Collins Classics – serie

HarperCollins is proud to present our range of timeless literary classics. All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others. The animals at Manor Farm have had enough of Farmer Jones – he’s drunk, reckless and cares little for their welfare. When the boar, Old Major, shares his revolutionary plans, the animals are convinced they can thrive on their own once the despot Jones is removed. But as the pigs vie for power, they begin to bear an uncanny resemblance to the tyrants they have overthrown …George Orwell’s renowned fable and satirical portrait of politics became an instant success upon its publication after the Second World War. The novel has continued to captivate readers of all ages, and has secured Orwell’s position as one of the great writers of the twentieth century.

One of the BBC's '100 Novels That Shaped Our World'. HarperCollins is proud to present our range of timeless literary classics. Big Brother is Watching You Winston Smith rewrites history. It’s his job. Hidden away in the Records Department of the sprawling Ministry of Truth, he helps the Party and the omnipresent Big Brother control the people of Oceania. But the notebook he’s begun to write in is against the rules – in fact, the Thought Police could arrest him simply for having it. Despite the danger, a seed of rebellion has begun to grow in Winston’s heart – one that could have devastating consequences.In George Orwell’s final novel, he explores a dystopian future in which a totalitarian government controls the actions, thoughts and even emotions of its citizens. Its lasting popularity is testament to Orwell’s powerful prose, and is a passionate warning for today.

The Great American Novel of love and betrayal from the beloved author of The Great Gatsby. HarperCollins is proud to present our range of timeless literary classics. So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past. Jay Gatsby’s Long Island mansion throngs with the bright young things of the Roaring Twenties. But Gatsby himself, young, handsome and mysteriously rich, never appears. He stands apart, yearning for something just out of reach – Daisy Buchanan, lost years before to another man. One fateful summer, when the pair finally reunite, their actions set in motion events that will unravel their lives, bringing tragedy to all who surround them.Widely considered F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece, The Great Gatsby is a tale of excess and obsession, and a work of classic twentieth-century American literature.

HarperCollins is proud to present our range of timeless literary classics.‘The reaches opened before us and closed behind, as if the forest had stepped leisurely across the water to bar the way for our return. We penetrated deeper and deeper into the heart of darkness.’At the peak of European Imperialism, steamboat captain Charles Marlow travels deep into the African Congo on his way to relieve the elusive Mr Kurtz, an ivory trader renowned for his fearsome reputation. On his journey into the unknown Marlow takes a terrifying trip into his own subconscious, overwhelmed by his menacing, perilous and horrifying surroundings.The landscape and the people he meets force him to reflect on human nature and society, and in turn Conrad writes revealingly about the dangers of imperialism.

HarperCollins is proud to present our range of timeless literary classics. Tranquility is nothing else than the good ordering of the mind The extraordinary writings of Marcus Aurelius (CE 121-180), the only Roman emperor to have also been a Stoic philosopher, have for centuries been praised for their wisdom, insight and guidance by leaders and great thinkers alike. Never intended for publication, Meditations are the personal notes of a warrior-king studying his unique position of power, surrounded by loss and human fragility.Boldly confronting many of our greatest questions, Meditations wrestles with the complexities of human nature, rationality and moral virtue. This timeless and significant text will provide both inspiration and comfort to the twenty-first-century reader.

HarperCollins is proud to present our range of timeless literary classics. 'Do you understand, sir, do you understand what it means when you have absolutely nowhere to turn?' Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov – an impoverished student drop-out and amateur philosopher – callously murders a pawnbroker in the slums of St Petersburg. Pursued by the law and his own ravaged conscience, Dostoyevsky’s iconic anti-hero spirals into crisis as the noose tightens, and everything he thought he knew about morality and sin is corrupted by his hideous act of violence.In this psychological masterpiece of good and evil, Dostoyevsky questions what murder does to the soul and whether redemption is possible. One of the great works of world literature, Crime and Punishment is an epic of human nature, guilt and salvation.

