The Compleat Angler - by Izaac Walton

Time to go fishin’!

What other classic could I be introducing but, The Compleat Angler: or, The Contemplative Man's Recreation by Izaac Walton  (US Edition) (UK Edition) (DE Edition)

Let me turn to those ever dependable Amazon reviewers for a description:

"Three hundred fifty years ago Izaak Walton wrote of the curious blend of inner peace and giddy excitement which the amateur naturalist finds at streamside. He invites us to stroll with him through the countryside, discussing the mythology, superstition, and the science of England's aquatic fauna. It is an unrushed journey, though we often arise at sunrise, and the author introduces us to many of the local inhabitants."

And

"-- an enduring cult classic having no exact parallel in world literature."

And I am especially charmed by a review from Korea . . .

"I'm flyfisher in Korea. I think there is no necessity for talking about this book. Because this is so famous book to fishermans, as you know."

But what does the author say?

And as I have told you that Sir Francis Bacon observes, the age of a Salmon exceeds not ten years; so let me next tell you, that his growth is very sudden: it is said that after he is got into the sea, he becomes, from a Samlet not so big as a Gudgeon, to be a Salmon, in as short a time as a gosling becomes to be a goose. Much of this has been observed, by tying a riband, or some known tape or thread, in the tail of some young Salmons which have been taken in weirs as they have swimmed towards the salt water; and then by taking a part of them again, with the known mark, at the same place, at their return from the sea, which is usually about six months after; and the like experiment hath been tried upon young swallows, who have, after six months' absence, been observed to return to the same chimney, there to make their nests and habitations for the summer following; which has inclined many to think, that every Salmon usually returns to the same river in which it was bred, as young pigeons taken out of the same dovecote have also been observed to do.

Hmm, I did not know salmon grew so fast.  My Koi certainly grow slowly!

This blog is a guide to the best free and inexpensive classic literature for the US & UK Kindle. If you enjoy my suggestions, please tell your friends who read to give my blog a try. 

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For a nominal fee of 99 cents/pence, you can subscribe to this blog and have it automatically download on your Kindle. This gives you the convenience of being able to download the books directly to your Kindle, instead of downloading them to your computer and then transferring them to your Kindle. It also helps support my blog.

UK readers may go to this Amazon link to subscribe.  (Slightly more than half my readers are from the UK)

US readers may go to this Amazon link

Thank to all my readers, whether you subscribe on your Kindle or whether you read it online.  I love to get good reviews!  Who wouldn't?  Should you care to leave a review, follow these links for UK readers or US readers.

The Expedition of Humphrey Clinker - by Tobias Smollett

The Expedition of Humphrey Clinker is a 1771 epistolary novel by Tobias Smollett.  It is the best known of a number of hysterical novels.  (US Edition) (UK Edition) (DE Edition)

Hmmm, I think I know this person . . .

here is a strange fantastical oddity, one of your brethren, who harangues every day in the Pump-room, as if he was hired to give lectures on all subjects whatsoever — I know not what to make of him — Sometimes he makes shrewd remarks; at other times he talks like the greatest simpleton in nature — He has read a great deal; but without method or judgment, and digested nothing. He believes every thing he has read; especially if it has any thing of the marvellous in it and his conversation is a surprizing hotch-potch of erudition and extravagance. 

 

Obviously that letter was from Bath.

This will give you more of an idea of the style of writing:

In short, we found that Humphry was, at that very instant, haranguing the felons in the chapel; and that the gaoler's wife and daughter, together with my aunt's woman, Win Jenkins, and our house-maid, were among the audience, which we immediately joined. I never saw any thing so strongly picturesque as this congregation of felons clanking their chains, in the midst of whom stood orator Clinker, expatiating in a transport of fervor, on the torments of hell, denounced in scripture against evil-doers, comprehending murderers, robbers, thieves, and whore mongers. The variety of attention exhibited in the faces of those ragamuffins, formed a groupe that would not have disgraced the pencil of a Raphael. In one, it denoted admiration; in another, doubt; in a third, disdain; in a fourth, contempt; in a fifth, terror; in a sixth, derision; and in a seventh, indignation. — As for Mrs Winifred Jenkins, she was in tears, overwhelmed with sorrow; but whether for her own sins, or the misfortune of Clinker, I cannot pretend to say. The other females seemed to listen with a mixture of wonder and devotion. The gaoler's wife declared he was a saint in trouble, saying, she wished from her heart there was such another good soul, like him, in every gaol in England.

