by Guuy Boothby (Author), Colin Heston (Introduction)

In this combined edition, readers are presented with two quintessential examples of the late Victorian "shocker" from the pen of Guy Boothby, a writer who defined the era’s taste for fast-paced, sensational mystery. The first novel in this volume, The Mystery of the Clasped Hands, originally published in 1901 by F.V. White & Co., serves as a dark exploration of the macabre and the forensic. The story begins with a truly visceral hook: a wedding gift that contains the severed, preserved hands of a woman. It is a classic example of the Victorian obsession with reputation and the legal system, as the protagonist, Godfrey Tring, finds himself trapped in a web of circumstantial evidence. Boothby expertly depicts how quickly a gentleman’s life can be dismantled by a single accusation, making the legal system itself a source of mounting dread. This work highlights Boothby's skill in using sensational artifacts to drive a plot that forces the reader to question whether innocence alone is enough to survive a vengeful conspiracy.
Published just a year later in 1902, The Childerbridge Mystery shifts the focus toward the "sins of the father" trope and the intersection of colonial wealth and domestic stability. When wealthy Australian squatter William Standerton returns to England to establish himself at Childerbridge Manor, he brings with him a fortune that carries the shadow of his past. The mystery is not merely a puzzle of logic but a psychological examination of how the "New World" of the colonies—often viewed by Victorians as a place of lawless opportunity—inevitably catches up with the refined "Old World" of the English gentry. Boothby uses the tranquil setting of a country estate to highlight the tension between a man’s desire for a respectable future and the inescapable reach of his history.
Bound together, these two novels illustrate the common threads of Boothby’s literary legacy: the fragility of social identity, the weight of previous associations, and a relentless narrative pace that bridges the gap between 19th-century Gothic horror and the structured detective fiction of the 20th century. Whether dealing with a grisly forensic artifact or a haunted family legacy, Boothby provided his audience with a perfect blend of the familiar and the shocking. This edition serves as a testament to a writer who, though often overlooked today, once stood as a master of the mystery genre, capturing the collective anxieties of a world on the brink of change.

By O. E. Rølvaag (Author), Colin Heston (Introduction)

Peder Victorious by O. E. Rølvaag is a powerful continuation of the prairie saga that began with Giants in the Earth, shifting the focus from the physical hardships of pioneer settlement to the inner conflicts of the immigrant’s American-born son. Set within a Norwegian farming community in the Dakota Territory, the novel follows young Peder Holm as he comes of age amid the competing claims of ancestral faith and American ambition. Intelligent and driven, Peder embraces education and opportunity, yet his aspirations strain against the religious intensity and cultural conservatism that define his mother’s world. Rølvaag portrays with psychological depth the tension between generations, the fragility of cultural inheritance, and the cost of assimilation. The prairie remains vast and elemental, but the central struggle unfolds within the human heart, where identity, loyalty, and belief are tested. Both intimate and epic in scope, the novel offers a searching exploration of what it means to be victorious in a land that promises freedom while quietly demanding transformation.

Nearly a century after its publication, Peder Victorious by O. E. Rølvaag remains strikingly relevant in an era defined by global migration, cultural pluralism, and debates over national identity. The novel’s portrayal of second-generation tension—between inherited faith and modern ambition, communal loyalty and individual advancement—mirrors the lived experience of many contemporary families navigating assimilation in North America, Europe, and beyond. Peder’s divided consciousness anticipates what sociologists now describe as bicultural identity formation, in which success within dominant institutions can coexist with a sense of estrangement from ancestral tradition. At a time when questions of belonging, integration, and cultural continuity are again politically and socially charged, Rølvaag’s work offers a sober reminder that assimilation is not a frictionless process but a psychological and moral negotiation whose costs and gains are unevenly distributed across generations.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2026. 240p.

By Johann Peter Eckerman., Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe. Special Preface by Graeme R. Newman

In the final decade of his life, one of Europe’s greatest literary minds opened his door each day to a devoted young writer—and spoke freely. Conversations with Eckermann preserves those remarkable exchanges, offering readers an intimate portrait of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe at the height of his intellectual maturity. Through the attentive record of Johann Peter Eckermann, we witness Goethe reflecting on art, science, politics, poetry, and the destiny of modern culture with candor, wit, and penetrating insight.

