Mint Editions (Large Print Library) – serie

LARGE PRINT EDITION. The Edgar Allan Poe Collection (2020) compiles several iconic works of short fiction and poetry by an icon of American literature. Recognized as a foundational figure of nineteenth century fiction, Poe has inspired generations of readers and writers with his craftsmanship and taste for tragedy and terror. His brief but meteoric career shaped the trajectory of American literature forever, forming a legacy without which science fiction, horror, and detective writing would surely be shells of themselves.In “The Fall of the House of Usher,” a man receives a distressing letter from an old friend requesting his presence at his family estate. There, Roderick Usher and his twin sister Madeline are found suffering from an unknown illness, and the narrator struggles to comfort them as signs of paranormal activity lead him to believe that the house itself is a living entity. “The Masque of the Red Death” is a timely work of Gothic fiction set in the abbey of a powerful prince. As the world outside suffers from a deadly plague, the prince decides to hold a masquerade for his wealthy friends and fellow nobles, unwittingly bringing death to his own fortunate doorstep. In “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” a French detective summons the powers of analytical reasoning to investigate the deaths of two young women. Included in this collection are some of Poe’s most iconic poems, including “A Dream Within a Dream,” “The Raven,” and “Ulalume,” all of which remain indelible classics of Romantic verse, masterpieces of mystery, beauty, and slow-burning fear.With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Edgar Allan Poe Collection is a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers.

"Two households, both alike in dignity, / In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, / From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, / Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean." So begins the most famous love story of the modern world. Although their bond is unbreakable, their families are sworn enemies. Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy by William Shakespeare.

LARGE PRINT EDITION. What does it mean to live a life of completeness? And how far must one go to understand the pain of others? Is change truly possible? This is the story that proves that it is. In what could be described as equal parts self-help book and a novelistic guide to spiritual awakening, Siddhartha has been hailed as prolific and unlike any other.Growing up, Siddhartha never experienced true pain. He was sheltered, as many are, turning a blind eye when the hardships of daily life made itself visible to the peasantry around him. Awakening from a hazy reverie that has shielded Siddhartha from the inevitable, he vows to make a change. With the hope of finding a deeper and resounding life’s purpose, Siddhartha, a young man living in the ancient Indian kingdom of Kapilavastu, embarks on a journey of self-discovery and actualization. Accompanied by his best friend Govinda, the pair abandon the comfort of their old life by trading their material possessions for what they hope will be eternal enlightenment. Ridding themselves completely of the comforts of their previous life, the duo vow to a life of attempted purity. In a world where suffering is inevitable, Siddhartha hopes that by experiencing the pain so many face, only then will he find the true meaning of life.Siddhartha, written by German author Hermann Hesse in 1951, is a tale of self-discovery and spiritual awakening. The novel as a whole explores the totality of the human experience, of what it means to abandon the parameters of comfort and routine in search for a higher calling.

LARGE PRINT EDITION. Songs of Jamaica (1912) is a poetry collection by Claude McKay. Published before the poet left Jamaica for the United States, Songs of Jamaica is a pioneering collection of verse written in Jamaican Patois, the first of its kind. As a committed leftist, McKay was a keen observer of the Black experience in the Caribbean, the American South, and later in New York, where he gained a reputation during the Harlem Renaissance for celebrating the resilience and cultural achievement of the African American community while lamenting the poverty and violence they faced every day. “Quashie to Buccra,” the opening poem, frames this schism in terms of labor, as one class labors to fulfill the desires of another: “You tas’e petater an’ you say it sweet, / But you no know how hard we wuk fe it; / You want a basketful fe quattiewut, / ‘Cause you no know how ‘tiff de bush fe cut.” Addressing himself to a white audience, he exposes the schism inherent to colonial society between white and black, rich and poor. Advising his white reader to question their privileged consumption, dependent as it is on the subjugation of Jamaica’s black community, McKay warns that “hardship always melt away / Wheneber it comes roun’ to reapin’ day.” This revolutionary sentiment carries throughout Songs of Jamaica, finding an echo in the brilliant poem “Whe’ fe do?” Addressed to his own people, McKay offers hope for a brighter future to come: “We needn’ fold we han’ an’ cry, / Nor vex we heart wid groan and sigh; / De best we can do is fe try / To fight de despair drawin’ night: / Den we might conquer by an’ by— / Dat we might do.” With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Claude McKay’s Songs of Jamaica is a classic of Jamaican literature reimagined for modern readers.

