Darius dies, Edwin finds himself wealthy and in control of his circumstances. Changes in his life naturally follow.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/06/24: UN TRÈS BEAU LIVRE POUR ENFANTS -- AVEC DE NOMBREUSES AQUARELLES !!

Grandmaison, Marie de [Dufour, Marie-Félicie] (née en 1846) [romancière française]

En voyage (vers 1900) [Récit de voyage pour enfants, avec des aquarelles par un peintre anonyme mais d'un talent hors du commun. / Travel story for children, with watercolours by an anonymous but very talented painter.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no68356]

2022/06/22: ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON RECOUNTS HIS JOURNEY ACROSS THE UNITED STATES FROM NEW YORK TO CALIFORNIA !!

Stevenson, Robert Louis (1850-1894) [Scottish novelist] Wikipedia RLS Website

Across the Plains (1892) [Robert Louis Stevenson's account of his journey in 1879 from New York City to San Francisco, written at the time of his journey, but not published until 1892 along with other "memories and essays". And what a vivid account it is! Stevenson certainly had an eye for detail, and was a careful observer of how social groups interact. He is particularly acute in discussing white Americans' attitudes towards Chinese-Americans and indigenous Americans "over whose own hereditary continent we had been steaming all these days." What better travel companion could a reader ask for?] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/06/19: A FASCINATING ACCOUNT BY ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON OF WHAT HE SAW DURING HIS PROLONGED VISIT TO MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA !!

Stevenson, Robert Louis (1850-1894) [Scottish novelist] Wikipedia RLS Website

The Old Pacific Capital (1880) [In 1879 Robert Louis Stevenson completed his trip across the United States and arrived in Monterey, which, as the title indicates, had been the capital of California between 1804 and 1846. Always prone to bad health, Stevenson was seriously ill on arrival, but did recover: fortunately for posterity, he was to live fourteen more years, and would eventually live at the other end of the Pacific, in Samoa. However, as always, Stevenson did not allow his health problems to get in the way of his writing, hence this pair of essays, both of them startlingly relevant today. The first part, "The Woods and the Pacific", is a vivid description of the region, including its forest fires: "These fires are one of the great dangers of California. I have seen from Monterey as many as three at the same time, by day a cloud of smoke, by night a red coal of conflagration in the distance. A little thing will start them, and, if the wind be favourable, they gallop over miles of country faster than a horse." The second part, "Mexicans, Americans, and Indians", is a demographic study of the city, its cosmopolitan nature, and the discreet but obvious persistence of Spanish culture and language. In short, the California we know today already existed in 1880!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/06/17: OUR LATEST SCIENCE FICTION MASTERPIECE BY H. G. WELLS !!

Wells, H. G. [Herbert George] (1866-1946) [English novelist and historian] Wikipedia

The Food of the Gods and How It Came to Earth (1904) Wikipedia [Humanity no longer looks on "scientific breakthroughs" with uncritical credulity: this at least is something the last century has taught us. Consider the long-term consequences, now brutally clear, of plastics, nuclear power, pesticides, internal combustion, and much else. But H. G. Wells saw this clearly, more than a century ago: he will forever be our contemporary, not a mere "pioneer". As for this novel, it is about Professor Redwood, who is a student of the science of growth: he discovers Herakleophorbia IV, "the Food of the Gods", which stimulates growth, to say the least. Get a load of those hens! And of those wasps! Could humans be similarly affected?] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/06/14: WE'RE NOW OFFERING YOU A CHOICE OF TWO DIGITAL EDITIONS OF CHARLES WILLIAMS' THEOLOGICAL NOVEL THE GREATER TRUMPS -- C. S. LEWIS WAS A CLOSE FRIEND OF WILLIAMS AND A GREAT ADMIRER OF HIS WORKS !!

Williams, Charles Walter Stansby (1886-1945) [English novelist, theologian, and poet] Wikipedia The Charles Williams Society

The Greater Trumps (1932) [Theological thriller, in which Tarot cards play a major role. "The book is a kaleidoscope of ideas," says William Lindsay Gresham in his introduction to the 1950 New York edition. "It's a slam-bang action-fantasy melodrama too! Williams is one of those rare authors one longs to know and query in person about important things."] EPUB [University of Adelaide] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1123]

2022/06/12: A FAMILY SAGA BY ARNOLD BENNETT ABOUT TWO SISTERS WHOSE LIVES GO IN OPPOSING DIRECTIONS -- UNTIL MANY YEARS LATER, WHEN THEY ARE REUNITED !!

Bennett, Arnold [Enoch Arnold] (1867-1931) [English novelist] Wikipedia

The Old Wives' Tale (1908) Wikipedia [Those who are old were once young, and to understand them requires knowing what their life experiences have been. This novel, one of Bennett's most famous works, follows two sisters, Constance and Sophia Baines. Constance spends her entire life in a lightly fictionalized version of Staffordshire's Potteries District, while Sophia heads for Paris. But time passes, and after many decades Sophia returns to where she was born, and is reunited with her sister. Arnold takes no shortcuts, but "it would be hard to say where there is a repetition or a superfluity" in the tale of the sisters, and at the end of the novel "there is nothing about them which we are not grateful for knowing." (The Nation, 14 October 1909)] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/06/10: A FINE ALBUM OF PAINTINGS OF THE COUNTRYSIDE AND VILLAGES OF ENGLAND'S FAMOUSLY PICTURESQUE COTSWOLDS REGION !!

Nicholls, George F. [Franck] (1885-1937) [English painter]

Cotswolds Water-Colours (1920) [The Cotswolds are the hill region which separates the Thames and the Severn. The region is famous for its scenery, which is beautifully depicted in this album's twenty excellent colour reproductions of villages and countryside.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #66093]

2022/06/08: OUR FIRST STORY BY H. P. LOVECRAFT WAS ALSO ITS AUTHOR'S OWN PERSONAL FAVOURITE !!

Lovecraft, H. P. [Howard Phillips] (1890-1937) [American writer of fantasy and horror] Wikipedia

The Colour Out of Space (1927) Wikipedia [Short story of fantasy and horror, highly regarded by many, and its author's own personal favourite among his many stories. It is set in Massachusetts west of the fictional town of Arkham, where "the hills rise wild, and there are valleys with deep woods that no axe has ever cut." No one lives there now, "not because of anything that can be seen or heard or handled, but because of something that is imagined. The place is not good for imagination, and does not bring restful dreams at night." But it has not always been this way! Everything started with the meteorite of 1882: "Before that time there had been no wild legends at all since the witch trials."] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/06/05: A CLASSIC NOVEL BY ARNOLD BENNETT, SET AT THE GRANDEST OF LONDON'S GRAND HOTELS !!

Bennett, Arnold [Enoch Arnold] (1867-1931) [English novelist] Wikipedia

The Grand Babylon Hotel (1902) Wikipedia [Hotel novel, set in what is clearly the fictional equivalent of the then recently opened Savoy Hotel in London, and the most prestigious hotel imaginable: "It was not good form to mention prices at the Grand Babylon; the prices were enormous, but you never mentioned them. At the conclusion of your stay a bill was presented, brief and void of dry details, and you paid it without a word. You met with a stately civility, that was all. No one had originally asked you to come; no one expressed the hope that you would come again. The Grand Babylon was far above such manoeuvres; it defied competition by ignoring it; and consequently was nearly always full during the season." Now you know about the hotel and you have sampled Bennett's very attractive style of writing. As for the plot, things are always on the go at the Grand Babylon -- to learn more, read the novel! (Or read the Wikipedia article first, then the novel!)] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/06/03: F. SCOTT FITZGERALD'S SECOND NOVEL -- LIFE AMONG THE YOUNG, FASHIONABLE AND RICH IN NEW YORK CITY, AS THE FIRST WORLD WAR IS FORGOTTEN AND THE TWENTIES GET STARTED !!

Fitzgerald, F. Scott [Francis Scott Key] (1896-1940) [American novelist and essayist] Wikipedia

The Beautiful and Damned (1922) Wikipedia [Fitzgerald's second novel: its main characters are Anthony Patch and Gloria Gilbert, who have something but not everything in common with Fitzgerald himself and his wife Zelda. Patch is not himself extremely wealthy, but his grandfather is, which leaves him in the strange position of being wealthy... but not yet. The couple lead a glamorous life in Manhattan, but as time passes their circumstances become more complex.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/06/01: TO GIVE JUNE A TRULY EXCELLENT START, THE VERY FIRST MYSTERY NOVEL BY THE LEGENDARY IRISH AUTHOR FREEMAN WILLS CROFTS !!

Crofts, Freeman Wills (1879-1957) [Irish engineer and mystery novelist] Wikipedia

The Cask (1920) Wikipedia [Crofts had been a railroad engineer for more than twenty years when he had a major illness, and wrote this mystery novel, his first, while recovering. It remains famous to this day. As you might expect, the plot does indeed involve a cask, a wine cask, but one with some interesting contents! Railways are often mentioned, as is appropriate given Crofts' profession -- including the railways of France!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #59854]

2022/05/29: F. SCOTT FITZGERALD'S MOST FAMOUS NOVEL IS UNDOUBTEDLY THE GREAT GATSBY. NOW WE OFFER YOU TWO DIFFERENT DIGITAL EDITIONS -- TAKE YOUR PICK !!

The Great Gatsby (1925) Wikipedia [Fitzgerald's most famous novel, set on Long Island and in New York City. Its focus is Jay Gatsby, who possesses vast and mysterious wealth, and who is observed with simultaneous fascination and scepticism by Nick Carraway, a recent Yale graduate newly started in the bonds business.] EPUB [University of Adelaide] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1619]

2022/05/26: F. SCOTT FITZGERALD'S VERY FIRST NOVEL -- THE BOOK WHICH MADE HIM FAMOUS !!

Fitzgerald, F. Scott [Francis Scott Key] (1896-1940) [American novelist and essayist] Wikipedia

This Side of Paradise (1920) Wikipedia [Fitzgerald's first novel, about undergraduate life at Princeton and life in the early twenties, the central character being Amory Blaine, whose family life and love life the novel follows. The publisher Scribner's was on the point of rejecting the novel because of its explicit content, but their famous editor Maxwell Perkins threatened to resign, and so the book duly appeared, and presented the world with a more or less accurate picture of how Americans of Fitzgerald's age and class actually lived: one contemporary reviewer commented that it was "delightful and encouraging to find a novel which gives us in the accurate terms of intellectual honesty a reflection of American undergraduate life. At last the revelation has come." ("R. V. A. S.", New Republic, 12 May 1920). Twenty-nine years later, no less a figure than John P. Marquand commented on how little the novel had dated: "It still remains almost exactly as the reviewers first saw it, an exceptionally brilliant piece of work by a precocious young Princeton graduate who was perhaps a genius... Scott Fitzgerald was writing of a world he knew and of the only world he could have known at his age, of school and schoolboys, of the Princeton undergraduate, of the Plaza and the brownstone fronts and the bright lights on Fifth Avenue, and he confined himself with the instinct of an artist exclusively to what he had known and lived. He wrote as splendidly as anyone ever has of his own youth." (Saturday Review, 6 August 1949)] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/05/24: WE CELEBRATE VICTORIA DAY BY OFFERING YOU A SECOND EBOOK OF THIS FAMOUS THEOLOGICAL NOVEL BY CHARLES WILLIAMS. IT'S ALWAYS NICE TO HAVE A CHOICE !!

Williams, Charles Walter Stansby (1886-1945) [English novelist, theologian, and poet] Wikipedia The Charles Williams Society

Shadows of Ecstasy (1933) [Novel, actually Williams' first novel, but published some years after he wrote it. It starts off at the University of London, where Roger Ingram, recently appointed to the university, is at a banquet proposing a toast to a famous explorer recently returned from South America. Of course, this is a Charles Williams novel, so vaster plotlines quickly emerge, involving the continent of Africa and the possibility of achieving personal immortality, for example.] EPUB [University of Adelaide] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1399]

2022/05/22: HERE AT PROJECT GUTENBERG CANADA, WE HAVE A STRONG LIKING FOR TWENTIETH-CENTURY ESPIONAGE NOVELS: THE EARLIEST ONES ARE AMONG THE BEST! AND TODAY WE'RE DELIGHTED TO PRESENT ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS OF THEM ALL !!

Childers, Erskine (1870-1922) [Irish author and politician] Wikipedia

The Riddle of the Sands (1903) Wikipedia [Novel, set largely in the Frisian Islands, very low barrier islands, easily flooded, which dot the North Sea coast from the Netherlands east to Denmark. It is presented as a work of non-fiction, featuring "Carruthers" (an assumed name), who has a post in the UK's Foreign Office. Carruthers accepts an invitation from a friend to go on a yachting vacation to the Baltic Sea by way of Holland and the Frisian islands. But something mysterious is going on in the islands -- what are the Germans up to? Yes, this is definitely a novel of espionage, an early and very good one, continuously famous from its year of publication right up to the present day!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/05/20: FOR YOUR BROWSING PLEASURE, A SELECTION OF FINE COLOURED ENGRAVINGS FROM THE EIGHTEENTH AND EARLY NINETEENTH CENTURIES !!

Paston, George [Symonds, Emily Morse] (1860-1936) [English novelist, critic, and art historian] Wikipedia

Old Coloured Books (1905) [A general title, but the monograph has a very specific topic: the blossoming of etching and engraving in England which began at the end of the eighteenth century. The monograph includes sixteen nicely chosen and beautifully printed colour illustrations. Thomas Rowlandson (1757-1827) Wikipedia has pride of place, but other artists are by no means overlooked: quite the contrary!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #33682]

2022/05/17: A NOVEL BY WILLA CATHER SET IN THE AMERICAN WEST AT THE END OF THE RAILROAD BOOM !!

Cather, Willa [Willa Sibert] (1873-1947) [American novelist] Wikipedia Full biography by James Woodress

A Lost Lady (1923) Wikipedia [The modern history of Western Canada is largely the history of the Canadian Pacific Railway and the many settlements founded along its route while it was being constructed, some of them still quite small, but some now very large: Calgary, for instance, and Vancouver. The history of the western US is similar: the railroads came, the settlements started, and events followed their natural course. Which brings us to the town of Sweet Water, on the recently constructed Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy railroad, and to Captain Daniel Forrester, who played a major role in constructing the railroad, until "the Captain's terrible fall with his horse in the mountains, which broke him so that he could no longer build railroads." At which point the Captain retired to his house in Sweet Water, accompanied by his much younger wife Marian, the "lost lady" of the title. She is a participant in many losses: the loss of the heroic pioneering days, the eventual loss of her husband, and the many changes in her life brought on by these events. Robert Littell (The New Republic, 19 December 1923) comments that Cather "accomplishes exactly what she sets out to do", and praises "the singular reality and solidity of the heroine, who remains in our minds as one of [the] most vivid inhabitants of any American novel of recent years."] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/05/14: AN ALBUM OF TWENTY FINE WATER COLOUR PAINTINGS -- OUR THIRD COLOUR PICTURE BOOK BY WILFRID BALL !!

Ball, Wilfrid [Wilfrid Williams] (1852-1917) [English etcher and painter] Wikipedia

Hampshire Water-Colours (1913) [Similar in concept to Ball's equally famous 1906 collection of paintings of Sussex. In 1910 Ball had published an album devoted specifically to Winchester, but the books are hardly duplicates. There is much more to Hampshire than Winchester: Portsmouth and Southampton, for example! All three books feature amazingly good colour printing, and we are delighted to make them available at our customary charge of... nothing whatsoever! Inflation is not part of the universe at Project Gutenberg Canada!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #66098]

2022/05/12: A NOVEL BY WILLA CATHER SET IN AN AMERICAN UNIVERSITY TOWN -- AND IN NEW MEXICO !!

Cather, Willa [Willa Sibert] (1873-1947) [American novelist] Wikipedia Full biography by James Woodress

The Professor's House (1925) Wikipedia [The professor in question is the grandly named Godfrey St. Peter, who is of French-Canadian descent, and obtained his doctorate in France. But he is American, and as the novel opens is enjoying a successful university teaching career. The Professor is moving out of his old house, for good reason, for it had many issues and was not a comfortable place to live. But the Professor finds that he's unwilling to leave the old house, since that is where he prefers to do his writing. And yet his new house has "a beautiful study downstairs". All of which suggests that the Professor has a complex past and present. And indeed Tom Outland plays a major role in the novel, even though he died in the Great War: he had been the Professor's favourite student and had planned to marry the Professor's daughter, Rosamond, who became his sole heir, and consequently quite wealthy. The novel has a large and attractive cast of characters, and its plot ranges widely: it includes an archaeological expedition to the ancient but now abandoned Cliff City in New Mexico!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/05/11: A GALLERY OF FIFTY FINE ENGLISH ETCHINGS, FROM THE LATE EIGHTEENTH TO THE EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY !!

Wedmore, Frederick (1844-1921) [English novelist and art critic] Wikipedia

Etching in England (1895) [A monograph about etching in the nineteenth century, with no fewer than fifty fine illustrations by many different etchers who worked in England during that period. Of course, not all of them were originally from England: in particular, between chapters XXII and XXIII there is an etching by Elizabeth Forbes, née Armstrong (1859-1912) who was from Kingston, Ontario, moved to England, and there achieved a lasting international reputation as a painter and art instructor. The galleries in her Wikipedia article and in the Wikimedia Commons are well worth visiting!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #68011]

2022/05/08: A MASTERPIECE OF SOCIAL SATIRE BY CHARLES DICKENS !!

Dickens, Charles [Charles John Huffam] (1812-1870) [English novelist, editor, and social activist] Wikipedia

The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit (1844 [novel]; 1868 [postscript]) Wikipedia [The U.S. is now an aggressive colonial empire, and Canada is its colony, after they forced the Canadian government to accept copyright extensions and limits on where we could export, all this to enhance the monopolies held by U.S. companies. Canadians are naturally curious about what happened to the original thirteen colonies on their way to becoming our colonial masters. What more agreeable way of learning something of American history than by reading this fine novel by Charles Dickens? It contains some trenchant comments on the U.S. based on Dickens' own observations during an 1842 visit. It is only fair to say that in 1868 after a later visit Dickens added a postscript commenting on the "gigantic changes in this country" since his earlier visit, and describing how well he had been treated during this second visit. However, he left the novel's original text untouched. As for the novel itself (which takes place mostly in England), it offers some memorable social satire and has an extraordinary cast of characters, as one expects from the ever creative mind of Charles Dickens.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/05/06: TODAY, THE FIFTH TITLE IN THE "JUST WILLIAM" SERIES, FEATURING THE IMMORTAL SCHOOLBOY WILLIAM BROWN AND HIS FRIENDS !!

Crompton, Richmal [Lamburn, Richmal Crompton] (1890-1969) [English novelist] Wikipedia

The Just William books, illustrated by Thomas Henry (1879-1962) Wikipedia

Still--William (1925) Wikipedia [The fifth book of stories (fourteen of them!) about William Brown and his friends. As the title suggests, William's character has not changed, nor would we want it to. And in fact his character (and age) would remain the same in every single one of the books, which appeared over a span of nearly half a century! Summarizing all fourteen of the stories is impossible, but fortunately the book's Wikipedia article has done this for us. Still, "Henri Learns the Language" has a special charm for Canadians, since virtually all of us have had to deal with learning a second language, be it English or French. But few language students have Henri's level of gentle determination: "We weel talk an' you weel teach to me ze slang."] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #67238]

2022/05/04: EL GRAN NOVELISTA VALENCIANO VICENTE BLASCO IBÁÑEZ NOS CUENTA SUS VIAJES EN INDIA, CEILÁN, SUDÁN, NUBIA Y EGIPTO !!

Ibáñez, Vicente Blasco (1867-1928) [Spanish novelist / romancier espagnol] Wikipedia fr.wikipedia es.wikipedia Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes

La vuelta al mundo de un novelista - tomo III (1925) es.wikipedia [Relatos de viaje del gran escritor valenciano: India, Ceilán, Sudán, Nubia y Egipto!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #67917]

2022/04/30-2022/05/01: FOR MAY DAY WEEKEND, A LATE AND EXCELLENT NOVEL BY JOHN P. MARQUAND. READERS OF CANADA, UNITE! YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE EXCEPT YOUR FOREIGN OPPRESSORS' COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS !!

Marquand, John P. [John Phillips] (1893-1960) [American novelist] Wikipedia

Women and Thomas Harrow (1958) [Novel, set in the not extremely distant past: for instance, My Fair Lady is mentioned, which had only recently premiered on Broadway, and there is a quotation from Time magazine. Tom Harrow is a playwright who has had three wives and many theatrical successes. He is now past the height of his career, and of his finances (his marriages played a major role in reducing his wealth), but what a height it was! Now he is back in his hometown of Clyde, New Hampshire and is looking back at his career in show business: the reader naturally accompanies him in these excursions through the past, and learns much about life in Manhattan between the wars. "'Women and Thomas Harrow' may prove to be the best of Mr. Marquand's many books; it is certainly a novel to remember." (Harrison Smith, Saturday Review, 27 September 1958).] EPUB HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #1681]

2022/04/29: EL GRAN NOVELISTA VALENCIANO VICENTE BLASCO IBÁÑEZ NOS CUENTA SUS VIAJES EN CHINA, MACAO, HONG-KONG, FILIPINAS, JAVA, SINGAPORE, BIRMANIA Y CALCUTA !!

Ibáñez, Vicente Blasco (1867-1928) [Spanish novelist / romancier espagnol] Wikipedia fr.wikipedia es.wikipedia Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes

La vuelta al mundo de un novelista - tomo II (1924) es.wikipedia [Relatos de viaje del gran escritor valenciano: China, Macao, Hong-Kong, Filipinas, Java, Singapore, Birmania y Calcuta!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #63816]

2022/04/27: EL GRAN NOVELISTA VALENCIANO VICENTE BLASCO IBÁÑEZ NOS CUENTA SUS VIAJES EN AMÉRICA, EL PACÍFICO Y ASIA !!

Ibáñez, Vicente Blasco (1867-1928) [Spanish novelist / romancier espagnol] Wikipedia fr.wikipedia es.wikipedia Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes

La vuelta al mundo de un novelista - tomo I (1924) es.wikipedia [Relatos de viaje del gran escritor valenciano: Estados Unidos, Cuba, Panamá, Hawai, Japón, Corea y Manchuria!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #63810]

2022/04/25: A NEW AUTHOR TODAY, JOHN GALSWORTHY: WE PRESENT THE FIRST NOVEL IN HIS FAMOUS FORSYTE SAGA !!

Galsworthy, John (1867-1933) [English novelist, playwright, and social activist; 1932 Nobel Prize in Literature] Wikipedia

THE FORSYTE SAGA Wikipedia
The Man of Property (1906 [novel]; 1922 [preface]) Wikipedia [The novel that began it all! As the story starts, we are introduced to various generations of Forsytes at a family gathering, hosted by old Jolyon, the oldest male in the family, and we meet the many Forsytes, among them Soames, old Jolyon's nephew, who is destined to play a central role in this and in the succeeding novels. The Forsytes as a group are not truly wealthy, there is no actual family fortune, and so there is a certain unease in their relations with the world and with each other. This ambiguity is a primary source of conflict in every age, then, now, and in the distant past. Hence Galsworthy calls his story a saga, like the sagas of Viking times a millennium earlier: "we may be sure that tribal instinct was even then the prime force, and that 'family' and the sense of home and property counted as they do to this day." Truer and sadder words were never written, as is demonstrated by the life of Soames Forsyte, the Man of Property after whom the novel is named: he is obsessed with the notion of property and ownership, a sure sign that someone is not truly rich and certainly not happy. And so with this first instalment we launch the Forsyte Saga, which was the favourite reading of the Edwardian era, won Galsworthy the 1932 Nobel Prize, and inspired two very famous TV adaptations, by the BBC in 1967 and by ITV in 2002. In short, this and the ensuing instalments of the Forsyte Saga are enduring classics, which never cease to entertain as well as instruct. Enjoy!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/04/22: OUR SECOND NOVEL BY H. RIDER HAGGARD HAS BEEN CONTINUALLY FAMOUS SINCE ITS PUBLICATION, HAS BEEN FILMED MANY TIMES, AND HAS INSPIRED MANY ADVENTURE NOVELS !!

Haggard, H. Rider [Henry Rider] (1856-1925) [English colonial administrator and novelist] Wikipedia

She. A History of Adventure. (1887) Wikipedia [Adventure novel, and a very famous one, often adapted to film. It starts sedately enough: we are at Cambridge University, where we meet Ludwig Horace Holly. But Holly becomes the guardian of the young and very handsome Leo Vincey; he and Holly travel to Africa following instructions left by Vincey's late father. And here in the Caves of Kôr they meet the ancient, powerful, and beautiful Ayesha, the "She" of the book's title: many adventures follow. No wonder the novel has captivated so many readers, and inspired so many novelists! The Adelaide EPUB we offer you includes the illustrations from the 1887 edition.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/04/20: FINE PAINTINGS OF ENGLISH GARDENS BY GEORGE S. ELGOOD -- GARDENS WERE HIS PASSION, AND HIS PAINTINGS OF THEM BROUGHT HIM LASTING FAME !!

Elgood, George Samuel (1851-1943) [English painter and designer] Wikipedia

Some English Gardens (1904) [Watercolours, reproduced in excellent colour, of, well, some English gardens. Quite a few of them, actually! The accompanying text is worthy of the pictures and no wonder, for it is by the celebrated garden designer Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932) Wikipedia -- a perfect pairing, who created a truly marvellous album!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #67874]

2022/04/19: UN ALBUM TOUT À FAIT REMARQUABLE DE DESSINS DE PARIS -- AVEC UN TEXTE (TRÈS BIEN ÉCRIT, D'AILLEURS) PAR LE DESSINATEUR LUI-MÊME !!

Robida, Albert (1848-1926) [Illustrateur et écrivain français] fr.wikipedia en.wikipedia

Paris de siècle en siècle. Le coeur de Paris, splendeurs et souvenirs. [1896] [Histoire de la cité de Paris. "Textes, dessins et lithographies par A. Robida". Un véritable chef-d'oeuvre du célèbre illustrateur!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 67853]

2022/04/17: HAPPY EASTER! TO CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAY, WE'RE NOW OFFERING YOU A CHOICE OF TWO DIGITAL EDITIONS OF CHARLES WILLIAMS' THE PLACE OF THE LION -- ONE OF HIS MOST HIGHLY REGARDED THEOLOGICAL NOVELS !!

Williams, Charles Walter Stansby (1886-1945) [English novelist, theologian, and poet] Wikipedia The Charles Williams Society

The Place of the Lion (1931) Wikipedia [Theological novel, with more than a touch of Plato. Why has a lioness appeared in Hertfordshire? Much action and much philosophy ensue.] EPUB [University of Adelaide] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1103]

2022/04/15: FOR EASTER WEEKEND, A THEOLOGICAL NOVEL BY CHARLES WILLIAMS. WE NOW OFFER TWO SEPARATE DIGITAL EDITIONS OF HIS FAMOUS FIRST NOVEL !!  !!

Williams, Charles Walter Stansby (1886-1945) [English novelist, theologian, and poet] Wikipedia The Charles Williams Society

War in Heaven (1930) [Williams' first novel. The Holy Grail ("Graal", as Williams calls it) Wikipedia, surfaces in England, with exciting consequences. "...because it is a much younger Williams writing in the Twenties, we find many more sardonic and outrageously funny lines here than in the later books... We could attend a Black Mass with Charles Williams and come away with him laughing through our bewitchment." (Richard McLaughlin, Saturday Review, 1 October 1949)] EPUB [University of Adelaide] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1088]

2022/04/11: OUR SECOND ALBUM OF PAINTINGS BY WILFRID BALL, THE PICTURES BEING OF THE BEAUTIFUL CITY OF WINCHESTER IN HAMPSHIRE, ENGLAND !!

Ball, Wilfrid [Wilfrid Williams] (1852-1917) [English etcher and painter] Wikipedia

Winchester, Painted by Wilfrid Ball, Described by Telford Varley (1910) [A set of 24 paintings of the ancient city of Winchester, Alfred the Great's capital, and one of England's most important cities during the Middle Ages. The excellent colour plates are accompanied by a fine text, whose author Telford Varley (1866-1938) knew Winchester well, having served for thirty years in that city as the founding headmaster of Peter Symonds College Wikipedia. He is far too modest in his description of what he contributed, saying it is neither a history nor a guidebook, even though clearly it is both of these!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #67808]

2022/04/09: A NEW AUTHOR TODAY, AND A FAMOUS ONE! WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GEORGE MEREDITH, AND HIS NOVEL ABOUT NARCISSISM -- VERY RELEVANT TO OUR AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA !!

Meredith, George (1828-1909) [English poet and novelist] Wikipedia

The Egoist. A Comedy in Narrative. (1879) Wikipedia ["Egoists" (or "egotists"; both forms are correct) are people who place their own interests first, so that other people do not seem real to them, except as aids or hindrances to the egotists' personal ambitions. This novel is about Sir Willoughby Patterne and his attempts to find a wife, which prove a struggle, for the woman he sets his sights on is no fool, and understands him better than he does. Naturally he does not see any of this. The novel is perfect reading for our own age, which is riddled with egotism, thanks to personal branding and similar nonsense, all enabled and made pervasive by social media. The internal culture of most companies and political parties accelerates the downward spiral.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/04/07: AN ART BOOK TODAY, FAMOUS SINCE ITS PUBLICATION, WHICH INCLUDES NO FEWER THAN SEVENTY-FIVE PAINTINGS OF SUSSEX -- IN COLOUR !!

Ball, Wilfrid [Wilfrid Williams] (1852-1917) [English etcher and painter] Wikipedia

Sussex, Painted by Wilfrid Ball (1906) [No fewer than 75 paintings of Sussex landscapes in excellent full-colour reproductions: we can easily believe the publisher's claim that "No expense has been spared in reproducing the exact colourings of the artists, and the books are beautifully printed and bound." Wilfrid Ball was in his early adulthood an accountant, but his natural talent and preference eventually prevailed, so he became a full-time artist and a famous one. This book shows why he was and is so famous. The excellent text from an anonymous contributor gives much useful and interesting information on Sussex's geography and history.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #67784]

2022/04/05: A NOVEL BY JOSEPH CONRAD, SET IN THE SOUTH SEAS !!

Conrad, Joseph [Korzeniowski, Józef Teodor Konrad] (1857-1924) [Polish mariner and novelist] Wikipedia fr.wikipedia

Victory. An Island Tale. (1915 [novel]; 1920 [Author's Note]) Wikipedia [Surely a novel called "Victory", published in 1915, must be concerned with the First World War. Well, no, it isn't! Conrad finished the novel on 19 May 1914, and "Victory" was the title he had already chosen, which he could not bring himself to change once the war had begun. And who can blame him? The main character is Axel Heyst, born in London, but "directly his father died he lit out into the wide world on his own", and eventually found himself in the Malay Archipelago: "Everyone in that part of the world knew of him, dwelling on his little island." This is the story of what happened to Heyst and to those he met, in particular the travelling "orchestra girl" Lena, who changed his life forever. The ebook we offer you includes not only Conrad's original Note to the First Edition, but also an extended Author's Note which he wrote for the 1920 limited edition of his collected works.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/04/02: TODAY, A CLASSIC SATIRICAL NOVEL ABOUT THREE FRIENDS, THEIR DOG, AND THEIR BOAT TRIP DOWN THE RIVER THAMES. WE INCLUDE THE FAMOUS ORIGINAL ILLUSTRATIONS !!

Jerome, Jerome K. (1859-1927) [English author, editor, and playwright] Wikipedia

Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) (1889) Wikipedia [Few books of humour have withstood the years as well as this famous account of how Jerome and two friends, accompanied by Montmorency the dog, went on a boating trip down the river Thames. What a crew! And what a trip! The illustrations, classics in their own right, are by Jerome's close friend, the well known illustrator Arthur Frederics [Frederick Arthur Hipp] (1849-1929). EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/03/31: TODAY'S EBOOK HAS A VERY SIMPLE TITLE: WILLIAM--THE FOURTH. IT'S THE FOURTH OF RICHMAL CROMPTON'S FAMOUS SERIES OF BOOKS ABOUT THE ENGLISH SCHOOLBOY WILLIAM BROWN AND HIS FRIENDS, "THE OUTLAWS" !!

Crompton, Richmal [Lamburn, Richmal Crompton] (1890-1969) [English novelist] Wikipedia

The Just William books, illustrated by Thomas Henry (1879-1962) Wikipedia

William--The Fourth (1924) [The fourth book of stories about William Brown and his friends. Rather than try to summarize all fourteen of them, we'll just give three of the titles: William and Photography, William the Showman, and William Enters Politics. Perhaps William would prove more adept than some of our modern English politicians -- look out, Boris!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #66971]

2022/03/28: TODAY, A TALE VERY MUCH FOR OUR PANDEMIC TIMES: EDGAR ALLAN POE'S THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH !!

Poe, Edgar Allan (1809-1849) [American poet, editor, and author of novels and short stories] Wikipedia

The Masque of the Red Death (1845 version) (1845) Wikipedia [Short story. The "Red Death" has reached the realms of Prince Prospero, but he has the answer, at least for the aristocracy. "When his dominions were half depopulated, he summoned to his presence a thousand hale and light-hearted friends from among the knights and dames of his court, and with these retired to the deep seclusion of one of his castellated abbeys... The abbey was amply provisioned. With such precautions the courtiers might bid defiance to contagion. The external world could take care of itself." Sounds a lot like the arrival of COVID-19 in our own times, with the well-off secluding themselves and leaving the "essential workers" and the marginalized to fend for themselves. That hasn't worked out too well for anyone. As for Prince Prospero... well, read the story! It comes with three fine illustrations by the Irish artist Harry Clarke (1889-1931)] Wikipedia.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/03/26: TODAY, A NOVELLA BY JOSEPH CONRAD! WHO, WE MAY WELL POINT OUT NOW THAT RUSSIA HAS INVADED UKRAINE, WAS BORN IN BERDYCHIV -- LESS THAN 200 KM FROM KYIV !!

Conrad, Joseph [Korzeniowski, Józef Teodor Konrad] (1857-1924) [Polish mariner and novelist] Wikipedia

Typhoon (1902, with a preface from 1920) Wikipedia [Novella involving, not surprisingly, a major storm in the Pacific Ocean. It was based, Conrad tells us, on a genuine incident involving a steamship carrying a large number of passengers from Singapore to northern China. "I never met anybody personally concerned in this affair, the interest of which for us was, of course, not the bad weather but the extraordinary complication brought into the ship's life at a moment of exceptional stress by the human element below her deck." And that nicely describes the events of the book, and what faces its central character, the unforgettable Captain MacWhirr. "MacWhirr is not an acquaintance of a few hours, or a few weeks, or a few months. He is the product of twenty years of life. My own life. Conscious invention had little to do with him."] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #1142] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/03/23: WHAT WOULD RUSSIA'S GREATEST NOVELIST, LEO TOLSTOY, HAVE THOUGHT OF THE UKRAINIAN WAR? HE WOULD HAVE HATED IT, AND OPPOSED IT UNCONDITIONALLY.

Tolstoy, Leo [Lev Nikolayevich] (1828-1910) [Russian novelist and social thinker] Wikipedia

"Bethink Yourselves!" (1904) [When in 1904 the Russo-Japanese War broke out, causing tens of thousands to die, Leo Tolstoy, a fervent pacifist, was furious: hence this passionate denunciation of war. "Again war," he begins. "Again sufferings, necessary to nobody, utterly uncalled for; again fraud; again the universal stupefaction and brutalization of men." Those reading it will naturally ask whether Tolstoy would have said the same things about the Russo-Ukrainian war which started in 2022 -- a very easy question to answer! This translation by Vladimir Chertkov (1854-1936) Wikipedia, and "I. F. M." was first published in The Times (London).] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #27189]

2022/03/21: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL NOVEL BY H. G. WELLS -- ONE OF WELLS' PERSONAL FAVOURITES !!

Wells, H. G. [Herbert George] (1866-1946) [English novelist and historian] Wikipedia

Love and Mr Lewisham. The Story of a Very Young Couple. (1900) Wikipedia [Novel. Its main character, Mr Lewisham, is "assistant master in the Whortley Proprietary School, Whortley, Sussex, and his wages were forty pounds a year... He was a passable-looking youngster of eighteen". Wells at that age had held a similar position, and yes, this is definitely an autobiographical novel, for at the age of twenty-one both Wells and Lewisham find themselves at the celebrated Normal School of Science, now part of Imperial College, London. The novel is about love, and Lewisham is indeed in love with his wife, but her very troublesome family is a different matter, and his marriage, as can happen, is fatal for his academic and political ambitions. But Lewisham is a very sympathetic hero, and the novel is a pleasure to read and was one of Wells' favourites among his many works.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/03/20: OUR FIRST NOVEL BY H. RIDER HAGGARD IS (WHAT ELSE?) KING SOLOMON'S MINES !!

Haggard, H. Rider [Henry Rider] (1856-1925) [English colonial administrator and novelist] Wikipedia

King Solomon's Mines (1885, with prefaces from 1898 and 1907) Wikipedia [One of the earliest African adventure novels and surely the most famous of them all, featuring Alan Quatermain. It would be hard for an Englishman writing in 1885 not to reflect the colonialism and racism of the time, and Haggard is no exception, but also by no means the worst offender in this regard, perhaps because he had direct experience of South Africa, having lived there for seven years. The plot of the novel is not that far removed from reality, since at the time lost empires were in fact being discovered, and as for King Solomon, there is a long Jewish history in Africa from antiquity up to the present day!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/03/16: NOVELIST GRACE METALIOUS WAS OF CANADIAN DESCENT — HER BIRTH NAME WAS "MARIE GRACE DE REPENTIGNY". HER FIRST NOVEL WAS PEYTON PLACE, BUT THIS WAS JUST THE BEGINNING! WERE HER LATER NOVELS EVEN BETTER THAN HER FIRST? THE ANSWER IS VERY LIKELY YES -- BUT YOU BE THE JUDGE !!

Metalious, Grace (1924-1964) [American novelist] Wikipedia

The Tight White Collar (1960) [Grace Metalious was an exceptionally fine writer, with a sound knowledge of French literature and music, as becomes clear in this novel. This is not at all surprising in someone of French-Canadian descent: her name at birth was Marie Grace deRepentigny. Her novels are of special interest to Canadians, but deserve a lasting worldwide fame for the skill of her writing and the truthfulness of her narratives. This truthfulness is what made her novels notorious, but she was simply depicting life as it is actually lived, which leads to controversy often enough. Like Peyton Place, the novel is set in New England, this time in the town of Cooper Station, New Hampshire, a wealthy and unwelcoming town subsisting off the city of Cooper's Mills ten miles to the north, where a visitor "would find the factories, the tenements, the sixty-watt light bulbs in the soiled beer joints, the Canucks and the Catholics. But Cooper Station was different. It was made up of the people who profited from the existence of Cooper's Mills and who could, therefore, afford not to live there." Social conflict, sexual attraction -- human life itself, ideal material for Grace Metalious!] EPUB HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #1679]

2022/03/15: TODAY, THE THIRD VOLUME OF E. K. CHAMBERS' FAMOUS FOUR PART ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH STAGE IN THE TIME OF ELIZABETH I: IT FOCUSES ON HOW THE PLAYS WERE STAGED, AND HOW THEY CAME TO BE PUBLISHED !!

Chambers, E. K. [Edmund Kerchever] (1866-1954) [English literary historian] Wikipedia

The Elizabethan Stage, vol. 3 (1923) [This third volume of E.K. Chambers' famous work examines the mechanics of staging plays, both at court and in the theatres, and of publishing the plays, a topic crucially important to us, for that is how these plays were transmitted to future ages, including ours! The book ends with a fascinating list of the many playwrights of the period whose names are known to us, with a short biography and list of works for each.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #67462]

2022/03/13: TODAY, OUR SECOND NOVEL BY JANE AUSTEN -- WHICH SOME CONSIDER HER MASTERPIECE, SURPASSING EVEN PRIDE AND PREJUDICE !!

Austen, Jane (1775-1817) [English novelist] Wikipedia

Emma (1815) Wikipedia ["Emma Woodhouse," begins this famous novel, "handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition... had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her." But as can happen, Emma does not realize that her wealth and social position are lucky accidents, and not the result of her own efforts or intelligence. She should certainly not be telling others how to organize their lives, let alone whom they should marry! But that is what she does, naturally with limited success. Canadian politicians are like Emma: they are themselves well off, seem obsessed with "middle class aspirations", and show little knowledge of or respect for the working poor. Hence the class divisions, gigantic wealth, and mass poverty that we now see in Canada. Back to the novel! Some consider it Austen's finest work, and it is certainly popular, with many TV and film adaptations, including the 1995 film Clueless, set in Beverly Hills!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/03/10: TODAY, A FAMOUS COLLECTION OF STORIES BY RUDYARD KIPLING ABOUT THE DAILY LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF THREE SOLDIERS IN BRITISH INDIA !!

Kipling, Rudyard (1865-1936) [Anglo-Indian novelist and poet; Nobel Prize in Literature, 1907] Wikipedia

Soldiers Three and Other Stories (1899) Wikipedia [Short stories about life in the British Army in India, originally published as three separate collections. The stories are about Privates Terence Mulvaney, Stanley Ortheris, and John Learoyd, who had already made their first appearance in Plain Tales from the Hills. Readers will learn much about daily life within the British Army at the height of the Raj, when the end of empire seemed impossibly far away, even though it was in fact only fifty years off. Kipling's representation of the privates' dialects (Irish, Cockney, and Yorkshire) takes some initial adjustment, but this soon wears off. What does not wear off is the very high quality of these classic stories.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/03/06: THE ORIGINAL AND UNREVISED VERSION OF WILLIAM STRUNK'S FAMOUS HANDBOOK ON WRITING ENGLISH !!

Strunk, William [Jr.] (1869-1946) [American literary critic and grammarian] Wikipedia

The Elements of Style (1920) Wikipedia [Strunk was teaching at Cornell when he wrote this manual for his undergraduate students: it gives a set of rules to assist them in clear and grammatical writing. These rules deal with such matters as punctuation and sentence structure, and taken as a whole are an amazingly useful and coherent set of suggestions for writers. As revised by one of Strunk's students at Cornell, E. B. White (1899-1985), a writer at the New Yorker famous for such children's books as Stuart Little and Charlotte's Web, it became very popular, and has often been reprinted and updated. But the original version which we present has much to be said for it: it is concise, and Strunk's personal voice is unmistakable.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #37134]

2022/03/04: TODAY'S EBOOK HAS BECOME NEWLY FAMOUS RECENTLY! IT'S ABOUT DOCTORS, MEDICAL RESEARCH, MONEY, THE REALITIES OF PANDEMICS, AND THE EFFECT OF ALL THIS ON INDIVIDUALS. THESE ISSUES BECAME NEWLY RELEVANT WITH THE ARRIVAL OF COVID-19 TWO YEARS AGO, AND ARE STILL RELEVANT TODAY, FOR COVID IS STILL WITH US. THE ISSUES WILL BE WITH US FOREVER.

Lewis, Sinclair (1885-1951) [American novelist; Nobel Prize in Literature, 1930] Wikipedia Nobelprize.org

Arrowsmith (1925) Wikipedia [Novel about the life of Martin Arrowsmith from his early days in the small Midwestern town of Elk Mills, which follows him through medical school, life as a GP, hospital work, medical research, and bubonic plague in the Caribbean. We see how all these experiences affect Arrowsmith and those around him, and how he deals with the ethical conflicts which arise. It is an amazingly comprehensive study of the world of medicine, is absolutely relevant today, and its fame has only increased since the advent of COVID-19. Its accuracy is no accident, as in a short preface to the original edition Lewis recorded his debt to the famous microbiologist Paul de Kruif (1890-1971) Wikipedia "not only for most of the bacteriological and medical material in this tale but equally for his help in the planning of the fable itself--for his realization of the characters as living people, for his philosophy as a scientist."] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/02/02: OUR SECOND EBOOK BY JOHN STEINBECK IS THE LAST BOOK HE WROTE -- A WONDERFUL ACCOUNT OF HIS TRAVELS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES IN HIS TRUCK, ACCOMPANIED BY HIS DOG, CHARLEY !!

Steinbeck, John (1902-1968) [American novelist; Nobel Prize in Literature, 1962] Wikipedia

Travels with Charley: In Search of America (1962) Wikipedia [Steinbeck's final book, its title based on Robert Louis Stevenson's Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes -- which you will find in the Project Gutenberg Canada catalogue! However, Steinbeck travelled not with a donkey but with a notably mild-tempered poodle, Charley: together they crisscrossed the forty-eight states in a newly purchased and modified pickup truck. And what a journey they had!] EPUB HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #1679]

2022/03/01: WE NOW OFFER TWO DIGITAL EDITIONS OF THIS CLASSIC MYSTERY NOVEL BY R. AUSTIN FREEMAN, WHICH HE WROTE IN HIS LATE SEVENTIES, WITH WORLD WAR II RAGING OVERHEAD !!

