Secondhand Classics Bargain Book Box SP2272

Secondhand Classics Bargain Book Box 

This stunning collection of twenty books brings together some of the most beloved stories in the English language, alongside essential European dramas and biographies. From the whimsical wisdom of The Little Prince and the surreal adventures of Alice in Wonderland to the tragic depths of Tess of the D'Urbervilles and the gothic grandeur of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, this box offers a perfect mix of heartwarming tales and heavyweight literature. It also features a significant selection of Jane Austen, including her novels, her unfinished works, and a rare memoir written by her nephew.

1. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry A philosophical classic disguised as a children's book. After crashing in the Sahara Desert, a pilot meets a young prince who has fallen from an asteroid. Through their conversations, the prince reveals profound truths about love, loss, and human nature: "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly."

2. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain The great American novel of the Mississippi River. Huck Finn fakes his own death to escape his abusive father and floats down the river on a raft with Jim, a runaway slave. It is a biting satire on racism and a moving story of friendship against the odds.

3. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald The defining novel of the Jazz Age. In the heat of a Long Island summer, the mysterious Jay Gatsby throws lavish parties to win back his lost love, Daisy Buchanan. It is a glittering, tragic portrait of the American Dream and the hollowness of wealth.

4. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen Austen’s most mature and complex work. Fanny Price is the poor relation raised in a wealthy household, constantly overlooked and undervalued. Yet, as her dazzling cousins stumble into moral chaos, it is Fanny’s quiet strength that remains standing.

5. Moby Dick by Herman Melville The ultimate obsession. Captain Ahab drives his crew to madness in his hunt for the White Whale. It is a staggering epic of the sea, philosophy, and the terrifying depths of human vengeance.

6. The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling The original stories of Mowgli, the man-cub raised by wolves. Far darker and more complex than the Disney movies, these tales of Shere Khan, Baloo, and Bagheera explore the laws of the jungle and the precarious place of man in nature.

7. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton A winter's tale as cold and sharp as a shard of ice. In a bleak New England village, a taciturn farmer falls for his sickly wife’s radiant cousin, leading to a climax of shattering tragedy.

8. Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell Gaskell’s final, unfinished masterpiece. It follows Molly Gibson, the doctor’s daughter, whose life is turned upside down when her father remarries. It is a brilliant, witty observation of provincial society, step-families, and the secrets that ripple through a small town.

9. Five Plays by Anton Chekhov A collection of the Russian master's greatest dramas, including The Cherry Orchard, Uncle Vanya, and The Seagull. Chekhov captures the tragedy and comedy of everyday life, full of characters who talk endlessly while their worlds quietly crumble around them.

10. Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy A heartbreaking saga of a "pure woman" destroyed by Victorian hypocrisy. Tess Durbeyfield is driven by poverty to claim kinship with a wealthy family, setting in motion a chain of events—involving seduction, betrayal, and murder—that she cannot escape.

11. The Professor by Charlotte Brontë The "lost" Brontë novel. Written before Jane Eyre, this realistic romance draws on Charlotte’s own time in Brussels, following a young Englishman navigating the politics and passions of a Belgian boarding school.

12. Lady Susan, Sanditon & The Watsons by Jane Austen A fascinating glimpse into Austen’s range. Lady Susan is a wicked, epistolary novel about a manipulative flirt, while Sanditon and The Watsons are unfinished works that show Austen experimenting with new themes and sharper social critique.

13. Scenes of Clerical Life by George Eliot George Eliot’s first published work of fiction. These three stories explore the private lives, loves, and scandals of clergymen in the English midlands, showcasing the deep empathy and realism that would define her later masterpieces.

14. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll Follow the White Rabbit into a world where logic is turned upside down. This surreal and nonsensical adventure features the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, and the Queen of Hearts, remaining one of the most imaginative stories ever told.

15. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo A sweeping Gothic epic set in medieval Paris. The deformed bell-ringer Quasimodo falls in love with the beautiful gypsy Esmeralda, trying to protect her from the corruption of the church and the cruelty of the mob within the shadows of the great cathedral.

16. Persuasion by Jane Austen A novel of second chances. Seven years ago, Anne Elliot was persuaded to break off her engagement to Captain Wentworth. Now he has returned, rich and successful, and Anne must watch him court others while wondering if love can ever really be rekindled.

17. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë A tempest of passion and revenge on the Yorkshire moors. This isn't just a love story; it’s a dark, haunting obsession between the brooding Heathcliff and the wild Catherine Earnshaw that transcends life, death, and reason.

18. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott The heartwarming and heartbreaking story of the March sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy—growing up during the American Civil War. It’s a timeless tale of sisterhood, ambition, and finding your own path.

19. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame Far more than a children’s book, this is a cozy, pastoral masterpiece. Join the mild-mannered Mole, the resourceful Ratty, the gruff Badger, and the chaotic, motor-car-obsessed Toad for adventures along the riverbank.

20. A Memoir of Jane Austen by James Edward Austen-Leigh A unique biography written by Jane Austen’s own nephew. Published decades after her death, it offers a rare, intimate look at the elusive author’s life, family, and character from someone who actually knew her.