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Our New Word Cloud Classics

April 1, 2019

The Wind in the Willows and Other Stories

Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows is an enduring classic of children’s literature, and has been beloved by readers of all ages since its publication in 1908. In addition to the delightful tale about the adventures of Mole, Ratty, Badger, and Toad—illustrated in full color by Arthur Rackham—this volume includes more than two dozen short stories from Grahame’s collections The Golden Age (1895) and Dream Days (1898), the latter of which contains Grahame’s most famous short story, “The Reluctant Dragon.” With an emphasis on childhood perspectives and often devoid of adult sentimentalities, Grahame’s stories focus on the concerns of youth—a focus that makes these stories endure in the hearts and minds of today’s readers. 

The Beautiful and Damned and Other Stories

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Beautiful and Damned explores the world of America’s upper class during World War I and the beginning of the Jazz Age. Loosely based on Fitzgerald’s relationship with his wife, Zelda, the novel centers around Anthony Patch, a young East Coast socialite who is heir to his grandfather’s fortune and lacks motivation to pursue a meaningful career. In his attempt to find his place in society while waiting for his inheritance, Anthony loses himself to alcoholism; neglects his wife, Gloria; and struggles with the realities of everyday life. This volume also includes seven short stories by Fitzgerald published in the early 1920s, including “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”

Dubliners & A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and Other Works

This collection by James Joyce includes two of his most famous works: Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and Dubliners. Joyce spent years writing an autobiographical novel that he later turned into his first novel, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. It was first published as a book in 1916, shortly after its success as a magazine serial. Dubliners is a collection of fifteen short stories relating the often-gritty reality of Dublin’s middle class in the early twentieth century. With famous titles such as “The Dead” and “Eveline,” this collection is a must-read for enthusiasts of classic literature.

The Inventions, Researches, and Writings of Nikola Tesla

At the time it was first published in 1893, The Inventions, Researches, and Writings of Nikola Tesla was considered the bible of electrical engineering and inspired generations of inventors. This volume, edited by Tesla’s contemporary, Thomas Commerford Martin, includes extensive discussion of Tesla’s early work and inventions and contains more than 300 illustrations that demonstrate the practical application of his ideas. Tesla, who was born in what is now Croatia, is best known for his research into the use of high-frequency alternating currents and wireless transmission. Many of his ideas have found practical application in the modern world, and he continues to be a source of inspiration and fascination to this day.

Presidential Inaugural Addresses

This book offers a complete, up-to-date collection of the inaugural speeches of each president’s term in office. With quotes such as Thomas Jefferson’s “Every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle” and John F. Kennedy’s “Ask not what your country can do for you,” you’ll find the speeches that have inspired, united, and fired up the American population as our nation’s leaders embark on their service to the public.