Contested Classics | Main Natrona County Library

Author

Earliest Publication Date

1994

Summary

Immerse yourself in the haunting world of Frankenstein, Mary Shelley's legendary gothic horror novel. First published in 1818, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's classic tale of science gone wrong that has electrified readers for over 200 years. This deluxe Frankenstein special edition brings the dark drama and imagination of this seminal work of classic science fiction and horror to vivid life. It follows the story of gifted scientist Victor Frankenstein...

2) Mrs. Dalloway

Author

Woolf, Virginia, 1882-1941

Earliest Publication Date

1925

Summary

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"Mrs. Dalloway is a novel by Virginia Woolf published on 14 May 1925. It details a day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway, a fictional upper-class woman in post-First World War England. It is one of Woolf's best-known novels. The working title of Mrs. Dalloway was The Hours. The novel began with two short stories, "Mrs. Dalloway in Bond Street" and the unfinished "The Prime Minister". The book describes Clarissa's preparations for a party she will host...

3) The adventures of Tom Sawyer

Author

Twain, Mark, 1835-1910

Earliest Publication Date

1920

Summary

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"Mark Twain created the memorable characters Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn drawing from the experiences of boys he grew up with in Missouri. Set by the Mississippi River in the 1840's, it follows these boys as they get into predicament after predicament. Tom's classic whitewashing of the fence has become part of American culture, and the book paints a nostalgic picture of life in the middle of the nineteenth century. Tom runs away from home to an...

4) The heart of darkness

Author

Conrad, Joseph, 1857-1924

Earliest Publication Date

1899

Summary

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The Nellie, a cruising yawl, swung to her anchor without a flutter of the sails, and was at rest. The flood had made, the wind was nearly calm, and being bound down the river, the only thing for it was to come to and wait for the turn of the tide. The sea-reach of the Thames stretched before us like the beginning of an interminable waterway. In the offing the sea and the sky were welded together without a joint, and in the luminous space the tanned...

5) The picture of Dorian Gray

Author

Wilde, Oscar, 1854-1900

Earliest Publication Date

1890

Summary

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Dorian Gray is arrogant. He is pompous, selfish, devastatingly narcissistic, and for much of his life he has never had to think twice about the ramifications of his actions.When the arrival of artist Basil Hallard forces Gray to confront his deepest insecurities, Dorian's most vulnerable self is imminently revealed. After having traded his righteousness for riches, Dorian Gray becomes faced with many regrettable truths he must learn to tackle head...