- Brand: Om Books InternationalThe Prophet ( Unabridged Classics) : The Originals ₹75.00
About The Book
“Originally published in 1923, The Prophet is Lebanese-American writer, poet, visual artist and philosopher Kahlil Gibran’s best-known work. Comprising 26 poetic essays, on love, beauty, passion, family and death, amongst other meaningful things, accompanied with illustrations by Gibran, The Prophet acquired a cult status upon its publication in America and continues to inspire generations worldwide. This poetic and mystical masterpiece by Gibran is one of the best-selling and most widely translated books in the world. The Prophet is truly an evergreen classic.”
About Kahlil Gibran
KAHLIL GIBRAN was born on 6 January 1883. In his oeuvre of more than 700 sketches and paintings, some of the most significant portraits are of his friends, Auguste Ren Rodin, W.B. Yeats, and Carl Jung. The publication of Gibran’s 1923 masterpiece, The Prophet, a collection of 26 poetic essays, was considered a watershed in the 1960s. Ever since, The Prophet has been translated into more than 40 languages. His writings have had a profound influence on musicians like Elvis Presley, John Lennon, and David Bowie. He died in New York on 10 April 1931. He was 48.
- Brand: Om Books InternationalA Room of One’s Own – Unabridged Classics (The Originals) ₹94.00
About The Book
A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction. A Room of One’s Own, among Virginia Woolf’s best- known works, is an extended essay, based on two lectures that she delivered in October 1928 at Newnham College and Girton College, women’s constituent colleges at the University of Cambridge. First published in September 1929 as a book, this seminal feminist text makes a case for a literal and figurative space for women writers within a literary tradition dominated by men. Woolf feels strongly that the argument that women produce inferior works of literature must be analysed against the backdrop of their existence and circumstances—unlike men, historically and socially, women are denied the time, space and economic independence to produce artistic and creative works. Nearly a century after the publication of A Room of One’s Own, Virginia Woolf’s observation still seems to ring true.
About Virginia Woolf
Born on 25 January 1882, Virginia Woolf was one of the most influential modernist 20th-century English writers, notable for using stream of consciousness as a literary technique in her works. While writing anonymous reviews for journals, she resolved to ‘re-form’ the novel by experimenting with dreams and delirium. Her novel Melymbrosia, which she completed in 1912 was born out of this determination. Recast and published in 1915 as The Voyage Out, it was about a young woman’s journey of selfdiscovery on her father’s ship in South America. Later, she modelled many of her characters on real-life associates and acquaintances.
At the onset of 1924, the Woolfs moved their residence from the suburbs back to Bloomsbury, where a relationship blossomed between the aristocratic Vita Sackville-West and Virginia. With Sackville-West, she learned to face her anxieties and overcome her nervous ailments. In fact, Orlando, a fantastical biography is partly a portrait of Vita Sackville-West.
One of the most important chapters in her early life was the summer home the family visited in St Ives, Cornwall, where she first beheld the Godrevy Lighthouse. To the Lighthouse (1927) is, therefore, considered one of her most autobiographical novels. Apart from her extremely popular extended essay, ‘A Room of One’s Own’ (1929), her other seminal works include-Mrs Dalloway (1925), Orlando (1928) and The Waves (1931).
In 1941, Virginia Woolf drowned herself in a river, aged 59. Her last work, Between the Acts, was posthumously published later that year.
Other Books By Virginia Woolf - Brand: Om Books InternationalThe Great Gatsby ( Unabridged Classics): The Originals ₹94.00
About The Book
Hailed as the 20th century’s best American novel, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby was first published in 1925. An exploration of a variety of themes—artistic and cultural dynamism, evolution of jazz music, economic prosperity, organised crime culture, technologies in communication—The Great Gatsby, is a reflection of the Roaring Twenties, often described as a cautionary tale of the ‘American Dream’. In the summer of 1922, Jay Gatsby, a young and enigmatic millionaire falls in love with Daisy Fay Buchanan. Nick Carraway, a veteran of the Great War from the Midwest (and Daisy Fay Buchanan’s cousin), rents a small house on Long Island, next to Jay Gatsby’s opulent mansion where he throws extravagant parties. A series of extraordinary events unfold and Fitzgerald presents a critical social history of America through his unusual characters. The initial response to The Great Gatsby was mixed and the book sold only 20,000 copies. Fitzgerald died thinking himself to be a failed writer. His work came into prominence during World War II and The Great Gatsby joined the ranks of the world’s leading classics. A satirical exposé of the Jazz Age, The Great Gatsby is a must-read for literature lovers.