Freeman, R. Austin [Richard Austin] (1862-1943) [English physician and mystery novelist] Wikipedia

Mr. Polton Explains (1940) [Mystery novel. The main character is of course Dr Thorndyke, but the action is narrated first by the Doctor's servant Nathaniel Polton, and later by the Doctor's faithful friend Christopher Jervis. The author describes it as the "story of a simple clockmaker", but of course it's far more than that, and is in fact one of his most celebrated works. And he wrote it when almost eighty!] EPUB [University of Adelaide] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1636]

2022/02/27: TODAY'S EBOOK HAS HAD A HUGE AND LASTING IMPACT -- IT EXPLAINED THAT SLIPS OF THE TONGUE ARE NOT AS ACCIDENTAL AS THEY SEEM !!

Freud, Sigmund (1856-1939) [Austrian physician and psychoanalyst] Wikipedia

Psychopathology of Everyday Life (1901 [original German version]; 1914 [this translation]) Wikipedia [Why do we forget things and then remember them? And why do we have slips of the tongue? This is the book that made Freud a household name worldwide, introduced to the world the concept of the "Freudian slip" Wikipedia and made Freud a household name worldwide. This translation of Zur Psychopathologie des Alltagslebens is by Abraham Brill (1874-1948) Wikipedia, who brought psychoanalysis to the United States, and was the first person to translate Freud into English!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #67332]

2022/02/25: RICHMAL CROMPTON'S THIRD "JUST WILLIAM" BOOK !!

Crompton, Richmal [Lamburn, Richmal Crompton] (1890-1969) [English novelist] Wikipedia

The Just William books, illustrated by Thomas Henry (1879-1962) Wikipedia

William Again (1923) [The third book of stories (fourteen of them!) about William Brown and his friends. In the first story, William decides to write (and put on stage!) a new play. Many other adventures follow.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #65590]

2022/02/22: TODAY'S EBOOK BY H. G. WELLS IS AN EVERGREEN CLASSIC OF SCIENCE FICTION !!

Wells, H. G. [Herbert George] (1866-1946) [English novelist and historian] Wikipedia

The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896) Wikipedia [An early science fiction novel, hugely successful and enduringly famous. The narrator, Edward Prendrick, is lost and presumed drowned in the South Seas, but a year later is found in a small open boat, in good health but apparently demented, and with no memory of what had happened during the intervening year. But with him was found his written narrative of these events -- and what events they were! While still living in England he had already heard of Doctor Moreau, who had become notorious for his experiments on animals ("the Moreau Horrors"), and it seems that on this distant southern island he had taken these experiments to new and horrifying extremes. We don't need to speculate on how Wells came to write this novel, for in the 1924 Atlantic Edition Wells himself has answered our question: "There was a scandalous trial about that time [1895], the graceless and pitiful downfall of a man of genius, and this story was the response of an imaginative mind to the reminder that humanity is but animal rough-hewn to a reasonable shape and in perpetual internal conflict between instinct and injunction." In other words, this account of human cruelty was prompted by the trial and conviction of Oscar Wilde, and has to be considered a defence of gay rights -- this in 1896! Wells did what he could given the vicious homophobia of his time, hence his indirect approach. But what a tremendous novel he wrote!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/02/19: TODAY, THE SECOND VOLUME OF E. K. CHAMBERS' FOUR-PART ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH STAGE IN THE TIME OF ELIZABETH I -- WITH A SPECIAL FOCUS ON (1) THE COMPANIES OF ACTORS AND (2) THE THEATRE BUILDINGS THAT THEY USED !!

Chambers, E. K. [Edmund Kerchever] (1866-1954) [English literary historian] Wikipedia

The Elizabethan Stage, vol. 2 (1923) [The second volume of E.K. Chambers's classic and wonderfully readable work focuses on the actors' companies, the playhouses they worked in, the design of these playhouses, and their way of operating. Much more is known about this than you might expect!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #67423]

2022/02/17: TODAY, WHAT SOME CONSIDER LEO TOLSTOY'S MOST PERFECT LITERARY CREATION, THE COSSACKS -- INSPIRED BY TOLSTOY'S OWN EXPERIENCES IN THE CAUCASIAN WAR !!

Tolstoy, Leo [Lev Nikolayevich] (1828-1910) [Russian novelist and social thinker] Wikipedia

The Cossacks (1863 [original novel]; 1916 [this translation]) Wikipedia [The Russian Empire's nineteenth-century acquisition of vast territories to the north and the east of the Black Sea had consequences which extend to the present day. And so this early and excellent novella by Tolstoy often seems quite contemporary: to start with, not just Cossacks but also the Chechens play a prominent role! The main character, Dmitri Andreich Olenin, clearly based on the author himself, is a rich young man "who had squandered half his fortune and had reached the age of twenty-four without having done anything or even chosen a career." He joins the army, and takes part in the Caucasian War. Olenin is greatly changed by his military experience, and by living among the Cossacks (the Chechens' adversaries), whose way of life he largely adopts, although there are limits to how much of a Cossack he can become. Still, he's quite a different man by the time the novel ends. The translation we offer is by Aylmer and Louise Maude (1858-1938; 1855-1939) Wikipedia, long-term residents of Moscow, where Louise was actually born: they were friends of Tolstoy and were his preferred English translators!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/02/15: WE'D CALL IT A CULT CLASSIC, BUT IT'S SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT! FROM 1904, WE'RE VERY PROUD TO PRESENT HADRIAN THE SEVENTH, BY FREDERICK ROLFE -- YOU MAY KNOW HIM AS "BARON CORVO" !!

Rolfe, Frederick William (1860-1913) [English novelist] Wikipedia

Hadrian the Seventh. A Romance. (1904) Wikipedia [No ordinary novel! In 1886 Rolfe had become Roman Catholic, and had subsequently enrolled in seminaries on two separate occasions, but had not completed his studies, and consequently was never ordained. His life is clearly reflected in the novel's main character, George Arthur Rose, who visits Rome and through a strange set of circumstances is elected to the papacy. And the papacy of Hadrian VII (for that is the name he took) turns out to be unlike any other!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #67369]

2022/02/10: TODAY'S EBOOK IS DON QUIXOTE -- YES, ONE OF THE GREAT CLASSICS OF WORLD LITERATURE, BUT ALSO A SATIRE, AND A VERY FUNNY ONE, IN JOHN ORMSBY'S FAMOUS 1885 TRANSLATION. AND WE INCLUDE THE FAMOUS ILLUSTRATIONS BY GUSTAVE DORÉ !!

Cervantes Saavedra, Miguel de (1547-1616) [Spanish soldier and novelist] Wikipedia

Don Quixote (1605 [first part]; 1615 [second part]; 1885 [this translation of both parts by John Ormsby (1829-1895)] Wikipedia [Novel, one of the great literary classics, but funny, and very approachable -- hence its enduring popularity ever since its first appearance. We offer the justly famous Ormsby Wikipedia translation from 1865 in a digital edition which includes the fabulous illustrations from 1863 by Gustave Doré (1832-1883) ! As the novel opens, we meet our hero, who is a member of the minor nobility. He is nearing fifty, has a small household, and not much money. He does, however, have a great deal of spare time, which he spends reading altogether too many romantic tales of chivalry: by the time we meet him he can no longer clearly distinguish between the fictional worlds he reads about and the world he actually lives in. And so he conceives the idea of leaving his home, becoming a knight errant, and righting the world's wrongs. The novel is the story of how this project goes. CAUTION: The many illustrations have made this ebook unusually large. It will require more storage space than is usual, and the download may take some extra time.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #996]
 
Traduction française par Louis Viardot (1800-1883) fr.wikipedia
L'ingénieux hidalgo Don Quichotte de la Manche - Tome I (1863) Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 16066]
L'ingénieux hidalgo Don Quichotte de la Manche - Tome II (1863) Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 16067]
Texto castellano
El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha (1605);
El ingenioso caballero don Quijote de la Mancha (1615)

es.wikipedia
Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 2000]

2022/02/08: WE NOW OFFER TWO DIGITAL EDITIONS OF JOSEPHINE TEY'S FINAL MYSTERY NOVEL -- WHICH FEATURES INSPECTOR GRANT, OF COURSE  !!

Tey, Josephine [Elizabeth MacKintosh] (1896-1952) [Scottish novelist and playwright] Wikipedia

The Singing Sands (1952) [Josephine Tey's final mystery novel. As the book opens, Inspector Alan Grant's train is arriving in Glasgow from London: he is suffering from overwork, and his doctor has recommended that he take a break. But after the train has arrived, one of Grant's fellow passengers is found dead. So much for Inspector Grant's vacation! "The author's swan song, but she'll be read for a long, long time," commented "Sergeant Cuff" (John T. Winterich) in the Saturday Review, 13 June 1953. And indeed she is widely read to this day -- for here we are discussing her!] EPUB [University of Adelaide] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #291]

2022/02/04: RICHMAL CROMPTON'S FIRST BOOK, "JUST WILLIAM", ABOUT THE ENGLISH SCHOOLBOY WILLIAM BROWN AND HIS FRIENDS, WAS CLEARLY A HIT -- FOR LATER IN THE SAME YEAR SHE PUBLISHED "MORE WILLIAM", ITS FIRST SEQUEL. MANY MORE LAY AHEAD !!

Crompton, Richmal [Lamburn, Richmal Crompton] (1890-1969) [English novelist] Wikipedia

The Just William books, illustrated by Thomas Henry (1879-1962) Wikipedia

More William (1922) Wikipedia [Published with little delay in the same year as Just William, it is along the same lines as the earlier book -- why break something that most definitely isn't broken? So no reboot for William, now or ever. In fact, he remains the same age (eleven) through all the books, a span of nearly fifty years, though no one in the books ever seems to notice this.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #17125]

2022/02/02: BRUSH UP YOUR SHAKESPEARE -- AND YOUR THOMAS HEYWOOD !!

Heywood, Thomas (ca. 1570-1641) [English actor, playwright, pamphleteer, and poet] Wikipedia

The Best Plays of the Old Dramatists: Thomas Heywood (1888) Wikipedia [No one today is likely to dispute Shakespeare's preeminence among Elizabethan playwrights. But many other playwrights were popular at the time: at least some of their works are certainly worth our time. But how to choose? For this "unexpurgated edition" in the famous Mermaid Series, the choosing is done for us by an excellent judge, Arthur Wilson Verity (1863-1937) : he was famous for his editions of Shakespeare. A fine introduction was added by John Addington Symonds (1840-1893) Wikipedia, the famous Renaissance scholar and poet. The edition includes numerous short footnotes to help with unusual words and phrases. It's hard to imagine a more attractive or practical introduction to Heywood!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #67267]

2022/01/31: ON THE LAST DAY OF JANUARY, OUR FIRST EBOOK BY JOHN STEINBECK

Steinbeck, John (1902-1968) [American novelist; Nobel Prize in Literature, 1962] Wikipedia

The Wayward Bus (1947) Wikipedia [Those who grew up in rural Canada far away from the large cities will easily relate to this novel about a very small bus service in California, run from a garage at a crossroads named Rebel Corners. The driver is the garage owner, Juan Chicoy. Once a day he does a round trip to the coastal town of San Juan de la Cruz, where his passengers transfer to the Greyhound bus heading north to San Francisco or south to Los Angeles. His passengers are few in number -- but what a cast of characters they are! And Steinbeck tells their stories as only he can.] EPUB HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #1678]

2022/01/30: OUR FIRST EBOOK BY RICHMAL CROMPTON! YES, WE'RE DELIGHTED TO PRESENT THE FIRST OF HER "JUST WILLIAM" BOOKS !!

Crompton, Richmal [Lamburn, Richmal Crompton] (1890-1969) [English novelist] Wikipedia

The Just William novels, illustrated by Thomas Henry (1879-1962) Wikipedia

Just William (1922) Wikipedia [Crompton's first book about William Brown and his friends ("the Outlaws"); many were to follow. William is eleven years of age, and within the Outlaws has considerable moral authority, but is not really in charge of them. He has quick wits and, like many children, a sound understanding of how adult society really works -- not quite the way parents and teachers advertise! Popular with children for obvious reasons, the book, like Kim and many other "children's books", is in fact written at an adult level. And it comes with a fine set of illustrations by Thomas Henry (1879-1962) Wikipedia] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #34414]

2022/01/27: OUR THIRD NOVEL BY WILLA CATHER! IT FOLLOWS THE PROGRESS OF THEA KRONBORG FROM HER HOMETOWN IN COLORADO TO LATER FAME AS AN OPERA SINGER !!

Cather, Willa [Willa Sibert] (1873-1947) [American novelist] Wikipedia Full biography by James Woodress

The Song of the Lark (1915) Wikipedia [Novel, which follows the life and career of Thea Kronberg, born in the small and recently founded Colorado town of Moonstone, which was not so very different from many towns of the same period in the western regions of Canada. By a series of fortunate events she moves first to Denver, and then to Chicago, where she takes singing lessons, which go well, so well that she becomes an internationally famous opera singer, but never loses touch with her origins. "This story," Cather comments, "attempts to deal only with the simple and concrete beginnings which color and accent an artist's work, and to give some account of how a Moonstone girl found her way out of a vague, easy-going world into a life of disciplined endeavor." But surely the most interesting part of most artists' lives is the beginning, later successes being only the logical consequence of what has already happened. In other words, Cather planned her novel well, and was soon rewarded by its commercial success.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/01/23: TODAY, A NOVEL BY STELLA BENSON! THE ENGLISH AUTHOR AND POLITICAL ACTIVIST WAS TRAVELLING THE WORLD AT THE TIME, AND ALONG THE WAY WROTE NOT ONLY TRAVEL BOOKS, BUT ALSO THIS NOVEL -- WHICH STARTS IN CALIFORNIA, BUT THEN MOVES TO CHINA !!

Benson, Stella (1892-1933) [English novelist] Wikipedia

The Poor Man (1923) [Novel, set in San Francisco and Berkeley, where our author was living around the time she was writing it. The main character is Edward R. Williams, who, when we first meet him, has "very little money": hence the title. The novel's comments on life in the Bay Area seem as true today as when they were written: the tech bros had not yet arrived, but San Francisco was already cool. Very cool. Certainly it was a place where, then as now, it was better to have money. However, although he had many generous friends, he "was not too proud but too shy" to ask for money, The fact is that Edward was not socially adept and, in addition, was partly deaf, not that he thought most conversation worth listening to. And maybe he was right! He had been born and raised in India, and as the novel opens he may well be on his way back to Asia -- not India, but China!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #67195]

2022/01/19: OUR FIRST EBOOK BY THE FAMOUS AMERICAN NOVELIST AND ESSAYIST CHRISTOPHER MORLEY -- AND IT COMES WITH A FINE SET OF PEN AND INK DRAWINGS BY WALTER JACK DUNCAN !!

Morley, Christopher (1890-1957) [American journalist, essayist, and novelist] Wikipedia

The Powder of Sympathy (1923) [The title may be obscure, but these sparkling essays are not (and one of them explains the title!). Since 1920, Morley had been on the staff of the New York Evening Post: this is his own selection of columns he had written. And what an exhilarating time it was to live in Manhattan and be a writer! Morley quickly became famous, and in these essays it is easy to see why: mostly quite short, they cover a startlingly wide range of topics literary, historical, and topical. As if this isn't enough, each column has an accompanying drawing or cartoon by the celebrated New York magazine and book illustrator Walter Jack Duncan (1881-1941) Wikipedia!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #67188]

2022/01/17: RUDYARD KIPLING'S VERY FIRST BOOK OF STORIES !!

Kipling, Rudyard (1865-1936) [Anglo-Indian novelist and poet; Nobel Prize in Literature, 1907] Wikipedia

Plain Tales from the Hills (1888) Wikipedia [Kipling's first collection of stories, many of them written in Lahore for the Civil and Military Gazette, where Kipling was hired at the impressively young age of sixteen! Still more impressive: these stories became instant and permanent classics, whose fame endures to this day. Set in various parts of British India, including the hill station of Simla, their high reputation shows just how much impact truly short stories can have!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/01/14: WHAT BETTER READING FOR A WINTER WEEKEND THAN A MYSTERY BY THE LEGENDARY SCOTTISH NOVELIST JOSEPHINE TEY ?

Tey, Josephine [Elizabeth MacKintosh] (1896-1952) [Scottish novelist and playwright] Wikipedia

To Love and Be Wise (1950) [Mystery novel, featuring Inspector Alan Grant. It is part of human nature to be at least initially suspicious of those from distant places. So it is hardly surprising that the celebrity photographer Leslie Searle is received coolly in the small English village of Salcott St Mary upon his arrival from Hollywood. Still, murder seems an overreaction, if it was a murder. It's a good thing that Inspector Grant is there to help out!] EPUB [University of Adelaide] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #120]

2022/01/10: H. G. WELLS HAS A UNIQUE PLACE IN THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE FICTION -- BUT HE DID SO MUCH MORE! AS TODAY'S EBOOK WILL SHOW: PERHAPS THE FINEST OF HIS MANY NOVELS !!

Wells, H. G. [Herbert George] (1866-1946) [English novelist and historian] Wikipedia

Kipps. The Story of a Simple Soul. (1905) Wikipedia [Novel (nothing to do with science fiction!), with a high reputation: the inspiration for the musical Half a Sixpence Wikipedia Most would say that sudden wealth is a good thing, but it is a rupture with one's previous life that risks creating a social/economic distance from those one has always known. This novel tells the story of Artie Kipps: raised in poverty, in his mid twenties he unexpectedly comes into a major inheritance. We learn how he reacts to this change, and what then happens. Wells (lucky him! And lucky us!) was famous not only for his science fiction, but also for his social novels in the tradition of Dickens: this novel shows why.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/01/06: ALBERT EINSTEIN DISCOVERED THE THEORY OF RELATIVITY -- AND WON THE NOBEL PRIZE! NO ONE COULD EXPLAIN THIS THEORY BETTER THAN EINSTEIN'S FELLOW NOBEL LAUREATE, LORD BERTRAND RUSSELL !!

Russell, Bertrand [Arthur William], 3rd Earl Russell [Welsh philosopher, mathematician, and peace activist; Nobel Prize in Literature, 1950] (1872-1970) Wikipedia

The A B C of Relativity (1925) ["Everybody knows that Einstein has done something astonishing," remarks Bertrand Russell at the start of this book, "but very few people know exactly what it is that he has done." Russell was writing only ten years after Einstein's discovery of general relativity, but his statement is certainly still true today. And who better to discuss relativity in a readable and comprehensible way than the famous mathematician and winner of the 1950 Nobel Prize for Literature?] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #67104]

2022/01/04: IN MID DECEMBER WE PRESENTED YOU WITH ALICE IN WONDERLAND. WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE NEW YEAR WE COMPLETE THE PAIRING, WITH THROUGH THE LOOKING-GLASS. BOTH EBOOKS COME WITH SIR JOHN TENNIEL'S WONDERFUL ILLUSTRATIONS !!

Carroll, Lewis [Dodgson, Charles Lutwidge] (1832-1898) [English mathematician, logician, and author] Wikipedia

Through the Looking-Glass (1871) Wikipedia [Or, to give Carroll's full title, Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There. Published six years after Alice in Wonderland, and generally read in conjunction with the earlier novel, it is written at the same high level, and has some very famous episodes: Tweedledum and Tweedledee, Jabberwocky, Humpty Dumpty... In any case, here it is for you to enjoy, complete with the wonderful illustrations by Sir John Tenniel (1820-1914) from the 1871 first edition, as well as a preface added by Carroll in 1896!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2022/01/01: HAPPY PUBLIC DOMAIN DAY -- AUTHORS FROM 1971 HAVE NOW JOINED THE CANADIAN PUBLIC DOMAIN!
 
BUT IF TR*MP'S COERCIVE COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS ARE IMPOSED BY PARLIAMENT THIS YEAR, THERE WILL BE A TWENTY-YEAR FREEZE ON OUR PUBLIC DOMAIN -- UNTIL 2042.
 
FORTUNATELY, THESE EXTENSIONS ARE ON HOLD BECAUSE THE U.S. HAS INITIATED A TRADE QUARREL WITH CANADA.
 
THESE EXTENSIONS MUST BE CANCELLED IMMEDIATELY AND PERMANENTLY EVEN IF THAT QUARREL IS PATCHED OVER.
 
THE CANADIAN PUBLIC DOMAIN BELONGS TO THE CANADIAN PEOPLE, EACH ONE OF US. IT DOES NOT BELONG TO FOREIGN AUTOCRATS AND FOREIGN CORPORATIONS.

Hilton, James (1900-1954) [English novelist] Wikipedia

Morning Journey (1951) [Novel, centred around the making of a film called Morning Journey, and the interactions between its director, Paul Saffron, and his leading lady, Irish-born Carey Arundel. In the course of the novel we learn not only about Hollywood, but also Dublin's Abbey Theatre, London's West End, and New York's Broadway. This was the world in which Hilton lived: Mrs. Miniver won him the 1942 Academy Award for best adapted screenplay!] EPUB HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #1677]

2021/12/24: SEASON'S GREETINGS! OUR CHRISTMAS GIFT TO YOU IS A NOVELLA BY CHARLES DICKENS, NO LESS! AND ONE WHICH SPEAKS TO ALL OF US AS WE DEAL WITH THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC AFTERMATH OF COVID !!

Dickens, Charles [Charles John Huffam] (1812-1870) [English novelist, editor, and social activist] Wikipedia

The Chimes (1844) Wikipedia [Or, to give the novella its full title, "The Chimes: A Goblin Story of Some Bells that Rang an Old Year Out and a New Year In". An impassioned plea for social justice for the poor, with a message that hasn't dated with the years, we can safely say, as we survey the deep social and economic divisions in Canada and elsewhere. The novella was published the year after A Christmas Carol (also available from Project Gutenberg Canada -- in several languages!) to which it certainly bears a family resemblance: there are, for example, ghosts (goblins), each attached to a bell in a local bell tower. Our hero, Toby ("Trotty") Veck sees "in every Bell a bearded figure of the bulk and stature of the Bell". The Goblin of the Great Bell takes Toby through a series of visions of the unfortunate lives of those around him, until he awakes at the arrival of the New Year. Are his visions only dreams, or are they realities, which can yet be changed?] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2021/12/22: OUR REFRESHED JOSEPHINE TEY SERIES CONTINUES, TODAY'S OFFERING IS BRAT FARRAR -- WE NOW OFFER TWO SEPARATE DIGITAL EDITIONS OF THIS TRULY CLASSIC MYSTERY NOVEL !!

Tey, Josephine [Elizabeth MacKintosh] (1896-1952) [Scottish novelist and playwright] Wikipedia

Brat Farrar (1949) Wikipedia [Mystery novel. Latchetts is an estate in southern England, near the Channel. It is not the grandest of estates (there is no butler), but the Ashby family has owned it for centuries, and it is solvent, although expensive to run. But there's some money to be inherited, as well as the estate itself, and a new claimant shows up, the mysterious Brat Farrar. The novel involves intrigue, and indeed murder, or rather murders!] EPUB [University of Adelaide] EPUB HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #112]

2021/12/20: A FINE ALBUM OF DRAWINGS FOR CHILDREN BY WALTER CRANE !!

Crane, Walter (1845-1915) [English artist and illustrator] Wikipedia

Legends for Lionel in Pen & Pencil (1887) [The "legends", as you might guess, are drawings, accompanied by short texts in the spirit of nursery rhymes. The drawings are gorgeous, as you would expect from Walter Crane, and were originally created for his son Lionel. "This book of sketches," wrote Crane. "the offspring of the odd half hours of winter evenings, was originally intended strictly for home consumption. One thing, however, leads to another, just as the sketches did, following one by one as fancy led, till they filled the book." A friend admired the book and passed it to the publisher Cassell, who duly published it, thus enabling us to enjoy the pictures today!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #66966]

2021/12/16: OUR VERY SPECIAL GIFT TO YOU -- LEWIS CARROLL'S ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND, COMPLETE WITH SIR JOHN TENNIEL'S FAMOUS ILLUSTRATIONS !!

Carroll, Lewis [Dodgson, Charles Lutwidge] (1832-1898) [English mathematician, logician, and author] Wikipedia

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) Wikipedia [It is a hot summer afternoon, and Alice is sitting with her sister, when suddenly a White Rabbit with pink eyes runs close by her. This is no ordinary rabbit, however: it is speaking to itself ("Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!"), and then it takes a watch out of its pocket! And the adventures keep coming in this evergreen satirical classic, famous in every country: it is so much more than a children's book! Our EPUB includes the famous illustrations by the English cartoonist and illustrator Sir John Tenniel (1820-1914) Wikipedia. EPUB [University of Adelaide]
 
Traduction française par Henri Bué (1843-1929)
 
Aventures d'Alice au pays des merveilles (1869) fr.wikipedia Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 55456]

2021/12/12: TODAY, OUR REFRESHED OFFERING OF JOSEPHINE TEY'S THE FRANCHISE AFFAIR -- WE NOW OFFER TWO SEPARATE DIGITAL EDITIONS OF THIS TRULY CLASSIC MYSTERY NOVEL !!

Tey, Josephine [Elizabeth MacKintosh] (1896-1952) [Scottish novelist and playwright] Wikipedia

The Franchise Affair (1948) Wikipedia [As this mystery novel opens, we meet Robert Blair, a solicitor in the quiet market town of Milford. But it's not completely quiet -- not when Marion Sharpe and her mother, the eminently respectable residents of The Franchise, "the house out on the Larborough road", find themselves accused of kidnapping! Which is why the Sharpes are consulting Robert Blair. As the plot develops, others show up -- including Inspector Alan Grant!] EPUB [University of Adelaide] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #88]

2021/12/10: TODAY, A NEW AUTHOR -- SWEDEN'S SELMA LAGERLÖF, THE FIRST FEMALE AUTHOR TO RECEIVE THE NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE !!

Lagerlöf, Selma [Selma Ottilia Lovisa] (1858-1940) [Swedish teacher and author; Nobel Prize in Literature, 1909] Wikipedia

Mårbacka (1922 [Swedish original]; 1925 [this translation]) [Autobiography, translated by Velma Swanston Howard (1868-1937). Mårbacka Wikipedia is the country home where Selma Lagerlöf was born; it had been in the family since 1801. Financial problems arose which led to the sale of Mårbacka in 1889, but once Lagerlöf had become an established international author and won the Nobel Prize, these problems vanished, and she was able to acquire ownership of her beloved childhood home, and stay there for the rest of her life. This memoir is an evocative account of Lagerlöf's childhood at Mårbacka, and of Swedish country life at the height of the nineteenth century. What better way could be imagined of escaping for a while the crises of our own age than reading this fine memoir?] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #66906]

2021/12/07: TODAY, THE THIRD AND FINAL EBOOK IN THE WONDERFUL AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL TRILOGY WITH WHICH LEO TOLSTOY MADE HIS TRIUMPHANT DEBUT IN WORLD LITERATURE !!

Tolstoy, Leo [Lev Nikolayevich] (1828-1910) [Russian novelist and social thinker] Wikipedia

Youth (1857 [original novel]; 1912 [this translation]) Wikipedia [The third and final novel in Tolstoy's autobiographical trilogy, translated by Charles James Hogarth (1869-1945). As the novel opens, our hero and narrator, Nicola Irtenieff, is sixteen years of age, about to take his university entrance exams (which he duly passes), and is experiencing the pleasures and trials of his increased personal autonomy, as he meets and sometimes becomes close friends with people outside his immediate family circle. The novel takes him to the end of his time at university and to the threshold of manhood.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2021/12/05: FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE DURING THE HOLIDAYS, A MAGNIFICENT ALBUM OF TRULY AMAZING ETCHINGS FROM ACROSS FIVE CENTURIES. THEY'LL LOOK WONDERFUL ON YOUR TABLET OR MONITOR !!

Carrington, Fitzroy (1869-1954) [American art historian] Wikipedia Dictionary of Art Historians

Engravers and Etchers (1917) ["Six Lectures Delivered on the Scammon Foundation at the Art Institute of Chicago, March 1916", says the title page, but this doesn't come even close to describing this magnificent book and its 133 beautiful illustrations from the fifteenth to the twentieth centuries. "My sole aim," says Carrington, "has been to share with my audience the stimulation and pleasure which certain prints by the great engravers and etchers have given me." He is too modest: his book is very easy to read but full of learning. For those wanting even more information, tucked away at the end of each chapter are admirably complete bibliographical notes by Adam E. M. Paff (1891-1932) of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #66848]

2021/12/01: WE FOLLOW OUR EBOOK OF LEO TOLSTOY'S CHILDHOOD WITH ITS FAMOUS SEQUEL BOYHOOD -- THEREBY DOUBLING THE SIZE OF OUR TOLSTOY COLLECTION! WHAT A WAY TO START DECEMBER !!

Tolstoy, Leo [Lev Nikolayevich] (1828-1910) [Russian novelist and social thinker] Wikipedia

Boyhood (1854 [original novel]; 1912 [this translation]) Wikipedia [Tolstoy's second novel, translated by Charles James Hogarth (1869-1945) . It is a sequel to Childhood, and has the same narrator, who is now naturally somewhat older. As the novel starts he is starting the long trip to Moscow from the village of Petrovskoe, where his mother has just died: he discovers that her passing has affected the lives of many people, in particular his own. Still, he is very young, and most of his life lies ahead. In the course of the novel he learns much about his family, about himself, and about his beloved tutor Karl Ivanitch, who played such an important role in the earlier novel.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2021/11/26: IT'S TIME TO LAUNCH OUR RUSSIAN LITERATURE SERIES! WHAT BETTER AUTHOR TO START WITH THAN LEO TOLSTOY, AND WHAT BETTER PLACE TO START THAN TOLSTOY'S VERY FIRST NOVEL ??

Tolstoy, Leo [Lev Nikolayevich] (1828-1910) [Russian novelist and social thinker] Wikipedia

Childhood (1852 [original novel]; 1912 [this translation]) Wikipedia [Tolstoy's first novel, translated by Charles James Hogarth (1869-1945) Wikipedia. A wondrously evocative description of early childhood, clearly based on Tolstoy's own memories. As it starts, the tutor Karl Ivanitch is waking his charge, the youngest of the family, "just three days after my tenth birthday, when I had been given such wonderful presents". Perhaps you are already captivated, and simply must continue reading!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2021/11/22: TODAY'S SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL WAS A BLAZING COMET OF ORIGINALITY WHEN IT FIRST APPEARED IN 1920, AND AT FIRST WAS ONLY APPRECIATED BY A LIMITED NUMBER OF ADMIRERS -- BUT THESE CONNOISSEURS INCLUDED C.S. LEWIS AND J.R.R. TOLKIEN !!

Lindsay, David (1876-1945) [British science fiction author] Wikipedia The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction

A Voyage to Arcturus (1920) Wikipedia [Science fiction novel, accurately described by its title. But this is no ordinary science fiction novel: the other worlds described are well and truly "other" -- life as transacted on them is completely different from Earth. The book was greatly admired by J.R.R. Tolkien and by C.S. Lewis, whose science fiction novels (which you will find in the Project Gutenberg Canada catalogue) show its influence: they are not as uncompromising as Lindsay's novel, which is a challenging read, although its style and vocabulary are impeccable. Few novels are so entirely original.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2021/11/20: OUR REFRESH OF PROJECT GUTENBERG CANADA'S JOSEPHINE TEY SERIES CONTINUES -- WHAT A LUXURY FOR YOU AND FOR US! WE NOW OFFER TWO SEPARATE DIGITAL EDITIONS OF ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS NOVELS BY THAT SCOTTISH MISTRESS OF MYSTERY !!

Tey, Josephine [Elizabeth MacKintosh] (1896-1952) [Scottish novelist and playwright] Wikipedia

A Shilling for Candles (1936) Wikipedia [Mystery novel, a famous one, featuring Inspector Alan Grant. The life of a film actress can be glamorous -- and short! We now offer two editions of the novel: our original ebook, and also the elegant EPUB from the University of Adelaide.] EPUB [University of Adelaide] EPUB HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #1310]

2021/11/18: TODAY, THE FIRST VOLUME OF E. K. CHAMBERS' FOUR-PART ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH STAGE IN THE TIME OF ELIZABETH I -- THE PERFECT AMALGAM OF READABILITY AND SCHOLARSHIP !!

Chambers, E. K. [Edmund Kerchever] (1866-1954) [English literary historian] Wikipedia

The Elizabethan Stage, vol. 1 (1923) [Literary history, done well, does not date. E.K. Chambers was astoundingly well read: who today could surpass his direct knowledge of the history of early English theatre? Add to this a remarkable elegance of style, and you have a classic for the ages, and a very attractive read. This first volume is an account of the court of Elizabeth I, with particular attention to the stage. Note: The ample bibliography appears at the start of the book, not the end. The table of contents will take you to the main text of the book.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #66003]

2021/11/16: THERE ARE MYSTERY NOVELS, AND THEN THERE ARE CLASSIC MYSTERY NOVELS. AND THEY DON'T COME MORE CLASSIC THAN THE NOVELS OF JOSEPHINE TEY! IT'S OUR PLEASURE TO OFFER NOT ONE BUT TWO DIGITAL EDITIONS OF HER FIRST NOVEL, FEATURING HER FAMOUS CREATION INSPECTOR ALAN GRANT !!

Tey, Josephine [Elizabeth MacKintosh] (1896-1952) [Scottish novelist and playwright] Wikipedia

The Man in the Queue (1929) [Josephine Tey's first mystery novel, in which she introduced her famous detective, Inspector Alan Grant of Scotland Yard. The queue of the title is a theatre queue in London's West End: as it turns out, a dangerous place to be. "This exceptionally good detective story is worked out carefully enough so that even the Scotland Yard inspector who takes charge of the case strikes the reader as a human being, something rare enough among the Scotland Yarders of fiction... It is recommended to all detective story addicts" (Saturday Review, 12 October 1929). We now offer two editions of the novel: our original ebook, and also the elegant EPUB from the University of Adelaide.] EPUB [University of Adelaide] EPUB HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #1452]

2021/11/14: TODAY'S EBOOK IS THE NOVEL THAT MADE MINNESOTA'S SINCLAIR LEWIS FAMOUS -- AND WON HIM THE NOBEL PRIZE FOR LITERATURE !!

Lewis, Sinclair (1885-1951) [American novelist; Nobel Prize in Literature, 1930] Wikipedia Nobelprize.org

Main Street (1920) Wikipedia [Sinclair Lewis was born in the small Minnesota town of Sauk Centre, which clearly served as the basis for Gopher City, where this satirical novel takes place. Its main character is Carol Milford, born in the larger town of Mankato, somewhat to the south, not far from the Iowa border. As the novel opens, she has just arrived in Gopher City, having attended a college "on the edge of Minneapolis", and then gone to Chicago for a year to study librarianship. She is educated and has a considerable knowledge of the wider world -- so Gopher City comes as a shock! The novel is particularly accessible to Canadian readers, since Minnesota shares not only a border but much of its history and social structure with Canada, from the time not so long ago when immigration from one country to the other was easy, and before the friendly border turned into a militarized frontier. This novel recalls this earlier, happier era. And it is wickedly funny!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2021/11/11: IT'S REMEMBRANCE DAY, AND WE'VE CHOSEN A FINE CANADIAN WAR NOVEL TO MARK IT! THE BEST WAY THAT WE CAN HONOUR THOSE WHO FOUGHT FOR OUR FREEDOMS IS BY INSISTING OUR POLITICIANS DO THE SAME -- BY NOT ALLOWING A FOREIGN AUTOCRAT TO DICTATE OUR COPYRIGHT AND TRADE LAWS! LESS TIME IN TOFINO, JUSTIN, AND MORE TIME SERVING CANADIANS BY FIXING THE MESS YOU MADE !!

Allen, Ralph (1913-1966) [Canadian journalist, historian, and novelist] Wikipedia

The High White Forest (1964) [The Belgium most people know is the country's fertile coastal plain, where Brussels, Antwerp, and other famous cities are located. But there is another Belgium, the eastern section, geographically the larger part of the country. Here can be found the Forest of the Ardennes, the "high white forest" of the title, which has many mountains, rivers, and swamps, a small population, and severe winter weather. It proved a nightmare for military operations during the Battle of the Bulge Wikipedia, which is the backdrop for this fine war novel, told from the perspective of members of the Canadian, German, and American armies. Ralph Allen knew what he was talking about: throughout the war he reported from Europe for Toronto's Globe and Mail, and his easy expertise and ample knowledge is apparent throughout the novel.] EPUB HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #1676]

2021/11/06: A FEW DAYS AGO, IT WAS OUR PRIVILEGE TO OFFER YOU LAURENCE STERNE'S A SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY. TODAY, FOR YOUR WEEKEND READING PLEASURE, WE OFFER HIS MOST FAMOUS WORK OF ALL, TRISTRAM SHANDY !!

Sterne, Laurence (1713-1768) [Anglo-Irish priest, anti-slavery activist, and novelist]] Wikipedia

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1759-1767) Wikipedia [Sterne's most famous novel, a satirical travelogue: it was a huge, instantaneous and lasting success, and has often been translated: we offer not only the English-language original, but also a French translation from 1803. From the beginning, it was published as a serial, nine volumes, which appeared at intervals, the last of them being published the year before Sterne's passing. Not surprisingly, there is no particular indication that this was the end: no doubt Sterne might well have carried the novel further had he lived longer. But this does no harm to the novel, which is not an account of Tristram Shandy's life, but his observations on the people and incidents around him: his father and his uncle Toby play a major part in these anecdotes. The novel jumps back and forth as new distractions shift the narrative, but is not difficult to read, in spite of its age, and its vocabulary is straightforward, even if the first line of Sterne's dedication happens to present us with "wight", that is, "human being"! Sterne was very familiar with the great Renaissance satirists Rabelais and Cervantes, and he has joined their number as a European classic and a uniquely entertaining author.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

Traduction anonyme française
Vie et opinions de Tristram Shandy (1803) fr.wikipedia
Tome premier: Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 61772]
Tome second: Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 61816]
Tome troisième: Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 61856]
Tome quatrième: Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 61905]

2021/10/31: HAPPY HALLOWEEN! HERE AT PROJECT GUTENBERG CANADA, WE DON'T OFFER TRICKS -- WE LEAVE THOSE TO OUR POLITICIANS, WHOSE BIGGEST TRICK HAS SURELY BEEN THEIR TWENTY YEAR COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS. (THANKS, JUSTIN! THANKS, CHRYSTIA! AND PASS OUR THANKS ON TO YOUR BUDDY DONALD!) BUT WE LEAVE THE TRICKS TO THE TRICKSTERS, WHILE WE FOCUS ON TREATS FOR OUR READERS -- WONDERFUL FREE EBOOKS! TODAY'S TREAT IS BY IRELAND'S LAURENCE STERNE !!

Sterne, Laurence (1713-1768) [Anglo-Irish priest, anti-slavery activist, and novelist]] Wikipedia

A Sentimental Journey through France and Italy (1768) Wikipedia [Sterne's second and final novel, in the form of a travelogue: it was a huge and lasting success with the public. More than a century later, it inspired the similarly titled Our Sentimental Journey through France and Italy by Joseph and Elizabeth Pennell, which you will find in our catalogue. The journey is "sentimental" because as the journey progresses Sterne focuses on the sentiments (feelings) of himself and those around him, rather than giving a dry recitation of geographical and historical information about the places he visits. A decision for which posterity thanks him!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

Traduction anonyme française
Le Voyage sentimental (1803) fr.wikipedia Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 62013]

2021/10/26: A TRAVEL BOOK BY THE JOURNALIST ELIZABETH PENNELL AND HER HUSBAND, THE FAMOUS ARTIST JOSEPH PENNELL, WHO CONTRIBUTED A HUGE NUMBER OF HIS WONDERFUL DRAWINGS. THIS IS A TRAVEL BOOK FOR THE AGES !!

Pennell, Joseph (1857-1926) [American artist] Wikipedia Wikimedia Commons The Victorian Web
with Pennell, Elizabeth Robins (1855-1936) [American travel writer, art critic, biographer and gastronome] Wikipedia

Our Sentimental Journey through France and Italy (1893 version) [Travel book, inspired by the all but identically named A Sentimental Journey through France and Italy (1768) by Laurence Sterne (1713-1768), which you will also find in the Project Gutenberg Canada catalogue. But unlike Laurence Sterne, the Pennells travelled on a tandem tricycle. And Joseph Pennell created a huge and dazzling set of drawings to illustrate their book! Really, these drawings are the main reason we have added this book to our catalogue.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #56438]

2021/10/21: EMILY BRONTË WROTE ONLY ONE NOVEL, BUT NO SEQUEL IS NEEDED WHEN THE NOVEL IN QUESTION IS... WUTHERING HEIGHTS !!

Brontë, Emily [Emily Jane] (1818-1848) [English novelist] Wikipedia

Wuthering Heights (1847) Wikipedia [Emily Brontë's only novel, controversial when published because of its language and subject matter, but now long established as one of the great English classics. The novel is set in (very) rural Yorkshire; as it opens Mr Lockwood, a new tenant, is making a call on his not very sociable landlord, Mr Heathcliff. In the course of the novel we shall learn much about Heathcliff's tumultuous life and how he has affected those around him. "Wuthering Heights... is passionate and profoundly moving; it has the depth and power of a great poem. To read it is not like reading a work of fiction, in which, however absorbed, you can remind yourself, if need be, that it is only a story; it is to have a shattering experience in your own life." (W. Somerset Maugham, Books and You). NOTE: As a special bonus, the EPUB we offer includes the fascinating 1850 biographical notice by Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855) discussing her famous sisters and their works.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

Traduction française par Téodor de Wyzewa (1862-1917) fr.wikipedia
Un amant (1892) fr.wikipedia Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 63193]

2021/10/18: TODAY, GREAT EXPECTATIONS -- OUR FOURTH EBOOK BY CHARLES DICKENS !!

Dickens, Charles [Charles John Huffam] (1812-1870) [English novelist, editor, and social activist] Wikipedia

Great Expectations (1861) Wikipedia [Really a novel about class and money -- have things really changed in England? Or elsewhere, for that matter. Perhaps this universal theme explains the amazing success of this novel and of the fine movie adaptations it has inspired. In any case, our hero Pip is an orphan, living on the coast of Kent with his older sister and her husband, Joe Gargery, a blacksmith. Pip has no particular career prospects until the wealthy Miss Havisham becomes his patroness, paying for his apprenticeship as a blacksmith. But then he receives a gift from an anonymous benefactor, enough to make him financially independent. But will this enormous gift truly change his life? And if so, will it be for the better?] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

Traduction française par Charles Bernard-Derosne (1825-1904) fr.wikipedia
Les grandes espérances (1863) fr.wikipedia Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #17565]

2021/10/15: FALL IS NOW DEEPENING INTO WINTER: PERFECT READING WEATHER! AND WHAT BETTER READING THAN A CLASSIC NOVEL BY CHARLES DICKENS ?

Dickens, Charles [Charles John Huffam] (1812-1870) [English novelist, editor, and social activist] Wikipedia

Bleak House (1853) Wikipedia [If you're considering launching a lawsuit, you might want to read Bleak House first! Lawsuits can go on year after year and produce little except huge legal bills, as with Jarndyce and Jarndyce, the legal case at the centre of this novel, which touches the lives of many people. The title may be bleak, but the novel is not, and has remained a favourite with the public (in particular with lawyers) up to the present day.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2021/10/14: WE CELEBRATED THANKSGIVING BY POSTING THE TIME MACHINE -- NOW WE MARK THE END OF THANKSGIVING WEEK WITH ANOTHER SCIENCE FICTION CLASSIC BY H. G. WELLS !!

Wells, H. G. [Herbert George] (1866-1946) [English novelist and historian] Wikipedia

The War of the Worlds (1898) Wikipedia [Science fiction novel, which has given rise to many adaptations, but none of these adaptations surpasses the original, with its famous opening words: "No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man's and yet as mortal as his own..." It's difficult to exaggerate the influence of this classic novel, not only on science fiction, but on the actual development of modern space travel: Wells had the original vision which started it all! But it would be an injustice to focus on Wells as a mere influence on others: this is a truly immortal classic, beautifully written. If you would like to see the famous illustrations created by Henrique Alvim Corrêa, greatly admired by Wells himself, have a look at the French translation listed below!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

Traduction française par Henry-D. Davray (1873-1944) fr.wikipedia avec les célèbres illustrations par Henrique Alvim Corrêa (1876-1910) fr.wikipedia
La Guerre des mondes (1906) Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #60656]

2021/10/08: OUR THANKSGIVING OFFERING TO YOU IS A VERY SPECIAL ONE: PERHAPS THE MOST FAMOUS WORK OF SCIENCE FICTION EVER WRITTEN !!

