<div>A light, comical exploration by the Russian writer, Ilya Boyashov. On his journey from his war-torn village, Muri the cat travels through Yugoslavia, Austria, Germany, Lithuania, Finland and Sweden, meeting on the way an unlikely  but helpful  group of creatures, from a sperm whale to a paraplegic mountaineer and a wandering Jew. This is no children&rsquo;s book, but a witty exploration of the human condition through the people and objects Muri meets on his travels. Somewhere in the mix, Boyashov introduces us to two eminent professors, one from Cambridge, one from Geneva, who take opposite views on the question: Is man in a perpetual and aimless state of wandering or must he always have a goal in mind? The book is intended to be read on two levels  as a narrated story of real (fictional) characters and as an allegory. It has been compared with Sophie&rsquo;s World.</div>

The Way Of Muri

Ilya Boyashov

Hesperus Press

A captivating and evocative work, Memoirs of a Madman is one of Flaubert's earliest writings, and forms the basis for his highly renowned L'Education Sentimentale. As a young man looks back on the years that have brought him to "madness," he recalls the innocence of his boyhood and his fond belief that he was blessed with a mind of genius. Yet, painfully, wretchedly, he also recounts his all-too-sudden entry into the adult world. For the day he caught sight of a beautiful woman by the sea marked the end of his flamboyant philosophizing, and the beginning of a tragic coming of age.

Memoirs of a Madman (Hesperus Classics)

Literature & Fiction

Gustave. Flaubert

Contemporary

Rich with hilarious episodes, Scriblerus is an ingenious satire of false learning and bad taste that has much to say to the pseudo-intellectual world of today. By taking one ambitious father and his determination to do everything in his power to produce a child of genius, Pope exposes the true folly of the men of his age and their absurd veneration of the ancients. As this hallowed child grows into a man, it becomes clear that instead of being the scholar his father so desired, he is simply the inevitable offspring of a laughable generation of pseudo-intellectuals and literati.

Memoirs of the Extraordinary Life, Works and Discoveries of Martinus Scriblerus

Pope, Alexander

Humor & Satire

Written as an epistolary monologue, Last Letters of Jacopo Ortis is a compelling portrayal of a troubled mind. Published here for the first time in the English language, it is presented with Foscolo's highly acclaimed poem, Of Tombs. Banished from his homeland and from the woman he loves, Jacopo Ortis lives with the insufferable feelings of disillusionment and betrayal. Gone are his youthful dreams of literary glory, and in their place only his embittered laughter at fortune, at men, and at God. In the anguish of his state he feels himself compelled to make one final, titanic, and tragic gesture to the rulers of his age.

Last Letters of Jacopo Ortis (Hesperus Classics)

Foscolo, Ugo

Despaired of by his father and impatient with his lot, a young man hears the enticing call of life on the road. Leaving his home and all that he knows, he embarks on a journey in search of adventure and glory. One day enjoying fortune and plenty, the next at the mercy of villains and rogues, his is a life of chance and wonder that, despite its strange twists and turns, ultimately leads him to his heart’s desire. Primarily a lyrical poet, Joseph von Eichendorff is a key figure in Germany’s literary heritage.

Life of a Good-for-Nothing (Hesperus Classics)

Von Eichendorff, Joseph

Written in diary form, The Diary of Adam and Eve is an ingenious, witty, and ultimately delightful retelling of the dawn of human creation with many a grain of truth for today's gender disputes. Master storyteller Mark Twain hilariously recreates the very first days, portraying Adam as something of a recluse, and a man who is ill prepared for the arrival of Eve, a talkative, emotional, and highly charged female. Yet in time, and after many moments of conflict, they begin to learn to live together and come to realize that men and women can, in fact, exist in harmony.

The Diary of Adam and Eve (Hesperus Classics)

TWAIN,MARK

United States

Life of Dante is a fascinating and hugely important literary work both in terms of the revelations it provides into the lives and thoughts of two great Italian men, and also as an early example of biography. Boccaccio was a fervent admirer of Dante, and as such, he embarked upon writing this short piece as a vindication of the merits of his illustrious fellow-citizen. Yet far from being simply an account of the misfortunes that befell the great Florentine exile, the resulting Life of Dante also gives precious insight into Boccaccio's own ideas on a wide variety of issues including poetry, literature, women, and society.

Life of Dante (Hesperus Classics)

Biographies & Memoirs

BOCCACCIO, GIOVANNI

Arts & Literature

Deeply shocking in its time, The Last Day of a Condemned Man is a profound and moving tale and a vital work of social commentary. A man vilified by society and condemned to death for his crime wakes every morning knowing that this day might be his last. With the hope for release his only comfort, he spends his hours recounting his life and the time before his imprisonment. But as the hours pass, he knows that he is powerless to change his fate. He must follow the path so many have trod before him—the path that leads to the guillotine.

The Last Day of a Condemned Man (Hesperus Classics)

HUGO,VICTOR

Published here for the first time with Conrad’s complete Congo Diary and Up–River Book, this is a centenary edition of the author’s masterpiece—a profound exploration of the human subconscious twinned with a terrifying portrayal of the dangers of imperialism. A work of immense significance, it has been hailed as the first novel of the 20th century. In this searing tale, Seaman Marlow recounts his journey to the dark heart of the Belgian Congo in search of the elusive Mr. Kurtz. Far from civilization as he knows it, he comes to reassess not only his own values, but also those of nature and society. For in this heart of darkness, it is the fearsome face of human savagery that becomes most visible.

HEART OF DARKNESS (Hesperus Classics)

Conrad/Joseph

Literary

Written only shortly before his death, Eureka is considered by many to be Poe’s masterpiece and the key to unlocking his entire writings. Its significance, in both literary and scientific worlds, cannot be underestimated. Turning his immense intellect and remarkable artistic flair to the most challenging concepts of all—that of the creation of the world, its continued existence, and its ultimate end—Poe has created a truly extraordinary work. In his strange blend of poetry and scientific treaty, fact and frenzied speculation, he displays amazing foresight, anticipating some of the key scientific discoveries of the 20th century.

Eureka (Hesperus Classics)

POE, EDGAR ALLAN

See the best price to sell, buy or rent books by the Hesperus Press publisher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Hesperus Press