"Frankenstein" is a novel written by Mary Shelley, published in 1818 by a small London publishing house, Lackington, Hughes, Harding. Mary Shelley was nineteen when she wrote the novel, following "late in the night" literary games with her lover and future husband Percy Shelley and Lord Byron at the latter's residence near Lake Geneva during the summer of "the year without summer" (the consequence of the volcanic eruption of Mount Tambora) . "Frankenstein" is a gothic novel with romantic overtones whose creature became more famous than its author. Discover Frankenstein with an original preface and biography in this new edition by Les Éditions de Londres.
"The Tempest" is a play written by William Shakespeare in 1610 or 1611, believed to be the last play of the Bard. To us, it might be his best: the most astonishing alchemy of tragedy and comedy, of morals and magic, and a treasure cove of some of the most memorable Shakespearean scenes. Prospero, the deposed Duke of Milan, and his daughter Miranda, are stranded on an island with for only companions the monster Caliban and the spirit Ariel. When a ship carrying his brother responsible for his plight passes by, Prospero uses his magical powers to start a tempest, ending with the shipwrecked passengers stranded on the same island. From then on, it becomes... magical. Just listen:
"Be not afeard: the isle is full of noises,
Sounds, and sweet airs, that give delight, and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears; and sometimes voices...".
Magical, no? Rediscover The Tempest with an original preface and biography in this new edition by Les Éditions de Londres.
"Le scarabée d'or" est une nouvelle d'Edgar Allan Poe de 1843. Vivant sur une île désolée face à la côte de Caroline du Sud, William Legrand développe une obsession pour un scarabée d'or qu'il a trouvé par hasard. Il finira par découvrir le trésor du capitaine Kidd, après avoir déchiffré un code mystérieux écrit à l'encre sympathique sur un parchemin. "Le scarabée d'or" invente la cryptographie en littérature. Son influence sera extraordinaire : "Voyage au centre de la terre" de Jules Verne, "Les hommes dansants" de Conan Doyle, "L'aiguille creuse" de Maurice Leblanc... "Le scarabée d'or" est ici présenté dans une édition bilingue, comprenant la traduction de Charles Baudelaire et le texte original d'Edgar Allan Poe.
"Aventure sans pareille d'un certain Hans Pfaall" est une nouvelle d'Edgar Allan Poe qui raconte le voyage sur la lune d'un réparateur de soufflets de Rotterdam. Ecrit à la première personne et comme un journal de bord, enrichi d'explications scientifiques fantaisistes pour notre époque mais d'une imperturbable logique, cette nouvelle de 1835 appartient à une longue tradition de voyages dans la lune. Sa lecture inspirera Jules Verne avec "De la terre à la lune". "Aventure sans pareille d'un certain Hans Pfaall" est ici présenté dans une édition bilingue, comprenant la traduction de Charles Baudelaire et le texte original d'Edgar Allan Poe.
Oscar Wilde's "Lord Arthur Savile's crime" was originally published in 1891 as a collection of short stories. A fun crime story, when the criminal tries to beat his future by embracing it in his own way, with a marvellous twist at the end, it is one of the best examples of Wilde's multifaceted talent. Rediscover "Lord Arthur Savile's crime" in this new edition with an original preface and biography by Les Éditions de Londres.
"A modest proposal" or "A modest proposal for preventing the children of poor people from being a burthen to their parents or country, and for making them beneficial to the public" is a satire (or a satirical essay) written by Jonathan Swift in 1729. In this essay, Swift suggests fighting poverty, hunger, and disenfranchisement in Ireland by having the poor families sell their new born babies as food items to the rich. If one is surprised by the outlandishness of the proposal today, one can imagine what the early Eighteenth century reader might have thought. This was a powerful way for Swift to protest against the treatment of Ireland, especially in the last hundred years preceding the writing of this essay (read our preface); but maybe to some, it did not seem such a bad idea after all? Discover A modest proposal with its original preface and biography in this new edition by Les Éditions de Londres.
John Buchan's "The Thirty-Nine steps" is a 1915 spy novel set in London and Scotland, during the few weeks preceding the outbreak of World War One. Made famous by Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 cinematographic adaptation, "The Thirty-Nine steps" is Buchan's most famous work. Originally an attempt at creating a "dime-novel" or a "shocker", the novel is often considered as one of the greatest adventure or spy novels of all times, and it probably invents the genre. Rediscover "The Thirty-Nine steps" with its original preface and biography in this new edition by Les Éditions de Londres.
Robert Louis Stevenson's "Strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" is a short novel or a novella set in London and published in 1886. Supposedly written in one night, then burnt and rewritten, it is central to Stevenson's works. In this "gothic", Poe-esque tale of dual personality, of good fighting evil, filled with religious overtones, and cast in the shadow of Stevenson's own Edinburghian childhood, the reader finds what he wishes: a literary introduction to psychoanalysis, a reflection on the dual nature of man, an attack on Victorian society, or simply his own self. Rediscover "Strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde with an original preface and biography in this new edition by Les Éditions de Londres.
