Artist Basil Hallward is greatly impressed by Dorian Gray's physical beauty when he paints his portrait. Basil becomes strongly infatuated with Dorian, believing that his beauty is responsible for a new mode in Basil's art. Dorian meets Lord Henry Wotton and becomes enthralled by Lord Henry's world view. Espousing a new kind of hedonism, Lord Henry suggests that the only thing worth pursuing in life is beauty, and the fulfilment of the senses. Dorian...

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's novel written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. Originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago on May 17, 1899, it has since been reprinted numerous times, most often under the name The Wizard of Oz, which is the name of both the popular 1902 Broadway musical and the well-known 1939 film adaptation.The story chronicles the adventures of a young girl named Dorothy Gale in the...

"Lemuel Gulliver is a kind English surgeon longing for adventure. He gets a lot more than he bargained for when he signs on board a sailing ship and a shipwreck leaves him swept ashore. He embarks on four remarkable voyages, each leading to strange beings and cultures. Portrayed both as an observer and a victim of circumstances, Gulliver solves problems, starts and ends wars, and gets in and out of one difficulty after another. He first finds himself...

Dutiful Newland Archer, an eligible young man from New York high society, is about to announce his engagement to May Welland, a suitable match from a good family, when May's cousin, the beautiful and exotic Countess Ellen Olenska, is introduced into their circle. The Countess brings with her an aura of European sophistication and a hint of perceived scandal, having left her husband and claimed her independence. Her worldliness, disregard for society's...

Newly orphaned archaeologist's daughter Anne Beddingfeld is off to see the world. After witnessing a gruesome and fatal 'accident', following a suspected murderer, and finding a mysterious clue on a scrap of paper, Anne sets sail for South Africa. Sinister happenings ensue, but her newly acquired paternalistic protector, Sir Eustace, will surely see that she comes to no permanent harm. But which of the two masterful men sharing the voyage, Colonel...

"The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a classic novel set in Puritanical Boston in the mid-17th century. It tells the story of Hester Prynne, a young woman who is publicly shamed and ostracized for having a child out of wedlock. Hester is forced to wear a scarlet "A" on her clothing to signify her status as an adulterer. As she struggles to survive in a Puritanical society that is unforgiving of her sins, Hester is eventually able to redeem...

Two enterprising mice live up to the motto of the Rescue Aid Society, "We help anyone ... anywhere," when they rescue a kidnapped orphan.

"This reissue of Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera is the first title in The Haunted Library, a new horror classics series presented by the Horror Writers Association and Poisoned Pen Press, an imprint of Sourcebooks. The award-winning musical based on Leroux's work is world-famous, but many people are unaware that the show was inspired by a novel, originally published in a serialized form. The Phantom of the Opera is a timeless piece of gothic...

HarperCollins is proud to present a range of best-loved, essential classics. 'Is Mr. Heathcliff a man? If so, is he mad? And if not, is he a devil?' Set on the bleak moors of Yorkshire, Lockwood is forced to seek shelter at Wuthering Heights, the home of his new landlord, Heathcliff. The intense and wildly passionate Heathcliff tells the story of his life, his all-consuming love for Catherine Earnshaw and the doomed outcome of that relationship, leading...