Delve into the whimsical world of "The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman," a groundbreaking novel that revolutionized the literary landscape. Sterne's work, inspired by the likes of Cervantes and John Locke, challenges traditional narrative forms through its playful digressions, innovative typography, and satirical tone. The novel humorously narrates the life of Tristram Shandy, making it a pioneering precursor to stream of consciousness...

We can't always choose the object of our affections, and often, Cupid's arrow causes people to fall in love with the most unsuitable candidates. That's a theme that surfaces time and time again in the collection Frivolous Cupid from British writer Anthony Hope. Bringing together one novella and a series of short stories, this delectable delight will enchant romance fans.

Orley Farm became Trollope's personal favourite. George Orwell said the book contained 'one of the most brilliant descriptions of a lawsuit in English fiction.' When Joseph Mason of Groby Park, Yorkshire, died, he left his estate to his family. A codicil to his will, however, left Orley Farm (near London) to his much younger second wife and infant son. The will and the codicil were in her handwriting, and there were three witnesses, one of whom was...

The Sacred Fount is a novel by Henry James, first published in 1901. This strange, often baffling book concerns an unnamed narrator who attempts to discover the truth about the love lives of his fellow guests at a weekend party in the English countryside. He spurns the "detective and keyhole" methods as ignoble, and instead tries to decipher these relationships purely from the behavior and appearance of each guest. He expends huge resources of energy...

Collins's 1889 collection of fourteen short stories includes "Miss Morris and the Stranger," about a young governess and a fateful meeting, "Mr. Medhurst and the Princess," about two star-crossed lovers, and a dozen other tales involving love, social classes, money, and even ghosts.

Anthony Trollope mixes love, money, and ambition in his love triangles — which has kept his fans reading his work addictively ever since Queen Victoria. In this 1867 novel, Harry Clavering, an ambitious civil engineer, must choose: to wed a wealthy widow and gain a life of comfort, or to honor his previous engagement — and struggle.

"The Little Lady of the Big House" (1915) is a novel by American writer Jack London. It was his last novel to be published during his lifetime. The story concerns a love triangle. The protagonist, Dick Forrest, is a rancher with a poetic streak (his "acorn song" recalls London's play, "The Acorn Planters"). His wife, Paula, is a vivacious, athletic, and sexually self-aware woman, who falls in love with Evan Graham, an old friend of her husband. Unable...

First published in 1872, Carmilla is a classic gothic novella and one of the earliest examples of vampire fiction. Fast-paced and gripping, the story follows the protagonist Laura, who lives in a secluded castle in the woods with her father. One day, a carriage accident brings a young woman named Carmilla into their lives, and she is taken in as a guest. As time goes on, Laura becomes increasingly drawn to Carmilla, despite her strange behavior and...

Historically recognized as the man who wrote the dictionary, Dr. Johnson amplified his literary fame with the 1759 publication of "The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia". This novel was wildly popular upon its release, despite the fact that Johnson completed the work in the evenings of a single week, donning it his "little story book". The story is of a royal brother and sister who have been kept in a luxurious, fertile valley, where their...

Originally published in 1859, "Adam Bede" is the first novel by George Eliot, which was the pen name of Mary Ann Evans. Eliot was one of the leading British writers of the Victorian era, as well as a noted journalist, poet, and translator. "Adam Bede" concerns a small, tight-knit, and fictional rural community called Hayslope and the romantic drama that develops between four of its young residents: the title character Adam, a young carpenter, the...