Pomodoro Classics

George Orwell (1903-1950) was born in India and served with the Imperial Police in Burma before joining the Republican Army in the Spanish Civil War. Orwell's 2 most famous books are Animal Farm and 1984. Animal Farm is Orwell's classic satire of the Russian Revolution - an account of the bold struggle, initiated by the animals, that transforms Mr. Jones's Manor Farm into Animal Farm - a wholly democratic society built on the credo that All Animals Are Created Equal. But are they? In 1984, London is a grim city where Big Brother is always watching you and the Thought Police can practically read your mind. Winston Smith joins a secret revolutionary organisation called The Brotherhood, dedicated to the destruction of the Party. Together with his beloved Julia, he hazards his life in a deadly match against the powers that be. 

The Sound and the Fury is the tragedy of the Compson family, featuring some of the most memorable characters in literature: beautiful, rebellious Caddy; the manchild Benjy; haunted, neurotic Quentin; Jason, the brutal cynic; and Dilsey, their black servant. Their lives fragmented and harrowed by history and legacy, the character's voices and actions mesh to create what is arguably Faulkner's masterpiece and one of the greatest novels of the twentieth century. "I give you the mausoleum of all hope and desire.... I give it to you not that you may remember time, but that you might forget it now and then for a moment and not spend all of your breath trying to conquer it. Because no battle is ever won he said. They are not even fought. The field only reveals to man his own folly and despair, and victory is an illusion of philosophers and fools." -from The Sound and the Fury

In the sweltering streets of St. Petersburg, a young man's darkest impulses unleash a chain of events that will haunt him forever. Former student Raskolnikov, driven by poverty and philosophical obsession, murders an old pawnbroker and grapples with the consequences of his actions. As the police close in and his family teeters on the brink of collapse, Raskolnikov's mental and emotional turmoil threatens to consume him. Dostoevsky's masterpiece is a gripping psychological thriller, a profound exploration of morality, redemption, and the human condition. Can Raskolnikov find forgiveness, or will his crime forever define him?

The Iliad is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the Odyssey, the poem is divided into 24 books and was written in dactylic hexameter. It contains 15,693 lines in its most widely accepted version. Set towards the end of the Trojan War, a ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of Mycenaean Greek states, the poem depicts significant events in the siege's final weeks. In particular, it depicts a fierce quarrel between King Agamemnon and a celebrated warrior, Achilles. It is a central part of the Epic Cycle. The Iliad is often regarded as the first substantial piece of European literature. The Iliad and the Odyssey were likely written down in Homeric Greek, a literary amalgam of Ionic Greek and other dialects, probably around the late 8th or early 7th century BC. Homer's authorship was infrequently questioned in antiquity, but contemporary scholarship predominantly assumes that the Iliad and the Odyssey were composed independently and that the stories formed as part of a long oral tradition. Given widespread illiteracy,audiences were more likely to have heard the poem than read it; it was performed by professional reciters of Homer known as rhapsodes.

Embark on the epic journey of a lifetime with Odysseus, the legendary King of Ithaca. After ten long years of battle in the Trojan War, Odysseus sets sail for home, but the gods have other plans. With the help of the goddess Athena, Odysseus must navigate treacherous seas, avoid the lure of the Sirens, and battle fearsome monsters to reclaim his throne and reunite with his beloved family. This ancient Greek masterpiece is a timeless tale of adventure, courage, and the unbreakable human spirit. Join Odysseus on his perilous quest and discover the magic that has captivated readers for millennia.

First published in 1908, E. M. Forster's "A Room with a View" is the story of a young English middle-class girl named Lucy Honeychurch. As the novel opens we find Lucy touring Italy with her overbearing older cousin and chaperone, Charlotte Bartlett. The two are upset over the views from their rooms. Having been promised views that overlook the river Arno, the two instead receive views of the courtyard. Their complaints are overheard by Mr. Emerson, who offers to swap rooms with them, citing the fact that he and his son George both have rooms that overlook the Arno. After a brief romantic encounter between George Emerson and Lucy while they are in Florence, the two travel on to Rome where Lucy is wooed by her friend from England Cecil Vyse. When Lucy learns from the vicar that a local cottage has been rented she discovers that the Emersons have arrived in Rome. Again the prospect of romance with George entices Lucy but she is torn between the more acceptable prospect of a union with Cecil. "A Room with a View" is the classic human struggle of choosing a partner who is the most socially acceptable versus the desire for true love.

