Samuel Butler Knihy

Román klasické anglické literatury, jehož autorem je Samuel Butler mladší, satiricky zobrazuje anglickou maloburžoasii v druhé polovině 19. století. Hrdinou románu je nepraktický snílek Arnošt Pontifex,syn anglikánského duchovního. Pokrytectví jeho rodičů i sourozenců mu od dětství způsobuje trýzeň, před níž uniká teprve v dospělém věku, kdy se sám stává duchovním. Je však obětí důvěry, s níž přilne nejprve k mladému kaplanovi, pokryteckému podvodníkovi, a poté k děvčeti, z něhož se vyklube ženština úplně zkažená londýnským prostředím. Teprve nenadálé dědictví ho vysvobodí z osidel demoralisované společnosti a činí jej nezávislým mužem, který odloučen od rodiny samotářsky tráví život, oddán hudbě a filosofování...

Homérova Ílias je najstarším zachovaným literárnym dielom v Európe, epickým opisom časti bojov vo vojne pri Tróji. Homéros čerpal námet z čias, keď Gréci víťazstvom ukončili desaťročnú vojnu s Trójanmi, pravdepodobne koncom 13. alebo začiatkom 12. storočia pred Kr. Dej sa sústreďuje na desiaty rok bojov pred Trójou. Konflikt medzi Grékmi a Trójanmi vyvrcholil únosom spartskej kráľovnej Heleny trójskym princom Paridom. Vojvodca Agamemnón zjednotil armádu z mykénskeho Grécka, aby potrestal Trójanov a zničil ich hradisko, no Trójania sa dlhodobo bránili. Príbeh sa začína konfliktom medzi Agamemnonom a najodvážnejším gréckym bojovníkom Achilleom, ktorého Agamemnón poníži pred celým vojskom. Po urážke sa Achilles rozhodne neparticipovať v bojoch. Agamemnónovo víťazstvo sa zdá byť na dosah, avšak bohovia majú iné plány a zasiahnu do vojny nečakaným spôsobom. Kniha obsahuje úvodnú štúdiu Miloslava Okála, ktorá sa zameriava na literárnu stránku eposu, a prvú časť štúdie Ivana Janeka, ktorá skúma historický rámec mykénskej epochy a približuje jednotlivé časti eposu.

The book explores the concept of unconscious memory, a topic that has held significance throughout human history. Alpha Editions has republished this classical work in a modern format, ensuring its preservation for future generations. The text has been reformatted and retyped for clarity, providing a readable experience without relying on scanned copies of the original work.

Erewhon, set in a thinly disguised New Zealand, ended with the escape of its protagonist from the native Erewhonians by balloon. In the sequel, narrated by his son John. Higgs returns to Erewhon and meets his former lover Yram, who is now the mother of his son George. He discovers that he is now worshipped as "the Sunchild." He finds himself in danger from the villainous Professors Hanky and Panky, who are determined to protect Sunchildism from him. With George's help Higgs escapes from their clutches and returns to England.

Erewhon (an anagram for "nowhere") is a faraway land where sickness is a punishable crime, criminals receive compassionate medical treatment, and machines are banned (for fear they'll evolve and become the masters of man). Butler's entertaining and thought-provoking Utopian novel takes aim at such hallowed institutions as family, church, and mechanical progress; its remarkable prescience in anticipating future sociological trends adds a special relevance for today's readers.

The Way of All Flesh traces four generations of the Pontifex family. The story is narrated by Overton, godfather to the central character Ernest. Beginning in the late eighteenth century, story traces Ernest's emergence from previous generations of the Pontifex family. John Pontifex was a carpenter; his son George rises in the world to become a publisher; George's son Theobald, pressed by his father to become a minister, is manipulated into marrying Christina, the daughter of a clergyman; the main character Ernest Pontifex is the eldest son of Theobald and Christina. Ernest has an antagonistic relationship with his hypocritical and domineering parents. His aunt Alethea is aware of this relationship, but dies before she can fulfill her aim of counteracting the parents' malign influence on the boy. However, shortly before her death she secretly passes a small fortune into Overton's keeping, with the agreement that once Ernest is twenty-eight, he can receive it.

Focusing on the origins of the Odyssey, this work explores the identity of its author and the historical context of its creation. It delves into the relationship between the Odyssey and the Iliad, examining how the latter influenced the former. This detailed study provides insights into the literary techniques and cultural significance of these epic poems, offering a comprehensive look at their enduring legacy. The book is a faithful reproduction of the original 1897 edition, preserving its scholarly value.