Классическая проза

Иногда, так важно прислушиваться к совету старших. Второй рассказ, о человеке сильного духа.

Как же просто бывает перешагнуть ту красную черту, которая отделяет жизнь от смерти.

Впервые напечатано в «Самарской газете», 1896, номер 35, 14 февраля. В собрания сочинений не включалось. Печатается по тексту «Самарской газеты».

Судьба человека, насколько она может быть непредсказуемой? Когда казалось бы прожита часть жизни, ты добился успеха в бизнесе, делах, ты уважаем в обществе и вроде бы все отлично...но в личной жизни полный провал. Начинаешь свыкаться с мыслью об одиночестве и холодных зимних вечерах, как вдруг судьба преподносит тебе настоящий подарок и самое ценное, что может быть--это Любовь, а случайная встреча под Новый Год придает этой истории очарования доброй и волшебной сказки.

Эта странная история, в которую трудно поверить, произошла в деревне Пылаиха. Одна за другой на семью Никифоровых валились неприятности, ведь одна беде в дом не приходит и как говорится: пришла беда – отворяй ворота.

Однажды – это необычный сборник рассказов. С книжных страниц на читателя словно проливается невероятное тепло, напоминающее первые робкие порывы весеннего ветра, наполненные ароматом цветущих садов. Рассказы Ариши Зима под общей рубрикой «Однажды…» украсили в своё время газеты Камчатского края, где они были напечатаны. Надеюсь, уважаемый читатель, они украсят и твоё время, в котором всегда есть место своему однажды…

The first in George MacDonald Fraser’s uproarious Flashman series and the classic they pay homage to available together for the first time in ebook format.Uproarious, nefarious and sociable at the same time, Tom Brown is at once the typical boy of his generation and the perennial hero. Tom Brown’s School Days charts our protagonist’s time at Rugby, taking his troubled adolescence when he is savagely bullied by the brutal Flashman, to his departure – with the world at his feet.In Flashman, meanwhile, George MacDonald Fraser’s inspired spin-off from Hughes’ classic, we see Brown’s tormentor from an entirely different perspective. Expelled from Rugby for drunkenness, and none too welcome at home after seducing his father’s mistress, the young Flashman embarks on a military career with Lord Cardigan’s Hussars.En route to Afghanistan, our hero hones his skills as a soldier, duellist, imposter, coward and amorist (mastering all 97 ways of Hindu love-making during a brief sojourn in Calcutta), before being pressed into reluctant service as a secret agent. His Afghan adventures culminate in a starring role in that great historic disaster, the Retreat from Kabul.

This ebook comprises an inspirational readings for each day of the year, demonstrating why C.S. Lewis remains one of the world’s best-loved writers.Few people, whether children or adults, have not been touched by the incredible literary works of C.S. Lewis. Whether their lives have been touched by the Chronicles of Narnia, or the more spiritual Mere Christianity, Lewis continues to be one of the most influential authors and his ‘voice’ is as loud today as it ever was.An attractive and collectible gift book, this volume is perfectly designed for those interested in, and intrigued by, daily meditation. It collects material from across the breadth of Lewis’s writing talent, taking brief selections from many of his non-fiction works. These extracts are accompanied by brief and engaging snippets of biographical information, offering the reader a more intimate look at Lewis’s life in the context of his writings.

First in a two volume collection of short stories by the acclaimed author of Empire of the Sun, Crash, Cocaine Nights and Super-Cannes.J.G. Ballard is firmly established as one of Britain’s most highly regarded and influential novelists. However, during his long career he was also a prolific writer of short stories, many of which show the germination of ideas he used in his longer fiction.This, the first book in a two-volume collection, offers a platform from which to view Ballard’s other works. Almost all of his novels had their seeds in short stories and this collection provides an extraordinary opportunity to trace the development of one of Britain’s most visionary writers.

The second in a two volume collection of acclaimed short stories by the author of Empire of the Sun, Crash, Cocaine Nights and Super-Cannes.JG Ballard is firmly established as one of Britain’s most highly regarded and influential novelists. However, during his long career he was also a prolific writer of short stories, many of which show the germination of ideas he used in his longer fiction.This, the second book in a two-volume collection, offers a platform from which to view Ballard’s other works. Almost all of his novels had their seeds in short stories and this collection provides an extraordinary opportunity to trace the development of one of Britain’s most visionary writers.