Wells, H. G. [Herbert George] (1866-1946) [English novelist and historian] Wikipedia

The Time Machine (1895) Wikipedia [Science fiction novella. Wells not only wrote the book, he actually invented the term "time machine", which has entered the language. And of course all subsequent time travel novels, films, and stories are derived from or influenced by Wells' masterpiece, which may be the most famous science fiction creation of them all. It's not just science fiction, but also social commentary: the narrator (the unnamed "Time Traveller") finds that class divisions, which we have certainly seen widen in the age of COVID-19, will not diminish with the passage of centuries: instead, the rich and the poor will apparently evolve into two separate species! Over the course of more than a century, Wells' great work has not dated at all.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2021/10/06: JUST AT THE MOMENT, NONE OF US REALLY HAVE TIME TO SPARE FOR THE FUTURE -- PRESENT EVENTS ARE EXCITING ENOUGH! THE ENVIRONMENT, THE PANDEMIC, THE POLITICIANS -- THINGS ARE PRETTY BAD ALREADY. ACTUALLY, THEY'RE A TOTAL MESS AND A COMPLETE CATASTROPHE. BUT THINGS USED TO BE DIFFERENT! THROUGHOUT HIS VERY LONG LIFE H. G. WELLS NEVER LOST HIS LOVE OF FORETELLING THE FUTURE. WHETHER TODAY'S NOVEL WAS AN ACCURATE FORECAST, WE LEAVE TO YOU. BUT AS ALWAYS WITH WELLS, IT'S BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN AND FULL OF FASCINATING IDEAS !!

Wells, H. G. [Herbert George] (1866-1946) [English novelist and historian] Wikipedia

The Shape of Things to Come (1933) Wikipedia [Science fiction novel. The diplomat Dr Philip Raven dies unexpectedly in 1930, but not before entrusting to Wells "a collection of papers and writings... a Short History of the World for about the next century and a half." Its origins are suspect: "For some years," Raven told our author, "off and on -- between sleeping and waking -- I've been -- in effect -- reading a book. A non-existent book. A dream book if you like. It's always the same book. Always. And it's a history." A history which includes the future, from 1933 to 2106! But actual world events between 1933 and 1936 had matched Raven's book precisely. And so Wells decided to publish the book!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2021/10/03: JACK LONDON'S NOVELS ARE FAMOUS WORLDWIDE, BUT IT CAN EASILY BE ARGUED THAT HIS SHORT STORIES ARE EVEN BETTER! TODAY'S SHORT STORY COLLECTION CONTAINS THE MOST FAMOUS STORY OF THEM ALL !!

London, Jack (1876-1916) [American novelist, political activist, and journalist] Wikipedia

Lost Face (1910) Wikipedia [A collection of short stories, sometimes quite graphic! This was noticed at the time: "Mr. London... seems willing to spare us nothing." (The Nation, 21 April 1910). And it includes the most famous story Jack London ever wrote, which certainly has an impact: the 1908 version of To Build a Fire. In most of Canada's vast geography, it is a very bad idea to go for a walk without a companion, particularly in winter. The more isolated the area, the worse the idea. And few places are more isolated than the forests of the Yukon!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2021/10/01: HAPPY OCTOBER! WE START THE MONTH WITH A COLLECTION OF FIFTEEN TALES OF THE "UNEXPECTED" -- BY H. G. WELLS, NO LESS !!

Wells, H. G. [Herbert George] (1866-1946) [English novelist and historian] Wikipedia

Tales of the Unexpected (1922) [Science fiction stories, fifteen of them, where seemingly fantastic things happen: Wells heightens their impact by placing them firmly in the world we know. For example, in the first story, The Remarkable Case of Davidson's Eyes, Sidney Davidson is working in the larger laboratory at Harlow Technical College, when suddenly something happens to his eyes. He doesn't lose his eyesight or anything like that, but he does not see the things actually in the laboratory; instead, he sees "the sun just rising, and the yards of the ship, and a tumbled sea, and a couple of birds flying. I never saw anything so real. And I'm sitting up to my neck in a bank of sand." Quite an opening! And this is just the first of the stories, with fourteen more to follow!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #66409]

2021/09/29: IN 1902, CALIFORNIA'S JACK LONDON VISITED, WELL, LONDON, AND SPENT A MONTH LIVING WITH THE POOREST OF THE POOR IN THAT CITY. HIS ACCOUNT IS AN ENDURING MASTERPIECE, AND MORE RELEVANT TODAY THAN EVER, AS WE GRAPPLE WITH THE HUGE CLASS DIFFERENCES THAT COVID-19 HAS LAID BARE !!

London, Jack (1876-1916) [American novelist, political activist, and journalist] Wikipedia

The People of the Abyss (1903) Wikipedia ["The experiences related in this volume," writes Jack London in his preface, "fell to me in the summer of 1902. I went down into the under-world of London with an attitude of mind which I may best liken to that of the explorer. I was open to be convinced by the evidence of my eyes, rather than by the teachings of those who had not seen, or by the words of those who had seen and gone before." His explorations were successful, to say the least, and resulted in this enduring classic, a very readable classic: after all, we're talking about Jack London! "Mr. London understands and is in fullest sympathy with the poor and the outcast and hopeless people he writes about, and records his personal experiences amidst them with a vivid and unflinching actuality." (The Bookman [UK], January 1904)] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2021/09/24: THE ELECTION'S OVER! IT (1) SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN HELD, (2) CHANGED NOTHING, AND (3) SHOWED US SOME UNFORTUNATE ASPECTS OF CANADIAN POLITICAL CULTURE.
 
IT'S TIME FOR A CHANGE! LET'S HEAD BACK TWO CENTURIES, TO A NOVEL THAT HAS NEVER LOST ITS FRESHNESS AND NEVER WILL: JANE AUSTEN'S PRIDE AND PREJUDICE !!

Austen, Jane (1775-1817) [English novelist] Wikipedia

Pride and Prejudice (1813) Wikipedia [Novel, perhaps the most famous novel in the English language, and certainly one of the most popular. The Bennet family is wealthy, but their wealth is transient, since the five daughters will not inherit anything: the estate can only go to a male heir. Hence there is huge pressure for one of the daughters to marry well, or rather, to marry someone with serious money. The "pride" is that of Mr Darcy, whose initial impression of the Bennets is that they are not the sort of family he wants to be involved with. The "prejudice" is that of Elizabeth Bennet, who quickly begins to dislike Mr Darcy. The Project Gutenberg US ebook we present is drawn from an impeccable source, the 1923 edition of Austen's novels by the textual scholar R. W. Chapman (1881-1960) Wikipedia. For Pride and Prejudice, Chapman principally relied on the 1813 first edition, and included some illustrations from Jane Austen's era.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #42671]

2021/09/16: ONLY FOUR DAYS UNTIL THE ELECTION! ON MONDAY, VOTE THE LIBERALS OUT OF OFFICE. THIS IS THE FIRST STEP IN CANCELLING THEIR COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS, AND ENDING CANADA'S STATUS AS A U.S. PUPPET STATE !!
 
THESE DAYS, CANADA'S PUBLIC DOMAIN FEELS LIKE KABUL'S AIRPORT. WE'RE TRYING TO RESCUE THE FINAL AUTHORS AVAILABLE BEFORE THE TR*MP/TRUDEAU COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS DESCEND ON US, AND JUSTIN TRUDEAU SLAMS THE DOOR SHUT FOR TWENTY YEARS!
 
THE ENGLISH NOVELIST E. M. FORSTER IS ONE OF THE FINAL REFUGEES WHO MADE IT TO THE AIRPORT. TODAY'S EBOOK WAS PUBLISHED IN 1910, AND HAS BEEN UNDER COPYRIGHT FOR AN INCREDIBLE ONE HUNDRED AND TEN YEARS.
 
OF COURSE, IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE. UNDER THE PREPOSTEROUS TR*MP/TRUDEAU NAFTA SCHEME, IT WOULD BE UNDER COPYRIGHT FOR ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY YEARS -- UNTIL 2041 !
 
COPYRIGHTS SHOULD BE SHORTER, NOT LONGER. AND THEY SHOULD CERTAINLY NOT BE IMPOSED ON CANADIANS AGAINST OUR WILL, BY JUSTIN TRUDEAU AND THE WHITE HOUSE AUTOCRAT TR*MP.

Forster, E. M. [Edward Morgan] (1879-1970) [English novelist, travel writer, and critic] Wikipedia

Howards End (1910) Wikipedia [Novel, set in England, and involving three families of notably different economic classes and social views. The book is hugely admired by Forster connoisseurs, and involves many complex and interesting human interactions in the course of its forty-four chapters! It was the inspiration for the 1992 Merchant/Ivory film Wikipedia with a formidable cast, including Emma Thompson, who won the Academy Award for Best Actress.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #2946]

2021/09/14: ON SEPT 20, VOTE THE LIBERALS OUT OF OFFICE. THIS IS THE FIRST STEP IN CANCELLING THEIR COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS, AND ENDING CANADA'S STATUS AS A U.S. PUPPET STATE !!
 
THESE DAYS, CANADA'S PUBLIC DOMAIN FEELS LIKE KABUL'S AIRPORT. WE'RE TRYING TO RESCUE THE FINAL AUTHORS AVAILABLE BEFORE THE TR*MP/TRUDEAU COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS DESCEND ON US, AND JUSTIN TRUDEAU SLAMS THE DOOR SHUT FOR TWENTY YEARS!
 
THE ENGLISH NOVELIST E. M. FORSTER IS ONE OF THE FINAL REFUGEES WHO MADE IT TO THE AIRPORT. TODAY'S EBOOK WAS PUBLISHED IN 1908, AND HAS BEEN UNDER COPYRIGHT FOR AN INCREDIBLE ONE HUNDRED AND TWELVE YEARS.
 
OF COURSE, IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE. UNDER THE PREPOSTEROUS TR*MP/TRUDEAU NAFTA SCHEME, IT WOULD BE UNDER COPYRIGHT FOR ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-TWO YEARS -- UNTIL 2041 !
 
COPYRIGHTS SHOULD BE SHORTER, NOT LONGER. AND THEY SHOULD CERTAINLY NOT BE IMPOSED ON CANADIANS AGAINST OUR WILL, BY JUSTIN TRUDEAU AND THE WHITE HOUSE AUTOCRAT TR*MP.

Forster, E. M. [Edward Morgan] (1879-1970) [English novelist, travel writer, and critic] Wikipedia

A Room with a View (1908) Wikipedia [Novel, set in Florence: The view in question is of the river Arno, which flows through Florence, and the main characters are a group of well-off English tourists. The novel is not as sedate as you might think: there is, for example, a murder! The novel has achieved enduring fame, and is the inspiration for the famous 1985 Merchant/Ivory film of the same name Wikipedia.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #2641]

2021/09/12: THESE DAYS, CANADA'S PUBLIC DOMAIN FEELS LIKE KABUL'S AIRPORT. WE'RE TRYING TO RESCUE THE FINAL AUTHORS AVAILABLE BEFORE THE TR*MP/TRUDEAU TWENTY YEAR COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS DESCEND ON US, AND THE DOOR SLAMS SHUT.
 
OF COURSE CANADIANS WANTED NO PART OF THIS GARBAGE, BUT WE DON'T MATTER: TRUDEAU PAID CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE AMERICAN AUTOCRAT TR*MP, AND NONE AT ALL TO THE PEOPLE OF CANADA. BUT THE ONE TIME THE POLITICIANS CANNOT IGNORE THE CITIZENS IS A GENERAL ELECTION. ON SEPT 20, VOTE THE LIBERALS OUT OF OFFICE. LET'S END CANADA'S STATUS AS A U.S. PUPPET STATE AND GET OUR PUBLIC DOMAIN BACK !!
 
THE FAMOUS PHILOSOPHER, MATHEMATICIAN, AND PEACE ACTIVIST BERTRAND RUSSELL IS ONE OF THE FINAL REFUGEES WHO MADE IT TO THE AIRPORT ON JAN 1ST OF THIS YEAR. TODAY'S EBOOK, A LECTURE BY RUSSELL ON FREE THOUGHT VS. PROPAGANDA, IS EXCELLENT READING AT ELECTION TIME -- JUST LOOK AT THE POWER GRAB IN JUSTIN TRUDEAU'S OUTRAGEOUS BILL C-10, WHICH HUGELY EXTENDS GOVERNMENT CONTROL OF INTERNET CONTENT, INCLUDING YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA POSTINGS !!

Russell, Bertrand [Arthur William], 3rd Earl Russell [Welsh philosopher, mathematician, and peace activist; Nobel Prize in Literature, 1950] (1872-1970) Wikipedia

Free Thought and Official Propaganda (1922) [The 1922 Conway Memorial Lecture Wikipedia with a short and fine introduction by the psychologist and social activist Graham Wallas (1858-1932) Wikipedia. With the advent of the internet and of social media, government propaganda has greater penetration and power than ever before, and society has entered a crisis from which it is not clear we shall escape anytime soon: this lecture from 1922 is more relevant today than ever. Profound thought, ease of reading, and brevity are qualities not usually found together, but Bertrand Russell knew how to combine the three, as this lecture demonstrates!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #44932]

2021/09/10: THESE DAYS, CANADA'S PUBLIC DOMAIN FEELS LIKE KABUL'S AIRPORT. WE'RE TRYING TO RESCUE THE FINAL AUTHORS AVAILABLE BEFORE THE TR*MP/TRUDEAU TWENTY YEAR COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS DESCEND ON US, AND THE DOOR SLAMS SHUT.
 
THE AMERICAN POET AND NOVELIST JOHN DOS PASSOS IS ONE OF THE FINAL REFUGEES WHO MADE IT TO THE AIRPORT ON JAN 1ST OF THIS YEAR.
 
OF COURSE CANADIANS WANTED NO PART OF THIS GARBAGE, BUT WE DON'T MATTER: TRUDEAU PAID CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE AMERICAN AUTOCRAT TR*MP, AND NONE AT ALL TO THE PEOPLE OF CANADA. BUT THE ONE TIME THE POLITICIANS CANNOT IGNORE THE CITIZENS IS A GENERAL ELECTION. ON SEPT 20, VOTE THE LIBERALS OUT OF OFFICE. THIS IS THE FIRST STEP IN CANCELLING THEIR COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS, AND ENDING CANADA'S STATUS AS A U.S. PUPPET STATE !!

Dos Passos, John [American novelist and poet] (1896-1970) Wikipedia

Three Soldiers (1921) Wikipedia [War novel, which Dos Passos was certainly in a position to write, having seen the First World War close up, as a volunteer ambulance driver in France and Italy. The three soldiers in question are the narrator, the sensitive and highly educated John Andrews from New York, who is by no means enthusiastic about the war, and two of his close companions. The war turns out badly for Andrews. "There are those who think that John Dos Passos ought to be sent to jail and others who hail him as the first of native authors to tell the truth about the war." (Heywood Broun, The Bookman [US], 5 October 1921)] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #6362]

2021/09/06: THESE DAYS, CANADA'S PUBLIC DOMAIN FEELS LIKE KABUL'S AIRPORT! WE'RE TRYING TO RESCUE THE FINAL AUTHORS AVAILABLE BEFORE THE TR*MP/TRUDEAU TWENTY YEAR COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS DESCEND ON US.
 
THE FAMOUS PHILOSOPHER, MATHEMATICIAN, AND PEACE ACTIVIST BERTRAND RUSSELL IS ONE OF THE FINAL REFUGEES WHO MADE IT TO THE AIRPORT ON JAN 1ST OF THIS YEAR, BUT IT WILL SHORTLY CLOSE FOR TWENTY YEARS WHEN THE TR*MP/TRUDEAU COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS GO INTO FULL FORCE.
 
OF COURSE CANADIANS WANTED NO PART OF THIS GARBAGE, BUT WE DON'T MATTER: TRUDEAU PAID CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE AMERICAN AUTOCRAT TR*MP, AND NONE AT ALL TO THE PEOPLE OF CANADA. BUT THE ONE TIME THE POLITICIANS CANNOT IGNORE THE CITIZENS IS A GENERAL ELECTION. ON SEPT 20, VOTE THE LIBERALS OUT OF OFFICE. THIS IS THE FIRST STEP IN CANCELLING THEIR COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS, AND ENDING CANADA'S STATUS AS A U.S. PUPPET STATE

Russell, Bertrand [Arthur William], 3rd Earl Russell [Welsh philosopher, mathematician, and peace activist; Nobel Prize in Literature, 1950] (1872-1970) Wikipedia

Icarus, or The Future of Science (1924) [Philosophical/political monograph. Lord Russell considers the role that the sciences play in accelerating the pace of change in society. But he also considers whether this acceleration has been a good thing, and concludes that "Men's collective passions are mainly evil; far the strongest of them are hatred and rivalry directed towards other groups. Therefore at present all that gives men power to indulge their collective passions is bad. That is why science threatens to cause the destruction of our civilization." Those of us who have witnessed the growing social disorder in the US, the UK, and elsewhere have to agree. And Russell was writing this a century ago!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #66225]

2021/09/03: FOR THE LABOUR DAY WEEKEND, WE PRESENT YOU WITH A MAGNIFICENT ALBUM OF PAINTINGS BY THE GERMAN ARTIST (YES, HE WAS BORN IN BAVARIA) EDWARD HARRISON COMPTON !!
 
A COLONY-WIDE ELECTION HAS BEEN CALLED FOR SEPT 20. ONCE UPON A TIME WE CALLED THESE "FEDERAL" ELECTIONS, BUT AFTER THE FIVE OTTAWA PARTIES FORCED THE NEW NAFTA ON CANADIANS, WE CAN HARDLY CALL CANADA A SOVEREIGN STATE ANY MORE. SOVEREIGN STATES DON'T LET FOREIGN POWERS REWRITE THEIR COPYRIGHT LAWS OR OTHER DOMESTIC LEGISLATION.
 
THE GOVERNMENT AND THE DOORMAT ("OPPOSITION") PARTIES NEED TO RE-ESTABLISH THEIR COUNTRY AND THEMSELVES BY GETTING RID OF THE ABOMINATIONS THEY PUT IN NAFTA AT THE COMMAND OF THE FOREIGN AUTOCRAT TR*MP, AGAINST THE WILL OF CANADIANS -- IN PARTICULAR, THE TWENTY-YEAR COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS.

Compton, Edward Harrison (1881-1960) [German painter] Wikipedia

Chester Water-Colours (1916) [Watercolour album. Chester Wikipedia (from "castrum", Latin for "army base") is located in Cheshire, not far from the Welsh border. As its name indicates, it was founded by the Romans, and was relatively prosperous throughout the Middle Ages. Watergate Street, included in this collection, was laid out as part of the Roman encampment, and substantial sections of the city's walls survive from Roman times. As you will see, this famous old city provided excellent material for Compton to paint. In spite of his name, Compton was a German artist: his father had emigrated from England to Upper Bavaria where he became a famous mountain climber and painter, married, and had his family. The son followed his father's example and became a painter. He trained in England, exhibited his paintings there, and was presumably in England throughout the First World War, for this fine portfolio was published in May 1916. The reproductions are all in colour: if there were wartime production issues, there are certainly no traces of them in this beautiful album.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #66086]

2021/08/29: A LATE MASTERPIECE BY JOSEPH CONRAD, CERTAINLY INVOLVING THE SEA, BUT PRINCIPALLY TAKING PLACE ON LAND -- THE FRENCH PORT OF MARSEILLES, TO BE SPECIFIC! SMUGGLING IS INVOLVED, AND CIVIL WAR IN SPAIN !!
 
A COLONY-WIDE ELECTION HAS BEEN CALLED FOR SEPT 20. ONCE UPON A TIME WE CALLED THESE "FEDERAL" ELECTIONS, BUT AFTER THE FIVE OTTAWA PARTIES FORCED THE NEW NAFTA ON CANADIANS, WE CAN HARDLY CALL CANADA A SOVEREIGN STATE ANY MORE. SOVEREIGN STATES DON'T LET FOREIGN POWERS REWRITE THEIR COPYRIGHT LAWS OR OTHER DOMESTIC LEGISLATION.
 
THE GOVERNMENT AND THE DOORMAT ("OPPOSITION") PARTIES NEED TO RE-ESTABLISH THEIR COUNTRY AND THEMSELVES BY GETTING RID OF THE ABOMINATIONS THEY PUT IN NAFTA AT THE COMMAND OF THE FOREIGN AUTOCRAT TR*MP, AGAINST THE WILL OF CANADIANS -- IN PARTICULAR, THE TWENTY-YEAR COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS.

Conrad, Joseph [Korzeniowski, Józef Teodor Konrad] (1857-1924) [Polish mariner and novelist] Wikipedia

The Arrow of Gold. A Story Between Two Notes. (1919) Wikipedia [Historical novel, set in Marseilles, but principally concerned with Spain, in particular the Third Carlist War Wikipedia. There is a direct line from the Carlist Wars to the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39 and indeed to the question of Catalan independence which continues to roil Spanish politics today, and there is a direct line back to the Middle Ages, when Spain was far from being a unitary state, but was a group of independent kingdoms with very distinct religions, languages, and nationalities. So the Third Carlist War (1872-76) settled nothing, but was a dispute between two claimants to the Spanish throne, the not particularly popular Amadeo I, from Italy, and Carlos VII, who was opposed to liberalism, but in favour of the traditional autonomy of Catalonia, Aragon, and Valencia: this autonomy had been suppressed many years before by Philip V at the end of the War of the Spanish Succession. But Conrad's novel is not about the great themes of Spanish history, but about individuals, mostly in Marseilles, who are involved in various ways with smuggling weapons to the Carlist forces in Spain. The chief of these characters is Doña Rita, born in Spain, but resident for many years in France, where she takes a chief role in the smuggling. "The murky intrigues of a royalist uprising form only the background for a tale of love triumphant, brooded over by the magic and mystery of the sea. There is something direct and elemental in the artless infatuation of the young sailor, known only as Monsieur George, palpitating on the threshold of his first love, and the experienced Doña Rita... whose youth and innocence still make answer to the youth and innocence of her lover." (Literary Digest, 11 October 1919)] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2021/08/26: A CLASSIC NOVEL BY JACK LONDON -- IT STARTS IN SAN FRANCISCO BAY, BUT THE ACTION RANGES ACROSS THE NORTH PACIFIC ABOARD A SEALING SCHOONER (ITS CREW HUNTS SEAL). ITS CAPTAIN IS THE DECIDEDLY TOUGH WOLF LARSEN, AND ABOARD THE SHIP IS THE NOT SO TOUGH HUMPHREY VAN WEYDEN, RICH BY INHERITANCE AND NOT WELL VERSED IN THE WAYS OF THE WORLD. BUT HE'S TOUGHER THAN HE SEEMS !!
 
A COLONY-WIDE ELECTION HAS BEEN CALLED FOR SEPT 20. ONCE UPON A TIME WE CALLED THESE "FEDERAL" ELECTIONS, BUT AFTER THE FIVE OTTAWA PARTIES FORCED THE NEW NAFTA ON CANADIANS, WE CAN HARDLY CALL CANADA A SOVEREIGN STATE ANY MORE. SOVEREIGN STATES DON'T LET FOREIGN POWERS REWRITE THEIR COPYRIGHT LAWS OR OTHER DOMESTIC LEGISLATION.
 
THE GOVERNMENT AND THE DOORMAT ("OPPOSITION") PARTIES NEED TO RE-ESTABLISH THEIR COUNTRY AND THEMSELVES BY GETTING RID OF THE ABOMINATIONS THEY PUT IN NAFTA AT THE COMMAND OF THE FOREIGN AUTOCRAT TR*MP, AGAINST THE WILL OF CANADIANS -- IN PARTICULAR, THE TWENTY-YEAR COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS.

London, Jack (1876-1916) [American novelist, political activist, and journalist] Wikipedia

The Sea-Wolf (1904) Wikipedia [Novel. The "sea-wolf" of the title is not an actual wolf, such as can be found in the other works of Jack London, but Captain Wolf Larsen, captain of a schooner which scours the North Pacific hunting seals. When in San Francisco Bay he rescues Humphrey "Hump" Van Weyden, a young man who is wealthy by inheritance, from the shipwreck in the San Francisco fog of a ferry on its way from Sausalito to the city. The Martinez does not drop Van Weyden off at San Francisco, but continues the voyage it has started. There is much conflict between the two men, and Larsen certainly has the more powerful position, but he is more complicated than at first appears.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2021/08/20: FROM 1941, A BOOK BY MARGERY ALLINGHAM THAT IS NOT ONE OF HER FAMOUS MYSTERY NOVELS. INSTEAD, IT'S AN ACCOUNT OF LIFE IN HER VILLAGE ON THE NORTH SEA COAST WHEN A GERMAN INVASION OF ENGLAND SEEMED IMMINENT !!
 
A COLONY-WIDE ELECTION HAS BEEN CALLED FOR SEPT 20. ONCE UPON A TIME WE CALLED THESE "FEDERAL" ELECTIONS, BUT AFTER THE FIVE OTTAWA PARTIES FORCED THE NEW NAFTA ON CANADIANS, WE CAN HARDLY CALL CANADA A SOVEREIGN STATE ANY MORE. SOVEREIGN STATES DON'T LET FOREIGN POWERS REWRITE THEIR COPYRIGHT LAWS OR OTHER DOMESTIC LEGISLATION.
 
THE GOVERNMENT AND THE DOORMAT ("OPPOSITION") PARTIES NEED TO RE-ESTABLISH THEIR COUNTRY AND THEMSELVES BY GETTING RID OF THE ABOMINATIONS THEY PUT IN NAFTA AT THE COMMAND OF THE FOREIGN AUTOCRAT TR*MP, AGAINST THE WILL OF CANADIANS -- IN PARTICULAR, THE TWENTY-YEAR COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS.

Allingham, Margery [Youngman Carter, Margery Louise] (1904-1966) [English mystery novelist] Wikipedia

The Oaken Heart (1941) [Memoir; not a mystery novel! In 1941 a German invasion of England was a strong possibility, and the village of Tolleshunt D'Arcy Wiktionary on the Essex coast was at particularly high risk. And it is in that village (called "Auburn" in the book), that Allingham and her husband Philip lived. This is her account of village life under these very unusual circumstances. Her writing has an authenticity which is refreshing after the manufactured history and manufactured debate we've seen coming out of England in recent years. After all, Allingham was faced with the very real threat of a foreign occupation, rather than the decidedly less concrete threat posed by "Brussels bureaucrats"!] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1675]

2021/08/17: IN THE CALL OF THE WILD, JACK LONDON HAD TOLD THE STORY OF A DOG THAT JOINED A PACK OF WOLVES. IN WHITE FANG, HE TELLS THE STORY OF A HYBRID WOLF-DOG WHO WENT THE OTHER WAY. BORN ON THE BANKS OF THE MACKENZIE RIVER, HE IS PARTIALLY DOMESTICATED BY AN ABORIGINAL, AND STARTS ON A LONG AND ARDUOUS PERSONAL JOURNEY !!
 
A COLONY-WIDE ELECTION HAS BEEN CALLED FOR SEPT 20. ONCE UPON A TIME WE CALLED THESE "FEDERAL" ELECTIONS, BUT AFTER THE FIVE OTTAWA PARTIES FORCED THE NEW NAFTA ON CANADIANS, WE CAN HARDLY CALL CANADA A SOVEREIGN STATE ANY MORE. SOVEREIGN STATES DON'T LET FOREIGN POWERS REWRITE THEIR COPYRIGHT LAWS OR OTHER DOMESTIC LEGISLATION.
 
THE GOVERNMENT AND THE DOORMAT ("OPPOSITION") PARTIES NEED TO RE-ESTABLISH THEIR COUNTRY AND THEMSELVES BY GETTING RID OF THE ABOMINATIONS THEY PUT IN NAFTA AT THE COMMAND OF THE FOREIGN AUTOCRAT TR*MP, AGAINST THE WILL OF CANADIANS -- IN PARTICULAR, THE TWENTY-YEAR COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS.

London, Jack (1876-1916) [American novelist, political activist, and journalist] Wikipedia

White Fang (1906) Wikipedia [Novel, the classic sequel to The Call of the Wild, to which it bears many resemblances, except the title character is not a domestic dog that heads to Northern Canada and joins a pack of wolves, but a wolf-dog hybrid born wild in Northern Canada near the Mackenzie River, who is gradually domesticated, and goes on some very long travels, first to the Yukon, and then to the south.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2021/08/12: TODAY, A TRANSBORDER TALE LARGELY SET IN THE YUKON AND ALASKA IN A HAPPIER TIME, WHEN THE UNITED STATES WAS A CLOSER NEIGHBOUR THAN IN OUR OWN SAD DAYS. YES, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CALL OF THE WILD, WHICH BROUGHT JACK LONDON INSTANT FAME WHEN IT WAS PUBLISHED -- A FAME WHICH ENDURES TODAY, AND SHOWS NO SIGN OF FADING !!
 
A COLONY-WIDE ELECTION IS COMING. ONCE UPON A TIME WE CALLED THEM "FEDERAL" ELECTIONS, BUT AFTER THE FIVE OTTAWA PARTIES FORCED THE NEW NAFTA ON CANADIANS, WE CAN HARDLY CALL CANADA A SOVEREIGN STATE ANY MORE. SOVEREIGN STATES DON'T LET FOREIGN POWERS REWRITE THEIR COPYRIGHT LAWS OR OTHER DOMESTIC LEGISLATION.
 
OUR SUGGESTION: THE GOVERNMENT AND THE DOORMAT ("OPPOSITION") PARTIES NEED TO RE-ESTABLISH THEIR COUNTRY AND THEMSELVES BY GETTING RID OF THE ABOMINATIONS THEY PUT IN NAFTA AT THE COMMAND OF THE FOREIGN AUTOCRAT TR*MP, AGAINST THE WILL OF CANADIANS -- IN PARTICULAR, THE TWENTY-YEAR COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS.

London, Jack (1876-1916) [American novelist, political activist, and journalist] Wikipedia

The Call of the Wild (1903) Wikipedia [For the millions who love Canada and the United States, the last twenty-five years have been a complete nightmare. Our friendly border is now a militarized frontier, where passports are now demanded (for centuries, until 2004, less than twenty years ago, they were not) and hostile interrogations by border guards have taken the place of friendly chats with border agents. Still worse, the Thirteen Colonies have become an oppressive military empire, which has used a "free trade agreement" to make Canada an American puppet state, rewriting Canada's domestic legislation against the will of Canadians: hence the copyright extensions we so often discuss on this site, and will continue discussing, until these extensions, imposed by the White House autocrat and weakly agreed to by Congress and Parliament, are completely and permanently removed. But the nightmare we see today was only created recently, as will be seen from the pages of this famous novel, an enduring classic famous worldwide which takes place partly in Canada, and partly in the United States. The story starts in California, in Santa Clara County, where Buck lives. Buck is a dog, a very large dog, of some one hundred and forty pounds, who lives on the vast agricultural estate of Judge Miller, where he is well treated and likes his existence. But this happy environment was not to endure, "Because men, groping in the Arctic darkness, had found a yellow metal, and because steamship and transportation companies were booming the find, thousands of men were rushing into the Northland. These men wanted dogs, and the dogs they wanted were heavy dogs, with strong muscles by which to toil, and furry coats to protect them from the frost." So Buck is kidnapped and finds himself first in Alaska and then in the Yukon during the Klondike gold rush! As the story proceeds, Buck feels himself less and less attached to humans and more and more attracted towards the wolf packs he encounters. He is, in fact, hearing the Call of the Wild.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2021/08/08: TODAY'S EBOOK IS A MAGNIFICENT COLLECTION OF PEN AND PENCIL DRAWINGS FROM THE FIFTEENTH TO THE TWENTIETH CENTURIES -- THEY'LL LOOK WONDERFUL ON YOUR TABLET OR MONITOR !!
 
A COLONY-WIDE ELECTION IS COMING. ONCE UPON A TIME WE CALLED THEM "FEDERAL" ELECTIONS, BUT AFTER THE FIVE OTTAWA PARTIES FORCED THE NEW NAFTA ON CANADIANS, WE CAN HARDLY CALL CANADA A SOVEREIGN STATE ANY MORE. SOVEREIGN STATES DON'T LET FOREIGN POWERS REWRITE THEIR COPYRIGHT LAWS OR OTHER DOMESTIC LEGISLATION.
 
OUR SUGGESTION: THE GOVERNMENT AND THE DOORMAT ("OPPOSITION") PARTIES NEED TO RE-ESTABLISH THEIR COUNTRY AND THEMSELVES BY GETTING RID OF THE ABOMINATIONS THEY PUT IN NAFTA AT THE COMMAND OF THE FOREIGN AUTOCRAT TR*MP, AGAINST THE WILL OF CANADIANS -- IN PARTICULAR, THE TWENTY-YEAR COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS.

Holme, Charles Geoffrey (1887-1954) [Anglo-American art historian]

Drawings in Pen & Pencil from Dürer's Day to Ours (1922) ["The Studio" Wikipedia was a London art magazine published between 1893 and 1964. Its founder was Charles Holme (1848-1923), who was succeeded as editor by his son, Charles Geoffrey Holme. In addition to its regular issues, The Studio from time to time published magnificently illustrated monographs, some of them, such as this one, very large: it includes drawings from the end of the fifteenth to the start of the twentieth century. The drawings were selected by Holme, and supplied with lively and informative "notes and appreciations" by English painter and designer George Sheringham (1884-1937) Wikipedia. The individual artists are too many to discuss here, but are listed at the start of the book; most of them have substantial articles at Wikipedia.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #65836]

2021/08/05: TODAY'S EBOOK BY RUDYARD KIPLING IS SET NOT IN EUROPE OR ASIA, BUT IN NORTH AMERICA -- NOT JUST THAT, BUT MUCH OF IT TAKES PLACE IN THE GRAND BANKS OFF NEWFOUNDLAND. YES, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT "CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS" !!
 
A COLONY-WIDE ELECTION IS COMING. ONCE UPON A TIME WE CALLED THEM "FEDERAL" ELECTIONS, BUT AFTER THE FIVE OTTAWA PARTIES FORCED THE NEW NAFTA ON CANADIANS, WE CAN HARDLY CALL CANADA A SOVEREIGN STATE ANY MORE. SOVEREIGN STATES DON'T LET FOREIGN POWERS REWRITE THEIR COPYRIGHT LAWS OR OTHER DOMESTIC LEGISLATION.
 
OUR SUGGESTION: THE GOVERNMENT AND THE DOORMAT ("OPPOSITION") PARTIES NEED TO RE-ESTABLISH THEIR COUNTRY AND THEMSELVES BY GETTING RID OF THE ABOMINATIONS THEY PUT IN NAFTA AT THE COMMAND OF THE FOREIGN AUTOCRAT TR*MP, AGAINST THE WILL OF CANADIANS -- IN PARTICULAR, THE TWENTY-YEAR COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS.

Kipling, Rudyard (1865-1936) [Anglo-Indian novelist and poet; Nobel Prize in Literature, 1907] Wikipedia

Captains Courageous. A Story of the Grand Banks. (1897) Wikipedia [Rudyard Kipling is often thought of as a supporter of imperialism. But how then do we explain the pro-Indian feelings so predominant in Kim? And if he was such an upholder of the privileges of the propertied classes, how do we explain Captains Courageous? It is the story of an American rich kid whose character is transformed. The rich kid is Harvey Cheyne, the son of a California millionaire: "Built one place at San Diego, the old man has; another at Los Angeles; owns half a dozen railroads, half the lumber on the Pacific slope, and lets his wife spend the money..." Harvey is washed overboard while he and his family are crossing the Atlantic, but he is rescued by Manuel, a Portuguese seaman who is part of the crew of the fishing schooner We're Here, sailing out of Gloucester, Massachusetts. Harvey works on the schooner, and his formerly difficult character is completely changed by the time he reaches port. Readers of the novel will be instructed as well as entertained, for it contains much information about the cod fishery, as well as an enduringly famous account of how Harvey's parents managed to get from San Diego to Boston with astonishing speed. If you're a railroad magnate, you can make some very special arrangements! We present two digital editions of this immortal classic: an elegant EPUB from the University of Adelaide, and an illustrated digital edition from Project Gutenberg US, based on the 1897 Macmillan edition, which includes twenty-two drawings by Massachusetts artist Isaac Walton Taber (1857-1933) Wikipedia] EPUB [University of Adelaide] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #2225]

2021/08/02: WE CONCLUDE THE AUGUST LONG WEEKEND AS WE STARTED IT -- WITH A NOVELLA BY NATHANAEL WEST !!
 
A FALL ELECTION IS LIKELY. OUR PARTIES ARE GOOD AT BOASTING, BUT NOT SO GOOD AT ACTUALLY DOING ANYTHING.
 
OUR SUGGESTION: THEY SHOULD (1) DECLARE INDEPENDENCE FROM THE U.S. AND (2) REESTABLISH CANADA'S SOVEREIGNTY, BY GETTING RID OF THE ABOMINATIONS THEY PUT IN NAFTA AT THE COMMAND OF THE FOREIGN AUTOCRAT TR*MP, AGAINST THE WILL OF CANADIANS -- IN PARTICULAR, THE TWENTY-YEAR COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS.
 
MAKE NO MISTAKE: IF A FOREIGN POWER REWRITES YOUR DOMESTIC LEGISLATION, YOU'RE NOT A COUNTRY ANY MORE. YOU'RE A COLONY!

West, Nathanael [Weinstein, Nathan] (1903-1940) [American novelist and screenwriter] Wikipedia

Miss Lonelyhearts (1933) Wikipedia [West's famous novella set in the newspaper industry. In spite of her name "Miss Lonelyhearts" is in fact a man, a not particularly happy one, who runs the personal advice column at a New York newspaper. He finds his job stressful, since after a while it is difficult to come up with original answers for situations which come up time and time again. And the letters he gets from readers are invariably sad ones, involving often intractable situations.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2021/07/30: AS WE HAVE LEARNED DURING THE PANDEMIC, FILM AND VIDEO NOW PLAY AN EVEN LARGER PART IN OUR LIVES THAN BEFORE. SO WE NOW OFFER TWO DIGITAL EDITIONS OF NATHANAEL WEST'S FAMOUS 1939 NOVEL ABOUT LIFE AS IT ACTUALLY WAS LIVED IN HOLLYWOOD IN THE THIRTIES -- FINE SUMMER READING FOR THE AUGUST LONG WEEKEND !!
 
A FALL ELECTION IS LIKELY. OUR PARTIES ARE GOOD AT BOASTING, BUT NOT SO GOOD AT ACTUALLY DOING ANYTHING.
 
OUR SUGGESTION: THEY SHOULD (1) DECLARE INDEPENDENCE FROM THE U.S. AND (2) REESTABLISH CANADA'S SOVEREIGNTY, BY GETTING RID OF THE ABOMINATIONS THEY PUT IN NAFTA AT THE COMMAND OF THE FOREIGN AUTOCRAT TR*MP, AGAINST THE WILL OF CANADIANS -- IN PARTICULAR, THE TWENTY-YEAR COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS.
 
MAKE NO MISTAKE: IF A FOREIGN POWER REWRITES YOUR DOMESTIC LEGISLATION, YOU'RE NOT A COUNTRY ANY MORE. YOU'RE A COLONY!

West, Nathanael [Weinstein, Nathan] (1903-1940) [American novelist and screenwriter] Wikipedia

The Day of the Locust (1939) Wikipedia [Novel about life as it was actually lived in and around Hollywood, where West himself worked as a screenwriter, filmed in 1975 by John Schlesinger Wikipedia. The US Declaration of Independence famously cites as a basic human right not actual happiness, but the pursuit of happiness. Many have moved to California seeking happiness, yet have not found it. And our hero Tod Hackett discovers that many of those he encounters "had come to California to die": this is the world he sets out to explore. He is himself a new arrival, hired by a studio on the basis of his work as a student at the Yale School of Fine Arts.] EPUB [University of Adelaide] EPUB HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #1658]

2021/07/28: OUR ARTHUR GASK INITIATIVE IS DRAWING TO A CLOSE WITH TODAY'S SHORT STORY. WE NOW OFFER TWENTY-EIGHT TITLES BY ADELAIDE'S WORLD-FAMOUS MYSTERY AUTHOR !!
 
A FALL ELECTION IS LIKELY. OUR PARTIES ARE GOOD AT BOASTING, BUT NOT SO GOOD AT ACTUALLY DOING ANYTHING.
 
OUR SUGGESTION: THEY SHOULD (1) DECLARE INDEPENDENCE FROM THE U.S. AND (2) REESTABLISH CANADA'S SOVEREIGNTY, BY GETTING RID OF THE ABOMINATIONS THEY PUT IN NAFTA AT THE COMMAND OF THE FOREIGN AUTOCRAT TR*MP, AGAINST THE WILL OF CANADIANS -- IN PARTICULAR, THE TWENTY-YEAR COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS.
 
MAKE NO MISTAKE: IF A FOREIGN POWER REWRITES YOUR DOMESTIC LEGISLATION, YOU'RE NOT A COUNTRY ANY MORE. YOU'RE A COLONY!

Gask, Arthur [Arthur Cecil] (1869-1951) [Australian novelist, journalist, and dentist] Wikipedia Australian Dictionary of Biography

The Hatton Garden Crime (1945) [A short story, which does not feature Gask's famous sleuth Gilbert Larose! Hatton Garden Wikipedia is an area of central London that has long been famous as a centre of the jewellery trade. "For many years," the story begins, "Reuben Leyden had been one of the best-known diamond dealers in Hatton Garden... almost fabulous sums of money had at times, in the course of a few minutes, changed hands in his modest suite of rooms." One day... no, let's stop right there! To learn more, just read this very short story. Hint: there may be a murder!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2021/07/25: TODAY'S EBOOK IS A VERY GREAT NOVEL AND AN ETERNAL CLASSIC: THACKERAY'S "VANITY FAIR" -- WITH THE AUTHOR'S OWN ILLUSTRATIONS !!
 
A FALL ELECTION IS LIKELY. OUR PARTIES ARE GOOD AT BOASTING, BUT NOT SO GOOD AT ACTUALLY DOING ANYTHING.
 
OUR SUGGESTION: THEY SHOULD (1) DECLARE INDEPENDENCE FROM THE U.S. AND (2) REESTABLISH CANADA'S SOVEREIGNTY, BY GETTING RID OF THE ABOMINATIONS THEY PUT IN NAFTA AT THE COMMAND OF THE FOREIGN AUTOCRAT TR*MP, AGAINST THE WILL OF CANADIANS -- IN PARTICULAR, THE TWENTY-YEAR COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS.
 
MAKE NO MISTAKE: IF A FOREIGN POWER REWRITES YOUR DOMESTIC LEGISLATION, YOU'RE NOT A COUNTRY ANY MORE. YOU'RE A COLONY!

Thackeray, William Makepeace (1811-1863) [English novelist, journalist, and illustrator] Wikipedia

Vanity Fair. A Novel without a Hero. (1848) Wikipedia [Thackeray's most celebrated novel, a true panorama of English society in the early nineteenth century. In the novel's prologue we find ourselves in a travelling fair ("Vanity Fair") at which Thackeray has been presenting his Show; he acknowledges "the kindness with which it has been received in all the principal towns of England through which the Show has passed". (The novel had been published as a serial, and would have been read throughout England.) The Fair represents life as it is actually lived, and is "not a moral place certainly; nor a merry one, though very noisy." And the Show is Thackeray's "novel without a hero". It is not a comedy: Thackeray commenting on his own role as stage manager comments that "a feeling of profound melancholy comes over him in his survey of the bustling place." But this should not deter you from reading the novel! It has infinite energy, sparkling narrative, and unforgettable characters. And within its pages people do what people do: plot for their own advantage, with little thought of others except insofar as it serves their own interests. Perhaps it should be mandatory reading in our high schools, since the novel certainly prepares its readers for the world around them, where few people can be relied on. Certainly not our politicians, as was shown in 2020 by the "new NAFTA" (yes, we're talking about the copyright extensions, but much more) and by the shocking history of the COVID pandemic, where the vast gulf between the rich and the poor became even clearer than before. As the novel's main narrative begins, Becky Sharp is graduating from Miss Pinkerton's academy for young ladies. She is much poorer than her classmates, and is well aware that she will have to rely on her own wits through the years to come: there will be no one to help her. Fortunately she is talented, motivated, and ruthless. And things proceed from there! The Adelaide EPUB we are presenting to you contains the fine illustrations created for the novel by Thackeray himself -- classics in their own right!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

Traduction française par Georges-Maurice Guiffrey (1827-1887) fr.wikipedia
La foire aux vanités, Tome I (1884) Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #19112]
La foire aux vanités, Tome II (1884) Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #20864]
fr.wikipedia

2021/07/22: OUR SECOND EBOOK BY WILLIAM MORRIS CARRIES THE STORY FORWARD FROM HIS TALE OF THE HOUSE OF THE WOLFINGS !!
 
A FALL ELECTION IS LIKELY. OUR PARTIES ARE GOOD AT BOASTING, BUT NOT SO GOOD AT ACTUALLY DOING ANYTHING.
 
OUR SUGGESTION: THEY SHOULD (1) DECLARE INDEPENDENCE FROM THE U.S. AND (2) REESTABLISH CANADA'S SOVEREIGNTY, BY GETTING RID OF THE ABOMINATIONS THEY PUT IN NAFTA AT THE COMMAND OF THE FOREIGN AUTOCRAT TR*MP, AGAINST THE WILL OF CANADIANS -- IN PARTICULAR, THE TWENTY-YEAR COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS.
 
