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

In the landscape of late-Victorian sensation fiction, few figures loom as large or as shadow-drenched as Dr. Nikola. Before the world had a definitive supervillain archetype, Guy Boothby introduced a mastermind who combined the cold intellect of Sherlock Holmes with the occult ambitions of a sorcerer. A Bid for Fortune, published in 1895 and often subtitled Dr. Nikola’s Vendetta, marks the debut of this iconic antagonist in a high-stakes adventure that spans the globe, moving restlessly from the dusty streets of Sydney to the high society of London and the secretive corners of the East.
The narrative follows Richard Hatteras, a rugged Australian sailor who finds himself accidentally entangled in a web of international intrigue. Hatteras is a man of action, yet he is fundamentally out of his depth when he crosses paths with the enigmatic Doctor. Nikola is not interested in mere petty theft or local power; he is obsessed with uncovering the ancient secrets of a mysterious Tibetan sect. To achieve his ends, he requires a specific Chinese stick—a relic of immense power—and he proves himself willing to manipulate, kidnap, and destroy anyone standing in his way.
Guy Boothby was a pioneer of the "Yellow Back" thrillers, and in Dr. Nikola, he created a character who fascinated readers as much as he terrified them. Accompanied by a massive, sinister black cat named Apollyon, Nikola is a master of science, hypnotism, and disguise, driven by a personal code that sits entirely outside conventional law. This work is more than a simple chase; it is a quintessential example of the "New Imperial" gothic style, blending the era's anxiety about the unknown with the thrill of global exploration.
Readers should prepare for a narrative that moves at a breakneck pace, as Boothby excels at building atmosphere through his descriptions of Nikola’s cat-like movements and calculated calm. As Hatteras attempts to protect the woman he loves while outmaneuvering a man who seems to see five steps ahead, the audience is invited into a world where the line between science and magic is dangerously thin. It is a story where the hero is constantly shadowed by a man who, as the text suggests, is just as dangerous to have as a friend as he is as an enemy.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2026. 232p.

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 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 Erskine Caldwell. Designed and Edited with an Introduction  by Colin Heston

When All Night Long appeared in 1942, Erskine Caldwell was already one of the most widely read—and most controversial—American novelists of his generation. Known primarily for his unsparing portrayals of poverty, violence, and moral stress in the American South, Caldwell here turned his attention outward, to a global conflict unfolding at unprecedented scale. Subtitled A Novel of Guerrilla Warfare in Russia, All Night Long represents Caldwell’s direct literary engagement with the Second World War at the moment when its outcome remained deeply uncertain and when the Soviet Union, newly allied with the United States, had become a central symbol of resistance to fascist aggression.

Caldwell’s Russia is not a romanticized abstraction nor a detailed ethnographic portrait. Instead, it functions as a stark moral landscape shaped by occupation, deprivation, and constant threat. Villages, forests, and frozen terrain become arenas of endurance rather than scenery. The emphasis falls on night operations, secrecy, hunger, exhaustion, and the psychological toll of living in a perpetual state of danger. The title itself—All Night Long—signals this temporal and emotional register: war as an unbroken vigil, a continuous strain that erodes the boundary between action and survival.

For modern readers, the novel occupies an intriguing position in Caldwell’s body of work and in twentieth-century war literature more broadly. It stands apart from his Southern novels in geography but not in theme. As in Tobacco Road or God’s Little Acre, Caldwell examines how extreme conditions strip life down to its essentials and expose the structures—economic, political, or military—that govern human behavior. In All Night Long, the setting is international, but the underlying concerns remain consistent: power, exploitation, resilience, and the cost of endurance.

Read today, All Night Long also invites reflection on the evolving representation of guerrilla warfare itself. Long before such conflicts became a dominant feature of late-twentieth- and early-twenty-first-century military discourse, Caldwell recognized the strategic and moral complexity of irregular resistance. His novel anticipates later debates about asymmetrical warfare, civilian involvement, and the blurred lines between combatant and noncombatant—issues that continue to shape global conflicts.

