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Asbjornsen and Moe were inspired by the German folklore collectors, the Brothers Grimm, and followed their approach to preserving these ancient tales. Asbjornsen and Moe collected and published numerous volumes of folk tales in Norwegian from 1841 to 1859 and their work became a source of great pride for the recently independent Norway. The tales were first translated into English in 1859 which helped to make Norwegian folklore popular all over the world. In this entertaining collection, the reader will find ogres, trolls, princesses in need of rescue, magical creatures, thrilling sword fights, and dangerous quests. "Norwegian Folk Tales" also provides a fascinating window into Norwegian culture, history, and religion as the deities and mythical creatures of their ancient history appear in many of the tales. This important and influential collection of folk tales will entertain and educate children and adults alike. Collected together here are all the tales translated by George Webbe Dasent, which originally appeared in two volumes, in an edition printed on premium acid-free paper.

Contained within this volume are some of the best of O'Neill's early one-act plays, which foreshadowed the longer plays that have given this dramatist his most enduring fame. "Beyond the Horizon" was the first of O'Neill's three Pulitzer Prize-winning plays. It follows the disappointed dreams of two brothers on their family farm. "The Emperor Jones" is an expressionistic transformation of a black man named Brutus Jones. In fleeing from his rebelling subjects in the West Indies, Jones is taken back to his racial past and undergoes a night of personal destruction. In "Anna Christie", we find a drama focusing on the relationship of a young woman and her sailor father, who has not seen her for twenty years. As their story unfolds, Anna's troubled romantic past comes to light, and the hardships of women during that time period become as apparent as the power of forgiveness and love. In the final play in this collection, "The Hairy Ape", a ship's fireman becomes disillusioned concerning the work he performs in a society that is quickly industrializing and taking a heavy human toll. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

Li Po (701-762) rivals Du Fu for the title of China's greatest poet, and is considered to be the great Romantic poet of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). He grew up in Sichuan province, China, and set out at the age of twenty-five to travel in the country, writing poems. A well-read student of both Confucianism and Taoism in his youth, and later an unofficial court poet, Li Po is credited as the author of over one thousand poems about wine, friendship, nature, solitude, and time. His works are revered for their exquisite imagery, rich and effortless language, and cadence - although some critics admonished his violation of traditional poetic form. The poet was a member of a group in Shandong called the "Six Idlers of the Bamboo Brook," an informal group dedicated to literature and wine. Popular legend tells that an intoxicated Li Po drowned after falling from his boat in an attempt to embrace the reflection of the moon in the Yangtze River.

At the center of "Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not)" by Philippine national hero José Rizal is the conflict against Spanish colonialism. The Philippines, which is named after King Philip II of Spain, was ruled by the Spanish empire as a colony from 1565 until the Philippine Revolution ended this rule in 1898. For his part in the Philippine Revolution, José Rizal was tried and convicted for rebellion, sedition, and conspiracy. His sentence was to be death by firing squad. Juan Crisóstomo Ibarra, the main character of "Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not)," returns to the Phillipines after a seven year absence studying in Europe. He is betrothed to the María Clara, the beautiful daughter of Captain Tiago. With this work Rizal set out to write a novel that would expose the ills of Philippine society and in so doing created a passionate love story set against the backdrop of the political conflict against a repressive regime. "Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not)" and its sequel "El Filibusterismo" are exceptional firsthand documents of the real struggles faced by the Philippine peoples at the end of the 19th century.

Arthur Rimbaud's "A Season in Hell" is a prose poem loosely divided into nine parts. In one part of the poem the poet portrays quite transparently his own relationship with French symbolist poet Paul Verlaine. The two had a brief alcohol and drug fueled affair which finally came to end when Verlaine shot Rimbaud in the wrist in a drunken rage. "A Season in Hell," which has been referred to as a pioneering example of modern symbolism, is included in this collection along with "The Drunken Boat," a fragmented first-person narrative which vividly describes the drifting and sinking of a boat lost at sea. It is probably the best known work from the representative selection of early poems by the writer presented here in this volume. Also included in this edition is a selection of poems from Rimbaud's masterpiece "Illuminations." What is most remarkable about Rimbaud's poetry is that it was produced almost entirely between the ages of seventeen and twenty, when Rimbaud would abruptly give up writing entirely in favor of a more steady working life. His writing he contended was a product of his reckless lifestyle to which he was resolved to abandon.