About F. Scott Fitzgerald
F. Scott Fitzgerald was born on September 24, 1896, in St. Paul. Minnesota. His work illustrates the Jazz Age. One of the greatest American novelists and short story writers of the 20th century Fitzgerald is considered a member of the “Lost Generation” of the 1920s. Some of his finest works include This Side of Paradise. Beautiful and Damned, The Great Gatsby and Tender is the Night His fifth novel, The Last Tycoon, was published posthumously The In 1917, he joined the U.S. Army, where he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the infantry and assigned to Alabama. It was here that he fell in love with Zelda Sayre, who later became his wife and his muse. Scott Fitzgerald died in 1940. Other Books By F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Brand: Om Books InternationalThe Metamorphosis ( Unabridged Classics) : The Originals ₹94.00
About The Book
I cannot make you understand. I cannot make anyone understand what is happening inside me. I cannot even explain it to myself. Originally published in German as die verwandlung (1915), The metamorphosis is one of the Austrian writer Franz Kafka finest stories. A masterpiece of absurdist ‘Kafkaesque’ fiction, The novella traces the life of a salesman, Gregor SA MS a, who wakes up one day to find himself transformed into a hideous insect. With its myriad psychological, sociological, feminist and artistic interpretations, this novella remains a favourite amongst literary critics. Subsequent writers of absurdist fiction were deeply inspired by the metamorphosis, that has been adapted into film, television and theatre since it was first published.
About Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka (1883-1924), a German-speaking Bohemian Jewish novelist, was one of the foremost writers of the 20th century. His novels The Judgement (1913) and The Trial (1925), cemented his reputation as a writer. Kafka had a concise style of writing and the themes of despair and alienation were recurrent in his works. He was also a writer of fine short stories that were existentialist in tone.
Although he received little literary attention while he was alive, Kafka became an important figure of German literature when his close friend and literary executor, Max Brod, refused to destroy his novels, diaries and letters upon his death, as was instructed by Kafka. The term Kafkaesque derives from Kafka’s name and denotes the nightmarish, absurd and oppressive situations that the protagonists often face in his works.
Kafka died of tuberculosis, aged 40. - Brand: Om Books InternationalThe Alchemist ( Unabridged Classics) : The Originals ₹94.00
About The Book
Reading books is a kind of enjoyment. Reading books is a good habit. We bring you a different kinds of books. You can carry this book where ever you want. It is easy to carry. It can be an ideal gift to yourself and to your loved ones. Care instruction keep away from fire.
About Ben Jonson
Ben Jonson, born on 11 June 1572, was an English dramatist, poet, and literary critic. After completing his formal education, he joined his stepfather’s business, but left it to pursue a career in writing. By 1597, he was writing plays for Philip Henslowe. Jonson became a name to reckon with in 1598, when his play Every Man in His Humour was successfully presented by the Lord Chamberlain’s theatrical company.
Known for his literary craftsmanship and his fine artistic ability, Jonson’s direct influence is discernible in each genre he explored. Every Man in His Humour (1598), Volpone (1605), Epicoene; or, The Silent Woman (1609), and Bartholomew Fair (1614) are amongst his most notable plays.
Remembered as the second most important English dramatist after William Shakespeare, Jonson died in 1637. - Brand: Om Books InternationalVolpone ( Unabridged Classics) : The Originals ₹94.00
About The Book
“Poor wretches! I rather pity their folly and indiscretion, than their loss of time and money; for these may be recovered by Industry: but to be a fool born is a disease incurable.” Written by English dramatist, Ben Jonson, Volpone, the 17th-century Renaissance drama is a sharp comment on society, that underscores elements of dark humour, greed and lust. Partially classified as a beast-fable, its central character Volpone, a wealthy old man, is bedridden. Drawn to him are three legacy hunters – voltore, a lawyer, corbaccio, an old gentleman and corvino, a merchant – who lavish gifts on him in the hope of inheriting the estate from a grateful Volpone upon his death. Believed to be amongst the finest Jacobean comedies and Ben jonson’s most performed play, Volpone derives its strength from its unforgettable lesson on human greed and avarice.