Ultimately, All Night Long is less a novel about Russia per se than a novel about resistance under occupation. It captures a historical moment when global war demanded new forms of solidarity and new narrative frameworks to explain them. Caldwell’s achievement lies in his ability to translate that vast struggle into an intimate, unrelenting account of human persistence, sustained through darkness, danger, and the long hours of night.

NY.Book League of America. 1942. Read-Me.Org Inc. Australia, New York & Philadelphia. 2025. 161p.

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. Designed and Edited with an Introduction by Colin Heston.

Sandra Belloni, first published in 1864 under the title Emilia in England, occupies a distinctive place in the literary corpus of George Meredith. It represents one of his earliest extended efforts to merge the comic novel with a more pointed social critique, a technique that would become a hallmark of his mature style. This novel, rich in subtle irony and psychological insight, grapples with the tensions between individuality and conformity, art and social convention, and the constraints of class and gender in Victorian England. At its heart, it is a narrative about a young woman of Italian descent, Emilia Belloni, whose musical gifts and unorthodox spirit clash with the expectations of the rigid English society into which she is thrust.

Meredith uses Emilia’s character not merely as a protagonist but as a symbolic figure—an embodiment of passionate sincerity, artistic freedom, and the disruptive power of the outsider. Emilia’s foreignness is not just ethnic; it is deeply cultural and emotional. Her instincts are governed by feeling and a commitment to truth, which repeatedly brings her into conflict with the carefully cultivated hypocrisies and social facades of the English middle and upper classes. Through her, Meredith examines the ways in which English society suppresses emotional authenticity in favor of propriety and self-interest.

In reading Sandra Belloni today, one encounters not only a portrait of Victorian society in all its contradictions but also an enduring exploration of the universal struggle between the self and society, between the voice that seeks to sing freely and the forces that would silence it. It is a novel that resonates beyond its historical moment, inviting readers to reflect on the costs and necessities of remaining true to oneself in the face of overwhelming pressure to conform.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2025. 318p.

By George Meredith. Designed and Edited with an Introduction by Colin Heston

The Adventures of Harry Richmond, first published in serial form between 1870 and 1871, then in full in 1871, occupies a fascinating place in the evolution of the English novel. A heady mixture of picaresque adventure, coming-of-age narrative, satire, romance, and psychological study, it is one of George Meredith’s most ambitious works. Beneath its surface as a lively and sometimes eccentric tale of a young man’s escapades lies an intricate meditation on the construction of identity, the conflict between appearance and reality, and the profound influence of family, class, and society. These themes connect the novel powerfully to concerns that dominate modern fiction.

At its core, Harry Richmond examines how identity is not simply inherited but assembled—through choice, resistance, deception, and chance. Harry Richmond is born into a web of conflicting influences: his father, Roy Richmond, is a charming but unscrupulous social climber whose life revolves around maintaining appearances and manipulating social structures; his grandfather, Squire Beltham, represents a rigid, landed English respectability that is both moralistic and emotionally cold. Caught between these poles, Harry’s life becomes a journey to define himself outside the narrow confines of these competing legacies.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2025. 355p.

