1837–1901 (Victorian period)

Die große britsche Familiensaga von John GalsworthySoames Forsyte fehlt es an nichts. Der Spross einer reichen Londoner Anwaltsfamilie hat Geld, Macht, Ansehen in der feinen Gesellschaft. Und mit Irene eine schöne Frau, die er aber auch nur wie einen Besitz behandelt. Irene leidet unter der Gefühlskälte ihres Mannes. Als Soames den Architekten Philip Bossiney beauftragt, ein Haus für ihn zu bauen, lernt dieser auch Irene kennen und beide beginnen eine Affäre. Soames erfährt davon und greift er zu drastischen Mitteln, um seine Frau wieder unter Kontrolle zu bringen und den Rivalen auszuschalten.John Galsworthy (1867-1933) erfuhr schon zu Lebzeiten Ruhm und Anerkennung (u. a. durch die Verleihung des Literaturnobelpreises 1932). Er gehörte zu den Bestsellerautoren seiner Zeit. Allein im deutschen Sprachgebiet erreichten seine Romane Auflagen von Hunderttausenden. Der Londoner Anwaltssohn wuchs in gesicherten Verhältnissen auf. Nach einem Jura-Studium sammelte er erste Berufserfahrung als Barrister. 1891 begab er sich auf eine dreijährige Weltreise, während der er Joseph Conrad kennenlernte. In seinen Romanen und Dramen kritisiert er den Materialismus des Großbürgertums und des Adels – oft auf amüsante, lockere Art und Weise. Ein Jahr vor seinem Tod erhielt John Galsworthy für seine vornehme Schilderungskunst, die in "Die Forsyte Saga" ihren höchsten Ausdruck findet, den Literaturnobelpreis.

Der zweite Teil der großen britischen Familiensaga von John GalsworthyDas 19. Jahrhundert neigt sich dem Ende entgegen und Soames Forsyte ist reicher und mächtiger denn je. Nur die gescheiterte Ehe mit Irene nagt noch an ihm. Schließlich will er aber die Scheidung vorantreiben, um das Kapitel abzuschließen. Als er jedoch mitbekommt, dass sein Cousin Jolyon in der Zwischenzeit Irene Avancen macht, flammt Eifersucht in ihm auf. Es kommt erneut zu Streit und Drohungen. Kann der reiche Mann das Schicksal mit seinem Einfluss abwenden?John Galsworthy (1867-1933) erfuhr schon zu Lebzeiten Ruhm und Anerkennung (u. a. durch die Verleihung des Literaturnobelpreises 1932). Er gehörte zu den Bestsellerautoren seiner Zeit. Allein im deutschen Sprachgebiet erreichten seine Romane Auflagen von Hunderttausenden. Der Londoner Anwaltssohn wuchs in gesicherten Verhältnissen auf. Nach einem Jura-Studium sammelte er erste Berufserfahrung als Barrister. 1891 begab er sich auf eine dreijährige Weltreise, während der er Joseph Conrad kennenlernte. In seinen Romanen und Dramen kritisiert er den Materialismus des Großbürgertums und des Adels – oft auf amüsante, lockere Art und Weise. Ein Jahr vor seinem Tod erhielt John Galsworthy für seine vornehme Schilderungskunst, die in "Die Forsyte Saga" ihren höchsten Ausdruck findet, den Literaturnobelpreis.

Der dritte Teil und Abschluss der großen britischen Familiensaga von John GalsworthyFleur, die Tochter von Soames und seiner zweiten, im Kindbett verstorbenen Frau Anette, verliebt sich, und das ausgerechnet in Jon, den Sohn von Soames' Cousin und Rivalen Jolyon mit Irene, mit der dieser nun verheiratet ist. Die Kinder wissen nichts von der Vergangenheit ihrer Eltern. Als diese aber von die Liaison erfahren, verbieten sie beiden den Umgang miteinander. Noch komplizierter wird es, als Michael Mont, ein Mann von hohem Adel, auf der Bildfläche erscheint und beginnt Fleur zu umwerben. Dies würde einen Aufstieg der Forsytes aus dem Bürgertum hinauf in die wahre Aristokratie bedeuten. Soames wähnt sich nahe an einem großen Ziel.John Galsworthy (1867-1933) erfuhr schon zu Lebzeiten Ruhm und Anerkennung (u. a. durch die Verleihung des Literaturnobelpreises 1932). Er gehörte zu den Bestsellerautoren seiner Zeit. Allein im deutschen Sprachgebiet erreichten seine Romane Auflagen von Hunderttausenden. Der Londoner Anwaltssohn wuchs in gesicherten Verhältnissen auf. Nach einem Jura-Studium sammelte er erste Berufserfahrung als Barrister. 1891 begab er sich auf eine dreijährige Weltreise, während der er Joseph Conrad kennenlernte. In seinen Romanen und Dramen kritisiert er den Materialismus des Großbürgertums und des Adels – oft auf amüsante, lockere Art und Weise. Ein Jahr vor seinem Tod erhielt John Galsworthy für seine vornehme Schilderungskunst, die in "Die Forsyte Saga" ihren höchsten Ausdruck findet, den Literaturnobelpreis.