These conversations are not formal lectures but living thought—unfolding over dinners, walks, and evenings of discussion. Goethe comments on Shakespeare and Byron, debates the direction of German literature, critiques romantic excess, anticipates the idea of “world literature,” and reveals the disciplines that sustained his own creative genius. The result is a rare literary document: philosophy in motion, cultural criticism in real time, and the inner workshop of a towering mind laid open.

Both intellectually rich and deeply human, Conversations with Eckermann offers more than historical curiosity. It models the art of thinking—measured, expansive, resistant to extremes. For modern readers navigating an age of ideological noise and cultural fragmentation, this classic work remains a masterclass in intellectual clarity, civil discourse, and the enduring power of conversation.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2026. 284p.

O. E. Rølvaag, Preface by Colin Heston.

The struggle of the immigrant is often told through the lens of triumph—of cities built and fortunes made—but in O. E. Rølvaag’s Giants in the Earth, we are invited into a far more intimate and devastating arena: the psychological and spiritual cost of taming a wilderness. First published in Norwegian in 1924 as I de dage and later meticulously translated into English by Lincoln Colcord in collaboration with the author, this novel remains the definitive epic of the American prairie. It is not merely a story of farming; it is a saga of the human psyche stretched to its breaking point against an indifferent landscape.
At the heart of the narrative lies a profound dichotomy between the two protagonists, Per Hansa and Beret. Per Hansa embodies the archetype of the pioneer, fueled by a restless, creative energy that views the desolate plains of South Dakota not as a wasteland, but as a kingdom waiting to be claimed. To him, the "Giants" are physical obstacles to be conquered through grit and vision. Conversely, Beret represents the tragic reality of displacement. She is haunted by the Great Plain, a space so vast and empty that she feels God cannot find her there. For Beret, the "Giants" are the invisible, malevolent forces of the Earth itself, punishing those who dare to disturb its ancient, heavy silence.
The English version of Giants in the Earth is a rare literary achievement born of a unique partnership. Lincoln Colcord, a writer of the sea, found a common language with Rølvaag, a writer of the "sea of grass." Their collaboration ensured that the stark, rhythmic beauty of Rølvaag’s Norwegian—steeped in biblical cadence and Old World folklore—was preserved for an English-speaking audience. Colcord understood that the oceanic quality of the prairie was more than a metaphor; it was a physical reality where the winds howling across the Dakota territory carried the same weight and terror as a North Atlantic gale.
Rølvaag does not romanticize the pioneer experience. He documents the relentless succession of plagues—locusts, blizzards, and the suffocating loneliness of the sod house—forcing the reader to confront the sobering question of what is lost when a culture uproots itself. While Per Hansa builds the physical foundations of a new nation, Beret bears the burden of the cultural and emotional cost. Her descent into religious melancholy serves as a poignant reminder that while the land may be conquered, the soul is often the casualty of that conquest. She famously remarks that the Great Plain drinks the blood of Christian men and is never satisfied.
Nearly a century since its translation, Giants in the Earth stands as a pillar of American literature because it refuses to offer easy answers. It is a masterpiece of realism and a haunting work of the imagination that captures the birth of a modern identity forged in a crucible of isolation. As you turn these pages, you are witnessing a history that is as much about the internal landscape of the mind as it is about the external map of the frontier.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2026. 373p.

By O. E. ROLVAAG

Their Fathers’ God (1931) is the powerful conclusion to O. E. Rølvaag’s epic trilogy of the Norwegian-American immigrant experience on the South Dakota prairies. Picking up where Peder Victorious left off, the novel shifts focus from the physical struggle of settling the land to the cultural and spiritual conflicts of the second generation. The story centers on the marriage of Peder Holm, a forward-thinking Norwegian Lutheran, and Susie Doheny, a devout Irish Catholic. As they attempt to build a life together, their relationship becomes a battlefield for the "clash of heritages":

• Religious Tension: The couple struggles with the differing demands of their faiths, particularly regarding the baptism and upbringing of their children.

• Cultural Identity: Peder wants to assimilate and modernise, while the pressures of their respective immigrant communities pull them back toward old-world traditions.

• Environmental Hardship: Set against a backdrop of drought, grasshopper plagues, and the harsh reality of prairie farming, the physical environment mirrors the drying up of their emotional connection.

