Fern Siegel Knihy

A new edition of one of the most read English novels, which continues to enchant readers worldwide more than two centuries after its creation. "Pride and Prejudice," first published in 1813, transports us to the picturesque English countryside at the end of the 18th century, where the story of the Bennet family unfolds. Mrs. Bennet tirelessly seeks ideal suitors for her five daughters. The tale begins when the wealthy Mr. Bingley moves into the neighborhood, accompanied by his enigmatic friend, the reserved and unsympathetic Mr. Darcy. A peculiar relationship develops between him and the clever, free-spirited Elizabeth, the Bennet family's second daughter, which must overcome numerous misunderstandings, prejudices, and societal barriers before evolving into genuine understanding and love. "Pride and Prejudice" is not merely a love story but also a timeless exploration of human relationships. The author skillfully depicts the tension between reason and emotion, as well as the clash between individual freedom and social conventions, with intelligent humor, subtle wit, and unmatched irony.

Spellbound before his own portrait, Dorian Gray utters a fateful wish. In exchange for eternal youth he gives his soul, to be corrupted by the malign influence of his mentor, the aesthete and hedonist Lord Henry Wotton. The novel was met with moral outrage by contemporary critics who, dazzled perhaps by Wilde's brilliant style, may have confused the author with his creation, Lord Henry, to whom even Dorian protests, 'You cut life to pieces with your epigrams.'. Encouraged by Lord Henry to substitute pleasure for goodness and art for reality, Dorian tries to watch impassively as he brings misery and death to those who love him. But the picture is watching him, and, made hideous by the marks of sin, it confronts Dorian with the reflection of his fall from grace, the silent bearer of what is in effect a devastating moral judgement.