Mint Editions – serie

A house seemingly disconnected in time and space becomes the setting for brutal conflict between the hapless homeowner and a collection of grotesque semi-human creatures in this landmark of fantasy and horror.The House on the Borderland is the account of a man, known only as the recluse, who moves into a remote and shunned house and unwittingly finds himself suspended between worlds, traveling through time, and fighting for his life against a siege of misshapen monstrosities. The author’s sweeping imagination evokes a wide variety of fantastical effects, from eerie intimations of the weird to vivid manifestations of supernatural horror, from fabulous glimpses of otherworldly landscapes to direct combat with non-human assailants of murderous intent. First published in 1908, the novel quickly acquired a reputation as a rare and visionary example of cosmic horror that would influence and draw praise from H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, Olaf Stapleton and others. As gripping and surreal as a fever dream, The House on the Borderland remains one of the most transporting destinations in literature.With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The House on the Borderland is both modern and readable.

The Influence of Sea Power Upon History (1890) is a work of naval history and strategy by Alfred Thayer Mahan. Drawing on decades of experience as a naval officer, researcher, and university lecturer, Mahan develops his theory of sea power in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in this popular and important text. Despite a lack of primary sources, The Influence of Sea Power would prove essential to the expansion of European and American imperialism through the use of naval might and has been cited as one of the most influential works of the nineteenth century. “The history of Sea Power is largely, though by no means solely, a narrative of contests between nations, of mutual rivalries, of violence frequently culminating in war.” For Alfred Thayer Mahan, there was no greater indicator of national might throughout history than control of the planet’s oceans. In this detailed study of the subject, drawn from years of research and lectures given at the Naval War College in Rhode Island, Mahan traces the influence of sea power on such conflicts as the English Revolution and the Seven Years’ War to argue that supremacy of the seas coincides with global commercial and political dominance throughout history. Immediately successful, The Influence of Sea Power Upon History would justify the expansion of imperialism as well as shape the naval arms race between Great Britain and Germany in the years preceding the First World War. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Alfred Thayer Mahan’s The Influence of Sea Power Upon History is a classic of naval strategic scholarship reimagined for modern readers.

Once on a Time (1917) is a fairy tale by A.A. Milne. Known more for his series of Winnie-the-Pooh stories and poems for children, Milne also wrote novels, fairy tales, and plays, including this entirely original work of fiction inspired by the author’s experience in the Great War. Addressing themes of power, conflict, and moral ambiguity, Once on a Time updates the classic fairy tale format for the twentieth century, and remains a wonderful work of fiction for children and adults alike. >While testing out a pair of magical boots, King Merriwig of Euralia, a jolly and decent ruler, accidentally instigates war with a neighboring kingdom. While he is off fighting with the cruel and egotistical King of Barodia, Merriwig’s daughter, Princess Hyacinth, is left in charge of Euralia. Despite her youth, she possesses both wisdom and a desire to do right by her people. But the Countess Belvane, the king’s mistress, has desires of her own. Jealous of Hyacinth, she hatches a plan to take control of the kingdom, causing mischief for the Princess at every turn. With the help of Prince Udo of Araby—who suffers from a strange enchantment—and his companion Coronel, Princess Hyacinth does her best to take care of Euralia until her father is able to return. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of A.A. Milne’s Once on a Time is a classic work of British literature reimagined for modern readers.

The Moon Pool (1918) is a novel by A. Merritt. Originally published as a pair of short stories in the Argosy All-Story Weekly, Merritt’s novel is an influential work in the tradition of lost world fantasy, a subgenre pioneered by Edgar Rice Burroughs and Arthur Conan Doyle. Thought to have influenced H. P. Lovecraft’s “The Call of Cthulhu,” The Moon Pool is widely regarded as Merritt’s finest work. “Now the Thing was close to the end of the white path; close up to the barrier of darkness still between the ship and the sparkling head of the moon stream. Now it beat up against that barrier as a bird against the bars of its cage. It whirled with shimmering plumes, with swirls of lacy light, with spirals of living vapour.” While on a seafaring expedition, Dr. Goodwin, a brilliant scientist, first makes contact with a being known to some as the Dweller, and to others as the Shining One. Created by a lost race residing in the Earth’s core, the Dweller soon broke free from its masters and took on a capacity for evil. Now, all that remains of the once vibrant and advanced underground civilization are the three Silent Ones, wise and immortal beings whose duty—if they can fulfill it—is to destroy the Dweller once and for all. Joined by pilot Larry O’Keefe, Dr. Goodwin voyages underground to learn more about the creature he first saw by the light of the moon. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of A. Merritt’s The Moon Pool is a classic of American fantasy fiction reimagined for modern readers.

