Art, fashion, fame and sex - artist Esther Glass has it all. That is, until a ghost from her past threatens to destroy her perfect life. Trying to cover her tracks, Esther goes for ultimate sensation, selling herself as a living work of art. She takes the international art scene by storm, performing as the female sitters inside seven great paintings. But underneath the surface the cracks start to show as Esther is forced to reconcile a very private history with a very public life. Fast-paced, smart and scintillating, Masterpiece gives the reader a rare glimpse into a closed world.
The 'invisible masterpiece', then, is an unattainable ideal, an ideal that has both bewitched and bewildered artists." "The Invisible Masterpiece is an unusual reconstruction of the history of the work of art since 1800, in which Hans Belting explores and explains the dreams and fears, the triumphs and failures of modernity's painters and sculptors."--BOOK JACKET.
Twenty years in the making, this collection presents 122 top-level Soviet, European and American records on the superpowers' role in the annus mirabilis of 1989. Consisting of Politburo minutes; diary entries from Gorbachev's senior aide, Anatoly Chernyaev; meeting notes and private communications of Gorbachev with George H.W. Bush, Margaret Thatcher, Helmut Kohl and François Mitterrand; and high-level CIA analyses, this volume offers a rare insider's look at the historic, world-transforming events that culminated in the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe and the end of the Cold War. Most of these records have never been published before.
Invest your time in reading the true masterpieces of world literature, the great works of the greatest masters of their craft, the revolutionary works, the timeless classics and the eternally moving poetry of words and storylines every person should experience in their lifetime: Leaves of Grass (Walt Whitman) Siddhartha (Herman Hesse) Middlemarch (George Eliot) The Madman (Kahlil Gibran) Ward No. 6 (Anton Chekhov) Moby-Dick (Herman Melville) The Picture of Dorian Gray (Oscar Wilde) Crime and Punishment (Dostoevsky) The Overcoat (Gogol) Ulysses (James Joyce) Walden (Henry David Thoreau) Hamlet (Shakespeare) Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare) Macbeth (Shakespeare) The Waste Land (T. S. Eliot) Odes (John Keats) The Flowers of Evil (Charles Baudelaire) Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen) Jane Eyre (Charlotte Brontë) Wuthering Heights (Emily Brontë) Anna Karenina (Leo Tolstoy) Vanity Fair (Thackeray) Swann's Way (Marcel Proust) Sons and Lovers (D. H. Lawrence) Great Expectations (Charles Dickens) Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) Jude the Obscure (Thomas Hardy) Two Years in the Forbidden City (Princess Der Ling) Les Misérables (Victor Hugo) The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas) Pepita Jimenez (Juan Valera) The Red Badge of Courage (Stephen Crane) A Room with a View (E. M. Forster) Sister Carrie (Theodore Dreiser) The Jungle (Upton Sinclair) The Republic (Plato) Meditations (Marcus Aurelius) Art of War (Sun Tzu) Candide (Voltaire) Don Quixote (Cervantes) Decameron (Boccaccio) Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Dream Psychology (Sigmund Freud) The Einstein Theory of Relativity The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Agatha Christie) A Study in Scarlet (Arthur Conan Doyle) Heart of Darkness (Joseph Conrad) The Call of Cthulhu (H. P. Lovecraft) Frankenstein (Mary Shelley) The War of the Worlds (H. G. Wells) The Raven (Edgar Allan Poe) The Sun Also Rises (Ernest Hemingway) The Wonderful Wizard of Oz The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn The Call of the Wild Alice in Wonderland The Fairytales of Brothers Grimm The Fairytales of Hans Christian Andersen
180 Masterpieces You Should Read Before You Die (Vol.2) encapsulates an extraordinary spectrum of literary genius, spanning several centuries and encompassing a diverse range of themes, styles, and cultural perspectives. From the introspective existential quests seen in the works of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe to the pioneering adventures of Jules Verne and the intricate social critiques offered by Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, this anthology transcends the ordinary scope of literary collections. It not only showcases the pivotal movements in literary history but also includes standout pieces such as the deeply humanistic plays of Henrik Ibsen and the captivating narratives of Edgar Allan Poe, offering readers a panoramic view of the evolution of literature over time. The authors and editors, hailing from varied geographical, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds, represent the crème de la crème of global literature. Together, they provide a tapestry of human experience, reflecting the shift from Romanticism to Realism, and the advent of Modernism. The anthology is a testament to how disparate literary voices can illuminate the complexities of human life across different epochs. Contributors like Virginia Woolf and James Joyce, with their experimental narratives, alongside the moral deliberations in the works of Dostoyevsky and the epic storytelling of Homer, highlight a collective endeavor to explore the multifaceted nature of existence. This anthology is not merely a collection of writings; it is an invitation to traverse the expanses of human thought and emotion across ages and continents. Readers are encouraged to immerse themselves in the rich tapestry of stories, essays, and plays that have shaped human consciousness and continue to influence our perceptions of the world. '180 Masterpieces You Should Read Before You Die (Vol.2)' offers an unparalleled opportunity to engage with the words and wisdom of some of history's greatest minds, making it an essential addition to the library of any serious lover of literature.
