Prospero’s Isle

The complete (319) stories of Anton Chekhov: synopses, comments and ratings
Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) was probably the most prolific writer of short stories of all time, with 319 published stories to his credit before his (...)
Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) was probably the most prolific writer of short stories of all time, with 319 published stories to his credit before his death from tuberculosis at the age of 44, as well as 2 novels [1], 16 plays [2] and a (...)
Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) was probably the most prolific writer of short stories of all time, with 319 published stories to his credit before his death from tuberculosis at the age of 44, as well as 2 novels [1], 16 plays [2] and a number of newspaper articles and essays. Here you will find a (...)

The complete (300) stories of Guy de Maupassant: synopses, comments and ratings
Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) was one of the most prolific writers of short stories in the history of world literature, with 300 stories, (...)
Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) was one of the most prolific writers of short stories in the history of world literature, with 300 stories, novelettes and novellas to his credit [1], almost all of them written between 1881-1889, shortly (...)
Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) was one of the most prolific writers of short stories in the history of world literature, with 300 stories, novelettes and novellas to his credit [1], almost all of them written between 1881-1889, shortly before his final illness and premature death at the age of (...)

"Letter From an Unknown Woman" (1922) by Stefan Zweig
The great Viennese-Austrian author Stefan Zweig (1881-1942) was a prolific writer of short stories, novelettes, novellas, historical studies, (...)
The great Viennese-Austrian author Stefan Zweig (1881-1942) was a prolific writer of short stories, novelettes, novellas, historical studies, essays, memoirs, and letters – as well as several plays, two books of poetry, an opera (...)
The great Viennese-Austrian author Stefan Zweig (1881-1942) was a prolific writer of short stories, novelettes, novellas, historical studies, essays, memoirs, and letters – as well as several plays, two books of poetry, an opera libretto and one novel . In this 14,000-word novelette, a (...)

"Liberation of Earth" (1953) by William Tenn
First published in the May 1953 issue of Future Science Fiction, this amusing, insightful and thought-provoking satire of human pretentiousness (...)
First published in the May 1953 issue of Future Science Fiction, this amusing, insightful and thought-provoking satire of human pretentiousness in a galactic environment – the Earth is invaded by warring very-superior, very-different (...)
First published in the May 1953 issue of Future Science Fiction, this amusing, insightful and thought-provoking satire of human pretentiousness in a galactic environment – the Earth is invaded by warring very-superior, very-different and very-uncaring aliens, with very terrifying results – was (...)

"Shock-Headed Peter (Der Struwwelpeter)" (1845) by Heinrich Hoffmann, an extraordinary set of illustrated lessons showing children how to behave – or else!
Dr. Heinrich Hoffman (1809-1894) drew this sketchbook with verse lessons for his three-year-old son as a Christmas present for him in 1844, after (...)
Dr. Heinrich Hoffman (1809-1894) drew this sketchbook with verse lessons for his three-year-old son as a Christmas present for him in 1844, after having been unable to find any books able to really interest someone of that age in the (...)
Dr. Heinrich Hoffman (1809-1894) drew this sketchbook with verse lessons for his three-year-old son as a Christmas present for him in 1844, after having been unable to find any books able to really interest someone of that age in the bookstores in his town of Frankfurt – they were all either too (...)

"Clothes Make People (Kleider machen Leute)" by Gottfried Keller (1874) - one of the most famous German-language stories now available in English
This famous story by the Swiss writer Gottfried Keller (1819-1890) was first published in 1874 in the second volume of his collection of stories (...)
This famous story by the Swiss writer Gottfried Keller (1819-1890) was first published in 1874 in the second volume of his collection of stories The People of Seldwyla about the mores and adventures of the people of the mythical but (...)
This famous story by the Swiss writer Gottfried Keller (1819-1890) was first published in 1874 in the second volume of his collection of stories The People of Seldwyla about the mores and adventures of the people of the mythical but somehow very typical Swiss town of that name. It recounts – (...)

"The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam" (1859), translated by Edward Fitzgerald
In early 1859 the English erudite Edward Fitzgerald (1809-1883), a retired Cambridge graduate with independent means, published anonymously his (...)
In early 1859 the English erudite Edward Fitzgerald (1809-1883), a retired Cambridge graduate with independent means, published anonymously his translation of selected stanzas of the 12-Century Persian poem “The Rubaiyat” by Omar (...)
In early 1859 the English erudite Edward Fitzgerald (1809-1883), a retired Cambridge graduate with independent means, published anonymously his translation of selected stanzas of the 12-Century Persian poem “The Rubaiyat” by Omar Khayyam, who ”was born at Naishapur in Khorassan in the latter half (...)

"Farewell to the Master (The Day the Earth Stood Still)" (1940) by Harry Bates
First published in the splendid October 1940 issue of Astounding Science Fiction, this extremely ambitious 50-page novella became the basis of (...)
First published in the splendid October 1940 issue of Astounding Science Fiction, this extremely ambitious 50-page novella became the basis of one of the most highly-regarded science-fiction films of its time and even all time, the (...)
First published in the splendid October 1940 issue of Astounding Science Fiction, this extremely ambitious 50-page novella became the basis of one of the most highly-regarded science-fiction films of its time and even all time, the quite wonderful "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951), remade (...)

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