'I'm unfavorable to killin' a man as long as you can get around it; it ain't good sense, it ain't good morals. Ain't I right?' The original Great American Novel, an incomparable adventure story and a classic of anarchic humour, Twain's masterpiece sees Huckleberry Finn and Jim the slave escape their difficult lives by fleeing down the Mississippi on a raft. There, they find steamships, feuding families, an unlikely Duke and King and vital lessons about the world in which they live. With its unforgettable ca

'Here was our quiet English house suddenly invaded by a devilish Indian Diamond - bringing after it a conspiracy of living rogues, set loose on us by the vengeance of a dead man'. When Rachel Verinder's birthday present - the Moonstone, a large Indian diamond - is stolen at her party, suspicion and the diamond's mysterious curse seem set to ruin everyone and everything she loves. Only Sergeant Cuff's famous detective skills offer any hope of peace and a future for them all. The intricate plot and modern tec

'I cannot allow any man to - to criticise my private conduct!' she exclaimed. 'Nor will I for a minute'. Hardy's powerful novel of swift sexual passion and slow-burning loyalty centres on Bathsheba Everdene, a proud working woman whose life is complicated by three different men - respectable farmer Boldwood, seductive Sergeant Troy and devoted Gabriel - making her the object of scandal and betrayal. Vividly portraying the superstitions and traditions of a small rural community, Far from the Madding Crowd sh

'Liberty, equality, fraternity, or death; the last, much the easiest to bestow, O Guillotine!' Described by Dickens as 'the best story I have written', A Tale of Two Cities interweaves thrilling historical drama with heartbreaking personal tragedy. It vividly depicts a revolutionary Paris running red with blood, and a London where the poor starve. In the midst of the chaos two men an exiled French aristocrat and a dissolute English lawyer are both redeemed and condemned by their love for the same woman, as

'I am jealous of everything whose beauty does not die. I am jealous of the portrait you have painted of me...Why did you paint it? It will mock me some day - mock me horribly!' A story of evil, debauchery, and scandal, Oscar Wilde's only novel tells of Dorian Gray, a beautiful yet corrupt man. When he wishes that a perfect portrait of himself would bear the signs of ageing in his place, the picture becomes his hideous secret, as it follows Dorian's own downward spiral into cruelty and depravity. The Picture

'It was characteristic of her that she always roused speculation, that her simplest acts seemed the result of far-reaching intentions' A searing, shocking tale of women as consumer items in a man's world, The House of Mirth sees Lily Bart, beautiful and charming, living among the wealthy families of New York but reluctant to finally commit herself to a husband. In her search for freedom and the happiness she feels she deserves, Lily is ultimately ruined by scandal. Edith Wharton's shattering novel created

The Penguin English Library Edition of Mansfield Park by Jane Austen 'We have all been more or less to blame ... every one of us, excepting Fanny' Taken from the poverty of her parents' home in Portsmouth, Fanny Price is brought up with her rich cousins at Mansfield Park, acutely aware of her humble rank and with her cousin Edmund as her sole ally. During her uncle's absence in Antigua, the Crawford's arrive in the neighbourhood bringing with them the glamour of London life and a reckless taste for flirta

It is impossible to think of a better introduction to the essentials of energy in the 21st Century ... above all, the value of The Quest is in the clarity and fair-mindedness of Yergin's thought ... the definitive guide to how we got here (Ed Crooks Financial Times ) Required reading ...The Quest is a masterly piece of work and, as a comprehensive guide to the world's great energy needs and dilemmas, it will be hard to beat (The Economist ) If you were in any doubt about what makes the world go round, D

Updated edition of this complete A-Z of Marvel characters is created in full collaboration with Marvel Comics. Are you a comic-book fan, obsessed by superheroes? This unique A-Z of more than 1,000 classic characters created by comic giant Marvel will satisfy any super-thirst for knowledge. Get closer to Spider-Man, the Avengers, Hulk, Wolverine, the X-Men and more...all your favourite superheroes and villains are here, as well as some weird and wonderful one-offs. Knock-out double-page features celebrate so