One night at Christmas, Ebenezer Scrooge, a mean and greedy man, gets a visit from the ghost of his dead business partner. The ghost warns him about the awful punishment that awaits if he continues to live his life selfishly. The next three nights, Scrooge is visited by three separate spirits who confront him with Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet to Come. Will the horrors and the joy Scrooge sees make him change his ways? Adapted for film and television more times than any other Charles Dickens story, A Christmas Carol (1843) is one of the most famous Christmas stories ever told. In the popular 2009 animated film, Jim Carrey voices the grouchy main character alongside Gary Oldman and Colin Firth. Warm, empathetic, and socially aware, this classic novella is bound to put any listener in the proper Christmas mood.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English author, social critic, and philanthropist. Much of his writing first appeared in small instalments in magazines and was widely popular. Among his most famous novels are Oliver Twist (1839), David Copperfield (1850), and Great Expectations (1861).

Told from the perspective of a horse, Black Beauty (1877) dives into the topic of animal rights like no other novel. Black Beauty is raised by a caring mother on an idyllic farm, not knowing that he will never be as free again. Tossed from owner to owner, he encounters mistreatment in many forms, but luckily, his journey is not without love either. Being herself an invalid, author Anna Sewell (1820-1878) seemed particularly aware of the importance of kindness toward all living creatures. She wrote Black Beauty – her only novel – in the final years of her life, and lived just long enough to see its positive reception. In the years after her death, Black Beauty would become the foundation for change in horse welfare in both England and the US.Anna Sewell (1820-1878) was the author of the classic novel, Black Beauty (1877), a heart-wrenching story told from the perspective of a horse. At the age of 14, Sewell fell and injured both ankles while walking home from school, an accident from which she never recovered.

"I think Silas Marner holds a higher place than any of the author's works," said Henry James of this classic George Eliot novel. When a little girl wanders into a random house one cold night, the lives of two different men are about to change dramatically. The house is owned by the town outsider, Silas Marner, and upon finding the girl’s mother dead in the snow, he decides to adopt her. Little does he know that the girl’s biological father is the rich Godfrey Cass, who now considers himself off the hook and free to marry the girl he loves. Published in 1862, Silas Marner is a simple and subtle story that explores the relationship between the individual and the community.George Eliot (1819-1880) is the pseudonym of the female writer Mary Ann Evans. She chose a male pen name in order to separate her fiction from her other writing and so it would be judged more objectively. Her novel Middlemarch (1871) is considered one the greatest in the English language.

Rose Campbell is having a hard time adjusting to her new life. Recently orphaned, she has been swept away from a strict girls‘ boarding school and placed in the care of her six aunts and seven rowdy male cousins. When her guardian, Uncle Alec, returns from abroad, things are about to change once more. To her aunts‘ alarm Alec has different ideas of what it means to raise a girl than most, but his unconventional approach might just be what gets Rose out of her shell. Just as author Louisa May Alcott‘s widely-read novel Little Women (1868), Eight Cousins (1875) is unusually forward-thinking and feminist for its time.Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888) was an American writer and feminist. She grew up poor, but among intellectualists, and started writing at an early age. Her most famous novel, Little Women (1868), was inspired by her upbringing.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (commonly shortened to Alice in Wonderland) is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells the story of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar and anthropomorphic creatures. The tale is filled with allusions to Dodgson's friends. The tale plays with logic in ways that have given the story lasting popularity with adults as well as children. It is considered to be one of the best examples of the 'literary nonsense' genre, and its narrative course and structure have been enormously influential, especially in the fantasy genre.

