A TALE OF TWO CITIES The Penguin English Library

This selection of tales bring to life the cunning wives, buffoonish officials, greedy men and political prisoners of imperial Russia, showcasing Dostoyevsky’s dry wit – both absurd and satirical – while revealing his deep compassion. Considered one of the most influential writers of all time, his empathy and idealism resonates today as a powerful antidote to the disillusionment of modern life.

Lucius Annaeus Seneca (4 BCE – AD 65) is one of the most eminent Roman philosophers. Instrumental in guiding the Roman Empire under Emperor Nero, Seneca influenced him from a young age with his Stoic principles. Later in life, Seneca wrote Episulae Morales ad Lucilium, or Letters from a Stoic, detailing these principles in full, sharing the many traditional themes of Stoic philosophy, such as the contempt of death, the value of friendship and virtue as the supreme good.

Set on the French Riviera in the 1920s, American Dick Diver and his wife Nicole are the epitome of chic, living a glamorous lifestyle and entertaining friends at their villa. Young film star Rosemary Hoyt arrives in France and becomes entranced by the couple. It is not long before she is attracted to the enigmatic Dick, but he and his wife hold dark secrets and as their marriage becomes more fractured, Fitzgerald laments the failure of idealism and the carefully constructed trappings of high society in the Roaring Twenties.

A Tale of Two Cities tells the story of Dr Manette's release from imprisonment in the Bastille and his reunion with daughter, Lucie. A French aristocrat Darnay and English lawyer Carton compete in their love for Lucie and the ensuing tale plays out against the menacing backdrop of the French Revolution and the shadow of the guillotine.

The Odyssey follows the Greek hero Odysseus on a ten-year journey back to his home in Ithaca after fighting in the Trojan War.
The challenges he encounters along the way, both natural and supernatural, continually test his character and endurance. Run-ins with Cyclops, Medusa, and the Sirens are only a few of the obstacles he must overcome to see his wife and son once again.

Odysseus is the cunning wanderer from the fall of Troy, breaker of oaths and teller of tales. His story is immortalised in Homer's Odyssey and will endure as long as humanity, forever capturing the imagination, not least because of the entities he meets along the way: the savage Cyclops Polyphemus, the enticing Sirens, and fearsome Scylla and Charybdis.

This is the complete and unabridged version of Homer's epic poems. In the Iliad, witness the ravages of the Trojan War as gods and mortals clash in a tale of honor, heroism, and the consequences of unchecked pride.
Then journey alongside Odysseus in the Odyssey, as he voyages home, battling mythical creatures and evading vengeful gods along the way. These classics of ancient literature capture the essence of the human experience, exploring themes of love, loss, destiny, and the indomitable human spirit.

Wuthering Heights is the tale of two families both joined and riven by love and hate. Cathy is a beautiful and wilful young woman torn between the soft-hearted Edgar, and Heathcliff, the passionate and resentful man who has loved her since childhood. The power of their bond creates a maelstrom of cruelty and violence which will leave one of them dead and cast a shadow over the lives of their children.

Margot Robbie as Cathy and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff .

Wuthering Heights is the tale of two families both joined and riven by love and hate. Cathy is a beautiful and wilful young woman torn between the soft-hearted Edgar, and Heathcliff, the passionate and resentful man who has loved her since childhood. The power of their bond creates a maelstrom of cruelty and violence which will leave one of them dead and cast a shadow over the lives of their children.

The Odyssey covers the events after the Trojan War as Odysseus travels home, encountering many strange monsters and creatures along the way. Featuring numerous figures of ancient Greek mythology, Homer's epic poem is one of the world's oldest surviving literary works and preserves various aspects of ancient Greek beliefs and culture for the modern reader. From fearsome giants to a cunning sorceress, Odysseus must confront peril after peril, all the while wondering if the path of his fate ever leads homeward, and if his wife Penelope and son Telemachus remain safe.

Writen as stories, not an epic poem

The Odyssey follows the Greek hero Odysseus on a ten-year journey back to his home in Ithaca after fighting in the Trojan War. The challenges he encounters along the way, both natural and supernatural, continually test his character and endurance. Run-ins with Cyclops, Medusa, and the Sirens are only a few of the obstacles he must overcome to see his wife and son once again.

Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso — the three fates of the deceased become the three pillars of an epic poem. The Divine Comedy, written by Italian poet Dante Alighieri in the fourteenth century, is considered the foremost work in Italian literature. The journey begins with Dante’s descent into the depths of Hell where he witnesses those eternally separated from God. Then he climbs the mountain of Purgatory where Christian souls undergo final purification, before finally touring the celestial circles of Heaven where he is filled with the image of God.