1984 (Nineteen Eighty-Four)
1984 (Nineteen Eighty-Four) is a novel written by the English author George Orwell. The book falls into the dystopian social science fiction genre. Dystopian means relating to an imagined world that is undesirable or frightening. And social science fiction explores human society and behavior. The novel was published in 1949. It popularized [...]
A Tale of Two Cities
A Tale of Two Cities is a novel crafted by British author Charles Dickens, initially published in serialized form by the magazine All the Year Round. It released 31 weekly installments from April 30 to November 26, 1859. Unlike Dickens’ other works, which often focus on child and adolescent characters to portray [...]
Around the World in Eighty Days
The French author Jules Verne wrote the novel Around the World in 80 Days. First, it was published in parts by Le Temps newspaper from November 7 to December 22, 1872. Then, on January 30, 1873, it was released as a complete adventure novel. It is considered one of Verne’s most acclaimed [...]
Best Short Stories
Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most celebrated and influential writers of the 19th century. His short stories are famous for their dark and macabre themes and suspenseful plots. Also, countless films and television shows used Poe’s stories as inspiration. Many people around the world continue to read and enjoy the [...]
Madame Bovary
Madame Bovary is a novel penned by Gustave Flaubert, a notable figure in French literary realism. His realistic storytelling greatly influenced literature in his homeland. Initially serialized in La Revue de Paris from October 1, 1856, to December 15 of the same year, the complete novel was later published by Lévy Frères [...]
My Father’s Dragon
My Father’s Dragon is a novel written by Ruth Stiles Gannett. The story tells the adventures of Elmer, a boy who flees to an island to rescue a baby dragon. This book is the first part of a trilogy, followed by Elmer and the Dragon and The Dragons of Blueland. Besides, the [...]
Peter Pan
Peter Pan; or Peter and Wendy or, the Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up stands as the most renowned creation of Scottish writer James Matthew Barrie. Initially staged as a play in 1904, it was later published as a novel in 1911, chronicling the fantastical escapades of Peter Pan in the Land of Neverland, [...]
Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice is the most famous novel by British writer Jane Austen. It was first published in 1813. The story has sold around 20 million copies globally so far. However, the novel should not only be viewed as a romantic tale. It serves as a study of society during that era. [...]
The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 classic novel The Great Gatsby explores themes of disillusionment and decline through its portrayal of Jazz Age life among the idle rich in New York. The story is narrated by Nick Carraway, who recounts his encounter with his cousin Daisy Buchanan, her husband Tom, and their enigmatic neighbor [...]
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Published in 1831, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, alternatively titled Notre Dame of Paris, is a captivating historical novel crafted by the French writer Victor Hugo. Within its pages, readers are introduced to a cast of intriguing characters, including Esmeralda, a gypsy; Quasimodo, the hunchback; and Claude Frollo, an archdeacon, whose intertwining [...]
The Mysterious Affair at Styles
Agatha Christie wrote the novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles in 1916 while working as a nurse during World War I. First, it was published in 1920 by John Lane in the United States. Then, in 1921, it was published in the United Kingdom by The Bodley Head. The book is a [...]
The Secret Adversary
In January 1922, Agatha Christie released The Secret Adversary, her second crime novel, which debuted in the United Kingdom via The Bodley Head and later in the United States through Dodd, Mead, and Company. Introducing the characters Tommy and Tuppence Beresford for the first time, this novel marks the beginning of their [...]