First published in 1926, "The Story of Philosophy" is noted historian Will Durant's survey of Western philosophy. Having been described as "a groundbreaking work that helped to popularize philosophy", the book begins with detailed descriptions of the philosophical ideas of the ancient Greeks, i.e. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. The book then proceeds in chronicling the different philosophical doctrines of French Enlightenment, German Idealism, Pessimism, Existentialism, and concludes with the social, economic, and political philosophers of the last part of the nineteenth and first part of the twentieth century. At the heart of philosophical inquiry are the very important questions of determining right from wrong, of how to structure society equitably, and how to structure one's mind concerning the purpose of one's own life. "The Story of Philosophy" details the preponderances of some of history's greatest thinkers on these very questions. A popular work on what can be an intimidating subject, "The Story of Philosophy" provides an accessible and comprehensive introduction to Western philosophy suitable for both the casual reader and class instruction. This edition follows the original 1926 publication and is printed on premium acid-free paper.

"The Ballad of Reading Gaol and De Profundis" collects together some of Oscar Wilde's most important writings during and concerning his two-year-long incarceration for "gross indecency". In the words of Oscar Wilde, we see his recognition for the part that he plays in his own downfall. While he never directly admits to his crimes, numerous contemporary witnesses seem to validate the charges against him. Yet Wilde could have avoided his fate if he had not chosen to sue the Marquess of Queensberry for libel. The harsh experience of prison life is recounted in these works with sensitivity towards reform. As a person of a weaker constitution, it is believed that Wilde's prison infirmities may have contributed to his decline and death just a few years after his release. In "The Ballad of Reading Gaol", the last work published before Wilde's death, we have an eloquent and sensitive concern for the insufferable conditions of prison life juxtaposed with the execution of a man convicted of killing his wife. The 1926 edition of "De Profundis" is presented here with introductory matter by Wilde's literary executor, Robbie Ross, and several of Wilde's letters from prison that were collected in that edition. Together these works give the reader an intimate picture of the writer at the most trying point of his life and the spiritual awakening that it produced. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

First published in 1927, "Oil!" is an unflinching portrayal of greed and betrayal by Pulitzer Prize winning author Upton Sinclair. Famous for his groundbreaking work "The Jungle", which exposed the horribly unsafe conditions in the American meatpacking industry, Sinclair turned his critical eye toward the immorality of the emerging oil-drilling business. Set in Southern California and inspired by the Teapot Dome Scandal, "Oil!" follows the fortunes of the Ross and Watkins families as they clash over property rights and the unionization of the oil workers. Bunny Ross is torn between loyalty to his family and his friendship with Paul and Ruth Watkins, as he becomes increasingly uneasy with his father's relentless greed and unethical business practices. Set amidst a backdrop of entertaining, lively, and well-drawn characters, Bunny must ultimately decide if he will side with kindness and humanity over his family and their love of power and wealth. "Oil!" has endured as one of Sinclair's most readable and absorbing works and its themes of corporate corruption and cruelty remain as relevant as ever today. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

First published in 1924 in German, "The Magic Mountain" is the thoughtful and introspective novel by Nobel Prize laureate Thomas Mann. Widely regarded as one of the most important modern works of the 20th century, Mann's story follows the aristocratic Hans Castorp as he leaves his comfortable family home to visit his ailing friend in a distant sanatorium located high in the Swiss Alps. Castorp's stay begins as a brief vacation before he starts his adult life as an engineer in Germany and evolves into several years spent in this isolated institution recovering from a newly discovered illness. Castorp meets a fascinating cast of characters in his mountain retreat, including anarchists, socialists, and royalty, as he attempts to find meaning in his life. In a work acclaimed as both philosophical and deeply profound, Castorp and his fellow patients have little to do but consider their lives and fill their seemingly endless days with reflection and debate while the rest of Europe marches towards a world war. "The Magic Mountain" is a thought-provoking work that grapples with the eternal human concerns of love, money, politics, and the inexorable passage of time. This edition follows the translation of Helen Tracy Lowe-Porter and is printed on premium acid-free paper.