MAKE NO MISTAKE: IF A FOREIGN POWER REWRITES YOUR DOMESTIC LEGISLATION, YOU'RE NOT A COUNTRY ANY MORE. YOU'RE A COLONY!

Morris, William (1834-1896) [English novelist, poet, painter, textile designer, and social activist] Wikipedia

The Roots of the Mountains (1889) Wikipedia [Novel, "Wherein is told somewhat of the lives of the men of Burgdale their friends their neighbours their foemen and their fellows in arms." It is a continuation of the Tale of the House of the Wolfings: the descendants of the Wolfings show up as the Sons of the Wolf. As with the earlier novel, there are many elements in common with The Lord of the Rings, for which it was clearly a source. Morris's language has a deliberate antique grandeur, but he ensures that his meaning is always clear. For example, he renders the first sentence of the novel that much more accessible by saying "town or thorp" rather than just "thorp": "Once upon a time amidst the mountains and hills and falling streams of a fair land there was a town or thorp in a certain valley." Yes, this sounds a lot like Rivendell!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2021/07/20: WILLIAM MORRIS DIDN'T REALLY CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MODERN FANTASY. IT'S TRUER TO SAY THAT HE INVENTED IT !!
 
A FALL ELECTION IS LIKELY. OUR PARTIES ARE GOOD AT BOASTING, BUT NOT SO GOOD AT ACTUALLY DOING ANYTHING.
 
OUR SUGGESTION: THEY SHOULD (1) DECLARE INDEPENDENCE FROM THE U.S. AND (2) REESTABLISH CANADA'S SOVEREIGNTY, BY GETTING RID OF THE ABOMINATIONS THEY PUT IN NAFTA AT THE COMMAND OF THE FOREIGN AUTOCRAT TR*MP, AGAINST THE WILL OF CANADIANS -- IN PARTICULAR, THE TWENTY-YEAR COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS.
 
MAKE NO MISTAKE: IF A FOREIGN POWER REWRITES YOUR DOMESTIC LEGISLATION, YOU'RE NOT A COUNTRY ANY MORE. YOU'RE A COLONY!

Morris, William (1834-1896) [English novelist, poet, painter, textile designer, and social activist] Wikipedia

A Tale of the House of the Wolfings and All the Kindreds of the Mark (1889) Wikipedia [Novel, which largely created the modern fantasy novel. Its influence can clearly be seen in The Lord of the Rings: both novels have a place called Mirkwood, and in both dwarfs play an important role. No hobbits, though! It is written in a deliberately archaic style, with many words and usages from early English and other Germanic languages. With astounding skill and judgment Morris ensures that his archaic language is consistent, comprehensible, and beautiful to the ear. From the moment of its appearance to the present day the novel has always had many admirers, starting with Oscar Wilde!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2021/07/18: TODAY'S EBOOK IS A MAGNIFICENT COLLECTION OF FAR MORE THAN A THOUSAND WOODCUTS FROM THE RENAISSANCE -- THEY'LL LOOK ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS ON YOUR SCREEN !!
 
A FALL ELECTION IS LIKELY. OUR PARTIES ARE GOOD AT BOASTING, BUT NOT SO GOOD AT ACTUALLY DOING ANYTHING.
 
OUR SUGGESTION: THEY SHOULD (1) DECLARE INDEPENDENCE FROM THE U.S. AND (2) REESTABLISH CANADA'S SOVEREIGNTY, BY GETTING RID OF THE ABOMINATIONS THEY PUT IN NAFTA AT THE COMMAND OF THE FOREIGN AUTOCRAT TR*MP, AND AGAINST THE WILL OF CANADIANS -- IN PARTICULAR, THE TWENTY-YEAR COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS.
 
MAKE NO MISTAKE: IF A FOREIGN POWER REWRITES YOUR DOMESTIC LEGISLATION, YOU'RE NOT A COUNTRY ANY MORE. YOU'RE A COLONY!

Jennings, Oscar (ca. 1850-1914) [Anglo-French medical researcher and bibliographer]

Early Woodcut Initials (1908) [Monograph "containing over thirteen hundred reproductions of ornamental letters of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, selected and annotated by Oscar Jennings, M.D., Member of the Bibliographical Society". Because of the many illustrations, this ebook may take some extra time to load. Dr. Jennings had a deep knowledge of the history of printing, as is obvious from this classic work, which at times comes close to being a history of the invention and early development of printing, with more than a hundred mentions of Johannes Gutenberg, the patron of Project Gutenberg Canada! But these studies were not the only or even the primary field in which Oscar Jennings worked! "For many years he practised in Paris, and won a considerable reputation by his writings on the mechanical treatment of diseases of the spinal cord, and particularly on the treatment of the morphine habit, on which he wrote several monographs. He was an enthusiastic believer in the virtues of cycle exercise and, we believe, very successfully reduced his own weight by this means." (Obituary, British Medical Journal 19 December 1914).] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #65847]

2021/07/16: TODAY'S EBOOK BY RUDYARD KIPLING INCLUDES FOUR GHOST STORIES... AND THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING !!
 
A FALL ELECTION IS LIKELY. OUR PARTIES ARE GOOD AT BOASTING, BUT NOT SO GOOD AT ACTUALLY DOING ANYTHING.
 
OUR SUGGESTION: THEY SHOULD (1) DECLARE INDEPENDENCE FROM THE U.S. AND (2) REESTABLISH CANADA'S SOVEREIGNTY, BY GETTING RID OF THE ABOMINATIONS PUT IN NAFTA AT THE COMMAND OF THE FOREIGN AUTOCRAT TR*MP, AND AGAINST THE WILL OF CANADIANS -- IN PARTICULAR, THE TWENTY-YEAR COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS.
 
MAKE NO MISTAKE: IF A FOREIGN POWER REWRITES YOUR DOMESTIC LEGISLATION, YOU'RE NOT A COUNTRY ANY MORE. YOU'RE A COLONY!

Kipling, Rudyard (1865-1936) [Anglo-Indian novelist and poet; Nobel Prize in Literature, 1907] Wikipedia

The Phantom Rickshaw and Other Stories (1888) Wikipedia ["Other Eerie Stories", according to some early editions, and indeed four of the five stories are ghost stories: The Phantom Rickshaw (it looks like a rickshaw, but is it real?), My Own True Ghost Story (why should mere death interfere with a passion for billiards?), The Strange Ride of Morrowbie Jukes (sometimes it's really not a good idea to go out at night in an area you don't know, even if the sound of dogs baying at the moon is annoying you), and "The Finest Story in the World" (Charlie Mears "lived in the north of London, coming into the City every day to work in a bank. He was twenty years old and suffered from aspirations." Needless to say, some strange things start happening to Charlie.) Yet the most famous story of all, The Man Who Would Be King Wikipedia, does not involve ghosts, but personal ambition and imperial overreach. Two enterprising individuals in British India decide to seek their fortune over the border, in Kafiristan, part of modern Afghanistan. They have plans to set up their own kingdom, and at first this preposterous scheme seems to work, until things go wrong. Very wrong. Of course, in Afghanistan the collapse of the dreams of empire is a familiar story, as is shown by the failed attempts at conquest over the past two centuries by the British Empire, the Soviet Union, and, as recently as 2021, the United States. Perhaps the Soviets and the Americans should have read their Kipling! Of course, you don't have to physically invade a country to make it your colony, as the US's successful takeover of Canada demonstrates: the 2020 version of NAFTA, which coercively imposed American copyright durations and other outrages on our country, is certainly the act of an aggressive imperial power. Perhaps the Americans will learn their Afghanistan lesson, and start treating other countries, Canada included, as their equals, not their subjects. Not a moment too soon!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2021/07/13: TODAY'S EBOOK IS FROM OHIO'S LOUIS BROMFIELD AND IS A FAMILY EPIC SET IN MASSACHUSETTS. IN 1927 IT BROUGHT ITS AUTHOR THE PULITZER PRIZE !!
 
A FALL ELECTION IS LIKELY. OUR PARTIES ARE GOOD AT BOASTING, BUT NOT SO GOOD AT ACTUALLY DOING ANYTHING.
 
OUR SUGGESTION: THEY SHOULD (1) DECLARE INDEPENDENCE FROM THE U.S. AND (2) REESTABLISH CANADA'S SOVEREIGNTY, BY GETTING RID OF THE ABOMINATIONS PUT IN NAFTA AT THE COMMAND OF THE FOREIGN AUTOCRAT TR*MP, AND AGAINST THE WILL OF CANADIANS -- IN PARTICULAR, THE TWENTY-YEAR COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS.
 
MAKE NO MISTAKE: IF A FOREIGN POWER REWRITES YOUR DOMESTIC LEGISLATION, YOU'RE NOT A COUNTRY ANY MORE. YOU'RE A COLONY!

Bromfield, Louis (1896-1956) [American novelist, journalist, and organic farmer] Wikipedia

Early Autumn (1926) Wikipedia [A novel from near the beginning of Bromfield's career -- it won him the 1927 Pulitzer Prize! It is a family epic, set in the old but fictional Massachusetts town of Durham, where the Pentland family has roots dating back to the seventeenth century. But now it's the twentieth century, Durham has changed and grown, and the Pentlands, it turns out, are not immune to the problems which can beset long-established families dependent on inherited wealth. The novel features old John Pentland, his alarming sister Cassie, and his son Anson, who had married Olivia, whom Cassie "had never quite forgiven... for being an outsider who had come into the intricate web of life at Pentlands out of (of all places) Chicago." Still, when she arrived, so did her substantial fortune. By this point you probably get the picture. Now try the novel, written with Louis Bromfield's typical combination of elegance and approachability!] EPUB HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped

2021/07/11: "THE RICH GET RICHER, AND THE POOR GET POORER" -- THE COVID-19 MESS HAS BRUTALLY EXPOSED HOW TRUE THIS IS. JUST LOOK AT THE STOCK MARKET'S RECORD HIGHS. THEN LOOK AT AVERAGE INCOMES! NO ONE UNDERSTOOD THESE THINGS BETTER THAN UPTON SINCLAIR, THE AUTHOR OF TODAY'S EBOOK !!
 
A FALL ELECTION IS LIKELY. OUR PARTIES ARE GOOD AT BOASTING, BUT NOT SO GOOD AT ACTUALLY DOING ANYTHING.
 
OUR SUGGESTION: THEY SHOULD (1) DECLARE INDEPENDENCE FROM THE U.S. AND (2) REESTABLISH CANADA'S SOVEREIGNTY, BY GETTING RID OF THE ABOMINATIONS PUT IN NAFTA AT THE COMMAND OF THE FOREIGN AUTOCRAT TR*MP, AND AGAINST THE WILL OF CANADIANS -- IN PARTICULAR, THE TWENTY-YEAR COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS.
 
MAKE NO MISTAKE: IF A FOREIGN POWER REWRITES YOUR DOMESTIC LEGISLATION, YOU'RE NOT A COUNTRY ANY MORE. YOU'RE A COLONY!

Sinclair, Upton (1878-1968) [American novelist, journalist, and politician] Wikipedia

Letters to Judd, an American Workingman (1926) [No one has ever had a clearer view of how the economic system really works than Upton Sinclair. "This book is written and published," says the author, "as an act of love for America. It is made out of faith in our country, and in you." He discusses theory versus reality. And here's the reality: "Well, the first thing the big corporation financier does is to seek out some form of special privilege, some opening through which he knows that he can make quick and certain profits." We certainly see this in the COVID era. Why such vast public subsidies for corporations? Why did the citizens pay for developing the COVID vaccines, but private interests ended up owning the patents, with guaranteed monopoly profits for many years into the future? And why were American commercial interests allowed to hijack our copyright laws, using open coercion? The government and all the "opposition" parties just rolled over and played dead! Excessive copyright lengths are economically harmful, are an attack on the poor, and do not benefit the original creators, who are (how shall we put this?) dead. As PGC readers know, public domain ebooks cost less than those under copyright, because there is no longer a monopoly, but an open competitive market. Speaking of copyright, there never was a copyright on Upton Sinclair's fine book: "This book is an act of service, not of money-making. The work is not copyrighted, and any one may reprint it. If you want a large edition, the author's plates are at your service free of cost. Read, and do your part."] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #65818]

2021/07/08: OUR FIRST EBOOK BY THEODORE DREISER IS NOT ONE OF HIS CELEBRATED NOVELS, BUT AN ACCOUNT OF HIS TRAVELS IN EUROPE -- WITH MARVELOUS ILLUSTRATIONS BY PHILADELPHIA'S WILLIAM GLACKENS  !!
 
A FALL ELECTION IS LIKELY. OUR PARTIES ARE GOOD AT BOASTING, BUT NOT SO GOOD AT ACTUALLY DOING ANYTHING EXCEPT TAKING ORDERS FROM TR*MP, THE U.S. AUTOCRAT. WHY SHOULD CANADIANS VOTE FOR ANY OF THE PARTIES?
 
OUR SUGGESTION: THEY SHOULD (1) DECLARE INDEPENDENCE FROM THE U.S. AND (2) REESTABLISH CANADA'S SOVEREIGNTY, BY GETTING RID OF THE ABOMINATIONS PUT IN NAFTA AT THE COMMAND OF THE FOREIGN AUTOCRAT TR*MP, AND AGAINST THE WILL OF CANADIANS -- IN PARTICULAR, THE TWENTY-YEAR COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS.
 
MAKE NO MISTAKE: IF A FOREIGN POWER REWRITES YOUR DOMESTIC LEGISLATION, FOR EXAMPLE EXTENDING COPYRIGHT DURATIONS, YOU'RE THEIR COLONY!

Dreiser, Theodore [Theodore Herman Albert] (1871-1945) [American journalist, poet, and novelist] Wikipedia

A Traveler at Forty (1913) [Dreiser's delightfully written memoir of an extended trip to Europe. And what a time to go! Europe was at its prewar height, and no one suspected the catastrophe that was about to engulf the continent. The places he visited included England, France, Italy, the Vatican, Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands. Wow! What more need be said? How about this: the book includes drawings by the fabulously talented American artist William Glackens (1870-1938) Wikipedia! Reviewers noticed that the book, unlike many travel narratives, paid close attention to all social classes. The Nation (18 December 1913) seems to have liked this well enough: "In the pursuit of knowledge Mr. Dreiser showed enterprise. His London contacts were carefully arranged, but he managed to quiz a street-walker on his own account. At Paris such investigations were naturally part of the programme. Into all his observations Mr. Dreiser carries a keen, quiet curiosity that is pretty close to sympathy. There is an odd reverence about what can only be described as prying tactics." But in The Bookman (February 1914), Stuart Henry was less positive: "Instead of bringing to notice men who are worth while or entertaining, he acquaints us rather with those who can guide through night haunts of immorality, have sex on the brain or desire to "lick" foreigners. And for the women of Europe we are freely offered examples from the various tenderloins who, even for their class, do not propose much in the way of edification or esprit." But what else can we we expect or would we want than a balanced view of all sectors of society? And who better to provide it than the author of Sister Carrie and An American Tragedy?] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #65765]

2021/07/04: A MYSTERY NOVEL BY ARTHUR GASK, TAKING PLACE IN 1925, FOUR YEARS AFTER GILBERT LAROSE HAS MOVED TO ENGLAND TO TAKE UP A NEW POST IN LONDON !!
 
A FALL ELECTION IS LIKELY. OUR PARTIES ARE GOOD AT BOASTING, BUT NOT SO GOOD AT ACTUALLY DOING ANYTHING EXCEPT TAKING ORDERS FROM TR*MP, THE U.S. AUTOCRAT. WHY SHOULD CANADIANS VOTE FOR ANY OF THE PARTIES?
 
OUR SUGGESTION: THEY SHOULD DECLARE INDEPENDENCE FROM THE U.S. (IT'S THE FOURTH OF JULY!) BY GETTING RID OF THE ABOMINATIONS PUT IN NAFTA AT THE COMMAND OF THE FOREIGN AUTOCRAT TR*MP, AND AGAINST THE WILL OF CANADIANS -- IN PARTICULAR, THE TWENTY-YEAR COPYRIGHT EXTENSIONS.
 
MAKE NO MISTAKE: IF A FOREIGN POWER REWRITES YOUR DOMESTIC LEGISLATION, FOR EXAMPLE EXTENDING COPYRIGHT DURATIONS, YOU'RE THEIR COLONY!

Gask, Arthur [Arthur Cecil] (1869-1951) [Australian novelist, journalist, and dentist] Wikipedia Australian Dictionary of Biography

Marauders by Night (1951) [A Gilbert Larose novel, set in 1925! As the novel opens, a very serious conference is underway at Scotland Yard. In the Eastern Counties (Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk) there have been no fewer than five major robberies. In attendance is Gilbert Larose, "then in his twenty-ninth year and the youngest Detective Inspector at Scotland Yard... a good-looking young fellow with a pleasant smiling face. Transferred from Australia to the Criminal Investigation Department in London, in four years he had earned an almost legendary reputation." And Larose's achievements in this case will only increase this reputation!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

2021/07/01: NORMALLY, NATIONAL HOLIDAYS CELEBRATE INDEPENDENCE. HERE IN CANADA, OUR POLITICAL PARTIES OPERATE A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY -- SO HERE WE ARE OBSERVING THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF CANADA'S RECOLONIZATION (THE "NEW NAFTA") -- IMPOSED BY THE UNITED STATES, WITH THE ACTIVE ASSISTANCE OF CANADA'S FEDERAL POLITICIANS.
 
MAKE NO MISTAKE: IF A FOREIGN POWER REWRITES YOUR DOMESTIC LEGISLATION, FOR EXAMPLE EXTENDING COPYRIGHT DURATIONS, YOU'RE THEIR COLONY!
 
SO FOR CANADA DAY WE OFFER YOU AN EBOOK BY THE FAMOUS BENGALI AUTHOR RABINDRANATH TAGORE (NOBEL PRIZE, 1913), A FIERCE OPPONENT OF BRITISH RULE IN INDIA. EXCELLENT READING, AND AN INSPIRATION TO CANADIANS AS WE SEEK TO RECLAIM OUR COUNTRY'S INDEPENDENCE !!

Tagore, Rabindranath (1861-1941) [Bengali novelist, poet, and painter; Nobel Prize in Literature, 1913] Wikipedia

Glimpses of Bengal. Selected from the letters of Sir Rabindranath Tagore, 1885 to 1895. (1921) ["The letters translated in this book," writes our author, "span the most productive period of my literary life, when, owing to great good fortune, I was young and less known.... It so happened that selected extracts from a large number of such letters found their way back to me years after they had been written. It had been rightly conjectured that they would delight me by bringing to mind the memory of days when, under the shelter of obscurity, I enjoyed the greatest freedom my life has ever known." The letters were written from various cities in Bengal and also from the Tagore family's country house at Shelidah (Shilaidaha) Wikipedia, which is now a museum commemorating our author. The translation was done by "one who, among all those whom I know, was best fitted to carry it out", namely the author's nephew, the political activist, author, and entrepreneur Surendranath Tagore (1872-1940) Wikipedia] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #7951]




Complete catalogue / Notre collection

You will find thousands of other interesting titles at Project Gutenberg's US and Australian websites. Many of the Canadian ebooks listed below were originally created for these two sites, which have kindly made them available to us. You will find a large catalogue of excellent titles in French at Ebooks Libres et Gratuits, who have also kindly made their catalogue available to us.

Nous tenons à remercier nos partenaires, Projet Gutenberg US, Ebooks libres et gratuits et Projet Gutenberg Australie, qui vous offrent des milliers de livres captivants. Les deux premiers possèdent un vaste catalogue de titres en français. Ce sont nos partenaires qui se sont occupés de numériser de nombreux documents ci-dessous.





A



Anonymous

Select Comic Tales. From the Best Authors. (ca. 1808) [A collection of tales, mostly anonymous, selected by an anonymous editor, but including stories by François Blanchet (1707-1784) fr.wikipedia and Charles Johnstone (ca.1719 - ca.1800) Compendium of Irish Biography. Colour frontispiece and title page by an anonymous artist. All in all, a work with a good deal of anonymity.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #560]
Aunt Ann's Lesson-Book, for Very Young Children. In Words of One and Two Syllables. (1822) [Vignettes intended to entertain and instruct young children, "by a friend to little children." Includes colour illustrations by an anonymous artist.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #515]
Tales and Novels for Youth of Both Sexes (1831) [Tales and historical accounts from French history and culture, published in Paris in 1831, but written in English. The illustrations include an engraved frontispiece reproducing a work by Charles-Abraham Chasselat (1782-1843).] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #549]
The Broken Vase, and Other Stories; for Children and Youth. (1847) [Stories for children, with illustrations]
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Story of Simple Simon (this edition ca. 1850-1864) [Traditional children's poem Wikipedia, nicely illustrated by an unknown hand] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #514]
Dan Drake's Rhymes and Dame Duck's Jingles (1859) [Illustrated poems]
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Ball-Room Dancing Without a Master, and complete guide to the Etiquette, Toilet, Dress and Management of the ball-room; with all the Principal Dances in Popular Use. (1872) [Manual]
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Comic Animals and their Adventures. With Alphabet and Rhymes. (ca. 1880?) [Alphabet book and children's story: includes illustrations by G. H. Thompson (fl. 1833-1884) and Louis Wain (1860-1939) Wikipedia]
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The Shasta Route in All of its Grandeur. A Scenic Guide Book from San Francisco, California, to Portland, Oregon on the Road of a Thousand Wonders. (ca. 1923) ["The illustrations shown in the following pages," says the preface to this magnificent collection, "are all made expressly for this book from photographs taken by special artists of the most striking objects of interest, which abound to a remarkable extent along the Southern Pacific Railroad, between San Francisco and Portland. Great care was taken to select only such views as every traveler actually sees along the line." And this Exclusive Edition was available to purchase only on the Shasta Route trains! The photographers are anonymous, with the exception of Chester Mullen who took a memorable photo of the Lassen Peak, which is not only a peak but also a volcano, that Mullen caught erupting sometime between 1914 and 1921: the biggest eruption was in 1915. But all of the pictures are remarkable in their different ways!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #68494]
WAAC: The Woman's Story of the War (1930) [Autobiography: an intimate account of the writer's personal experience of the First World War. Not your standard war memoir!] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped
Metropolitan Cook Book, Edition of Aug. 1954 (1954) [Cookbook. published by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped


Abbott, John Stevens Cabot (1805-1877) [American historian] Wikipedia

The Adventures of the Chevalier De La Salle and his Companions in their explorations of the prairies, forests, lakes, and rivers, of the New World, and their interviews with the savage tribes, two hundred years ago. (1875) [History, mostly concerning René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle Wikipedia Dictionary of Canadian Biography] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped


Abbott-Smith, George (1864-1947) [Canadian theologian and philologist]

A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1937 [third edition: first edition published in 1921, second edition in 1923]) [Dictionary of New Testament Greek, with many references to how Greek words in the New Testament were used in the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament to represent their Hebrew counterparts] HTML zipped DjVu PDF
Because of the specialized nature of this work, and the advanced Greek and Hebrew typography of the printed edition, we present this monument of scholarship as a downloadable set of scans approximately 42 megabytes in size. You should download the file, unzip it, and use the main HTML page to navigate to the appropriate pages. As an alternative, you can download the scans in DjVu format (15 megabytes) or as a PDF file (54 megabytes).


Acland, Peregrine Palmer (1890-1963) [Canadian novelist] The Dusty Bookcase (Brian Busby) Field Punishment No.1 (James Calhoun)

All Else Is Folly. A Tale of War and Passion. (1929) [One of the most famous Canadian novels about the First World War, describing the experiences of a young soldier, Alexander Falcon, who finds himself transported from a ranch in southern Alberta to the battlefields of France, with part of the novel being set at an English country house, Bendip Towers. No less a figure than Ford Madox Ford (1873-1939) Wikipedia contributed the preface: "Major Acland's is, I imagine, the first really authentic work of imaginative writing dealing with the War to come out of one of the great British Dominions... it will be little less than a scandal if the book is not read enormously widely. And that is the truth."] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1162]


Addison, Joseph (1672-1719) [English essayist and playwright] Wikipedia NNDB

Cato. A Tragedy. (1713) [Tragedy, extremely popular throughout the eighteenth century, describing the last days of Cato the Younger (95-46 B.C.) Wikipedia, a leading opponent of Julius Caesar. Our edition includes some introductory remarks by the playwright and novelist Elizabeth Inchbald (1753-1821) Wikipedia] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped Wikipedia [PGC #496]


Aeschylus (ca. 525-456 B.C.) [Athenian playwright] Wikipedia

Translations by Murray, Gilbert [George Gilbert Aimé] (1866-1957) [English classical scholar] Wikipedia Australian Dictionary of Biography Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL) [in German]

Alain-Fournier, pseudonyme de Fournier, Henri Alban (1886-1914) [Romancier français] fr.wikipedia

Le Grand Meaulnes (1913) [Roman] HTML et Texte


Albani, Emma (1847-1930) [Canadian opera singer] Wikipedia Dictionary of Canadian Biography Library and Archives Canada La Scena Musicale (article by Gilles Potvin) The Virtual Gramophone (recordings!) The Virtual Gramophone (biography)]

Forty Years of Song (1911) [Albani's own account, profusely illustrated, of her sensational rise to international fame in the world of opera and oratorio] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PG Canada ebook #500]
Voir aussi:

Legendre, Napoléon (1841-1907) [Journaliste canadien] fr.wikipedia Dictionnaire biographique du Canada
Albani (Emma Lajeunesse) (1874) [Biographie de la cantatrice Emma Albani (1847-1930) fr.wikipedia Dictionnaire biographique du Canada Bibliothèque et Archives Canada La Scena Musicale (article par Gilles Potvin)] Le Gramophone virtuel (enregistrements!) Le Gramophone virtuel (biographie)]
HTML HTML zip Texte Texte zip


Allen, Grant [Charles Grant Blairfindie] (1848-1899) [Canadian scientist, novelist, and historian] Wikipedia Peter Morton's Grant Allen website grantallen.org

Philistia (1884) [Novel] Text
Biographies of Working Men (1884) [Short biographies of Thomas Telford, George Stephenson, John Gibson, William Herschel, Jean-François Millet, James Garfield, and Thomas Edward] Text Text
Falling in Love, with other essays on more exact branches of science (1889) [Essays on science] HTML and Text
What's Bred in the Bone (1890) [Novel] Text
The Great Taboo (1890) [Novel] Text
Recalled to Life (1891) [Novel] Text
Anglo-Saxon Britain (1891) [History] HTML and Text
Science in Arcady (1892) [Essays on science] HTML and Text
Michael's Crag (1893) [Novel] Text
Post-Prandial Philosophy (1893) [Light essays] HTML and Text
The British Barbarians (1895) [Science fiction novel] Text
The Woman Who Did (1895) Wikipedia [Novel, controversial at the time of its publication. Herminia Barton is very well educated, rather poor, and thinks for herself: she does not wish to marry, a fact which largely determines the course of the novel. We include the 1895 title page, which was created by Aubrey Beardsley (1872-1898) Wikipedia.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #950] PG US ebook
An African Millionaire: Episodes in the Life of the Illustrious Colonel Clay (1897) [Detective short stories] Text
Twelve Tales, with a Headpiece, a Tailpiece, and an Intermezzo: Being Select Stories by Grant Allen, Chosen and Arranged by the Author (1899) [Allen's own selection of his personal favourites among the many short stories he created. In the very interesting introduction he explains how, essentially by accident, he became a writer of fiction.]
CAUTION: Certain language in this ebook today would be considered grossly racist.
HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1026]
Hilda Wade, a Woman with Tenacity of Purpose (1900) [Posthumous novel; final chapters completed by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930)] HTML and Text


Allen, Ralph (1913-1966) [Canadian journalist, historian, and novelist] Wikipedia

Peace River Country (1958) [Novel. A family decides to moves to Peace River Country, the vast region which straddles northwestern Alberta and northeastern British Columbia Wikipedia. The move does not go smoothly, but transforms their lives completely! If you or your family are from any part of Western Canada, the world described by this novel may well seem familiar: it is a past still not very distant.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1615]
The High White Forest (1964) [The Belgium most people know is the country's fertile coastal plain, where Brussels, Antwerp, and other famous cities are located. But there is another Belgium, the eastern section, geographically the larger part of the country. Here can be found the Forest of the Ardennes, the "high white forest" of the title, which has many mountains, rivers, and swamps, a small population, and severe winter weather. It proved a nightmare for military operations during the Battle of the Bulge Wikipedia, which is the backdrop for this fine war novel, told from the perspective of members of the Canadian, German, and American armies. Ralph Allen knew what he was talking about: throughout the war he reported from Europe for Toronto's Globe and Mail, and his easy expertise and ample knowledge is apparent throughout the novel.] EPUB HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #1676]


Allingham, Margery [Youngman Carter, Margery Louise] (1904-1966) [English mystery novelist] Wikipedia

The Crime at Black Dudley (1929) Wikipedia [Mystery novel: the first to feature Albert Campion Wikipedia as a character. Black Dudley is a large, old and mysterious house in a remote area. Where better to hold a house party? In the course of which the elderly Colonel Coombe dies -- but not, it seems, of natural causes! The sleuth is pathologist George Abbershaw; but among the guests is Albert Campion, who to some extent steals the show. He was to appear as the principal sleuth in many subsequent novels and stories by our author.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1631]
Look to the Lady (1931) Wikipedia [At the beginning of this, the third Campion novel, Mr Val Gyrth is homeless and living in the streets of London, whence he is retrieved by someone who has mysteriously good knowledge of his circumstances. His rescuer is none other than Albert Campion! What lies ahead? Mystery and intrigue, of course! All of it involving a fabled family treasure; hence the novel's US title, The Gyrth Chalice Mystery.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1652]
Police at the Funeral (1931) Wikipedia [The fourth mystery novel featuring Albert Campion, and taking place in Cambridge, more specifically at a house named Socrates Close. The house's name is mysterious, and so are the events taking place in and around it.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1628]
Sweet Danger (1933) Wikipedia [The fifth Campion novel, which starts in the opulent surroundings of the French Riviera, and later shifts to a Suffolk village named Pontisbright. But Pontisbright is no ordinary village, and this is no ordinary mystery novel! The Saturday Review (8 July 1933) called it Albert Campion's "most hair-raising and side-splitting adventure... this author makes witchcraft really exciting, a mythical kingdom really romantic, a mystery both thrilling and hilarious."] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1659]
Dancers in Mourning (1937) Wikipedia [Mystery novel, the eighth to feature Albert Campion, set within the glamorous world of the British stage.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1566]
Mr. Campion: Criminologist (1937) [Mystery stories. "Bespectacled Albert ambles shrewdly through one long, six short episodes involving murders, thefts, etc... Verdict: Irreproachable" (Saturday Review, 20 November 1937). The long story is The Case of the Late Pig, which we have omitted for the simple reason that it is already available in our catalogue as a separate ebook!] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1543]
The Case of the Late Pig (1937) Wikipedia [Mystery novel, featuring (and narrated by) Allingham's famous creation Albert Campion Wikipedia. Obituaries are normally published after someone's passing. But the obituary for R. I. "Pig" Peters appeared in the newspaper; then, some weeks later, he died. Naturally the situation interests Campion: he and Pig had gone to school together!] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1407]
The Fashion in Shrouds (1938) Wikipedia [Mystery novel featuring Albert Campion. Not one murder to solve, but three, with, as you might guess, considerable attention to the world of high fashion!] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1637]
The Oaken Heart (1941) [Memoir; not a mystery novel! In 1941 a German invasion of England was a strong possibility, and the village of Tolleshunt D'Arcy Wiktionary on the Essex coast was at particularly high risk. And it is in that village (called "Auburn" in the book), that Allingham and her husband Philip lived. This is her account of village life under these very unusual circumstances. Her writing has an authenticity which is refreshing after the manufactured history and manufactured debate we've seen coming out of England in recent years. After all, Allingham was faced with the very real threat of a foreign occupation, rather than the decidedly less concrete threat posed by "Brussels bureaucrats"!] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1675]
Coroner's Pidgin (1945) Wikipedia [The twelfth mystery in the Albert Campion series. "Pidgin" in the title and in the novel carries its secondary meaning of "A person's business, occupation, work, or trade" Wiktionary. The American publisher chose, perhaps wisely, to use a different title, Pearls Before Swine. Now let's discuss the novel! Mr Campion has been out of the country for three years on a government mission "so secret that he had never found out quite what it was". (Or perhaps the disorder we see at Westminster these days stretches back to the days of Albert Campion!) In any case, he's back from the mission, even the trip itself lasted a full eight weeks, and he is taking a bath, having been in London for a whole hour and ten minutes. Then a murder happens!] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1662]
More Work for the Undertaker (1949) Wikipedia [Mystery novel, featuring Albert Campion, taking place in an area of London where people are known to disappear mysteriously. A central role is played by the Palinode family, formerly rich, more recently not so rich, but now some of their old wealth may be coming back.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1656]
No Love Lost (1954) [Two mystery novellas. The Patient at Peacocks Hall, is narrated by Ann Fowler, an assistant GP in a rural medical practice, who has to deal not only with the challenges of her practice, but also with losing her fiancé, John Linnett, to Francia Forde, a new and scintillating starlet -- they'll even appear in a movie together! The narrator of the second novella, Safer than Love, is Elizabeth Lane, newly married to the headmaster of Buchanan House, in the town of Tinworth. But the townspeople are puzzled -- Victor seems to be leading exactly the same kind of independent life as before the arrival of his glamorous wife from the city. Both novellas are written with Allingham's usual expertise and style, not to mention an unusually wide view of the world and its doings: one of the factors that gives her a special place among the classic mystery authors.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1642]
Word in Season. A Story for Christmas. (1965 version) [A very short story, set at Christmas and featuring Albert Campion Wikipedia. An earlier version, A Word in Season, had appeared in 1955.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1450]


Alloway, Mary Wilson (1848-1919) [Canadian novelist and historian]

Famous Firesides of French Canada (1899) [Essays on the history of French Canada] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #443]
Crossed Swords. A Canadian-American Tale of Love and Valor. (1912) [Historical novel set during the 1775 attack on Quebec Wikipedia by American forces led by Richard Montgomery Wikipedia Dictionary of Canadian Biography and Benedict Arnold Wikipedia Dictionary of Canadian Biography, successfully repulsed by the British garrison under the command of Guy Carleton Wikipedia Dictionary of Canadian Biography] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #660]


Andersen, Hans Christian (1805-1875) [Danish writer and poet; écrivain et poète danois] Wikipedia fr.wikipedia

Contes merveilleux - Tome I [Contes] HTML et Texte
Contes merveilleux - Tome II [Contes] HTML et Texte

The Nightingale (1844 [Danish original], 1896 [this edition]) [Short story, The Emperor of China learns of the existence of a nightingale who lives not in the emperor's magnificent garden, but in the forest, and wants to know more. Translation by Henry William Dulcken (1832-1894) with some fine illustrations by the English designer and illustrator Mary J. Newill (1860-1947) Wikipedia] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 71096]

Stories from Hans Andersen (1911) [Stories: illustrated by Edmund Dulac (1882-1953) Wikipedia] HTML and Text

Tales from Hans Andersen Forty-Two Stories (1930) [Stories: translated from the Danish by M. R. James (1862-1936) Wikipedia]
Andrews, Roy Chapman (1884-1960) [American explorer] Wikipedia

An Explorer Comes Home. Further Adventures of Roy Chapman Andrews. (1947) [The author's account of his life in Colebrook, Connecticut Wikipedia after his decades of exploration in the Far East] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #902]
Heart of Asia. True Tales of the Far East. (1951) [Autobiographical essays about various adventures of the author during his celebrated expeditions to China and Mongolia] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #886]
Beyond Adventure. The Lives of Three Explorers. (1954) [Biographical sketches of the Arctic explorer Robert Peary (1856-1920) Wikipedia, of the African explorer Carl Akeley (1864-1926) Wikipedia, and of the author himself. These short biographies originally appeared in True, The Man's Magazine Wikipedia Field & Stream (David E. Petzal) before they were collected in this book.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #962]


Anet, Claude [pseudonyme de Jean Schopfer] (1868-1931) [Journaliste et romancier français] fr.wikipedia

Les Roses d'Ispahan: La Perse en automobile à travers la Russie et le Caucase (1906) [Récit de voyage, avec plusieurs photos. Un portrait inoubliable de la Perse et ses pays voisins avant le déclenchement de la Première Guerre mondiale, une époque que nous ne reverrons jamais.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 70650]
Ariane, jeune fille russe (1920) [Roman: la source de deux films célèbres: Ariane, jeune fille russe (1932, Paul Czinner) IMDb et Ariane [Love in the Afternoon] (1957, Billy Wilder, avec Audrey Hepburn, Gary Cooper, et Maurice Chevalier) IMDb en.wikipedia fr.wikipedia] HTML HTML zip Texte Texte zip


Apollinaire, Guillaume (1880-1918) [Romancier et poète français] fr.wikipedia

Les Onze Mille Verges (1907) [Roman érotique] fr.wikipedia HTML HTML zip Texte Texte zip RTF RTF zip PDF PDF zip


Aristophanes (445 B.C. or earlier - ca. 385 B.C.) [Athenian playwright] Wikipedia

Translations by: Murray, Gilbert [George Gilbert Aimé] (1866-1957) [English classical scholar] Wikipedia Australian Dictionary of Biography Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL) [in German]


Arkell, Reginald (1882-1959) [English novelist and poet] Wikipedia

Old Herbaceous (1950) [The celebrated light novel, featuring Bert Pinnegar, a rather special gardener. Beautifully illustrated by John Minton (1917-1957). Wikipedia Tate Collection] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #843]


Arlen, Michael (1895-1956) [English novelist, playwright, and essayist] Wikipedia

The London Venture (1920) [Novel, with many fine drawings by émigré Russian artist Michel Sevier (1886-1941). This is the first work published by Arlen under the name we know him by: up till its publication he had been known as Dikran Kouyoumdjian. As this name suggests, he was of Armenian descent, and had been born in Ruse, Bulgaria, on the banks of the Danube. However, he had been living in England for a good length of time when he published this lighthearted and apparently autobiographical novel about a young writer living in London. It was based on "The London Papers", a series of essays he had published in The New Age.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 40375]
The Green Hat (1924) Wikipedia [Certainly Arlen's most famous novel, set in a world similar to the early novels of Evelyn Waugh, namely London of the 1920s; later successfully adapted to the stage and the screen. The film, A Woman of Affairs, was released in 1928, and starred Greta Garbo, John Gilbert, and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. It changed the names of all the characters, and omitted controversial topics, such as sexual orientation and recreational drugs. For all that, best stick to the novel!)] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #71913]
Ghost Stories (1932) [Seven ghost stories by a famous master] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1143]


Arnold, Matthew (1822-1888) [English poet and critic] Wikipedia NNDB

St. Paul and Protestantism, with an essay on Puritanism and the Church of England (1870) [Two essays on St. Paul's teachings, as they have been conceived, and misconceived] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #880]


Atiyah, Edward [Edward Selim] (1903-1964) [Lebanese political activist and novelist] Wikipedia

The Cruel Fire (1962) [Mystery novel, notable in several respects: (1) it is set in Lebanon, although there is a Hollywood connection, (2) it's not so much about a murder as the attempt to conceal the murder, and (3) its author was not primarily a novelist, but an Oxford-educated journalist and sometime secretary of the Arab League. The novel is nicely written, and succeeds in offering both entertainment and instruction.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1537]


Aubert, Albert [Écrivain français]

L'Horloge qui chante. Nouvelle américaine. (1843) [Conte. L'histoire de l'horloger Daniel, originaire de la Nouvelle-Écosse, et Louise Saunders, une jeune fille de Cleveland.] HTML HTML zip Texte Texte zip EPUB [PG Canada no 955]


Aubert de Gaspé, Philippe (1814-1841) [Romancier canadien] Encyclopédie canadienne Wikipedia (en anglais)

L'influence d'un livre (1837) [Roman] HTML et Texte


Austen, Jane (1775-1817) [English novelist] Wikipedia

Pride and Prejudice (1813) Wikipedia [Novel, perhaps the most famous novel in the English language, and certainly one of the most popular. The Bennet family is wealthy, but their wealth is transient, since the five daughters will not inherit anything: the estate can only go to a male heir. Hence there is huge pressure for one of the daughters to marry well, or rather, to marry someone with serious money. The "pride" is that of Mr Darcy, whose initial impression of the Bennets is that they are not the sort of family he wants to be involved with. The "prejudice" is that of Elizabeth Bennet, who quickly begins to dislike Mr Darcy. The Project Gutenberg US ebook we present is drawn from an impeccable source, the 1923 edition of Austen's novels by the textual scholar R. W. Chapman (1881-1960) Wikipedia. For Pride and Prejudice, Chapman principally relied on the 1813 first edition, and included some illustrations from Jane Austen's era.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #42671]
Emma (1815) Wikipedia ["Emma Woodhouse," begins this famous novel, "handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition... had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her." But as can happen, Emma does not realize that her wealth and social position are lucky accidents, and not the result of her own efforts or intelligence. She should certainly not be telling others how to organize their lives, let alone whom they should marry! But that is what she does, naturally with limited success. Canadian politicians are like Emma: they are themselves well off, seem obsessed with "middle class aspirations", and show little knowledge of or respect for the working poor. Hence the class divisions, gigantic wealth, and mass poverty that we now see in Canada. Back to the novel! Some consider it Austen's finest work, and it is certainly popular, with many TV and film adaptations, including the 1995 film Clueless, set in Beverly Hills!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
Persuasion (1818) Wikipedia [Austen's final novel, the story of Anne Elliot and Frederick Wentworth. When only nineteen, Anne had accepted an offer of marriage from Frederick, but was persuaded by her family that this was a match below her and her family's dignity. How time can change things! Some years later the Elliots are descending into (relative) poverty, so save money by renting out Kellynch Hall and moving to Bath. Not much of a hardship: their poverty really was relative. But Bath was very much a social centre, and there Anne meets Frederick once again. But the Napoleonic Wars have been good to him: he is now a Captain, and decidedly well off. A tricky situation for everyone!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
 
Traduction française par Mme Letorsay
Persuasion (1882) fr.wikipedia Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 36777]


Auzias-Turenne, Raymond (1861-1940) [Écrivain et diplomate français] (gendre de Louis Beaubien [1837-1915] Dictionnaire biographique du Canada)

République Royale (1894) [Essai politique] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped


B




Babcock, John Pease (1855-1936) [Canadian naturalist and author] University of Washington

Peace River Joe (1924) [A prize-winning short story, dedicated by its author "to my friends in remembrance of many happy days spent on the waters and in the woods of British Columbia."] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #842]


Bainville, Jacques (1879-1936) [Historien et journaliste français] fr.wikipedia Académie Française

Comment s'est faite la Restauration de 1814 (1914) [Monographie sur le retour des Bourbons en 1814] HTML HTML zip Texte Texte zip EPUB [PGC no 829]
Napoléon (1931) [Biographie du soldat et homme d'État français fr.wikipedia] HTML HTML zip Texte Texte zip Texte UTF-8 Texte UTF-8 zip EPUB [PGC no 739]


Ball, Wilfrid [Wilfrid Williams] (1852-1917) [English etcher and painter] Wikipedia

Sussex, Painted by Wilfrid Ball (1906) [No fewer than 75 paintings of Sussex landscapes in excellent full-colour reproductions: we can easily believe the publisher's claim that "No expense has been spared in reproducing the exact colourings of the artists, and the books are beautifully printed and bound." Wilfrid Ball was in his early adulthood an accountant, but his natural talent and preference eventually prevailed, so he became a full-time artist and a famous one. This book shows why he was and is so famous. The excellent text from an anonymous contributor gives much useful and interesting information on Sussex's geography and history.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #67784]
Winchester, Painted by Wilfrid Ball, Described by Telford Varley (1910) [A set of 24 paintings of the ancient city of Winchester, Alfred the Great's capital, and one of England's most important cities during the Middle Ages. The excellent colour plates are accompanied by a fine text, whose author Telford Varley (1866-1938) knew Winchester well, having served for thirty years in that city as the founding headmaster of Peter Symonds College Wikipedia. He is far too modest in his description of what he contributed, saying it is neither a history nor a guidebook, even though clearly it is both of these!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #67808]
Hampshire Water-Colours (1913) [Similar in concept to Ball's equally famous 1906 collection of paintings of Sussex. In 1910 Ball had published an album devoted specifically to Winchester, but the books are hardly duplicates. There is much more to Hampshire than Winchester: Portsmouth and Southampton, for example! All three books feature amazingly good colour printing, and we are delighted to make them available at our customary charge of... nothing whatsoever! Inflation is not part of the universe at Project Gutenberg Canada!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #66098]


Barrie, J. M. [James Matthew] (1860-1937) [Scottish playwright] Wikipedia The New Yorker (Anthony Lane)