I notice that if you search “Humphry Clinker” instead of “The Expedition of Humphry Clinker,” (in the U.S.) you will only be presented with a full-priced Penguin edition and no free edition.  Of course Penguin is always good with footnotes and quality essays, but maybe you just want to read the book for free!

This blog is a guide to the best free and inexpensive classic literature for the US & UK Kindle. If you enjoy my suggestions, please tell your friends who read to give my blog a try. 

Join me on Twitter, FaceBook, or Pinterest.

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For a nominal fee of 99 cents/pence, you can subscribe to this blog and have it automatically download on your Kindle. This gives you the convenience of being able to download the books directly to your Kindle, instead of downloading them to your computer and then transferring them to your Kindle. It also helps support my blog.

UK readers may go to this Amazon link to subscribe.  (Slightly more than half my readers are from the UK)

US readers may go to this Amazon link

Thank to all my readers, whether you subscribe on your Kindle or whether you read it online.  I love to get good reviews!  Who wouldn't?  Should you care to leave a review, follow these links for UK readers or US readers.

Last Days of Pompeii - by Edward Bulwer-Lytton

Last Days of Pompeii  is a novel by Edward Bulwer-Lytton.  It is not to be mistaken for a history of the doomed city. (US Edition) (UK Edition) (DE Edition)

Although Snoopy immortalized the beginning of one of his novels, “It was a dark and stormy night;” and although Bulwer-Lytton’s name is perhaps best known nowadays for an eponymous “bad writing” contest – this is supposed to be an enjoyable novel.

'I must have yon bunch of violets, sweet Nydia,' said Glaucus, pressing through the crowd, and dropping a handful of small coins into the basket; 'your voice is more charming than ever.' 

The blind girl started forward as she heard the Athenian's voice; then as suddenly paused, while the blood rushed violently over neck, cheek, and temples. 

'So you are returned!' said she, in a low voice; and then repeated half to herself, 'Glaucus is returned!' 

'Yes, child, I have not been at Pompeii above a few days. My garden wants your care, as before; you will visit it, I trust, to-morrow. And mind, no garlands at my house shall be woven by any hands but those of the pretty Nydia.' 

Nydia smiled joyously, but did not answer; and Glaucus, placing in his breast the violets he had selected, turned gaily and carelessly from the crowd. 

'So she is a sort of client of yours, this child?' said Clodius. 

'Ay—does she not sing prettily? She interests me, the poor slave! Besides, she is from the land of the Gods' hill—Olympus frowned upon her cradle—she is of Thessaly.' 

'The witches' country.' 

There are some bits of poetry, such as Nydia's flower selling song, that are not properly formatted, but the text is still readable.

I am sure that much of the enjoyment of the book is in the anticipation of the ending. It may seem timely with so many disasters these days.  My thoughts are with those people in the areas affected by earthquakes, tornadoes, wildfires and flooding.

This blog is a guide to the best free and inexpensive classic literature for the US & UK Kindle. If you enjoy my suggestions, please tell your friends who read to give my blog a try. 

Join me on Twitter, FaceBook, or Pinterest.

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For a nominal fee of 99 cents/pence, you can subscribe to this blog and have it automatically download on your Kindle. This gives you the convenience of being able to download the books directly to your Kindle, instead of downloading them to your computer and then transferring them to your Kindle. It also helps support my blog.

UK readers may go to this Amazon link to subscribe.  (Slightly more than half my readers are from the UK)

US readers may go to this Amazon link

Thank to all my readers, whether you subscribe on your Kindle or whether you read it online.  I love to get good reviews!  Who wouldn't?  Should you care to leave a review, follow these links for UK readers or US readers.

Middlemarch - by George Eliot

Middlemarch is a novel by George Eliot, and considered her best work and a classic of English literature.  In other words, it goes on the bucket list.  (US Edition) (UK Edition) (DE Edition)

I don’t really need to say anything about this book, because that has been covered by Virginia Woolf, who called it a   "magnificent book which, with all its imperfections, is one of the few English novels written for grown-up people."

The book is rather long, but a movie that was supposed to come out this year, appears to be on hold – so you still have time.

Comedy, a look at Victorian beliefs:

"Mrs. Dollop became more and more convinced by her own asseveration, that Dr. Lydgate meant to let the people die in the Hospital, if not to poison them, for the sake of cutting them up without saying by your leave or with your leave; for it was a known "fac" that he had wanted to cut up Mrs. Goby, as respectable a woman as any in Parley Street, who had money in trust before her marriage—a poor tale for a doctor, who if he was good for anything should know what was the matter with you before you died, and not want to pry into your inside after you were gone."