19th century French author Honore de Balzac is best known for his multi-volume collection of interlinked novels, stories, and essays called "The Human Comedy". This collection of works includes some ninety-one finished and forty-six unfinished works which depict the intricacies of French society during the first half of the 19th century, a period of time which is referred to separately as the "Restoration", from 1815 to 1830, and the "July Monarchy", from 1830 to 1849. Balzac chose the title of "The Human Comedy" as a reference to Dante's "The Divine Comedy"; however Balzac's works contrast those of Dante's in the fact that instead of focusing on the theological world they focus on the reality of human life at the time in which he lived. This period was a time of great change in which the importance of nobility and the economic and political power of the peerage was slowly being displaced by the rise of capitalism and the bourgeoisie. This collection of ten stories includes some of the more important examples of the shorter works in Balzac's magnum opus, "The Human Comedy", which will be forever remembered for its pioneering influence on the modernist realist movement in literature. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

"Death Comes for the Archbishop" is the critically acclaimed novel of the settlement of the American Southwest by celebrated author Willa Cather. First published in 1927, it is widely regarded as one of the best American books of the 20th century and masterfully captures this pivotal time of America's westward expansion. The story is based on the real-life struggles of Catholic clergy members as they attempt to establish a regular diocese in the lawless and vast New Mexico Territory in the late 19th century. Cather's main characters, the French Bishop Jean Marie Latour and American vicar Joseph Vaillant, are based upon the real-life Jean-Baptiste Lamy and Joseph Projectus Machebeuf. The fictional pair encounters many of the same dangers and obstacles as their rel-life counterparts as they bring the Roman Catholic Church and its politics to the native people of the desert of the Southwest. While many of the clergy members are good and honorable people dedicated to spreading the Word of God, others are greedy and corrupt, making Latour and Vaillant's work all the more difficult. Beautifully written with complex characters struggling to conquer a stunning and brutal land, "Death Comes for the Archbishop" is one of Cather's most accomplished and thoughtful works. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

The third and final book in Lucy M. Montgomery's "Emily" series of books, "Emily's Quest" was first published in 1927. At the outset of the novel we find a seventeen year old Emily having just graduated from high school as she faces the departure of one of her dearest childhood friends, Teddy Kent, who is preparing to leave for two years to study art. Emily aspires to be a writer but difficulties in getting her writing career going give her apprehension as to whether or not she can be successful at it. As she pines away for her distant love Teddy, Emily engages in a number of romantic courtships, including an engagement to the much older Dean Priest. When she entrusts the critique of her first novel to Dean his disapproval sends her into a craze that results in an accidental injury which threatens her health. What follows is a series of personal, romantic, and career challenges that ultimately lead to the happy conclusion of the novel. Fans of Montgomery's "Anne of Green Gables" series of books will find the "Emily" series of books equally satisfying additions to the author's oeuvre. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

First published in English in 1927, "The Cross" is the final book in the "Kristin Lavransdatter" trilogy, which depicts the life of a Norwegian woman from her childhood to her death in the 14th century. The first book in the series, "The Wreath", follows the young Kristin as she clashes with her family, who are religious and prosperous farmers, while she falls in love with, and eventually marries, a man that her parents do not approve of. In the second book, "The Wife", Kristin finally faces adult responsibilities and concerns as she makes a life with her husband. She atones for the sins of her youth and rises to the challenges of raising a large family and running an estate while married to an irresponsible and impulsive man. In the final installment of the trilogy, "The Cross", we find Kristin and her family returning to her childhood farm, which is the only property left to them given the loss of her husband's inheritance. There she struggles to gain the respect of her community while dealing with a sequence of family and personal conflicts as the work advances towards its tragic conclusion. Recognized for its realistic portrayal of 14th century Norwegian life, the "Kristin Lavransdatter" trilogy is the principal body of work that would win Sigrid Undset the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1928. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