Quality Street (1901) [Comedy. Our ebook is based on an edition assigned to 1913 which included a marvellous set of colour illustrations by Hugh Thomson (1860-1920) Ulster History Circle] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PG Canada ebook #648] Wikipedia
Half an Hour (1913 [first performance]; 1928 [first publication]) [A one-act play, unusually sardonic in tone for Barrie, as can be seen from his introduction to the play: "Mr. Garson, who is a financier, and his young wife, the lovely Lady Lilian, are in their mansion near Park Lane, but they are not at home this evening to the public eye; they are in the midst of a brawl..."] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #876] Half an Hour : An Aspect of J. M. Barrie's View of Womankind (Yashima Tanabe, 1974)
Half Hours (1914) [Four one-act plays] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped New York Times (8 Nov. 1914): review by Hildegarde Hawthorne (1871-1952), children's author and granddaughter of PG Canada author Nathaniel Hawthorne
Shall We Join the Ladies? (1928) [A one-act play. Barrie's description: "For the past week the hospitable Sam Smith has been entertaining a country house party, and we choose to raise the curtain on them towards the end of dinner...Smith is a little old bachelor, and sits there beaming on his guests like an elderly cupid. So they think him, but they are to be undeceived."] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #874]


Barrière, Théodore (1821-1877) [Dramaturge canadien],
Decourcelle, Adrien (1824-1892) [Dramaturge canadien],
Grangé, Eugène (1810-1887) [Dramaturge canadien], et
Roy, Régis (1864-1944) [Dramaturge canadien]


La tête de Martin: Comédie en un acte (1900) [Comédie] HTML et Texte


Barry, Philip [Philip Jerome Quinn] (1896-1949) [American playwright] Wikipedia Georgetown University Time (cover), 25 January 1932

The Animal Kingdom. A Comedy. (1932) [Comedy; one of Barry's greatest hits] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #788] Time, 25 January 1932


Bateman, Reginald John Godfrey (1883-1918) [Canadian university teacher and military officer] Dictionary of Canadian Biography Wikipedia

Reginald Bateman, Teacher and Soldier. A Memorial Volume of Selections from his Lectures and Other Writings. (1922) [An anthology, edited and with a preface by unnamed friends and students of Bateman at the University of Saskatchewan, where Bateman taught English. The anthology includes lectures and essays on Francis Thompson (1859-1907) Wikipedia, J. M. Synge (Bateman was from Ireland), Browning, Wordsworth, Dickens and Thackeray, some skilfully written poems, and some wartime items.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1056]


Beach, Thomas Miller ["Major Henri Le Caron"] (1841-1894) [English intelligence agent] Wikipedia Dictionary of Canadian Biography

Twenty-five years in the Secret Service. The Recollections of a Spy. (1892) [The author calls this "the story of my eventful life", and his life certainly was an eventful one. He apologizes for being in no sense a practised writer, but this apology was certainly not needed: he writes beautifully about his early life in England, his time in France, his move to the United States, and his accidental but astoundingly successful work as a British agent countering the Irish republican Fenian movement and its raids into Canada. He did not regret the decisions he had taken: "I can admit no shame and plead no regret. By my action lives have been saved, communities have been benefited, and right and justice allowed to triumph, to the confusion of law-breakers and would-be murderers." The book sold well: our ebook is based on the third edition!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #68765]


Bealby, John Thomas (1858-1943/1944) [Canadian fruit rancher and author]

Fruit Ranching in British Columbia (1909) [The author's account of his emigration from England to Nelson, B.C. and his subsequent adventures as a successful fruit rancher. Includes 32 photographs.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #682]


Beaugrand, Honoré (1848-1906) [Journaliste canadien] fr.wikipedia Dictionnaire biographique du Canada Encyclopédie de l'Agora

Anita: Souvenirs d'un contre-guerillas (ca. 1874) HTML HTML zip Texte Texte zip
Jeanne la Fileuse: épisode de l'émigration franco-canadienne aux États-Unis (1878) [Roman] HTML et Texte
Six mois dans les Montagnes-Rocheuses: Colorado—Utah—Nouveau-Mexique (1890) [Récit de voyage] HTML HTML zip Texte Texte zip
La chasse galerie: légendes canadiennes (1900) [Récits] HTML et Texte


Beaumont, Francis (1584-1616) [English playwright] Wikipedia
Fletcher, John (1579-1625) [English playwright] Wikipedia

The Knight of the Burning Pestle (1613) [Parodic drama, certainly influenced by Don Quixote, first presented in 1607 and published six years later. We present the 1898 annotated edition by Frederic William Moorman (1872-1919) Wikipedia, notable for its deep but unobtrusive learning.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #698] Wikipedia


Bechdolt, Jack [John Ernest] (1884-1954) [American journalist, cartoonist, and science fiction author] Wikipedia

The Torch (1920) Wikipedia [Post-apocalyptic novel, not so very different in tone from any number of recent movies, in spite of its being first published almost a century ago. The "torch" in question is that held by the Statue of Liberty!]
HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1392]


Beeman, Herbert (d. 1931) [Canadian businessman and poet] ABCBookworld

For Our Bureau. Being the Bureau Ballads contributed to Volumes One and Two of "Via Vancouver," the journal of the Foreign Trade Bureau of the Vancouver Board of Trade, by the Secretary, Herbert Beeman. (1924) [Expertly written light poems, taking as their inspiration the subject matter of the weekly Luncheon Lectures at the Foreign Trade Bureau of the Vancouver Board of Trade. Trade patterns being what they are, some of the poems are surprisingly topical even today.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1222]


Beerbohm, Max [Henry Maximilian] (1872-1956) [English satirist, critic, and caricaturist] Wikipedia The Victorian Web

The Works of Max Beerbohm (1896) [Essays: bibliography by John Lane (1854-1925)] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped Text (PG US)
Yet Again (1909) [Essays] HTML and Text
Zuleika Dobson, or, an Oxford love story (1911) [Novel] HTML and Text
A Christmas Garland (1912) [Parody] HTML and Text
And Even Now (1920) [Parody] HTML and Text
Lytton Strachey (1943) [Lecture] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped
Mainly on the Air (1946) [Radio talks, and some articles] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #542]


Belcourt, Napoléon-Antoine (1860-1932) [Canadian politician] Wikipedia

Bilingualism: Address Delivered before the Quebec Canadian Club (1916) [Lecture] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped


Bellamy, Edward (1850-1898) [American novelist and social theorist] Wikipedia

Looking Backward 2000-1887 (1888) [Novel: introduction by Heywood Broun (1888-1939) Wikipedia; biographical sketch by Sylvester Baxter (1850-1927)] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped Wikipedia New York Times (article by Warren Sloat)


Belloc, Hilaire [Joseph Hilaire Pierre René] (1870-1953) [Anglo-French man of letters and controversialist] Wikipedia

The Bad Child's Book of Beasts (1896) Wikipedia [Satirical animal verses, nominally directed towards children. They appeared shortly after Belloc's graduation from Balliol College, Oxford. The illustrations match the poems perfectly, and were drawn by Belloc's college friend Basil Temple Blackwood (1870-1917) Wikipedia, who had spent part of his early life in Canada -- his father, Lord Dufferin, was our third Governor General. The book was an instant and permanent success, and led to several more collaborations by the two friends.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
More Beasts (For Worse Children) (1897) [Further satirical animal verses, nominally directed towards children, published the year after the success of The Bad Child's Book of Beasts. As in the earlier book, the illustrations match the poems perfectly, and are by Belloc's college friend Basil Temple Blackwood (1870-1917). The book includes the Python, the Porcupine, the Crocodile, the Llama, and various other animals.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #27176]
Cautionary Tales for Children (1907) Wikipedia [Satirical verses, similar to Belloc's very successful verses about animals from a decade earlier, but these are about children, and were "Designed for the Admonition of Children between the ages of eight and fourteen years." Like the earlier books, it was illustrated by Belloc's college friend Basil Temple Blackwood (1870-1917) .] EPUB [University of Adelaide] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #27424]


Belloc Lowndes, Marie (1868-1947) [Anglo-French novelist] Wikipedia

His Most Gracious Majesty King Edward VII (1901) [Charles III ascended the throne in 2023, at the age of 74. The only precedent for such a long period as heir apparent is Edward VII, son of Queen Victoria, who became king in 1901 at age 59. "This book," states the preface, "originally published as a Life of the Prince of Wales, has now been much enlarged and brought up to the latest date, including His Majesty's Accession and the events which followed. Fresh illustrations have also been added." And indeed it has a huge set of illustrations, carefully selected. Belloc Lowndes would go on to become an extremely famous novelist, and the book itself is beautifully written, as one would expect. But it is also thoroughly researched, and contains a wealth of information.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #52237]


Benchley, Robert Charles (1889-1945) [American essayist, critic, and actor] Wikipedia National Review Online (S. T. Karnick)]

Review of Gordon Daviot's play "Richard of Bordeaux" (1934) [Review of the New York production of the West End hit Richard of Bordeaux, written by Elizabeth MacKintosh using the pen name of Gordon Daviot. MacKintosh's famous mystery novels were written using the pen name of Josephine Tey; and it is under Tey's name that you will find PG Canada's digital edition of Richard of Bordeaux!] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #558]
Benchley Beside Himself (1943) [Satirical essays] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #662]


Benét, Stephen Vincent (1898-1943) [American author and poet] Wikipedia

From Thirteen O'Clock: Stories of Several Worlds (1937) [Short stories]
From Tales before Midnight (1939) [Short stories]
Nightmare at Noon (1940) [Poem, written around the time that the U.S. entered the Second World War] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #818]


Bengough, John Wilson (1851-1923) [Canadian cartoonist and publisher] Wikipedia Dictionary of Canadian Biography

Bengough's Chalk-Talks. A Series of Platform Addresses on various topics, with reproductions of the impromptu Drawings with which they were illustrated. (1922) [Illustrated lectures] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped
You will find an interesting and very readable essay "A Pioneer Canadian Cartoonist" on Bengough in Hector Charlesworth's The Canadian Scene (1927), which includes essays on many other things Canadian. Charlesworth's fine book is available to you from this site as a PG Canada ebook, with our compliments!


Bennet, Robert Ames (1870-1954) [American novelist] Wikipedia University of Wyoming

The Desert Girl (probably ca. 1928: certainly before 1958) [Novel (Western)] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped


Bennett, Arnold [Enoch Arnold] (1867-1931) [English novelist] Wikipedia

A Man from the North (1898) [In Canada the centres of literature are Toronto and Montreal; in France it is Paris; and in England it is of course London. Naturally this situation creates obstacles for writers not from these centres. So the opening sentence of Bennett's first novel reads, "There grows in the North Country a certain kind of youth of whom it may be said that he is born to be a Londoner." The Northerner in question is Richard Larch, who in the early chapters of the book moves from Staffordshire to London in pursuit of a literary career. This obviously autobiographical novel (which won the praise of Joseph Conrad, no less!) recounts Larch's subsequent adventures.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #52247]
The Grand Babylon Hotel (1902) Wikipedia [Hotel novel, set in what is clearly the fictional equivalent of the then recently opened Savoy Hotel in London, and the most prestigious hotel imaginable: "It was not good form to mention prices at the Grand Babylon; the prices were enormous, but you never mentioned them. At the conclusion of your stay a bill was presented, brief and void of dry details, and you paid it without a word. You met with a stately civility, that was all. No one had originally asked you to come; no one expressed the hope that you would come again. The Grand Babylon was far above such manoeuvres; it defied competition by ignoring it; and consequently was nearly always full during the season." Now you know about the hotel and you have sampled Bennett's very attractive style of writing. As for the plot, things are always on the go at the Grand Babylon -- to learn more, read the novel! (Or read the Wikipedia article first, then the novel!)] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
The Old Wives' Tale (1908) Wikipedia [Those who are old were once young, and to understand them requires knowing what their life experiences have been. This novel, one of Bennett's most famous works, follows two sisters, Constance and Sophia Baines. Constance spends her entire life in a lightly fictionalized version of Staffordshire's Potteries District, while Sophia heads for Paris. But time passes, and after many decades Sophia returns to where she was born, and is reunited with her sister. Arnold takes no shortcuts, but "it would be hard to say where there is a repetition or a superfluity" in the tale of the sisters, and at the end of the novel "there is nothing about them which we are not grateful for knowing." (The Nation, 14 October 1909)] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
Literary Taste. How to Form It. With Detailed Instructions for Collecting a Complete Library of English Literature. (1909) Wikipedia [Who better to write an instruction manual for reading classic literature than Arnold Bennett? He is now himself a classic author, but when he wrote this he was a bestselling author with a massive worldwide following. And few writers had Arnold's talent for simplicity and persuasiveness, which this book certainly displays. For obvious reasons, he does not discuss authors later than the nineteenth century, and he writes from the perspective of his own period. This does bring an advantage, however: many of the titles he discusses are available in free digital editions from sources such as Project Gutenberg Canada and Project Gutenberg US, and so acquiring a good-sized personal library need not cost you anything! (Bennett, always practical, pays close attention to how much books actually cost.)] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
Clayhanger (1910) Wikipedia [The first of the three novels in the Clayhanger trilogy, which tells the story of the family of that name, and is a remarkable panorama of the social and economic life of their native Staffordshire at the height of the Victorian era. The first novel is about Edwin Clayhanger, the son of Darius Clayhanger. Darius, who had been born into poverty, definitely wants his son to join the family's successful printing firm in Staffordshire's Pottery District, and he gets his wish. But when Darius dies, Edwin finds himself wealthy and in control of his circumstances. Changes in his life naturally follow.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
Hilda Lessways (1911) Wikipedia [The second of the three novels in the Clayhanger trilogy, and a true tour de force of the novelist's craft. It follows the early years of Hilda Lessways, who in the course of the novel becomes the wife of Edwin Clayhanger. Their early lives were in some ways dissimilar (to start with, her family was much poorer than Edwin's) but had some things in common, since they did after all grow up in the same town. And so certain events appear in both books, but told from the two quite different points of view!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
Friendship and Happiness (1912) [Reflections on happiness, with special reference to friendship and to the importance of Christmas] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped
These Twain (1915) Wikipedia [The concluding novel in the Clayhanger trilogy: in it we learn about the lives of Edwin Clayhanger and Hilda Lessways after their marriage, and the discoveries they make about themselves and each other. The first two novels were a difficult act to follow; did Bennett succeed in keeping the third novel at the same high level? When the novel appeared at least one critic seems to have thought so: "there is a power and security of characterization that is incontrovertible, and an amplitude of incident so natural and so significant that the sense of life never departs." (Francis Hackett, New Republic, 4 December 1915)] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
Things That Have Interested Me (1921) [A journal of day-by-day reflections on a multitude of subjects. A type of writing more common in French literature than English, but none the worse for that, especially coming from Arnold Bennett.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #849]
Things That Have Interested Me. Second Series. (1923) [Further essays and reflections. Includes a review of James Joyce's recently published Ulysses Wikipedia] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #858]
Riceyman Steps (1923) Wikipedia [Novel about a London secondhand bookseller, his wife, and his maid. Winner of the 1923 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1006]
Elsie and the Child. A Tale of Riceyman Steps and Other Stories. (1924) [Thirteen tales about various residents of London, the first of them being Elsie Sprickett, the domestic servant who had already appeared in Arnold's well received 1923 novel Riceyman Steps.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1004]
Things That Have Interested Me. Third Series. (1926) [Essays] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped
The Strange Vanguard: A Fantasia (1928) [Novel] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped
Accident (1929) [Novel] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped
Imperial Palace (1930) Wikipedia [Hotel novel (Bennett's final novel, and his longest), with a multitude of plots and characters: "rich with good humor and understanding... a book to be bought, to be read fast or slowly, to he kept and read again." (Henry Williamson, Saturday Review, 12 December 1930). It was published at much the same time as Vicki Baum's Menschen im Hotel (Grand Hotel): both could be called forerunners of Canadian novelist Arthur Hailey's 1965 bestseller Hotel. Bennett must have been fond of grand hotels: many years earlier, in 1902, he had published The Grand Babylon Hotel, also available from Project Gutenberg Canada!] EPUB HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #1447]
The Night Visitor and Other Stories (1931) [Short stories] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped
You will find many other ebooks by Arnold Bennett at Project Gutenberg's US site.


Benson, E. F. [Edward Frederic] (1867-1940) [English novelist] Wikipedia

The Room in the Tower and Other Stories (1912) [Benson was famous for his ghost stories: here are seventeen of them! "These stories have been written in the hopes of giving some pleasant qualms to their reader, so that, if by chance, anyone may be occupying in their perusal a leisure half-hour before he goes to bed when the night and the house are still, he may perhaps cast an occasional glance into the corners and dark places of the room where he sits, to make sure that nothing unusual lurks in the shadow."] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #72421]
Visible and Invisible (1923) [Stories of the supernatural] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped UTF-8 text UTF-8 text zipped EPUB [PGC #1003]
Lucia in London (1927) Wikipedia [The third novel in Benson's Mapp and Lucia series of satirical novels. Emmeline Lucas ("Lucia") is something of a social climber, and no doubt found the provincial atmosphere of the town of Riseholme somewhat confining. But then an aged relative dies, who owned a house in London. A very fashionable part of London. That changes everything!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #74310]
Spook Stories (1928) [Ghost stories, as you might guess.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #809]
Charlotte Brontë (1932) [A biography of the famous author of Jane Eyre, with a fine selection of contemporary illustrations] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1074]
More Spook Stories (1934) [Further ghost stories, written as a sequel to Spook Stories, which had appeared six years earlier] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1030]


Benson, Louis FitzGerald (1855-1930) [American church historian and hymnologist] Princeton Theological Seminary

The Hymnody of the Christian Church [The Stone Lectures, 1926, Princeton Theological Seminary] (1927) [Lectures on various aspects of the use of hymns in Christian worship] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped UTF-8 text UTF-8 text zipped [PGC #479]


Benson, Stella (1892-1933) [English novelist] Wikipedia

The Poor Man (1923) [Novel, set in San Francisco and Berkeley, where our author was living around the time she was writing it. The main character is Edward R. Williams, who, when we first meet him, has "very little money": hence the title. The novel's comments on life in the Bay Area seem as true today as when they were written: the tech bros had not yet arrived, but San Francisco was already cool. Very cool. Certainly it was a place where, then as now, it was better to have money. However, although he had many generous friends, he "was not too proud but too shy" to ask for money, The fact is that Edward was not socially adept and, in addition, was partly deaf, not that he thought most conversation worth listening to. And maybe he was right! He had been born and raised in India, and as the novel opens he may well be on his way back to Asia -- not India, but China!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #67195]
The Little World (1925) [Travel essays, describing our author's visits to numerous exotic locations. "Have no fears that "The Little World " is not interesting and well-written and clever and alive. Stella Benson is never, in any of these respects, a disappointment; she is too expert a journalist to fail the readers who for her sake alone will wander through India and China, and go across the American continent, and touch Africa, and swelter in Aden." (Saturday Review, 5 December 1925)] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #267]
Goodbye, Stranger (1926) [Novel] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped
The Man Who Missed the 'Bus (1928) [Short story] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped
Worlds Within Worlds (1928) [Travel essays] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped
Hope Against Hope and Other Stories (1931) [Short stories] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped


Bernanos, Georges (1888-1948) [Romancier français] fr.wikipedia

Sous le soleil de Satan (1895) [Le premier roman de Bernanos. Un portrait de la vie et des croyances de l'abbé Donissan, et des défis auxquels il fait face: "Le ministère paroissial... est une charge au-dessus de mes forces." Sera-t-il capable de surmonter ces défis?] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 71272]
L'Imposture (1927) [Roman] HTML (Ebooks libres et gratuits)
Saint Dominique (1928) [Biographie] HTML HTML zip Texte Texte zip
La joie (1929) [Roman] HTML (Ebooks libres et gratuits)
Un crime (1935) [Roman policier] HTML (Ebooks libres et gratuits)
Journal d'un curé de campagne (1936) [Roman: Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie française, 1936] HTML (Ebooks libres et gratuits)
Nouvelle histoire de Mouchette (1937) [Roman] HTML (Ebooks libres et gratuits)
Réflexions sur le cas de conscience français (1943) [Conférence faite à Rio-de-Janeiro le 15 Octobre 1943] HTML HTML zip Texte Texte zip
Monsieur Ouine (1946) [Roman] HTML (Ebooks libres et gratuits)


Lord Berners (Gerald Hugh Tyrwhitt-Wilson, fourteenth Baron Berners) (1883-1950) [English composer, painter, and novelist] Wikipedia New Criterion (article by Joseph Epstein) The Guardian (article by Gavin Bryars)

First Childhood (1934) [Autobiography] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped


Bernier, Hector (1886-1947) [Romancier canadien]

Au large de l'Écueil (1912) [Roman] Texte
Ce que disait la flamme (1913) [Roman] Texte


Besier, Rudolf (1878-1942) [English playwright] Wikipedia

The Barretts of Wimpole Street. A Comedy in Five Acts. (1930) [Play about the initial meeting of the poets Elizabeth Barrett Wikipedia and Robert Browning Wikipedia, and the events that ensued] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #861] Wikipedia


Bevan, Samuel (active ca. 1849) [English man of affairs and of letters]

Sand and Canvas; A Narrative of Adventures in Egypt, with a Sojourn among the Artists in Rome (1849) [A personal memoir, beautifully illustrated *in colour* and in monochrome, with an opening straight out of a novel. When we first meet our author, he is seeking employment, since his old job has vanished -- a common experience then as now! Over breakfast he sees an ad in the Times: "Wanted immediately, for service in a foreign country, a gentleman of business-habits and good address. Salary £250. per annum. All expenses paid." He naturally applies, and on the basis of a short and strange interview is hired! His first assignment is to make his way to Cairo, not a simple task; other events follow. Bevan makes no special claims for his book: "All that awaits the reader, is a simple narrative of adventures during a few months' active employment in Egypt" and of what he sees in Italy on his way back to England. But he is far too modest: what an extraordinary tale it is, and how outstanding his skill as a writer!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #68780]


Bibaud, François-Maximilien (1823-1887) [Écrivain canadien] Dictionnaire biographique du Canada

Biographie des Sagamos illustres de l'Amérique Septentrionale (1848) HTML et Texte


Biedermann, Woldemar von (1817-1903) [German literary historian / historien littéraire allemand] de.wikipedia

Goethe und die Fikentscher (1878) [Biographical essay in German / Essai biographique en allemand] HTML HTML zip Text / Texte Text / Texte zip
Learn German!
Apprenez l'allemand!


Biggers, Earl Derr (1884-1933) [American novelist] Wikipedia

Love Insurance (1914) [Novel, adapted to film no fewer than three times Wikipedia. A British Lord falls in love with an American heiress. He decides to take out an insurance policy against her falling out of love with him before the wedding. Assorted mayhem/hilarity ensues...] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #56077]
The House Without a Key (1925) Wikipedia [The first of Biggers' six novels featuring Detective-Sergeant Charlie Chan of the Honolulu police force. Miss Minerva Winterslip, of an old Boston family, has lived in Hawaii for many years. Her nephew, John Quincy Winterslip, has been visiting Hawaii, hoping to persuade his aunt to return to Boston. But a murder happens, and the nephew takes a leading role in the investigation. CAUTION: If anything, Biggers fought vigorously against the prejudices of his age. Nonetheless. some degree of racial stereotyping does creep into the novel from time to time.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1523]
The Chinese Parrot (1926) Wikipedia [The second novel featuring Charlie Chan of the Honolulu Police, interesting in various respects: (1) it takes place in California, not Hawaii, (2) the parrot of the title itself becomes a murder viction, and (3) Chan cleverly makes use of his ancestry to disguise himself as a Chinese cook! CAUTION: some degree of racial stereotyping.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1555]
Fifty Candles (1926) [Mystery novella set in Honolulu, "a story that stretches over twenty years, all the way from that bare Honolulu court room to a night of fog and violence in San Francisco." However, the novel does not feature Biggers' famous Honolulu-based detective Charlie Chan! "A murder mystery told in short space in a masterly manner." (The Outlook, 7 April 1926)] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1462]
Behind That Curtain (1928) Wikipedia [The third Charlie Chan novel. Our detective is in California, and so is Sir Frederic Bruce of Scotland Yard, pursuing a cold case -- which now seems be heating up! CAUTION: some degree of racial stereotyping.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1556]
The Black Camel (1929) Wikipedia [Mystery novel. Film star Shelah Fane is vacationing in Waikiki! Very glamorous... and very dangerous. It's a good thing that famed detective Charlie Chan Wikipedia is with the Honolulu police! CAUTION: Considerable racial stereotyping. That said, Charlie Chan is after all the hero of the novel, and is presented in a positive light.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1430]
Charlie Chan Carries On (1930) Wikipedia [Mystery novel, involving a round the world cruise. Inspector Duff of Scotland Yard begins the investigation, which he eventually passes to his friend Charlie Chan of the Honolulu police. "For continuous excitement, masterfully presented, there is nothing better now on tap than 'Charlie Chan Carries On,' by Earl Derr Biggers." (Saturday Review, 3 January 1931) CAUTION: some degree of racial stereotyping.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1573]
Keeper of the Keys (1932) Wikipedia [The sixth and last of Biggers' Charlie Chan novels. An opera singer spends a weekend at Lake Tahoe in the company of four previous husbands, and a prospective future one. Murder makes an appearance: calling Charlie Chan! CAUTION: some degree of racial stereotyping.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1557]


Bindloss, Harold (1866-1945) [English novelist] Wikipedia

The Cattle-Baron's Daughter (1906) [Novel: illustrated by David Axel Ericson (1869-1946) mnartists.org (article by Thomas O'Sullivan) Tweed Museum of Art, Duluth St. George Serbian Orthodox Church, Duluth]
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The Dust of Conflict (1907) [Novel: frontispiece by Dunton, W. Herbert (1878-1936) The W. Herbert "Buck" Dunton Online Exhibit. Bernard Appleby, a poor but talented young Englishman, arrives in Cuba on the eve of the Spanish-American War Wikipedia.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped UTF-8 text UTF-8 text zipped [PGC #799]
Masters of the Wheat-Lands [United Kingdom title: Hawtrey's Deputy] (1910) [Novel: illustrated by Cyrus Cuneo (1879-1916) Cuneo Society] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped
The Protector (1911) [Novel, with a frontispiece by an anonymous artist. Wallace Vane is a successful immigrant to British Columbia, the basis of this success being a mineral discovery. We follow his adventures in British Columbia, and in the North of England, which he visits for the first time since his departure at age eighteen.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #890]
Prescott of Saskatchewan [United Kingdom title: The Wastrel] (1913) [Novel: frontispiece by Dunton, W. Herbert (1878-1936) The W. Herbert "Buck" Dunton Online Exhibit] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped
Brandon of the Engineers [United Kingdom title: His One Talent] (1916) [Novel: frontispiece by Cyrus Cuneo (1879-1916) Cuneo Society] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped
The Wilderness Mine [United Kingdom title: Stayward's Vindication] (1920) [Novel] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped
The Dark Road (1927) [Novel] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped
The Lone Hand (1928) [Novel; U.K. title The Firm Hand. Mark Crozier has spent his entire life so far in the (English/Scottish) Borders region — what does his future hold? Canada shows up in a supporting role.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #994]
Larry of Lonesome Lake (1929) [Novel; U.K. title The Harder Way. Lawrence (Larry) Bethune, formerly of England, is now a rancher near Lonesome Lake in British Columbia. Lonesome the lake may be, but his life is eventful, and not without romantic interests.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #998]

You will find other titles by Harold Bindloss at Project Gutenberg's US site.


Binyon, Laurence [Robert Laurence] (1869-1943) [English poet, translator, and art historian] Wikipedia

Dutch Etchers of the Seventeenth Century (1895) [Art monograph. Laurence Binyon is best known today for his poetry, but in his early adulthood he worked at the British Museum, specializing in prints and drawings, and this is his first published work: learned and yet easy reading. Many illustrations, ideal for displaying on your monitor or mobile device!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #64570]


Birmingham, George A. [Hannay, James Owen] (1865-1950) [Irish priest and novelist] Wikipedia

King Tommy (1923) [Light novel, somewhat similar in tone to the works of P. G. Wodehouse. The Marquis of Norheys, a young and not particularly responsible aristocrat, becomes a candidate for the throne of Lystria, a country in central Europe. A country with oil...] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1135]


Bishop, William Avery ["Billy"] (1894-1956) [Canadian aviator] Wikipedia
with: Stuart-Wortley, Rothesay (1892-1926) [English aviator] Wikipedia

The Flying Squad (1927) [Novel. Two students at Upper Canada College Wikipedia in Toronto discover that their Greek instructor was a pilot during the Great War: he offers to teach them to fly. During the training, a pilot friend of their instructor stumbles into a criminal gang while he's out flying...] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #914]


Blixen, Karen [Dinesen, Isak] (1885-1962) [Danish memoirist and novelist] Wikipedia

Published under the pen-name Isak Dinesen:
Seven Gothic Tales (1934) Wikipedia John Updike (New York Times, 23 Feb 1986) [Seven novellas, all set in the nineteenth century, in various parts of Europe, and all with a rich sense of the past and how it affects the present. With an introduction by critic and author Dorothy Canfield Fisher (1879-1958) Wikipedia, who took a major role in arranging the book's publication, which brought the author enduring fame.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1534]
Anecdotes of Destiny (1958) Wikipedia [Five late and excellent stories by Karen Blixen, with a wide variety of subjects, but all displaying our author's characteristic gifts and style. One of them, Babette's Feast served as the basis for the 1987 film of the same name Wikipedia -- the first Danish movie to win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film!] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1536]
Shadows on the Grass (1960) [Four short memoirs, an epilogue to Out of Africa, Wikipedia, the author's famous account of farming in the uplands of Kenya, published almost thirty years earlier.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1347]
Ehrengard (1963) [Novella: "another of her splendid Gothic tales that combine great ingenuity of plot with old-fashioned precision and purity of style." (Charles Alva Hoyt, Saturday Review, 29 June 1963) Ehrengard von Schreckenstein, as you might expect from someone with a name like that, is descended from an old and distinguished family, and as our story opens is the new maid-of-honour to Princess Ludmilla. One of the main characters is a somewhat dubious painter: "if Herr Cazotte was famous as a portraitist of fair ladies, he was no less celebrated and talked about as their conqueror and seducer, the irresistible Don Juan of his age." For more information on all this, read the novella!] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1491]


Blot, Pierre (1818-1874) [French chef, teacher, and author] Feeding America (Michigan State University)

Hand-Book of Practical Cookery, for Ladies and Professional Cooks. Containing the Whole Science and Art of Preparing Human Food. (1867) [A full set of recipes intended, in the author's words, to explain "how to arrange a bill of fare for every season, to suit any number of guests, at a greater or less expense..."] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #762]


Bodley, R. V. C. [Ronald Victor Courtenay] (1892-1970) [English soldier and writer] Wikipedia

Algeria from Within (1927) [Colonies are important to Canada, if only because we live in one: the United States recently demonstrated this by coercively imposing a twenty year extension on Canadian copyrights, against the will of Canadians. The Ottawa administration did what they were told, and not a single MP, senator, or political party objected. This could not happen in a truly sovereign nation. Algeria, by way of contrast, overthrew French colonial rule in 1962: an example for Canadians. France most definitely does not rule Algeria today, but for more than a century it did. After his service in the First World War, our author attended the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, and there he met Lawrence of Arabia, who advised him to go and live with the Arabs. Which he did, learning Arabic and living with a Saharan tribe for seven years. This book is his account of the Algeria he saw, and became an instant classic.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #70287]


Bosse, Sara [née Eaton] (1868-1940) [Canadian author] Michigan State University
Watanna, Onoto [Reeve, Winnifred Eaton: née Eaton, Winnifred] (1875-1954) [Canadian novelist] The Winnifred Eaton Digital Archive Michigan State University University of Calgary Wikipedia University of Minnesota Ryerson University Glenbow Museum (photograph)

Chinese-Japanese Cook Book (1914) [Cookbook]
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Bottome, Phyllis (1882-1963) [English psychologist, teacher, and novelist] Wikipedia

"Broken Music" (1914) [Good fortune is rarely complete. Jean d'Ucelles is from an aristocratic family, has talent (he is a composer), but unfortunately no money, which does pose a problem. What's an impoverished aristocrat to do? Move to Paris, of course!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #69246]
Old Wine (1925) [In 1918, the First World War came to an end, and so did the Habsburg Empire, which had lasted a thousand years. But although the Empire was gone, Vienna remained, shorn of its empire. How did the citizens of Vienna and more particularly the former aristocrats deal with this cataclysm? In this novel, Phyllis Bottome examines the question in scintillating fashion. She was in an excellent position to do so; she spoke excellent German, and was living in Vienna with her husband, who was in charge of British intelligence in the region.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1513]
Windlestraws (1929) [Novel, written in a light and luminous style as befits a book written during the Jazz Age. Jean Arbuthnot, the daughter of an Egyptologist, has been hired as a personal secretary at the very grand country house known as Windlestraws. Of course, very grand houses come with very grand families, who can be challenging to deal with. Such is most definitely the case at Windlestraws, as our heroine discovers!] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1529]
Man and Beast (1953) [Five truly short stories, all involving the interactions between men and animals: in a circus, for example, and other locales. "Essentially they are psychological tales equally penetrating with both the human and animal characters... Each of them introduces a fresh twist of narrative to some classic theme." (Edmund Fuller, Saturday Review, 27 November 1954)] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1535]


Boucher, Anthony [White, William Anthony Parker] (1911-1968) [American science fiction and mystery author] Wikipedia The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction

The Compleat Werewolf (April 1942) [Science fiction story, one of Boucher's most famous, set in Berkeley, California. It appears that Professor Wolfe Wolf, known to his students (he teaches German) as Woof-woof, is in fact a wolf, or rather a werewolf: this is news to him.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1592]


Boucher-Belleville, Jean-Philippe [Jean-Baptiste] (1800-1874) [Journaliste canadien] Dictionnaire biographique du Canada Université du Québec à Montréal

Dictionnaire des barbarismes et des solécismes les plus ordinaires en ce pays, avec le mot propre ou leur signification (1855) [Dictionnaire] HTML HTML zip Texte Texte zip


Bourinot, Sir John George (1837-1902) [Canadian historian and constitutional scholar] Wikipedia Dictionary of Canadian Biography Canadian Encyclopedia

The Intellectual Development of the Canadian People (1881) [Historical essays] Text
Canada under British Rule 1760-1900 (1900) [History] Text
Lord Elgin (1903) [Biography] Text


Bower, B. M. [Bower, Bertha Muzzy] (1871-1940) [American author of Westerns] Wikipedia (B. M. Bower) University of Oklahoma (Kate Baird Anderson) Wikipedia (Western fiction) Wikipedia (Westerns)

The Parowan Bonanza (1923) [Novel about prospectors in Nevada. Includes a frontispiece by the American artist Frank Tenney Johnson (1874-1939) Wikipedia Sid Richardson Museum National Museum of Wildlife Art Christie's] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped University of Oklahoma [PGC #556]
Points West (1928) [Western novel. Cole is the son of wealth, but through no fault of his own this wealth has disappeared. He must take action...] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #723]
Hay-Wire (1928) [Novel] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped University of Oklahoma [PGC #555]
Rodeo (1929) [Western] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped University of Oklahoma [PGC #554]
Tiger Eye (1930) [Western] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped University of Oklahoma [PGC #553]
Fool's Goal (1930) [Western] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #526]
The Flying U Strikes (1933) [Western] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #527]
Trails Meet (1933) [Western novel. Our hero, Jess Robison, a cowboy with talents as an artist, turns out to have talents as a detective as well.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB University of Oklahoma [PGC #666]


Boyle, Eleanor Vere (1825-1916) [Scottish illustrator and author] Wikipedia

Beauty and the Beast. An Old Tale New-Told, with Pictures, By E. V. B. (1875) [A retelling of the famous French fairy tale Wikipedia in a deliberately archaic style, with many fine drawings and no fewer than ten colour plates of surpassing excellence! On seeing them, you will immediately understand why Boyle became so famous during her lifetime.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #74277]


Brazil, Angela (1868-1947) [English novelist] Wikipedia Literary Heritage West Midlands National Portrait Gallery (UK)

An Exciting Term (1936) [Novel] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped


Bridges, Thomas Charles (1868-1944) [English boys' novelist] The Wee Web

The River Riders: An Exciting Lumberjack Story (1892) [Novel] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped


Bromfield, Louis (1896-1956) [American novelist, journalist, and organic farmer] Wikipedia

The Green Bay Tree (1924) [Bromfield's first novel! His native Ohio is the principal setting, but France plays a role as well: Bromfield knew the country well, having served in the US Army Ambulance Corps during the First World War, and shortly after publishing this novel he would move to Paris, where he would become a familiar of Gertrude Stein and Ernest Hemingway. The novel centres on two sisters, Lily and Irene Shane, who move in high social circles. Irene is very devout, Lily is not: she's the one who moves to France!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #73944]
Possession (1925) [The third of the four novels in Bromfield's Escape tetralogy. It is not so much a sequel to The Green Bay Tree as its logical counterpart in the tapestry he was weaving about "the waning years of the nineteenth century up to the present time." In his foreword Bromfield explains that in the first novel he had deliberately played the character of Ellen Tolliver down, and this for two reasons: "first, because she was a character of such violence that, once given her way, she would soon have dominated all the others; second, because the author kept her purposely in restraint, as he desired to tell her story in proportions worthy of her." And he tells her remarkable story in this novel. "She would, doubtless," Bromfield comments, "have been successful in any direction she saw fit to direct her boundless energy." In the event, she chose the demanding career of a classical pianist, and the action takes place in some glamorous locales, notably New York and Paris, cities which Bromfield knew intimately.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #73188]
Early Autumn (1926) Wikipedia [A novel from near the beginning of Bromfield's career -- it won him the 1927 Pulitzer Prize! It is a family epic, set in the old but fictional Massachusetts town of Durham, where the Pentland family has roots dating back to the seventeenth century. But now it's the twentieth century, Durham has changed and grown, and the Pentlands, it turns out, are not immune to the problems which can beset long-established families dependent on inherited wealth. The novel features old John Pentland, his alarming sister Cassie, and his son Anson, who had married Olivia, whom Cassie "had never quite forgiven... for being an outsider who had come into the intricate web of life at Pentlands out of (of all places) Chicago." Still, when she arrived, so did her substantial fortune. By this point you probably get the picture. Now try the novel, written with Louis Bromfield's typical combination of elegance and approachability!] EPUB HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped
A Good Woman (1927) ["The last of a series of four novels," said Bromfield, "dealing from various angles with a strongly marked phase of American life." He suggested Escape as the title for the tetralogy, which he thought could be considered a single novel. The "good woman" of the title is Emma Downes: deserted by her husband, she opens a bakery which develops into a large and thriving restaurant. Her husband Jason never returns, but she still has their son Philip, a missionary in Africa. But one day she gets a letter from him: "I ought to tell you that I've made a mistake in my calling. I'm not going to be a missionary any longer." When Philip arrives home, Emma finds that he is no longer the submissive young man she had raised. Many events follow!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #74011]
Awake and Rehearse (1929) [Short stories, originally published separately, now collected in book form by the already famous novelist, taking place in various locales. "These are stories, for the most part, of women. And what women! Hogarth and Daumier might have battled for them as models...hags, harlots, spinsters, hoofers, jeunes filles, grandes dames, priestesses..." (Gladys Graham, Saturday Review, 1 June 1929)]
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The Man Who Had Everything (1935) [Novel, set in the U.S. and in France. Tom Ashford is a playwright in early middle age, and everything in life has gone his way. But success, as can happen, turns out to have some unexpected aspects. His glittering present cannot shake off the spell of the past: his early years on a farm in Illinois!]
HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1597]
Night in Bombay (1940) [Novel about the guests in a hotel in India: one might say, Grand Hotel moved to the subcontinent. "This is fiction for fun. And as such it is done with sophistication, good meaty sentimentality, a shrewd seeing eye for surfaces, and the greatest skill in writing for pure entertainment." (Jonathan Daniels, Saturday Review, 11 May 1940)]
HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1170]
Wild is the River (1941) [Novel. The "river" of the title is the Mississippi, in New Orleans, where things are indeed wild, since it is no longer controlled by the Confederacy, but has fallen to the Union Army. Which does not mean that things have calmed down, either at the political level or in the lives of those living in what is still a largely French-speaking city. The novel is quite a read! "It is entertaining, it has enormous gusto, swagger, voodoo mysteries, wonderful black women who devise love potions for good American dollars, aristocratic Creoles, moonlight, fever, sultry heat... and lots and lots of sex." (Bess Jones, Saturday Review, 29 November 1941)] CAUTION: Certain elements of plot and language may seem racist by the standards of today. HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1666]
Until the Day Break (1942) [Our author was born in Ohio, but spent some happy years in France. His familiarity with that wonderful country is evident in this novel, not so much a "war novel" as a "novel set during a war", in this case the Second World War. The novel is set in Paris, involves wartime intrigue, and features Roxie Dawn, born in Evanston, Indiana but now a Paris showgirl -- and more!] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1650]
Mrs. Parkington (1943) [Novel: the basis for the 1944 film of the same name Wikipedia. Mrs. Parkington, born in Leaping Rock, Nevada, has ascended the social ladder and is now a lady of great wealth. But the children of the wealthy often lack the qualities of their forebears. "'Mrs. Parkington' is in the old and rich tradition of Thackeray and Trollope, Howells and Mrs. Wharton... if the book is tuned to the familiar theme from shirt-sleeves to shirt-sleeves in three generations, the melody is full-blooded, the interest does not flag." (Howard Mumford Jones, Saturday Review, 9 January 1943)]
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What Became of Anna Bolton (1944) [Novel. It is 1937: Anna Bolton, an American by birth, has been living in "the Europe of the period between wars... that night and day carnival which preceded the invasion of Poland". But the world of Anna Bolton was about to change.]
HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1338]
The World We Live In (1944) [Nine short stories, set in various locales (the U.S., Monte Carlo, Switzerland...) and with various sets of characters, but all showing Louis Bromfield's creative powers and unobtrusively excellent style of writing.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1252]
Colorado (1947) [Novel about money and family. Richard Meaney returns to his native Colorado after three years at Oxford, accompanied by his tutor, Mr. Chatsworthy. "As swift in pace and as highly colored as a first-rate Western movie, Mr. Bromfield's latest story rushes with great gusto through most of the situations which Hollywood has taught us to look for in tales of rowdy, frontier days... But it is no small tribute to Mr. Bromfield's vivid storytelling that the reader can put down the book almost convinced that he has seen rather than read a great part of the novel." (Pamela Taylor, Saturday Review, 1 November 1947)]
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Kenny (1947) [Three novellas, each with a link to the Second World War, but each quite distinct in topic: the first takes its main character from an Ohio farm to the Pacific war, the second ("Retread") is about a veteran of the First World War who enlists when the next war comes, and the third is set in occupied Paris.]
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Mr. Smith (1951) [Novel. In alternating chapters, Wolcott Ferris describes (1) his upbringing and his successful but not particularly happy career as a business executive, and (2) his new existence as an officer on an isolated Pacific island during wartime.]
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Brontë, Charlotte (1816-1855) [English novelist] Wikipedia

Shirley (1849) [Novel, set in Yorkshire during the Industrial Revolution Wikipedia]
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Brontë, Emily [Emily Jane] (1818-1848) [English novelist] Wikipedia

Wuthering Heights (1847) Wikipedia [Emily Brontë's only novel, controversial when published because of its language and subject matter, but now long established as one of the great English classics. The novel is set in (very) rural Yorkshire; as it opens Mr Lockwood, a new tenant, is making a call on his not very sociable landlord, Mr Heathcliff. In the course of the novel we shall learn much about Heathcliff's tumultuous life and how he has affected those around him. "Wuthering Heights... is passionate and profoundly moving; it has the depth and power of a great poem. To read it is not like reading a work of fiction, in which, however absorbed, you can remind yourself, if need be, that it is only a story; it is to have a shattering experience in your own life." (W. Somerset Maugham, Books and You. NOTE: As a special bonus, the EPUB we offer includes the fascinating 1850 biographical notice by Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855) discussing her famous sisters and their works.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]


Traduction française par Téodor de Wyzewa (1862-1917) fr.wikipedia
Un amant (1892) fr.wikipedia Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 63193]

Brooke, Frances (1724-1789) [English novelist] Wikipedia Dictionary of Canadian Biography

The History of Emily Montague (1769) [Novel: in fact, the first novel written in Canada] HTML and Text


Brooke, Leonard Leslie (1862-1940) [English children's artist and writer] Wikipedia Harwell Parish

Johnny Crow's Garden (1903) [Story book with pictures] HTML and Text
The Story of the Three Little Pigs (1904) [Story book with pictures] HTML and Text
The Golden Goose Book, being the stories of The Golden Goose, The Three Bears, The 3 Little Pigs, Tom Thumb, with numerous Drawings in Colour and Black-and-White (1905) [Stories with pictures] HTML and Text
Nursery Rhymes I. Songs and Ditties. (ca. 1916) [the first in a set of three volumes of the traditional rhymes, with Brooke's marvellous illustrations] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB (experimental) [PGC #580]
Ring O' Roses: A Nursery Rhyme Picture Book with numerous Drawings in Colour and Black-and-White (1923) [Story book with pictures] HTML and Text