And courtin’!

"Certainly he seemed more and more bent on making her talk to him, on drawing her out, as Celia remarked to herself; and in looking at her his face was often lit up by a smile like pale wintry sunshine. Before he left the next morning, while taking a pleasant walk with Miss Brooke along the gravelled terrace, he had mentioned to her that he felt the disadvantage of loneliness, the need of that cheerful companionship with which the presence of youth can lighten or vary the serious toils of maturity. And he delivered this statement with as much careful precision as if he had been a diplomatic envoy whose words would be attended with results. Indeed, Mr. Casaubon was not used to expect that he should have to repeat or revise his communications of a practical or personal kind. The inclinations which he had deliberately stated on the 2d of October he would think it enough to refer to by the mention of that date; judging by the standard of his own memory, which was a volume where a vide supra could serve instead of repetitions, and not the ordinary long-used blotting-book which only tells of forgotten writing. But in this case Mr. Casaubon's confidence was not likely to be falsified, for Dorothea heard and retained what he said with the eager interest of a fresh young nature to which every variety in experience is an epoch."

What more could you want?

This blog is a guide to the best free and inexpensive classic literature for the US & UK Kindle. If you enjoy my suggestions, please tell your friends who read to give my blog a try. 

Join me on Twitter, FaceBook, or Pinterest.

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For a nominal fee of 99 cents/pence, you can subscribe to this blog and have it automatically download on your Kindle. This gives you the convenience of being able to download the books directly to your Kindle, instead of downloading them to your computer and then transferring them to your Kindle. It also helps support my blog.

UK readers may go to this Amazon link to subscribe.  (Slightly more than half my readers are from the UK)

US readers may go to this Amazon link

Thank to all my readers, whether you subscribe on your Kindle or whether you read it online.  I love to get good reviews!  Who wouldn't?  Should you care to leave a review, follow these links for UK readers or US readers.

The Life of Samuel Johnson - by James Boswell

James Boswell is justly celebrated for his monumental work, The Life of Samuel Johnson. (US Edition)  (UK Edition)  (DE Edition)  It is actually offered in six volumes for the Kindle, including additional material in the last couple of volumes.

It is a long book and great fun.  You are just aghast at how much Boswell reveals about himself, and not in a complimentary light!  He devotes his life to telling the story of a great man, famous for his English dictionary.  I laughed out loud many times when I read this book some years ago.

The free Kindle version is somewhat episodic, because it inserts references to the many  The footnotes are at the end, making them difficult to access.  I find it makes the reading choppy, so you may prefer to spend a small amount to get a different version.  Be sure to first download a free chapter to ensure you are not just paying for a duplicate of the free version and that you prefer the one you are buying.   footnotes.

For a dollar, you get the whole shooting match in one Kindle volume with the footnotes interspersed with the text.   (.99  US Edition)  ( £1.39 UK Edition )  (EUR 1,56 DE Edition)   Some people dislike this format.  I prefer that to being teased with numbers referring to footnotes I can't access!  You can't please everyone . . .

Here is an account of the staging of Johnson’s play, “Irene."

Garrick being now vested with theatrical power by being manager of Drury-lane theatre, he kindly and generously made use of it to bring out Johnson's tragedy, which had been long kept back for want of encouragement. But in this benevolent purpose he met with no small difficulty from the temper of Johnson, which could not brook that a drama which he had formed with much study, and had been obliged to keep more than the nine years of Horace[575], should be revised and altered at the pleasure of an actor[576].

 Yet Garrick knew well, that without some alterations it would not be fit for the stage. A violent dispute having ensued between them, Garrick applied to the Reverend Dr. Taylor to interpose. Johnson was at first very obstinate. 'Sir, (said he) the fellow wants me to make Mahomet run mad, that he may have an opportunity of tossing his hands and kicking his heels[577].'

He was, however, at last, with difficulty, prevailed on to comply with Garrick's wishes, so as to allow of some changes; but still there were not enough. [Page 197: The Epilogue to IRENE. Ætat 40.]

Dr. Adams was present the first night of the representation of Irene, and gave me the following account: 'Before the curtain drew up, there were catcalls whistling, which alarmed Johnson's friends. The Prologue, which was written by himself in a manly strain, soothed the audience[578], and the play went off tolerably, till it came to the conclusion, when Mrs. Pritchard[579], the heroine of the piece, was to be strangled upon the stage, and was to speak two lines with the bow-string round her neck.