John Buchan's "Greenmantle" is a 1916 adventure and espionage novel. In this second book of the Richard Hannay series (following The Thirty-Nine steps), Hannay is called to the Foreign Office by Sir Walter Bullivant at the beginning of the story. His mission: thwart German plans to wreak havoc in the Near East and Middle East through religious uprising. Hannay will gather his friends, and together they will travel to the Bosphorus, and fight bigger than life characters along the way. Discover Greenmantle with its original preface and biography in this new edition by Les Éditions de Londres.
« Petite discussion avec une momie » est une nouvelle d'Edgar Allan Poe. Appelé tard dans la soirée au City Museum pour y examiner une momie de Libye avec ses amis scientifiques et égyptologues, une malencontreuse expérience à la pile de Volta tire la momie de son sommeil multimillénaire. Une fois éveillée, celle-ci se livre à des commentaires surprenants par leur originalité mais parfois désobligeants vis-à-vis du Dix-Neuvième siècle américain. Petite discussion avec une momie est ici présenté dans une édition bilingue, incluant l'original de Poe et la traduction de Charles Baudelaire, avec la navigation « paragraphe par paragraphe » qui fit le succès critique de notre édition de La lettre volée.
"Ecrits de jeunesse" est un recueil inédit de textes de jeunesse d'Henry David Thoreau. Le recueil comprend une brève autobiographie, "Fact Book", que Thoreau rédigea pour l'annuaire de sa promotion d'Harvard en Juin 1837, ainsi que "L'esprit commercial des temps modernes et son influence sur le caractère politique, moral et littéraire d'une Nation", écrit et présenté en Août 1837. Ces deux textes constituent à nos yeux les prémices de la pensée de Thoreau: libre-penseur, indépendant, hors des conventions sociales, marginal, voire un peu excentrique. La lecture de ces deux textes apporte un éclairage nouveau sur les écrits ultérieurs de Thoreau. Un éclairage nouveau et nécessaire. Le recueil est présenté en édition bilingue, avec une nouvelle traduction, ainsi qu'une préface et une postface inédites, respectivement de Michel Granger et Didier Bazy, grands spécialistes d'Henry David Thoreau.
« Les contes du bizarre » est une compilation originale de trois contes d'Edgar Allan Poe, « Metzengerstein », paru en 1832, « La chute de la maison Usher », paru en 1839, et « Le duc de l'omelette », paru en 1832. Ces contes, plus ou moins célèbres, allant du gothique, au fantastique jusqu'à l'absurde, nous donnent une mesure du talent de Poe. « Metzengerstein » est l'histoire d'un jeune noble pris de passion pour un cheval immense dont il vit la première image sur une tapisserie, le très célèbre « La Chute de la Maison Usher » nous emmène dans une maison étrange où vivent le jeune Usher et sa soeur atteinte d'une grave maladie, « Le duc de l'omelette » raconte le curieux voyage en enfer d'un jeune amateur d'ortolans ainsi que les circonstances de son retour. Les contes du bizarre est ici présenté dans une édition bilingue, incluant l'original de Poe et la traduction de Charles Baudelaire et de Félix Rabbe, avec la navigation « paragraphe par paragraphe » qui fit le succès critique de notre édition de La lettre volée.
Jonathan Swift's "Directions to servants" is an entertaining satire of relationships between servants and masters in the Eighteenth century. It is a late work in Swift's life. Not the most well-known, less dark than earlier satires and pamphlets, "Directions to servants" is an unknown little gem of humour and gentle mockery, also providing an interesting insight into true life in the Eighteenth century. We invite you to discover this great work of one of our favourite writers in this edition by Les Éditions de Londres.
"In Russian and French prisons is a 1887 essay by Piotr Kropotkin. It is more than a crude and detailed description of the Russian prison system and its comparison to Western European jails. It is also a very personal document by the famous Anarchist Prince, a description of hell rooted in his own experience. Finally, it is one of the first criminology essays ever written. At a time when prison was mainly a means of control of the undomesticated poor, Kropotkin shows prison is a natural outcome of an unjust social system. Discover this edition enriched with original preface and biography.
"The Notting Hill mystery" is a detective novel written by Charles Warren Adams under the pseudonym of Charles Felix in 1863. Having enjoyed some critical success at the time of its publication, it was totally forgotten and then rediscovered in 2012, when the identity of its author was finally uncovered. Preceding works by Wilkie Collins or Émile Gaboriau, "The Notting Hill mystery" is now considered to be the first ever crime novel. This debate about who was first hides the true value of the book. It was astonishingly ahead of its time. It is a crime case presented as a collection of investigative, criminal, forensic documents and multiple depositions. It is also the first example of a "perfect crime" novel as at the end of the book the investigator has probably understood the truth but has no evidence to support his conclusions. Discover this first digital edition with original preface and biography by Les Éditions de Londres.