Major Themes

• The Melting Pot Myth: Rølvaag explores the psychological toll of assimilation, suggesting that the blending of two distinct cultures is often a painful, destructive process rather than a seamless one.

• Succession: The book examines whether the "God of the Fathers"—the rigid traditions and beliefs of the original pioneers—can survive or thrive in a rapidly changing American landscape.

While Giants in the Earth was a sweeping adventure of pioneer survival, Their Fathers’ God is a more intimate, psychological drama. It is often cited by historians and literary critics for its realistic, unsentimental portrayal of how religious and ethnic boundaries persisted even in the "limitless" American West.

Harper & Brothers. 1931. 350 p.

By Charlie Blank

The Story Page: Embracing Ten Interesting Tales is a short story anthology by Charlie Blank, published in 1933 by The O’Sullivan Publishing House in Chicago. The book is a collection of ten distinct narratives that explore themes of missed opportunities, second chances, and the dramatic twists of fate that define human lives during the early 20th century.

The collection is dedicated "Lovingly to Mother". It features the following ten stories:

1. "The Unanswered Call.. 2. His Second Chance-3. Ann-4. The Destroyer 5. The Teetotal Tar. 6. The Sequel, Unique. 7. The Phantom at the Wheel. 8. A Brush with Civilization. 9. The Crampton Kidnapping. 10. A Peep into the Hereafter.

The stories often focus on characters at emotional or moral crossroads, dealing with the consequences of their choices or the intervention of tragedy.

Thematic Overview.

“Tragedy and Irony:” In "The Unanswered Call," a nurse named Jane Merrick decides to end her eight-year relationship with a man named Jerry. She intentionally ignores his persistent phone calls to prove her resolve, only to receive a call from a hospital informing her that he was fatally struck by a car thirty minutes prior—the very period during which she refused to answer.

The Struggle for Redemption:. "His Second Chance"* follows John V. Caruthers, a man living in poverty and shame after losing his job during the Depression and embezzling money to play the stock market. The story explores his internal battle as a fugitive from justice, trying to earn enough money through a risky oil venture to make amends for his past.

Historical Context: The narratives are deeply rooted in their era, referencing the **Great Depression**, the volatility of the **Stock Exchange**, and the personal toll of financial ruin.

The prose is character-driven and often somber, highlighting the thin line between a "fresh youthfulness" and a life turned "sordid and bitter" by time and circumstance.

The O’Sullivan Publishing house. Chicago. Illinois. 1938. 229p.

By ROBERT W. CHAMBERS. Introduction by Colin Heston

When The King in Yellow appeared in 1895, it slipped quietly into a literary world already saturated with decadence, occult enthusiasms, and the fin-de-siècle’s peculiar blend of anxiety and intoxication. Yet Robert W. Chambers’s strange mosaic of tales—united by a fictional forbidden play that unhinges those who read it—swiftly distinguished itself from its contemporaries. In the decades since, this slim volume has grown into one of the foundational works of the American weird tradition, prefiguring H. P. Lovecraft, influencing generations of modern horror writers, and unexpectedly resurfacing in the twenty-first century as a cultural touchstone.

What makes Chambers’s book so unusual is its deliberate blurring of boundaries: between reality and hallucination, sanity and delusion, art and contagion. The collection opens with “The Repairer of Reputations,” a tale set in an imagined New York of 1920—an unsettling mixture of futurism, authoritarian regulation, and manic delusion. It is here that the mysterious “King in Yellow” first exerts his influence. The narrator, a deeply unreliable figure, is convinced of his noble birthright and guided by an enigmatic “repairer” who traffics in scandal and blackmail. The narrative unfolds as a case study in self-deception, political paranoia, and the fragility of identity—yet nothing in the story is easily dismissed as mere fantasy. Reality itself buckles under the weight of the narrator’s convictions.

The Mask, perhaps the most haunting of the early tales, shifts the setting to the Latin Quarter of Paris, where art, science, and obsession converge. The grotesque beauty of Boris Yvain’s alchemical solution—capable of transforming living beings into flawless marble—creates a collision of aesthetics and mortality that typifies Chambers’s most powerful work. The story’s dreamlike quality reflects the decadent movement’s fascination with artificiality, transformation, and the erotic pull of the inanimate. Throughout, the shadow of the forbidden play hovers, never fully seen but always felt.

