John Van Stan
The Wolf-Leader
Part local legend of a dark and dangerous Wolf-Leader, part childhood memories of his home near Villers-Cotterets, in Aisne, Dumas here penn…
Moral letters to Lucilius (Epistulae morales ad Lucilium)
Seneca the Younger’s letters to his friend, Lucilius Junior, appear to have been written with a broad audience in mind. These letters introd…
Celebrated Crimes, Vol. 2: The Massacres of the South
The Massacres of the South is a stark exploration of violence and crime in the tumultuous history of the southern regions of France. In this…
Marguerite de Valois
A historical fiction novel set in Paris (1572) during Charles IX's reign and the French Wars of Religion. Marguerite de Valois, daughter of …
Thus Spake Zarathustra: A Book for All and None (version 2) (includes annotations)
The modern British philosopher, Anthony M. Ludovici, said that this text “is unquestionably Nietzsche’s opus magnum.” However, he warns the …
Chicot the Jester
This sequel to Dumas' “Marguerite de Valois” begins four years after the sudden death of King Charles IX and succession of his brother Henry…
Candide (version 3)
Ever since 1759, when Voltaire wrote "Candide" in ridicule of the notion that this is the best of all possible worlds, this world …
The d'Artagnan Romances, Vol 2: Twenty Years After (version 2)
Volume 2 of The d'Artagnan Romances begins twenty years after "The Three Musketeers." Since then, d'Artagnan's career has stagnate…
The House on the Borderland (Version 2)
This story helped propel 19th Century gothic fiction in the direction of “cosmic” horror. In fact, H.P. Lovecraft lists it as among his grea…
The d'Artagnan Romances, Vol 1: The Three Musketeers (version 3)
The d'Artagnan Romances are six volumes that intertwine exciting events (real and fictionalized) from 17th-century Europe and the life of th…
Short Stories (Version 2)
This is a collection of short stories written by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (Dostoevsky), who is arguably better-known for his lengthy, contemplativ…
The Birth of Tragedy; or, Hellenism and Pessimism (Version 2)
This is one of Nietzsche's early academic writings - a scholarly theory about Ancient Greek theatre, specifically tragedies. In a nutshell, …
The Forty-Five Guardsmen
The sequel to "Chicot the Jester" and final book of the "Valois Romances." This story begins six years after the famed &…
Frankenstein: or, the Modern Prometheus (Version 4)
This is a classic (gothic) horror story, and one of the earliest examples of science fiction. The main characters are Dr. Frankenstein and h…
The d'Artagnan Romances, Vol 3, Part 1: The Vicomte de Bragelonne: Ten Years Later
Volume 3 of The d'Artagnan Romances is divided into three parts. The first begins in 1660, ten years after Volume 2, with d’Artagnan as Lieu…
Celebrated Crimes, Vol. 1: The Borgias and the Cenci (version 2)
Dumas's 'Celebrated Crimes' was not written for children. The novelist has spared no language--has minced no words--to describe the violent …
Celebrated Crimes, Vol. 5: Part 1: Desrues
This story chronicles the crimes of Antoine-Francois Desrues (also called "Derues") from his childhood to his execution. Desrues c…
The Marie Antoinette Romances, Vol 1: Balsamo, The Magician
This is the first volume of Dumas' Marie Antoinette Romances (also called "The Memoirs of a Physician"). This historical fiction c…
The d'Artagnan Romances, Vol 3, Part 3: The Man in the Iron Mask (version 2)
Volume 3 of The d'Artagnan Romances is divided into three parts. In this, the final part, d’Artagnan’s fortune is near its height; having be…
Celebrated Crimes, Vol. 4: Part 2: Urbain Grandier (version 2)
This is the dramatic story of Urbain Grandier, a catholic priest, who had a reputation to rival that of Casanova, which ultimately led to hi…