The definitive collection of religious essays by C.S. Lewis, plus a selection of letters, brought together in a substantial paperback volumeAs well as his many books, letters and poems, C.S. Lewis also wrote a great number of essays and shorter pieces on various subjects. He wrote extensively on Christian theology and the defence of faith, but also on various ethical issues and on the nature of literature and story-telling.This second volume (of two) collects together all Lewis’s religious essays. Grouped together by topic, there are over 50 essays covering The Search for God, Aspects of Faith, The Christian in the World, The Church, and also a selection of his Letters on the subject of Christianity.

Elizabeth Smart’s passionate fictional account of her intense love-affair with the poet George Barker, described by Angela Carter as ‘Like MADAME BOVARY blasted by lightning … A masterpiece’.One day, while browsing in a London bookshop, Elizabeth Smart chanced upon a slim volume of poetry by George Barker – and fell passionately in love with him through the printed word. Eventually they communicated directly and, as a result of Barker’s impecunious circumstances, Elizabeth Smart flew both him and his wife from Japan, where he was teaching, to join her in the United States. Thus began one of the most extraordinary, intense and ultimately tragic love affairs of our time. They never married but Elizabeth bore George Barker four children and their relationship provided the impassioned inspiration for one of the most moving and immediate chronicles of a love affair ever written – ‘By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept’.Originally published in 1945, this remarkable book is now widely identified as a classic work of poetic prose which, seven decades later, has retained all of its searing poignancy, beauty and power of impact.

A young man, broken down in the fog, witnesses a murder he is asked to conceal… A full-length novel adapted by Charles Osborne from Agatha Christie’s acclaimed play.When a stranger runs his car into a ditch in dense fog in South Wales and makes his way to an isolated house, he discovers a woman standing over the dead body of her wheelchair-bound husband, gun in her hand. She admits to murder, and the unexpected guest offers to help her concoct a cover story.But is it possible that Laura Warwick did not commit the murder after all? If so, who is she shielding? The victim’s young half-brother or his dying matriarchal mother? Laura’s lover? Perhaps the father of the little boy killed in an accident for which Warwick was responsible? The house seems full of possible suspects…THE UNEXPECTED GUEST is considered to be one of the finest of Christie’s plays. Hailed as ‘another Mousetrap’ when it opened on 12 August 1958 in the West End, it ran for 604 performances over the succeeding 18 months and has been staged many times around the world over the last 40 years.

Hercule Poirot returns in another brilliant murder mystery that can only be solved by the eponymous Belgian detective and his ‘little grey cells’.‘What I intend to say to you will come as a shock . . .’Lady Athelinda Playford has planned a house party at her mansion in Clonakilty, County Cork, but it is no ordinary gathering. As guests arrive, Lady Playford summons her lawyer to make an urgent change to her will – one she intends to announce at dinner that night. She has decided to cut off her two children without a penny and leave her fortune to someone who has only weeks to live . . .Among Lady Playford’s guests are two men she has never met – the famous Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, and Inspector Edward Catchpool of Scotland Yard. Neither knows why he has been invited . . . until Poirot starts to wonder if Lady Playford expects a murderer to strike. But why does she seem so determined to provoke, in the presence of a possible killer?When the crime is committed in spite of Poirot’s best efforts to stop it, and the victim is not who he expected it to be, will he be able to find the culprit and solve the mystery?Following the phenomenal global success of The Monogram Murders, which was published to critical acclaim following a co-ordinated international launch in September 2014, international best-selling crime writer Sophie Hannah has been commissioned by Agatha Christie Limited to pen a second fully-authorised Poirot novel. The new book marks the centenary of the creation of Christie’s world-famous detective Hercule Poirot, introduced in her first book The Mysterious Affair at Styles.

The official sequel to Bram Stoker's classic novel Dracula, written by his direct descendent and endorsed by the Stoker familyThe story begins in 1912, twenty-five years after the events described in the original novel. Dr. Jack Seward, now a disgraced morphine addict, hunts vampires across Europe with the help of a mysterious benefactor. Meanwhile, Quincey Harker, the grown son of Jonathan and Mina, leaves law school to pursue a career in stage at London's famous Lyceum Theatre.The production of Dracula at the Lyceum, directed and produced by Bram Stoker, has recently lost its star. Luckily, Quincey knows how to contact the famed Hungarian actor Basarab, who agrees to take the lead role.Quincey soon discovers that the play features his parents and their former friends as characters, and seems to reveal much about the terrible secrets he's always suspected them of harbouring. But, before he can confront them, Jonathan Harker is found murdered.The writers were able to access Bram Stoker's hand-written notes and have included in their story characters and plot threads that had been excised by the publisher from the original printing over a century ago.Dracula is one of the most recognized fictional characters in the world, having spawned dozens of multi-media spin-offs. The Un-Dead is the first Dracula story to enjoy the full support of the Stoker estate since the original 1931 movie starring Bela Lugosi.