Other sections—“In the Court of the Dragon,” “The Yellow Sign,” and additional sketches—extend the book’s architecture of dread. Chambers never provides the text of the play itself, only its aftershocks, its “second act” whispered about as a psychic abyss from which there is no return. This structural absence is one of the book’s great innovations: The horror lies not in spectacle but in suggestion, in the void where meaning should be. The King in Yellow, the Pallid Mask, and the Lost City of Carcosa are not fully explained but instead exist as fragments of a mythology the reader assembles intuitively, as though the stories themselves are encoded with an infectious idea.

The power of The King in Yellow endures because it is not simply a collection of supernatural tales—it is a meditation on contagion: of ideas, of aesthetics, of inner instability. Chambers’s fictional play does not merely frighten; it corrodes. It reveals hidden fractures in those who encounter it and amplifies their darkest impulses. In this sense, the book mirrors its age. The 1890s were marked by the collapse of old certainties, the rise of new sciences of the mind, and an artistic fascination with decadence, degeneration, and the beautiful ruin of the self. Chambers captured that atmosphere with uncanny acuity.

Today, amidst digital conspiracies, fractured identities, and a renewed cultural fascination with alternate realities, The King in Yellow feels more relevant than ever. It invites the reader to step into a world where truth is unstable, where art is dangerous, and where the boundaries of perception are mercilessly thin. The book’s whispered mythology has become larger than the text itself, seeding later works, reappearing in unexpected media, and reminding us that the most enduring horrors are those we cannot fully see.

To open these stories is to risk a glimpse of the Yellow Sign—a symbol of beauty, madness, and forbidden knowledge. Chambers offers no assurances. He only extends an invitation to enter Carcosa, where twin suns sink over black waters and where, once the play begins, the mask cannot be removed.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2026 p.209

Three Plays By Henry Becque. Translated From The French With An Introduction By Freeman Tilden. Preface by Colin Heston.

To enter the world of Henry Becque is to step into a theater stripped of its finery. As we present these three plays—”The Vultures”, “The Woman of Paris”, and “The Merry-Go-Round”—it is essential to recognize the revolutionary "brutal strength" Becque required to "knock over the idols of romance" that dominated the 19th-century stage.

Freeman Tilden’s introduction serves as a vigorous defense of Becque as the pioneer of realism. Tilden correctly identifies Becque as a "revolutionist" who flouted the "happy ending" and the rigid traditions of dramatists like Sardou. He eloquently describes Becque’s vision of a stage representing the "dramatic commonplaces of every-day life" rather than the "sentimental nonsense" of the era.

However, a modern critique of Tilden’s introduction reveals two areas where his analysis might be expanded:

First, “The Nature of the "Cruel Theatre": Tilden focuses heavily on the “structural” revolution—the five-act drama and the rejection of mystery-driven plots. While he mentions Becque’s "militant" social ideas, he arguably underplays the psychological darkness of the "cruel theatre". Becque did not just want realism; he wanted truth to go "defiantly bare," revealing a world where "vultures" (lawyers, partners, and creditors) wait for a man to die before descending on his family.

Second, “The Gender Perspective:” Tilden notes that Becque voiced "the protest of women against the prejudice that kept them from earning a decent livelihood". Yet, in his discussion of “The Woman of Paris” (“La Parisienne”), Tilden remains somewhat focused on the "naughty triangle" and the prosaic nature of adultery. A modern critique would emphasize that Becque’s women are often forced into moral compromises not by choice, but by a "bureaucratic system" that offers them only parasitism or ruin.

Despite these nuances, Tilden’s assertion remains true: Becque was the "wedge that opened the way for realism". He cleared the ground for Ibsen and the modernists by proving that a play could be "clear without being obvious" and that everyday existence held enough surprises for a master of stagecraft.

In this collection, readers will witness the "unexpectedly striking" scenes that puzzled 19th-century critics—from the savage dinner of the concierges in “The Prodigal Son” to the cold-blooded notary Bourdon in “The Vultures”. We invite you to experience the "cruel theatre" in its purest form: a mirror held up to the "marvellous dramatic commonplaces" of our own human struggle.