Heart of Darkness, the 1899 masterpiece by Polish-British novelist Joseph Conrad, is about a voyage up the Congo River into the Heart of Africa. The story is narrated by Charles Marlow, recalling his obsessive quest to locate the ivory trader Kurtz, who has become ensconced deep in the jungle managing a remote outpost. As he ventures further and further down the Congo, Marlow finds himself and his surroundings become increasingly untethered. Heart of Darkness has been widely re-published and translated into many languages. It provided the inspiration for Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 film Apocalypse Now. In 1998, the Modern Library ranked Heart of Darkness 67th on their list of the 100 best novels in English of the twentieth century. Literary critic Harold Bloom wrote that Heart of Darkness had been analysed more than any other work of literature that is studied in universities and colleges, which he attributed to Conrad's "unique propensity for ambiguity."

One of English literature's classic masterpieces-a gripping novel of love, propriety, and tragedy. Nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great American Read. Emily Brontë's only novel endures as a work of tremendous and far-reaching influence. Lockwood, the new tenant of Thrushcross Grange, situated on the bleak Yorkshire moors, is forced to seek shelter one night at Wuthering Heights, the home of his landlord. There he discovers the history of the tempestuous events that took place years before. What unfolds is the tale of the intense love between the gypsy foundling Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw. Catherine, forced to choose between passionate, tortured Heathcliff and gentle, well-bred Edgar Linton, surrendered to the expectations of her class. As Heathcliff's bitterness and vengeance at his betrayal is visited upon the next generation, their innocent heirs must struggle to escape the legacy of the past.

Ulysses is a modernist novel by Irish writer James Joyce. Parts of it were first serialized in the American journal The Little Review from March 1918 to December 1920, and the entire work was published in Paris by Sylvia Beach on 2 February 1922, Joyce's fortieth birthday. It is considered one of the most important works of modernist literature and has been called "a demonstration and summation of the entire movement." According to Declan Kiberd, "Before Joyce, no writer of fiction had so foregrounded the process of thinking." Ulysses chronicles the appointments and encounters of the itinerant Leopold Bloom in Dublin in the course of an ordinary day, 16 June 1904. Ulysses is the Latinised name of Odysseus, the hero of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey, and the novel establishes a series of parallels between the poem and the novel, with structural correspondences between the characters and experiences of Bloom and Odysseus, Molly Bloom and Penelope, and Stephen Dedalus and Telemachus, in addition to events and themes of the early 20th-century context of modernism, Dublin, and Ireland's relationship to Britain. The novel is highly allusive and its prose imitates the styles of different periods of English literature.

Embark on a transformative journey with Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens' timeless classic, 'A Christmas Carol'. This haunting and heartwarming tale follows the miserly Scrooge as he is visited by the ghost of his former partner, Jacob Marley, and the Spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. As Scrooge confronts the error of his ways, he is forced to re-examine his life and priorities. Will he find redemption and discover the true meaning of Christmas, or will he remain forever trapped in his cold, hard heart? Dive into this beautifully crafted novella, filled with vivid characters, poignant themes, and a dash of supernatural magic. A Christmas Carol is a must-read for anyone seeking a story that will touch their heart, challenge their assumptions, and leave them feeling hopeful and inspired.

Witness the epic struggle between good and evil, heaven and hell, in John Milton's masterpiece, 'Paradise Lost'. This sweeping narrative poem tells the story of the Fall of Man, as the charismatic and cunning Satan leads a rebellion against God, only to be cast out of heaven and seek revenge against His most prized creations, Adam and Eve. As the battle for paradise unfolds, Milton's sublime language and profound insights into the human condition raise questions about the nature of sin, free will, and redemption. With its richly drawn characters, including the iconic and complex Satan, 'Paradise Lost' is a work of unparalleled beauty, depth, and moral complexity. Join the journey through the realms of heaven, hell, and the Garden of Eden, and discover why 'Paradise Lost' remains one of the most influential and beloved works of literature in the Western canon.

Beloved by millions, this timeless classic holds the key to all you desire and everything you wish to accomplish. This is the book that reveals the secret to personal wealth. The Success Secrets of the Ancients- An Assured Road to Happiness and Prosperity Countless readers have been helped by the famous "Babylonian parables," hailed as the greatest of all inspirational works on the subject of thrift, financial planning, and personal wealth. In language as simple as that found in the Bible, these fascinating and informative stories set you on a sure path to prosperity and its accompanying joys. Acclaimed as a modern-day classic, this celebrated bestseller offers an understanding of-and a solution to-your personal financial problems that will guide you through a lifetime. This is the book that holds the secrets to keeping your money-and making more. The Richest Man in Babylon Read it and recommend it to loved ones- and get on the road to riches. MORE THAN 4 MILLION BOOKS SOLD