Not a Man, and Yet a Man (1877) is a collection of poems by A.A. Whitman. A former slave, Whitman worked as a laborer before finding employment as a financial agent and fundraiser for Wilberforce University, the first historically black college owned and operated by African Americans. In these poems, Whitman depicts the story of the nation on an epic scale, weaving history and personal experience into a compelling narrative of hope, promise, and betrayal. Intended to promote the mission of Wilberforce, Not a Man, and Yet a Man has been praised for its scope and Romantic style since its publication. “My pen appeals to right and common sense. / The black man has a cause, deny who dares, / And him to vindicate my muse prepares.” Freed from slavery during the Civil War, A.A. Whitman worked and obtained an education in the early days of Reconstruction, a period of immense progress that nevertheless proved the dire need to change the hearts and minds of white Americans. Although they had been freed by law, many African Americans, whether born free or formerly enslaved, suffered violence and prejudice as they attempted to enter the workforce, build their families, and establish themselves as property owners around the country. For Whitman, it had to be made clear how their “sweat has poured to swell our ample stores, / [their] blood run freely to defend our shores; / And prayers ascended to the Lord of all, / To save the nation of a direful fall.” Not only had African Americans built the nation, they joined the Union Army by the thousands to protect it—in one way or another, the debt had to be repaid. Not a Man, and Yet a Man is a brilliant debut from a pioneering voice in nineteenth century American poetry. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of A.A. Whitman’s Not a Man, and Yet a Man is a classic of African American literature reimagined for modern readers.

David Levinsky, a Russian immigrant, moved to America in search of opportunity but is forced to confront many moral and economic challenges along the way. It’s a compelling account of one person’s faith and perseverance following a life-changing decision. After a series of tragedies, David Levinsky decides to leave his native Russia for the United States. Formally educated in the Talmud, he has strong religious beliefs that clash with his new secular lifestyle. He eventually finds work but is interested in starting his own business. Over time, his professional life begins to thrive, while his personal endeavors suffer. With the accumulation of wealth and prestige, comes the unavoidable cost of the American dream. The Rise of David Levinsky details the highs and lows of the immigrant experience. It examines the desire and sacrifice required to build a new life. It’s a cautionary tale that explores the strength and struggles of the nineteenth century Jewish immigrant. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Rise of David Levinsky is both modern and readable.

Love at Second Sight (1916) is a novel by Ada Leverson. Having established herself as a journalist and short story writer, Leverson published her debut novel in 1907 to moderate acclaim. Entertaining and effortlessly witty, Leverson’s prose paints a stunning portrait of the Edwardian era, a time when hope and relative peace proved prosperous for many. Often compared to her close friend Oscar Wilde, Leverson, a pioneering Jewish woman, remains a unique and refreshing voice in English literature. Love at Second Sight is the third installment in her Little Ottleys trilogy, a series of novels exploring the romantic lives of a hilariously diverse group of friends. Edith and Bruce Ottley seem to have it all—a charming flat, a healthy child, and a group of entertaining friends. Although they are far from perfect—Bruce can be jealous and quite the hypochondriac at times—their marriage remains strong and their home remains a place of refuge to their frequently lovelorn comrades. During the First World War, the Ottleys play host to the mysterious Madame Frabelle, who exercises a strange power over their home. When an old flame of Edith’s unexpectedly returns from the war with a serious injury, she finds herself less and less willing to put up with Bruce’s tiresome eccentricities. Edith and Bruce do their best to make themselves hospitable while defending their home against the hostilities of love, but the hearts and minds of their eclectic guests prove difficult to assuage. Love at Second Sight is a humorous tale of romance and desire from Ada Leverson, an underappreciated novelist of the Edwardian era. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Ada Leverson’s Love at Second Sight is a classic work of British literature reimagined for modern readers.