Brooker, Bertram (1888-1955) [Canadian painter and novelist] Wikipedia University of Manitoba CyberMuse

Think of the Earth (1936) [Novel: winner in the year of its publication of the first Governor General's Literary Award for Fiction ever awarded. An expatriate Englishman has a weekend of self-discovery in Manitoba: he falls in love, and realizes that he must become less introspective than formerly.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #765]
The Robber. A Tale of the Time of the Herods. (1949) [Historical novel, based on the figure of Barabbas Wikipedia in the Gospel.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1013]


Broughton, Rhoda (1840-1920) [English novelist] Wikipedia Literary Heritage West Midlands

Doctor Cupid. A Novel. (1886) [Novel. Social and romantic doings in Victorian England. At the novel's beginning stands one of many versions of a famous four-line poem from late mediaeval Germany Wikipedia de.wikipedia] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #757]


Brown, E. K. [Edward Killoran] (1905-1951) [Canadian literary critic] Wikipedia

On Canadian Poetry (1943) [A monograph which won the 1943 Governor General's Award, and deservedly so. It discusses at length the works of Project Gutenberg Canada author E. J. Pratt, of Archibald Lampman (1861-1899) Wikipedia Project Gutenberg US, and of Duncan Campbell Scott (1862-1947) Wikipedia Project Gutenberg US. His sympathetic account of the special challenges faced by Canadian literature is clear, accurate, and well worth reading: "To one who takes careful account of the difficulties which have steadily beset its growth its survival as something interesting and important seems a miracle."] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1344]


Browning, Robert (1812-1889) [English poet] Wikipedia Academy of American Poets

Strafford: An Historical Tragedy (1837) [Play] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #623]


Bruce, James, 8th Earl of Elgin and 12th Earl of Kincardine (1811-1863) [Governor General of the Province of Canada 1847-54] Wikipedia Dictionary of Canadian Biography Canadian Encyclopedia

Letters and Journals of James, Eighth Earl of Elgin (1872) [Historical essays] Text


Bruce, Jean [Brochet, Jean Alexandre] (1921-1963) [Romancier français] fr.wikipedia

O.S.S. 117 voit rouge (1956) [Roman d'espionnage. Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath (alias O.S.S. 117) fr.wikipedia est envoyé à San Francisco par la CIA. Agent spécial Enrique Sagarra «a trouvé un cadavre dans une ruelle de Russian Hill». O.S.S. 117 à la rescousse!] HTML HTML zip Texte Texte zip EPUB [PGC no 1384]


Buchan, Anna Masterton [Douglas, O.] (1877-1948) [Scottish novelist] Wikipedia

Ann and her Mother (1922) [One of the early Priorsford novels, set in the Scottish Borders region in the valley of the River Tweed Wikipedia. Like all of Anna Buchan's novels, chiefly concerned with everyday doings, and therefore easy to relate to: unpretentious, captivating, and classic.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #53522]
Pink Sugar (1924) [Novel, part of Anna Buchan's celebrated Priorsford series, set in the Borders region of Scotland. Following the death of her stepmother, Kirsty Gilmour moves to Scotland, the land of her ancestors, but a country of which she knows little. Naturally this changes as the novel proceeds.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1321]
The Proper Place (1926) [Novel, set in Scotland. Lady Jane Rutherfurd has to sell the magnificent family house ("twelve large bedrooms and eight smaller ones"), and move to the much smaller Harbour House, far away in Fife Wikipedia.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1369]
The Day of Small Things (1930) [Novel, carrying on from The Proper Place. Lady Jane Rutherfurd has found happiness in her new home in Fife, but of course life rarely remains still, and unexpected events happen. In the agreeable universe of Anna Buchan, these events are generally happy ones, and provide an admirable backdrop to our author's beautifully written narrative of domestic life in Scotland. Her world is not so very far removed from that of her beloved Jane Austen.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1411]
Priorsford (1932) [Novel, part of the Priorsford series, and consequently set mostly in the Scottish Borders region, although the first chapter takes place in southern England. A beautifully written novel, with Anna Buchan's usual focus on everyday people and events.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1335]
Taken by the Hand (1935) [Beatrice Dobie has spent her entire life in Glasgow, but now finds herself alone. In her final days, Janie Dobie had suggested that her daughter Beatrice consider moving to London: a new city and a new country! This novel tells us what comes of this suggestion.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1370]
Jane's Parlour (1937) Leaves & Pages Reading 1900-1950 — Sheffield Hallam University (Helen C) [Novel, set in Scotland, with a focus on the events of everyday life — not necessarily a bad thing, as the novels of Jane Austen demonstrate. Written in a classic and elegant style, as befits the sister of John Buchan. But the sensational events found in her brother's action novels are quite foreign to the sympathetic world of Anna Buchan.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1189]
The House That Is Our Own (1940) [Novel, part of the novelist's famous Priorsford series set in the Scottish Borders, and focusing on the lives of two old friends, Kitty Baillie and Isobel Logan. In the latter part of the novel, Isobel makes an extended visit to Canada!] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1292]
Unforgettable, Unforgotten (1945) [A memoir of the author's family, especially her beloved brother John, the celebrated novelist and fifteenth Governor General of Canada, whom Anna visited in Canada. Illustrated with five nicely chosen photographs.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #850]


Buchan, John [first Baron Tweedsmuir of Elsfield] (1875-1940) [Scottish novelist; Governor General of Canada 1935-1940] Wikipedia

Sir Quixote of the Moors. Being Some Account of an Episode in the Life of the Sieur de Rohaine. (1895) [Buchan's first novel (or rather, novella: it is quite short): the Sieur de Rohaine has fallen on hard times, and leaves his native France to live for a while in the Scottish Highlands. "We understand that this is the first piece of fiction by a new writer. If so, it is a decidedly promising bit of work, full of humour and vitality, and it deserves to be successful" (The Bookman, December 1895). Includes a frontispiece by New Jersey artist Walter Conant Greenough (d. 1898)] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1049]
A Lost Lady of Old Years. A Romance. (1899) [Historical novel, described by Buchan as an "auld Highland story", taking place during the tumultuous events of 1745, when Bonnie Prince Charlie Wikipedia landed in Scotland and set in play the events that led to the disastrous Battle of Culloden.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1007]
Prester John (1910) Wikipedia [Buchan's first true action novel, his first set outside the British Isles, and his first to achieve large and lasting popularity. The novel begins in Scotland, in a town overlooking the North Sea, where the young David Crawfurd, the novel's narrator, has spent his entire life. After his father's passing he goes to South Africa (a country Buchan knew well) where he becomes a storekeeper in a remote town where, he is told, something mysterious has been happening: "You look as if you had a stiff back, so I'll be frank with you. There is something about the place. It gives the ordinary man the jumps. What it is, I don't know, and the men who come back don't know themselves. I want you to find out for me. You'll be doing the firm an enormous service if you can get on the track of it." Crawfurd tells us what he discovers, and the exciting events he witnesses during his investigation. CAUTION: Certain elements of plot and language may seem racist, indeed extremely racist, by the standards of today.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
The Thirty-Nine Steps (1915) Wikipedia [An action novel which achieved instant and lasting fame as soon as it was published, and has had a huge influence on subsequent novelists -- and screenplay writers! In it, as Buchan says, "the incidents defy the probabilities, and march just inside the borders of the possible." But real life is full of things that defy probability! The novel begins just before the First World War, when its main character, Richard Hannay, has just returned to London from a stay of many years in Rhodesia and South Africa. Almost immediately, he starts suffering from boredom. This boredom quickly vanishes when Hannay finds himself wrongly suspected of murder, and becomes a fugitive from justice! Adventures in Scotland and elsewhere ensue as Hannay attempts to elude his pursuers. CAUTION: Certain elements of plot and language may seem racist by the standards of today.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
The Power-House (1916) Wikipedia [Novel of action and intrigue, the first to feature Buchan's famous creation the Scottish barrister and politician Sir Edward Leithen Wikipedia Leithen lives and works in London, but the novel plays out against an international backdrop. The "Power-House" has nothing to do with electricity: it is a secret and sinister international organization! The novel was, our author states, "written in the smooth days before the war"; in 1916 he published it in book form "in the hope that it may enable an honest man here and there to forget for an hour the too urgent realities." A goal, we can safely say, that it certainly accomplished!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #57631]
Greenmantle (1916) Wikipedia [Buchan's second novel featuring Richard Hannay and other characters from The Thirty-Nine Steps. The First World War is now raging, and Hannay is in England recovering from a serious wound, when he is summoned to the Foreign Office. He is needed for a secret mission behind Turkish lines! CAUTION: Certain elements of plot and language may seem racist by the standards of today.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
Mr Standfast (1919) Wikipedia [The third Richard Hannay novel, taking place during the latter part of the First World War. Hannay has been serving on the Western Front, with considerable success, and is expecting more of the same, when he is transferred out of the military and given a new assignment: he must now work undercover! Many adventures follow, in England, Scotland, and on the Continent. "Among the best of English stories of spies and plotting in the great war have been those by Mr. Buchan... decidedly above the average of its class." (The Outlook, 24 September 1919) CAUTION: Certain elements of plot and language may seem racist by the standards of today.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
A Book of Escapes and Hurried Journeys (1922 [original edition]; 1925 [this edition]) [A series of essays on twelve famous escapes, ranging from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries, and from Central Asia to the New World. Our future Governor General's abilities as a writer and as a historian are on full display. The 1925 edition we used as the basis of our ebook was meant for school use, and includes a new set of illustrations, and an epilogue by an anonymous author containing questions for discussion.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #945]
Midwinter. Certain Travellers in Old England. (1923) Wikipedia [Historical novel, set in England and Scotland during the Jacobite rising of 1745 Wikipedia, when Bonnie Prince Charlie (more formally, Charles Edward Stuart) Wikipedia attempted an invasion of Scotland with the objective of gaining the British throne. The novel's main character is Alastair Maclean, a Scottish exile; the English essayist, poet, and lexicographer Samuel Johnson Wikipedia plays an unexpected role. "Altogether this tale is, besides being highly diverting, more intelligent than most. It will and should be read." (The Forum, November 1923)] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1432]
The Three Hostages (1924) Wikipedia [The fourth Richard Hannay thriller. Hannay is now married, has a young son, and is living in the Cotswolds. His life is a calm and prosperous one, and his exciting but disruptive earlier adventures are now firmly in the past. Or are they? Soon enough Hannay finds himself in London, and then in Norway: his unexpected new adventure has well and truly begun! CAUTION: Certain elements of plot and language may seem racist by the standards of today.] EPUB [University of Adelaide] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #678]
Lord Minto. A Memoir. (1924) [Biography of Buchan's fellow Scotsman Gilbert John Elliot (1845-1914), fourth Earl of Minto, Governor General of Canada from 1898 to 1904 Wikipedia Dictionary of Canadian Biography. It was through Lord Minto's efforts that the National Archives of Canada came into being.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #764]
The Dancing Floor (1926) Wikipedia [Buchan's third novel featuring Scottish barrister Sir Edward Leithen: intrigue in the glamorous setting of the Greek Islands] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1012]
Witch Wood (1927) Wikipedia [Novel about mysterious events in seventeenth-century rural Scotland. At the time the novel appeared, Samuel Merwin commented that "His [Buchan's] knowledge and his sense of the past seem to me to find their best outlet in this new book... He has taken an old border legend, of a gentle country minister, supposed to have been spirited away by the fairies in the dark wood of Melanudrigill, and has breathed an astonishing life into it." (Saturday Review, 13 August 1927)] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped UTF-8 text UTF-8 text zipped EPUB [PGC #1044]
The Runagates Club (1928) [Twelve stories told at the monthly meetings of a (fictional) London dining club, whose members included some famous figures from Buchan's novels, such as Richard Hannay!] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1101]
The Courts of the Morning (1929) Wikipedia [Action novel, set in South America, and featuring various Buchan heroes familiar from his other novels. Some aspects of this novel seem quite contemporary: Latin American scepticism towards the United States, drugs ("this continent is the home of drugs"), and a sinister foreign mining company!] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1439]
The Blanket of the Dark (1931) [Historical novel, set in England during the reign of Henry VIII, vividly depicting both high life and low in the society of that time. Written in an easy and natural style, not something to taken for granted in such novels.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #935]
Sir Walter Scott (1932) [A biography of the Scottish novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) Wikipedia, published by Buchan on the hundredth anniversary of the passing of his fellow Scotsman and fellow novelist. Includes as frontispiece a portrait of Scott by Sir Edwin Landseer (1802-1873) Wikipedia Wikimedia Commons] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #960]
The Magic Walking-Stick (1932) [Novel for children. A young boy, Bill, buys a walking stick from a roadside pedlar. He discovers that it's a magic stick that will take the owner to anywhere he wishes. Adventures ensue...] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1113]
A Prince of the Captivity (1933) Wikipedia [Action novel. Our hero, Adam Melfort, sacrifices his reputation to save that of his wife. Afterwards, he does some espionage in Belgium (the First World War is raging). Then, he's off to Greenland!] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1440]
The Free Fishers (1934) Wikipedia [Historical novel, Buchan's last. Anthony Lammas, a young Professor of Logic and Rhetoric at the University of St Andrews Wikipedia, is our unexpected hero in this novel of intrigue, set in Scotland and England at the start of the nineteenth century.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1581]
The King's Grace 1910-1935 (1935) [A profile of the life and times of George V Wikipedia, published in celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of that monarch's accession to the throne. The few but well-chosen illustrations include photographs by the W. & D. Downey studio Wikipedia, and E. O. Hoppé (1878-1972) Wikipedia.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #878]
The House of the Four Winds (1935) Wikipedia [The third and final Dickson McCunn novel: political intrigue and daring deeds in the central European country of Evallonia, with some Scottish visitors playing a crucial role. Buchan's monarchist beliefs show through — beliefs most appropriate in someone about to be become the Governor General of Canada!] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1047]
The Island of Sheep [U.S. title: The Man from the Norlands] (1936) Wikipedia [Buchan's fifth and final novel starring Richard Hannay, who is no longer young but whose talents have by no means deserted him, as we discover. The novel starts in London, but then moves to the (fictional) Norland Isles in the arctic seas, a Danish possession: one of these isles is the Island of Sheep. Dark doings are afoot, a considerable challenge even for Richard Hannay! "Buchan enthusiasts will rejoice to know that this is a Richard Hannay tale, and that, before the feud is disposed of, the action has reached from South Africa to Scotland. The author, as usual, states his case and develops it, relying upon no tricks to sustain suspense. If one is seeking a high adventure tale with a colorful background, here it is." (The Literary Digest, 22 August 1936). CAUTION: Certain elements of plot and language may seem racist by the standards of today.] EPUB [University of Adelaide] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1011]
Memory Hold-the-Door [U.S. title: Pilgrim's Way. An Essay in Recollection.] (1940) Wikipedia [Memoir of those incidents and aspects of Buchan's life which he thought most significant. "This book is a journal of certain experiences," writes Buchan, "not written in the experiencing moment, but rebuilt out of memory... It is not a book of reminiscences in the ordinary sense, for my purpose has been to record only a few selected experiences." That said, the book covers the whole span of Buchan's varied life. It was one of the favourite books of U.S. President John F. Kennedy John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Includes illustrations by B. C. Boulter (died 1960) Church of Saint Silas the Martyr, Kentish Town, Sholto Johnstone Douglas (1871-1958), Charles Gere (1869-1957), Sir William Orpen (1878-1931), and photographs by Yousuf Karsh (1908-2002).] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped UTF-8 text UTF-8 text zipped EPUB [PGC #1160]
Sick Heart River (1941) [Buchan's last novel, published posthumously. American title: Mountain Meadow. With an introduction by the novelist and biographer Howard Swiggett (1891-1957). Sir Edward Leithen Wikipedia, the hero of four earlier Buchan novels, is no longer young. He receives some bad news, and in its aftermath heads to Canada, where he learns a great deal about our country and about himself. "John Buchan could write the English language and his descriptions of Canada from the woods of Quebec to the desolation of the Arctic muskeg are beautiful and exciting." (The American Mercury, April 1941)] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1052]


Buckley, Arabella Burton (1840-1929) [English science writer]

The Fairy-Land of Science (1878) [Science lectures for children: includes one anonymous engraving, and many others supervised by English engraver James Davis Cooper (1823-1904) Darwin Correspondence Project] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped


Burdett, Osbert (1885-1936) [English literary critic and biographer]

W. E. Gladstone (1927) [A beautifully written biography of the Victorian statesman William Ewart Gladstone (1809-1898) Wikipedia, who served as Prime Minister no fewer than four times, a record unequalled in British history.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1126]


Burpee, Lawrence Johnstone (1873-1946) [Canadian historian and librarian] Wikipedia Pratt Library Archives de Montréal

Recent Canadian Fiction (1899) [Overview of Canadian novels in English published in the 1890s. Many of the authors discussed are represented in the Project Gutenberg Canada collection.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #485]
A Little Book of Canadian Essays (1909) [Essays on Canadian authors Isabella Valancy Crawford (1850-1887) Wikipedia Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Charles Heavysege (1816-1876) Wikipedia Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Archibald Lampman (1861-1899) Wikipedia Dictionary of Canadian Biography, George Thomas Lanigan (1845-1886), Catharine Parr Traill (1802-1899) Wikipedia Dictionary of Canadian Biography, John Hunter-Duvar (1821-1899) Dictionary of Canadian Biography, and George Frederick Cameron (1854-1885) Dictionary of Canadian Biography]
HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped

Humour of the North (1912) [Anthology] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped
Contributors:
De Mille, James (1833-1880) [Canadian classical scholar and novelist] Wikipedia Dictionary of Canadian Biography Canadian Encyclopedia
Drummond, William Henry (1854-1907) [Canadian physician and poet] Wikipedia Dictionary of Canadian Biography Canadian Encyclopedia
Duncan, Sara Jeannette [Mrs Everard Cotes] (1861-1922) [Canadian journalist and novelist] Wikipedia Dictionary of Canadian Biography Canadian Encyclopedia
Haliburton, Thomas Chandler (1796-1865) [Canadian essayist and humorist] Wikipedia Dictionary of Canadian Biography Canadian Encyclopedia
Howe, Joseph (1804-1873) [Canadian journalist and politician] Wikipedia Dictionary of Canadian Biography
Lanigan, George Thomas (1845-1886) [Canadian journalist and poet]
McCarroll, James (1814-1892) [Canadian journalist, inventor, and poet]

On the Old Athabaska Trail (1926) [A retracing of the famous Athabasca Pass fur route Parks Canada. The nineteen illustrations include works by Canadian painter Paul Kane (1810-1871) Wikipedia Dictionary of Canadian Biography and British military officer Sir Henry James Warre (1819-1898) University of Washington Oregon History Project American Antiquarian Society]
HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #450]


Bury, J. B. [John Bagnell] (1861-1927) [Irish historian] Wikipedia

The Life of St. Patrick and his Place in History (1905) [These days St Patrick's Day is marked by worldwide drunkenness, which seems strange given the saint's apparent character. He lived in the fifth century, an age that is not well documented, but Patrick was certainly a historical personage: in fact, several of his works have survived to our times! Still, much mystery surrounds various aspects of his life, and so Bury's famous biography was definitely needed: it would be hard to imagine a more thorough or more readable study of his life by a famous historian of late antiquity -- who was himself born in Ireland!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #71431]


Busch, Heinrich Christian Wilhelm (1832-1908) [German caricaturist and poet / caricaturiste et poète allemand] Wikipedia fr.wikipedia de.wikipedia Wilhelm Busch Geburtshaus Wilhelm-Busch-Museum Leibniz Universität Hannover

Zu guter Letzt (1904) [Poems in German: the last of Busch's works published during his lifetime / Poèmes en allemand: le dernier livre de Busch publié de son vivant] HTML HTML zip Text / Texte Text / Texte zip [PGC #530/no 530]
Learn German!
Apprenez l'allemand!

Translation:

Plish and Plum (1882 [[German original], 1883 [this translation]) [Busch's beautifully illustrated collection of light verse Plisch und Plum, translated by Charles T. Brooks (1813-1883) Wikipedia. The publisher's advertisements at the end of the book include illustrations by Sol Eytinge, Jr. (1833-1905) The Victorian Web The Vault at Pfaff's (Lehigh University) and Mary Hallock Foote (1847-1938) Wikipedia Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission (Casey Bush).]
HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #706]


Butler, Smedley D. [Darlington] (1881-1940) [American soldier and political activist] Wikipedia

War Is a Racket (1935) Wikipedia [A classic anti-war pamphlet, and a quick but fascinating read. The retired United States Marines major general, one of the most distinguished American soldiers of his era, came to see war as little more than a sinister money-making enterprise: that is, a racket: "Only a small 'inside' group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few, at the expense of the very many. Out of war a few people make huge fortunes."] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1320]


Byrne, Donn [Brian Oswald Donn] (1889-1928) [American novelist] Wikipedia

Changeling and Other Stories (1923) [Short stories, with a focus on Ireland] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #817]
Blind Raftery and his Wife, Hilaria (1924) [A short and wonderful novel set in Ireland during the time of the South Sea Bubble (1711-1720) Wikipedia. Raftery is a blind Irish poet/folk-singer who marries Hilaria, a Spanish woman. Then they start their travels...] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #776] Time, 29 September 1924
An Alley of Flashing Spears and other stories (1933) [A collection of nine of Byrne's stories, published posthumously] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #779]


Byron, Robert (1905-1941) [English art critic and travel writer] Wikipedia

First Russia, Then Tibet (1933) [A very famous travel book describing, as you might expect, Russia and, in a second section, Tibet: two very different places.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1641]


C



Cagna, Achille Giovanni (1847-1931) [Italian playwright and novelist / Dramaturge et romancier italien] Sapere.it Università degli studi di Pavia [Microsoft Word]

Contrada dei Gatti. Proiezioni. (1924) [Novel in Italian / Roman en italien] HTML HTML zip Text / Texte Text / Texte zip [PGC #519/no 519]
Learn Italian! / Apprenez l'italien!


Cameron, David Young (1865-1945) [Scottish etcher and painter] Wikipedia National Galleries of Scotland Tate Collection
with: Salaman, Malcolm Charles (1855-1940) [English art historian and critic] Wikipedia
Sir D.Y. Cameron, R.A. (1925) [Monograph on the famous Scottish artist, profusely illustrated] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PG Canada ebook #426]


Campbell, Duncan (1818-1886) [Canadian historian] Dictionary of Canadian Biography

History of Prince Edward Island (1875) [A history of Prince Edward Island Wikipedia from 1763 (when it passed from France to Britain) to 1873 (when it joined Confederation)] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped UTF-8 text UTF-8 text zipped EPUB [PGC #812]


Campbell, Roy (1901-1957) [South African poet] Wikipedia National Review, 15 August 1986 (Thomas P. McDonnell)
with: Freedman, Barnett (1901-1958) [English painter] Wikipedia Barnett Freedman Archive Tate Collection

Choosing a Mast (1931) [Poem, with two illustrations, one in colour] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped


Cantù, Cesare (1804-1895) [Historien et romancier italien] fr.wikipedia cesarecantu.it (en italien)

Margherita Pusterla (1838 [en italien]; 1843 [cette traduction]) [Roman historique, dont l'action se déroule en Lombardie vers 1340. Nous vous offrons la traduction contemporaine publiée par L'Illustration en 1843, avec plusieurs belles gravures. Project Gutenberg US vous offre le texte italien du roman.] HTML HTML zip Texte Texte zip EPUB [PG Canada no 942]


Carman, Bliss [William Bliss] (1861-1929) [Canadian poet] Wikipedia jrank.org

Far Horizons (1925) [Poems] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #614]
Sanctuary. Sunshine House Sonnets. (1929) [Poems] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #635]
Wild Garden (1929) [Poems] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #609]


Carr, Emily (1871-1945) [Canadian painter and writer] Wikipedia Canadian Encyclopedia

Klee Wyck (1941) [Memoirs] Text Text zipped
The Book of Small (1942) [Memoirs] Text Text zipped
The House of All Sorts (1944) [Memoirs] Text Text zipped


Carrington, Fitzroy (1869-1954) [American art historian] Wikipedia Dictionary of Art Historians

Prints and their Makers. Essays on engravers and etchers old and modern. (1912) [A magnificently illustrated collection of essays by various eminent art historians of Carrington's era: these essays "range from Italian engravers before the time of Raphael and woodcuts by Albrecht Dürer to contemporary etchings."] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #68720]
Engravers and Etchers (1917) ["Six Lectures Delivered on the Scammon Foundation at the Art Institute of Chicago, March 1916", says the title page, but this doesn't come even close to describing this magnificent book and its 133 beautiful illustrations from the fifteenth to the twentieth centuries. "My sole aim," says Carrington, "has been to share with my audience the stimulation and pleasure which certain prints by the great engravers and etchers have given me." He is too modest: his book is very easy to read but full of learning. For those wanting even more information, tucked away at the end of each chapter are admirably complete bibliographical notes by Adam E. M. Paff (1891-1932) of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #66848]


Carroll, Lewis [Dodgson, Charles Lutwidge] (1832-1898) [English mathematician, logician, and author] Wikipedia

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) Wikipedia [It is a hot summer afternoon, and Alice is sitting with her sister, when suddenly a White Rabbit with pink eyes runs close by her. This is no ordinary rabbit, however: it is speaking to itself ("Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!"), and then it takes a watch out of its pocket! And the adventures keep coming in this evergreen satirical classic, famous in every country: it is so much more than a children's book! Our EPUB includes the famous illustrations by the English cartoonist and illustrator Sir John Tenniel (1820-1914) Wikipedia. EPUB [University of Adelaide]
 
Traduction française par Henri Bué (1843-1929)
 
Aventures d'Alice au pays des merveilles (1869) fr.wikipedia Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 55456]

Through the Looking-Glass (1871) Wikipedia [Or, to give Carroll's full title, Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There. Published six years after Alice in Wonderland, and generally read in conjunction with the earlier novel, it is written at the same high level, and has some very famous episodes: Tweedledum and Tweedledee, Jabberwocky, Humpty Dumpty... In any case, here it is for you to enjoy, complete with the wonderful illustrations by Sir John Tenniel (1820-1914) from the 1871 first edition, as well as a preface added by Carroll in 1896!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]


Carter, John Franklin (1897-1967) [American economist, journalist, and novelist] Wikipedia

Published under the pen-name Jay Franklin:
The Rat Race (1950 Galaxy version) Wikipedia [Novel, a heady mixture of science fiction and political intrigue. It starts in April 1945 when an atomic bomb explodes on board the U.S.S. Alaska. But the bomb uses thorium Wikipedia rather than uranium! In the explosion's aftermath, Lieutenant-Commander Frank Jacklin finds himself in someone else's body, and that's when things really start happening. The anonymous reviewer at Fantasy Book thought it was one of the best books of the year: "A fast-moving satire of American life, sharp, funny, and to the point." For Groff Conklin (Galaxy, October 1950) the novel lacked credibility: "There have been incredible pieces of pseudo-science fantasy in the past... But this book really should take a prize." As regards the science part, perhaps. But from the perspective of today, the political intrigues highlighted by Conklin seem entirely realistic: the murder of the U.S. president, for example, American citizens not charged with any specific crime being sequestered in a huge mental hospital, and so on. Actually, Conklin recognized that the book "is fascinating reading... Certainly Franklin wanted to have his readers haunted by the idea that some of what he was writing was actually true. Maybe it was and just doesn't sound it." And indeed, perhaps it was true: as an eminent political journalist and former State Department employee, Conklin certainly had access to excellent sources! The source for our ebook is the 1950 edition published by the editors of Galaxy Magazine, and is described on the front cover as "complete and unabridged" and on the title page as "a complete novel", but a note after the title page states that "This novel has been slightly abridged for the sake of better pacing." The edition was published during the author's lifetime: presumably he did the trimming, or at least consented to it.]
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Cartier, Jacques (1491-1557) [Explorateur français] fr.wikipedia Dictionnaire biographique du Canada Encyclopédie canadienne

Relation Originale du Voyage de Jacques Cartier au Canada en 1534 (1534) [Histoire: éd. Henri-Victor Michelant (1811-1890) et Alfred Ramé (1826-1886)] HTML HTML zip Texte Texte zip
Voyage de J. Cartier au Canada: relation originale de Jacques Cartier (1545) [Histoire] HTML et Texte


Cary, Joyce [Arthur Joyce Lunel] (1888-1957) [Irish novelist] Wikipedia Paris Review interview with Cary New York Review of Books (Brad Leithauser)

Mister Johnson (1939 [novel]; 1952 [prefatory essay]) Wikipedia [The adventures and misadventures of a young Nigerian in the British colonial civil service] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #968]


Casgrain, Henri-Raymond (1831-1904) [Historien canadien] fr.wikipedia Dictionnaire biographique du Canada encyclobec.ca (article par Jacques Saint-Pierre)

Un contemporain — F. X. Garneau (1866) [Biographie de François-Xavier Garneau Dictionnaire biographique du Canada fr.wikipedia]
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PG Canada vous offre également l'intégrale du chef-d'oeuvre de Garneau, son Histoire du Canada

Cather, Willa [Willa Sibert] (1873-1947) [American novelist] Wikipedia Full biography by James Woodress

Alexander's Bridge (1912) Wikipedia [Bartley Alexander is a professional engineer, and a famous one: "whatever else he might do, he would probably always be known as the engineer who designed the great Moorlock Bridge, the longest cantilever in existence." The Moorlock Bridge is in Canada, and so is his newest project, which will be the longest bridge in the world. However, it is a difficult project, and success is not certain. In addition, he is now married: gone is the world he knew as a young engineer, and his marriage to the wealthy Winifred Alexander has its own challenges, including the resurfacing in his life of Hilda Burgoyne, the London actress who has achieved stardom in the years since they went their separate ways.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
O Pioneers! (1913) Wikipedia [A truly epic novel about a Swedish immigrant family's experiences through several generations. It starts in the 1880s, and is set in the fictional Nebraska town of Hanover, which was very similar to the towns being founded further north in Canada along the Canadian Pacific Railway: "The dwelling-houses were set about haphazard on the tough prairie sod... The main street was a deeply rutted road, now frozen hard, which ran from the squat red railway station and the grain "elevator" at the north end of the town to the lumber yard and the horse pond at the south end." The life of these early residents was not an easy one, but after their father's passing the Bergsons decide to stay in Hanover when many others are leaving. Or rather, Alexandra decides to stay and obtains her brothers' reluctant cooperation. Will things work out financially? And will peace descend on the Bergson clan?] EPUB [University of Adelaide] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #24]
The Song of the Lark (1915) Wikipedia [Novel, which follows the life and career of Thea Kronberg, born in the small and recently founded Colorado town of Moonstone, which was not so very different from many towns of the same period in the western regions of Canada. By a series of fortunate events she moves first to Denver, and then to Chicago, where she takes singing lessons, which go well, so well that she becomes an internationally famous opera singer, but never loses touch with her origins. "This story," Cather comments, "attempts to deal only with the simple and concrete beginnings which color and accent an artist's work, and to give some account of how a Moonstone girl found her way out of a vague, easy-going world into a life of disciplined endeavor." But surely the most interesting part of most artists' lives is the beginning, later successes being only the logical consequence of what has already happened. In other words, Cather planned her novel well, and was soon rewarded by its commercial success.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
One of Ours (1922) Wikipedia [The novel which won Cather the 1923 Pulitzer Prize: she wrote most of it while visiting Canada, and completed it while in Toronto! The novel tells the life story of Claude Wheeler, whose relatively unhappy youth in Nebraska was followed by a relatively unhappy marriage. Then the First World War started, which cannot really be said to have been a good thing for Wheeler, since he did not survive it. However, in the short term he did find new meaning in life, and clearly he found military life more congenial than civil. Cather's inspiration was her cousin Grosvenor Cather, who grew up on the Nebraska farm next to hers; after his death in 1918 she found herself thinking about him more and more, which eventually resulted in her writing this novel.] EPUB [University of Adelaide] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #2369]
A Lost Lady (1923) Wikipedia [The modern history of Western Canada is largely the history of the Canadian Pacific Railway and the many settlements founded along its route while it was being constructed, some of them still quite small, but some now very large: Calgary, for instance, and Vancouver. The history of the western US is similar: the railroads came, the settlements started, and events followed their natural course. Which brings us to the town of Sweet Water, on the recently constructed Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy railroad, and to Captain Daniel Forrester, who played a major role in constructing the railroad, until "the Captain's terrible fall with his horse in the mountains, which broke him so that he could no longer build railroads." At which point the Captain retired to his house in Sweet Water, accompanied by his much younger wife Marian, the "lost lady" of the title. She is a participant in many losses: the loss of the heroic pioneering days, the eventual loss of her husband, and the many changes in her life brought on by these events. Robert Littell (The New Republic, 19 December 1923) comments that Cather "accomplishes exactly what she sets out to do", and praises "the singular reality and solidity of the heroine, who remains in our minds as one of [the] most vivid inhabitants of any American novel of recent years."] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
The Professor's House (1925) Wikipedia [The professor in question is the grandly named Godfrey St. Peter, who is of French-Canadian descent, and obtained his doctorate in France. But he is American, and as the novel opens is enjoying a successful university teaching career. The Professor is moving out of his old house, for good reason, for it had many issues and was not a comfortable place to live. But the Professor finds that he's unwilling to leave the old house, since that is where he prefers to do his writing. And yet his new house has "a beautiful study downstairs". All of which suggests that the Professor has a complex past and present. And indeed Tom Outland plays a major role in the novel, even though he died in the Great War: he had been the Professor's favourite student and had planned to marry the Professor's daughter, Rosamond, who became his sole heir, and consequently quite wealthy. The novel has a large and attractive cast of characters, and its plot ranges widely: it includes an archaeological expedition to the ancient but now abandoned Cliff City in New Mexico!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
Death Comes for the Archbishop (1927) Wikipedia [Novel, enormously successful when published and with an enduring reputation. It is about the Roman Catholic church in New Mexico in the nineteenth century, and is told through the life stories of two French-born clergy. Fictional, but based on actual personalities and events. "Miss Cather is growing restless in the old forms. The novel irks her... for the 'Archbishop,' she chooses the method of chronicle history. Instead of providing suspense and a climax, she depends, like history, upon interest in men and events. It is the honester way, if you can succeed with it. She has." (Saturday Review, 10 December 1927)] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1584]
Shadows on the Rock (1931) [Historical novel, set in New France during the time of Frontenac Wikipedia, telling the story of the physician Euclide Auclair, and his daughter Cécile] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #860] Wikipedia


Cervantes Saavedra, Miguel de (1547-1616) [Spanish soldier and novelist] Wikipedia

Don Quixote (1605 [first part]; 1615 [second part]; 1885 [this translation of both parts by John Ormsby (1829-1895)] Wikipedia [Novel, one of the great literary classics, but funny, and very approachable -- hence its enduring popularity ever since its first appearance. We offer the justly famous Ormsby Wikipedia translation from 1865 in a digital edition which includes the fabulous illustrations from 1863 by Gustave Doré (1832-1883) ! As the novel opens, we meet our hero, who is a member of the minor nobility. He is nearing fifty, has a small household, and not much money. He does, however, have a great deal of spare time, which he spends reading altogether too many romantic tales of chivalry: by the time we meet him he can no longer clearly distinguish between the fictional worlds he reads about and the world he actually lives in. And so he conceives the idea of leaving his home, becoming a knight errant, and righting the world's wrongs. The novel is the story of how this project goes. CAUTION: The many illustrations have made this ebook unusually large. It will require more storage space than is usual, and the download may take some extra time.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #996]
 
Traduction française par Louis Viardot (1800-1883) fr.wikipedia
L'ingénieux hidalgo Don Quichotte de la Manche - Tome I (1863) Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 16066]
L'ingénieux hidalgo Don Quichotte de la Manche - Tome II (1863) Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 16067]
Texto castellano
El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha (1605);
El ingenioso caballero don Quijote de la Mancha (1615)

es.wikipedia
Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 2000]


Centlivre, Susanna (ca. 1669-1723) [English playwright] Wikipedia

The Stolen Heiress; or, The Salamanca Doctor Outplotted. A Comedy. (1702 [first performance]; 1703 [first publication]) [Comedy] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped UTF-8 text UTF-8 text zipped [PGC #828]


Chambers, E. K. [Edmund Kerchever] (1866-1954) [English literary historian] Wikipedia

The Elizabethan Stage, vol. 1 (1923) [Literary history, done well, does not date. E.K. Chambers was astoundingly well read: who today could surpass his direct knowledge of the history of early English theatre? Add to this a remarkable elegance of style, and you have a classic for the ages, and a very attractive read. This first volume is an account of the court of Elizabeth I, with particular attention to the stage. Note: The ample bibliography appears at the start of the book, not the end. The table of contents will take you to the main text of the book.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #66003]
The Elizabethan Stage, vol. 2 (1923) [The second volume of E.K. Chambers's classic and wonderfully readable work focuses on the actors' companies, the playhouses they worked in, the design of these playhouses, and their way of operating. Much more is known about this than you might expect!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #67423]
The Elizabethan Stage, vol. 3 (1923) [This third volume of E.K. Chambers' famous work examines the mechanics of staging plays, both at court and in the theatres, and of publishing the plays, a topic crucially important to us, for that is how these plays were transmitted to future ages, including ours! The book ends with a fascinating list of the many playwrights of the period whose names are known to us, with a short biography and list of works for each.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #67462]


Chambers, Robert William (1865-1933) [American painter and novelist] Wikipedia yankeeclassic.com The Literary Gothic Wikimedia [painting]

The Maids of Paradise (1902) [Novel: includes several illustrations of unknown authorship, and one illustration by Ludovico Marchetti (1853-1909) Art Gallery of Ballarat Government Art Collection [UK] Fine Art Dealers Association]
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You will find many ebooks by Robert W. Chambers at Project Gutenberg's US site.

Champlain, Samuel de (vers 1570-1635) [Explorateur français] fr.wikipedia Dictionnaire biographique du Canada Encyclopédie canadienne

Oeuvres de Champlain [Histoire: éd. C.-H. Laverdière (1826-73: Dictionnaire biographique du Canada)] HTML et Texte


Chandler, Raymond [Raymond Thornton] (1888-1959) [American novelist and screenplay writer] Wikipedia

The Big Sleep (1939) Wikipedia [Chandler's first full-length crime novel. Private investigator Philip Marlowe, making his first appearance in literature, takes on a case of blackmail, and finds that matters are even murkier than they seem.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #696]
Farewell, My Lovely (1940) Wikipedia [Crime novel. The manager of a Los Angeles club is murdered, and no one seems to care. No one, that is, except Philip Marlowe...] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1046]
The High Window (1942) Wikipedia [Crime novel. A wealthy widow calls in Philip Marlowe to investigate the disappearance of a rare and valuable coin, a matter mysterious enough in itself, but this is only the beginning... ] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1036]
The Lady in the Lake (1943) Wikipedia [Crime novel. The wife of a wealthy Los Angeles businessman has mysteriously disappeared, having last been seen at Little Fawn Lake. Definitely a case for Philip Marlowe...] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1033]
The Little Sister (1949) Wikipedia [Novel, featuring Philip Marlowe and also the film industry, with which by this time Chandler was very familiar.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1279]
The Long Goodbye (1953) Wikipedia Mark Coggins [Mystery novel, Chandler's favourite among his novels, and winner of the 1955 Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America. Private investigator Philip Marlowe gets involved in a heady set of intrigues involving a writer, alcohol, Mexico, and, of course, murder. "The dialogue is as vividly overheated as ever, the plot is clearly constructed and surprisingly resolved, and the book is rich in many sharp glimpses of minor characters and scenes. Perhaps the longest private-eye novel ever written (over 125,000 words!). It is also one of the best -- and may well attract readers who normally shun even the leaders in the field." (Anthony Boucher, New York Times, 25 April 1954)] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1522]
Playback (1958) Wikipedia [The last Philip Marlowe mystery novel completed by Chandler, set in a resort town on the coast of California. Marlowe is to follow a woman named Eleanor King, newly arrived in Los Angeles. Whether this is her real name is only one of the mysteries in store for Marlowe.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1209]


Chant, Joseph Horatio (1837-1928) [Canadian poet]

Gleams of Sunshine: optimistic poems (1915) [Poetry] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped


Charlesworth, Hector Willoughby (1872-1945) [Canadian journalist and essayist] Wikipedia Encyclopedia of Music in Canada Empire Club of Canada (1932 address by Charlesworth) Cybermuse (portrait of Charlesworth by Arthur Lismer [1885-1969])

The Canadian Scene. Sketches : Political and Historical. (1927) [Essays on Canadian history and literature] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped


Chase, Alvin Wood (1817-1885) [American physician and entrepreneur] Ann Arbor District Library (article by Grace Shackman) rdhinstl.com

Dr. Chase's New Receipt Book (1889) [Self-help manual] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped


Chekhov, Anton (1860-1904) [Russian physician, playwright, and novelist] Wikipedia

The Shooting Party (1884 [Russian original]; 1926 [this translation]) Wikipedia [Chekhov's only full-length novel -- and it's a mystery story, an accomplished one! The murder takes place during a hunting party in the Russian countryside. But who is the murderer? The translation is by Alfred Edward Chamot (1855-1934). Chamot had lived in Russia until 1918, and been administrator of the Imperial Palace Gardens at Strelna, to the west of Saint Petersburg, on the south side of the Gulf of Finland.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #73729]


Chesterton, G. K. [Gilbert Keith] (1874-1936) [English author, journalist, and theologian] Wikipedia

The Father Brown stories:
The Complete Father Brown (1911-1935) [Father Brown is G. K. Chesterton's famous priest-detective Wikipedia. The stories are famous worldwide, and have often been reprinted and adapted. The five individual collections published between 1911 and 1935 are available from Project Gutenberg Canada as individual ebooks, but it is our pleasure to offer all five of these books in an elegant single EPUB edition from the University of Adelaide.] EPUB
 
The Innocence of Father Brown (1911) [Mystery stories. The first of the five Father Brown Wikipedia collections, introducing the celebrated priest-detective.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #971]
The Wisdom of Father Brown (1914) [Mystery stories. The second of Chesterton's five collections featuring the priest-detective Father Brown.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #972]
The Incredulity of Father Brown (1926) [Mystery stories. The third of Chesterton's five collections featuring the priest-detective Father Brown.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #973]
The Secret of Father Brown (1927) [Mystery stories. The fourth of Chesterton's Father Brown collections, constructed as eight individual stories within a story.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #975]
The Scandal of Father Brown (1935) [Mystery stories. Chesterton's fifth and final Father Brown collection.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #977]

The Everlasting Man (1925) Wikipedia [Theological work, written for a general audience, and published three years after Chesterton had joined the Roman Catholic church, of which he became a strong advocate. It is an overview of human history from a theological perspective. "The view suggested is historical rather than theological, and does not deal directly with a religious change which has been the chief event of my own life... Much of it is devoted to many sorts of Pagans rather than any sort of Christians". The book has been greatly admired by many, including C. S. Lewis, and is written in Chesterton's characteristically vigorous style, full of illuminating paradoxes.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #65688]
With: Gill, Eric [Arthur Eric Rowton] (1882-1940) [English artist and type designer] Wikipedia National Archives (UK) Identifont

Gloria in Profundis (1927) [Poem, with two wood engravings] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #440]


Chevalier, Henri-Émile (1828-1879) [Romancier canadien] Dictionnaire biographique du Canada

La fille des indiens rouges (1856) [Roman] Texte
L'enfer et le paradis de l'autre monde (1857) [Roman] Texte
Les Nez-Percés (1862) [Roman] Texte
La Tête-Plate (1863) [Roman] Texte
Les derniers Iroquois (1863) [Roman] HTML et Texte
Peaux-rouges et Peaux-blanches (1864) [Roman] Texte
Jacques Cartier (1868) [Roman] HTML et Texte
Poignet-d'acier ou Les Chippiouais (1875) [Roman] Texte
Le chasseur noir (1877) [Roman] Texte
La capitaine (1878) [Roman] Texte
La fille du pirate (1878) [Roman] Texte
L'île de sable (1878) [Roman] Texte
Le gibet (1879) [Roman] Texte


Cheyney, Peter [Reginald Evelyn Peter Southouse] (1896-1951) [English poet and novelist] Wikipedia