At the end of the Second World War, Jacob Noah emerges from the hole in the ground where he has been hiding for the past three years, and cycles madly back to his home town to find that his parents and brother have perished at the hands of the Nazis. Setting himself up as a shoemaker in the Dutch town of Assen, Noah patiently expands his business until he has become the most influential entrepreneur in the city.But however wealthy he becomes, nothing can console him for the loss of his family and the tragedy of history.In June 1980, on the eve of Assen's annual TT races, a despairing Noah sets off on a journey into the depths of his soul. Guided by a shabby, supernatural pedlar calling himself the 'Jew of Assen', he descends into the smoky heart of the town, a man-made hell modelled on Dis, the city in Dante's Inferno. In a rich and varied explosion of styles, fantasy and philosophical speculations, Marcel Möring leads us on a voyage through the dark heart of the twentieth century, and through a vivid exploration of loss and guilt.

One woman’s passion for books and search for romance lie at the heart of this touching and funny novel about literature and longing in Los Angeles.‘Women do different things when they’re depressed. Some smoke, others drink, some call their therapists, some eat…And I do what I have always done – go off on a book bender that can last for days.’Whenever she’s in crisis – her marriage ends, her career stalls, her fantasy man shows signs of human frailty – Dora (named after Eudora Welty) escapes into not one, not two, but a carefully selected stack of books, shutting the door on the outside world until she emerges from her book binge strong enough to face her problems. Books have always been her saving grace, sheltering her during a difficult childhood and arming her with lessons and epigrams that are right for nearly every situation. But life is more complicated than a-book-a-day, and people – like her ex-alcoholic mother and judgmental sister – aren’t as compliant as beloved characters in a novel…Whether she’s being seduced by a quotation-quipping Quixote, or explaining death to a child by reading from ‘Charlotte’s Web’, Dora is Every-reader, and her charming story, shot through with humour and humanity, will delight anyone who’s ever sought solace in the pages of a book.

Tilly Bagshawe’s sumptuous new novel FAME available alongside WUTHERING HEIGHTS, the classic novel it pays homage to, in this ebook-only edition.If you are a fan of Jilly Cooper and Penny Vincenzi then Tilly Bagshawe is a must read.This is not 'celebrity.'This is the real deal.This is Fame.The raw, sexual beauty of Sabrina Leon demands the attention of all who come into contact with her. Plucked from obscurity at the age of seventeen she's the new darling of the film scene, bagging lead roles in the hottest blockbusters. But Sabrina Leon has a problem. There's a youtube sensation on the web that's set to destroy everything she's fought for…Hotshot movie producer Dorian Razmirez has struggles of his own. A bitter feud with rival producer and playboy, Harry Greene, has resulted in the plug being pulled on every project he goes near. Casting the disgraced Hollywood diva Sabrina Leon in Wuthering Heights is a risk that might cost him what remains of his career.Viorel Hudson, with his jet-black hair, high, slanting cheekbones and smooth, coffee coloured skin, was always destined for great things. Now he's scored a role that every A-lister in Hollywood auditioned for – Heathcliff in Dorian Razmirez's Wuthering Heights. He may be at the height of his career, but is he ready for his latest role? For a five million pound pay cheque, it's a risk he's willing to take.Set against a backdrop of a sumptuous crumbling English country house, the film-set of Wuthering Heights is going to be as salacious as the setting is beautiful.

By the bestselling author of ‘Cocaine Nights’ and ‘Super-Cannes’ – the world is threatened by dramatic climate change in this highly acclaimed and influential novel.Water. Man’s most precious commodity is a luxury of the past. Radioactive waste from years of industrial dumping has caused the sea to form a protective skin strong enough to devastate the Earth it once sustained. And while the remorseless sun beats down on the dying land, civilization itself begins to crack. Violence erupts and insanity reigns as the remnants of mankind struggle for survival in a worldwide desert of despair.Remarkable for its prescience and the originality of its vision, The Drought is a work of major importance from the early career of one of Britain’s most acclaimed novelists.This edition is part of a new commemorative series of Ballard’s works, featuring introductions from a number of his admirers (including Ned Beauman, Ali Smith, Neil Gaiman and Martin Amis) and brand-new cover designs.