About Ben Jonson
Ben Jonson, born on 11 June 1572, was an English dramatist, poet, and literary critic. After completing his formal education, he joined his stepfather’s business, but left it to pursue a career in writing. By 1597, he was writing plays for Philip Henslowe. Jonson became a name to reckon with in 1598, when his play Every Man in His Humour was successfully presented by the Lord Chamberlain’s theatrical company.
Known for his literary craftsmanship and his fine artistic ability, Jonson’s direct influence is discernible in each genre he explored. Every Man in His Humour (1598), Volpone (1605), Epicoene; or, The Silent Woman (1609), and Bartholomew Fair (1614) are amongst his most notable plays.
Remembered as the second most important English dramatist after William Shakespeare, Jonson died in 1637. - Brand: Om Books InternationalThe Comedy of Errors – Unabridged Classics (The Originals) ₹113.00
About The Book
“I to the world am like a drop of water that in the ocean seeks another drop.” English playwright and national poet William Shakespeare’s five-act comedy, The Comedy of Errors was written between 1589 and 1594, and first published in the First Folio from Shakespeare’s manuscript in 1623. It was based on Menaechmi by Plautus, with additional material from Plautus’s Amphitruo and the story of Apollonius of Tyre. After both being separated from their twins in a shipwreck, Antipholus and his slave Dromio head to Ephesus to find them. The other set of twins lives in Ephesus, and the new arrivals cause a series of incidents of mistaken identity. The twins eventually manage to find each other and their parents, and resolve all their earlier troubles. The play’s comedy springs from the presence of twin brothers, unknown to each other, in the same town. The plot twists regale readers with suspense, surprise, humour, and excitement. Superbly constructed and flawlessly executed, The Comedy of Errors reveals Shakespeare’s mastery of the dramatic form.
About William Shakespeare
Prolific English dramatist and national poet William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. He lived in London for 25 years and wrote most of his plays there. The author of 37 plays and 154 sonnets, Shakespeare is considered the greatest writer in the English language and a dramatist without equal. Adept at both tragedy and comedy, the bard of Avon encompassed an incredible range of human emotions as well as mystery, magic, and romance in his plays. He wrote tragedies, comedies, and historical plays, and also performed on stage with the actors of the Lord Chamberlain’s Company. The wordsmith left an indelible mark on the English language and invented several words which are in use today. Shakespeare’s widely-adapted tragedies include Macbeth, Hamlet, King Lear, and Othello and his comedies include All’s Well That Ends Well, As You Like It, The Comedy of Errors, The Merchant of Venice, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Other Books By William Shakespeare
- Brand: Om Books InternationalA Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man ( Unabridged Classics) : The Originals ₹113.00
About The Book
“The first novel by Irish writer, James Joyce, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is a coming-of-age tale about the religious and intellectual awakening of the protagonist. In this semi-autobiographical novel, Joyce examines what distinguishes the individual from the social, religious and cultural, by mapping the ever-changing landscape of the mind. Written in a modernist style, the novel traces the journey of young Stephen Dedalus, a fictitious alter ego of Joyce, with an allusion to the skilful craftsman and artist of Greek mythology. Stephen rebels against the Catholic and Irish mores that govern his upbringing, culminating in his self-imposed exile from Ireland to Europe. American modernist poet Ezra Pound had the novel serialised in the English literary magazine The Egotist in 1914 and 1915. Published as a book in 1916 by B.W. Huebsch of New York, Joyce’s debut novel earned him his place as a frontrunner of literary modernism.”
About James Joyce
Born on 2 February 1882 in Dublin, Ireland, James Joyce was one of the most revered writers of the 20th century. His masterpiece, Ulysses, remains an unparalleled literary feat. His exploration of language and his exceptional use of the stream-of-consciousness technique immensely contributed to the modernist avant-garde, inspiring contemporary writers to experiment with fresh perspective.