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

At the heart of One of Our Conquerors is the story of Victor Radnor, a self-made, successful businessman who embodies the energies of commercial Victorian England. Victor is a man of formidable charm, ambition, and benevolence, yet he is ensnared in a socially precarious position due to his relationship with his beloved partner, Nataly, with whom he has lived for years as husband and wife without formal marriage. Their union, socially illegitimate though personally devoted, becomes the focal point for much of the novel’s tension. Victor’s desire to legitimize their relationship and secure a respectable position for their daughter Nesta in society serves as the narrative’s driving conflict.
Meredith, ever the ironist, does not present Victor uncritically. Victor is a man of immense energy, imagination, and generosity, but also prone to illusions—particularly about the power of charm, wealth, and personal will to override the deeper currents of social judgment. His belief that society can be bent to his personal desires reflects both the optimism of the self-made man and the hubris that often accompanies unchecked ambition. In this sense, the title One of Our Conquerors carries a double edge: it acknowledges Victor’s triumphs in commerce and his conquest of circumstances but also points to the broader critique of conquest itself—whether in business, society, or personal relationships.
One of Our Conquerors is a profound exploration of the tensions between private morality and public life, between individual will and social constraint, and between the old moral orders and the emerging complexities of modernity. It challenges readers to consider the costs of social conformity, the meaning of success, and the possibilities for human integrity in a world increasingly driven by commerce, appearance, and social performance. As with Meredith’s other major works, it is a novel whose rewards are commensurate with the patience and thoughtfulness brought to it—a work that continues to resonate with readers interested in the enduring struggles between the personal and the public, the ideal and the real.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2025. 291p.

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

Evan Harrington, first published in 1861, represents a crucial early milestone in the literary career of George Meredith. While not as formally experimental or philosophically dense as his later masterpieces like The Egoist or Beauchamp’s Career, this novel nonetheless displays in fully developed form the sharp social satire, psychological acuity, and probing concern with class, identity, and social performance that would become hallmarks of Meredith’s mature work. More overtly comedic than much of his later fiction, Evan Harrington occupies a unique place in his canon as both a sparkling social comedy and a pointed critique of the hypocrisies embedded within Victorian class structures.
At its most basic level, Evan Harrington is a novel about a young man’s struggle with the question of identity — specifically, the tension between his personal merit and the social stigma attached to his family’s occupation. Evan is the son of Melchisedec Harrington, an exceedingly proud and flamboyant tailor whose death leaves his family facing financial and social crisis. Although Evan has received a gentleman’s education and possesses the manners and intellect of the upper classes, he is forced to reckon with the fact that in the rigidly stratified world of mid-19th century England, the mere fact of being “the tailor’s son” is enough to exclude him from the ranks of polite society.
Evan Harrington remains a vital and compelling work not only because it provides insight into Meredith’s literary evolution but also because its central concerns continue to resonate. The tension between personal integrity and social expectation, the arbitrariness of class distinctions, and the enduring question of what it means to live authentically within a society structured by appearances — these remain pressing questions in any era.
In sum, Evan Harrington is both a sparkling social comedy and a profound moral fable. It combines the pleasures of sharp character portraits, witty dialogue, and romantic intrigue with a serious exploration of identity, class, and the painful comedy of human vanity. It is a work that delights the reader while also challenging them to reflect on the enduring absurdities of social life and the courage it takes to live truthfully in the face of them. As such, it stands as a worthy introduction to the genius of George Meredith and a foundational text within the broader tradition of the Victorian social novel.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2025. 332p.

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

Diana of the Crossways, first published in 1885, represents a pivotal achievement in George Meredith’s literary career. It stands apart not merely as his most commercially successful novel during his lifetime but as a mature and sophisticated exploration of some of the most pressing social, psychological, and philosophical dilemmas of the Victorian age. This novel synthesizes his longstanding thematic concerns—gender relations, the constraints of marriage, the struggle for individual autonomy, and the social mechanisms of hypocrisy and surveillance—into a narrative that is at once accessible, profoundly ironic, and deeply analytical.
At its center is the figure of Diana Merion Warwick, a woman of exceptional beauty, intellect, and vivacity, whose struggle is emblematic of the tensions between the individual, particularly the intellectually aspiring woman, and a society structured to suppress her independence. Diana’s trajectory is not merely the story of a woman’s personal fate but a dramatization of the larger structural impediments to female agency in a patriarchal world that equates female virtue with silence, obedience, and domestic confinement.
The novel’s contemporary relevance is striking. Its exploration of gendered power dynamics, the politics of reputation, the policing of women’s voices, and the ethical failures of institutions built on inequality continues to resonate with modern readers. It anticipates many of the concerns that would later be taken up by feminist literary critics, particularly in its portrayal of how systemic power operates through language, marriage, and social surveillance.
Diana of the Crossways thus stands not merely as a compelling work of Victorian fiction but as a profound literary experiment in social critique, psychological realism, and moral philosophy. It is a novel that challenges the reader to think deeply about the structures of power that govern intimate relationships and public life, and about the costs of pursuing truth and autonomy in a world designed to punish those who do. Through its combination of narrative wit, philosophical depth, and emotional intensity, it remains one of George Meredith’s most enduring and significant achievements.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2025. 275p.