New York. Mitchell Kennerley. 1913. Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2026. 267p.

By Frances Parkinson Keyes

Came a Cavalier by Frances Parkinson Keyes is a sweeping historical romance set against the backdrop of two world wars. The novel explores themes of resilience, identity, and the transformative power of love. At its heart is Constance “Connie” Galt, a young woman whose life is reshaped by personal betrayal and the chaos of global conflict. Her journey begins with heartbreak, which propels her into service with the American Red Cross in France during World War I. This experience becomes a crucible for her character, forcing her to confront suffering and loss while discovering inner strength and purpose.

The story delves deeply into the theme of personal growth through adversity. Connie’s evolution from a disillusioned college student to a confident, compassionate woman mirrors the broader societal shifts of the early twentieth century. Her relationships—first with Duncan Craig, an American doctor, and later with Tristan de Fremond, a French cavalry officer—highlight the tension between security and passion, as well as the cultural contrasts between America and Europe during wartime.

Historically, the novel captures the atmosphere of wartime France with vivid detail, from the scarcity and danger of the front lines to the elegance and traditions of the French aristocracy. It reflects the impact of war on both individuals and nations, portraying how global upheaval can dismantle old social orders while creating new opportunities for connection and renewal. The narrative also touches on themes of honor and duty, embodied in Tristan’s role within the prestigious Cadre Noir, and contrasts these ideals with the pragmatic realities of survival and love in times of uncertainty.

Ultimately, Came a Cavalier is not just a romance but a meditation on courage, endurance, and the human capacity for reinvention. It situates personal drama within the grand sweep of history, offering readers both an intimate love story and a rich portrait of a world in transition.

Julian Messner, Inc. NY. 1947. Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2025. 437p.

By Walter Besant. Introduction by Colin Heston.

First published in 1893, The Ivory Gate stands among the late novels of Walter Besant, a writer whose career was defined by a sustained engagement with the moral, social, and psychological pressures of modern urban life. Appearing at the close of the Victorian era, the novel reflects both Besant’s long-standing commitment to social realism and his increasing interest in the interior life of the individual—especially the fragile boundary between aspiration and illusion.
The title itself announces the book’s governing metaphor. In classical and medieval literature, the “ivory gate” is the passage through which false dreams pass into waking life, as opposed to the gate of horn, from which true dreams emerge. Besant adapts this image to late-nineteenth-century conditions, using it to explore the seductive power of unrealized hopes, romantic delusions, and social fantasies that shape—and often distort—human conduct. The novel is less concerned with overt villainy than with self-deception: the quiet, persistent capacity of individuals to misread their circumstances and to substitute imagined futures for lived realities.
For modern readers, the novel remains strikingly relevant. Its exploration of illusion, self-fashioning, and the tension between inner fantasy and external reality resonates with contemporary concerns about identity, expectation, and social pressure. While its Victorian idiom and moral framework are firmly rooted in the nineteenth century, its psychological insights anticipate later treatments of self-deception and emotional displacement.
This new edition invites readers to reconsider The Ivory Gate not simply as a period piece, but as a thoughtful and understated meditation on the human tendency to live in dreams of our own making. In tracing the quiet tragedies that arise when those dreams eclipse judgment, Besant offers a work of enduring moral seriousness—one that illuminates both the anxieties of his age and the persistent vulnerabilities of our own.

A READ-ME.ORG CLASSIC REPRINT. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2025. 321p.

By George W. Cable

The Grandissimes: A Story of Creole Life stands among the most vivid and penetrating literary portraits of early New Orleans—its tangled ancestries, its hierarchies of caste and color, and its rich cultural complexity at the turn of the nineteenth century. First published in 1880, George W. Cable’s novel announced the arrival of a distinctive Southern voice: one capable of blending romance, social critique, historical reconstruction, and an almost anthropological attention to the manners and moral contradictions of Creole society.

Cable, himself native to New Orleans, wrote at a moment when the American public was only beginning to recognize the significance of Louisiana’s unique heritage. The city had passed from French to Spanish control, then back to France, then suddenly into the hands of the United States through the Louisiana Purchase. In Cable’s imagination, this swirl of sovereignties—compounded by the interwoven legacies of France, Spain, Africa, the Caribbean, and Indigenous peoples—created a society unlike any other on the continent. The Grand–issimes dramatizes this world at a moment of profound transition, when old loyalties struggled against the pressures of Americanization, and when the boundaries of race, class, and honor were both fiercely guarded and constantly transgressed.

