Penguin twentieth-century classics

At the time of his death, the poet Von Humboldt Fleischer is a failure, and his friend Charlie Citrine's life has hit rock bottom. Then Humboldt acts from beyond the grave, bestowing upon Charlie a legacy that might turn his life round.

Gathered together in this volume are all of the pieces in Fitzgerald's two collections of shorts stories, including The Ice Palace, Bernice Bobs Her Hair and The Diamond is Big as the Ritz.

Escaping from the decay and torment of post-war Europe, Richard and Harriett Somers arrive in Australia to a new and freer life. Somers, a disillusioned writer, becomes involved with an extreme political group.

Nabokov, best known as the author of Lolita, presents a cruel but compelling account of a man who abandoned his wife for the sake of a youthful mistress, and whose life ended in disaster as a consequence.

The most comprehensive volume of Fitzgerald's letters to have been published in the UK, this text spans thirty years and the letters chronicle Fitzgerald's artistic and emotional development through his own words.

This novel focuses mainly on D. H. Lawrence's youth in Nottinghamshire, drawing on his perception and memory of the community and its inhabitants. It is a story of Alvina's rebellion against the ordinariness of life.

This novel, based on the life of Gustav Grundgens, tells the story of Hendrik Hofgen, an unknown actor who is obsessed with becoming famous. After finally reaching the pinnacle of his career, he must face the moral consequences of his rise to fame.

This collection of short stories contains, among others, My Oedipus Complex, The Genius, The Study of History, First Confession, The Paragon, and Don Juan's Temptation.

Drawing on his own experiences during the Klondike gold rush of 1897, Jack London's stories, bring to life the harrowing hardships of life in the lawless wilderness.

This is a comprehensive collection of First World War poetry, including work from Sassoon, Owen, Blunden and Rosenberg.