EMMA (Vintage Collector's Classics)

The epic tale of Odysseus and his ten-year journey home after the Trojan War forms one of the earliest and greatest works of Western literature. Confronted by natural and supernatural threats - ship-wrecks, battles, monsters and the implacable enmity of the sea-god Poseidon - Odysseus must use his bravery and cunning to reach his homeland and overcome the obstacles that, even there, await him.

The epic tale of Odysseus and his ten-year journey home after the Trojan War forms one of the earliest and greatest works of Western literature. Confronted by natural and supernatural threats - ship-wrecks, battles, monsters and the implacable enmity of the sea-god Poseidon - Odysseus must use his bravery and cunning to reach his homeland and overcome the obstacles that, even there, await him.

On his travels, Odysseus comes across surreal islands and foreign lands where he is in turn challenged and supported by those that he meets on his travels as he attempts to find his way back home in order to vanquish those who threaten his estate. In turn, his son Telemachus has to grow up quickly as he attempts to find his father and protect his mother from her suitors.

This collection of Slavic tales is based on the oral storytelling traditions of the peoples of Eastern Europe, from the Polish and the Slovaks to the Macedonians, Croats, Czechs and Serbians, with roots in ancient folklore and influenced by the Viking traders who settled in Kiev in the early middle ages. Stories abound with mountains, magic palaces and temples in such incredible tales as 'The King of the Toads', 'Vassilissa the Cunning', 'The Frog Princess' and 'The Feather of Bright Finist the Falcon'. Also includes 'The History of Vampires in the Slavic World'.

Mary Shelley's classic Frankenstein pioneered the deeply explored battle between monster and man. Follow three narratives in this ageless tale that navigates fear, fixation, love, and desire, while finding an anchor in humanity.

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.