At its center stands the old Creole family of the Grandissimes, whose branches include both the proud white aristocracy and a free man of color who bears the same name—a blood relationship that must not, in respectable society, be spoken aloud. Through this intricate family history, Cable exposes the contradictions of slavery, the moral compromises of privilege, and the tragic limitations imposed on people of mixed heritage. Yet the novel is anything but a simple moral allegory. Its pages teem with humor, local color, memorable characters, and a richly textured atmosphere that evokes the city’s architecture, dialects, festivals, and customs with unmatched fidelity.

Cable’s realism—rare among Southern writers of his generation—caused both admiration and controversy. His depictions of racial injustice were received with anger in parts of the post-Reconstruction South, and his advocacy for Black civil rights would eventually drive him to relocate to the North. Today, his work is recognized as foundational: a precursor to later explorations of New Orleans identity by Kate Chopin, Lafcadio Hearn, Lyle Saxon, and many others.

This edition of The Grandissimes invites readers to rediscover Cable’s great novel not merely as an historical document but as a living work of art. Its themes of belonging, cultural collision, and the moral weight of inherited systems remain deeply resonant. In tracing the fate of a family—and of a city—at a crossroads, Cable offers a vision both critical and compassionate, illuminating a world whose complexities still echo through the streets of New Orleans today.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2025. p.248.

By Bram Stoker

Bram Stoker's Dracula, first published in 1897, remains one of the most iconic and influential novels in the Gothic literary tradition. More than a simple horror story, Dracula is a rich tapestry of Victorian anxieties, cultural tensions, and symbolic complexity. Through its epistolary structure and vivid characters, the novel explores themes of modernity versus antiquity, sexuality and repression, imperialism, and the supernatural. It is a work that not only defined the vampire genre but also reflected the fears and fascinations of its time.

The late 19th century was a period of profound transformation in Britain. The Industrial Revolution had ushered in an age of technological innovation and scientific progress, while the British Empire stood at the height of its global influence. Yet beneath this veneer of confidence lay deep-seated anxieties about degeneration, foreign invasion, and the erosion of traditional values. Dracula captures these tensions through its central antagonist, Count Dracula, a foreign aristocrat who threatens the sanctity of British society. His arrival in England symbolizes a reverse colonization, where the East invades the West, challenging notions of cultural superiority and national security.

Stoker’s use of the epistolary format—comprising diaries, letters, newspaper articles, and ship logs—serves to ground the supernatural elements of the story in a framework of realism and documentation. This narrative technique reflects the Victorian obsession with empirical evidence and rationality, even as the characters confront a force that defies scientific explanation. The juxtaposition of modern tools such as typewriters and phonographs with ancient folklore and religious symbols underscores the novel’s central conflict between progress and the past.

One of the most compelling aspects of Dracula is its exploration of sexuality and repression. Victorian society was marked by strict moral codes, particularly regarding gender roles and sexual behavior. The novel subverts these norms through the seductive and transgressive nature of vampirism. Characters like Lucy Westenra and Mina Harker become battlegrounds for these tensions, as their encounters with Dracula blur the lines between victimhood and desire. The act of bloodsucking, laden with erotic undertones, becomes a metaphor for the loss of innocence and the threat of moral corruption.

Religion plays a crucial role in the narrative, often positioned as the ultimate defense against the vampire’s evil. Crucifixes, holy water, and sacred rites are employed alongside scientific reasoning, suggesting a synthesis of faith and logic in the fight against darkness. This duality reflects the Victorian struggle to reconcile religious belief with the rise of secularism and scientific thought.

Dracula also engages with the theme of identity and duality. Count Dracula himself embodies contradictions: he is both man and monster, aristocrat and predator, host and parasite. His ability to transform into animals and control the elements adds to his mystique and reinforces his role as a symbol of the uncanny. The characters who oppose him—Jonathan Harker, Van Helsing, Dr. Seward, and others—represent various facets of Victorian society, from legal and medical professions to religious authority, united in their mission to restore order.