The Twelfth Hour (1907) is a novel by Ada Leverson. Having established herself as a journalist and short story writer, Leverson published her debut novel to moderate acclaim. Entertaining and effortlessly witty, Leverson’s prose paints a stunning portrait of the Edwardian era, a time when hope and relative peace proved prosperous for many. Often compared to her close friend Oscar Wilde, Leverson, a pioneering Jewish woman, remains a unique and refreshing voice in English literature. Felicity, Sylvia, and Savile Crofton all feel the pressure placed on upper-class youths to marry wisely. At 25, Felicity appears to have found herself a good husband, a man of wealth and social standing who on closer appearance seems more interested in leisure than love. Determined not to fall into a similarly unhappy marriage, her 20-year-old sister Sylvia hopes to thwart her father’s wish that she marry millionaire Mr. Ridokanski. Although he is only 16, Eton student Savile is deeply in love with a famous opera singer—from a distance—but also feels obliged to entertain the affections of Dolly Clive, a girl his own age. Finding company in their own unique miseries of the heart, the Crofton siblings hatch a plan to achieve happiness for themselves, satisfaction for their father, and whatever it is young people are meant to owe to society. The Twelfth Hour is a humorous tale of romance and desire from Ada Leverson, an underappreciated novelist of the Edwardian era. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Ada Leverson’s The Twelfth Hour is a classic work of British literature reimagined for modern readers.

Love’s Shadow (1908) is a novel by Ada Leverson. Having established herself as a journalist and short story writer, Leverson published her debut novel in 1907 to moderate acclaim. Entertaining and effortlessly witty, Leverson’s prose paints a stunning portrait of the Edwardian era, a time when hope and relative peace proved prosperous for many. Often compared to her close friend Oscar Wilde, Leverson, a pioneering Jewish woman, remains a unique and refreshing voice in English literature. Love’s Shadow is the first installment in her Little Ottleys trilogy, a series of novels exploring the romantic lives of a hilariously diverse group of friends. Edith and Bruce Ottley seem to have it all—a charming flat, a healthy child, and a group of entertaining friends. Although they are far from perfect—Bruce can be jealous and quite the hypochondriac at times—their marriage remains strong and their home remains a place of refuge to their frequently lovelorn comrades. Among a dizzying array of faces and names, Hyacinth Verney, Mrs. Eugenia Raymond, Cecil Reeve, and Lord Selsey stand out. Although Hyacinth loves Cecil, a match favored by his uncle Lord Selsey, the young man seems inexplicably smitten with the widow Eugenia, who has no interest in marrying again. Edith and Bruce do their best to make themselves hospitable while defending their home against the hostilities of love, but the hearts and minds of their eclectic guests prove difficult to assuage. Love’s Shadow is a humorous tale of romance and desire from Ada Leverson, an underappreciated novelist of the Edwardian era. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Ada Leverson’s Love’s Shadow is a classic work of British literature reimagined for modern readers.

The Limit (1911) is a novel by Ada Leverson. Having established herself as a journalist and short story writer, Leverson published her debut novel in 1907 to moderate acclaim. Entertaining and effortlessly witty, Leverson’s prose paints a stunning portrait of the Edwardian era, a time when hope and relative peace proved prosperous for many. Often compared to her close friend Oscar Wilde, Leverson, a pioneering Jewish woman, remains a unique and refreshing voice in English literature. Marriage, friends, a home—Romer and Valentia seem to have everything they could ever want. Under the surface, however, jealousy and doubt threaten the love they have spent years nurturing. While Valentia spends more and more of her time with her cousin Harry de Freyne, a handsome artist, Romer does his best to ground himself in trust and devotion. Meanwhile, Valentia’s sister Daphne resists the advances of the wealthy aristocrat Van Buren. Miss Luscombe, one of the couple’s many eccentric friends, is an impoverished young actress who falls for a mysterious tattooed man. As each of these characters navigates the needs and desires of themselves and those around them, Leverson never loses sight of their humanity, for all its beauty and flaws. The Limit is a humorous tale of romance and desire from Ada Leverson, an underappreciated novelist of the Edwardian era. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Ada Leverson’s The Limit is a classic work of British literature reimagined for modern readers.

