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Classic Literature of a Social Narrative Genre
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Sketches by Boz
by
Charles Dickens
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from £25.99
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Charles Dickens’ started his literary career as a journalist reporting for ‘The Morning Chronicle,’ a profession which encouraged his observing eye. This collection of essays and short stories was first published in that journal and anticipates, and frequently demonstrates, the genius that was to come.
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Under The Greenwood Tree
by
Thomas Hardy
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from £18.49
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A wonderfully evocative tale of the courtship of Fancy Day, newly arrived schoolmistress, by Dick Dewy, carrier of goods, during the four seasons of one year in Wessex.
Most of Hardys’ work had tragedy woven into the narrative but ‘Under the Greenwood Tree’ is full of whimsy and good humour.
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The Semi Attached Couple
by
Emily Eden
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from £19.99
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Emily Eden was the daughter of the 1st Baron Auckland, a close confidant of Pitt. She was thus well placed to observe the manners and mores of nineteenth century aristocracy. A huge admirer of Jane Austen, her works reflect this in their perception, tongue in cheek humour and benevolence toward the victims of her pen.
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The Invisible Man
by
H.G. Wells
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from £14.99
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H.G. Wells’ premise has been the source for many screenplays, scripts and a springboard for many fantastical ideas. However, the importance of the Invisible Man is not in its central conceit, it lies within its theme - the effect on mankind of the pursuit of science. Griffin’s paranoia and the murder of his fellow beings to ... more on this title.
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Hard Times
by
Charles Dickens
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from £19.99
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Set in fictional Coketown in the North of England the `Hard Times' of which Dickens writes are the years of the Industrial Revolution.
The story centres on the Gradgrind family. Father Tom is an `eminently practical man' whose emphasis on facts and figures in his family's education suppresses all their sense of ... more on this title.
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London Lavender
by
E.V. Lucas
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from £17.99
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As well as Lucas’ appreciation of the eccentricity and simple humour of his characters, he also entertains with a perceptive and sympathetic version of London life in the early days of the last century. The book was extensively published throughout the years 1913 to 1919. It must have given much needed light relief in that ... more on this title.
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The Unbearable Bassington
by
Saki
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from £14.99
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Widow Francesca Bassington is deeply concerned. Her son, Comus, has finished his schooldays without benefit. He is now footloose and fancy free among the Edwardian social scene of London, showing no signs of responsibility or willingness to undertake a sensible career.
To add to this distress Francesca has a ho ... more on this title.
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Father and Son
by
Edmund Gosse
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from £22.99
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"This story is the record of a struggle between two temperaments, two consciences and almost two epochs. It ended, as was inevitable, in disruption. Of the two human beings here described, one was born to fly backward, the other could not help being carried forward.
The affection of these two persons was assail ... more on this title.
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American Notes
by
Charles Dickens
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from £22.99
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In 1842, Charles Dickens visited America. His reception was somewhat colder than that which usually greeted him – already a successful author in both Britain and the U.S. This lack of enthusiasm from the Americans was partly due to his criticism of the pirating of English books in that country and partly due to his outspoke ... more on this title.
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Miss Lonelyhearts
by
Nathanael West
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from £8.99
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The columnist of the New York Post-Dispatch, Miss Lonelyhearts, is initially cynical about the letters he receives for help. They are a joke. Gradually however, the letters start to move him but he is powerless to do anything. Retreating from the pain into a fantasy world he starts to believe that he is a Christ figure, a u ... more on this title.
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The Europeans
by
Henry James
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from £21.49
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One of Henry James’ main themes was the interaction between the Old World and the New. Restless Baroness Eugenia Munster and her charming bohemian brother Felix are visiting their American cousins in Boston, New England. The effect these two extravagant characters have on their austere Puritan relations forms ... more on this title.
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John Halifax, Gentleman
by
Dinah Craik
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from £39.49
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The greatest romantic narrative novel of the early 19th Century, John Halifax, Gentleman, tells the story of an orphan boy whose first words in the story are “Sir, I want work; may I earn a penny.” By hard work, diligent study and an unshakeable faith in his God John attains wealth and happiness, despite much ... more on this title.
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The Vicar of Wakefield
by
Oliver Goldsmith
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from £17.99
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The uplifting and heroic tale of a north country clergyman. The story is told by Dr. Charles Primrose, 'a priest, and husbandman and the father of a family'. He lives his life of quiet contentment until he loses his independent income. Moving to a humbler dwelling near the estate of Squire Thornhill starts a series of misfo ... more on this title.
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Sorrell and Son
by
Warwick Deeping
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from £34.49
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Captain Stephen Sorrell returns from the First World War decorated with the Military Cross but unnerved by the conflict. His mercenary wife has deserted him for ‘one of the fellows who stayed behind’ and left him responsible for their son Christopher.
A promised position in an antique shop fa ... more on this title.
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