One of the BBC's '100 Novels That Shaped Our World'. HarperCollins is proud to present our range of timeless literary classics.Winston Smith rewrites history. It’s his job. Hidden away in the Record Department of the sprawling Ministry of Truth, he helps the Party, and the omnipresent Big Brother, control the people of Oceania.Winston knows what a good citizen of Oceania must do: show his devotion for Big Brother and the Party; abstain from all vices; and, most importantly, possess no critical thoughts of their own. The new notebook he’s begun to write in is definitely against the rules – in fact, the Thought Police could arrest him simply for having it. Yet, as Winston begins to write his own history, a seed of rebellion begins to grow in his heart – one that could have devastating consequences.In George Orwell’s final and most well-known novel, he explores a dystopian future in which a totalitarian government controls the actions, thoughts and even emotions of its citizens, exercising power through control of language and history. Its lasting popularity is testament to Orwell’s powerful prose, and is a passionate political warning for today

One of the BBC's '100 Novels That Shaped Our World'. HarperCollins is proud to present our range of timeless literary classics. It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. Elizabeth Bennet, full of vivacity and wit, lives a quiet country existence with her four sisters. To the delight of their mother, determined to find her daughters suitable matches, the eligible Mr Darcy and Mr Bingley arrive in the neighbourhood, bringing with them dancing, wealth – and opportunity. Unimpressed at first by Darcy’s haughty air, Elizabeth vows to have nothing to do with him. But as she makes her own errors of judgement, the pair begin to understand each other and come to realise that first impressions are not always as they seem.Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen’s much-loved tale of marriage and society in Georgian England, continues to delight modern readers with its social comedy, well-drawn characters and subtle nuances.

HarperCollins is proud to present our range of timeless literary classics. Women, they have minds, and they have souls, as well as just hearts. And they’ve got ambition, and they’ve got talent, as well as just beauty. I’m so sick of people saying that love is all a woman is fit for. Meg longs for marriage; Amy wants to be a painter; Beth is content to stay at home; Jo wants adventure and a life without limits. Four decidedly different sisters, growing up during the American Civil War, each face their own unique challenge. Little Women tells the story of the March sisters. Through parties, travel, illness, arguments, dinners, love affairs and ice-skating escapades, we follow these unforgettable women as they come of age.First published over 150 years ago, Little Women is a quintessential American classic that has become a stage and screen favourite ever since, capturing the hearts of millions of readers across the world.

HarperCollins is proud to present our range of timeless literary classics.Since its publication in 1936, How to Win Friends and Influence People has stood the test of time as the definitive guide to effective communication and relationship building. In this edition, based on the original text, global bestselling author Dale Carnegie shares invaluable, easy-to-apply principles that empower you to connect with others, navigate social dynamics and make a lasting impact. Whether you’re looking to enhance your personal relationships or advance your career, this timeless classic offers the tools you need to thrive.Learn how to: Persuade others to embrace your point of view.Form friendships quickly and effortlessly.Break free from a mental rut.Increase your earning power.

HarperCollins is proud to present our range of timeless literary classics. ‘She wished to find out about this hazardous business of “passing,” this breaking away from all that was familiar and friendly to take one’s chance in another environment…’ The elegant Clare Kendry glides through New York’s high-society circles with ease, until the day she is reacquainted with her childhood friend, Irene. Clare chooses to ‘pass’ as white, hiding her African American heritage from her bigoted husband, while Irene leads a life that embraces it. As both women observe the other, a relationship of mutual fascination, obsession and secrets begins, one that will end in devastating circumstances.Published in 1929, Nella Larsen’s Passing lays bare the complexities of identity, race, class and gender. The novella established Larsen as one of the most important female authors in American literature and is considered a literary masterpiece of the Harlem Renaissance era.

