Secondhand Literary Classics Bargain Book Box DSH1048

Secondhand Literary Classics & Fiction Bargain Book Box

This distinguished collection of twenty-one paperback novels brings together some of the most influential voices of the 20th century. The box features a strong selection of Gore Vidal’s political and historical fiction alongside French literary giants like Colette, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Emile Zola. Readers will find celebrated Australian classics by George Johnston and Miles Franklin, as well as the philosophical weight of Ayn Rand and the existential musings of Henry Miller. From the glitter of Truman Capote’s New York to the moral complexities of Steinbeck’s America, this set offers a sophisticated library for the serious reader. Each book is secondhand and may show signs of wear.

1. Julian by Gore Vidal This historical novel reimagines the life of the Roman Emperor Julian, who attempted to stop the rise of Christianity and restore the worship of the old gods. Told through a series of letters and journals, it offers a witty and cynical look at religion, philosophy, and power. Vidal brings the ancient world to life with remarkable detail, presenting a complex portrait of a philosopher-king doomed by history.

2. My Brother Jack by George Johnston A defining work of Australian literature, this novel charts the lives of two brothers growing up in Melbourne between the wars. It contrasts the narrator, David Meredith, a sensitive and ambitious writer, with his brother Jack, the embodiment of the rugged, honest Aussie digger. The story explores themes of national identity, suburban stifling, and the changing social landscape of the country.

3. The Age of Reason by Jean-Paul Sartre Set in Paris in 1938, this novel follows Mathieu Delarue, a philosophy professor obsessed with the concept of personal freedom. When his mistress becomes pregnant, he scrambles to find the money for an abortion, a quest that forces him to confront the emptiness of his existence. It is the first volume of Sartre’s Roads to Freedom trilogy, illustrating his existentialist philosophy in narrative form.

4. The Vagabond by Colette Renée Néré, a divorced woman in early 20th-century Paris, finds independence and artistic fulfillment working as a music hall dancer. She is courted by a wealthy admirer, forcing her to choose between the comfort of a new marriage and the hard-won freedom of her solitary life. Colette draws on her own experiences to paint a vivid picture of the theatrical world and female autonomy.

5. Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote This novella introduces the iconic Holly Golightly, a young socialite in wartime New York who survives on charm and the generosity of wealthy men. Through the eyes of her neighbor, the story reveals the fragility and fear hiding behind her dark sunglasses and carefree facade. It is a sharper, darker tale than the famous film adaptation, exploring themes of reinvention and loneliness.

6. The L-Shaped Room by Lynne Reid Banks Jane Graham, a young, unmarried woman pregnant by chance, is rejected by her father and moves into a squalid boarding house in London. There, she befriends a diverse group of outcasts who help her find the strength to face her future and impending motherhood. The novel is a landmark of 1960s realism, tackling social taboos with compassion and honesty.

7. Ripening Seed by Colette Phil and Vinca are childhood friends vacationing on the coast of Brittany, hovering on the precipice between adolescence and adulthood. Their innocent relationship is disrupted by the intrusion of an older woman who seduces the teenage boy, shattering their idyll. Colette masterfully captures the sensory details of summer and the painful, confusing transition into sexual maturity.

8. Savage Paris by Emile Zola Florent, an escaped political prisoner, returns to Paris and finds work in the bustling central market of Les Halles, the "belly of Paris." The novel contrasts the abundant food and greed of the bourgeoisie with the starvation and revolutionary fervor of the poor. Zola uses the market as a powerful metaphor for a society consuming itself, filled with rich, visceral descriptions.

9. Childhood at Brindabella by Miles Franklin In this autobiographical work, the author of My Brilliant Career reflects on her first ten years growing up in the Australian high country. She evokes the sights, sounds, and freedom of the bush, portraying a childhood shaped by a majestic and sometimes harsh landscape. It is a lyrical memoir that celebrates the pioneering spirit and the natural beauty of Australia.

