Alma Classics

<p>The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Illustrated by David Mackintosh (Alma Junior Classics)</p>

<p>From his Baker Street apartment, Sherlock Holmes wields his powers of deduction in pursuit of justice and truth, venturing out into foggy Victorian London accompanied by his faithful sidekick Dr Watson. This classic collection of Holmes tales includes many of the detective's most-loved exploits: Holmes is confronted by a venomous snake in 'The Adventure of the Speckled Band', mystified by a missing thumb in 'The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb' and beguiled by a beautiful opera singer in 'A Scandal in Bohemia', never once losing his famous cool.First appearing separately in the Strand Magazine, these stories were published together in 1892 in a volume that rapidly became one of the most popular Sherlock Holmes collections. Showcasing Arthur Conan Doyle's inimitable genius for mystery and storytelling, these tales are proof that the famous detective remains one of the greatest crime fighters ever created.</p>

<p>ABOUT THE SERIES: Alma Junior Classics series of illustrated classics includes some of the greatest books ever written for younger readers and new translations of unjustly neglected international works. Our aim is to give our list an international feel and offer young readers to opportunity to connect with other cultures and literatures this applies not only to the titles we chose but also to the illustrators we commission so that we can bring a bit of novelty into the canon of British children's literature. All children's classics contain extra material for young readers, including a profile of the author, a section on the book, a list of characters, a glossary and a test-yourself quiz.</p>

<p>Sense And Sensibility (Alma Classics Evergreens)</p>

<p>Sense and Sensibility is the story of the two Dashwood sisters, who embody the conflict between the oppressive nature of "civilized" society and the human desire for romantic passion. Elinor is cautious and unassuming about sentimental matters, while Marianne is wild and passionate, falling hopelessly in love with Mr. Willoughby. But the lessons in life and romance see the two characters develop and change, with sense and sensibility needing to be compromised as a matter of survival.</p>

<p>Austen's first published work, the novel has been read as an autobiographical reflection of her relationship with her own sister Cassandra. Against the backdrop of a fragile social context, Jane Austen creates a romantic masterpiece of raw and intense quality.</p>

<p>Tales of Terror and Mystery</p>

<p>While he is now mostly associated with his Sherlock Holmes stories, Arthur Conan Doyle was also celebrated for the many masterful tales he wrote outside of that cycle. In this collection, first published in 1922, he compiled various pieces of short fiction which fall into the categories of horror and detective fiction, two genres for which he has become a byword.</p>

<p>These eclectic, captivating tales – dealing with topics such as mysterious jungles in the sky, seventeenth-century torture techniques, a bloodthirsty Brazilian cat and a train mysteriously disappearing between two stations – showcase Arthur Conan Doyle at his creative best.</p>

<p>Tales of Twilight and the Unseen</p>

<p>A master of many literary genres, Arthur Conan Doyle excelled particularly in the short-story form, and was acclaimed in his day as much for his detective stories as for his thrilling tales of mystery and the supernatural. While the adventures of Sherlock Holmes have become part of our collective imagination, these stories – concerned with ghosts, obscure scientific experiments and other unexplained phenomena – are now unjustly neglected.</p>

<p>First published in 1922 and here presented in a fully annotated edition – the only currently available to English readers – this collection will offer the opportunity to discover a lesser-known side of this master storyteller’s ability to surprise and enthrall.</p>

<p>The Adventures of Pinocchio (Alma Junior Classics)</p>

<p>The story of a naughty wooden puppet who has a penchant for lying and dreams of becoming a real boy, The Adventures of Pinocchio has entered our collective imagination and fascinated generations of young and adult readers since its first publication in 1883. Part fable, part coming-of-age novel, part cautionary tale, Pinocchio's rollicking exploits through an unforgiving and often incomprehensible world – populated by unforgettable characters such as the Talking Cricket, Candlewick, Mangiafuoco and the Fairy with Turquoise Hair – have had a profound impact on our culture and attained universal significance as a mirror of the human condition.</p>

<p>Here presented in a brand-new and lively translation by Stephen Parkin and illustrated beautifully by Peter Bailey, this edition of The Adventures of Pinocchio brings extra sparkle to one of the greatest and most celebrated works of children's literature.</p>

<p>Alma Junior Classics series of illustrated classics includes some of the greatest books ever written for younger readers and new translations of unjustly neglected international works. Our aim is to give our list an international feel and offer young readers to opportunity to connect with other cultures and literatures – this applies not only to the titles we chose but also to the illustrators we commission – so that we can bring a bit of novelty into the canon of British children’s literature. All children’s classics contain extra material for young readers, including a profile of the author, a section on the book, a list of characters, a glossary and a test-yourself quiz.</p>

