Love's Labours Lost - William Shakespeare - Love's Labour's Lost is one of William Shakespeare's early comedies, believed to have been written in the mid-1590s for a performance at the Inns of Court before Queen Elizabeth I. It follows the King of Navarre and his three companions as they attempt to forswear the company of women for three years of study and fasting, and their subsequent infatuation with the Princess of Aquitaine and her ladies. In...

"Eclectic School Readings" is a 1904 work by American writer Orison Swett Marden. Within it, Marden has briefly outlined various life stories from the lives of great historical figures in order to show to young people that-regardless of their circumstances or birth-they are able to live lives that are remembered in history book for generations. Dr. Orison Swett Marden (1848-1924) was an American author of inspirational books. He wrote primarily on...

Heroínas de la literatura y amigas ideales: irreverentes, encantadoras, brillantes... Este libro recopila veintidós retratos de los grandes personajes femeninos de la literatura: de Jane Eyre a Mary Poppins, de Jo a Pippi Calzaslargas, hasta llegar a personajes más actuales como Matilda, de Roald Dahl, o Mina, de David Almond. Todas tienen en común el salirse de los esquemas que marca la sociedad para ellas. Las ilustraciones de Fabian Negrin...

Nova is excited to go grocery shopping with her family. Little does she know, due to civil unrest, rioters damaged the stores where she usually shops. Her family drives to a store in a beautiful neighborhood far from where they live. As they arrive at the grocery store, the family is confronted by an angry man who does not want them there. The man's despicable behavior traumatizes Nova, and she wants to go back to her neighborhood. This racist experience...

Shakespeare's gift for writing tragedies was powerful indeed. His ability to create epic tragic characters-think Hamlet, Lear, and the star-crossed Romeo and Juliet-and scenarios is virtually unrivalled. Readers examine the Bard's major tragedies and their significance, and touch upon the state of theatre and dramatic performance in Shakespeare's England for good measure.

In Shakespeare's time, the term "comedy did not necessarily denote something funny or amusing. Rather, through such plays such as A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Merchant of Venice, the playwright examines other defining characteristics of comedic drama-the social interactions of common folks and a focus on the contradictions inherent in everyday life. Readers explore the major themes of Shakespearean comedies, which have enchanted readers and theater-goers...

Jhumpa Lahiri understands what it means to be caught between two cultures. Born in London to Indian immigrants, she has spent most of her life in the United States but still struggles to feel "American." This is the challenge facing many new Indian Americans, and it is the focal point of Lahiri's novels and stories, which examine various aspects of the culture clashes that come from being a newcomer in a foreign land. This insightful guide takes readers...

There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you. Maya Angelou's words in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings reveal her own need to tell stories, a lifelong passion that manifested itself in the form of memoirs and poetry as well as essays, film, and music. This in-depth guide utilizes the fascinating life story of Angelou, who was also an educator and activist, as a springboard for exploring the themes, motifs, and literary techniques...

Students often approach the complex poetry of T. S. Eliot with some degree of trepidation, but as this comprehensive text demonstrates, that need not be the case. With its thoughtful analysis and engaging writing style, this guide provides readers with the tools they need to approach Eliot's works with confidence, while at the same time encouraging them to draw their own meaning from the words and sounds of the poetry. The text also explores Eliot's...

Jack London's stories of adventure in the early twentieth century captured the imagination of the American public. As he ventured around the United States and the globe, he documented his adventures through his writing. Through excerpts and critical analysis, readers will examine London's most famous works (The Call of the Wild, "To Build a Fire"), which are dramatic and compelling stories of man versus nature and versus himself. Other works explore...