Ocean State Libraries

"The Tragic Muse," although loved by James admirers, hasn't reached the same level of acclaim as some of his earlier novels. The charming and witty story of two would-be artists, both looking for inspiration in spite of society's emphasis on material success, is a provocative look at the role of the artist in society. Nick Dormer, an aspiring painter, must decide whether or not to fulfill his family legacy in British politics with the help of his...

Author explores the sources of his early life in New York and undertakes to define a view of his country.

"The groundbreaking Harlem Renaissance novel about prejudice within the black community Emma Lou Morgan's skin is black. So black that it's a source of shame to her not only among the largely white community of her hometown of Boise, Idaho, but also among her lighter-skinned family and friends. Seeking a community where she will be accepted, she leaves home at age eighteen, traveling first to Los Angeles and then to New York City, where in the Harlem...

Ellison won the National Book Award for this searing record of a black man's journey through contemporary America. "Unquestionably, Ellison's book is a work of extraordinary intensity--powerfully imagined and written with a savage, wryly humorous gusto". "Invisible Man is a milestone in American literature, a book that has continued to engage readers since its appearance in 1952. A first novel by an unknown writer, it remained on the bestseller list...

A novel about hopeful perseverance in the face of mortality, featuring some of Faulkner's most memorable characters: guileless, dauntless Lena Grove, in search of the father of her unborn child; Reverend Gail Hightower, who is plagued by visions of Confederate horesemen; and Joe Christmas, a desperate, enigmatic drifter consumed by his mixed ancentry.

The adventures of Tom Sawyer: The adventures and pranks of a mischievous boy growing up in a Mississippi River town on the early nineteenth century. The prince and the pauper: A peasant changes places with a prince and both youths learn something about the other side of life. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Rebellious, high spirited, and independent, Huck Finn just can't seem to change his ways. He gives it a try, though, even going so far as attending...

"A razor-sharp story collection from a writer who is always "furiously good" (Zadie Smith, bestselling author of Swing Time). With her signature humor and compassion, A.M. Homes exposes the heart of an uneasy America in her new collection - exploring our attachments to each other through characters who aren't quite who they hoped to become, though there is no one else they can be. In "A Prize for Every Player," a man is nominated to run for president...

The sequel to Dreiser's The financier, which continues the saga of the ups and downs in the life of Frank Cowperwood, based on the life of Charles Tyson Yerkes. A trilogy of desire was completed by The stoic, published posthumously in 1947.

This remarkable, newly revised collection of Ayn Rand's early fiction—now including the previously unpublished short story, “The Night King”—ranges from beginner's exercises to excerpts from early versions of We the Living and The Fountainhead. Arranged chronologically, from 1926 through 1940, these works allow readers to follow the extraordinary trajectory of Rand's literary and intellectual growth, from a twenty-one-year-old Russian immigrant...

A trip to the laundromat leads to a momentous occasion when Trixie, too young to speak words, realizes that something important is missing and struggles to explain the problem to her father. Using a combination of muted black-and-white photographs and expressive illustrations, this book tells a true-to-life tale about what happens when Daddy's in charge and things go terribly, hilariously wrong. In this special edition of Mo Willems's beloved and...