50 Masterpieces you have to read before you die is the book that everyone should read to understand themselves and each other. The authors and works for this book were selected, as a result of numerous studies, analysis of the texts over the past 100 years and the demand for readers. It must be read in order to understand the world around us, its history, to recognize the heroes, to understand the winged expressions and jokes that come from these literary works. Reading these books will mean the discovery of a world of self-development and self-expression for each person. These books have been around for decades, and sometimes centuries, for the time they recreate, the values they teach, the point of view, or simply the beauty of words. This volume includes famous works: Frances Hodgson Burnett - The Secret Garden Homer - The Iliad Homer - The Odyssey Charles Dickens - A Christmas Carol Charles Dickens - Great Expectations Charles Dickens - Bleak House Charles Dickens - Oliver Twist Lyman Frank Baum - The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz Nathaniel Hawthorne - The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne - The House Of The Seven Gables Thomas Hardy - Jude The Obscure Robert Louis Stevenson -The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde Robert Louis Stevenson - Treasure Island Henry Haggard - King Solomon's Mines Wilkie Collins - The Woman In White H. G. Wells - The Island Of Doctor Moreau Sir Walter Scott - Ivanhoe Wilkie Collins - The Moonstone A Romance Lucy Maud Montgomery - Anne Of Green Gables Louisa May Alcott - Little Women Henry Fielding - Amelia Mary Shelley - Frankenstein, Or The Modern Prometheus Arthur Conan Doyle - The Lost World Leo Tolstoy - Anna Karenina Euripides - Medea Fyodor Dostoevsky - The Idiot Fyodor Dostoevsky - Crime And Punishment Alexander Pushkin - Eugene Onegin A Romance Of Russian Life In Verse James Fenimore Cooper - The Last Of The Mohicans Daniel Defoe - Robinson Crusoe Joseph Conrad - Heart Of Darkness Jonathan Swift - Gulliver’s Travels William Shakespeare - Romeo And Juliet William Shakespeare - Hamlet, Prince Of Denmark William Shakespeare - Othello Oscar Wilde - The Picture Of Dorian Gray John Bunyan - The Pilgrim's Progress From This World To That Which Is To Come Charles Darwin - The Origin Of Species Or The Preservation Of Favoured Races In The Struggle For Life Alfred Tennyson - Idylls Of The King Bram Stoker - Dracula James Joyce - Ulysses Dante Alighieri - The Divine Comedy Howard Pyle - Robin Hood Jane Austen - Emma Emily Bronte - Wuthering Heights Thomas Hardy - Tess Of The D'urbervilles A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented Giovanni Boccaccio - The Decameron Rudyard Kipling - The Jungle Book
The anthology '90 Masterpieces You Must Read (Vol.1)' brings together an unprecedented collection that spans genres, centuries, and continents. This volume showcases the monumental contributions to literature by a diverse range of authors, from the foundational myths captured by Homer to the probing psychological novels of Dostoevsky, and the transcendental reflections of Thoreau. Each piece has been carefully selected to represent the zenith of its author's literary achievements, providing readers with a kaleidoscope of styles ranging from the epistolary to the gothic, the poetic to the philosophical. Standout pieces include explorations of human consciousness, societal critique, and timeless adventures that have captivated readers for generations. The contributing authors and editors of this anthology come from varied backgrounds and epochs, each bringing a unique voice and perspective to the collection. These authors have been pivotal figures in literary movements such as Romanticism, Realism, the Enlightenment, and the Transcendentalist movement, contributing significantly to the literary and philosophical discourse of their times. Their collective works presented in this volume offer a rich dialogue on human experiences, reflecting the multifaceted nature of existence through a prism of cultural and historical contexts. This anthology is a testament to the enduring power of literature to reflect and shape the human condition. 'Readers are invited to embark on a literary journey through '90 Masterpieces You Must Read (Vol.1)', a volume that serves not only as a testament to human creativity and expression but also as a gateway to the multitude of realities and questions explored by these literary giants. This collection provides a unique educational opportunity, enabling readers to immerse themselves in the works of some of the worlds most acclaimed authors and to engage with the myriad of themes, styles, and characters that have defined and enriched the global literary landscape. It is an essential read for anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of the human spirit as narrated through the ages by voices both profound and poignant.
The Renaissance Era was a period of huge cultural advancements. It began in Italy and spread throughout the length and breadth of Europe. The Renaissance had lasting effects on art, literature and sciences. Here are 12 notable works of fiction from this era. Contents: 1. Dante Alighieri : The Divine Comedy 2. Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) : Sonnets 3. Giovanni Boccaccio : The Decameron 4. William Shakespeare : Hamlet 5. William Shakespeare : Macbeth 6. Thomas More : Utopia 7. Thomas Nashe : The Unfortunate Traveller, or The Life Of Jack Wilton 8. Francois Rabelais : Gargantua and His Son Pantagruel 9. Sebastian Brant : The Ship of Fools 10. Miguel de Cervantes : Don Quixote 11. Luis de Camões : The Lusiad 12. Desiderius Erasmus : In Praise of Folly
