Living in a Victorian countryside town overshadowed by an imposing stone barrier, Tristran is compelled to retrieve a fallen star for the woman he loves and crosses to the wondrous other side of the barrier, where he encounters dangerous rivals for the star

Tristan has lost his heart to the cool, distant Victoria, and in order to win her hand, he vows to retrieve a star they saw falling from the sky. To do this, he must go over an ancient wall, and is propelled into a world that is dangerous and strange beyond imagining. From the author of NEVERWHERE and GOOD OMENS.

This book was originally published prior to 1923, and represents a reproduction of an important historical work, maintaining the same format as the original work. While some publishers have opted to apply OCR (optical character recognition) technology to the process, we believe this leads to sub-optimal results (frequent typographical errors, strange characters and confusing formatting) and does not adequately preserve the historical character of the original artifact. We believe this work is culturally important in its original archival form. While we strive to adequately clean and digitally enhance the original work, there are occasionally instances where imperfections such as blurred or missing pages, poor pictures or errant marks may have been introduced due to either the quality of the original work or the scanning process itself. Despite these occasional imperfections, we have brought it back into print as part of our ongoing global book preservation commitment, providing customers with access to the best possible historical reprints. We appreciate your understanding of these occasional imperfections, and sincerely hope you enjoy seeing the book in a format as close as possible to that intended by the original publisher.

Is it an autobiography? Well, no. Does it convey elements of Joyce's own life? Well, yes...and while it is fiction, we are with H.G. Wells who said "By far the most living and convincing picture that exists of an Irish Catholic upbringing." Not only is this book and epic of its time, it rang up the curtain on a new literary era, bountifully appreciated by Herbert Gorman. He wrote, "So profound and beautiful and convincing a book is part of the lasting literature of our age...in it is the promise of that new literature, new both in form and content, that will be the classics of tomorrow." Interesting aside: When Joyce was married in 1904, he and his wife went to Trieste, where he taught languages for...Berlitz, who else!

Like many of Dickens's novels, 'Nicholas Nickleby' is characterised by his criticism of cruelty and social injustice, but above all it is one of the greatest comic masterpieces of 19th-century literature.

David Copperfield is the story by Charles Dickens of a young man's adventures on his journey from an unhappy and impoverished childhood to the discovery of his vocation as a successful novelist. Among the gloriously vivid cast of characters he encounters are his tyrannical stepfather, Mr Murdstone; his brilliant, but ultimately unworthy school-friend James Steerforth; his formidable aunt, Betsey Trotwood; the eternally humble, yet treacherous Uriah Heep; frivolous, enchanting Dora Spenlow; and the magnificently impecunious Wilkins Micawber, one of literature's great comic creations. In David Copperfield - the novel he described as his 'favourite child' - Dickens drew revealingly on his own experiences to create one of the most exuberant and enduringly popular works, filled with tragedy and comedy in equal measure. This edition uses the text of the first volume publication of 1850, and includes updated suggestions for further reading, original illustrations by 'Phiz', a revised chronology and expanded notes. In his new introduction, Jeremy Tambling discusses the novel's autobiographical elements, and its central themes of memory and identity. The story follows the life of David Copperfield from childhood to maturity. David was born in Blunderstone, Suffolk, near Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England, in 1820, six months after the death of his father. David Copperfield spends his early years in relative happiness with his loving but frail mother and their kindly housekeeper, Peggotty. When he is seven years old his mother marries Edward Murdstone. During the marriage, partly to get him out of the way and partly because he strongly objects to the whole proceeding, David is sent to lodge with Peggotty’s family, in Yarmouth. Her brother, the fisherman Pegotty, lives in a houseboat with his adopted relatives Em’ly and Ham, and an elderly widow, Mrs Gummidge. Little Em’ly is somewhat spoilt by her fond foster father, and David is in love with her. On his return, David is given good reason to dislike his stepfather and has similar feelings for Murdstone's sister Jane, who moves into the house soon afterwards. Between them they tyrannise over his poor mother, making her and David’s’ lives miserable, and when in consequence David falls behind in his studies, Murdstone attempts to thrash him – partly to further pain his mother. David Copperfield bites him and soon afterwards is sent away to a boarding school, Salem House, under a ruthless headmaster, Mr. Creakle. There he befriends an older boy, James Steerforth, and Tommy Traddles. He develops an impassioned admiration for Steerforth, perceiving him as something noble, who could do great things if he would. David Copperfield goes home for the holidays only to learn that his mother has given birth to a baby boy. Shortly after David returns to Salem House, his mother and her baby die, and David returns home immediately. Peggotty marries the local carrier, Mr Barkis. Murdstone sends David to work for a wine merchant in London – a business of which Murdstone is a joint owner. David Copperfield tragicomic landlord, Wilkins Micawber, is arrested for debt and sent to the King's Bench Prison, where he remains for several months, before being released and moving to Plymouth. No one remains to care for David in London, so he decides to run away. David Copperfield by the author Charles Dickens is a great book highly recommended to read .

Tells the life story of David Copperfield, from his birth in Suffolk, through the various struggles of his childhood, to his successful career as a novelist. The early scenes are particularly masterful, depicting the world as seen from the perspective of a fatherless, small boy, whose idyllic life is ruined when his mother remarries.

Product Description: A stowaway aboard the New England whaler Grampus, young Arthur Gordon Pym finds himself an unwilling passenger on an extraordinary voyage. This is the Edgar Allan Poe's only novel, first published in 1838, and it unveals the incredible adventures and discoveries of Pym and his companions as they overcome violent mutineers, are set adrift in an open boat, encounter a corpse-ridden ghost ship, cannibals, and huge polar bears as they approach the icy barriers of the South Pole...read more

Brewster's Millions. please visit www.valdebooks.com for a full list of titles

Brewster's Millions. please visit www.valdebooks.com for a full list of titles

A collection of graded games and puzzles for ELT students, in which each activity focuses on a particular language feature.

Product Description: The story of Paul Morel, a young man and budding artist, growing up in a working class mining community. Considered by many to be D.H. Lawrence's earliest masterpiece.Notice: This Book is published by Historical Books Limited (www...read more

Product Description: The story of Paul Morel, a young man and budding artist, growing up in a working class mining community. Considered by many to be D.H. Lawrence's earliest masterpiece.Notice: This Book is published by Historical Books Limited (www...read more

Life is supposed to be easy and carefree when you are young - but if you live in Washington D.C. it's anything but. Flashing back to the 1990s, readers enter the lives of four black men looking to gain money, power and respect. These four brothas come from different walks of life but they have one thing in common: making fast money in the harsh inner city. However, when the money comes too easily there's usually a price attached...the ultimate price.

Product Description: Set in the most magical parts of Manhattan, The Ramblers explores the lives of three lost souls, bound together by friendship and family. Clio Marsh is taking her first tentative steps towards a relationship while also looking back to the secrets of her broken childhood...read more

Product Description: For fans of J. Courtney Sullivan, Meg Wolitzer, Claire Messud, and Emma Straub, a gorgeous and absorbing novel of a trio of confused souls struggling to find themselves and the way forward in their lives, set against the spectacular backdrop of contemporary New York City...read more

The narrator, an elderly lawyer who has a very comfortable business helping wealthy men deal with mortgages, title deeds, and bonds, relates the story of the strangest man he has ever known. The narrator already employs two scriveners, Nippers and Turkey. Nippers suffers from chronic indigestion, and Turkey is a drunk, but the office survives because in the mornings Turkey is sober even though Nippers is irritable, and in the afternoon Nippers has calmed down even though Turkey is drunk.