Read books jun 2014 (7 Ergebnisse)

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - A beautiful short tale of chance encounters and unspoken romance from one of England's most beloved storytellers. While Jerome K. Jerome is universally celebrated for his laugh-out-loud farces, The Fawn Gloves showcases his incredible, underrated gift for writing deeply moving romantic fiction. First published in 1916 as part of his Malvina of Brittany collection, this hidden gem of short fiction captures the bittersweet magic of the moments that change our lives forever. The story opens with an unforgettable visual: a shy young man catches sight of a quiet, ethereal girl sitting alone on a park bench as the sun sets. She is a picture of simple grace, with her hands neatly folded over a pair of distinct fawn gloves. Though they are total strangers, the image brands itself into his memory. What follows is a delicate, beautifully paced exploration of attraction, social hesitation, and the modern anxiety of letting a soulmate slip away into the London crowd. With his trademark observational wit softened by a deep, genuine warmth, Jerome explores the unwritten rules of courtship and the profound weight of the things we leave unsaid.…

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - Considered one of Jerome K. Jerome's most unique, unsettling, and masterful departures into psychological horror. While globally celebrated for his cheerful bachelors and riverboat farces, Jerome possessed a brilliant, rarely seen talent for the macabre with Silhouettes standing as the peak achievement of his darker style. Written as a haunting, atmospheric prose vignette, this short story delivers a slow-burn, deeply disturbing meditation on memory, childhood, and the sinister mysteries hidden just beneath the surface of the natural world. The narrative follows a nameless man reminiscing about his youth spent along a dismal, isolated stretch of the English coastline. Trapped in what he admits is a 'gruesome turn of mind,' he recalls a childhood landscape dominated by dreary marshes, sullen lakes, and autumn twilights where the sea-scented air feels heavy with dread. As the boundaries between reality, memory, and nightmare begin to blur, the narrator recounts a terrifying night from his past: the arrival of a desperate fugitive at his parents' isolated home, followed closely by a savage lynch mob bent on violence. Perfect for fans of classic Victorian ghost stories, gothic fiction, and authors like Sheridan Le Fanu or M.R. James, Silhouettes is a chilling literary gem. It is a must-buy for readers who want to experience a hauntingly poetic, spine-tingling side of a British comedic legend.…

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - What happens when cold, unyielding scientific logic collides with the messy, unpredictable nature of human emotion In this sharp short story, Jerome K. Jerome takes a satirical aim at the rigid certainties and intellectual arrogance of the Victorian scientific elite. The narrative centers on a highly analytical, detached protagonist who views the world entirely through the lens of data, equations, and predictable psychological formulas. He believes that every human action, reaction, and emotion can be neatly categorized and controlled. However, life has a funny way of refusing to fit into a neat equation. When a sudden situation forces the scientist out of his sterile laboratory and into the unpredictable theater of real human relationships, his meticulously constructed worldview begins to unravel. What follows is a clever, deeply ironical exploration of the limitations of intellect when stripped of genuine human empathy. Perfect for a quick but deeply satisfying afternoon read, The Man of Science showcases Jerome's incredible ability to blend philosophy with sharp social commentary. It is a witty treat for fans of classic British satire who enjoy watching the proud and the powerful get hilariously humbled by the simple complexities of everyday life.…

