Narwhals

A day or so ago I heard about a PACNW biologist studying Narwhals off the coast of Greenland. This is the second mention of Narwhals that I have witnessed in the news since we published Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (purchase here). Truly, before NPR reported this, I didn't believe in Narwhals. Just check out this picture:



That picture doesn't even look real. Those horns look photo-shopped on.

But it's true, the Unicorn of the Sea Lives! And you can read about this and other difficult-to-believe-in monsters such as the giant squid and the deep-sea submarine in Trillium Classics' Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.


With keyword searching, anyone can find the elusive Narwhal(e).

It's all Greek to Me!

Today we published Plato's Crito (purchase here). This text tells the story of Socrates and his wealthy friend Crito. Crito offers to finance Socrates release from prison. But Socrates will have none of it. He believes that one injustice cannot be answered with another. In telling this story, Plato lays out an argument for the idea we commonly refer to as the social contract.

In releasing this title singly, for the low price of $0.99, we hope to attract lovers of Plato who aren't ready to commit to his entire works, which is how many sellers are packaging this title in the Kindle store. This work is often released alongside two other Platonic works, The Apology (purchase here) and Phaedo (purchase here). At .99 each, these works will be less expensive purchased individually than all together.

Review: Persuasion (1995)

I think the reason that Persuasion is not oftener adapted for film and television (unlike Austen's other works, which have all been made into tv mini-series, films, even choose-your-own-adventure books, and a zombie parody) is because the main character is old (27). Because of her advanced years, it is believed that Anne Elliot is matronly, disinterested in romance, and predisposed to take care of every person around her, as if caring for her friends and relatives could replace the man-shaped whole in her heart.

Anne Elliot is actually required to take care of her friends and relatives because generally they are socially stunted, inconsiderate boobs. Her father for instance, is enmired in debt and doesn't have any plans to get out, her hypochondriac younger sister doesn't know how to manage the hellions she's birthed, and her friends are social meddlers and try to persuade her to do things that aren't in her best interest.

Concerning the above, the movie is very faithful to the book. The sets and costumes are more suited to the regency and less to the romance of the story, ie they are historically accurate rather than sanitized with bright lighting and lavish sets. The characters are not all beautiful, and the lesser characters do not exist to make the lovers more loveable. Another really strong feature of this film is the delicacy of Amanda Root's expressions. The visual cues in this movie clarify the Georgian manners that often confuse modern readers of Austen's books.

Characterization is less developed in the movie, and so, I would recommend reading the book (purchase here) to get the full drama of it. You may want to see the movie just so you can imagine a beturbaned Lady Russell played by a committed Susan Fleetwood as you read.

Wait isn't that Don Quixote?

Hey Mel,

Don Quixote called...

he wants his FACE HAIRS
BACK.

F451 is Mel's favorite book. I don't know if any celebrities call Don Quixote their favorite book, but they might after they read our exquisitely formatted edition! (purchase here)

Heart of Darkness

Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness is required reading. Seriously if you don't read it in highschool, there's no way you'll graduate college without being asked to read it. If you graduate college without reading it, it's highly likely that you'll be at a mixer some day, and some really attractive and sweet person will be like, 'remember that part in Heart of Darkness?' And you'll be all, 'I never read that one.' And they'll be all, I think there's someone I know over by those pigs-in-a-blanket, excuse me please...' Don't get caught looking illiterate! Luckily, it's short, interesting, and provokes spirited debate about colonialism, race, good vs evil, the works! Check it out here.