Bird of Paradise (1914) is a novel by Ada Leverson. Having established herself as a journalist and short story writer, Leverson published her debut novel in 1907 to moderate acclaim. Entertaining and effortlessly witty, Leverson’s prose paints a stunning portrait of the Edwardian era, a time when hope and relative peace proved prosperous for many. Often compared to her close friend Oscar Wilde, Leverson, a pioneering Jewish woman, remains a unique and refreshing voice in English literature. Madeline and Bertha share an uncommonly devoted friendship, verging on sisterhood in the best and worst of times. Satisfactorily married to the loyal—if a little boring—Percy Kellynch, Bertha often serves as Madeline’s matchmaker and confidante. In love with Rupert Denison, an affectionate, aloof young man, Madeline wants nothing more than to be swept off her feet. Much to her dismay, however, Rupert takes romance slow, proving at times a difficult man to pin down. Disappointed by a last-minute cancellation, Madeline laments her lovelorn woes to Bertha, who comes up with a plan. With the help of a devoted ex-lover, she invites Rupert and Madeline to dinner and a show, unwittingly setting in motion a story of jealousy, hilarity, and forbidden attraction. Bird of Paradise is a humorous tale of romance and desire from Ada Leverson, an underappreciated novelist of the Edwardian era. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Ada Leverson’s Bird of Paradise is a classic work of British literature reimagined for modern readers.

The Delight Makers (1890) is a novel by Adolph Francis Alphonse Bandelier with an introduction by Charles Fletcher Lummis. Written after nearly a decade of research spent living among the Pueblo tribes of New Mexico, The Delight Makers attempts to recreate the past through a blend of fiction and historical analysis. This unique anthropological novel, although naturally limited in scope due to Bandelier’s western worldview, is nevertheless a fascinating example of creative scholarship and a well-intentioned project by an important preservationist of America’s indigenous history. “It is a narrow valley, nowhere broader than half a mile; and from where it begins in the west to where it closes in a dark and gloomy entrance, scarcely wide enough for two men to pass abreast, in the east, its length does not exceed six miles. Its southern rim is formed by the slope of a timbered mesa, and that slope is partly overgrown by shrubbery.” Set in the beautiful landscape of New Mexico, The Delight Makers is the story of the Queres, ancestors of the modern Pueblos. Once a powerful people ruled by the secretive Koshare, or “Delight Makers,” the Queres faced opposition between local clans and eventually engaged in a catastrophic war with the Tehua tribe. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Delight Makers is a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers.

Martín Rivas (1862) is a novel by Alberto Blest Gana. Regarded as the first Chilean novel, Martín Rivas is a powerful story of romance, class, and national unity from an author who served for decades as a diplomat and ambassador for Chile. Inspired by the social realism of Honoré de Balzac, Blest Gana retains his European roots while remaining true to the emerging culture of his country. Martín Rivas has always feared the walls closing in. Born and raised in a poor mining community, he sees the limits placed on the lives of his friends and family. Generational poverty, instability, and bad health plague the workers of northern Chile, and he dreams of something more for his life. With his father’s approval, Rivas travels to Santiago to take a job as a servant. Working in the home of a wealthy aristocrat, he does his best to acclimate himself to the manners and desires of the rich, but ultimately loses focus to his employer’s beautiful daughter. Madly in love, he feels the walls inch closer once again. How will he reconcile his emotions with society’s disapproval of relationships between members of opposing classes? How will he convince a man who controls his livelihood to allow him to court his own daughter? As he agonizes over his newly complicated reality, Rivas recalls how much he has overcome and wonders if it was worth the endless struggle. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Alberto Blest Gana’s Martín Rivas is a classic of Chilean literature reimagined for modern readers.

Ionia: Land of Wise Men and Fair Women (1898) is a utopian novel by Alexander Craig. Published with illustrations by renowned German American artist J. C. Leyendecker, Ionia: Land of Wise Men and Fair Women is Craig’s only known novel. Noted for its blend of science fiction and political theory, Craig’s work is among the many novels of the late-nineteenth century to predict the future of air travel. Unlike other utopian tales of the time, however, the author’s vision of a perfect society is built on conservative values. It is also notable for its depiction of severe punishment and overall anti-Semitism. When London banker David Musgrave dies, he leaves his wife and young son a sizable fortune. While raising Alexander, Musgrave’s widow devoted herself to philanthropy in their village. Now a young man forging his own path in London, he learns of a newly discovered country in the Himalayas. Alongside his friend Jason Delphion, he travels by aircraft across the world to see Ionia for himself. There, he learns that the people of the valley descended from Greek mercenaries who fled to the Himalayas during the conquest of Persia by Alexander the Great. Isolated, they lived for centuries as farmers and soldiers until, returning from Europe, a prince brought knowledge of modern technology back to Ionia. From then on, their society flourished, surpassing by far any other in human history. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Alexander Craig’s Ionia: Land of Wise Men and Fair Women is a classic work of utopian literature reimagined for modern readers.

