Othello - Literary Touchstone


Book Description

"For when my outward action doth demonstrateThe native act and figure of my heartIn complement extern, ?tis not long afterBut I will wear my heart upon my sleeveFor daws to peck at. I am not what I am."To make Othello more accessible for the modern reader, our Prestwick House Literary Touchstone Edition includes a glossary of the more difficult words, as well as convenient sidebar notes to enlighten the reader on aspects that may be confusing or overlooked. In doing this, it is our intention that the reader may more fully enjoy the beauty of the verse, the wisdom of the insights, and the impact of the drama.In the governor's bedroom in Cyprus, a brilliant schemer, an innocent bride, and a general who loves "not wisely, but too well" confront one another for the last time. What treachery has brought them to this moment of mutual destruction?The second of Shakespeare's four greatest tragedies, Othello follows a celebrated man's spiral into madness and his utter defeat at the hands of the confidant he trusts most. Sympathetic characters, heartbreaking speeches, and the perfect villain make this play one of Shakespeare's most powerful and frequently performed.




Beowulf - Literary Touchstone Edition


Book Description

This enthralling new prose edition of Beowulf combines the clearest, best elements of two different classic translations, so readers will get both a feel for the language and an appreciation of the action of the story.




The Tempest - Literary Touchstone Edition


Book Description

The Tempest, Shakespeare's final and most magical play, is filled with suspense, comedy, love, mystery, and revenge. Before the play begins, Prospero, former Duke of Milan, has been exiled from his country for practicing magic and lives on a deserted island with his daughter, Miranda. This isolation has given him the opportunity to become a powerful sorcerer, and when his enemies? ship nears his island, Prospero conjures his most forceful spell yet. He chants a conjurer's spell, the sky darkens, and The Tempest begins. The fierce storm is underway, and the crew fears for their lives as they try to stay afloat. In the blink of an eye, they are shipwrecked on a seemingly deserted island. Wandering blindly around this strange land, they encounter a savagely deformed slave, sprites and fairies, and even unexpected romance. Unbeknownst to the shipwrecked victims, however, the secret of the island will change their lives forever. To make The Tempest more accessible to the modern reader, our Prestwick House Literary Touchstone Classic? includes convenient sidebar notes, a glossary of difficult terms, and a list of vocabulary words. In doing this, it is our intention that the reader will enjoy the beauty of Shakespeare's verse, the wisdom of his insights, and the impact of the drama.




The Odyssey - Literary Touchstone Edition


Book Description

This Prestwick House Literary Touchstone Classic? includes a glossary and reader's notes to help the modern reader contend with the Odyssey's vocabulary and references to Greek mythology.The epic tale of Odysseus? ten-year journey after the defeat of Troy is, at once, a thrilling adventure story, a passionate love story, and a fantasy rooted in ancient history. It is also the cornerstone on which much of Western literature and thought is based. Three thousand years after ancient bards plucked their lyres and sang the adventures of gods and heroes, we still see much of ourselves in the tales of Odysseus and his men as they battle natural and supernatural forces'and their own human nature'to find their way home.




Dracula - Literary Touchstone Edition


Book Description

This Prestwick House Literary Touchstone Classic? includes a glossary and notes to help the modern reader appreciate Stoker?s allusions, rich vocabulary, and Victorian setting.An apparently routine business venture becomes a battle for a young man?s very soul. Almost too late, Jonathan Harker realizes that the charismatic and seductive Count Dracula of Transylvania has come to England with a purpose much more sinister than merely to purchase an English estate. Will the Count succeed in his quest to create a race of blood-lusting creatures of the night?Which will prove the stronger?superstition or science?Defiantly challenging Victorian conventions, Bram Stoker?s Dracula examines the nature of evil and arrives at the horrific conclusion that the forces which would destroy humanity are not lurking in the shadows of the night, but within the human soul.Modern readers still find that their own most-cherished nightmares are evoked by Lucy's and Mina's battle against succumbing to the seductive enticements of the soulless vampire.







Treasure Island - Literary Touchstone Edition


Book Description

This Prestwick House Literary Touchstone Edition? includes a glossary and reader's notes to help readers unfamiliar with some of the vocabulary and nautical terms appreciate Stevenson's grand adventure.Everyone dreams of finding buried treasure, and that is why Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island is such an enduring classic. Treasure Island, published in 1883, gave Stevenson his first popular success, and it's easy to see why it remains a favorite of readers of all ages. The tale of young Jim Hawkins and his unlikely band of adventurers strikes at the very heart of our own desire to lose ourselves among hidden chests, cryptic maps, and treacherous companions. If you loved it when you read it earlier, you owe it to yourself to revisit the deceitful Long John Silver, the dull but reliable Dr. Livesey, and the pompously naive Squire Trelawney. If this is your first visit to the high seas, find yourself a comfortable chair, because you won't be putting the book down until the last mutineer is brought to justice and last gold coin counted.