Barnes Noble: 2826 books

H. L. Mencken presents master styling in A Book of Prefaces (1917), Damn! (1918), and The American Credo (1920). Prefaces is a book of literary criticism containing the essays "Joseph Conrad," "Theodore Dreiser," "James Huneker," and "Puritanism as a Literary Force." He hoped that "they may at least...

Published in 1916, this collection of previously published short pieces by Mencken is typical of his scathing wit and pessimistic outlook.  As a 1917 review in the Independent put it, "A Book of Burlesques is some of Mr. Mencken's most entertaining work, skillfully depicted fantasies of life 'as is.'"  

In The Individual in the Animal Kingdom, highly respected biologist Julian S. Huxley, grandson of the distinguished biologist Thomas Henry Huxley, makes an argument for a definition of “individual” that is acceptable to both scientist and philosopher, and shows how individuality thus defined is manifested in the animal kingdom.

This 1901 monograph sets forth Haeckel's philosophical conviction that the riddle of the physical universe and that of human intellect are one and the same, and must have the same answer.  A thorough going monist, Haeckel typifies a historically important point of view: that of unabashed confidence in the ability of western science to solve all of life's mysteries.

The Antichrist is the most powerful criticism ever offered against modern values and beliefs. In earlier books Nietzsche had announced, “God is dead,” and in The Antichrist he seethes with contempt for Christianity’s imposition, upon humanity, of its perverse and unnatural vision. ** ** Nietzsche...

Although most people do not think of Herman Melville as a particularly funny writer, his "Bartleby, the Scrivener" and The Confidence Man have kept readers laughing for a century and a half. "Bartleby" is a simultaneously accurate and absurd depiction of life in a Wall Street office in the middle of...

This edition includes a modern introduction and a list of suggested further reading. Jeremy Bentham's An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation (1789) is a classic text in modern philosophy.  In this foundational book of utilitarian philosophy, he advocates the institutions and individuals...

Bennett published this influential book in 1909, with the subtitle “With Detailed Instructions for Collecting a Complete Library of English Literature.” Chapters such as “Why a Classic is a Classic,” “How to Read a Classic,” and “The Question of Style” assist the reader in acquiring a...

Starting with the notion that the best way to study literature is to read it, this 1917 overview takes the reader on tour—minimizing the amount of biography often found in these sorts of books. The book begins with the earliest Anglo-Saxon writings, and moves through the Renaissance, Shakespeare, Milton,...

This 1921 volume carefully yet concisely traces the history of English Literature starting with “the beginnings”—that is, Beowulf. Strong goes on to discuss Chaucer, Shakespeare, the rise of the press, Wordsworth, and more, ending with a chapter on the Victorian novel. 

This collection represents the common themes of Wilkie Collins’s writings: light-hearted stories, serious social commentary, and historical narratives. They range in subject from groaning over boring fiction to accounts of battles. The 24 essays and short fictions include many originally published in periodicals, such as “The Poisoned Meal” and “Memoirs of an Adopted Son.”

Published in 1913, Paris Nights and Other Impressions of Places and People is a collection of essays, many of them inspired by Bennett's travels in France, but among the “Other Impressions” are chapters on Italy, the Riviera and Fountainebleau, London, and various places in Great Britain.  The volume also includes a biographical sketch of Aleister Crowley.

A compelling portrait of Charles Dickens written by one of his closest friends. Forster’s biography details Dickens’s impoverished childhood and the impact it had on his later life and, of course, his books, as well as exploring his drive to succeed, his early writings, and his marriage.

Published in 1823, this collection of witty and conversational essays from The London Magazine includes "Dream-Children," "The South-Sea House," and "Grace Before Meat," all amply testifying to the qualities that have established Lamb as among the finest of British essayists. And who could forget Lamb’s “A Dissertation Upon Roast Pig”…