A brilliant student, Joyce briefly attended the Christian Brothers-run O’Connell School before excelling at the Jesuit schools Clongowes and Belvedere. In 1904, in his early twenties, he emigrated permanently to continental Europe with his partner and future wife, Nora Barnacle. Though most of his life was spent in Trieste, Paris and Zurich, his fictional universe was largely set in Dublin, with characters who resembled his family members, acquaintances, friends and enemies. Joyce’s other well known works include Dubliners, a short-story collection; his first novel, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, which caught the attention of the American poet, Ezra Pound, who praised him for his unconventional style and voice, and the masterly Finnegans Wake. Following the Nazi invasion of Paris, he and his family moved to southern France in 1940. On 13 January 1941, following an intestinal operation, the writer passed away in Zurich, where he is buried in the Fluntern cemetery.Other Books By James Joyce
- Brand: Om Books InternationalThree Man in a Boat ( Unabridged Classics ) : The Originals ₹113.00
About The Book
“But who wants to be foretold the weather? It is bad enough when it comes, without our having the misery of knowing about it beforehand. Published in 1889, Three Men In A Boat is the most widely acclaimed novel by English author Jerome K. Jerome. Jerome wrote the novel after going on a boating trip along River Thames. Intended initially to serve as a tour guide, the novel, however, was soon overtaken by the comical elements and transformed into the humorous travelogue that is a classic today. Three friends, J. (Jerome), Harris and George, are apparent hypochondriacs in need of a vacation. A two-week long boating trip, they feel, would be good for their health. Narrated by “J.”, an embodiment of Jerome K. Jerome himself, the story chronicles in the form of ramblings and digressions, the hilarious adventures and mishaps of the three friends. The novel’s success led to a sequel, Three Men On The Bummel (1900) and was adapted in several art-forms including film and theatre.”
About Jerome K. Jerome
JEROME KLAPKA JEROME, born on 2 May 1859 in Caldmore, Wallsall, England, was a famous English novelist, playwright and humorist. Before embarking on a literary career, he had worked as a railway clerk, actor, high school teacher and a journalist. In 1889, even though he became well known in the English literary circle with his comic travelogue Three Men In A Boat, success did not come easily to him. Jerome, however, continued to write short stories and satirical essays that he sent to various magazines. Finally, he achieved mild success with his memoir On The Stage And Off (1885) which consisted of comic sketches of his experiences as an actor. This was followed by Idle Thoughts Of An Idle Fellow (1886) initially published as a series of humorous essays in Home Chimes the famous magazine to which Jerome contributed regularly along with other authors like J.M. Barrie and E. Nesbit. Three Men In A Boat and Idle Thoughts Of An Idle Fellow turned Jerome into one of the most influential and celebrated English authors. Jerome K. Jerome also served as an ambulance driver for the French army during World War I. He died at the age of 68 on 14 June 1927 after suffering from a paralytic stroke and cerebral haemorrhage. In memory of the author, a museum was opened in Walsall in 1984, which subsequently closed in 2008.
Other Books By Jerome K. Jerome
- Brand: Om Books InternationalHeidi (Unabridged Classics) : The Originals ₹113.00
About The Book
Let’s enjoy the beautiful things we can see, my dear, and not think about those we cannot. A book “for children and those who love children”, Heidi (1881) is a story of an orphan girl who is sent to live with her grumpy grandfather in the Swiss Alps. The embittered grandfather who lives in seclusion, is known as ‘Uncle Alp’, and deeply resents Heidi’s arrival. But soon, he grows fond of her. Lost in the idyllic world of snow-covered mountains, Heidi befriends Peter, the goatherd, his mother, Bridget, and his blind maternal grandmother. While all seems well in Heidi’s wonderland, she is soon compelled to leave the comforts of the hills and go to Frankfurt to live with a differently-abled girl named Clara. Overcoming the initial difficulties, Heidi and Clara become friends. Amidst the grey streets of a new city, Heidi struggles to overcome her homesickness. If only she could return to the mountains. Will she ever meet her grandfather again? Written well over a century ago, Johanna Spyri’s evergreen tale of a young girl’s coming of age, of her bravery and compassion, remains a classic.
About Johanna Spyri
Born on 12 June 1827, Johanna Heusser was raised in Hirzel, a small village in Zurich, Switzerland. Her mother Meta Heusser-Schweizer wrote religious poetry and hymns, and agreed to have her works published on the condition that her identity wouldn’t be disclosed. In 1875, a selection of Alpine Lyrics by her was translated into English.
At 16, Johanna was sent to a residential school in Yverdon, western Switzerland. Later, she studied Modern Languages and Piano in Zurich.