By George Meredith. Designed and Edited with an Introduction by Colin Heston.

More than any other of his novels, Beauchamp’s Career embodies Meredith’s philosophical worldview: that the highest human calling is the continual pursuit of greater consciousness. For Meredith, the “Comic Spirit” serves as an ethical guide—illuminating human folly, deflating pretension, and inviting self-correction through laughter rather than dogma.

Yet Beauchamp, ironically, lacks the flexibility of the Comic Spirit. He is too earnest, too driven by absolute convictions, to fully participate in the comic self-awareness that Meredith idealizes. In this sense, Beauchamp is both a hero and a warning: a figure of immense moral courage whose tragedy lies in his refusal to accept that the world operates not by ideals but by compromises.

While Beauchamp’s Career was never Meredith’s most popular work during his lifetime, it has come to be recognized as one of his most ambitious and profound novels. Its examination of the dilemmas of idealism, political integrity, and personal sacrifice remains strikingly relevant in an era of political polarization and disillusionment.

The novel speaks to anyone who has struggled with the tension between moral conviction and the messy realities of human society. Its insights into the nature of political life—the seductions of populism, the compromises demanded by coalition, the frustrations of advocacy in an indifferent world—resonate just as powerfully now as they did in the 19th century. Beauchamp’s Career stands as one of George Meredith’s greatest achievements: a work that challenges as much as it enlightens, a moral and political fable wrapped in the ironic garb of the Victorian social novel. It demands much of its readers—patience, attentiveness, and a willingness to engage with ambiguity—but it rewards that effort with a deeply moving meditation on the costs and the dignity of living according to one’s principles.

In an age when the struggle between ideals and pragmatism remains as urgent as ever, Beauchamp’s Career offers both a mirror and a guide—one that reflects the frailty of human institutions, but also the enduring power of conscience.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2025. 383p.

By Joseph C. Lincoln (Author), Colin Heston (Introduction)

In Shavings, published in 1918 at the peak of his literary success, Joseph C. Lincoln again turns his familiar eye and pen toward Cape Cod—its people, its rhythms, and its moral heart. Like much of Lincoln’s fiction, this novel offers more than light entertainment; it is a nuanced exploration of human decency, community obligation, and emotional transformation, wrapped in a quietly humorous and affectionately drawn setting.
Set in the fictional village of East Wellmouth, Shavings centers on a seemingly unremarkable character: a middle-aged man named Lemuel “Shavings” Keziah, a gentle and eccentric resident who works as a handyman and caretaker of sorts at the local ship-chandlery. What begins as a portrait of a quiet, solitary man becomes a deeper meditation on compassion, guardianship, and the power of unassuming kindness to transform lives. In this novel, Lincoln refines his formula of New England coastal fiction, combining rich local detail, deft character sketches, and moral clarity in a story that both reflects and transcends its setting.
The title Shavings is rich in metaphor. At the surface level, it refers to wood shavings—fragments trimmed away in the process of building or shaping. But on a deeper level, it suggests themes of smallness, modesty, and the overlooked. Lemuel Keziah is, like his namesake shavings, a figure that most would pass over without a second thought. He is plain, odd, physically unimposing, and considered somewhat simple by his neighbors. Yet within that uncarved block of humility lies a figure of enormous quiet integrity, and Lincoln’s triumph is in showing how such a man can become a pillar of his community and a redeemer in the lives of others.
Lincoln gives us a novel that blends humility with heart, modesty with moral insight. It is a story of redemption through quiet persistence, of fatherhood without blood, and of character tested not by fame or fortune but by the daily demands of decency. For those who cherish gentle fiction with real emotional weight, Shavings is a touchstone. It evokes a vanished New England but leaves in its place timeless lessons on love, trust, and the power of doing good without seeking reward. In Lemuel Keziah, Lincoln offers a model of quiet heroism whose relevance has only grown with time.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2025. 229p.