LARGE PRINT EDITION. The Autobiography of a Flea (1887) is an anonymously written pornographic novel. Published by infamous London pornographer Edward Avery, The Autobiography of a Flea was adapted into a 1976 film starring John Holmes. Bella is an orphan girl who lives with her uncle and aunt. Naïve and curious, she encounters a handsome man while leaving church one day. Introducing himself as Charlie, he hands her a note and heads on his way. Nervous at first, Bella reads the note and finds herself compelled by its mystery—Charlie requests to meet her at night in the local gardens. That night, she has her first sexual experience, only to be interrupted by Father Ambrose, who was watching the pair from the shadows. Using his authority, he instructs Bella to meet him the following afternoon in the sacristy, where he informs her that unless she agrees to be seduced by him and his fellow men of the cloth, he will reveal the secret of her tryst with Charlie. The Autobiography of a Flea is a controversial story that meets time-honored taboos head on, depicting religious corruption, incest, and an orgy involving nineteen lustful priests. Narrated throughout by a lowly parasite, the story provides a flea’s-eye-view on the hidden nature of human society. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Autobiography of a Flea is a classic of erotic literature reimagined for modern readers.

LARGE PRINT EDITION.Following his service in the First World War, a young Yale graduate moves to New York City for work. Living on Long Island, Nick Carraway meets a magnanimous millionaire named Jay Gatsby, who attempts to attract him to his hedonistic lifestyle. The Great Gatsby is the story of a lost generation, a novel fortune and failure by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

LARGE PRINT EDITION. The House Without a Key (1925) is a mystery novel by Earl Derr Biggers. The first in a series of novels featuring Chinese American detective Charlie Chan, The House Without a Key is notable for its nuanced depiction of race and class on the edges of American empire. Based in part on the life of Chinese Hawaiian detective Chang Apana, the character of Charlie Chan was intended by Biggers as an alternative to racist Yellow Peril stereotypes of the early twentieth century.Shaken by the murder of his uncle, a Bostonian aristocrat living in Hawai’i, John Quincy Winterslip travels to the islands to manage his estate and encourage his aunt Minerva to return home. Uncomfortable at first, he soon grows to appreciate both the natural beauty of life in the Pacific and the youthful attraction of a young woman he meets on his trip. Winterslip makes the decision to break off his engagement with Agatha and remains in Hawai’i to help with the investigation into his uncle’s death. As he grows familiar with the case, he comes to respect Chinese American detective Charlie Chan, an intelligent and honest man who dedicates himself to his work with passion and honor. The House Without a Key, the first in a series of six novels featuring Chan, rejuvenated Biggers’ career as a leading writer of popular fiction in the early twentieth century.With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Earl Derr Biggers’ The House Without a Key is a classic of American detective fiction reimagined for modern readers.

LARGE PRINT EDITION.Claude’s Confession (1865) is a novel by French author Émile Zola. Written at night while Zola was employed at Hachette, Claude’s Confession proved scandalous upon publication and resulted in the loss of his job. Undeterred by the response to his literary debut, Zola took advantage of his newfound infamy in order to embark on a career as one of France’s foremost experimental writers. Intent on exploring taboo and the lives of people on the edge of society, Zola crafts a narrative capable of illuminating the human condition while humanizing those typically disdained by the literary elite. Born and raised in Provence, Claude is shocked to find that the Paris of legend is a city mired in poverty, decay, and loneliness. As he struggles to make ends meet in order to pay for his tiny apartment, he takes notice of a young woman who lives in the same building as him. Although he knows she is a prostitute, his feelings for him grow stronger than the impulse to look down on her way of life. After months of silent longing, he opens his door to find her standing there, desperate for help after being evicted. Despite his limited income, he welcomes her inside, and their relationship soon develops into a passionate romance. Claude’s Confession is a story of forbidden love, fading hope, and the false promise of modern life. Written at the very beginning of Zola’s career, it shows the innerworkings of a young mind interested in subjects too often ignored by writers, a mind whose guiding principle is truth and truth alone. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Émile Zola’s Claude’s Confession is a classic work of French literature reimagined for modern readers.