<p>White Fang (Alma Junior Classics)</p>

<p>Part wolf, part dog, White Fang learns to survive in the freezing wilderness. As well as being forced to confront the harsh realities of nature, the young cub experiences the cruelties of humans – but when his fortunes change, will love and civilization set him on the path to happiness?</p>

<p>Set in the Yukon territory of Canada during the gold rush of the 1890s, White Fang is a rollicking tale of adventure which has enchanted generations of readers since its first appearance in 1906 and become a timeless children’s classic.</p>

<p>Beautifully illustrated by Ian Beck, this edition contains extra material for young readers including a section on ‘Other Animal Adventure Stories’, a test yourself quiz and a glossary</p>

<p>Vanity Fair (Alma Classics Evergreens)</p>

<p>Before taking up her new post as a governess, the artful and ambitious Becky Sharp spends a brief period at the family home of her friend Amelia Sedley. Passive, pampered and utterly reliant on others, Amelia is the opposite of her scheming and ruthless friend. While Becky tries to ensnare the wealthy and vain Jos Sedley, Amelia desires nothing more than to be betrothed to the self-obsessed and raffish soldier George Osborne. Meanwhile, Captain William Dobbin, with his constant and selfless love for Amelia, is the only one who steers clear of any calculated romantic manoeuvrings.</p>

<p>Woven into the climactic events of the Napoleonic Wars, and set against a backdrop of gaudy elegance and cut-throat personal ambition, Vanity Fair is an epic and sweeping satire, and a landmark of English literature.</p>

<p>Alma Classics Evergreens is a series of popular classics. We now have almost 100 titles in this series, which is constantly growing. Most of the titles are provided with an extensive critical apparatus and extra reading material, including a section of photographs and notes. The texts are based on the most authoritative edition (or collated from the most authoritative editions or manuscripts) and edited using a fresh, intelligent editorial approach. With an emphasis on the production, editorial and typographical values of a book, Alma Classics aspires to revitalize the whole experience of reading the classics.</p>

<p>Beowulf: Dual Language And New Verse Translation</p>

<p>Of unknown date, and surviving in a tenth-century manuscript, Beowulf is the tale of a young Geatish hero and his struggle with three deadly foes, beginning with the dread monster Grendel, who has been devouring warriors in the hall of the Danish King in their sleep.</p>

<p>The most important Old English poem, and the first known major poem written in a European vernacular, Beowulf is a unique and compelling mix of sixth-century historical events, Christian commentary, Germanic myth and Anglo-Saxon culture. The poem is presented here in a dual-text format with a new translation by multi-award-winning translator J.G. Nichols.</p>

<p>Beowulf is a unique and compelling mix of sixth-century historical events, Christian commentary, Germanic myth and Anglo-Saxon culture. The poem is presented here in a dual-text format with a new translation by multi-award-winning translator J.G. Nichols. " Also contains notes and extra material.</p>

<p>Hard Times (Alma Classics Evergreens)</p>

<p>In Hard Times, Dickens illustrates the condition of England through the fictional city of Coketown. Among its inhabitants are Thomas Gradgrind, the utilitarian headmaster who attempts to impose his rigid worldview on his family circle, and the uncaring businessman Mr Bounderby. Their materialist philosophies, as opposed to the world of fancy or imagination, are tested throughout the novel, which also explores workers’ conditions, trade unions and the spurious use of statistics.</p>

<p>Perhaps the most polemical of his novels – in which hard-biting satire, moving drama and exuberant comedy find a very succinct and powerful expression – Hard Times is the ideal introduction to the world of Dickens.</p>

<p>Flappers And Philosophers</p>

<p>Published soon after Fitzgerald’s debut novel This Side of Paradise, Flappers and Philosophers was the author’s first collection of short fiction, a form through which he had gained notoriety in newspapers and magazines. The familiar themes of aspiration and social satire already permeate his writing: in ‘Bernice Bobs Her Hair’ the fashionable Marjorie attempts to turn her dowdy cousin into a debutante, before betraying her out of jealousy, while ‘The Ice Palace’ features a Southern belle whose engagement to a Northerner finds her confronted with a cultural clash between tradition and modernity.</p>

<p>Also containing ‘The Offshore Pirate’, ‘Head and Shoulders’, ‘The Cut-Glass Bowl’, ‘Benediction’, ‘Dalyrimple Goes Wrong’ and ‘The Four Fists’, this volume of stories illustrates the early stages of Fitzgerald’s development as a writer and provides an entertaining chronicle of America in the 1910s.</p>