The Stars are Dark (1943) [Novel, the second in Cheyney's "Dark" series. "Dark and devilish doings of British and German spies told in hard-hitting, effective, and hair-raising fashion. Verdict: Tops in spy-stuff" (Saturday Review, 23 October 1943)]
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The Dark Street (1944) [Novel of intrigue and murder, from Cheyney's "Dark" series. One of the main characters is named Quayle: his business, we are told, "was nobody's business... It was a business necessitated by war, by the ghastly mechanics of war, by the scheming, plotting, machinations, underhand tactics, filthy murders..." He has an employee, Shaun Aloysius O'Mara, who "played the piano, rode a horse, was a good shot, could sail a boat. He spoke a considerable number of languages, though very few people were aware of the fact... and was extremely apt with a hand gun." After this, who needs a plot summary? By this point you'll know whether this book is for you! But we'll also mention the mysterious Spaniard Miguales, who had "fought on both sides in the Spanish Civil War and enjoyed the process."]
HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1504]
Uneasy Terms (1946) [Mystery novel: the first of Cheyney's novels to be adapted to film. Colonel Gervase Stenhurst, late of the Indian Army, journeys to London, seeking the expert assistance of private detective Slim Callaghan, who at first is difficult to find (he's having a drink or two at the Night Light Club in Mayfair), and who when found is reluctant to take on the mysterious assignment he is offered. But of course he eventually relents, greatly increasing the likelihood that the truth will be found and that justice will prevail.]
HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1542]
Dark Bahama (1950) [The "Dark" in the title is a tipoff: this spy novel is part of Cheyney's "Dark" series of espionage novels, not so very far removed from the works of Ian Fleming, his contemporary. And just as Fleming used Jamaica in some of his most famous James Bond stories, so Cheyney has here used the Bahamas. The island of Dark Bahama, our novelist tells us, is beautiful, and the people living there devote their lives to pleasure. But if Cheyney's mysterious Ernest Guelvada is there, chances are that there is trouble. And indeed there is: murder, to start with, and assorted intrigues. "Pseudo-sophistication, cliché culture", commented the Saturday Review (3 Feb 1951), but what's wrong with that? Yet the novel also features "taut narrative and plausible surprise to last sentence" -- that sounds good! All in all, if you like the spy stories of Fleming and his contemporaries, you may find this very much to your taste!] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1667]
Ladies Won't Wait (1951) [Spy/murder novel featuring (and narrated by) British agent Michael Kells, with much of the action taking place in the glamorous setting of Paris.]
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Childers, Erskine (1870-1922) [Irish author and politician] Wikipedia

The Riddle of the Sands (1903) Wikipedia [Novel, set largely in the Frisian Islands, very low barrier islands, easily flooded, which dot the North Sea coast from the Netherlands east to Denmark. It is presented as a work of non-fiction, featuring "Carruthers" (an assumed name), who has a post in the UK's Foreign Office. Carruthers accepts an invitation from a friend to go on a yachting vacation to the Baltic Sea by way of Holland and the Frisian islands. But something mysterious is going on in the islands -- what are the Germans up to? Yes, this is definitely a novel of espionage, an early and very good one, continuously famous from its year of publication right up to the present day!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]


Chrysler, Walter Percy (1875-1940) [American automotive engineer] Wikipedia Time, 7 January 1929 [Man of the Year article] Time, 7 January 1929 [Man of the Year cover] Time, 26 August 1940 [obituary]
With: Sparkes, Boyden (1890-1954) [American journalist]

Life of an American Workman (1950 edition with new postscript by Sparkes; original edition published in1937) [Autobiography of the automotive engineer and founder of the Chrysler Corporation] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped Time, 30 October 1950


Churchill, Winston Spencer (1874-1965) [English statesman and historian; Nobel Prize in Literature, 1953] Wikipedia Nobelprize.org

Savrola. A Tale of the Revolution in Laurania. (1900) Wikipedia [Churchill's only novel, a political one, set in Laurania, an imaginary country on the north side of the Mediterranean. "It is the character of Savrola himself that fascinates us, for we realize that in creating the great republican of Laurania young Churchill was depicting his ideal hero, that he was putting into words the kind of man he wished to be--that he was, perhaps, determined to become." (Ben Ray Redman, Saturday Review, 14 April 1956)] HTML, Text, EPUB, and Kindle [Project Gutenberg US #50906]
My Early Life. A Roving Commission. (1930) Wikipedia [Sir Winston's account of his life from childhood up to 1902. "When I survey this work as a whole," our author remarks, "I find I have drawn a picture of a vanished age." But what an age it was, and what a fine account Sir Winston created!] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1315]
Painting as a Pastime (1948) [An essay, first published in 1932, in which Sir Winston recommends having at least two or three hobbies. Reading, of course, but also painting--which he personally took up at the age of forty! This enhanced edition of the essay includes eighteen colour reproductions of his paintings, which demonstrate how well he had learned his new craft.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1373]


Clynes, John Robert (1869-1949) [English trade unionist and politician] Wikipedia

When I Remember... (1940) [Pamphlet: history of Britain's social service and income support programs] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped


Cody, Hiram Alfred (1872-1948) [Canadian priest, novelist, and biographer] University of New Brunswick (see under "Cody")

The Trail of the Golden Horn (1923) [Mystery novel, with elements of romance, set in Northern Canada (Cody lived in the Yukon for some years). A trapper finds an empty cabin, with evidence of a crime. We are introduced to a nurse, then to a Mountie, and matters proceed from there.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped
The Master Revenge (1924) [Christian morality play done in the form of a novel] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped
Songs of a Bluenose (1925) [Poetry] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #622]
The Crimson Sign (1935) [Historical novel, set in Acadia Wikipedia towards the end of the seventeenth century.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #946]
Fighting Stars (1937 edition) [Novel] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #978]


Colby, Charles William (1867-1955) [Canadian historian] Colby Curtis Museum, Stanstead

The Founder of New France: A Chronicle of Champlain (1915) [Biography of Samuel de Champlain Wikipedia Dictionary of Canadian Biography: vol. 3 of "The Chronicles of Canada". Illustrations by Champlain himself, and by C. W. Jefferys (1869-1951) Wikipedia Library and Archives Canada, Balthazar Moncornet (ca. 1600-1668), and John David Kelly (1862-1958) Ontario's Historical Plaques]
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Colden, Cadwallader (1688-1776) [Scottish physician; governor of New York 1769-71] Wikipedia

The History of the Five Indian Nations of Canada (in two volumes) (1747 [expanded second edition]; 1727 [original edition]) [The first full account in English of the Iroquois League Wikipedia; Colden had the advantage of considerable direct contact with the League as a negotiator for the British government. Our ebook is based on the 1747 London edition.]
  Volume 1: HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #822]
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Cole, G. D. H. [George Douglas Howard] (1889-1959) [English labour activist, economist, and mystery novelist] Wikipedia

The Brooklyn Murders (1923) [Most of Cole's mystery novels were written in collaboration with his wife, Margaret Cole (1893-1980), who outlived her husband by 21 years. The monstrous "New NAFTA", imposed on Canada by the foreign autocrat Tr*mp, extended copyright terms by twenty years: an act of cultural vandalism involving completely unacceptable coercion and interference in Canada's affairs. Consequently the many mystery novels they collaborated on have been blocked from joining Canada's public domain until 2051! It's time for these extensions to be annulled, or, still better, thrown out by Canada's courts. Still, he wrote The Brooklyn Murders without his wife's assistance, and so it entered the Canadian public domain in 2010: we are delighted to present it to you! The "Brooklyn" in the title refers not to the famous New York borough of that name, but to an English acting family. "At seventy Sir Vernon Brooklyn was still the outstanding figure in the theatrical world," the novel begins. To celebrate his seventieth birthday, Sir Vernon has left his country place in Sussex and returned to his very grand house in London, overlooking Green Park, where the guests are gathering. As the title suggests, things start happening! "A story of more than usual skill and interest," said The Outlook (19 November 1924). "Some good amateur detective work, and odd investigations into the night life of London." Our ebook includes the cover art from the 1924 U.S. edition by the Polish-American painter Samuel Halpert (1884-1930) Wikipedia] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #73716]


Coles, Manning [pseudonym of English author Adelaide Frances Oke Manning (1891-1959) and British intelligence agent Cyril Henry Coles (1899-1965)] Wikipedia

Drink to Yesterday (1940) [Neighbours Adelaide Manning, who had worked in the War Office during the First World War, and Cyril Coles, a career officer in British Intelligence, in 1940 jointly wrote their first novel (many were to follow) featuring Thomas Elphinstone Hambledon Wikipedia. It is set during the First World War: Hambledon is nominally a teacher, but in fact the important part of his work takes place during the vacations -- when he is in Germany! This work behind German lines is presumably based on Coles' own experience: he joined up as a teenager, had a phenomenal ability to learn languages quickly, and did indeed work behind German lines! "Tremendously effective and entirely thrilling tale of man whose split nationality and tragically divided personal loyalties changed his whole life." (Saturday Review, 15 February 1941)] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1670]
Pray Silence (1940) [It's hard to give a more accurate and concise summary than the one provided by the Saturday Review in their 10 May 1941 issue: "British spy loses memory and turns up decade later as high Nazi police official. He makes up for lost time." Yes, it's Tommy Hambledon, of course, in the second Manning Coles novel to feature him, a novel known in the United States as A Toast to Tomorrow, an excellent title, since it nicely parallels the title of the first novel, Drink to Yesterday, which was set during the First World War. Be that as it may, our hero is as far behind German lines as could be imagined: Hitler himself shows up as a character!] EPUB HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #1671]
Without Lawful Authority (1943) [Espionage novel, set during the runup to the Second World War. Some very mysterious crimes are happening in England. They are not what they seem: but what are the motives? Perhaps Tommy Hambledon of British Intelligence can sort out these complexities!] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1610]
Green Hazard (1945) [Action novel, set in the year 1941, and featuring British intelligence agent Tommy Hambledon doing dangerous and important espionage. Then comes shocking news: Hambledon has been killed, in Switzerland! Or has he?] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1620]
The Fifth Man (1946) [Espionage novel, naturally featuring British intelligence agent Tommy Hambledon. In wartime, a dubious life history can be the ideal background for espionage inside another country -- for example, Germany! "A-1 Spy thriller" (Saturday Review, 19 January 1946)] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1616]
Alias Uncle Hugo (1952) [Novel of intrigue and espionage. Tommy Hambledon's latest assignment takes him to the Soviet Union. The Second World War is now over, but much intrigue is underway. Kaspar, the orphaned son of an Eastern European monarch, is living in the Soviet Union being sheltered by his tutor, who is passing him off as his great-nephew. This is not a situation that can last: fortunately Kaspar's Uncle Hugo shows up! But who exactly is Uncle Hugo, and what is he planning?] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1669]
A Knife for the Juggler (1953) [Novel of murder and intrigue, the sixteenth in the Tommy Hambledon series, taking place in the glamorous settings of the City of Paris and of the Canary Islands!]
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Not for Export (1954) [Spy/mystery novel. Some very sensitive airplane design documents disappear: who better to find them than British intelligence agent Tommy Hambledon? Much action in West Germany, particularly Berlin, but Russia also plays a role. "Familiar mixture of international mayhem and mirth... Peppy as ever" (John T. Winterich, Saturday Review, 13 March 1954)]
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No Entry (1958) [Spy/mystery novel, which begins in the city of Goslar Wikipedia, near the former boundary between West and East Germany. The son of the British Foreign Secretary has mysteriously disappeared while visiting. Are the Russians involved? To the Foreign Office it seems obvious: the situation calls for the special talents of Thomas Elphinstone "Tommy" Hambledon Wikipedia.]
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Collins, Wilkie (1824-1889) [English novelist] Wikipedia

The Moonstone (1868) Wikipedia [Perhaps the very first English detective novel! Dorothy L. Sayers and G. K. Chesterton thought it probably the finest English detective novel ever written: a century and a half after it was published, who are we to disagree? It features an accomplished "amateur" sleuth, Franklin Blake, and the very capable Sergeant Richard Cuff, called in from (where else?) Scotland Yard. The Moonstone itself is an ancient gem which had been stolen by a British soldier in 1799 during the British conquest of India. (One of the novel's many strengths is its realistic assessment of the true nature of British colonialism.) But when the Moonstone arrives in England, the intrigue and violence which have dogged its history follow it from India.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]


Compton, Edward Harrison (1881-1960) [German painter] Wikipedia

Chester Water-Colours (1916) [Watercolour album. Chester Wikipedia (from "castrum", Latin for "army base") is located in Cheshire, not far from the Welsh border. As its name indicates, it was founded by the Romans, and was relatively prosperous throughout the Middle Ages. Watergate Street, included in this collection, was laid out as part of the Roman encampment, and substantial sections of the city's walls survive from Roman times. As you will see, this famous old city provided excellent material for Compton to paint. In spite of his name, Compton was a German artist: his father had emigrated from England to Upper Bavaria where he became a famous mountain climber and painter, married, and had his family. The son followed his father's example and became a painter. He trained in England, exhibited his paintings there, and was presumably in England throughout the First World War, for this fine portfolio was published in May 1916. The reproductions are all in colour: if there were wartime production issues, there are certainly no traces of them in this beautiful album.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #66086]


Conan Doyle, Arthur (1859-1930)
See: Doyle, Arthur Conan (1859-1930)


Conference on the Medical Services in Canada (1924)

Report of the Conference on the Medical Services in Canada held at Ottawa, December 18, 19, 20, 1924 (1925) [Transcript of conference] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped


Connell, Richard [Richard Edward, Jr.] (1893-1949) [American journalist, screenwriter, and novelist] Wikipedia

The Most Dangerous Game (1924) Wikipedia [A very famous and very influential short story, involving a special kind of big game hunting.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1480]


Connington, J. J. [Stewart, Alfred Walter] (1880-1947) [Scottish chemist, physicist, and writer of mysteries and science fiction] Wikipedia

Nordenholt's Million (1923) [Disaster novel. Environmental catastrophe has arrived on Earth and the multimillionaire Nordenholt constructs a refuge for himself and some others. Not in today's favoured location of New Zealand, but in the Clyde Valley of Scotland! Parallels to the COVID-19 pandemic and the behaviour of our modern ultrarich are easy to see. How did Connington foresee all this? Well, he certainly knew his science: he was a famous organic chemist. And a fine writer: he went on to write a considerable number of mystery novels!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #64567]
The Dangerfield Talisman (1926) [It is painful to consider the shenanigans of Canada's federal "leaders": every one of them voted for Tr*mp's coercive copyright extensions in the "new NAFTA", which turned Canada into a mere colony, taking orders from our imperial masters in Washington. What cowards our "leaders" are, and what bullies. It's time to kick them out of office! Still, if we won't be seeing Dame Agatha Christie until 2047 instead of 2027, we do have other mystery novelists who have already made it into our public domain, very good ones, such as Glasgow's J. J. Connington. He mainly wrote murder mysteries, but not always, as this novel proves: it is about a heist involving an extremely valuable piece of jewellery, the Dangerfield Talisman. As the novel opens we are at a bridge party. Among those present is old Rollo Dangerfield, owner of the Dangerfield Talisman, last appraised in his grandfather's time, at some £50,000. And that was when a pound was a pound! Up to now, the Talisman has never been stolen, or, if stolen, its disappearance has been only for a short time. Is that about to change?] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #73753]
Murder in the Maze (1927) [Mystery novel, featuring Chief Constable Sir Clinton Driffield. We begin at Whistlefield, which belongs to Roger Shandon, who is not just a barrister, but a King's Counsel (KC), if you please! Which is presumably why he can afford a house like Whistlefield, which has not only a name. but also grounds, and on those grounds a maze. Which, of course, is where a murder is discovered. Hence the intervention of Sir Clinton!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #71351]
Mystery at Lynden Sands (1928) [Here at PGC we had been looking forward to 2027, when Agatha Christie's works were slated to enter Canada's public domain. But Justin Trudeau followed orders from D*nald Tr*mp, and against the will of Canadians added twenty years to Canada's copyright terms: unacceptable coercion by a foreign despot, unacceptable weakness in a Canadian prime minister, and a complete failure to defend the citizens of Canada against foreign threats. Remember this in next year's election! However, Dame Agatha was but one of many fine writers of her period, and we are delighted to present this fine mystery novel by J. J. Connington, featuring Chief Constable Sir Clinton Driffield. Lynden Sands, as you might guess, is a beach area and indeed a resort area, with a hotel and a new golf course. A wonderful place for a holiday, where nothing bad can happen, until it does. Fortunately Sir Clinton Driffield is also an accomplished golfer, and is visiting Lynden Sands when all this starts!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #73126]
The Case with Nine Conclusions (1928) [Here at PGC we had been looking forward to 2027, when Agatha Christie's works were slated to enter Canada's public domain. But Justin Trudeau followed orders from D*nald Tr*mp, and against the will of Canadians added twenty years to Canada's copyright terms: unacceptable coercion by a foreign despot, unacceptable weakness in a Canadian prime minister, and a complete failure to defend the citizens of Canada against foreign threats. Remember this in next year's election! However, Dame Agatha was but one of many fine writers of her period, and we are delighted to present this fine mystery novel by J. J. Connington, featuring Chief Constable Sir Clinton Driffield. The best summary of its opening is from the mouth of Dr Ringwood, who has been substituting for a colleague who is unwell. "I'm Dr. Carew's locum and a stranger in Westerhaven; and in this fog I went to the wrong house--the one next door to here: Ivy Lodge, 28 Lauderdale Avenue. Mr. Hassendean's house. The place was lit up and a car was at the door; but I got no answer when I rang the bell. Something roused my suspicions and I went inside. The house was empty: no maids or anyone on the premises. In a smoke-room on the ground floor I found a youngster of about twenty-two or so, dying. He'd been shot twice in the lung and he died on my hands almost as I went in." What a situation! Fortunately Dr Ringwood is talking to no ordinary policeman, but Sir Clinton Driffield, whose butler has been under his medical care. And Sir Clinton takes on the case!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #72816]


Connor, Ralph [pen name of Rev. Charles William Gordon] (1860-1937) [Canadian clergyman and novelist] Wikipedia Canadian Encyclopedia

Black Rock: a Tale of the Selkirks (1898) [Novel] HTML and Text
Gwen's Canyon (1898) ["Gwen was undoubtedly wild and, as the Sky Pilot said, wilful and wicked." This short story describes her transformation.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #625]
The Sky Pilot: a Tale of the Foothills (1899) [Novel] HTML and Text
Michael McGrath, Postmaster (1900) [Novel] HTML and Text
The Prospector (1901) [Novel] Text
The Man from Glengarry: a Tale of the Ottawa (1901) [Novel] HTML and Text
Glengarry School Days: a Story of Early Days in Glengarry (1902) [Novel] HTML and Text
The Doctor: a Tale of the Rockies (1906) [Novel] HTML and Text
The Foreigner: a Tale of Saskatchewan (1909) [Novel] Text
Corporal Cameron of the North West Mounted Police: a Tale of the Macleod Trail (1912) [Novel] HTML and Text
The Patrol of the Sun Dance Trail (1914) [Novel] HTML and Text
The Major (1919) [Novel] HTML and Text
The Sky Pilot in No Man's Land (1919) [Novel] HTML and Text
To Him That Hath: a Novel of the West of Today (1921) [Novel] HTML and Text
The Girl from Glengarry (1933) [Novel] HTML Text Text zipped


Conrad, Joseph [Korzeniowski, Józef Teodor Konrad] (1857-1924) [Polish mariner and novelist / marin et romancier polonais] Wikipedia fr.wikipedia

Almayer's Folly. A Story of an Eastern River. (1895) Wikipedia [Conrad's first novel, in which his peculiar strengths are already evident. He wrote English beautifully, and yet he was not from an English-speaking country, but from Poland, which through almost his entire life was not an independent country, but a region, split between the Russian, German, and Austrian empires: in fact, a colony. This put Conrad in an excellent position to observe and understand the colonial experience. Almayer's Folly demonstrates this nicely. It is the first of Conrad's three Malay novels, set in what is now Indonesia, but at the time was a Dutch colony. Kaspar Almayer is a Dutch trader who lives with his Malayan wife, by whom he has had a daughter, Nina. In anticipation of a British annexation of the area (which never happens), and the resulting increase in business (which also never happens), he puts up a preposterously large half-finished house ("Almayer's Folly") as a venue for his business affairs. But Almayer's delusions are not limited to commerce: his wife is secretly determined that under no circumstances will their daughter Nina marry a European. Nina is, in fact, strictly opposed to the European colonial dream/nightmare, in which Almayer is so deeply invested.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
An Outcast of the Islands (1896) Wikipedia [Conrad's second novel, a sequel to Almayer's Folly. The islands in question are the Malay Archipelago (modern Indonesia), where Almayer's Folly had been set. Like its predecessor, the novel's focus is on a European, in this case Peter Willems. "The man who suggested Willems to me," wrote Conrad in his 1919 Author's Note, included in our ebook, "was not particularly interesting in himself. My interest was aroused by his dependent position, his strange, dubious status of a mistrusted, disliked, worn-out European living on the reluctant toleration of that Settlement hidden in the heart of the forest-land, up that sombre stream which our ship was the only white men's ship to visit." And, really, there you have the novel. Like its predecessor, it is a careful examination of what men will do when tempted or pressured, particularly if the colonial system puts them in a position of privilege.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
The Nigger of the Narcissus. A Tale of the Forecastle. (1897) Wikipedia [Novella. CAUTION: Certain elements of plot and language may seem racist by the standards of today. It is truly unfortunate that the title includes an example of such language, but the policy at Project Gutenberg Canada is that under no circumstances do we censor what we publish. As it happens, the novel, if anything, is an attack on the racist attitudes of Conrad's time: it is the story of James Wait, born in the West Indies, who is on his way from Bombay to London, gravely ill with tuberculosis, and of what happens on this voyage. Connoisseurs of Conrad consider it one of his finest works.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
Heart of Darkness (1899) Wikipedia [Rarely have an author's personal experiences been so powerfully transformed into literature: Conrad himself had captained a boat on the Congo River, and eight years later he gave the world this classic novella. In essence, it is an attack on the catastophes that European colonialism brought to Africa, and centres on the life and death of Mr. Kurtz, who runs a trading post in a very remote area upriver in central Africa, and is both feared and worshipped by the people in his trading area. Not all of the story takes place in Africa. At the beginning of the story, the narrator, an English seaman named Charles Marlow, describes how he crosses the Channel to sign his contract, and duly arrives "in a city that always makes me think of a whited sepulchre... I had no difficulty in finding the Company's offices. It was the biggest thing in the town, and everybody I met was full of it. They were going to run an over-sea empire, and make no end of coin by trade." At the end of the novel Marlow finds himself back in Europe, and his outlook has been permanently changed by the appalling things he has seen. If this happens to remind you of Francis Ford Coppola's film Apocalypse Now Wikipedia, that is no coincidence, for this famous novella inspired that famous film!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #219] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

Traduction française par André Ruyters (1876-1952) fr.wikipedia
Coeur des ténèbres (1925) fr.wikipedia [Le célèbre roman dont le cinéaste Francis Ford Coppola s'est servi pour créer son chef d'oeuvre Apocalypse Now. Avec une note bibliographique par G. Jean-Aubry (1882-1950) fr.wikipedia, qui a également contribué sa traduction de Youth (Jeunesse).] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 72252]

Lord Jim (1900) Wikipedia [Novel, set largely amidst the islands of the Malay Archipelago. It can be read as a cautionary tale, showing how important it can be to resist peer pressure. Very early on in his seafaring career the title character makes the disastrous error of following the rest of his crew in abandoning his ship during a storm. Not just the ship, but its passengers! In a 1917 Author's Note included in this Adelaide digital edition, Conrad wrote, "As a matter of principle I will have no favourites; but I don't go so far as to feel grieved and annoyed by the preference some people give to my Lord Jim." Conrad thereby has let the cat out of the bag -- it seems that he in fact had a favourite novel, and that novel is called Lord Jim!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
Typhoon (1902, with a preface from 1920) Wikipedia [Novella involving, not surprisingly, a major storm in the Pacific Ocean. It was based, Conrad tells us, on a genuine incident involving a steamship carrying a large number of passengers from Singapore to northern China. "I never met anybody personally concerned in this affair, the interest of which for us was, of course, not the bad weather but the extraordinary complication brought into the ship's life at a moment of exceptional stress by the human element below her deck." And that nicely describes the events of the book, and what faces its central character, the unforgettable Captain MacWhirr. "MacWhirr is not an acquaintance of a few hours, or a few weeks, or a few months. He is the product of twenty years of life. My own life. Conscious invention had little to do with him."] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #1142] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

Traduction française par André Gide (1869-1951) fr.wikipedia
Typhon (édition de 1923) fr.wikipedia [Nouvelle. L'histoire du capitaine MacWhirr, de sa navire, et d'une tempête. Un jour "MacWhirr considérait la baisse d'un baromètre dont il n'avait aucune raison de se défier. La baisse -- étant donné l'excellence de l'instrument, le moment de l'année et la position du navire sur l'écorce terrestre -- était certes de mauvais augure; mais la face rouge de l'homme ne trahissait aucun trouble intérieur. Les présages n'existaient point pour lui, et la signification d'une prophétie ne savait lui apparaître qu'après que l'événement l'avait surpris. «Pas d'erreur: c'est une baisse», pensait-il. «Il doit faire là-bas un sale temps peu ordinaire.»" Faut-il dire qu'il ne se trompait pas?] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 73022]

Nostromo. A Tale of the Seaboard. (1904) Wikipedia [Novel, with an Author's Note added by Conrad in 1917. It marks a transition point in his extraordinary writing career, being preceded by various sea novels and stories (Lord Jim, Youth, Typhoon), and followed by the political novels (The Secret Agent, Under Western Eyes). Nostromo is an adventure novel, set in a South American country named Costaguana, which is fictional, but bears an obvious resemblance to Colombia. There are many shenanigans, both political and financial, as was the case with Colombia during the exciting period of the US annexation of the Panama Canal Zone. The central character, Nostromo, originally from Italy, is at the same time an important figure in Costaguana, and yet somewhat apart from its people. "Perhaps the nearest approach to a brief analysis of the complex web of this book is to say that it tells how this Nostromo, whose pride and joy, whose whole stock-in-trade in life, is his integrity, his unblemished reputation, becomes a thief..." (Frederic Taber Cooper, The Bookman [US], November 1904)] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
The Secret Agent (1907) Wikipedia [One of Conrad's most famous novels, but its fame was late in coming: when published in 1907 it did not sell extremely well, and reviews were mixed. How things have changed! Now it is one of Conrad's most famous novels, and it is easy to see why. It is quite different from Conrad's earlier novels of seafaring, and instead deals with the very modern world of espionage, conspiracy, and police surveillance -- with a good dose of incompetence mixed in. Need more be said?] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
Under Western Eyes (1911) Wikipedia [This is a novel of politics, intrigue, and assassination, taking place in Geneva and St Petersburg, and centred on Kirylo Sidorovitch Razumov, a Russian university student with a mysterious background. The "Western Eyes" of the title belong to the novel's narrator, an elderly teacher of languages who is a longtime resident of Geneva. "A whole quarter of that town, on account of many Russians residing there, is called La Petite Russie -- Little Russia. I had a rather extensive connexion in Little Russia at that time. Yet I confess that I have no comprehension of the Russian character." Conrad's father and grandfather had been politically active, which no doubt explains why in his 1921 Author's Note he said that "My greatest anxiety was in being able to strike and sustain the note of scrupulous impartiality... 'Under Western Eyes' on its first appearance in England was a failure with the public, perhaps because of that very detachment." But the book ended up a success for Conrad: in particular it went through many editions in Russia, and has become an enduring classic. Conrad drily noted in 1921 that "by the mere force of circumstances 'Under Western Eyes' has become already a sort of historical novel dealing with the past"; that is, the First World War and the Russian Revolution had changed everything. But this simply demonstrates how clear Conrad's vision was of where society was headed. For us today it has special relevance, given the shadowy world that has unexpectedly emerged around us: autocracies and oligarchies worldwide, massive state surveillance even in what are claimed to be liberal democracies, "black ops" and secret prisons, and the rest of it.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
Victory. An Island Tale. (1915 [novel]; 1920 [Author's Note]) Wikipedia [Surely a novel called "Victory", published in 1915, must be concerned with the First World War. Well, no, it isn't! Conrad finished the novel on 19 May 1914, and "Victory" was the title he had already chosen, which he could not bring himself to change once the war had begun. And who can blame him? The main character is Axel Heyst, born in London, but "directly his father died he lit out into the wide world on his own", and eventually found himself in the Malay Archipelago: "Everyone in that part of the world knew of him, dwelling on his little island." This is the story of what happened to Heyst and to those he met, in particular the travelling "orchestra girl" Lena, who changed his life forever. The ebook we offer you includes not only Conrad's original Note to the First Edition, but also an extended Author's Note which he wrote for the 1920 limited edition of his collected works.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
The Arrow of Gold. A Story Between Two Notes. (1919) Wikipedia [Historical novel, set in Marseilles, but principally concerned with Spain, in particular the Third Carlist War Wikipedia. There is a direct line from the Carlist Wars to the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39 and indeed to the question of Catalan independence which continues to roil Spanish politics today, and there is a direct line back to the Middle Ages, when Spain was far from being a unitary state, but was a group of independent kingdoms with very distinct religions, languages, and nationalities. So the Third Carlist War (1872-76) settled nothing, but was a dispute between two claimants to the Spanish throne, the not particularly popular Amadeo I, from Italy, and Carlos VII, who was opposed to liberalism, but in favour of the traditional autonomy of Catalonia, Aragon, and Valencia: this autonomy had been suppressed many years before by Philip V at the end of the War of the Spanish Succession. But Conrad's novel is not about the great themes of Spanish history, but about individuals, mostly in Marseilles, who are involved in various ways with smuggling weapons to the Carlist forces in Spain. The chief of these characters is Doña Rita, born in Spain, but resident for many years in France, where she takes a chief role in the smuggling. "The murky intrigues of a royalist uprising form only the background for a tale of love triumphant, brooded over by the magic and mystery of the sea. There is something direct and elemental in the artless infatuation of the young sailor, known only as Monsieur George, palpitating on the threshold of his first love, and the experienced Doña Rita... whose youth and innocence still make answer to the youth and innocence of her lover." (Literary Digest, 11 October 1919)] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
Suspense (1925) [Novel, left incomplete by Conrad, who gave instructions that no one was to complete it; but what he left was in itself a sizeable piece of work. The story is set in Italy at the very end of the Napoleonic wars, and features the young Englishman Cosmo Latham, who at the novel's opening is just arriving in Genoa, not so very far from the former emperor's place of exile, Elba. Our ebook includes a frontispiece by the Scottish artist Muirhead Bone (1876-1953) Wikipedia.]
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Selected and with an introduction by Conrad's friend R. B. Cunninghame Graham (1852-1936) [Scottish politician and author] Wikipedia:
Tales of Hearsay (1925) [Four stories written at various points during Conrad's life, dealing with the sea, Polish history, and much else.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1354]


Cornford, F. M. [Francis Macdonald] (1874-1943) [English classical scholar] Wikipedia

Microcosmographia Academica. Being a Guide for the Young Academic Politician. (1908) Wikipedia [Monograph on political practices within universities, continually famous since its anonymous publication in 1908] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #889]


Costain, Thomas B. [Thomas Bertram] (1885-1965) [Canadian journalist, novelist, and historian] Wikipedia

The Silver Chalice (1952) Wikipedia [Historical novel about the Holy Grail, taking place at various places around the Roman Empire, including the court of the emperor Nero. Written with all the skill, smoothness, and historical knowledge we expect from Costain, it became an instant bestseller.]
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The Darkness and the Dawn (1959) [Large scale historic novel about Attila ("the Hun") Wikipedia, the founder of a large but short lived kingdom on the northern boundaries of the Roman Empire. "I wish to make it clear," says our author, "that in telling the story... I have adhered quite closely to such facts as history supplies of that spectacular conqueror, Attila the Hun."]
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with: Eayrs, Hugh S. [Hugh Sterling] (1894-1940) [Canadian publisher and novelist] McMaster University

The Amateur Diplomat (1917) [Novel about intrigue in the Balkan kingdom of Ironia during the First World War. And it includes a love story. The "amateur diplomat" of the title is Canadian!] HTML, Text, EPUB, and Kindle [Project Gutenberg US #51077]



Courage, James Francis (1903-1963) [New Zealand novelist] Te Ara (Grant Harris) Christchurch City Libraries (Virginia Clegg, Courage's niece)

From a Balcony (1926) [Short story. Major (retd.) Lionel Pratts is living happily in a fashionable area of London, along with his (female) dog Tommy. And he has a friend, Miss Mildred Gannet...] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1186]


Covarrubias, Miguel (1904-1957) [Mexican cartoonist and painter] Wikipedia

The Prince of Wales and Other Famous Americans (1925) Wikipedia [In his preface, the famous American photographer Carl Van Vechten (1880-1964) describes how eighteen months earlier he had first met Miguel Covarrubias, newly arrived in New York from Mexico City, looked at the drawings Covarrubias had with him, and "was immediately convinced that I stood in the presence of an amazing talent, if not, indeed, genius. That afternoon he made the sketches for his caricature of me, delivered two days later, the first, I think, of this New York series." And what a series it is! The Prince of Wales was not American of course, but was visiting New York. And a famous Canadian was among Covarrubias' subjects: the film actress Mary Pickford, born in Toronto!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #70493]


Cox, Anthony Berkeley (1893-1971) [English journalist and writer of mysteries] Wikipedia

The Layton Court Mystery (1925) [Here at PGC we had been looking forward to 2027, when Agatha Christie's works were slated to enter Canada's public domain. But Justin Trudeau followed orders from D*nald Tr*mp, and against the will of Canadians added twenty years to Canada's copyright terms: unacceptable coercion by a foreign despot, unacceptable weakness in a Canadian prime minister, and a complete failure to defend the citizens of Canada against foreign threats. Remember this in next year's election!

However, Dame Agatha was but one of many fine writers of her period, and we are delighted to present the first mystery novel by her friend Anthony Berkeley Cox, published anonymously in 1925. It was a success, needless to say, and featured Roger Sheringham, who was to be the detective in many of Cox's subsequent mysteries. As the novel opens, Sheringham is talking with William, the gardener at Layton Court, about greenfly, a type of aphid. Then as now, aphids are hard to control, and William is concerned about his roses. Moving on, the body is found of the decidedly wealthy Victor Stanworth, and with that body a suicide note. Is that the end of the case? Certainly not!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #72883]
Mr Priestley's Problem [U.S. title: The Amateur Crime] (1927) [There is a wonderful lightness of touch in the mysteries of A. B. Cox, reminiscent of P. G. Wodehouse, who was his contemporary, and with whom he shared a publisher, Herbert Jenkins -- who is, by the way, a PGC author! At the start of the novel, we are introduced to Matthew Priestley, who is thirty-six years of age, independently wealthy, and, as he thinks, remarkably happy. A friend insists that he cannot possibly be happy, since he is in a rut. "Mr. Priestley looked round the cosy bachelor room in the cosy bachelor flat; if it was a rut, it was a remarkably pleasant one." Pleasant or not, he is shaken out of this rut: murder will do that!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 72675]

Novel published under the name of Anthony Berkeley :
 
Roger Sheringham and the Vane Mystery [U.S. title: The Mystery at Lover's Cave] (1927) [Mystery, skilfully written in a light and entertaining style. As the novel opens, the sparkling and witty Roger Sheringham has been asked by the Daily Courier to visit Hampshire to report on an apparent murder in the small seaside town of Ludmouth Bay. With him he takes his cousin Anthony Walton. "Although there were more than ten years between the cousins (Roger was now thirty-six, Anthony a bare twenty-five), they had always been good friends, and that also in spite of the fact that they had scarcely a taste or a feeling in common." The two of them prove an effective and entertaining pair of investigators.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS no 70877]


Craik, Dinah Maria Mulock (1826-1887) [English author] Wikipedia "Dinah Mulock Craik" [1983 book by Sally Mitchell]

The Fairy Book. The Best Popular Fairy Stories Selected and Rendered Anew. (1863 [text], 1913 [illustrations]) Illustrated in colour by Warwick Goble (1862-1943) [English artist] Wikipedia
[Fairy tales, some very familiar, others somewhat out of the ordinary] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #763]


Crane, Walter (1845-1915) [English artist and illustrator] Wikipedia

The Absurd ABC (1874) [Picture book] HTML and Text
An Alphabet of Old Friends (1874) [Picture book] HTML and Text
The Frog Prince and Other Stories (1874) [Picture book] HTML and Text
Legends for Lionel in Pen & Pencil (1887) [The "legends", as you might guess, are drawings, accompanied by short texts in the spirit of nursery rhymes. The drawings are gorgeous, as you would expect from Walter Crane, and were originally created for his son Lionel. "This book of sketches," wrote Crane. "the offspring of the odd half hours of winter evenings, was originally intended strictly for home consumption. One thing, however, leads to another, just as the sketches did, following one by one as fancy led, till they filled the book." A friend admired the book and passed it to the publisher Cassell, who duly published it, thus enabling us to enjoy the pictures today!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #66966]
The Song Of Sixpence Picture Book containing Sing a Song of Sixpence; Princess Belle etoile; An Alphabet of Old Friends: with the original Coloured Designs By Walter Crane including a preface and other embellishments (1909) [Picture book] HTML and Text

with Molesworth, Mary Louisa (1839-1921) [Scottish children's writer] Wikipedia


A Christmas Child. A Sketch of a Boy-Life. (1880) [Children's novel by Mrs. Molesworth, with illustrations by English artist and illustrator Walter Crane , engraved by Joseph Swain (1820-1909) The website of Bob Speel British Museum, or an unnamed assistant] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #630]
The Adventures of Herr Baby (1881) [Children's novel by Mrs. Molesworth, with illustrations by Crane] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped


Crofts, Freeman Wills (1879-1957) [Irish engineer and mystery novelist] Wikipedia

The Cask (1920) Wikipedia [Crofts had been a railroad engineer for more than twenty years when he had a major illness, and wrote this mystery novel, his first, while recovering. It remains famous to this day. As you might expect, the plot does indeed involve a cask, a wine cask, but one with some interesting contents! Railways are often mentioned, as is appropriate given Crofts' profession -- including the railways of France!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #59854]
The Ponson Case (1921) [Crofts' second mystery novel. As it opens, we are introduced to Sir William Ponson, who "had retired from business some ten years before our story opens and, selling his interest in the large ironworks of which he was head, had bought Luce Manor and settled down to end his days in the rôle of a country squire." Very much "a self-made man", in Crofts' words, and one presumably accustomed to living life on his own terms. And yet in spite of his wealth, "he remained a simple, honourable, kindly old man, a little headstrong and short tempered perhaps, but anxious to be just, and quick to apologise if he found himself in the wrong." Could such a man have mortal enemies? Since he's the main character of a mystery novel named after him, the answer could well be yes!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #72235]
The Pit-Prop Syndicate (1922) Wikipedia [Coal mining has now disappeared from England, but it was still of central importance when Crofts published this novel, his fifth. Coal mine tunnels require pit props: reinforcements, usually of wood, to ensure their stability. Murder does occur in the course of events, but the novel's central mystery is why pit-props are being brought to England from Bordeaux, when Norway would be a better choice. Is there some kind of financial crime lurking in the background?] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #2013]
Inspector French's Greatest Case (1924) [Mystery novel, Crofts' fifth, which introduced Inspector Joseph French Wikipedia who plays a central role in most of the many mystery novels which Crofts was subsequently to write. French works out of Scotland Yard, naturally, and in this initial case has to solve a murder in Hatton Garden Wikipedia , then as now the centre of London's jewellery trade.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #65553]
Inspector French and the Cheyne Mystery [U.S. title: The Cheyne Mystery] (1926) Wikipedia [Here at PGC we had been looking forward to 2027, when Agatha Christie's works were slated to enter Canada's public domain. But Justin Trudeau followed orders from a foreign autocrat named D*nald Tr*mp, and against the will of Canadians added twenty years to Canada's copyright terms: unacceptable coercion by a foreign despot, unacceptable weakness in a Canadian prime minister, and a complete failure to defend the citizens of Canada against foreign threats. Remember this in the next election!

However, Dame Agatha was but one of many fine writers of her period, and we are delighted to present this mystery novel by Freeman Wills Crofts, the second of many to feature Inspector Joseph French. The novel starts in Plymouth, a city familiar to Maxwell Cheyne, since during the First World War he had served in the Royal Navy, like his father before him. There is much intrigue, the action moves to the new London suburb of Wembley, and then to Belgium. As for the outcome, can it be in doubt after Inspector French intervenes? We include the cover illustration from the first edition: it is by "C. Morse", that is, the famous and prolific Dutch-born illustrator Salomon van Abbé (1883-1955) Wikipedia] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #72986]
Inspector French and the Starvel Tragedy [U.S. title: The Starvel Hollow Mystery] (1927) Wikipedia [Mysterious deaths on the moors of western Yorkshire. Inspector French to the rescue!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #59854]
The Sea Mystery (1928) Wikipedia [This mystery novel, the fourth to feature Inspector Joseph French, takes place on the south coast of Wales. Mr Morgan and his fourteen year old son Evan have been out fishing, and on their way back retrieve a large sunken crate. What was in this crate? Here at PGC we try to avoid spoilers, but we can reveal that the crate's contents are enough to have Inspector Joseph French take the next day's 1.55 P.M. luncheon car express from Paddington to Wales. And this, of course, is only the beginning of the adventure!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #72771]


Crompton, Richmal [Lamburn, Richmal Crompton] (1890-1969) [English novelist] Wikipedia

The Just William books, illustrated by Thomas Henry (1879-1962) Wikipedia

Just William (1922) [Crompton's first book about William Brown and his friends ("the Outlaws"); many were to follow. William is eleven years of age, and within the Outlaws has considerable moral authority, but is not really in charge of them. He has quick wits and, like many children, a sound understanding of how adult society really works -- not quite the way parents and teachers advertise! Popular with children for obvious reasons, the book, like Kim and many other "children's books", is in fact written at an adult level. And it comes with a fine set of illustrations by Thomas Henry (1879-1962) Wikipedia] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #34414]
More William (1922) Wikipedia [Published with little delay in the same year as Just William, it is along the same lines as the earlier book -- why break something that most definitely isn't broken? So no reboot for William, now or ever. In fact, he remains the same age (eleven) through all the books, a span of nearly fifty years, though no one in the books ever seems to notice this.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #17125]
William Again (1923) [The third book of stories (fourteen of them!) about William Brown and his friends. In the first story, William decides to write (and put on stage!) a new play. Many other adventures follow.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #65590]
William--The Fourth (1924) [The fourth book of stories about William Brown and his friends. Rather than try to summarize all fourteen of them, we'll just give three of the titles: William and Photography, William the Showman, and William Enters Politics. Perhaps William would prove more adept than some of our modern English politicians -- look out, Boris!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #66971]
Still--William (1925) Wikipedia [The fifth book of stories (fourteen of them!) about William Brown and his friends. As the title suggests, William's character has not changed, nor would we want it to. And in fact his character (and age) would remain the same in every single one of the books, which appeared over a span of nearly half a century! Summarizing all fourteen of the stories is impossible, but fortunately the book's Wikipedia article has done this for us. Still, "Henri Learns the Language" has a special charm for Canadians, since virtually all of us have had to deal with learning a second language, be it English or French. But few language students have Henri's level of gentle determination: "We weel talk an' you weel teach to me ze slang."] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #67238]


Crowe, Catherine Ann (1790-1872) [English novelist and playwright] Wikipedia University of Kent

Ghosts and Family Legends. A Volume for Christmas. (1859) ["It happened," writes Mrs. Crowe, "that I spent the last winter in a large country mansion, in the north of England, where we had a succession of visitors, and all manner of amusements." Among these amusements were ghost stories...] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #938]


Cruikshank, Ernest Alexander (1854-1939) [Canadian historian] Library and Archives Canada

The Administration of Lieut.-Governor Simcoe, Viewed in his Official Correspondence (1891) [Lecture on various interesting details of the early history of Upper Canada (Ontario) which can be found in the official correspondence of John Graves Simcoe Wikipedia] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #445]
The Story of Butler's Rangers and the Settlement of Niagara (1893) [History of the Loyalist regiment Wikipedia founded by John Butler (1728-1796) Dictionary of Canadian Biography Wikipedia and their eventual settlement in and around the future town of Niagara-on-the-Lake Wikipedia] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped
The Life of Sir Henry Morgan. With an account of the English settlement of the island of Jamaica (1655-1688). (1935) [A very interesting biography of the Welsh privateer Wikipedia. The PG Canada catalogue includes The Privateer, a historical novel about Sir Henry, published in 1952 by Josephine Tey using the pen name Gordon Daviot: in her Author's Note, Tey describes Cruikshank's work as the "definitive biography of Henry Morgan...It is dispassionate, exhaustive, and accurate, and will prove an excellent corrective to both fictional biographies and biographical fictions."] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #767]


Cullum, Ridgwell [Burghard, Sidney Groves] (1867-1943) [English novelist] Wikipedia

The Bull Moose (1931) [Adventure novel, set in the Yukon (where Cullum had lived). A mysterious and dangerous man known as the Bull Moose has been robbing gold miners. People are concerned; the police are concerned.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1139]


Cummings, Ray [Raymond King] (1887-1957) [American science fiction author] Wikipedia

The Man Who Mastered Time (1929) [Science fiction novel. Time travel can be helpful if you're on a rescue mission!] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1061]
The Shadow Girl (1962 version) [The 1962 book version of Cummings' famous novel, first published in 1929 in serialized form. A custom-built television set does not bring in any of the usual channels. It does, however, reveal a mysterious girl, and a mysterious tower. What do these visions portend? Time travel, it would seem...] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1060]


Curwood, James Oliver (1878-1927) [American novelist] Wikipedia Shiawassee Regional Chamber of Commerce

The Ancient Highway. A Novel of High Hearts and Open Woods. (1925) [Novel, with four illustrations by Walt Louderback (1887-1941). The novel is set in the years following the First World War, and describes the adventures of Clifton Brant, a young war veteran, in the vast northern forests of Quebec. Curwood's brief preface pays tribute to the memory of his friend Sir William Price (1867-1924) Dictionary of Canadian Biography Centre d'histoire Sir William Price]
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The Black Hunter. A Novel of Old Quebec. (1926) [Novel, illustrated by Arthur Ernst Becher (1877-1960), taking place in 1755, on the eve of the Seven Years' War, and telling the story of Anne St. Denis and David Rock, two young people living in the wilderness of New France. Anne is sent to Quebec City to be introduced into Quebec society; she convinces David to follow her. Intendant Bigot Wikipedia Dictionary of Canadian Biography and his cronies see Anne and decide to plot to have her fall into his clutches and to get rid of David. Matters proceed from there...]
HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #718]
The Plains of Abraham (1928) [Historical novel, set around 1750. A young boy's parents are killed in a Mohawk raid. He and a girl in a similar plight are adopted by the Senecas. They have many adventures, and he ends up as a participant in the famous battle. This ebook includes the endpapers, illustrated by an anonymous artist.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped Wikipedia


D



D'Annunzio, Gabriele (1863-1938) [Italian playwright and novelist/ Dramaturge et romancier italien] en.wikipediafr.wikipediait.wikipedia
La città morta. Tragedia. (1898) [Play in Italian / Pièce de théâtre en italien] HTML HTML zip Text / Texte Text / Texte zip Text / Texte UTF-8 Text / Texte UTF-8 zip [PG Canada #432/no 432]
Learn Italian! / Apprenez l'italien!


