Female Classic Books

Pride and Prejudice

Agnes Grey

Anne Brontë • 1847

Northanger Abbey

Jane Austen • 1818

Sense and Sensibility

Jane Austen • 1811

Emma

Jane Austen • 1815

Persuasion: Jane Austen (Classic Jane Austen)

Jane Austen • 2017

Persuasion<br/>By Jane Austen<br/>Persuasion is the last novel fully completed by Jane Austen. It was published at the end of 1817, six months after her death.<br/>The story begins seven years after the broken engagement of Anne Elliot to then Commander Frederick Wentworth. Anne Elliot, then 19 years old, fell in love and accepted a proposal of marriage from the handsome young naval officer. He was clever, confident, ambitious, and employed, but not yet wealthy and with no particular family connections to recommend him. Her father Sir Walter and her older sister Elizabeth maintained that he was no match for an Elliot of Kellynch Hall, the family estate. Lady Russell, acting in place of Anne's late mother, persuaded her to break the engagement, which she saw as imprudent for one so young. They are the only ones who know about this short engagement, as younger sister Mary was away at school.<br/>The Elliot family is now in financial trouble. Kellynch Hall will be let, and the family will settle in Bath until finances improve. The Baronet Sir Walter, the socially-conscious father and daughter Elizabeth and her new companion Mrs. Clay look forward to the move. Anne is less sure she will enjoy Bath. Mary is married to Charles Musgrove of nearby Uppercross Hall, the heir to a respected local squire. Anne visits Mary and her family, where she is well-loved. The end of the war puts sailors back on shore, including the tenants of Kellynch Hall, Admiral Croft and his wife Sophia, who is the sister of Frederick Wentworth, now a wealthy naval captain. Frederick visits his sister and meets the Uppercross family, including Anne.

Anna Karenina (Wordsworth Classics)

Leo Tolstoy • 1997

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. Anna Karenina is one of the most loved and memorable heroines of literature. Her overwhelming charm dominates a novel of unparalleled richness and density. Tolstoy considered this book to be his first real attempt at a novel form, and it addresses the very nature of society at all levels,- of destiny, death, human relationships and the irreconcilable contradictions of existence. It ends tragically, and there is much that evokes despair, yet set beside this is an abounding joy in life's many ephemeral pleasures, and a profusion of comic relief.

Madame Bovary (Classics - Madame Bovary)

Gustave Flaubert • 2016

The House of Mirth (Wordsworth Classics)

Edith Wharton • 1998

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton. The House of Mirth tells the story of Lily Bart, aged 29, beautiful, impoverished and in need of a rich husband to safeguard her place in the social elite, and to support her expensive habits - her clothes, her charities and her gambling. Unwilling to marry without both love and money, Lily becomes vulnerable to the kind of gossip and slander which attach to a girl who has been on the marriage market for too long. Wharton charts the course of Lily's life, providing, along the way, a wider picture of a society in transition, a rapidly changing New York where the old certainties of manners, morals and family have disappeared and the individual has become an expendable commodity.

The Scarlet Letter (Dover Thrift Editions: Classic Novels)

Nathaniel Hawthorne • 1994

An "A" for "adultery" marks Hester Prynne as an outcast from the society of colonial Boston. Although forced by the puritanical town fathers to wear a bright red badge of shame, Hester steadfastly resists their efforts to discover the identity of her baby's father. The return of her long-absent spouse brings new pressure on the young mother, as the aggrieved husband undertakes a long-term plot to reveal Hester's partner in adultery and force him to share her disgrace.<br/>Masterful in its symbolism and compelling in its character studies, Nathaniel Hawthorne's tale of punishment and reconciliation examines the concepts of sin, guilt, and pride. The Scarlet Letter was published to immediate acclaim in 1850. Its timeless exploration of moral and spiritual issues, along with its philosophical and psychological insights, keep it ever relevant for students of American literature and lovers of fiction.<br/>A selection of the Common Core State Standards Initiative.

Little Women

Louisa May Alcott • 2019

A new, beautifully laid-out, non-illustrated edition of Louisa May Alcott's timeless classic, Little Women. This edition contains both the original Little Women and the second volume of the story, sometimes sold separately under the title Good Wives.<br/><br/>Little Women by Louisa May Alcott is a classic novel originally published in 1868. It tells the story of four sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March, and their coming of age during the American Civil War. With the help of their beloved mother and their beloved neighbor, Mr. Laurence, the girls learn valuable lessons about love, family, and the importance of giving back to the community. Along the way, they learn the importance of resilience and self-determination, as they face various hardships and struggles. This timeless classic is an inspiring and heart-warming story about the power of family, friendship and the importance of chasing your dreams.<br/>Little Women remains one of the most widely-read and beloved novels in American literature. The story of the lives of the four March sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy—Little Women details their passage from childhood to womanhood. It is loosely based on the lives of the author, Louisa May Alcott, and her own three sisters. Little Women has been adapted to the screen and stage multiple times and is one of the bestselling novels of all time.<br/>Louisa May Alcott (November 29, 1832 – March 6, 1888) was an American novelist, poet, and short story writer, best known for her novel Little Women. Born in Germantown, Pennsylvania, Alcott wrote novels and short stories for both children and adults, and is remembered for her vivid descriptions of the lives of nineteenth-century American families. Alcott wrote her first novel, Flower Fables, at the age of 17. She then wrote a series of stories, including An Old-Fashioned Girl (1870), Little Women (1868), Little Men (1871), and Jo's Boys (1886). Her work was widely appreciated, and she was highly regarded for her vivid depictions of the everyday lives of ordinary people. She was also a committed feminist and a major influence on the women's suffrage movement. In addition to her novels and stories, Alcott wrote poems, plays, and essays. She was a prolific writer, and her works were highly influential in the late 19th century. She was a major force in advocating for the rights of women, including the right to vote, and her works continue to inspire readers today. Alcott died in Boston in 1888, leaving behind a legacy that has had a lasting impact on American literature and culture. Her works, including Little Women and An Old-Fashioned Girl, have been adapted for the stage and screen and continue to be popular with readers. Louisa May Alcott was a pioneering writer who inspired generations of readers and remains an important figure in American literature and culture.

The Age of Innocence

Edith Wharton • 2018

The Age of Innocence By Edith Wharton