HarperCollins is proud to present our range of timeless literary classics.‘It was a town of red brick, or of brick that would have been red if the smoke and ashes had allowed it; but as matters stood, it was a town of unnatural red and black like the painted face of a savage.’Set in fictitious Coketown, England during the Industrial Revolution of the 1850s, Dickens wished to expose the enormous gulf between the rich and poor through his writing. In Hard Times, the social and moral purpose of his work is at its most evident. Openly ironic and satirical in its tone, Dickens suggests a mechanization of society, where the wealthy are ruthless and uncharitable towards those less fortunate than themselves.Siblings Louisa and Tom Gradgrind are raised by their father, a harsh and pragmatic educator and his influence means that they go on to lead lives that are lacking in all areas. Louisa marries the arrogant and greedy Josiah Bounderby, ending in an unhappy pairing and the unfeeling and villainous Tom robs his own brother-in-law’s bank. As their father watches their plight, he realises that his own principles may have led to their downfall.

One of the BBC's '100 Novels That Shaped Our World'.HarperCollins is proud to present our range of timeless literary classics.Winston Smith rewrites history. It’s his job. Hidden away in the Record Department of the sprawling Ministry of Truth, he helps the Party, and the omnipresent Big Brother, control the people of Oceania.Winston knows what a good citizen of Oceania must do: show his devotion for Big Brother and the Party; abstain from all vices; and, most importantly, possess no critical thoughts of their own. The new notebook he’s begun to write in is definitely against the rules – in fact, the Thought Police could arrest him simply for having it. Yet, as Winston begins to write his own history, a seed of rebellion begins to grow in his heart – one that could have devastating consequences.In George Orwell’s final and most well-known novel, he explores a dystopian future in which a totalitarian government controls the actions, thoughts and even emotions of its citizens, exercising power through control of language and history. Its lasting popularity is testament to Orwell’s powerful prose, and is a passionate political warning for today

HarperCollins is proud to present our range of timeless literary classics.“In a moment I was clutched by several hands, and there was no mistaking that they were trying to haul me back . . . You can scarce imagine how nauseatingly inhuman they looked – those pale chinless faces and great, lidless, pinkish-grey eyes!”An English scientist regales his dinner guests with the tale of his travels to the year 802,701, where he discovers that the human race has evolved into two distinct societies. The Eloi, elegant and peaceful, yet lacking spirit, are terrorised by the sinister, light-fearing Morlocks, who live underground, surrounded by industry. And when his time machine mysteriously vanishes, the scientist must descend to the realm of the Morlocks in order to find his only hope of escape . . .H. G. Wells is considered a founding father of modern science fiction, coining the term ‘time machine’ and popularising the idea of time travel in literature.

HarperCollins is proud to present our range of timeless literary classics. ‘It’s reactionary to believe in God in our days,’ I said, ‘but I am the devil, so I may be believed in.’ When corrupt landowner Fyodor Karamazov is murdered awaiting an illicit rendezvous, his estranged sons immediately fall under suspicion. Was it Dmitri, the reckless hedonist engaged in a wicked rivalry with his father, or Ivan, whose rational and aloof façade hides a troubled mind? Or could it have been Alexey, a devoted man of God, unwillingly entangled in these sordid affairs of the flesh? Under the shadow of this brutal killing, the brothers grapple with the secrets and lies which both divide and bind their family.In his final novel, Dostoyevsky employs his peerless understanding of love and hate, innocence and complicity in the battle for Russia’s soul. The Brothers Karamazov is a masterpiece of good and evil, faith and family.

HarperCollins is proud to present our range of timeless literary classics.I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey work of the stars…First published in 1855, and edited, revised and expanded over thirty years, ‘Leaves of Grass’ has become one of the most celebrated poetry collections in the history of American literature. A master of free verse, Walt Whitman captures the true spirit of his homeland and its people through his poetry. He explores a wide range of themes, encompassing American identity and cultural values, democracy, nature and the mysteries of the human spirit.Featuring the poems of the original 1855 edition, ‘Leaves of Grass’ remains an influential work within the American literary tradition, studied and treasured around the world.