Arsène Lupin is the greatest thief in the world. With his abundant wit and brilliance, Lupin gleefully disrupts the lives of France's cultural elite with his daring escapades. In his debut collection, Lupin escapes prison, obtains a priceless royal necklace, and meets legendary detective Sherlock Holmes. Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar is a collection of stories by Maurice Leblanc.

LARGE PRINT EDITION. Three Lives (1909) is a collection of novellas by Gertrude Stein. Characterized by its straightforward narrative style and disjointed prose, Three Lives proved a breakthrough for Stein, who had previously found it difficult bringing her works to publication. Each novella is set in Bridgepoint, a fictionalized version of Baltimore, where working class people of all races undergo the dignities and indignities of life in an industrialized nation. In “The Good Anna,” an immigrant housekeeper working in the home of a wealthy woman commands respect and order from all who cross her path. Caring only for her three small dogs, she does her best to forget a traumatic past. Having lost her mother in Germany at a young age, Anna moved to Bridgepoint with hope for a better future, but poor health and unlucky relationships haunt her throughout her life. “Melanctha” is the story of a young mixed-race woman who suffers from a lack of opportunity in a segregated city. Despite being honest and empathetic, she constantly finds herself betrayed and abandoned by those she trusts, and soon her pure heart and kind nature reach their limit. In “The Gentle Lana,” another German immigrant endures the banality and heartbreak of unhappily married life, raising a family and caring for a home without ever feeling fulfilled as an individual. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Gertrude Stein’s Three Lives is a classic work of American literature reimagined for modern readers.

In the aftermath of the Great War, Clarissa Dalloway attempts to return to a sense of normalcy. Preparing for a party at her London home, she reflects on her life, remembers friends and family, and regrets her decision to marry Richard, a boring, reliable man. Across town, an injured veteran struggles to survive. Mrs. Dalloway is a novel by Virginia Woolf.

"What is Africa to me?" In Color, his debut collection, Countee Cullen displays his mastery of traditional English poetry while examining his relationship with Africa, his life in America, and the realities faced by black people living in a hostile nation. His subjects include reflections on childhood, portraits of family, and statements of human and divine love.

LARGE PRINT EDITION. A young barrister named Lucian Denzil rents a modest home in Geneva Square. Looking to establish himself in professional life, he tries his best to ignore the rumors of the neighboring No. 13, a house where a decades-old murder took place, a house now rumored to be haunted. The Silent House is a novel by Fergus Hume.

Invited by his friend to witness an experimental procedure, Clarke watches with interest and horror as the surgeon opens his young patient's mind to grant her a vision of the spirit realm. Years later, a nearby town is traumatized by the strange disappearance of several children, prompting Clarke to investigate. The Great God Pan is a novella by Arthur Machen.

LARGE PRINT EDITION. The Perfume of the Lady in Black (1908) is a novel by French writer Gaston Leroux. The Perfume of the Lady in Black marked the second appearance of popular character Joseph Rouletabille, a reporter and part-time sleuth who features in several of Leroux’s novels. Originally a journalist, Leroux turned to fiction after reading the works of Arthur Conan Doyle and Edgar Allan Poe. Often considered one of the best mysteries of all time, the novel has been adapted several times for film. Joseph Rouletabille is more than meets the eye. A reporter by profession, he spends his free time working as an amateur detective, using his journalistic talents to compile facts and track down leads. In The Mystery of the Yellow Room, he saved the life of Mathilde Stangerson, the daughter of a prominent professor, from the clutches of Ballmeyer, a violent criminal mastermind gifted in the art of disguise. Unbeknownst to her father, Mathilde had married Ballmeyer while living in America before realizing he had been living under a false identity. Now believed to be dead, Ballmeyer fades into history as Rouletabille, his assistant Sainclair, and Mathilde return to their lives. Shortly after leaving for her honeymoon with Robert Darzac, however, Mathilde contacts Rouletabille with terrifying news—their common enemy seems to have returned. The Perfume of the Lady in Black is a story of mystery and suspense from one of history’s finest detective novelists. Joseph Rouletabille is without a doubt France’s answer to Sherlock Holmes. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Gaston Leroux’s The Perfume of the Lady in Black is a classic of French literature reimagined for modern readers.