In 1852, Johanna married a lawyer and journalist named Johann Bernhard Spyri. Her husband being a workaholic, their marriage suffered and gradually, Johanna sunk into depression. In 1884, tragedy struck when she lost her son, Bernhard who was only 28 and her husband.
Encouraged by a family friend, Johanna began to write to overcome depression and published her first story Ein Blatt auf Vronys Grab (A Leaf From Vrony’s Grave) in 1871. The success of her very first story fuelled her passion for writing, that she pursued diligently. Between 1871 and 1901, Johanna published 27 books and several volumes of stories for children and adults.
As a writer, she was concerned about the upbringing of children in 19th-century Europe. Instead of treating them as imperfect adults, she wanted to present a child’s world as very different from an adult’s.
Heidi (1881), a novel that she wrote in four weeks, reflects the writer’s psychological insight into a child’s mind. A world classic, which has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide, Heidi has been translated from German into 50 languages. Johanna Spyri died in Zurich on 7 July 1901.
Other Books By Johanna Spyri - Brand: Om Books InternationalThe Scarlet Letter ( Unabridged Classics) : The Originals ₹113.00
About The Book
“She had not known the weight until she felt the freedom. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s masterpiece, The Scarlet Letter, set in 17th-century Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony, is the tale of Hester Prynne’s ‘shame’ following the birth of a child whose father remains unidentified for the larger part of the narrative. Hester’s defiance in the face of expulsion and repudiation makes her a heroine ahead of her time. Pearl, the illegitimate daughter, Arthur Dimmesdale, the ‘cheating’ Minister of Church, Reverend John Wilson, and the malicious Roger Chillingworth are Hawthorne’s characters whose lives, premised on guilt and pride, take a tumultuous turn as the cataclysmic outcome of an act of passion. The embroidered scarlet ‘A’—that she is required to wear on her dress on the day of her punishment— becomes a manifestation of Hester’s ‘adultery’, her erratic past and ignominious present. Will she break her vow of silence?”
About Nathaniel Hawthorne
American novelist and short story writer Nathaniel Hawthorne was born on 4 July 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts.
Hawthorne studied at Bowdoin College from 1821 to 1825 and shortly thereafter published his first novel Fanshawe in 1828. In 1836, he served as the editor of the American Magazine of Useful and Entertaining Knowledge.
Predominantly a short story writer in his early career, Hawthorne, after publishing Twice-Told Tales (1837), surprisingly observed about his own works, I do not think much of them. However, his most popular short stories include My Kinsman, Major Molineux (1832), The Minister’s Black Veil (1832), Young Goodman Brown (1835) and Feathertop (1852).
Hawthorne’s other major romances apart from the bestselling The Scarlet Letter (1850) were The House of the Seven Gables (1851), The Blithedale Romance (1852) and The Marble Faun (1860). For Hawthorne, romance was about exploring psychological themes like sin, human fallibility, self-destruction and retribution. Dark romanticism bordering on surrealism is what Hawthorne’s works, inspired by Puritan New England, were steeped in.
His seminal essay Chiefly About War Matters (1862) foregrounded the author’s experiences of meeting eminent figures like Abraham Lincoln, during his travel to Washington, D.C., amidst the American Civil War.
Among his published works, a biography of his college friend Franklin Pierce, the 14th President of the United States is also noteworthy.
Hawthorne died in his sleep on 19 May 1864. - Brand: Om Books InternationalAround the World in 80 Days ( Unabridged Classics) : The Originals ₹113.00
About The Book
The chance which now seems lost may present itself at the last moment. Jules Verne’s around the world in 80 days (1873) is the story of Phileas Fogg, an affluent English gentleman who leads a solitary life. Though Fogg doesn’t boast of a vibrant social life, he is a member of the reform club. After reading an article in the daily Telegraph about the opening of a new Railway section in India, which promises to make travel around the world possible in 80 days, he accepts a wager for 20, 000 from fellow club members, which will be given to him only if he makes it around the world in 80 days. With his newly employed French manservant Passe-partout, he leaves London by train on 2 October 1872. From rescuing a Raja’s young wife from Sati in the exotic land of India, boarding a train from San Francisco to new York which is attacked by a livid Sioux tribe, to finding a Steamboat destined for Bordeaux, France, the heroic traveller’ adventures continue to mesmerise readers even today.