HarperCollins is proud to present our range of timeless literary classics. ‘There are things in that wallpaper that nobody knows about but me, or ever will’ Hailed as one of the most distinctive and compelling literary voices of her era, Charlotte Perkins Gilman is praised today for her ground-breaking, feminist writing. Collected here, both The Yellow Wallpaper and Herland are extraordinary for scrutinising the patriarchal norms of turn-of-the-century America.In The Yellow Wallpaper a woman frantically paces the empty nursery at the top of a secluded mansion. Her husband John, a physician, is of no comfort and she can’t bear to sit with the new baby as his crying makes her much too nervous. And then there’s the putrid, yellow wallpaper which seems to shift and creep around the room before her very eyes…Herland, first published in 1915, follows a group of three men as they arrive in a female-only society. Peace and tranquillity thrive in this utopian land, forcing the explorers to question how their own corrupted, male-dominated world can survive.

HarperCollins is proud to present our range of timeless literary classics.“For a time I believed that mankind had been swept out of existence, and that I stood there alone, the last man left alive.”When a strange, meteor-like object lands in the heart of England, the inhabitants of Earth find themselves victims of a terrible attack. A ruthless race of Martians, armed with heat rays and poisonous smoke, is intent on destroying everything that stands in its way. As the unnamed hero struggles to find his way across decimated wastelands, the fate of the planet hangs in the balance . . .H. G. Wells was a pioneer of modern science fiction. First serialised in the UK in 1897, The War of the Worlds is one of the earliest stories to depict conflict with an extraterrestrial race, and has influenced countless adaptations and sequels.

One of the BBC's '100 Novels That Shaped Our World'. HarperCollins is proud to present our range of timeless literary classics.‘The flower bloomed and faded. The sun rose and sank. The lover loved and went. And what the poets said in rhyme, the young translated into practice.’Written for her lover Vita Sackville-West, ‘Orlando’ is Woolf’s playfully subversive take on a biography, here tracing the fantastical life of Orlando. As the novel spans centuries and continents, gender and identity, we follow Orlando’s adventures in love – from being a lord in the Elizabethan court to a lady in 1920s London.First published in 1928, this tale of unrivalled imagination and wit quickly became the most famous work of women’s fiction. Sexuality, destiny, independence and desire – all come to the fore in this highly influential novel that heralded a new era in women’s writing.

HarperCollins is proud to present our range of timeless literary classics.'Take nothing on its looks; take everything on evidence. There's no better rule.'Living with his sister and her husband, Pip is an orphan without any expectations. It is only when he begins to visit a rich old woman, Miss Havisham and her adopted niece that he begins to hope for something better. When it is revealed that Pip has inherited a large sum of money from a mysterious benefactor on the condition that he moves to London to become a gentleman, Pip's adventure really begins. Epic, illuminating and memorable, Dickens mysterious tale of Pip's quest to find the truth about himself is one of his most enduring and popular novels to date.

HarperCollins is proud to present our range of timeless literary classics. My Antonia is Willa Cather’s masterpiece about nineteenth-century Nebraskan pioneers.My Antonia depicts the pioneering period of European settlement on the tall-grass prairie of the American midwest, with its beautiful yet terrifying landscape, rich ethnic mix of immigrants and native-born Americans, and communities who share life's joys and sorrows.Jim Burden recounts his memories of Antonia Shimerda, whose family settle in Nebraska from Bohemia. Together they share childhoods spent in a new world. Jim leaves the prairie for college and a career in the east, while Antonia devotes herself to her large family and productive farm. Her story is that of the land itself, a moving portrait of endurance and strength.

HarperCollins is proud to present our range of timeless literary classics. He whom Love touches not walks in darkness. At an elite Athenian drinking party in 416 BCE, a group of friends take their turn to speak in praise of Eros, god of love. At this symposium the guests, including statesmen, playwrights, poets and Plato’s teacher, the famed philosopher Socrates, discuss love’s role in beauty, virtue, immortality, and shaping the world they live in.Plato’s deft retelling weaves together myth, drama and philosophy in search of deeper understanding of love. Held up as an example of the Socratic Method, central to the development of western thought, teaching and debate, The Symposium went on to shape philosophy for centuries to come.