Reporter and amateur detective Joseph Rouletabille succeeds where no one else can. Called to the court of Tsar Nicholas II, he accepts an assignment to protect a group of influential generals from a suspected assassin. In Russia, Rouletabille is caught up in an atmosphere of violence, mystery, and revolution. The Secret of the Night is a novel by Gaston Leroux.

Reporter and amateur detective Joseph Rouletabille is called to the Château du Glandier. A young heiress has been found beaten within an inch of her life in a room locked from the inside. When Frédéric Larsan, France's top detective, unexpectedly solves the case, Rouletabaille grows suspicious. The Mystery of the Yellow Room is a novel by Gaston Leroux.

Written before Anselm became Archbishop of Canterbury, these meditations on the saints, tradition, and prayer illuminate the philosophical prowess of one of medieval Europe's leading scholars. Deeply personal and highly influential, The Prayers and Meditations of Saint Anselm are a foundational document in Christian theology from a figure who should be regarded in the same light of Augustine and Thomas Aquinas.

On a Grey Thread is the groundbreaking poetry collection of Elsa Gidlow - the first in North American history to openly express lesbian desire.Both personal and political, Gidlow's poems express the poet's complex feelings as a young woman whose political ideology and sexual identity ran counter to the traditional values of her time.Opening her collection with "The Grey Thread," Gidlow expresses herself with ornamental imagery, decorating her drab existence with the colorful beads of her personal identity. Employing the double meaning of "gay," offering a brief erotic "moan" on the precipice of enjambment, Gidlow stretches her stanza to its sinful conclusion, recalling Eve's temptation in the Garden of Eden.With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Elsa Gidlow's On a Grey Thread is a classic work of lesbian literature reimagined for modern readers.

LARGE PRINT EDITION. Jane’s Career: A Story of Jamaica (1913) is a novel by H. G. de Lisser. Born and raised in Jamaica, H. G. de Lisser was one of the leading Caribbean writers of the early twentieth century. Concerned with issues of race, urban life, and modernization, de Lisser dedicated his career to representing the lives and concerns of poor and middle-class Jamaicans. In Jane’s Career: A Story of Jamaica, the first West Indian novel to feature a Black protagonist, de Lisser captures the hope and struggle of a young woman leaving home for the first time. “‘Jane,’ he continued impressively after a pause, ‘Kingston is a very big an’ wicked city, an’ a young girl like you, who de Lord has blessed wid a good figure an’ a face, must be careful not to keep bad company.’” Preparing to send young Jane off to the Jamaican capital, village elder Daddy Buckram attempts to offer her advice on how to keep herself safe from Satan and sinners alike. Despite his serious tone and gloomy portrait of urban life, all Jane can think of is the wonder and excitement waiting for her in Kingston. Raised in the countryside, brought up in a conservative Christian family, Jane sees her new job as a means of achieving independence and establishing her own identity as a proud black woman, of forging her own path in a new, modern Jamaica. In spite of her dreams, however, Jane finds herself subjected to the cruelties of her employer Mrs. Mason, who threatens to send a letter to her parents alleging all sorts of imagined misdeeds. Through it all, she tries to maintain a sense of pride, hopeful that hard work—and even romance—will set her free. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of H. G. de Lisser’s Jane’s Career: A Story of Jamaica is a classic of Jamaican literature reimagined for modern readers.

