List

HarperCollins is proud to present its range of best-loved, essential classics.

'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 Brontë's masterpiece is considered one of the most unique gothic novels of its time.

Introduction by Kathryn Harrison
Commentary by Nathaniel Hawthorne, W. D. Howells, and Carl Van Doren
 
A stark tale of adultery, guilt, and social repression in Puritan New England, The Scarlet Letter is a foundational work of American literature. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s exploration of the dichotomy between the public and private self, internal passion and external convention, gives us the unforgettable Hester Prynne, who discovers strength in the face of ostracism and emerges as a heroine ahead of her time. As Kathryn Harrison points out in her Introduction, Hester is “the herald of the modern heroine.”
 
Includes a Modern Library Reading Group Guide

Jane Austen's witty comedy of manners is one of the most universally loved and admired English novels of all time.

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.”

The Bennets are a family of five daughters, and with no male heir, the Bennet estate must someday pass to their priggish cousin Mr. Collins. Therefore, with no fortune or security of their own, the girls must marry well—and thus is launched the story of spirited and opinionated Elizabeth Bennet and the arrogant and aloof bachelor Mr. Darcy.  

An entertaining portrait of nineteenth century matrimonial rites and rivalries, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is timeless in its hilarity and honesty.

With an Introduction by Margaret Drabble
and an Afterword by Eloisa James

Magic, love spells, and an enchanted wood provide the materials for one of Shakespeare’s most delightful comedies. 

When four young lovers, fleeing the law and their own mismatched rivalries, take to the forest of Athens, their lives become entangled with a feud between the King and Queen of the Fairies, resulting in a marvelous mix-up of desire and enchantment, merriment and farce....

This title in the Signet Classics Shakespeare series includes:

• An overview of Shakespeare's life, world, and theater
• A special introduction to the play by the editor, Wolfgang Clemen
• A note on the sources from which Shakespeare derived A Midsummer Night’s Dream
• Dramatic criticism from William Hazlitt, John Russell Brown, Frank Hermode, and others
• A comprehensive stage and screen history of notable actors, directors, and productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream
• Text, notes, and commentaries printed in the clearest, most readable format
• Recommended readings

"Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka is a haunting and surreal exploration of existentialism and the human condition. This novella introduces readers to Gregor Samsa, a diligent traveling salesman who wakes up one morning to find himself transformed into a gigantic insect.

Kafka's narrative delves into the isolation, alienation, and absurdity that Gregor experiences as he grapples with his new identity. The novella is a profound examination of the individual's struggle to maintain a sense of self and belonging in a world that often feels incomprehensible.

Kafka's writing is characterized by its dreamlike quality and a sense of impending doom. As Gregor's physical and emotional transformation unfolds, readers are drawn into a nightmarish world that blurs the lines between reality and illusion.

"Metamorphosis" is a timeless work that continues to captivate readers with its exploration of themes such as identity, family, and the dehumanizing effects of modern society. Kafka's unique style and ability to evoke a sense of existential unease make this novella a literary classic.

Step into the surreal and unsettling world of "Metamorphosis" and embark on a journey of self-discovery and existential reflection. Kafka's masterpiece challenges readers to confront the complexities of the human psyche and the enigmatic nature of existence.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR



Franz Kafka (1883-1924) was a Czech-born German-speaking novelist and short story writer whose works have had a profound influence on modern literature. Born in Prague, which was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Kafka's writing is characterized by its exploration of existentialism, alienation, and the absurdity of human existence. 

Kafka's most famous works include "Metamorphosis," where the protagonist wakes up one morning transformed into a giant insect, and "The Trial," a nightmarish tale of a man arrested and tried by an inscrutable and oppressive bureaucracy. His writing often delves into the themes of isolation and the struggle to find meaning in an indifferent world. 

Despite his relatively small body of work, Kafka's impact on literature and philosophy has been immense. His writings have been interpreted in various ways, and the term "Kafkaesque" is often used to describe situations characterized by surreal complexity and absurdity. 

Kafka's legacy as a literary innovator and his exploration of the human psyche continue to captivate readers and scholars alike, making him a central figure in the world of modern literature.





 

The acclaimed Pelican Shakespeare series, now in a dazzling new series design

Winner of the 2016 AIGA + Design Observer 50 Books | 50 Covers competition

Gold Medal Winner of the 3x3 Illustration Annual No. 14

This edition of Macbeth is edited with an introduction by series editor Stephen Orgel. and was recently repackaged with cover art by Manuja Waldia. Waldia received a Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators for the Pelican Shakespeare series. Cover artist Manuja Waldia received a Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators for the Pelican Shakespeare series.
 
