To Charlie Shribner And To Max Perkins

Robinson Crusoe is a novel by Daniel Defoe, first published on 25 April 1719. The first edition credited the work's protagonist Robinson Crusoe as its author, leading many readers to believe he was a real person and the book a travelogue of true incidents.

The Aeneid is an epic poem written in 12 books and is modeled in part on the great Greek epic poems, on Homer's Iliadand Odyssey, and on Apollonius' Argonautica. The Iliad describes the exploits of Achilles and other Greek heroes in the Trojan War (the same war which forced Aeneas to leave Troy and is described in Book II of the Aeneid) whilst the Odyssey describes how Ulysses (or Odysseus in Greek) wandered for many years, trying to return home after the Trojan War. The first six books of the Aeneid parallel the Odyssey because they describe Aeneas' search for a home. Aeneas even stops in many of the same places that Odysseus did. There is an important difference, however, for whilst Odysseus was trying to return to his original home, Aeneas must find a new place in which to settle and make his home. The second six books parallel the Iliad, for they describe the war in Italy just as the Iliad describes the Trojan War. Again, there are many parallels. For example, the Trojans are besieged inside their fort in Italy just as they were trapped inside Troy. But again there is an important difference, since the Iliad describes how the Trojans lost the war and Troy fell but in theAeneid the Trojans win the war in Italy and get the chance to build a new city. Virgil imitates many scenes from both the Iliad and the Odyssey in his epic, but he always changes them in significant ways so that they illustrate his own Roman themes. One of the most important differences between Homer's epics and the Aeneid is that it can be read as a patriotic poem whilst the Iliad and the Odyssey are poems about individuals and their adventures.

Mr. Jones of Manor Farm is so lazy and drunken that one day he forgets to feed his livestock. The ensuing rebellion under the leadership of the pigs Napoleon and Snowball leads to the animals taking over the farm. Vowing to eliminate the terrible inequities of the farmyard, the renamed Animal Farm is organised to benefit all who walk on four legs. But as time passes, the ideals of the rebellion are corrupted, then forgotten. And something new and unexpected emerges. . . George Orwell (Eric Arthur Blair) was an accomplished social, political and literary commentator and essayist known for his non-fiction works The Road to Wigan Pier and Homage to Catalonia. His most famous novels, Animal Farm and 1984 have influenced a generation of twentieth century political satirists and dystopian novelists.

is an epic allegory of the spiritual journey of man. Virgil, Dante the pilgrim's guide, leads him through the 7 layers of hell. Throughout his journey through the torturous layers, Dante discovers the perfection of God's divine justice and themes of contrapasso are largely explored. Classical symbolism and classical figures are constantly referenced. This serves to emphasize that God's power rules over all - even pagan characters/figures. Dante also uses structure prominently to emphasize the trinity. By organizing the poem into 3 line stanza's consistently, it emphasizes the perfection of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Similarly, pay close attention to the numbering of Cantos. The number symbolism of '3' for the trinity, and '7' for the holy number is consistently used throughout the work.--

Paradise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton (1608-1674). The first version, published in 1667, consisted of ten books with over ten thousand lines of verse. A second edition followed in 1674, arranged into twelve books (in the manner of Virgil's Aeneid) with minor revisions throughout and a note on the verification. It is considered by critics to be Milton's major work, and it helped solidify his reputation as one of the greatest English poets of his time. The poem concerns the biblical story of the Fall of Man: the temptation of Adam and Eve by the fallen angel Satan and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Milton's purpose, stated in Book I, is to "justify the ways of God to men".

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is a collection of twelve stories written by Arthur Conan Doyle featuring his famous detective.

The Return of Sherlock Holmes is a collection of 13 Sherlock Holmes stories, originally published in 1903-1904, by Arthur Conan Doyle. The stories were published in the Strand Magazine in Great Britain, and Collier's in the United States. Cover made by the wonderful @-capetown