Showing results for "Icons" in Literature & Fiction

When Matthew Spear, a young curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, meets the lovely Ana Kessler, an art dealer who has inherited an impressive group of pieces, he discovers a prize:the collection includes the Holy Mother of Katarini -- a sacred icon long thought destroyed. But while Matthew...

Homer is one of the most important figures in ancient Greek literature, believed to have lived in the 8th century BC. He is most famous for his epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey, which are considered to be the founding works of Western literature. The Iliad tells the story of the Trojan War, focusing on the hero Achilles, while the Odyssey recounts the adventures of the Greek hero Odysseus as he attempts to return home after the war. Both works are celebrated for their vivid storytelling, complex characters, and profound exploration of human nature.

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was born September 29, 1547, was a Spanish writer widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-eminent novelists. He is best known for his novel Don Quixote, a work often cited as both the first modern novel and one of the pinnacles of world literature. Much of his life was spent in poverty and obscurity, many of its details are disputed or unknown, and the bulk of his surviving work was produced in the three years preceding his death.

The Iliad stands as the blazing cornerstone of all Western storytelling, an ancient epic that captures the violent splendor, tragic heroism, and unbearable human cost of the Trojan War. Attributed to Homer but shaped by generations of oral poets, it plunges listeners directly into the final, furious weeks of a ten-year siege, where gods interfere in mortal affairs, armies clash on the dusty plains beneath Troy’s towering walls, and the fate of empires turns on the choices of men driven by pride, rage, love, and grief.

The epic poem, by Maharishi Valmiki Muni, narrates the life of Lord Rama, a legendary prince of Ayodhya city in the kingdom of Kosala. The epic follows his fourteen-year exile to the forest urged by his father King Dasharatha, on the request of Rama's stepmother Kaikeyi. He traveled across forests in the Indian subcontinent with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana. Rama endured the kidnapping of Sita by Ravana–the demon king of Lanka, which resulted in a great war; and Rama's eventual return to Ayodhya to be crowned king amidst jubilation and celebration. The

Wuthering Heights is a fierce and haunting tale of love, vengeance, and the wild forces that shape the human heart. Set against the storm-lashed moors of northern England, the story follows the doomed and unforgettable bond between Heathcliff, a brooding foundling of mysterious origin, and Catherine Earnshaw, the restless young woman who becomes both his salvation and his torment.

Sherlock Holmes was created by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science, and logical reasoning that borders on the fantastic, which he employs when investigating cases for a wide variety of clients, including Scotland Yard. Holmes first appeared in print in 1887's A Study in Scarlet, the character's popularity became widespread with the first series of short stories in The Strand Magazine, beginning with "A Scandal in Bohemia" in 1891.

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame is a French Gothic novel by Victor Hugo, published in 1831. It focuses on the unfortunate story of Quasimodo, the Romani street dancer Esmeralda and Quasimodo's guardian, the Archdeacon Claude Frollo in 15th-century Paris.

Welcome to the world of Jane Austen, one of the most beloved authors in the English language. Austen's works are known for their wit, social commentary, and romantic storylines that have captivated readers for generations.

Charles Dickens’s David Copperfield is a timeless coming-of-age story filled with humor, heartbreak, and unforgettable characters. Told through the eyes of its earnest and resilient hero, the novel follows David from his difficult childhood to his struggles and triumphs as a young man.

Howard's End is about three families in England at the beginning of the twentieth century. The three families represent different gradations of the Edwardian middle class: the Wilcoxes, who are rich capitalists with a fortune made in the Colonies; the half-German Schlegel siblings (Margaret, Tibby, and Helen), who represent the intellectual bourgeoisie and have a lot in common with the real-life Bloomsbury Group; and the Basts, a couple who are struggling members of the lower-middle class. The Schlegel sisters try to help the poor Basts and try to make the Wilcoxes less prejudiced.

Dracula is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking a business trip to stay at the castle of a Transylvanian nobleman, Count Dracula. Harker escapes the castle after discovering that Dracula is a vampire, and the Count moves to England and plagues the seaside town of Whitby. A small group, led by Abraham Van Helsing, hunt Dracula and, in the end, kill him.

Cathy Kotsikas is as unsettled as anyone in postwar Britain. A hasty marriage has become an exhausting clash of personalities. Leon, her Greek husband, as charming as he is ruthless and self-centred, understands neither her mildly eccentric character nor her need for freedom. Cathy’s sanctuary is Sandlings, a remote cottage on the barren Suffolk coast left to her by her grandfather. For Leon, however, his business in London and the restoration of his family home in Greece are of paramount importance.

“Please sir, I want some more," the famous line spoken by Oliver Twist at age nine becomes the tipping point of a huge change in Oliver's life. He is soon captured into the service of the evil Fagin and his gang of pick-pocketing boys. Mr. Brownlow, however, saves him from arrest, and for the first time in his young life, Oliver finds comfort and caring. Unfortunately, he is soon recaptured into the seedy world from which he had escaped and meets with Bill Sykes, a highly dangerous criminal.

Charles Dickens, one of the most influential writers of the 19th century, is particularly renowned for his Christmas stories, which have become an enduring part of holiday traditions. His most famous work, A Christmas Carol, tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a cold-hearted miser who, after being visited by three spirits on Christmas Eve, undergoes a profound transformation. This tale is a powerful exploration of redemption, highlighting the importance of generosity, compassion, and embracing the true spirit of Christmas.

In the turbulent streets of late-eighteenth-century London, the echo of mob fury rises like a storm wind through a city on the edge of chaos. Barnaby Rudge is Charles Dickens’s sweeping historical novel set amid the Gordon Riots of 1780, when fear, prejudice, and political fervor tore through the fabric of society. Against this backdrop of violence and upheaval, Dickens weaves a tale of innocence and guilt, vengeance and forgiveness, where personal destinies are shaped by the blind force of history itself.

This bundle includes A Christmas Carol, The Chimes, and The Battle of Life.

Emma is Jane Austen’s most subtle and deceptively brilliant portrait of privilege, misunderstanding, and the unpredictable pathways of the human heart. At the center stands Emma Woodhouse, clever, charming, wealthy, and absolutely certain she knows what is best for everyone around her.

The journey opens with Old Christmas by Washington Irving, a vivid and affectionate portrait of traditional English Yuletide life. Next comes Classic Christmas Stories by Lucy Maud Montgomery, a tender blend of hope, innocence, and emotional truth from the beloved creator of Anne of Green Gables. The collection concludes with The Christmas Reindeer by Thornton W. Burgess, a warm woodland adventure filled with curiosity, courage, and the gentle moral lessons that made Burgess a generation-spanning favorite.

Set against the turmoil of late‑18th‑century London, Barnaby Rudge follows the gentle and simple‑hearted Barnaby as he navigates a city on the brink of chaos. Dickens’ gripping historical novel unfolds during the Gordon Riots, capturing fear, violence, and the struggle for justice in a world fraught with social and political tension.