10. The Ebony Tower by John Fowles This collection features the titular novella about a young art critic who visits a reclusive, elderly painter in his forest retreat in Brittany. He finds himself entangled in the artist's unconventional household, forcing him to question his own safe, modern existence and artistic values. Fowles explores the tension between abstract modernism and the primal power of traditional art.

11. Pale Horse, Pale Rider by Katherine Anne Porter This volume contains three short novels, including the title story which is set during the devastation of the 1918 influenza epidemic. Miranda, a young journalist, falls in love with a soldier just as the plague descends, blending the fever of illness with the trauma of World War I. Porter’s prose is lucid and haunting, capturing the fragility of life in the face of global catastrophe.

12. The Killing Fields by Christopher Hudson Based on the screenplay, this novel tells the harrowing true story of journalist Sydney Schanberg and his Cambodian interpreter Dith Pran. As the Khmer Rouge seizes control of Cambodia, Pran saves the western journalists but is left behind to face the brutal regime alone. It is a devastating account of war, friendship, and the resilience required to survive a genocide.

13. Myra Breckinridge by Gore Vidal Myra, a film buff with a militant agenda to destroy traditional masculinity, arrives in Hollywood to claim her inheritance and revolutionize the world. The novel is a camp, satirical explosion that challenges gender norms and celebrates the Golden Age of cinema. Vidal’s cult classic is a provocative and hilarious critique of American culture and sexual identity.

14. The Ambassador by Morris West An American ambassador arrives in Saigon during the chaotic days leading up to the military coup against President Diem. He is torn between his diplomatic orders, his Catholic faith, and the moral ambiguity of the political situation. West delivers a prophetic and tense political thriller that examines the ethics of intervention and the personal cost of power.

15. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand In a dystopian United States where the economy is collapsing under government regulation, the productive "men of the mind" begin to disappear. Dagny Taggart, a railroad executive, fights to keep her business alive while uncovering the mystery behind the strike and the man named John Galt. It is Rand’s magnum opus, dramatizing her philosophy of Objectivism and the sanctity of individual achievement.

16. Masterclass by Morris West A sprawling thriller set in the rarefied world of the international art market, involving a priceless collection hidden away in Italy. When a young scholar discovers the archives of a murdered artist, she becomes the target of powerful figures desperate to keep the past buried. West weaves a tale of greed, authenticity, and the dark secrets that often accompany great beauty.

17. Nexus by Henry Miller The final volume of The Rosy Crucifixion trilogy chronicles Miller’s struggles to become a writer and his tumultuous marriage to Mona in New York. It depicts his desperate attempts to free himself from the constraints of conventional life and find his own voice. The narrative is a raw, stream-of-consciousness exploration of art, sex, and the pursuit of spiritual liberation.

18. Tough Guys Don't Dance by Norman Mailer Tim Madden, a failed writer living in Provincetown, wakes up with a hangover, a new tattoo, and a memory of decapitating a woman. As he tries to piece together the events of the previous night, he delves into a noir nightmare involving drug deals and buried secrets. Mailer combines hardboiled crime tropes with existential dread in this gritty, atmospheric mystery.

19. The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck Ethan Hawley, a descendent of a once-proud New England family, works as a clerk in a grocery store he should have owned. Pressured by his family to succeed, he abandons his moral principles to regain wealth and status, with tragic consequences. Steinbeck’s final novel is a searing critique of the decline of American ethics and the corrupting nature of greed.

20. Washington, D.C. by Gore Vidal Spanning from the New Deal to the McCarthy era, this novel follows the intertwined lives of a political family and their ambitious hangers-on. It explores the seduction of power and the shifting landscape of the American capital as the country rises to global dominance. Vidal writes with an insider’s knowledge, exposing the cynicism and maneuvering behind the marble facades.

21. Of Human Bondage by Somerset Maugham Philip Carey, an orphan born with a clubfoot, struggles to find his place in the world and his vocation, eventually studying art and then medicine. His life is derailed by a destructive and obsessive passion for a cruel waitress named Mildred Rogers. This semi-autobiographical masterpiece is a profound study of emotional bondage and the search for meaning in a chaotic life.