The Bell
1) Ghosts
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First performed in 1882, "Ghosts" is the controversial and tragic play by the famed Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It is the story of Helen Alving, a wealthy widow who was unhappily married to her unfaithful husband. Helen has tried to shelter her son, Oswald, from the corrupting influence of his father's immoral behavior and has sent him away only to discover that he is suffering from syphilis inherited from his father. Oswald has also unfortunately...
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The Grand Inquisitor is a poem (a story within a story) inside Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel The Brothers Karamazov (1879-1880). It is recited by Ivan Karamazov, who questions the possibility of a personal and benevolent God, to his brother Alexei (Alyosha), a novice monk. "The Grand Inquisitor" is an important part of the novel and one of the best-known passages in modern literature because of its ideas about human nature and freedom, and its fundamental...
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The Lifted Veil's sickly narrator, Latimer, believes himself to be cursed with the ability to see the future and sense the thoughts and feelings of those around him. Disgusted by what he sees in the minds of others, he accepts that he will lead an unobtrusive life, constantly overshadowed by his more vigorous elder brother. That is, until he meets and becomes fascinated with Bertha, his brother's beautiful and coquettish fiancée.
The Lifted Veil...
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The Waste Land is a long poem by T. S. Eliot. It is widely regarded as one of the most important poems of the 20th century and a central text in Modernist poetry. Published in 1922, the 434-line poem first appeared in the United Kingdom in the October issue of The Criterion and in the United States in the November issue of The Dial. It was published in book form in December 1922. Among its famous phrases are "April is the cruelest month", "I will...
6) Antigone
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The daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, the eponymous Antigone is an unconventional heroine who pits her beliefs against the King of Thebes in a bloody test of wills that leaves few unharmed. Emotions fly as she challenges the king for the right to bury her own brother. Determined but doomed, Antigone shows her inner strength throughout the play. This edition follows the Francis Storr Translation.
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Plato hailed her as "the Tenth Muse," and 2,500 years later her voice remains dazzling as well as direct and honest. Sappho, a lyric poet from the Greek island of Lesbos, wrote verse that sings to both sexes of desire, rapture, and sorrow. Praised for their simplicity and sincerity, her poems nevertheless evoke powerful and memorable images as well as a sense of unreserved eroticism. Her focus on emotion and individualism sets her work apart from...
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"A Christmas Carol" follows the transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly and cold-hearted old man, throughout one magical Christmas Eve. The narrative begins with Scrooge, a wealthy but stingy moneylender, dismissing the Christmas season with contempt and refusing to give to charity. He dislikes the idea of Christmas joy and generosity, considering them a waste of time and money. On Christmas Eve, as Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his former...
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A brief biographical sketch of Franklin's life, followed by a collection (published in 1899) of 670 aphorisms, apothegms, or proverbs - short, pithy, instructive sayings - that were scattered throughout the pages of his Poor Richard's Almanack over its 25 years of once-a-year publication (1732-1758). Many of these sayings are familiar to all . . . "a penny saved is a penny earned" . . . "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" . . . but there...
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"A Christmas Carol" follows the transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly and cold-hearted old man, throughout one magical Christmas Eve. The narrative begins with Scrooge, a wealthy but stingy moneylender, dismissing the Christmas season with contempt and refusing to give to charity. He dislikes the idea of Christmas joy and generosity, considering them a waste of time and money. On Christmas Eve, as Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his former...
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"The Cherry Orchard" by Anton Chekhov is a poignant exploration of societal change, loss, and the complexities of human relationships. Set in pre-revolutionary Russia, the play revolves around the fate of an aristocratic family faced with the imminent sale of their beloved cherry orchard to pay off their debts. Through a blend of humor, melancholy, and subtle symbolism, Chekhov skillfully portrays the characters' struggle to come to terms with the...
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A collection of Christmas-themed short stories intended to warm the heart and share with the family. Each story or poem in this collection is unique: some make us pause to consider the meaning of Christmas, others entertain and make us smile. So curl up before a blazing fire and be transported back to Christmases past, including Christmas At Red Butte by Lucy Maud Montgomery, The Heavenly Christmas Tree by Fyodor Dostoyevsky and The Gift Of The Magi...
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Orson Welles, born in 1915 in Kenosha, Wisconsin, emerged as a multifaceted force in the realms of radio and cinema. His early foray into the arts began in his teenage years, and by 1938, he achieved nationwide recognition for his radio adaptation of H.G. Wells' "The War of the Worlds." This broadcast, presented as a series of news bulletins about a Martian invasion, caused widespread panic and showcased Welles' ability to captivate audiences through...
14) Miss Santa Claus
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We all know that Santa Claus has a large family in which to help him in the delivery of presents, peace, and good cheer. So what would you do if you were Miss Santa Claus and met two children on Christmas Eve traveling to a strange town to be reunited with their father and new stepmother? Why, naturally you would tell them the story of Princess Ina and a powerful charm they could use to turn their feared stepmother into a real mother. Follow the children...
15) William Blake
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William Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker who lived during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Born on November 28, 1757, in London, England, Blake displayed artistic and poetic talent from an early age. Despite facing financial difficulties and limited formal education, he developed into one of the most visionary and unconventional figures of the Romantic era.
Blake's artistic endeavors spanned both visual arts and literature....
16) Hedda Gabler
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This dark psychological drama depicts the evil machinations of a ruthless, nihilistic heroine. Readers will discover an exploration of the nature of evil and the tragedy that lies in human frailty.