The Facts in The Case of Mr Valdemar
A doctor has become fascinated by hypnosis. He was curious to see what would happen to an individual under hypnosis during his dying. Would it stave off death? Would dying make hypnosis impossible? His friend has agreed to be the subject of this experiment. Seven months later, the doctor was called to the dying man's bedside. As the patient's breath and heartbeat were slow, the doctor has successfully hypnotized him. The dying man felt no pain and has responded to questions without rising from his trance. He asked the doctor not to wake him, but let him die without pain. The next day, the patient's eyes have rolled upward, his cheeks have lost their colour, and his mouth has opened. The man had been apparently dead.
Bloody Legacy
- This is a little story in the detective genre, which can make the reader's evening much more interesting. A smart and talented inspector from Scotland Yard investigates another crime case. Miss Paddington does not stay away. She immediately comes to the aid of him. This curious woman is a big lover of detective novels and she is happy to take part in the investigation. But beyond that, Miss Paddington has another secret goal - she wants the detective to marry an attractive young lady named Elvira Elliot. Whose intellect will prevail - an experienced inspector's or a housewife's, who is fascinated by cheap paperback detective novels? The story, despite its small volume, can show a lot of interesting plot twists.
The Story of the Internet
- As we know the Internet appeared only a few decades ago. But the idea of connecting several computers together appeared much earlier. Strangely enough, the Cold War played an important part in this process. In 1957 the Soviet Union sent the first artificial Earth satellite in the history into space. It shocked Americans and made them pay more attention to the technological progress in their own country. Many great minds were involved in the creation of what we now call the Internet. They did a lot of work and faced numerous challenges. This book shows a wonderful journey in time. The readers can follow the history of the Internet from the idea of its creation to the present days. They can even speculate what kind of future might wait for this undoubtedly great invention.
Great Speeches
- This book is a collection of the most interesting and inspiring speeches of many famous people, politicians and leaders. You need to read these speeches in order to understand the history better. They reflect the main problems of each era and provide a clear understanding of how society developed. Thanks to the speakers from this book, many countries have chosen new paths of development. The book begins with an inspiring speech on the rights of African Americans. The speaker is Martin Luther King. This is the time when black people were enslaved and perceived as a commodity, not citizens. Discrimination was considered to be the norm, and everyone took it for granted. But not everyone agreed with this state of affairs. Even today this great man is not forgotten after many years.
This Rough Magic
- Lucy is a young girl who works as an actress. She has an elder sister named Phil, who married a rich man from Italy. Lucy went to the sea to rest and to visit her sister. Phil is going to have a baby soon and decides to have a pregnancy in a pleasant and warm climate. Lucy has problems with work. She did not become famous and being an actress is not very easy. She could not become a star and now wanted to think a little about continuing her career. Lucy enters a completely new world for herself. There are many interesting people and random encounters with unusual people. The girl even manages to get acquainted with the trained smart dolphin. A young actress gets into a criminal situation, where acting talent helps her to remain safe and sound.
Sink or Swim
- Eddie was slowly drinking champagne. He was standing on the deck of a cruise liner, looking at the waves overboard. The evening was wonderful. There were no more people around. Eddie admired how such a huge and massive ship could move at high speed. The vessel was comfortable and beautiful. Eddie looked at the outlines of the island, which dissolved in the dark. The man threw a glass into the sea. Soon his wife came to the deck. She looked great and the couple began to flirt, as at the beginning of dating. They agreed to go to a restaurant together. It was very crowded. It was hot, but the place turned out to be very pleasant and hospitable. The musicians were playing instruments in the corner, the lighting created a comfortable atmosphere. Several couples were dancing. The visitors were dressed in tuxedos and dresses.
Black Beauty
- This is one of the novels where the story is told not about a man, but about an animal. Even more unusual is that the story of the horse is in the first-person narrative. This horse lived in England in the middle of the nineteenth century. His name was Black Handsome - a beautiful and strong stallion with a white spot on his forehead. He faithfully served the people, was reliable and never betrayed. He had an interesting life, full of pleasant and hard moments. This book will help the reader to understand horses better and treat these animals with great respect. The story of Black Beauty will not leave the reader indifferent. This is not a trivial moralism, but a truly touching story. More than fifty million copies of this book have been sold in the world.