By Joseph C. Lincloln. Introduction by Colin Heston.

Cap’n Dan’s Daughter* by Joseph C. Lincoln is a heartwarming and humorous novel set in the fictional Cape Cod town of Trumet. The story follows Captain Dan Dott, a retired sea captain who now runs a struggling dry goods store, and his family, particularly his ambitious wife Serena and their clever daughter Gertrude. Captain Dan is a simple, good-natured man who finds himself increasingly overwhelmed by the pressures of domestic life and the social aspirations of his wife, who is determined to elevate the family’s status in the community. Serena’s ambitions are fueled when the family receives news of an inheritance from a wealthy relative, which she sees as their ticket to a more refined and prominent lifestyle.

As Serena pushes the family into a more genteel social circle, she becomes increasingly controlling and obsessed with appearances, dragging Captain Dan along with her plans despite his discomfort. Gertrude, however, sees through the pretensions and recognizes the strain it places on her father. She devises a clever plan to gently undermine her mother’s social climbing and restore a sense of balance and authenticity to their lives. Her scheme, while well-intentioned, nearly backfires, leading to a series of misunderstandings and comic situations that test the family’s unity and resilience.

Throughout the novel, Lincoln’s affection for Cape Cod and its people shines through. He populates the story with colorful local characters and infuses the narrative with regional dialect, humor, and a deep sense of place. The novel explores themes of family loyalty, the tension between tradition and change, and the importance of staying true to oneself. In the end, the Dott family comes to a deeper understanding of what truly matters, finding contentment not in wealth or social standing, but in love, honesty, and the enduring bonds of family.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2025. 222p.

By Joseph Crosby Lincoln. Edited with an Introduction by Introduction by Colin Heston

The Big Mogul is a warm, character-driven novel set in a small New England town, where the rhythms of coastal life and the intricacies of human relationships unfold with gentle humor and emotional depth. The story centers on Foster Townsend, a wealthy, proud, and somewhat cantankerous man who is grappling with the loneliness that has settled over his life following the death of his beloved wife. His grand mansion, once filled with warmth and companionship, now feels hollow and cold. In an effort to fill this emotional void, he considers inviting his estranged niece, Esther, to live with him. Esther, who has been raised by her aunt Reliance after the death of her parents, represents a potential new beginning for Foster, though he is unsure how to bridge the emotional distance between them.

As the narrative unfolds, the novel explores the evolving relationship between Foster and Esther, marked by moments of awkwardness, affection, and gradual understanding. Their interactions are shaped by Foster’s brusque demeanor and Esther’s quiet resilience, and the story gently reveals how both characters begin to heal and grow through their connection. The novel also delves into the broader community dynamics of the town, where long-standing feuds, gossip, and the quirks of small-town life add texture and humor to the story. A subplot involving young love between members of two feuding families adds a layer of romantic tension and serves as a counterpoint to the more mature emotional journey of Foster and Esther.

Lincoln’s writing is imbued with a nostalgic affection for Cape Cod and its people, and he paints his characters with a blend of realism and idealism that makes them both believable and endearing. The novel resists the darker currents of contemporary naturalist literature, instead offering a comforting vision of human decency, reconciliation, and the possibility of renewal. Through its gentle pacing and focus on character over plot, The Big Mogul invites readers to reflect on the importance of family, the pain of loss, and the quiet joys of rediscovered connection.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2025. p.261p.