The Clemenceau Case (1866) is a novel by Alexandre Dumas fils. Partly inspired by his own life, the novel takes the form of a letter written from prison to a powerful judge. Looking back on his experiences as an illegitimate child, Pierre Clemenceau provides a scathing critique of French society for its treatment of women and children. Born out of wedlock, Pierre Clemenceau is raised by a mother who tells him he has no father. Clemenceau is educated at a local school until the age of ten, at which point he is sent to a prominent boarding school for boys. There, he struggles to make friends and suffers bullying at the hands of a young American. Tortured day and night, Pierre grows distrustful and violent, and soon turns to a life of crime. As he relates the story of his life to a powerful judge, he declares himself innocent due to the circumstance surrounding his birth, and maintains the following: “My true crime…for which earthly justice will not pursue me, but for which I will never pardon myself nor those who impelled me to, is that I have doubted, and sometimes blushed for my mother.” Filled with regret, he looks for answers from the society that made him doubt his mother in the first place, a society which allows men to escape the responsibilities of fatherhood with impunity. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Alexandre Dumas fils’ The Clemenceau Case is a classic of French literature reimagined for modern readers.

The Influence of Sea Power Upon History (1890) is a work of naval history and strategy by Alfred Thayer Mahan. Drawing on decades of experience as a naval officer, researcher, and university lecturer, Mahan develops his theory of sea power in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in this popular and important text. Despite a lack of primary sources, The Influence of Sea Power would prove essential to the expansion of European and American imperialism through the use of naval might and has been cited as one of the most influential works of the nineteenth century. “The history of Sea Power is largely, though by no means solely, a narrative of contests between nations, of mutual rivalries, of violence frequently culminating in war.” For Alfred Thayer Mahan, there was no greater indicator of national might throughout history than control of the planet’s oceans. In this detailed study of the subject, drawn from years of research and lectures given at the Naval War College in Rhode Island, Mahan traces the influence of sea power on such conflicts as the English Revolution and the Seven Years’ War to argue that supremacy of the seas coincides with global commercial and political dominance throughout history. Immediately successful, The Influence of Sea Power Upon History would justify the expansion of imperialism as well as shape the naval arms race between Great Britain and Germany in the years preceding the First World War. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Alfred Thayer Mahan’s The Influence of Sea Power Upon History is a classic of naval strategic scholarship reimagined for modern readers.

Jimbo: A Fantasy (1909) is a novel by Algernon Blackwood. Having already established himself as a promising short story writer, Blackwood published his debut novel at the age of 40. A lifelong occultist, Blackwood was interested in the fine line between the human and spiritual realms, often incorporating supernatural elements into his work. Jimbo: A Fantasy is a story of a young boy’s out of body experience after sustaining a terrible injury, a narrative that explores the vibrant worlds we wake to in our dreams. “Jimbo had fallen on his head. Inside that head lay the mass of highly sensitive matter called the brain, on which were recorded, of course, the impressions of everything that had yet come to him in life. […] [H]e would have to wander, lost and lonely, through the comparative chaos of disproportioned visions, generally known as the region of delirium, until the doctor, assisted by mother nature, restored him once more to normal consciousness.” Unsupervised, Jimmy wanders into the fields near his home. Charged by an angry bull, he falls and strikes his head, losing consciousness for an indeterminate period of time. As his body struggles to stay alive, his mind creates a world of its own, a haunting realm of dreams both fantastic and somehow realer, more vibrant, then the world he seems to have lost. Jimbo: A Fantasy is a story for children and adults alike, a novel that poses timeless questions regarding the nature of our existence, both upon earth and beyond. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Algernon Blackwood’s Jimbo: A Fantasy is a classic work of British literature reimagined for modern readers.

A Prisoner in Fairyland (1913) is a novel by Algernon Blackwood. Having already established himself as a promising short story writer, Blackwood began publishing novels at the age of 40. A lifelong occultist, Blackwood was interested in the fine line between the human and spiritual realms, often incorporating supernatural elements into his work. A Prisoner in Fairyland is a story of a wealthy retiree’s return to the wonderful imaginative world of his youth. Hoping to spend the rest of his life in service of others, he gets the old Starlight Express up and running again. “For, from boyhood up, a single big ambition had ever thundered through his being—the desire to be of use to others. To help his fellow-kind was to be his profession and career.” Henry Rogers has always been a dreamer. On the brink of retirement, he plans to use his carefully accumulated wealth to fulfill his philanthropic destiny. Initially unsure of the shape of his charitable contribution to society, a trip to his childhood home changes everything. There, he finds the old train carriage where he would spend days at a time immersed in a world of fantasy and adventure. Back on the Starlight Express, Rogers plans to take deserving passengers to the wondrous realm of Fairyland. He soon discovers, however, that his impassioned beliefs—however well-intentioned—risk condemnation and persecution from those whose investments on Earth prevent them from indulging in imaginative excursions into the unknown. A Prisoner in Fairyland is a story for children and adults alike, a novel that poses timeless questions regarding the nature of our existence, both upon earth and beyond. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Algernon Blackwood’s A Prisoner in Fairyland is a classic work of British literature reimagined for modern readers.