On the Beach
- Peter Holmes is an officer in the Australian Navy. This morning the man wakes up very early. For several minutes he is lying in the bed, looking at the rays of the bright Australian sun falling into the room. It is Thursday. It is about five o'clock. Soon it will be very light outside. His little daughter will wake up. Up to this point, getting out of bed is not necessary. Peter is in a great mood. After all, he is to get a promotion. The officer hopes he will sail again. He loves the sea and dreams of it. Work on land is not for him. For some time Peter did not go to the sea because of some problems. Now he feels very bored without long trips. But this fine Thursday will change everything in his life. This is the main reason of his good mood.
A Fishy Story
- The most experienced fishermen know that the best place for fishing is the west of Ireland. There are rivers full of salmon. Sinclair spends three days there, trying to catch a fish, but he is unlucky. The young man goes home. He decides to go by train, and in the twentieth century such a trip seems like a real adventure. At the station, where he has to wait for the train, there is a lot of smoke - but there is not enough heat. The man is cold. He has wet shoes after fishing. He hoped that at the station he could warm up - but he continues to freeze. The station manager lets the guy into his office. It is warm and there is steam from the clothes. They talk about fishing and politics. Sinclair admits that he failed to catch anything. Soon the train arrives. The guy goes to the cold again. A little rain starts on the street.
Blood Feuds
- The one who has never felt like this will not be able to understand the whole pain of the person who was expelled from his home. How does it feel to live in a foreign country and speak a foreign language? You are always a foreigner, in any situation. Two families have been living in Zimbabwe for almost thirty years. Their home country is called Malawi, but they cannot come back there. They believed that one day they would return home. Although the men from these families have disagreements, they try to stick together. After all, they are countrymen. They often talked about the house. About the time when they were children: how they grew up, what games they played in their childhood. They remembered their schools and the beginning of the struggle for freedom against the British.
The Accidental Tourist
- Here is one of the most popular novels of this writer. This is a family story about relationship difficulties and conflicts between men and women in the family. The book tells the reader about the eternal attempts to find your way in life and the fact that it often turns out to be meaningless. One of the main characters is Macon. He is a little over forty. He is very pedantic and keeps things under control, even at home. Macon writes guides but he hates travelling. His books have detailed instructions on how to feel comfortable on any trip. How to protect your inner world from the interventions of strangers. Some time ago Macon lost his son. This changed the life of the man greatly. His marriage gradually falls apart and turns into nothing. The drama of one person will not leave the reader indifferent.
Fight Club
- The protagonist of the book is not very happy with his life. He has a very monotonous job. He is an insurance payment expert. The hero often travels around the country, but every journey is similar to the previous one. Even on the trip he is surrounded by the same things and exactly the same people. The state of health also troubles. For a long time, the man has been suffering from severe insomnia. It is getting more difficult for him to perceive the world around. The doctor suggests to visit a support group for seriously ill patients and see how real problems look like. Soon the protagonist meets a strange young man named Tyler. After a while, a girl named Marla comes to the support group. She is so afraid of death that watching terminally ill people reassures her. These two people will change the life of the hero.
Barchester Towers
- It is the end of July. But the residents of Barchester do not think about warm weather. One much more important question occupies their minds. Who will be the new bishop? Their versions have been constantly changing for the past ten days. It has been bothering people more and more. The previous bishop had been serving for many years. Several years ago the man fell ill and everyone understood his disease was fatal. The bishop was to die. Some time later he died peacefully in his sleep. People remember him as a calm and gentle person. Now they think his son will be the next bishop. But as reality shows, everything rarely happens exactly the way the people expect. Difficult times are waiting for the small town.