Dafoe, John Wesley (1866-1944) [Canadian journalist] Wikipedia

Laurier: A Study in Canadian Politics (1922) [History and political analysis] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped
Canada, an American Nation (1935) ["American" as in "North American" — three lectures delivered by Dafoe in 1934 at Columbia University and published in the following year with some additional material. Dafoe "thought the time and occasion opportune to discuss... the common foundation of early North American feeling and belief upon which the structures of government in both countries rest." As these lectures show, Dafoe combined the writing and speaking skills of a fine professional journalist with a deep knowledge of history and politics: hence, no doubt, the honour of the invitation from Columbia to deliver these lectures.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1219]


Dantzig, Tobias (1884-1956) [American mathematician] Wikipedia

Henri Poincaré, Critic of Crisis. Reflections on his universe of discourse. (1954) [Essays on the philosophy of the French mathematician and physicist Henri Poincaré (1854-1912) Wikipedia, intended for the general reader]
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Davis, William Stearns (1877-1930) [American historian and novelist] Wikipedia

The Beauty of the Purple. A Romance of Imperial Constantinople Twelve Centuries Ago. (1924) [Historical novel about the astounding career of the eighth-century Byzantine emperor Leo the Isaurian Wikipedia. "This romance attempts to show forth," our novelist remarks, "something of the brilliancy, magnificence and teeming life of Christian Constantinople in an age when London and Paris were little better than squalid villages."] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1144]


de la Mare, Walter (1873-1956) [English poet, novelist, and writer of stories] Wikipedia

Stories from the Bible (1929) [Stories from the Old Testament, retold in modern English] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #441]
Best Stories of Walter de la Mare (1942) [The author's own favourites among his stories for adults. Elsewhere in this catalogue you will find many of his children's stories.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #992]
Mr. Bumps and his Monkey (1942) [Novella for children] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped

Collected Stories for Children (1947) Inward Companion (1950) [Lyric poems] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #908]


de la Roche, Mazo (1879-1961) [Canadian novelist and playwright] Wikipedia

The Jalna novels, in the order of the events they describe. We offer the following titles from the sixteen novels in the series:
The Building of Jalna (1944) [Novel, telling of the arrival of the Whiteoaks in Canada, and the founding of Jalna, their family home: the first of the Jalna saga's sixteen novels. The sixteen novels in the series were not published in chronological order: this was the ninth novel, and by the time it appeared the Jalna series was already famous around the world!] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1361]
Mary Wakefield (1949) [The third Jalna novel, taking place in the 1890s, years before the events described in Jalna and Whiteoaks. The recently widowed Philip Whiteoak has two young children, and needs a governess: the young and beautiful Mary Wakefield, freshly arrived from England. Her arrival naturally causes great commotion at Jalna. "Sometimes we have thought we had been given a little too much of Jalna... this volume convinces us that we really needed more of the chronicle. Taken as a whole, the work begins to stand up as one of the best achievements of Canadian literature". (Allan Nevins, Saturday Review, 29 January 1949). The novel is dedicated to the celebrated Canadian sculptor Walter Allward (1876-1955) Wikipedia, creator of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1231]
Young Renny (1935) [The fourth Jalna novel. Renny and Meg Whiteoak are now in their twenties, a complicated time of life for anyone, but particularly for Whiteoaks. Family members of various ages, from the formidable Adeline down, participate fully in the turbulent but generally happy life of Jalna.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1238]
Whiteoak Harvest (1936) [The fifth Jalna novel, taking place during the Great Depression, the effects of which are being felt even at Jalna. It's a bad time to be in debt, but Renny has a mortgage to deal with -- a mortgage on Jalna itself! Nicholas and Ernest return to Jalna; perhaps their presence will bring some calm to the friendly turmoil which, as usual, is engulfing Jalna. And Finch returns as well. As with all of the Jalna novels, our author skilfully ensures that to enjoy the novel you need have no prior knowledge of Jalna and the Whiteoak family.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1506]
The Whiteoak Brothers (1953) [The sixth Jalna novel, principally about the Whiteoak brothers; but their grandmother Adeline, now nearing 100, plays a memorable role. The plot involves a mysterious visitor from England, a gold mine, and many other things. If you liked the TV series Dallas, the Jalna saga may be exactly your literary cup of tea! The writing could hardly be better, and the novel does not require any previous knowledge of Jalna and the Whiteoaks.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1397]
Jalna (1927) Wikipedia [The novel which launched the Jalna series. We are introduced to the Whiteoak family, and their estate, Jalna, located on the shore of Lake Ontario.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1028]
Whiteoaks (1929) [Novel: the sequel to Jalna, and featuring the same brilliant set of characters. "The chapters which describe the last days of old Gran, and which hold us in suspense to learn upon which member of the great Jalna clan she has bestowed her hoarded fortune, would alone make the book a welcome acquisition." (Allan Nevins, Saturday Review, 21 September 1929)] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1134]
Finch's Fortune (1931) [Novel. Finch Whiteoak, grandson of Adeline Whiteoak, turns twenty-one, and receives an enormous legacy under the terms of his grandmother's will. Naturally this changes his life, and also the life of those around him. "From the first page to the last, Finch's Fortune holds the reader enthralled." (Myra M. Waterman, The Bookman, November 1931)] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1102]
The Master of Jalna (1933) [Novel. Finch has returned from England and rejoined the rest of the Whiteoak family at Jalna. Of course, this doesn't mean that things are quiet and settled — after all, we're talking about the Whiteoaks! "In this latest instalment, the family vicissitudes are dominated by red-haired Rennie — the strongest-willed of all since the passing of old Gran... he presides at the mansion, raises horses, decides vital family issues, and keeps the clan together." (Allan Nevins, Saturday Review, 16 September 1933)] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1213]
Renny's Daughter (1951) [Novel, the fourteenth in the Jalna narrative. Nicholas and Ernest Whiteoak, born in 1852 and 1854 respectively, are now very old men: the novel largely concerns Adeline Whiteoak, "Renny's daughter", born in 1930, named after her formidable great-grandmother, and now fully participating in the never-ending drama of the Whiteoak family and their life at Jalna.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1449]
Other works by Mazo de la Roche:
Delight (1926) [Novel. Delight is not an emotion, but a person: Delight Mainprize, originally from England, but now a waitress in Brancepeth, Ontario, where she finds many admirers. Competition ensues among the men of Brancepeth: who will win her hand?] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1508]
Whiteoaks. A Play. (1936) [Play adapted by de la Roche from her 1929 novel of the same name in the Jalna series. An enormous hit in London's West End, it was subsequently produced on Broadway.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1115]
Growth of a Man (1938) [Novel, which follows Shaw Manifold from his boyhood in Southern Ontario to his adulthood as a forester in British Columbia. H. R. Macmillan Wikipedia, de la Roche's cousin, and a central figure in the history of British Columbia's forest industry, appears to have inspired the novel!] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1187]


De Mille, James (1833-1880) [Canadian classical scholar and novelist] Wikipedia Dictionary of Canadian Biography jrank.org

The "B. O. W. C." A book for boys. (1869) [Novel for teenagers] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped
Lost in the Fog (1871) [Novel] Text
Cord and Creese (1871) [Novel] Text
The American Baron (1872) [Novel] Text
The Treasure of the Seas (1872) [Novel for teenagers] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped
   Oak Island, Nova Scotia: Wikipedia Oak Island Treasure activemind.com
The Living Link (1874) [Novel] Text
A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder (1888) [Novel] HTML and Text
Behind the Veil. A Poem. (1893) [Transcendental poem, influenced by the ideas of the Greek philosopher Plato Wikipedia. Discovered among De Mille's papers after his death, and published by Archibald McKellar MacMechan (1862-1933) Wikipedia, his friend and colleague at Dalhousie University Wikipedia.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped UTF-8 text UTF-8 text zipped [PGC #646]

Contributor:
Humour of the North (1912) [Anthology] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped


Decorde, Jean-Eugène (1811-1881) [Curé, historien et lexicographe français]

Dictionnaire du patois du pays de Bray (1852) [Dictionnaire: Decorde était curé de Bures fr.wikipedia, pays de Bray fr.wikipedia, Normandie fr.wikipedia entre 1836 et 1870. Le français que nous parlons aujourd'hui au Canada trouve ses origines en Normandie.] HTML HTML zip Texte Texte zip
Histoire de Bures-en-Bray (1872) [Histoire: Decorde était curé de Bures fr.wikipedia, pays de Bray fr.wikipedia, Normandie fr.wikipedia entre 1836 et 1870] HTML HTML zip Texte Texte zip


Deeping, Warwick [George Warwick] (1877-1950) [English physician and novelist] Wikipedia

Countess Glika and Other Stories (1919) [A collection of five short(ish) stories, all in a setting of intrigue, revolution, or war, all ending in romance. For example, the second story (The Red Shirt) is set in the mid-1800's, during the Italian Revolution, when the French were attacking Rome.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1051]


DeGuise, Charles (1827-1884) [Romancier canadien]

Le Cap au Diable, Légende Canadienne (1863) [Conte] Texte
Hélika: Mémoire d'un vieux maître d'école (1872) [Roman] HTML et Texte


Delafield, E. M. [Dashwood, Edmée Elizabeth Monica, née de la Pasture] (1890-1943) [English novelist and essayist] Wikipedia

The War-Workers (1918) [The First World War was an unmitigated disaster that the world inflicted on itself: even the "victors" had in fact lost the war, as became clear afterwards. But it did accelerate some social changes: for example, while the men of England were being sent to the slaughterhouse in France, many of the women took their places in the workforce. Of course, social conflicts could arise, as in the (fictional) Midland Supply Depôt in Questerham. It is run by Miss Vivian, who is well aware of her own importance. Then Grace Jones arrives from Wales: she has "a curious quality of absolute sincerity", which in a deeply politicized work environment can be a dangerous thing. And so the comedy begins!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #37181]
Tension (1920) [Satirical novel. Why did the novelist and publisher think "Tension" was an attractive title? Hard to say, but the novel is low on stress and high on entertainment and social satire, as is usual with this most agreeable of English novelists. The novel starts by introducing us to the rather grand Rossiter family. There is a bombshell announcement: Aunt Iris has written a book which has been accepted for publication: Why, Ben! A Story of the Sexes. A provocative title indeed. And this is just the beginning of the novel! As for the main story, Sir Julian Rossiter is the chairman of the "Commercial and Technical College for the South-West of England", and Lady Rossiter does not hesitate to get involved with the college, its people, and its conflicts. Hence arises the Tension of the title.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #74638]
Humbug. A Study in Education. (1921) ["Humbug" is a word less common now than formerly, but it certainly deserves a place in our language. It means nonsense, a special kind of nonsense, produced to deceive people and give them a false impression of the way things work. Parents are often guilty of humbug, and what a joy it is to see children as they grow up become aware of parental indoctrination and start to think for themselves. But the process of healing and growth does not always happen. This is the story of Lily and Yvonne Stellenthorpe, and the influence their mother tries to wield over them: she "had all a good woman's capacity for the falsification of moral values." This is a satirical novel, and a pleasure to read: why should a light novel not deal with deep topics? Particularly if it comes from E. M. Delafield!] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #74452]
The Optimist (1922) [The world is full of people who seem to be happy, and in fact largely are, but who in fact have transferred their stresses to those around them. This gently satirical and beautifully written novel is about one such person, Canon Morchard, and his family.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #68524]
To See Ourselves. A Domestic Comedy in Three Acts. (1930 [first performance]; 1931 [first publication]) [Comedy. Freddie and Catherine Allerton live in what might appear to be perfect happiness in their country house in South Devon. But their reality is a little more nuanced than at first appears!] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #884]
Gay Life (1933) [Novel. Hilary and Angie Moon, now married for two years and somewhat bored, arrive penniless on the Côte d'Azur Wikipedia. Then things start happening...] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #815]
General Impressions (1933) [Light-hearted anecdotes drawn from our author's daily life, with dialogue] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #852]
Late and Soon (1943) [Delafield's final novel. Valentine Arbell, widowed for twelve years, is the mistress of a gigantic, dilapidated, and mostly empty English country house. But her life is not as fully settled as she might think...] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1020]


Dent, John Charles (1841-1888) [Canadian biographer, historian, and short story writer] Wikipedia Dictionary of Canadian Biography Canadian Encyclopedia

Canadian Notabilities, Volume 1 (1880) [Biography] Text
The Canadian Portrait Gallery [A four-volume set of biographies, many of them illustrated using photographs by William Notman (1826-1891) Wikipedia Dictionary of Canadian Biography McCord Museum and W. J. Topley (1845-1930) Dictionary of Canadian Biography Wikipedia]
    Volume I (1880): HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped
    Volume II (1880): HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PG Canada ebook #574]
The Story of the Upper Canadian Rebellion, Volume 1 (1885) [History] HTML and Text
The Story of the Upper Canadian Rebellion, Volume 2 (1885) [History] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped
The Gerrard Street Mystery and Other Weird Tales (1888) [Short stories] Text


Denton, Vernon Llewllyn (1881-1944) [Canadian teacher and historian] University of Victoria The Nova Scotia Eatons

The Far West Coast (1924) [History of the exploration of the coast of British Columbia to the end of the eighteenth century] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped [PGC #431]
Simon Fraser (1928) [An introduction to the life and achievements of the explorer Simon Fraser (1776-1862) Wikipedia Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Includes an illustration by C. W. Jefferys (1869-1951) Wikipedia McMaster University (Eric Weichel) Library and Archives Canada.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #605]


Dickens, Charles [Charles John Huffam] (1812-1870) [English novelist and editor / romancier et éditeur anglais] Wikipedia fr.wikipedia

Oliver Twist; or, the Parish Boy's Progress. (1838) Wikipedia [One of Dickens' earliest novels, and certainly one of the most famous! It is the personal history of Oliver Twist, who is born into poverty and grows up in it, at one point becoming a member of a gang of young pickpockets, who turn out to be a remarkable group of characters. The Wikisource EPUB we offer contains the famous illustrations by Dickens' friend George Cruikshank (1792-1878) Wikipedia. We also offer the handy text-only Adelaide EPUB.] EPUB [Wikisource] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

Traduction française par Alfred Gérardin (1825-1881) sous la direction de Paul Lorain (1799-1861)
Olivier Twist (1893) fr.wikipedia [Ce célèbre roman nous raconte la vie et les aventures d'un orphelin anglais, mais finit par nous donner un portrait sans égal de la vie quotidienne anglaise à l'époque de Dickens!] EPUB [fr.wikisource]

Nicholas Nickleby (1839; with a later Author's Preface) Wikipedia [Novel, Dickens' third, continually famous since its publication, and often adapted to stage and screen. Its full title is The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, Containing a Faithful Account of the Fortunes, Misfortunes, Uprisings, Downfallings, and Complete Career of the Nickleby Family, virtually a summary in itself. But the Wikipedia article includes a fuller description. And there's a lot to summarize: no fewer than sixty-five chapters, describing how our hero lost his father at a young age, and the many events that followed. The Project Gutenberg US ebook includes the many illustrations by Dickens' favourite artist Hablot Knight Browne (1815-1882) ["Phiz"] Wikipedia.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #967] We also offer the handy text-only Adelaide ebook: EPUB [University of Adelaide]

Traduction française par Paul Lorain (1799-1861)
Vie et aventures de Nicolas Nickleby (1885) fr.wikipedia [Le troisième roman de Dickens. Le très jeune Nicholas Nickleby perd son père; sa famille déménage à Londres, où son oncle bien nanti lui offre... plus ou moins rien. Prochaine escale: le Yorkshire!] EPUB [fr.wikisource]

A Christmas Carol (1843) Wikipedia [Or, to give its full title, A Christmas Carol in Prose. Being A Ghost Story of Christmas. This short novel by Dickens is surely the most famous of his works. Is a summary really needed? Perhaps not, but here goes! Ebenezer Scrooge ("scrooge" has long since become a word in the English language) is the surviving partner of the financial firm of Scrooge and Marley. It is Christmas Eve, but Scrooge is not an admirer of that holiday, and tells his nephew, who has different opinions, that "every idiot who goes about with 'Merry Christmas' on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart." But then Scrooge encounters the ghost of his late partner Jacob Marley, who warns him that he must change his ways. Over the next three days he will be visited by three spirits, each with a message for him!
 
It is our pleasure to offer three digital editions, each beautifully illustrated by a famous artist of the time:
From the 1843 first edition, illustrations in colour and in black and white by John Leech (1817-1864) Wikipedia
Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #46]
 
From a 1905 edition, illustrations in colour and in black and white by American artist George Alfred Williams (1875-1932)
Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #19337]
 
From a 1915 edition, illustrations in colour and in black and white by Arthur Rackham (1867-1939) Wikipedia
Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #24022]
Traduction française sous la direction de Paul Lorain (1799-1861) par Mlle de Saint-Romain et André de Goy (*-1864) :
Cantique de Noël [Le Chant de Noël] (1857) fr.wikipedia
Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #16021]
Die treffliche Übersetzung von Julius Seybt (*-1871) de.wikipedia:
Der Weihnachtsabend. Eine Geistergeschichte. (1877) de.wikipedia
HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGUS #22465]

The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit (1844 [novel]; 1868 [postscript]) Wikipedia [The U.S. is now an aggressive colonial empire, and Canada is its colony, after they forced the Canadian government to accept copyright extensions and limits on where we could export, all this to enhance the monopolies held by U.S. companies. Canadians are naturally curious about what happened to the original thirteen colonies on their way to becoming our colonial masters. What more agreeable way of learning something of American history than by reading this fine novel by Charles Dickens? It contains some trenchant comments on the U.S. based on Dickens' own observations during an 1842 visit. It is only fair to say that in 1868 after a later visit Dickens added a postscript commenting on the "gigantic changes in this country" since his earlier visit, and describing how well he had been treated during this second visit. However, he left the novel's original text untouched. As for the novel itself (which takes place mostly in England), it offers some memorable social satire and has an extraordinary cast of characters, as one expects from the ever creative mind of Charles Dickens.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
The Chimes (1844) Wikipedia [Or, to give the novella its full title, "The Chimes: A Goblin Story of Some Bells that Rang an Old Year Out and a New Year In". An impassioned plea for social justice for the poor, with a message that hasn't dated with the years, we can safely say, as we survey the deep social and economic divisions in Canada and elsewhere. The novella was published the year after A Christmas Carol (also available from Project Gutenberg Canada -- in several languages!) to which it certainly bears a family resemblance: there are, for example, ghosts (goblins), each attached to a bell in a local bell tower. Our hero, Toby ("Trotty") Veck sees "in every Bell a bearded figure of the bulk and stature of the Bell". The Goblin of the Great Bell takes Toby through a series of visions of the unfortunate lives of those around him, until he awakes at the arrival of the New Year. Are his visions only dreams, or are they realities, which can yet be changed?] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
David Copperfield (1850 [novel]; 1869 [preface]) Wikipedia [Or, to give its full title "The personal history, adventures, experience & observation of David Copperfield of Blunderstone Rookery. (Which he never meant to be Published on any Account.)" Dickens' eighth novel, probably his most famous one, and certainly its author's personal favourite. A rich panorama of life in the early Victorian era, largely inspired by Dickens' own early life.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
Bleak House (1853) Wikipedia [If you're considering launching a lawsuit, you might want to read Bleak House first! Lawsuits can go on year after year and produce little except huge legal bills, as with Jarndyce and Jarndyce, the legal case at the centre of this novel, which touches the lives of many people. The title may be bleak, but the novel is not, and has remained a favourite with the public (in particular with lawyers) up to the present day.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
A Tale of Two Cities (1859) Wikipedia [Canadians are very much aware of how things can change in a neighbouring country. The US, with whom we had had tranquil relations for two centuries, elected an autocrat as president, and everything changed. The US even seized control of Canada's copyright laws, hardly the behaviour of an ally. So much for government "by the people, for the people"! (Abraham Lincoln) The neighbours of France had a similar shock with the advent of the French Revolution in 1789, when they had thought that "things in general were settled for ever." And this famous novel is about the Revolution and its effects on the citizens of Paris and London, the "two cities" of the title. The principal character is Sydney Carton, the "idlest and most unpromising of men", who becomes a hero by the time the novel ends. The Project Gutenberg US edition we offer you includes the illustrations from the 1859 first edition, by Hablot Knight Browne ["Phiz"] (1815-1882) ] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #98]
Great Expectations (1861) Wikipedia [Really a novel about class and money -- have things really changed in England? Or elsewhere, for that matter. Perhaps this universal theme explains the amazing success of this novel and of the fine movie adaptations it has inspired. In any case, our hero Pip is an orphan, living on the coast of Kent with his older sister and her husband, Joe Gargery, a blacksmith. Pip has no particular career prospects until the wealthy Miss Havisham becomes his patroness, paying for his apprenticeship as a blacksmith. But then he receives a gift from an anonymous benefactor, enough to make him financially independent. But will this enormous gift truly change his life? And if so, will it be for the better?] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

Traduction française par Charles Bernard-Derosne (1825-1904) fr.wikipedia
Les grandes espérances (1863) fr.wikipedia Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #17565]


Dinesen, Isak (1885-1962)
See: Blixen, Karen [Dinesen, Isak] (1885-1962)


Dionne, Narcisse-Eutrope (1848-1917) [Historien, lexicographe et bibliothécaire canadien] fr.wikipedia Dictionnaire biographique du Canada

Historique de l'église Notre-Dame des Victoires, basse-ville de Québec: deuxième centenaire, 1688-1888 (1923) [Monographie sur l'église Notre-Dame-des-Victoires fr.wikipedia Les églises de Québec Université du Québec] HTML HTML zip Texte Texte zip Texte UTF-8 Texte UTF-8 zip


Djurklou, Nils Gabriel, friherre (1829-1904) [Swedish author] sv.wikipedia (in Swedish) runeberg.org (in Swedish)

Fairy Tales from the Swedish of Baron G. Djurklou (1901) [Fairy tales: translated by Hans Lien Brækstad (1845-1915); illustrated by Theodor Severin Kittelsen, (1857-1914) Wikipedia Lauvlia (Kittelsen's home), Erik Werenskiold (1855-1938) Wikipedia, and Carl Larsson (1853-1919) Wikipedia Carl and Karin Larsson Family Association]
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Doin, Ernest (1809-1891) [Dramaturge canadien]

Le divorce du tailleur. Pièce archi-comique en un acte (1873) [Comédie] HTML et Texte
Le dîner interrompu ou Nouvelle farce de Jocrisse. Farce comique en un acte (1873) [Comédie] HTML et Texte
Le pacha trompé ou Les deux ours. Pièce comique en un acte (1878) [Comédie] HTML et Texte
Le Conscrit ou Le Retour de Crimée. Drame comique en deux actes (1878) [Comédie] HTML et Texte


Dos Passos, John [American novelist and poet] (1896-1970) Wikipedia

Three Soldiers (1921) Wikipedia [War novel, which Dos Passos was certainly in a position to write, having seen the First World War close up, as a volunteer ambulance driver in France and Italy. The three soldiers in question are the narrator, the sensitive and highly educated John Andrews from New York, who is by no means enthusiastic about the war, and two of his close companions. The war turns out badly for Andrews. "There are those who think that John Dos Passos ought to be sent to jail and others who hail him as the first of native authors to tell the truth about the war." (Heywood Broun, The Bookman [US], 5 October 1921)] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #6362]
Manhattan Transfer (1925) Wikipedia [Novel, in three sections, which describe life in Manhattan across the decades, through the eyes of characters of different ages and social classes. "Just to rub it in, I regard 'Manhattan Transfer' as more important in every way than anything by Gertrude Stein or Marcel Proust or even the great white boar, Mr. Joyce's 'Ulysses.' For Mr. Dos Passos can use, and deftly does use, all their experimental psychology and style, all their revolt against the molds of classic fiction. But the difference! Dos Passos is interesting! Their novels are treatises on harmony, very scholarly, and confoundedly dull; 'Manhattan Transfer' is the moving symphony itself." (Sinclair Lewis, Saturday Review, 5 December 1925)] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #71853]


Dostoevsky, Fyodor / Dostoïevski, Fiodor (1821-1881) (Russian novelist, critic, translator, and journalist / romancier russe) Wikipedia fr.wikipedia

The Gambler (1866 [Russian original] 1915 [this translation]) Wikipedia [translated by Charles James Hogarth (1869-1945) Wikipedia . Dostoevsky was in an excellent position to write this novella, for he was a gambler himself, in fact a problem gambler. This famous novella is about debt, gambling, inheritances (real or imagined) and related topics, a world which would have seemed utterly alien to Canadians not so many years ago, when betting was actually illegal in our country and gambling debts not collectible. But all that has changed thanks to the corporations and their servants, our governments. Sports events on television have become nonstop advertisements for online gambling! So the popularity of gambling has not diminished, but neither has the lasting fame of Dostoevsky's novella, nor its relevance to society.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #2197]


Douglas, Amanda Minnie (1831-1916) [American novelist and poet] New Jersey Historical Society

A Modern Cinderella (1913) [Novel] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped


Douglas, Lloyd C. [Lloyd Cassel] (1877-1951) [American clergyman and novelist] Wikipedia

The Robe (1942) Wikipedia [Historical novel, a massive bestseller written on a grand scale and with much historical information about the Roman Empire. After Jesus's crucifixion, the soldiers used gambling to decide who should get his clothing. This novel tells what subsequently happened to the robe and more particularly its new owner, the tribune Marcellus Gallio, and his slave Demetrius.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1630]


Doyle, Arthur Conan (1859-1930) [Scottish physician and author / médecin et écrivain écossais] Wikipedia fr.wikipedia

Stories and novels featuring Mr. Sherlock Holmes Wikipedia
A Study in Scarlet (1887) Wikipedia [Few literary events of such magnitude have been as quiet as this mystery novel's introduction to the world of Mr. Sherlock Holmes. Arthur Conan Doyle was not yet a professional author, but a physician living in Southsea when he published this novel in the Beeton's Christmas Annual for 1887. It is narrated by John H. Watson, "Late of the Army Medical Department": Watson was indeed a veteran, wounded in Afghanistan -- some things really don't change! Anyway, like many before and after him, he finds London expensive, and is trying "to solve the problem as to whether it is possible to get comfortable rooms at a reasonable price" when he learns that Mr. Sherlock Holmes is trying to solve exactly the same problem. They are introduced, and agree to save money by sharing lodgings. Dr Watson naturally has no idea that his new roommate is a consulting detective ("I suppose I am the only one in the world"): the famous partnership of Holmes and Watson begins!] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
The Sign of the Four (1890) Wikipedia [The second of the four full-length Sherlock Holmes novels. It was first published in Lippincott's Magazine as The Sign of the Four, which seems to be the standard form used these days, but it was first published in book form as The Sign of Four. Be that as it may, the story begins when Miss Mary Morstan visits 221B Baker Street to consult Sherlock Holmes on the mysterious disappearance of her father some years before, and the strange events which followed, which seem to be linked to her father's military service in India. All this, of course, is masterfully resolved by Mr Sherlock Holmes with the able assistance of Dr Watson.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1892) Wikipedia [Twelve short stories, all of them published in The Strand Magazine Wikipedia in 1891 and 1892, and then published as a book, the first Sherlock Holmes collection: an instant and permanent classic. There is probably no such thing as a Sherlock Holmes story that is not well known, but the book does include some especially famous stories: The Adventure of the Speckled Band, for example, Doyle's personal favourite among all the stories he wrote about Sherlock Holmes, and A Scandal in Bohemia. The Project Gutenberg US ebook we use includes the contemporary illustrations by Sidney Paget (1860-1908) Wikipedia] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #48320]
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1893) Wikipedia [Doyle's second collection of Sherlock Holmes stories, twelve in number, all of them, as in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, initially published in The Strand Magazine, and all of them famous to this day: each of them has its own Wikipedia article.) Doyle intended this to be the end of his involvement with Sherlock Holmes, although this turned out not to be the case. But some years were to pass before the appearance of The Hound of the Baskervilles in 1902.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #834] (includes The Adventure of the Cardboard Box Wikipedia, which was part of the first edition, but was omitted from many later editions) EPUB [University of Adelaide] (omits The Adventure of the Cardboard Box)
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902) Wikipedia [Novel, perhaps the most famous adventure of Mr Sherlock Holmes. In the moorlands of Devonshire, a mysterious gigantic hound seems to be active. And Sir Charles Baskerville, who had recently taken up residence in Baskerville Hall, has just died under mysterious circumstances. Could these two facts be connected? Could the hound be none other than the fabled Hound of the Baskervilles, feared for centuries?] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1905) Wikipedia [Doyle had killed Holmes off in "The Final Problem", the story which had concluded the second collection, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. But the fans were not happy with his departure, so Doyle relented, and wrote the stories in this collection, in the first of which, "The Adventure of the Empty House", Holmes reappears in London, to the consternation and delight of Dr Watson. This was among Doyle's favourite Sherlock Holmes stories, as were several other stories in this book: "The Adventure of the Dancing Men", "The Adventure of the Priory School", and "The Adventure of the Second Stain".] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
The Valley of Fear (1915) Wikipedia [The fourth and final Sherlock Holmes mystery novel. Holmes receives what today we would call an encrypted note, but not the cipher (key) needed to read it. Will Holmes be able to decrypt the note? Well, really, what an absurd question to ask! Soon enough, Holmes and Watson arrive at the village of Birlstone, "a small and very ancient cluster of half-timbered cottages on the northern border of the county of Sussex." For at the ancient Manor House a murder has just occurred.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
His Last Bow (1917) Wikipedia ["The friends of Mr. Sherlock Holmes", remarks Dr Watson in his preface to this collection, "will be glad to learn that he is still alive and well, though somewhat crippled by occasional attacks of rheumatism." And indeed we are glad! He is in fact living in Eastbourne, on the Sussex coast, then as now a town attractive to the elderly. Despite its title, this is not the last set of Sherlock Holmes short stories, for ten years later The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes was to appear! Doyle had a remarkable ability to sustain the quality of his Sherlock Holmes stories as the series grew. His personal favourites among the Sherlock Holmes stories included two from this collection: "The Adventure of the Devil's Foot" and "The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans". Note: the University of Adelaide edition includes "The Adventure of the Cardboard Box" in this collection rather than in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, where it had first appeared in 1893.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes (1927) Wikipedia [Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's final collection of stories featuring Sherlock Holmes: published forty years after Holmes' first appearance in print! All twelve of the stories were published in the Strand Magazine between 1921 and 1927. Doyle himself thought that "The Adventure of the Lion's Mane" and "The Adventure of the Illustrious Client", both in this collection, were among the best stories he had ever written about Holmes.] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1274] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

The Professor Challenger Wikipedia novels and stories:
The Lost World (1912) Wikipedia [The first and most famous of the novels featuring Professor Challenger Wikipedia. Edward Malone, a reporter, has a girl friend Gladys, who is somewhat interested in marriage, but "If I marry, I do want to marry a famous man!" Instead of wondering why he is wasting his time on her, he asks his editor for an assignment involving adventure and danger: that will impress her! And so he ends up accompanying Professor George Edward Challenger to a remote corner of South America. It's a shock when they encounter their first pterodactyl Wikipedia -- and we mean a living pterodactyl, not a fossil! Much else follows.] EPUB [Wikisource] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

Traduction française:
Le Monde perdu (1912 [version originale anglaise]; 1913 [cette traduction]) fr.wikipedia [Un classique immortel parmi les romans d'aventures, qui a inspiré plusieurs films et romans. Traduit par Louis Labat (1867-1947) avec des gravures executées par l'illustrateur normand Géo Dupuis (1874-1932) fr.wikipedia. Un jeune journaliste irlandais, Edward Malone, doit accompagner le professeur Georges-Édouard Challenger en Amérique du Sud, où ils font des découvertes tout à fait étonnantes.] EPUB [fr.wikisource]
The Poison Belt (1913) Wikipedia [Doyle's second novel to feature Professor Challenger, narrated as before by reporter Edward Malone: three years after the earlier adventure, it reunites the Professor with his companions from The Lost World. But this time they are headed not for South America, but for Professor Challenger's house in the London suburb of Surrey! Here they will ride out Earth's passing through a belt of deadly poison.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
The Land of Mist (1926) Wikipedia [After the First World War, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who had lost several close male relatives in that war, became interested in Spiritualism Wikipedia; and that interest is reflected in this third and final Professor Challenger novel, which is quite different from its two predecessors. The Professor is indeed back, although no longer quite the ultimate alpha male of former years. This change was induced by the death of his wife in the flu epidemic: "Life had much yet to teach him, but he was a little less intolerant in learning." Similarly, Edward Malone is back, "but life had toned him down also, and made him a more subdued and thoughtful man... his mind was deeper and more active. The boy was dead and the man was born." The two attend a raucous public lecture at a Spiritualist Church off Edgware Road, and they start their investigations into the spiritual world.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
When the World Screamed (1928) Wikipedia [Does our planet, the Earth, have feelings? Professor Challenger investigates, aided as in all his adventures by Edward Malone, and a new character, Mr Peerless Jones, a friend of Malone's who is an expert in Artesian boring, that is, deep drilling, as in drilling wells.] EPUB [University of Adelaide]
The Disintegration Machine (1929) Wikipedia [Science fiction short story. Professor Challenger Wikipedia is introduced to "a Latvian gentleman named Theodore Nemor... who claims to have invented a machine of a most extraordinary character which is capable of disintegrating any object placed within its sphere of influence. Matter dissolves and returns to its molecular or atomic condition. By reversing the process it can be reassembled." What if this claim turns out to be true?] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

The Maracot Deep (1929) Wikipedia [Fantasy novel. Professor Maracot and his companions, who are both learned and intrepid, run into trouble during a deep-sea dive in the Atlantic, and are rescued by strangers who seem to be descendants of an ancient and mysterious race. Can our heroes find out who these strangers really are?] EPUB [University of Adelaide]

Sherlock Holmes en français Wikipedia

Un crime étrange (1887 [version originale anglaise] 1903 [cette traduction] fr.wikipedia [Traduction anonyme du roman policier A Study in Scarlet, où Sherlock Holmes et le docteur James Watson font leurs débuts littéraires. Le docteur Watson se trouve à Londres à la suite de son service militaire en Afghanistan et fait la connaissance de Holmes, qui "parut ravi à l'idée de partager son logement avec moi: «J'ai un appartement en vue, me dit-il, il est situé Baker Street, et nous irait comme un gant...»"] EPUB [fr.wikisource]
La Marque des quatre (1890 [version originale anglaise] 1896 [cette traduction] fr.wikipedia [Traduction de The Sign of the Four (1890) par Jeanne de Polignac (1861-1919). La deuxième aventure de Sherlock Holmes, mais la première traduite en français! Le docteur Watson est préoccupé, voire fâché. Trois fois par jour depuis des mois Sherlock Holmes prend de la morphine ou de la cocaïne. Comment résoudre ce problème? "Fournissez-moi soit des problèmes à résoudre, soit un travail à faire, proposez-moi l'énigme la plus indéchiffrable ou l'analyse la plus subtile, je me sentirai aussitôt dans l'atmosphère qui me convient. C'est alors que les stimulants artificiels me deviennent inutiles." Mais l'ennui de Sherlock Holmes ne va pas durer longtemps. Madame Hudson frappe à leur porte, portant une carte sur un plateau. Miss Mary Marston entre en scène!] EPUB [fr.wikisource]
Le Chien des Baskerville (1902 [version originale anglaise] 1905 [cette traduction]) fr.wikipedia [Traduction de The Hound of the Baskervilles par Adrien de Jassaud (1881-1937). [Sherlock Holmes et le docteur Watson font face à un cas assez perplexe. Un grand chien noir terrifie le voisinage de Baskerville Hall dans le Devonshire: "une horrible bête, noire, de grande taille, ressemblant à un chien, mais à un chien ayant des proportions jusqu'alors inconnues".] EPUB [fr.wikisource]
Nouvelles Aventures de Sherlock Holmes [1905] [Traduction par Jeanne de Polignac (1861-1919) de cinq nouvelles: L'Association des Hommes Roux [La Ligue des rouquins], Un cas d'identité [Une affaire d'identité], Le Mystère de la vallée de Boscombe [Le Mystère du Val Boscombe], L'Aventure des Cinq Pépins d'orange [Les Cinq Pépins d'orange], et L'Homme à la lèvre retroussée [L'Homme à la lèvre tordue]. Pour de plus amples renseignements, vous n'avez qu'à consulter fr.wikipedia] EPUB [fr.wikisource]
Premières aventures de Sherlock Holmes [1913] fr.wikipedia [Traduction anonyme de sept nouvelles célèbres: L'Escarboucle Bleue, Aventure de la Bande mouchetée, Le Pouce de l'Ingénieur, L'Aristocratique Célibataire, Le Diadème de Béryls, Les Hêtres Pourpres, et Un Scandale en Bohême fr.wikipedia avec des dessins tout à fait exceptionnels par Gaston Simoes de Fonseca (1874-1943) fr.wikipedia] EPUB [fr.wikisource]
Souvenirs de Sherlock Holmes [1918] [Traduction par Jeanne de Polignac (1861-1919) de six nouvelles: Silver Blaze [Flamme d'Argent], Le Document volé [Le Traité naval]. Le Gloria Scott, Le Visage jaune [La Figure jaune], Le Commis d'agent de change [L'Employé de l'agent de change], et Le Rituel des Musgraves [Le Rituel des Musgrave]. Pour de plus amples renseignements, vous n'avez qu'à consulter fr.wikipedia] EPUB [fr.wikisource]
Les Aventures de Sherlock Holmes (1924) [Traduction de six nouvelles par Jeanne de Polignac (1861-1919) , avec une belle préface littéraire et biographique par la traductrice. Les six nouvelles: L'Escarboucle bleue, Aventure de la bande mouchetée [Le Ruban moucheté], Le Pouce de l'ingénieur. L'Aristocratique célibataire [Un Aristocrate célibataire], Le Diadème de béryls, et Les Hêtres rouges [Les Hêtres pourpres]. Pour de plus amples renseignements, vous n'avez qu'à consulter fr.wikipedia] EPUB [fr.wikisource]
Nouveaux Exploits de Sherlock Holmes [1930] [Traduction anonyme de sept nouvelles: L'Homme estropié [Le Tordu], La Cycliste solitaire, Aventure de trois étudiants [Les Trois Étudiants], Les Propriétaires de Reigate, L'Interprète grec, Le Malade pensionnaire [Le Pensionnaire en traitement], et Le Problème final [Le Dernier Problème]. Pour de plus amples renseignements, vous n'avez qu'à consulter fr.wikipedia] EPUB [fr.wikisource]


Dreiser, Theodore [Theodore Herman Albert] (1871-1945) [American journalist, poet, and novelist] Wikipedia

A Traveler at Forty (1913) [Dreiser's delightfully written memoir of an extended trip to Europe. And what a time to go! Europe was at its prewar height, and no one suspected the catastrophe that was about to engulf the continent. The places he visited included England, France, Italy, the Vatican, Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands. Wow! What more need be said? How about this: the book includes drawings by the fabulously talented American artist William Glackens (1870-1938) Wikipedia! Reviewers noticed that the book, unlike many travel narratives, paid close attention to all social classes. The Nation (18 December 1913) seems to have liked this well enough: "In the pursuit of knowledge Mr. Dreiser showed enterprise. His London contacts were carefully arranged, but he managed to quiz a street-walker on his own account. At Paris such investigations were naturally part of the programme. Into all his observations Mr. Dreiser carries a keen, quiet curiosity that is pretty close to sympathy. There is an odd reverence about what can only be described as prying tactics." But in The Bookman (February 1914), Stuart Henry was less positive: "Instead of bringing to notice men who are worth while or entertaining, he acquaints us rather with those who can guide through night haunts of immorality, have sex on the brain or desire to "lick" foreigners. And for the women of Europe we are freely offered examples from the various tenderloins who, even for their class, do not propose much in the way of edification or esprit." But what else can we we expect or would we want than a balanced view of all sectors of society? And who better to provide it than the author of Sister Carrie and An American Tragedy?] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #65765]
A Hoosier Holiday (1916) [For readers not familiar with Indiana, a "Hoosier" is anyone from that great state -- such as the celebrated novelist Theodore Dreiser. In 1913 he had published A Traveler at Forty, which you will find in our catalogue. But after the First World War started, travel to Europe was not so easy to arrange. So instead, he and his fellow Hoosier Franklin Booth (1874-1948) Wikipedia went on a road trip to Warsaw, Indiana, which Dreiser had left some twenty-eight years before: it is a hundred miles up the road from Booth's birthplace of Carmel, itself just north of Indianapolis. It is Booth, a well known artist, who contributed the book's many illustrations. The trip started in New York City and largely paralleled the Ontario border to the north. But the trip was not merely to Indiana, but also to Dreiser's earliest years. Much had changed, much had not: he stays longer than first intended, and shares with his readers vivid and pleasurable recollections of what was already a past age.] Project Gutenberg US [PGUS #70269]


Du Bois, Louis [Louis-François] (1773-1855) [Écrivain et polymathe français]
Travers, Julien (1802-1888) [Biographe français]

Glossaire du patois normand (1856) [Glossaire, avec une vie de Louis Du Bois par Travers. Le français que nous parlons aujourd'hui au Canada trouve ses origines en Normandie.] HTML HTML zip Texte Texte zip Texte UTF-8 Texte UTF-8 zip [PGC no #458]


Du Bois, W. E. B. [William Edward Burghardt] (1868-1963) [American historian and civil rights leader] Wikipedia

Life Seen at Ninety (1958) [An essay written by Du Bois on the occasion of his ninetieth birthday. Age had not dimmed his passion and insight. One wonders what he would say about the world today!] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #1203]


Duguay, Camille (1882-1936) [Écrivain canadien]

La Veillée de Noël: pièce du terroir en deux actes et un tableau (1926) [Pièce de théâtre] HTML HTML zip Texte Texte zip


Dukes, Ashley (1885-1959) [English playwright, producer, critic, and translator] Wikipedia The Modernist Journals Project (Mark Gaipa)

The Man with a Load of Mischief. A Comedy in Three Acts. (1924) [Comedy, of which the action takes place at an English country inn. Dukes' most famous play.]
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The Scene is Changed (1942) [Dukes' account of his brilliant theatrical career in England, Germany, and North America, and the many literary and theatrical luminaries he knew. Includes a photograph of the author by Howard Coster (1885-1959) Wikipedia] HTML HTML zipped Text Text zipped EPUB [PGC #926]


Duncan, Isadora (1877-1927) [American dancer] Wikipedia

My Life (1927) [The autobiography of the celebrated dancer, written shortly before her premature passing, and published shortly thereafter: a principal source of the 1968 film Isadora Wikipedia. Includes a preface by her publisher, Horace Liveright (1886?-1933) Wikipedia, and photographs, some of them iconic, by the Munich studio Atelier Elvira Wikipedia, founded by Anita Augspurg (1857-1943) Wikipedia and Sophia Goudstikker (1865-1924) de.wikipedia, the Parisian photographer Paul Berger, Arnold Genthe (1869-1942) Wikipedia, Otto Wegener (1849-1922) Pär Rittsel, the New York photographer Jacob Schloss (1857-1938), and Edward Steichen (1879-1973)