"Can we disarm?" is a 1899 political essay by Joseph McCabe and Georges Darien. In this little-known visionary essay, the English religious philosopher and the French anarchist libertarian offer the reader a fascinating insight into the logic of European States. They analyse the reasons for keeping pretorian armies, the impact of the Franco-Prussian war on military and social doctrines, describe why sovereigns and governments then decided to create national armies, the link with capitalism and labour markets, the implications for skyrocketing national debts and they conclude by offering futuristic insights about upcoming World War One. Discover this thrilling and deep essay analysing the relations between military spending, capitalism and social control by two of the most insightful thinkers of the late Nineteenth century.
"The Man in the Moone" is a novel by Francis Godwin probably written in the 1620s and published for the first time under the pseudonym of Domingo Gonsales after his death in 1638. The Man in the Moone can be considered as one of the major works of the late English Renaissance. Its influence over future utopian, picaresque and science-fiction writers is major. In this fascinating book, a Spaniard flees following a duel, is stranded in Saint-Helens on his return home from the East Indies, and then escapes the British fleet off Tenerife through a gansa-propelled flying-machine which he had designed himself. He rises to the sky, and twelve days later, he lands on the Moone. He discovers the lunar society and then leaves, and arrives in China. Part picaresque, part utopia, part science-fiction, discover this remarkable book with an original preface and biography in this new edition by Les Éditions de Londres.
"The portrait of Mr W.H." is a short story written by Oscar Wilde and published in Blackwood's magazine in 1891. The story is the attempt by Oscar Wilde to uncover the identity of W.H., the mysterious individual to whom Shakespeare dedicates his Sonnets. Is Wilde's The portrait of Mr W.H. a beautiful theory, the most spectacular literary essay ever written, or has Wilde found the answer to one of the most famous English mysteries? Discover The portrait of Mr W.H. with its original preface and biography in this new edition by Les Éditions de Londres.
"The Power-House" is a spy novel written by John Buchan in 1913. It is set in London, and tells the story of a lawyer and MP who discovers an incredible plot aimed at destroying the foundations of Western democracies through an anarchist organisation called The Power-House. "The power-house" was first serialised in Blackwood's magazine and then was released as a book in 1916. Preceding the famous The Thirty-Nine steps, little known, The Power-House is a fascinating spy novel. Filled with considerations about civilization and chaos, Nietzschean references, predictions about the future, Buchan's "The Power-House" is political philosophy wrapped into a thriller inside conspiracy theory. A must-read, if only for the first encounter between the hero & narrator and the head of the Power-House. Discover The Power-House with an original preface and biography in this new edition by Les Éditions de Londres.
"The false Burton Combs" is a crime story written by Caroll John Daly and published in the "Black mask magazine" in December 1922. The narrator, a tough guy, "kind of private eye", is approached by a man who wants him to travel to Nantucket under his identity. Once on the island, he will be Burton Combs. And problems will start arising...With its cortege of evil mid-aged women, femmes fatales, cold-blooded killers, without forgetting a trial, and a final twist at the end, The false Burton Combs is known as the first ever "hard-boiled" story, preceding Hammett's Continental Op, and Daly's work the inspiration of Mickey Spillane. Discover The false Burton Combs with its original preface (we briefly review the codes of the "hard-boiled" genre amongst many other things) and biography in this new edition by Les Éditions de Londres.
"La lettre volée" est une courte nouvelle d'Edgar Allan Poe de 1844. C'est l'une des plus célèbres nouvelles de Poe, et aussi la troisième apparition du Chevalier Auguste Dupin. "La lettre volée" a défini l'un des mécanismes les plus célèbres du roman policier, la recherche de ce que l'on ne trouve pas tellement sa cachette éblouit par son évidence. Si Auguste Dupin inspirera le personnage de Sherlock Holmes, et la plupart des grands détectives, "La lettre volée" est probablement le texte le plus influent de la littérature policière et la lecture obligée de tous les amateurs de mystères. "La lettre volée" est ici présenté dans une édition bilingue, comprenant la traduction de Charles Baudelaire et le texte original d'Edgar Allan Poe.
"The Canterville Ghost" is a short story written by Oscar Wilde and first published in 1887 in "The court and society review". It is, together with Lord Arthur Savile's crime, one of Wilde's most famous short stories. An American family decides to move into an English manor which happens to be haunted by a four-century old ghost. Many events occur, ranging from the dark comical to the outright funny. At the end...a great twist... One of the best displays of Wilde's extraordinary talent. Discover The Canterville Ghost with its original preface and biography in this new edition by Les Éditions de Londres.
"The Alchemist" is a comedy written by Ben Jonson and performed in 1610 by the King's men. Created four years after Volpone, The Alchemist is widely considered to be Ben Jonson's best comedy. Following an outbreak of plague in London, a gentleman's house falls into the hands of two would-be small-time crooks, Face and Subtle. They then start preying on unsuspecting victims who turn out to be nearly as crooked and vicious as the two original crooks themselves. And there is obviously a story about vulgar metal turned into gold... Discover The Alchemist with its original preface and biography in this new edition by Les Éditions de Londres.