Jeeves and Friends
- This is the author's second novel, which features the classic characters beloved by the reader. These are Bertie Wooster and his faithful valet Jeeves. Bertie is a true gentleman and a member of high society. He is a kind person who always tries to do something good. But usually his countless efforts bring only problems. When Bertie makes an attempt to reconcile old friends, this develops into an even greater scandal. Fortunalety for him, Jeeves is always at his disposal. Jeeves is his right hand. The valet knows how to solve any problem as he often has to do it. In this book, the reader will find an interesting dynamic plot and sparkling humour. This is the main reason to enjoy this worthy novel.
Not Without You
There is the end of the twenty-first century on the streets. High-tech cities are filled with people. Each resident wears a special chip under his skin, which allows him to use all modern technologies. The outside world froze on the verge of a great disaster. Now it is contaminated. It is abandoned by most of the inhabitants, who once left it for their own safety. Sala is the main character of this story. The girl has been living in one of such high-tech cities since the age of ten. In this world of the future, virtual simulations are created in order to replace many social areas. Sala works in a laboratory with her friends. It is an ordinary evening now. But something very unusual is to happen soon.
Deadlock
- More than a thousand people attended the Boom Boom funeral. Many of them were fans of the Black Hawks hockey team. Boom Boom was a player of this team and one of the biggest hockey stars a few years ago. But during one of the games he broke his left ankle. For a very long time he did not want to believe that he could no longer be a professional athlete. But in the end, he still humbled himself and found a job that was far from sport. His body was discovered near the pier. It was floating in the water. Boom Boom was the uncle of the main character. They grew up in douthern Chicago. The real name of this man was Bernard, but his childhood friends called him Boom. He liked this name and always used it. But this story is not about the life of Boom Boom. It is focused on what happened after his death.
History of English Language
- Nowadays English is spoken in many countries. It is the most common and convenient language for business. No less than twenty-five percent of the world population speaks it. That is why it is often called the world language. English is often used in science, cinema and music. Most of successful, popular films and songs are also in English. This language began to spread when the British tribes conquered new lands: North America and the Caribbean islands. In additin, this country was technically developed. Lots of new inventions were created in Britain. So residents of other countries had to learn English in order to use them. Later, the business became the main reason to teach English as the money is the main engine of progress.
The Hundred and One Dalmatians
- The Walt Disney Studio made several cartoons and a famous movie based on this book. This novel by a famous English writer tells the story of the Dalmatian dogs and their adventures. Even the youngest readers will like it. A good tale teaches morality in a simple and affordable way. The author accurately shows the feelings and the thoughts of the dogs. The characters show many emotions in different situations. Friendship and understanding reign between the dogs. They do not know what vileness or narcissism are. This feature distinquishes dogs from humans. The story takes place on Christmas Eve, so there are motives of a Christmas tale. Parents are looking for their children abducted by an evil rich woman. Can good conquer evil?
Pollyanna
- Pollyanna is eleven years old. She is an orphan. Despite this, the girl is an incorrigible optimist. Long ago, her mother married a poor priest and left the country. The couple died. Now Pollyanna has only an aunt. Aunt Polly decides to take her niece due to a great sense of duty. The woman is maximally unemotional, cynical and does not believe in love. She convinced herself she does not need sincere emotions. The woman puts her niece in a small and uncomfortable room. Still Pollyanna enjoys a pleasant view from the window. The girl is unpretentious, joyful and always in motion. First Polly is confused. Then she begins to get used to this philosophy of the little cheerful girl. Polly realizes that this is exactly what is missing in her life.
The Importance of Being Earnest
- The action of this comedy takes place in a large apartment in London and in a country estate. The reader meets a young man Algernon from an ancient aristocratic family. Now Algernon is sitting in the apartment and expecting his aunt, who is to come for tea soon. To kill time, he is talking with a footman named Lane. Both men are very fond of philosophizing without any reason. Suddenly his buddy Jack appears. This is a faithful opponent of Algernon in all disputes and endeavors, but at the same time a pleasant conversationalist. Both are tired of secular concerns and constant affairs. Algernon and Jack are extremely irresponsible egoists and like to accuse each other of infantility and frivolity. And these two gentlemen often gather together.