After traveling around the world for several years, Rose Campbell returns home to find her boy cousins all grown up. In this upbeat sequel to Eight Cousins, Rose has become an attractive heiress and is now drawing the attention of several male suiters. But like Pride & Prejudice and Anne of Green Gables, Rose in Bloom (1876) shows a woman ahead of her time with her own ideas about her future. Besides, who would love Rose for her and not her money? The answer might surprise her. Heart-warming and swoony, Rose in Bloom is the story of a little girl who has grown into a young woman with her own great love story.Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888) was an American writer and feminist. She grew up poor, but among intellectualists, and started writing at an early age. Her most famous novel, Little Women (1868), was inspired by her upbringing.

Who could have known that when Rudyard Kipling wrote these Jungle Book stories in 1893-94, they would eventually inspire the Oscar nominated song "The Bare Necessities" – one of the most recognizable tunes of all time? The adventures of the young boy, Mowgli, raised by wolves in an Indian jungle, have been praised since their publication and adapted numerous times. Most people know the 1967 animated movie with Phil Harris as the charismatic bear Baloo. 2016 saw Scarlett Johansson, Bill Murray, and Lupita Nyong‘o in a live-action Disney movie. And even Marvel Comics has had their hands on this classic coming-of-age tale of the importance of family and belonging.Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) was a British journalist and author, most famous for his collection of stories, The Jungle Book (1894). He spent a good part of his childhood and youth in India where the stories are set. In 1907, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature as the youngest recipient ever.

Gabriel Utterson firsts hears about Mr. Hyde while on an evening walk with a friend. A sinister-looking man, Mr. Hyde is said to have violently trampled a young girl on the street for no reason. Not prone to gossip, Utterson leaves the matter be. But when he discovers that his good friend and client, Dr. Jekyll, paid off the girl‘s parents on Mr. Hyde‘s behalf, his inner alarm bells go off. What, exactly, is the connection between two such opposite people? Initially sold as a cheap and superficial read, Robert Louis Stevenson‘s novella, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde (1886), didn‘t receive its rightful praise until a review is The Times made the sales skyrocket. Soon, a popular stage production in London was forced to shut down because the audience found the play so believable, they suspected the actors and creator of being linked to the murders by the notorious, unidentified serial killer, Jack the Ripper.Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) was a Scottish writer of novels, poems, essays, and travel books. Due to poor health, he spent much of his time abroad, where he became part of important literary circles. Though his writing has often been considered entertainment, author Henry James aligned Stevenson‘s works to his own. His most famous novels are Treasure Island (1883) and the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886).

Recently orphaned 17-year-old David leaves his home on the Scottish countryside to seek out a rich uncle he has never met. The uncle, as it turns out, is paranoid and unpleasant, and before David can claim his inheritance he is knocked out and taken to sea to be sold as a slave in America. So begins Robert Louis Stevenson‘s adventure novel, Kidnapped (1886), a breathlessly exciting story for fans of action and suspense, and a story about two very different types of Scotsmen.Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) was a Scottish writer of novels, poems, essays, and travel books. Due to poor health, he spent much of his time abroad, where he became part of important literary circles. Though his writing has often been considered entertainment, author Henry James aligned Stevenson‘s works to his own. His most famous novels are Treasure Island (1883) and the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886).

"Please, sir, I want some more," Oliver says, holding out his bowl for more gruel, a Dickens scene recognisable to most. A young orphan, Oliver Twist has only ever seen the tough side of life and having to suddenly live on the streets does not make surviving any easier. But being the sweet and innocent boy he is, Oliver eventually manages to attract the compassion of others, and time will reveal secrets about his past that could radically change his bleak future. Originally published in instalments, Oliver Twist (1839) is Charles Dickens‘ second – and hugely successful – novel. It introduced the concept of the child protagonist in the Victorian novel, and while doing so, plainly criticised the social injustices in England.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English author, social critic, and philanthropist. Much of his writing first appeared in small instalments in magazines and was widely popular. Among his most famous novels are Oliver Twist (1839), David Copperfield (1850), and Great Expectations (1861).