The legendary Pelican Shakespeare series features authoritative and meticulously researched texts paired with scholarship by renowned Shakespeareans. Each book includes an essay on the theatrical world of Shakespeare’s time, an introduction to the individual play, and a detailed note on the text used. Updated by general editors Stephen Orgel and A. R. Braunmuller, these easy-to-read editions incorporate over thirty years of Shakespeare scholarship undertaken since the original series, edited by Alfred Harbage, appeared between 1956 and 1967. With stunning new covers, definitive texts, and illuminating essays, the Pelican Shakespeare will remain a valued resource for students, teachers, and theater professionals for many years to come.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

The famous story by Washington Irving about Ichabod Crane and his untimely encounter with the Headless Horseman with a brief afterword by John Smithers.

“It must be by his death.”
—Julius Caesar
 
Eminent Shakespearean scholars Jonathan Bate and Eric Rasmussen provide a fresh new edition of this masterpiece of political power play and manipulation—along with more than a hundred pages of exclusive features, including:
 
• an original Introduction to Julius Caesar
• incisive scene-by-scene synopsis and analysis with vital facts about the work
• commentary on past and current productions based on interviews with leading directors, actors, and designers
• photographs of key RSC productions
• an overview of Shakespeare’s theatrical career and chronology of his plays
 
Ideal for students, theater professionals, and general readers, these modern and accessible editions from the Royal Shakespeare Company set a new standard in Shakespearean literature for the twenty-first century.

To be or not to be? Hamlet is, arguably, Shakespeare's most well-known play, with its compelling lead character, stunning language, and philosophical underpinnings. This drama of the procrastinating Danish prince who ponders whether or not to revenge his father's death now appears in a beautifully illustrated edition with annotations by Princeton professor Jeff Dolven.Featuring remarkable laser-cut paper designs throughout, the Signature Shakespeare series offers stunning presentations of Shakespeare's plays, complete with scholarship, commentary, and illustrated essays. It's a keepsake package worthy of the most-loved playwright in the English language.

From the agony of Charles Dickens’ disenchantment with the Victorian middle class comes a profound novel of spellbinding mystery...

An orphan living with his older sister and her kindly husband, Pip is hired by wealthy and embittered Miss Havisham as a companion for her and her beautiful adopted daughter, Estella. His years in service to the Havishams fill his heart with the desire to rise above his station in life. Pip’s wish is fulfilled when a mysterious benefactor provides him with “great expectations”—the means to be tutored as a gentleman.

Thrust into London’s high-society circles, Pip grows accustomed to a life of leisure, only to find himself lacking as a suitor competing for Estella’s favor. After callously discarding everything he once valued for his own selfish pursuits, Pip learns the identity of his patron—a revelation that shatters his very soul.

With an Introduction by Stanley Weintraub
and an Afterword by Annabel Davis-Goff 
 

'I saw the pale student of unhallowed arts kneeling beside the thing he had put together. I saw the hideous phantasm of a man stretched out, and then, on the working of some powerful engine, show signs of life and stir with an uneasy, half-vital motion.' A summer evening's ghost stories, lonely insomnia in a moonlit Alpine's room, and a runaway imagination -- fired by philosophical discussions with Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley about science, galvanism, and the origins of life -- conspired to produce for Mary Shelley this haunting night specter. By morning, it had become the germ of her Romantic masterpiece, "Frankenstein." Written in 1816 when she was only 19, Mary Shelley's novel of 'The Modern Prometheus' chillingly dramatized the dangerous potential of life begotten upon a laboratory table. A frightening creation myth for our own time, "Frankenstein" remains one of the greatest horror stories ever written and is an undisputed classic of its kind.

Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat" is a short story that explores themes of guilt and perversity. The narrator, haunted by cruelty to his black cat and acts of domestic violence, is consumed by paranoia and madness. His attempt to conceal a crime leads to his own disgrace.

An American frigate, tracking down a ship-sinking monster, faces not a living creature but an incredible invention -- a fantastic submarine commanded by the mysterious Captain Nemo.  Suddenly a devastating explosion leaves just three survivors, who find themselves prisoners inside Nemo's death ship on an underwater odyssey around the world from the pearl-laden waters of Ceylon to the icy dangers of the South Pole . . .as Captain Nemo, one of the greatest villians ever created, takes his revenge on all society.



More than a marvelously thrilling drama, this classic novel, written in 1870, foretells with uncanny accuracy the inventions and advanced technology of the twentieth century and has become a literary stepping-stone for generations of science fiction writers.

In this classic adventure novel, Englishman Phileas Fogg races around the world on a daring wager in the seemingly impossible time of eighty days. Pursued by the tenacious detective Fix, the resourceful Fogg and his comic manservant, Passepartout, triumph over every obstacle that nature, man, and machine put in their way, even rescuing the beautiful Indian Princess Aouda from a funeral pyre. - Jacket cover