The audience cried out "Murder! Murder[580]!" She several times attempted to speak; but in vain. At last she was obliged to go off the stage alive.' This passage was afterwards struck out, and she was carried off to be put to death behind the scenes, as the play now has it[581].

Skip the play, read the biography. 

This blog is a guide to the best free and inexpensive classic literature for the US & UK Kindle. If you enjoy my suggestions, please tell your friends who read to give my blog a try. 

Join me on Twitter, FaceBook, or Pinterest.

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For a nominal fee of 99 cents/pence, you can subscribe to this blog and have it automatically download on your Kindle. This gives you the convenience of being able to download the books directly to your Kindle, instead of downloading them to your computer and then transferring them to your Kindle. It also helps support my blog.

UK readers may go to this Amazon link to subscribe.  (Slightly more than half my readers are from the UK)

US readers may go to this Amazon link

Thank to all my readers, whether you subscribe on your Kindle or whether you read it online.  I love to get good reviews!  Who wouldn't?  Should you care to leave a review, follow these links for UK readers or US readers.

Belinda - by Maria Edgeworth.

Before I go into my review, I am just going to edge into a rant.  I usually restrain myself, but of course that just means it will bust out even worse, so here goes . . .

David McCullough has a new book out, “The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris.”  I bought it for my grandniece for her Kindle.  She is sixteen and I thought the book might show her what is to be learned from travel.  I heard it discussed on the radio and got all excited that this would be the perfect book for her and so I bought it.  

I never would have bought it if I had not talked myself into how she had to read it.  This book, FOR KINDLE, was $19.99!  I would never pay that for a Kindle book for myself  - no matter how badly I might want to read it.  But I did buy it as a gift and gave the book one star for the preposterous price.  Warehouse costs – 0  Printing costs – 0  Shipping – a few cents.  And I am sure the author does not get anymore than he gets for the $20.63 hardback and probably less.

The UK Kindle edition is £14.99 and Amazon UK has the nerve to brag your savings are £8.17.  The hardcover is £18.37, so I am not sure how they determine those incredible savings, other than perhaps they represent what Amazon could charge if they were not so benevolent!

In the US we are told, “the publisher sets the price.”  Ahhh, poor Amazon with no influence over the publishing companies. </thus endeth the rant>

Luckily there are still free and inexpensive books out there for us to enjoy!  Here is a novel from 1801, Belinda by Maria Edgeworth.  ( $0.99 US Edition) ( £0.69 UK Edition) (EUR 2,28 DE Edition)

Per another one of those great Amazon reviewers: “For anyone looking for an accompaniment to Jane Austen this a great read about romance, dueling and regency women behaving badly.”   

Mrs. Stanhope, a well-bred woman, accomplished in that branch of knowledge which is called the art of rising in the world, had, with but a small fortune, contrived to live in the highest company. She prided herself upon having established half a dozen nieces most happily, that is to say, upon having married them to men of fortunes far superior to their own. One niece still remained unmarried—Belinda Portman, of whom she was determined to get rid with all convenient expedition. Belinda was handsome, graceful, sprightly, and highly accomplished; her aunt had endeavoured to teach her that a young lady's chief business is to please in society, that all her charms and accomplishments should be invariably subservient to one grand object—the establishing herself in the world:

    "For this, hands, lips, and eyes were put to school,
    And each instructed feature had its rule."

Mrs. Stanhope did not find Belinda such a docile pupil as her other nieces, for she had been educated chiefly in the country; she had early been inspired with a taste for domestic pleasures; she was fond of reading, and disposed to conduct herself with prudence and integrity. Her character, however, was yet to be developed by circumstances.

 Ahhh, yes.  Just what I need after a rant, a peaceful trip back to the Regency Period.

This blog is a guide to the best free and inexpensive classic literature for the US & UK Kindle. If you enjoy my suggestions, please tell your friends who read to give my blog a try. 

Join me on Twitter, FaceBook, or Pinterest.

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For a nominal fee of 99 cents/pence, you can subscribe to this blog and have it automatically download on your Kindle. This gives you the convenience of being able to download the books directly to your Kindle, instead of downloading them to your computer and then transferring them to your Kindle. It also helps support my blog.

UK readers may go to this Amazon link to subscribe.  (Slightly more than half my readers are from the UK)

US readers may go to this Amazon link

Thank to all my readers, whether you subscribe on your Kindle or whether you read it online.  I love to get good reviews!  Who wouldn't?  Should you care to leave a review, follow these links for UK readers or US readers.