The Masterpieces of World Literature

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe · Stendhal · Jules Verne · Gustave Flaubert · Lewis Carroll · Charles Dickens · Plato · Honoré de Balzac · Mark Twain · Harriet Beecher Stowe · Walt Whitman · Oscar Wilde · Robert Louis Stevenson · James Fenimore Cooper · Edgar Allan Poe · William Shakespeare · George MacDonald · Bram Stoker · Charlotte Brontë · Anne Brontë · Emily Brontë · Henry David Thoreau · Jack London · Henry James · Louisa May Alcott · Victor Hugo · Arthur Conan Doyle · Frances Hodgson Burnett · Joseph Conrad · Jane Austen · Herman Melville · George Eliot · Laurence Sterne · Thomas Hardy · Jonathan Swift · Edith Wharton · Daniel Defoe · Henry Fielding · Kenneth Grahame · Marcel Proust · Willa Cather · Nathaniel Hawthorne · Homer · Gaston Leroux · William Makepeace Thackeray · Kate Chopin · Apuleius · John Milton · Frederick Douglass · John Keats · James Joyce · Ann Ward Radcliffe · Kahlil Gibran · H. G. Wells · W. B. Yeats · J. M. Barrie · G. K. Chesterton · T. S. Eliot · L. M. Montgomery · C. S. Lewis · D. H. Lawrence · E. M. Forster · H. P. Lovecraft · Marcus Aurelius · Friedrich Nietzsche · Lewis Wallace · Sir Walter Scott · George Bernard Shaw · Mary Shelley · P. B. Shelley · Elizabeth von Arnim · Herman Hesse · George Weedon Grossmith · Willkie Collins

Nov 2023 · DigiCat

About this ebook

The Masterpieces of World Literature anthology presents a stunning confluence of storytelling prowess, philosophical inquiry, and lyrical beauty, capturing the essence of human experience across centuries and continents. This collection spans a remarkable spectrum of literary styles—ranging from the epic poetry of Homer, through the keen social insights of Jane Austen and George Eliot, to the modernist explorations of James Joyce and T. S. Eliot. What binds these diverse works is not only their indisputable place within the canon of world literature but also their shared exploration of fundamental human themes: love, morality, society, and the individual's quest for meaning. The anthology provides a unique opportunity to engage with the works that have shaped literary and cultural discourse across generations, highlighting such pieces as Shakespeare's profound tragedies, the Gothic intricacies of the Brontë sisters, and the philosophical musings of Marcus Aurelius and Friedrich Nietzsche. The contributing authors and editors, hailing from varied epochs and societies, bring a wealth of perspectives to the anthology. Their backgrounds, encompassing the Enlightenment's valorization of reason, the Romantic era's emphasis on emotion and individuality, and the sharp social critiques of the Realist and Modernist movements, illuminate the cultural and historical contexts that informed these works. The interplay of voices within this collection underlines a shared human preoccupation with exploring the complexity of existence, underscored by the authors' diverse approaches to narrative, character, and philosophical inquiry. This anthology aligns with significant literary and cultural movements, offering readers an encompassing overview of the evolution of literary expression and thought. The Masterpieces of World Literature invites both the avid scholar and the casual reader to delve into its pages. It is a testament to the enduring power of literature to challenge, entertain, and enlighten, offering an unparalleled journey through the landscapes of human creativity and intellect. Readers are encouraged to explore this vast compendium, not merely as a tour through literary history but as a conversation spanning centuries, inviting reflection on the themes, styles, and insights that continue to resonate today. This anthology stands as an essential volume for anyone seeking to grasp the breadth and depth of human literary achievement, providing a gateway to a richer understanding of the world's cultural heritage.

About the author

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), a towering figure in German literature, remains one of the most influential literary artists. His works span across poetry, drama, literature, theology, humanism, science, and philosophy. Goethe's early works, such as 'The Sorrows of Young Werther' (1774), won him immediate fame and have been credited with the birth of 'Sturm und Drang', a precursor to Romanticism. His magnum opus, 'Faust', is a two-part dramatic work that reflects the complex interplay of knowledge, emotion, and ethics, and remains a staple of Western literature, often considered to be one of the greatest achievements of German literature. Goethe's contributions to literature can be found in 'The Masterpieces of World Literature' which showcases his literary breadth. Aside from his literary pursuits, Goethe was also a keen scientist, with theories such as the Goethean science visible in his later works. His style has been described as a synthesis of profound emotional depth and classical restraint, an interplay that earned him the title of 'the last true polymath to walk the earth'. The richness of Goethe's writing, his cultural influence through the Weimar Classicism movement, and his intellectual legacy in the shaping of modern thought cannot be overstated.