On Robinson Crusoe’s first seafaring voyage, his ship sinks in a violent storm. On his second voyage he is enslaved by pirates. When Crusoe braves the ocean after several years in Brazil, Providence leaves him as the sole survivor of a shipwreck on a deserted island. Confronted by hunger and the elements, Crusoe builds a home, grows crops, and tames wild animals. Crusoe survives cannibals and mutineers by his wits and the qualities of his cultural upbringing. But while Crusoe has conquered his island, he is affected most by his isolation from civilization.

Robinson Crusoe is widely regarded as the first English novel. No book in the history of Western literature had spawned more editions, spin-offs, and translations. Adaptations include The Swiss Family Robinson, the Hollywood film Cast Away, and NBC’s TV series Crusoe. The story was likely influenced by the real-life Alexander Selkirk, a Scottish castaway in 1704 who spent four years and four months on the Pacific island Juan Fernández which was later changed to Robinson Crusoe Island in 1966.

Victor Frankenstein is consumed by his desire to discover the secrets of life. After several years of research, Victor feverishly constructs a man out of old body parts and brings him to life. Victor is immediately horrified by his ambitious creation, and flees his apartment in remorse. The newborn monster disappears from Frankenstein’s laboratory and enters the world as an outcast, struggling with his own identity. What follows is a gripping tale of murder, injustice, and revenge.

Since 1818 Frankenstein has been associated with scientists who are consumed with their experiments, and oblivious to the repercussions. Among them are the brains behind the nuclear arms race, scientists who create super bacteria, and laboratories that experiment with artificial black holes. But most notably is the area of science devoted to gene manipulation, both in genetically modified foods and human cloning. Frankenstein has much to teach us in a world where we constantly test the limits of science and human ambition.

Cranford is a witty portrait of small town life in early–Victorian England. The story unfolds through the eyes of Mary Smith, a young woman who observes the comedic struggles of two middle aged sisters in their efforts to maintain a level of refined dignity amid poverty. The story reveals “touches of love and kindness, of simple self-sacrifice and of true womanly tenderness... naturally and truthfully just as they are found in the current of real life.” – review 1853 adCranford is based on the experiences of Elizabeth Gaskell’s childhood upbringing in Cheshire, UK. Twelve years after publishing Cranford, Gaskell has kind words for her most prolific work. “It is the only one of my books that I can read again;  but whenever I am ailing or ill, I take Cranford and – I was going to say, enjoy it! (but that would not be pretty!) laugh over it afresh!” – elizabeth gaskell 1865 ad

This edition includes artwork by George Du Maurier, commissioned by Smith, Elder & Co. in 1864, and artwork by Hugh Thomson for Macmillan and Co. in 1891.