From the back cover: 'Her present life appeared like the dream of a distempered imagination, or like one of those frightful fictions, in which the wild genius of the poets sometimes delighted. Reflection brought only regret, and anticipation terror.' Such is the state of mind of Ann Radcliffe's orphaned heroine Emily St. Aubert, who finds herself imprisoned in her evil … [Read more...] about The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe: B-
Classic
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson: B+
From the back cover: Robert Louis Stevenson’s masterpiece of the duality of good and evil in man’s nature sprang from the darkest recesses of his own unconscious—during a nightmare from which his wife awakened him, alerted by his screams. More than a hundred years later, this tale of the mild-mannered Dr. Jekyll and the drug that unleashes his evil, inner persona—the loathsome, … [Read more...] about Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson: B+
Complete Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde: A
From the back cover: A celebrated playwright and poet, Oscar Wilde also penned incomparable nonfiction and fiction—and lovely gem-like fairy tales. Filled with princes and nightingales, mermaids, giants, and kings, his tales carry the mark of his signature irony and subtle eroticism. This volume brings together all the stories found in Wilde's two collections, The Happy Prince … [Read more...] about Complete Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde: A
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith: D-
From the back cover: "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains." So begins Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, an expanded edition of the beloved Jane Austen novel featuring all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie mayhem. As our story opens, a mysterious plague has fallen upon the quiet English village of … [Read more...] about Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith: D-
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen: B
From the back cover: From its sharply satiric opening sentence, Mansfield Park deals with money and marriage, and how strongly they affect each other. Shy, fragile Fanny Price is the consummate "poor relation." Sent to live with her wealthy uncle Thomas, she clashes with his spoiled, selfish daughters and falls in love with his son. Their lives are further complicated by the … [Read more...] about Mansfield Park by Jane Austen: B