About Jules Verne
Born on 8 February 1828, Jules Gabriel Verne was a French novelist, poet and playwright who has also been the second most-translated writer in the world since 1979.
Popular for writing about air, underwater and space travel much before submarines or air travel became a reality, Verne was a visionary. Early in life, he began writing for magazines and his collaboration with Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the Voyages Extraordinaires series that included Journey To The Center Of The Earth (1864), 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (1870) and Around The World In 80 Days (1873). A writer of plays, poems, operetta libretti, short stories, essays and miscellaneous non-fiction, Verne, in his works imagined a more harmonious and humanitarian society.
English translations of Verne’s novels began in 1869 with William Lackland’s translation of Five Weeks In A Balloon (originally published in 1863), and continued throughout his writing career, with publishers and translators working together to have his most popular books printed into English language.
On Verne and his influence on literature, Ray Bradbury had remarked, We are all, in one way or another, the children of Jules Verne. - Brand: Om Books InternationalWuthering Heights ( Unabridged Classics) : The Originals ₹113.00
About The Book
Published in 1847, Emily Brontë’s only novel Wuthering Heights is an evergreen classic. A passionate tale of love between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, the novel challenged Victorian ideals of morality, class, religion and gender inequality. Heathcliff, an orphan, brought to Wuthering Heights by Mr. Earnshaw, represents the quintessential Byronic hero—brooding and enigmatic, whose social status is foregrounded by his lack of a first name. Spurned by Catherine and humiliated by her brother, Hindley, Heathcliff leaves the Heights, only to return later as a revenge-seeking, wealthy and polished man. Catherine chooses to marry Edgar Linton, an antithesis to Heathcliff. What follows is a series of disastrous events in which the characters are consumed by their tragic fate. Evocative and gothic, the novel was initially termed ‘abhorrent’ and later appreciated for its originality and poetic grandeur.
About Emily Bronte
Born on 30 July 1818 in Thornton, Yorkshire, England, Emily Jane Bront was the younger sister of Charlotte Bront, and the fifth of six children. Emily Bront was considered an enigmatic literary figure and remains a difficult subject for biographers till date. Her only nove Wuthering Heights was published under the pseudonym Ellis Bell. In April 1821, Emily’s mother died of cancer a few months after the family moved to Haworth. Thereafter, her mother’s sister came to live with the family. At the tender age of six, Emily joined the Clergy Daughters School at Cowan Bridge along with her sisters Charlotte, Elizabeth and Maria. Unfortunately, their father had to withdraw both Charlotte and Emily after elder sisters Elizabeth and Maria became critically ill at school and eventually died of tuberculosis in 1825. First published in London in 1847, Wuthering Heights appeared as part of a three-volume collection including younger sister Anne Bront’s debut novel Agnes Grey (under the pseudonym Acton Bell). Critics and reviewers were perplexed at the structure of Wuthering Heights; some even described it as a work of fiction that could have been written only by a man. Emily’s real name was printed on the title page much later posthumously, in 1850 for a commercial edition. Soon after the release of the novel, Emily’s health she had been battling tuberculosis deteriorated. On 19 December 1848, Emily Bront died in Haworth, Yorkshire, England. - Brand: Om Books InternationalThe Picture of Dorian Gray ( Unabridged Classics) : The Originals ₹113.00
About The Book
“The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame. The Picture of Dorian Gray, the only novel by Oscar Wilde is also his most famous work. First published in Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine in 1890, the novel was recognised as a masterpiece decades later. Initially, it garnered negative criticism due to the undercurrents of homosexuality which hurt Victorian sensibility. In his characteristic witty fashion, Wilde conveys brilliantly the relationship between art, life and morality. Dorian Gray, a disarmingly good-looking young man, marvels at his own portrait and is resentful of the idea of the portrait remaining beautiful while he is destined to age. Thus, he makes a Faustian wish to remain young and retain his physical beauty forever whereas his portrait is to be marked with age and his moral degradation. Oscar Wilde notably defended The Picture of Dorian Gray by seeking the artist’s right to make ‘art for art’s sake’, a concept famous during Aestheticism in the latter half of the 19th century. The Picture of Dorian Gray remains influential even in the 21st century.”