HarperCollins is proud to present our range of timeless literary classics. The beloved author of The Great Gatsby brings together a surreal collection of short stories including 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'.In these eleven stories, Fitzgerald depicts the Roaring Twenties as he lived them. He masterfully blends accounts of flappers and the smart set with more fantastical visions of America, always imbuing his narratives with his trademark themes of money, class, ambition and love. In ‘May Day’, Fitzgerald weaves an account of a raucous Yale alumni party, the participants of which are oblivious to the violent socialist demonstration being acted out around them. ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ is an unorthodox account of a man who ages backwards, and ‘The Diamond as Big as the Ritz’ tells the story of a young man who discovers that his friend’s family possesses a diamond that is literally larger than the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. This 1922 collection confirmed Fitzgerald as the voice of his generation.

HarperCollins is proud to present our range of timeless literary classics.Confessions describes Saint Augustine’s conversion to Christianity and is the basis for his reputation as one of Christianity's most influential thinkers.

HarperCollins is proud to present our range of timeless literary classics. A marriage unravels in this autobiographical novel from the beloved author of The Great Gatsby.‘Sometimes it is harder to deprive oneself of a pain than of a pleasure.’Set on the French Riviera in the 1920s, American Dick Diver and his wife Nicole are the epitome of chic, living a glamorous lifestyle and entertaining friends at their villa. Young film star Rosemary Hoyt arrives in France and becomes entranced by the couple. It is not long before she is attracted to the enigmatic Dick, but he and his wife hold dark secrets and as their marriage becomes more fractured, Fitzgerald laments the failure of idealism and the carefully constructed trappings of high society in the Roaring Twenties.

HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics.No man can live a happy life, or even a supportable life, without the study of wisdomLucius Annaeus Seneca (4 BC-AD 65) is one of the most famous Roman philosophers. Instrumental in guiding the Roman Empire under emperor Nero, Seneca influenced him from a young age with his Stoic principles. Later in life, he wrote Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium, or Letters from a Stoic, detailing these principles in full.Seneca’s letters read like a diary, or a handbook of philosophical meditations. Often beginning with observations on daily life, the letters focus on many traditional themes of Stoic philosophy, such as the contempt of death, the value of friendship and virtue as the supreme good.

Now a major film: HarperCollins is proud to present our range of timeless literary classics. I wish as well as every body else to be perfectly happy; but like every body else it must be in my own way. When the Dashwood family are forced into more modest circumstances, sisters Marianne and Elinor also find themselves entangled in matters of the heart. Passionate and spirited, young Marianne falls for the charming but unreliable Mr Willoughby. Elinor, by contrast rational and sensible, forms a close bond with Edward Ferrars, but must cope stoically with the news that he is promised to another. Only through their shared experiences of love and loss do both sisters learn that the key to happiness comes from finding the perfect mixture of rationality and feeling.Sense and Sensibility was Jane Austen’s first published work when it appeared in 1811. One of her most cherished novels, the story of the Dashwood sisters has been the subject of several adaptations for film and television.

HarperCollins is proud to present our range of timeless literary classics.‘Greedily she engorged without restraint,And knew not eating death;’Milton’s Paradise Lost is a poem of epic proportions that tells of Satan’s attempts to mislead Eve into disobeying God in the Garden of Eden, by eating from the tree of knowledge. His interpretation of the biblical story of Genesis is vivid and intense in its language, justifying the actions of God to men. In his sequel poem, Paradise Regained, Milton shows Satan trying to seduce Jesus in a similar way to Eve, but ultimately failing as Jesus remains steadfast.

HarperCollins is proud to present our range of timeless literary classics.“In a moment I was clutched by several hands, and there was no mistaking that they were trying to haul me back . . . You can scarce imagine how nauseatingly inhuman they looked – those pale chinless faces and great, lidless, pinkish-grey eyes!”An English scientist regales his dinner guests with the tale of his travels to the year 802,701, where he discovers that the human race has evolved into two distinct societies. The Eloi, elegant and peaceful, yet lacking spirit, are terrorised by the sinister, light-fearing Morlocks, who live underground, surrounded by industry. And when his time machine mysteriously vanishes, the scientist must descend to the realm of the Morlocks in order to find his only hope of escape . . .H. G. Wells is considered a founding father of modern science fiction, coining the term ‘time machine’ and popularising the idea of time travel in literature.