The legacy of Dracula is vast and enduring. It established many of the conventions of vampire fiction and inspired countless adaptations across literature, film, and popular culture. Count Dracula has become a cultural archetype, embodying both fear and fascination. The novel’s rich symbolism and thematic depth continue to invite critical analysis, from psychoanalytic and feminist readings to postcolonial and queer interpretations.

In conclusion, Bram Stoker’s Dracula is far more than a tale of terror. It is a mirror reflecting the complexities of its time, a narrative that intertwines the rational and the irrational, the modern and the ancient, the sacred and the profane. Its enduring power lies in its ability to evoke fear while provoking thought, making it a masterpiece of Gothic literature and a cornerstone of cultural history.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2025. 284p.

By H. G. Wells (Author), Colin Heston (Editor)

The Time Machine & Tales of Space and Time — H. G. Wells

This single volume unites two of H. G. Wells’ most celebrated explorations of imagination, science, and the unknown.

The Time Machine (1895) is the groundbreaking novella that introduced the very concept of a mechanical device for traveling through time. The unnamed Time Traveller journeys to the distant future, where humanity has evolved into two divergent races — the delicate, surface-dwelling Eloi and the subterranean, menacing Morlocks. What begins as a scientific adventure becomes a haunting meditation on evolution, class, and the ultimate fate of the Earth. With its blend of suspense, philosophical inquiry, and visionary speculation, it remains one of the cornerstones of science fiction literature.

Tales of Space and Time (1899) is a collection of five shorter works in which Wells turns his storytelling genius to other worlds, cosmic dangers, and extraordinary discoveries.

• "The Crystal Egg" — A mysterious artifact reveals visions of life on Mars.

• "The Star" — A celestial visitor threatens the very survival of Earth.

• "A Story of the Stone Age" — Life-and-death struggles in humanity’s prehistoric dawn.

• "A Story of the Days to Come" — A chilling vision of a crowded, mechanized future society.

• "The Man Who Could Work Miracles" — An ordinary man gains unlimited supernatural powers, with unexpected results.

Together in one volume, these works display Wells’ unmatched ability to fuse scientific possibility with human drama. They offer both thrilling adventure and thought-provoking commentary on technology, progress, and our place in the universe — a combination that has kept his stories fresh and relevant for more than a century.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2025. 198 p.

By Alexandre Dumas (Author), G. Staal (Illustrator), J.A. Beauce (Illustrator), & 2more Format: Kindle Edition

Few novels have captured the imagination of readers across generations as powerfully as The Count of Monte Cristo. First published in 1844, this sweeping tale of betrayal, revenge, and redemption is the work of Alexandre Dumas, one of France’s most celebrated literary figures. Set against the backdrop of post-Napoleonic France, the novel follows the transformation of Edmond Dantès, a young sailor whose promising future is shattered by the treachery of those he trusted. Wrongfully imprisoned in the Château d’If, Dantès emerges years later not as the man he once was, but as the enigmatic and wealthy Count of Monte Cristo—determined to exact justice on those who wronged him. At once a thrilling adventure and a profound exploration of human nature, The Count of Monte Cristodelves into themes of vengeance, justice, mercy, and the enduring power of hope. Dumas weaves a rich tapestry of characters and subplots, each contributing to the novel’s intricate moral landscape. His storytelling is both grand in scope and intimate in detail, offering readers a journey that is as emotionally resonant as it is exhilarating.
This two volume edition is based on the five volume 1888 English edition. It retains all text as in the original and includes most of the illustrations preserving the spirit and elegance of Dumas’s original edition, while making the novel accessible to contemporary readers. This version is most likely that of an anonymous translator who translated the work from the French for the publisher Chapman and Hall in 1846. There have been many translations in dozens of languages, and some in the 20th century basically rewriting the novel in modern prose and almost always considerably abridged.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2025. 501 p.