About Oscar Wilde
Born on 16 October 1854, Oscar Wilde was a famous Irish poet and playwright. Part of a family of intellectuals, he was educated at the most prestigious colleges in Great Britain Trinity College, University of Dublin and Magdalen College, University of Oxford. During his years in university, he was drawn to Aestheticism, the art movement prevalent in late 19th century. He wrote essays, propagated ideas as a lecturer and also wrote the famous novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, which he vehemently defended using the concept of making art for art’s sake. His aesthetic sensibilities mixed with his wit were apparent in notable plays such as The Importance of Being Earnest and Lady Windermere’s Fan, and established him as a successful playwright.
However, Wilde had a harrowing personal life because of his homosexuality. He was prosecuted and imprisoned in 1895 for two years. The idea of homosexuality in his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray was used against him to strengthen the case. Upon his release, he left for France, never to return to England.
His health declined after his release from prison and he died of meningitis in 1900, aged 46. - Brand: Om Books InternationalThe Importance of Being Earnest ( Unabridged Classics) : The Originals ₹113.00
About The Book
“The truth is rarely pure and never simple. Two women fall in love with men of the same name. This mythical suitor is called ‘Ernest’, a name that has been adopted by both Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff to win the hearts of their beloveds, Gwendolen Fairfax and Cecily Cardew, respectively. As pandemonium breaks out at Jack’s country home on the same weekend, and while the identity of ‘Ernest’ is still uncertain, only an insignificant handbag and an old nursemaid can save the day! A farce where characters take on fictitious roles, Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest is a delightful carnival of lovers in conflict, warped identities, clandestine arrangements, witticism and incisive, artful conversations. The eccentricity and effervescence in Wilde’s plot and characters are enjoyed by readers and viewers even today. Ever since it was first performed in London’s St. James’ Theatre on 14 February 1895, this brilliant tour de force has inspired many other adaptations. The Importance of Being Earnest remains an evergreen classic!”
About Oscar Wilde
Born on 16 October 1854, Oscar Wilde was a famous Irish poet and playwright. Part of a family of intellectuals, he was educated at the most prestigious colleges in Great Britain Trinity College, University of Dublin and Magdalen College, University of Oxford. During his years in university, he was drawn to Aestheticism, the art movement prevalent in late 19th century. He wrote essays, propagated ideas as a lecturer and also wrote the famous novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, which he vehemently defended using the concept of making art for art’s sake.
His aesthetic sensibilities mixed with his wit were apparent in notable plays such as The Importance of Being Earnest and Lady Windermere’s Fan, and established him as a successful playwright.
However, Wilde had a harrowing personal life because of his homosexuality. He was prosecuted and imprisoned in 1895 for two years. The idea of homosexuality in his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray was used against him to strengthen the case. Upon his release, he left for France, never to return to England.
His health declined after his release from prison and he died of meningitis in 1900, aged 46. - Brand: Om Books InternationalTales From Shakespeare: The Originals ₹113.00
About The Book
From the repertoire of William Shakespeare’s most remarkable romantic comedies and classical tragedies, Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb is a keepsake collection for all lovers of literature. From Portia’s spontaneous wit to Desdemona’s untainted innocence; Cordelia’s candour to Romeo and Juliet’s tragic tale of passionate love, Tales from Shakespeare explores all facets of human personality with utmost sensitivity and great finesse. Charles and Mary Lamb promise their young readers a unique rediscovery of the Bard’s 20 phenomenal plays, bringing them closer to the relevance of the revered author’s prose and verse in the 21st century. The language is simple, the literary flavour is intact and the reading experience is exceptionally soul-satisfying. This collection is a perfect companion for all seasons.
About Charles and Mary Lamb
CHARLES LAMB (1775-1834), an English essayist and playwright, is best-known for his collection of essays Essays of Elia. His older sister, MARY LAMB (1764-1847) was an English writer Despite his unstable mental state, Charles Lamb enjoyed an active social life, with his London salon as a weekly meeting place for the most eminent authors, artists and actors of the era. However, Mary’s mental state was more unstable than her brother’s, and in 1976, she suffered from a nervous breakdown, after which she was put in the care of her younger brother In 1807, encouraged by their close friend, novelist and philosopher William Godwin, they both collaborated to write the groundbreaking book, Tales from Shakespeare aiming at simplifying 20 of Shakespeare’s plays for young readers. The book is one of the world’s leading classics today