Are Parents People? (1924) is a collection of stories by Alice Duer Miller. Inspired by her work as an activist for women’s suffrage, Miller explores themes of independence, agency, and female desire while illuminating the subject of divorce. Her work was adapted into a 1925 comedy film starring Betty Bronson, Florence Vidor, and Adolphe Menjou. “There they were—her mother looking down at her so calmly from the gallery and her father waiting so confidently for her below, each unaware of the other's presence. What in thunder was she going to do?” As the chairman of her school’s self-government committee, Lita Hazlitt is a young woman committed to order. Seeing her parents in the same room for the first time since their acrimonious divorce, she longs for them to reunite so that their family can return to its former state. When her attempts at reconciliation fall on deaf ears, Lita begins to act out, threatening her parents with scandal by spending time with an older, married man. In each of its nine stories, Are Parents People? explores the politics of divorce in middle to upper class American families. Witty and heartbreaking, Miller’s work is an utterly human look at the shortcomings of marriage in modern life. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Alice Duer Miller’s Are Parents People? is a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers.

The Devil’s Dictionary (1906) is a work of satire by Ambrose Bierce. Although he is commonly remembered for his chilling short stories on the experiences of Civil War soldiers, Bierce was recognized in his day as a leading journalist and humorist who spent decades ruffling feathers and drawing laughter with his witty opinion columns, poems, and definitions. Toward the end of his career, he decided to compile these satirical definitions into a book, following in the footsteps of Samuel Johnson, Noah Webster, and Gustave Flaubert. Immensely popular upon publication, The Devil’s Dictionary inspired countless imitators, but remains one-of-a-kind. Reading Bierce’s definitions today, it’s not hard to imagine the controversy they must have caused, matched only by the laughs they must have roused, when published at the onset of the twentieth century. Written during a period of undaunted industrial growth, of immense wealth and promise in a nation recently torn apart by civil war, The Devil’s Dictionary preserves a tantalizing touch of irreverence and doubt which must remain funny to those who know humor when they sense it. “AIR, n. A nutritious substance supplied by a bountiful providence for the fattening of the poor.” “CONSERVATIVE, n. A statesman who is enamoured of existing evils, as distinguished from the Liberal, who wishes to replace them with others.” Crafted for the cynic, quoted by the misanthrope, Bierce’s definitions prove profoundly entertaining and frequently accurate—sort of—over a century after they were published. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Ambrose Bierce’s The Devil’s Dictionary is a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers.

The Romance of a Shop (1888) is a novel by Amy Levy. Published the year before her tragic death, The Romance of a Shop is the debut novel of a pioneering writer and feminist whose poetry and prose explores the concept of the New Woman while illuminating the realities of Jewish life in nineteenth century London. “The air of desolation which hung about the house had communicated itself in some vague manner to the garden, where the trees were bright with blossom, or misty with the tender green of the young leaves. Perhaps the effect of sadness was produced, or at least heightened, by the pathetic figure that paced slowly up and down the gravel path immediately before the house; the figure of a young woman, slight, not tall, bare-headed, and clothed in deep mourning.” Following the unexpected death of their father, sisters Fanny, Gertrude, Lucy, and Phyllis are left with little inheritance and even less hope for the future. On the brink of despair, they join together to launch a photography business, each contributing to the best of their abilities in order to survive. As Lucy begins an apprenticeship with a local photographer, her sisters purchase and prepare their own studio for her return. Despite their efforts, they struggle to convince customers that a shop owned by women can demand the same prices as those run by men. Through perseverance and luck, however, the Lorimers find success as funeral photographers and through their connection to a prominent artist. As romance, illness, and war interrupt their plans, the sisters find solace in their mutual resolve to not only survive, but provide and care for one another. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition Amy Levy’s The Romance of a Shop is a classic work of British literature reimagined for modern readers.