Dover Publications imprint: 4855 books

A traveling salesman awakens from troubled slumbers to find himself transformed into a giant insect. Franz Kafka's matter-of-fact tone brings an air of absolute truth to his fantastic narrative, which chronicles the effects of this monstrous conversion upon the protagonist's business and family life. Interpretations...

"A comprehensive, accessible introduction to Joyce's work and provides the reader glimpses into some of the lesser read corners of his bibliography." — The Lexicon Devil Influential and innovative, James Joyce (1882–1941) led the vanguard of 20th-century fiction. Sooner or later, most...

"In addition to drawing attention to these overlooked female sci-fi authors, The Feminine Future is valuable for the perspective it provides on a period of transition for the genre." — Los Angeles Review of Books Featuring hard-to-find short stories published between 1873 and 1930, this...

"An excellent collection of some of Oscar Wilde's key works. A useful and representative selection of his writings, ideal for those not already familiar with his trademark wit or his more serious work, but equally valuable for the Wilde devotee." — newbooks magazine Poet and playwright...

"Fantastic collection for Wharton fans and new readers. I think this is perfect for students." — Georgetown University Born into wealth and aristocracy, Edith Wharton (1862–1937) was a member as well as an observer of fashionable New York society. Aspirations to authorship consigned...

Despite the early success of his tales of adventure in the South Seas, Herman Melville (1819–1891) suffered a reversal of fortunes with the 1851 publication of Moby-Dick. The great epic, now recognized as a masterpiece, was scorned by an uncomprehending nineteenth-century audience. Melville's preoccupation...

Obsessed with creating life in a laboratory, a medical student haunts graveyards and dissecting rooms in search of the materials for his experiments. But when he achieves success, he rejects his ghastly creation. The creature—longing for love but shunned by all—turns evil and exacts revenge. Two...

A precursor of the twentieth century's feminist authors, Kate Chopin (1850–1904) wrote short stories and novels for children and adults. The St. Louis native lived in New Orleans for a dozen years and used Louisiana's Creole culture as an evocative setting for most of her tales. Many of Chopin's...

The daughter of political philosopher William Godwin and feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, Mary Shelley (1797–1851) created a remarkable body of work that includes novels, short stories, essays, plays, biographies, and travel books. For many years, she was remembered solely as the author of Frankenstein...

A young beauty defies bigotry to marry a heroic warrior of a different race, but a false friend poisons her husband's mind with jealousy, "the green-eyed monster." This gripping drama of romance and treachery unfolds amid the Renaissance splendor of Venice and Cyprus, centering on a soldier's plot...

A charismatic politician's assassination leads to a civil war in Shakespeare's drama of ancient Rome. Written in 1599 about an event from more than 2,000 years ago, this historical play continues to captivate modern audiences with its memorable characters, poetic speeches, and profound examination...

Even those who have never read or seen Romeo and Juliet recognize the star-crossed lovers' names as symbols of forbidden romance. Shakespeare's enduring drama takes place during a sultry Italian summer, in a city already boiling with the enmity between two families. Tensions rise further when an irresistible...

Although Shakespeare towers over the Elizabethan period, it was a robust time in the evolution of English theater, and many plays beyond the Bard's survive to enthrall modern drama students. This original anthology collects prime examples of the era's tragedies, dramas that both informed and were...

Fluent from birth in French as well as his native Polish, Joseph Conrad (1857–1924) learned his third language, English, as an adult. And it was in English that he wrote his evocative stories and novels, drawing upon his experiences in the British and French navies to portray the struggles of humanity...