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - A laugh-out-loud satirical tale about the high price of polite lies and British custom. Wychwood-on-the-Heath is a quaint English village that has just received the best news in years: their thoroughly antagonistic and deeply unpopular vicar, the Reverend Augustus Cracklethorpe, is finally leaving. The congregation is absolutely overjoyed to see the back of him, and the vicar himself is happily preparing a blistering, vituperative final sermon to admonish his ungrateful flock on his way out the door. Driven by a sense of polite Christian duty, Mrs. Pennycoop convinces her auctioneer husband and a few reluctant neighbors that they shouldn't let the vicar leave on such terrible terms. She organizes a small, sympathetic farewell gesture to smooth things over, intending it merely as a face-saving formality. But kindness, as Jerome brilliantly proves, can have a devastating cost. Overwhelmed by this unexpected display of 'affection,' the ego-driven Reverend Cracklethorpe undergoes a sudden change of heart. Misinterpreting the polite gesture as a sign that his congregation desperately wants him to remain, he tears up his farewell sermon and joyfully announces that he has decided to stay in the parish forever, provided the terrified townspeople fund an extra curate to help him! The Cost of Kindness is one of Jerome K. Jerome's sharpest, most tightly constructed social comedies. It is a delightfully cynical, cozy piece of vintage British humor that skewers human hypocrisy, social performance, and the hilarious dangers of being just a little too polite.…

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - This early work by H. H. Munro was originally published in 1910 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography. 'Gabriel-Ernest' is a short story about a were-wolf named Gabriel and his terrible deed. Hector Hugh Munro was born in Akyab, Burma in 1870. He was raised by aunts in North Devon, England, before returning to Burma in his early twenties to join the Colonial Burmese Military Police. Later, Munro returned once more to England, where he embarked on his career as a journalist, becoming well-known for his satirical 'Alice in Westminster' political sketches, which appeared in the Westminster Gazette. Arguably better-remembered by his pen name, 'Saki', Munro is now considered a master of the short story, with tales such as 'The Open Window' regarded as examples of the form at its finest. …

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - A hilarious expose on the secret, malicious life of our timepieces. Jerome K. Jerome turns his unmatched observational wit onto an object we all take for granted, delivering a delightfully paranoid piece of social satire. Rather than viewing clocks as mere mechanical tools of brass and springs, Jerome presents a groundbreaking (and highly suspicious) theory: clocks are actually sentient, deeply vindictive entities that wake up every morning with the sole purpose of ruining human lives. With his signature dry irony, Jerome breaks down the distinct, often unhinged personalities of different timepieces. He introduces readers to the 'nervous and high-strung' clock that drops its weights in a panic at the slightest noise, the 'stolid and stubborn' grandfather clock that takes five minutes of painful groaning just to strike the hour, and the chaotic bedroom clock that deliberately skips from 2:00 AM to 6:00 AM just to make you late for work out of sheer spite. The pinnacle of the comedy arrives when Jerome details the pure psychological horror of traveling with a clock. He recounts the agonizing experience of trying to pack a loudly ticking timepiece into a leather portmanteau, resulting in a bag that sounds so suspiciously explosive it terrifies railway porters, panics hotel staff, and leaves the owner looking like a high-stakes international smuggler. Clocks is quintessential Jerome K. Jerome at his absolute peak of observational absurdity. It takes a mundane household frustration and elevates it into a masterful piece of comic philosophy. A quick, incredibly funny, and cozy read that will make you look at your own watch or phone screen with a healthy dose of suspicion.…

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - While Jerome is globally famous for his lighthearted farces, The Dancing Partner showcases his incredible, rarely seen talent for the macabre. Set in a quaint German village, the story introduces a clever mechanical engineer who becomes utterly exasperated by the local young men, who are simply too tired or clumsy to dance with the village ladies at social gatherings. His solution He invents a flawless, clockwork automaton; a handsome, tireless mechanical partner designed to waltz the night away without ever missing a step. At first, the creation is hailed as an engineering marvel, and a grand festive ball is thrown to celebrate its debut. But as the clockwork mechanism winds up and takes a young woman into its iron grip, the celebratory evening quickly spirals into a breathless, terrifying, and bizarrely gothic nightmare. A hidden gem of late-Victorian speculative fiction, The Dancing Partner is a gripping, atmospheric techno-gothic thriller that echoes the themes of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. It is a must-read for fans of classic horror, vintage sci-fi, and readers who want to experience a beautifully spooky, unpredictable side of a legendary British author.…