Lenore vokser op i familien Sallongers silkehus; et imperium der bygger på silke og silkefabrikation i Viktoriatidens England. Hendes bedstemor er højt værdsat som en fremragende kjoledesigner, og hun og Lenora bliver accepteret næsten som medlemmer af familien. Lenores liv centrerer omkring huset jævnaldrene unge: Arrogante og flirtende Charles, alvorlige, men venlige Philip, selvviske Julia, og den blide, handicappede Cassie. Men da den tiltrækkende Drake Aldringham besøger huset, afslører Charles sin ondskabsfuldhed ved en begivenhed som får smertefulde og langvarige konsekvenser for Lenora. Hendes liv ændres drastisk efter hendes syttenårs fødselsdag, da Philip frier til hende. For en tid er hun meget lykkelig, men det hele bliver ødelagt af nogle mystiske hændelser. På Philip og Lenores bryllupsrejse, sker der et mord på en gade i Firenze; et mord som Lenore ikke kan finde en forklaring på, men som hun ved, har forbindelse til hende. Efter Philip dør ved en rideulykke, bliver livet i huset utåleligt. Sammen med bedstemoderen og hendes nyfødte datter Katie, forlader hun Sallongers silkehus for at etablere sin egen modesalon. Fiasko bliver afløst af succes, og da Drake Aldringham igen dukker op i hendes liv, tør Lenora igen tro på kærligheden. Men skyggerne fra fortiden truer igen med at tage Lenores lykke fra hende …Victoria Holt (1906-1993), pseudonym for Eleanor Alice Burford Hibbert, var en af verdens mest elskede og mest produktive forfattere i sin levetid. Hun begyndte allerede at skrive som 17-årig, og en række af hendes tidlige noveller blev trykt i London-aviserne. Det var dog romaner i den historiske genre, der gav det internationale gennembrud, og i dag er hendes romaner solgt i over 50 millioner eksemplarer verden over."En af de ypperste forfattere af gotiske kærlighedsromaner og en stærk historiefortæller, hvis gribende romaner har begejstret millioner af læsere." – RT Book Reviews

Midt i en skov i det Cornwallske landskab står seks stenstøtter. Ifølge legenden brød seks jomfruer på et kloster i Cornwall deres løfter, og som straf blev de forstenet. Men den syvende jomfru fik en anden skæbne. Mange år senere, da klostret er blevet lavet om til St. Larnston-familiens palæ, vinker skæbnen ad en anden ung kvinde.Kerensa Carlee vokser op i fattigdom tæt ved St. Larnston-palæet. Uden andre fordele end sine store ambitioner og endnu større skønhed, lykkes det hende som ganske ung at få arbejde som kammerpige i det hjemsøgte hus. For Kerensa har forelsket sig i det gamle hus, og hun er fast besluttet på at blive frue der. Men skæbnen vil det anderledes. På trods af sine ambitioner bliver Kerensa viklet ind i minder og mysterier, og hendes tilstedeværelse i det victorianske Cornwall vækker både galskab og en gammel hævnlyst til live igen …Victoria Holt (1906-1993), pseudonym for Eleanor Alice Burford Hibbert, var en af verdens mest elskede og mest produktive forfattere i sin levetid. Hun begyndte allerede at skrive som 17-årig, og en række af hendes tidlige noveller blev trykt i London-aviserne. Det var dog romaner i den historiske genre, der gav det internationale gennembrud, og i dag er hendes romaner solgt i over 50 millioner eksemplarer verden over."En af de ypperste forfattere af gotiske kærlighedsromaner og en stærk historiefortæller, hvis gribende romaner har begejstret millioner af læsere."– RT Book Reviews

Bearbejdet udgave af Charles Dickens’ berømte fortælling fra 1839 om en forældreløs dreng, som får en grufuld opvækst i begyndelsen af det 19. århundrede.Den forældreløse Oliver Twist stikker af fra børnehjemmet, hvor han og de andre børn lever under en umenneskelig, hårdhændet disciplin, og han kommer til at leve og skabe sig en tilværelse blandt tyve og prostituerede i de fattigste dele af London. Oliver finder sammen med en bande, som bliver ledet af skurken Fagin. Fagin tager sig godt af Oliver Twist, så længe Oliver er trofast og bringer stjålne varer med hjem til kollektivet.Charles Dickens (1812-70) var en engelsk forfatter født i Landport ved Portsmouth. Han anses i dag for en af de største engelske forfattere, og med et menneskesyn præget af troen på det gode i mennesket skildrer han på en medmenneskelig måde de fattige og oversetes vilkår.