Critically acclaimed as one of the most important books of the 20th century, "To the Lighthouse" is the modern and thought-provoking work by American author Virginia Woolf. Published in 1927 and inspired by the events of her own life and the stream-of-consciousness style of James Joyce and Marcel Proust, "To the Lighthouse" follows the Ramsey family as they visit their summer home in the Hebrides, on the Isle of Skye, over the course of a decade. The physical location and activities of the family members take a backseat to their internal thoughts and observations in this introspective and philosophical novel. The reader is given a peek inside the minds of Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey and their children as they grapple with loss, disappointment, resentment, and the passage of time. While the summer home and its nearby isolated lighthouse change little over the years, the Ramseys are deeply affected by war, death, and loneliness. A fascinating novel that shows how deeply people live inside their own minds and emotions, "To the Lighthouse" explores the characters' inner lives through seemingly small and mundane moments, as their perceptions of their everyday lives slowly reveal who they truly are. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

First published in English in 1927, "Giants in the Earth" is the Norwegian novel by Norwegian-American author Ole Edvart Rolvaag which relates the struggles of a group of Norwegian immigrants to the Great Plains of America in the 1870s. A Norwegian fisherman, Per Hansa convinces his wife Beret to move with their three children to the Dakota Territory in order to build a homestead on the American frontier. Accompanied by several other Norwegian immigrants, Per Hansa is excited by the opportunity to build a life for himself in this new land while his wife longs for her homeland. What follows is a series of struggles and misfortunes which ultimately prove to be tragic for Hansa. "Giants in the Earth" is the classic story of the pioneering spirit of America and the American dream, which brought so many European immigrants to America during the 19th century, and the often harsh realities that they faced when they arrived. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

First published in French in 1921 and 1922, "Sodom and Gomorrah" is the fourth volume in Marcel Proust's "In Search of Lost Time" or "Remembrance of Things Past" cycle of novels. The novel begins with a continuation of the previous volume, "The Guermantes Way", where we find the narrator socializing in the high society world of the Princess de Guermantes. Later the narrator opts for a change of social scene when he travels to the seaside town of Balbec where he socializes with the Verdurins, a livelier yet somewhat lower class set, compared to his previous companions. On full display in the novel is the narrator's ever tempestuous relationship with his lover Albertine, as well as the constant contrast of public and private lives of the members of high society, as the novel begins to tackle the themes of homosexuality and the Jewish question. Taken together, the novels of the "In Search of Lost Time" cycle present a fascinating portrait of early 20th century France and continue to stand as one of the most epic examples of modernist prose. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper and follows the translation of C. K. Scott Moncrieff.

The writer of several hundred stories and novels, English author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle began his writing career in 1879. While he introduced the world to his most famous character, Sherlock Holmes, in the 1887 novel "A Study in Scarlet", it would not be until the 1891 publication of "A Scandal in Bohemia" that his illustrative career in writing would truly begin. With this Sherlock Holmes short story, the imagination of the reading public was instantly captured and would propel Doyle forever into the annals of English literature. Of the fifty-six Sherlock Holmes stories that Doyle would end up writing the final twelve were collected in a volume entitled "The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes". First published in 1927, "The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes" collects together stories that were originally published in "Strand Magazine" between October of 1921 and March 1927. While some critics have labeled these additions as lesser entries in the canon of Sherlock Holmes, others have viewed them as evidence of a writer struggling to find a new narrative style. Regardless of any critic's opinion, no collection of Sherlock Holmes stories would be complete without these final contributions by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

First published in English in 1927, "Elmer Gantry" is Sinclair Lewis' novel which satirizes the Christian fundamentalist and evangelistic movements of the early part of the 20th century. From the 17th century onward there have been a number of efforts to reassert the influence of Christianity on social, cultural, and political life. In America, Christian Revivalism, as it is often referred to, has come in four waves, or "Great Awakenings" starting with the movement of Jonathan Edwards in the 1730s and 1740s and continuing through to the present day. With these attempts to revive the spirit of Christianity in American life have often come charlatans who seek to profit through evangelism. "Elmer Gantry" is a story of just such a charlatan. At the outset of the novel, we find a young, alcoholic, womanizing college student who abandons his ambition for a legal career to pursue a place in the ministry. After some initial failures, Gantry eventually rises to a prominent position in the Methodist church. Lewis's novel brilliantly juxtaposes the hypocritically moralizing sermons of Gantry with the character's actions, which cause the ruin of many around him. A commercial success that was viewed scornfully by the community it satirized, "Elmer Gantry" remains a captivating portrait of early 20th century America. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.