While returning from a lengthy pilgrimage, Nabakumar encounters a wicked Tantric sage who intends to sacrifice him to the goddess Shamshaan Kali. Freed by Kapalkundala, a beautiful young forest dweller, Nabakumar marries her the next day. Despite their happiness, he soon encounters his first wife, who has secretly joined forces with the sage. Kapalkundala is a novel by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.

Having immigrated in search of a better life, thousands of orthodox Jews find themselves confined to a desperately crowded London ghetto. As they restart their lives, many of these people--who largely hail from eastern Europe--succumb to poverty, despair, and disease. Children of the Ghetto: A Study of a Peculiar People is a novel by Israel Zangwill.

Ethiopia Unbound: Studies in Race Emancipation is the story of Kwamankra, a Ghanaian man living in London, and his friend Whitely, an Englishman preparing to enter the ministry. Part novel, part philosophy, part political treatise on pan-Africanism, J. E. Casely Hayford's work is a groundbreaking blend of fiction and non-fiction from a pioneering political and literary figure.

Although he is largely unspoken of today, Walter Besant was one of the nineteenth century's greatest minds, a novelist, historian, mathematician, and diplomat who played an integral part in shaping Victorian England's cultural and political reality. In the posthumously published Autobiography of Sir Walter Besant, he reflects on his humble upbringings and the ambition that brought him success.

LARGE PRINT EDITION.The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, follows a young boy who goes by the name “Huck.” Raised under the roof of his drunken father while fearing for his life, Huck escapes and embarks on the adventure of a lifetime.

LARGE PRINT EDITION. Having secured its place in history as one of the best-selling novels of all time, A Tale of Two Cities remains at the very center of important Victorian Era Literature. It follows the story of a French Doctor who has just been released from an 18-year-long imprisonment in the Bastille. Doctor Manette flees Paris to join the daughter he’s never met now living in London. Struggling to survive during the French Revolution and what became known as the Reign of Terror, Doctor Manette does all he can to avoid the guillotine while finding himself enmeshed in the dramas that have ensued around his daughter, Lucy Manette. The novel portrays what life was like before and during France and London’s most trying political times. Charles Dickens writes profoundly on the struggle of the French peasantry, recounting their strife and fight against the aristocracy and the looming and ever potent wealth of the upper class. Paralleling the angst and animosity happening in London at the same time, Dickens illustrates the challenging circumstances facing both countries, weaving together a narrative that has inspired, petrified, and brought solace to readers over the course of the book’s history. With the undercurrent of political transformation, A Tale of Two Cities creates hope and the possibility of a new life in a time where such wishes were simply unimaginable.

A collection of both philosophical and pragmatic musings divided into 28 prose poetry fables, The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran has become an emblem of spiritual awakening and inspiration for readers everywhere. Speaking to the multi-dimensional facets of everyday life, Gibran has managed to write a manifesto of human existence, tackling issues central to any reader.

LARGE PRINT EDITION. Brilliant young scientist Victor Frankenstein’s drive to create life leads him to animate a creature assembled from the bodies of the dead. Horrified at the result, Frankenstein flees. Alone, it learns of its ghastly nature and dreams of how it might find some kind of happiness. Seeking out Frankenstein, the creature offers a terrible ultimatum, create for it a companion or suffer its merciless revenge.Since its first publication in 1818 Frankenstein has become a literary classic and a celebrated fixture of pop culture. Filmed repeatedly and generating dozens of sequels both in print and on screen, Mary Shelley’s novel still stands alone as a source of chilling thrills and macabre atmosphere while continuing to generate fresh insights and interpretations. Frankenstein, the man of science unprepared for what he has created, and his creation, a misbegotten innocent turned to the dark side by rejection and loneliness, are unforgettable characters with ageless appeal. Their conflict, and their strange bond, leads them from Germany to England and finally to a tragic climax far into the frozen North.With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Frankenstein is both modern and readable.

Young Lucy Honeychurch leaves Edwardian England for a tour of Italy, where she becomes immersed in an exotic new environment full of unexpected possibilities. A Room With a View by E.M. Forster is an influential classic that follows Lucy as she encounters characters and events far outside her previous experience and must see through the clash of cultures and personalities to recognize both herself and whom she loves.