By Alexandre Dumas (Author), G. Staal (Illustrator), J.A. Beauce (Illustrator), & 2more Format: Kindle Edition

Few novels have captured the imagination of readers across generations as powerfully as The Count of Monte Cristo. First published in 1844, this sweeping tale of betrayal, revenge, and redemption is the work of Alexandre Dumas, one of France’s most celebrated literary figures. Set against the backdrop of post-Napoleonic France, the novel follows the transformation of Edmond Dantès, a young sailor whose promising future is shattered by the treachery of those he trusted. Wrongfully imprisoned in the Château d’If, Dantès emerges years later not as the man he once was, but as the enigmatic and wealthy Count of Monte Cristo—determined to exact justice on those who wronged him. At once a thrilling adventure and a profound exploration of human nature, The Count of Monte Cristodelves into themes of vengeance, justice, mercy, and the enduring power of hope. Dumas weaves a rich tapestry of characters and subplots, each contributing to the novel’s intricate moral landscape. His storytelling is both grand in scope and intimate in detail, offering readers a journey that is as emotionally resonant as it is exhilarating.
This two volume edition is based on the five volume 1888 English edition. It retains all text as in the original and includes most of the illustrations preserving the spirit and elegance of Dumas’s original edition, while making the novel accessible to contemporary readers. This version is most likely that of an anonymous translator who translated the work from the French for the publisher Chapman and Hall in 1846. There have been many translations in dozens of languages, and some in the 20th century basically rewriting the novel in modern prose and almost always considerably abridged.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2025. 456 p.

By George Meredith (Author), Colin Heston (Introduction)

Vittoria, published in 1867, is one of George Meredith’s most ambitious historical novels and serves as a sequel to his earlier work Sandra Belloni (originally titled Emilia in England). While Sandra Belloni explored the struggles of an Italian-born heroine within the confines of English provincial society, Vittoria shifts the scene entirely to Italy during one of the most turbulent and significant periods of the 19th century—the Italian Risorgimento, the movement for national unification and independence from foreign rule.
In Vittoria, Meredith combines the personal and the political, weaving a narrative in which the inner development of the heroine, Vittoria, mirrors the aspirations and tumult of the Italian national cause. The novel is set during the events of 1848, a year of revolutionary fervor across Europe, when Italy was in the throes of armed uprisings against Austrian dominance. Through the story of Vittoria, a gifted opera singer who becomes involved in the nationalist struggle, Meredith addresses questions of patriotism, duty, identity, and the costs of freedom. Ultimately, Vittoria is a novel about courage—the courage to defy oppression, to embrace love in the face of danger, and to live a life that is aligned with one’s highest convictions. It is both a stirring narrative of revolution and an enduring meditation on the responsibilities that come with freedom. For readers willing to engage with its intellectual demands, Vittoria offers a richly rewarding experience—a testament to Meredith’s belief that literature should challenge as well as enlighten.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2025. 358p.

By George Meredith (Author)

Set in an imaginary Oriental landscape, The Shaving of Shagpat follows the humble barber Shibli Bagarag, who embarks on an epic quest to perform the symbolic and dangerous act of shaving Shagpat—a powerful figure whose enchanted, unshorn hair represents the tyranny of falsehood and delusion over the minds of men. The narrative is populated with genies, enchantresses, magical cities, and perilous tasks, weaving a tapestry of adventure that operates on both the literal and allegorical planes. At first glance, The Shaving of Shagpat appears to be a whimsical fantasy—an exotic romance filled with the familiar trappings of Eastern fable. Yet beneath the surface lies a sophisticated commentary on the nature of truth, illusion, and the moral evolution of the individual. Meredith uses the framework of fantasy not merely to entertain but to craft a parable about the necessity of intellectual courage and the struggle for personal enlightenment.

For contemporary readers, the book remains a fascinating artifact of literary daring—a playful yet profound reminder that the struggle against illusion, whether in the form of personal vanity or societal falsehood, is both eternal and essential. In The Shaving of Shagpat, Meredith offers not only an enchanting fable but also an enduring meditation on the human condition.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2025. 242p.

By Vera B. Profit

Rather than theoretical or abstract, above all else, this monograph endeavors to serve as a practical guide, a handbook for helping us navigate a dark terrain. It neither presumes to examine the sources of evil nor suggest radical cures. These pages strive only to continue the process of naming the signs of individual evil that we might recognize these persons before they inflict even more damage. Scott Peck says it best. “If evil were easy to recognize, identify, and manage, there would be no need for this book.” Of course, he was referring to his own pioneering treatise; given the realities of our day, the need remains as great as ever.

Amsterdam - New York, NY by Editions Rodopi B.V., 2014