No man can live a happy life, or even a supportable life, without the study of wisdom
Lucius Annaeus Seneca (4 BC-AD 65) is one of the most famous Roman philosophers. Instrumental in guiding the Roman Empire under emperor Nero, Seneca influenced him from a young age with his Stoic principles. Later in life, he wrote Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium, or Letters from a Stoic, detailing these principles in full.
Senecas letters read like a diary, or a handbook of philosophical meditations. Often beginning with observations on daily life, the letters focus on many traditional themes of Stoic philosophy, such as the contempt of death, the value of friendship and virtue as the supreme good.
Using Gummeres translation from the early twentieth century, this selection of Senecas letters shows his belief in the austere, ethical ideals of Stoicism — teachings we can still learn from today.
There was a star riding through clouds one night, and I said to the star, Consume me
Six friends traverse the uneven road of life together in Virginia Woolfs most unconventional classic. Bernard, Jinny, Louis, Neville, Rhoda and Susan first meet as children by the sea, and their lives are forever changed.
A poetic novel written in a lyrical way only Woolf could master, these narrators face both triumph and tragedy that touches them all. Throughout their lives, they examine the relationship between past and present, and the meaning of life itself.
A landmark of innovative fiction and the most experimental of Virginia Woolfs novels, The Waves is still regarded as one of the greatest works ever written in the English language.
When I was about sixteen I suddenly discovered the joy of mere words
Best known for his remarkable novels Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwells essay writings throughout the 1930s and 40s are just as compelling. From Why I Write to Shooting an Elephant and A Hanging, his observations offer contemporary readers a snapshot of Britain during some of its most turbulent decades.
This collection, ranging from Orwells experiences as a police officer in South-East Asia to opinion pieces on British political unrest and the horrors of war, is a selection of his most acclaimed essays, which continue to be revered today for their originality and insight.
Where you arrive does not matter so much as what sort of person you are when you arrive there.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca (4BC-AD 65) is one of the most eminent Roman philosophers. Instrumental in guiding the Roman Empire under Emperor Nero, Seneca influenced him from a young age with his Stoic principles. Later in life, Seneca wrote Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium, or Letters from a Stoic, detailing these principles in full, sharing the many traditional themes of Stoic philosophy, such as the contempt of death, the value of friendship and virtue as the supreme good.
Using Gummeres translation from the early twentieth century, this selection of Senecas letters shows his belief in the ethical ideas of Stoicism and continues to provide practical, personal counsel for readers seeking guidance in the turbulent twenty-first century.
Is Mr. Heathcliff a man? If so, is he mad? And if not, is he a devil?
Set on the bleak moors of Yorkshire, Lockwood is forced to seek shelter at Wuthering Heights, the home of his new landlord, Heathcliff. The intense and wildly passionate Heathcliff tells the story of his life, his all-consuming love for Catherine Earnshaw and the doomed outcome of that relationship, leading to his revenge.
Poetic, complex and grand in its scope, Emily Brontes masterpiece is considered one of the most unique gothic novels of its time.
The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.
When Basil Hallward paints the portrait of young, handsome Dorian Gray, he falls prey to his dazzling beauty. Afraid that his youth and looks will waste away, Dorian expresses a wish that his portrait, and not he, will age and fade over time. His wish is granted, and over the ensuing years, Dorian indulges in every kind of vice and pleasure, never ageing nor disfiguring. Only his portrait, hidden to the world, bears the marks of his actions, and as his soul grows ever more wasted and corrupted, devastating
consequences lie in wait.
The Picture of Dorian Gray is an exploration of the purpose of art, the superficial nature of youth and beauty, and the conflict between morality and intemperance. First published in its complete, uncensored form in 1891, it is Oscar Wildes only novel.
Orlando had become a woman — there is no denying it. But in every other respect, Orlando remained precisely as he had been. The change of sex, though it altered their future, did nothing whatever to alter their identity.
Boisterous and defiant, Virginia Woolfs queer classic subverts restraints of genre, time and gender. Traversing the complexities of human emotion and societys obsession with conformity, the wild adventures of Woolfs gender fluid hero begin in Elizabethan England and end in 1928 — yet Orlando ages just 36 years.
A satirical romp that spans over three hundred years of history, Woolfs fantastical biography was decades ahead of its time.
Big Brother is Watching You.
Winston Smith rewrites history. Its his job. Hidden away in the Record Department of the sprawling Ministry of Truth, he helps the Party, and the omnipresent Big Brother, control the people of Oceania. But the notebook hes begun to write in is against the rules — in fact, the Thought Police could arrest him simply for having it. Despite the danger, a seed of rebellion has begun to grow in Winstons heart — one that could have devastating consequences.
In George Orwells final novel, he explores a dystopian future in which a totalitarian government controls the actions, thoughts and even emotions of its citizens. Its lasting popularity is testament to Orwells powerful prose, and is a passionate warning for today.
HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics.
George Bernard Shaws classic play and satire of the British class system, first performed in 1913.
I sometimes fear we shall never wake till we are jerked out of it by the roar of bombs.
In 1936, George Orwell volunteered as a soldier in the Spanish Civil War. In Homage to Catalonia, first published just before the outbreak of World War II, Orwell documents the chaos and bloodshed of that moment in history and the voices of those who fought against rising fascism.
His experience of the civil war would spark a significant change in his own political views, which readers today will recognise in much of his later literary work; a rage against the threat of totalitarianism and control.
If there is one man to whom I do feel myself inferior, it is a coalminer.
In the mid-1930s, George Orwell was given an assignment from his publisher — to write a book about unemployment and social conditions in the economically depressed north of England. Revolutionary for its time, The Road to Wigan Pier documents Orwells stint in towns likes Barnsley, Sheffield and Wigan in 1936, where he met and observed working-class people living in the bleak industrial heartlands of Yorkshire and Lancashire.
Orwell graphically and emphatically describes the hardships of ordinary people living in cramped slum housing, working in dangerous mines and growing hungry through malnutrition and social injustice. It is an honest, gripping and humane study that also looks at socialism as a solution to the problems facing working-class northerners — something many readers at the time were uncomfortable discussing.
The Road to Wigan Pier cemented ideas that would be found in Orwells later works, and remains a powerful portrait of poverty, injustice and class divisions in Britain to this day.
Three francs will feed you till tomorrow, and you cannot think further than that…
As a young man struggling to find his voice as a writer, George Orwell left the comfort of home to live in the impoverished working districts of Paris and London. He would document both the chaos and boredom of destitution, the eccentric cast of characters he encountered, and the near-constant pains of hunger and discomfort.
Exposing the grim reality of a life marred by poverty, Down and Out in Paris and London, part memoir, part social commentary, would become George Orwells first published work.
HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics.
Our life is what our thoughts make it
The extraordinary writings of Marcus Aurelius (AD 121-180), the only Roman emperor to have also been a stoic philosopher, have for centuries been praised for their wisdom, insight and guidance by leaders and great thinkers alike. Never intended for publication, Meditations are the personal notes born from a man who studied his unique position of power as emperor while trying to uphold inner balance in the chaotic world around him.
Boldly challenging many of our biggest questions, Aurelius wrestles with the divided self, considering the complexities of human nature, rationality and moral virtue, affirming its place as one of the most timeless, significant works of philosophy to date.