Collins classics

Based on a lecture given at Cambridge and first published in 1929, `A Room of One's Own' interweaves Woolf's personal experience as a female writer with themes ranging from Austen and Bronte to Shakespeare's gifted (and imaginary) sister. `Three Guineas', Woolf's most impassioned polemic, came almost a decade later and broke new ground by challenging the very notions of war and masculinity. This volume combines two inspirational, witty and urbane essays from one of literature's pre-eminent voices; collectively they constitute a brilliant and lucid attack on sexual inequality.

HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics. "My heart is good, but still I am a monster." A poor merchant, lost deep in the woods during a storm, seeks refuge in a forbidding castle. Thinking it is deserted, he takes advantage of the food and shelter he finds there. But when he plucks a rose from the garden as a gift for his daughter, he is attacked by a hideous beast who demands the merchant's daughter, Beauty, in repayment for his hospitality. Banished to the castle and fearful for her life, Beauty surrenders herself to the mercy of the Beast...This edition includes Jeanne Marie Leprince de Beaumont's version of the classic story, and brings together many other best-loved fairy tales from Hans Christian Andersen, the Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault, many of which have been the subject of film adaptations. Other classic stories included in this edition: Beauty and the Beast The Ugly Duckling The Emperor's New Suit The Little Mermaid Little Tiny, or Thumbelina The Princess and the Pea The Red Shoes Rapunzel Hansel and Gretel Little Red-Cap, or Little Red Riding Hood The Elves and the Shoemaker Snow-White and Rose-Red Blue Beard Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood Puss in Boots Little Tom Thumb

Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert are expecting a young orphan boy to help them with farmwork at Green Gables. But when a skinny, red-haired girl turns up instead, immediately certain she's home, they get much more than they bargained for. Spirited, adventurous and imaginative, Anne Shirley quickly charms her way into the hearts of the Cuthberts, the entire town of Avonlea and, over 100 years later, the hearts of generations of readers.

The gods, heroes and legends of Greek mythology and their Roman interpretations are as fascinating as they are instructive. They include the almighty Zeus and his many wives; heroic Perseus, slayer of the snake-headed Medusa; Helen of Troy, whose beauty caused a great war; Medea, driven mad by jealousy; and tragic Persephone, doomed to live half of each year in the Underworld, condemning the world above to winter. First published in 1880, this comprehensive collection is an early modern retelling of the characters and tales of ancient Greece and Rome; a popular account which offers an important insight into the ancient civilisations that it evokes, and forms a basis for our understanding of the classical world.

Despite dating from the 4th century BC, The Art of Rhetoric continues to be regarded by many as the single most important work on the art of persuasion. As democracy began emerging in 5th-century Athens, public speaking and debate became an increasingly important tool to garner influence in the assemblies, councils, and law courts of ancient Greece. In response to this, both politicians and ordinary citizens became desperate to learn greater skills in this area, as well as the philosophy behind it. This treatise was one of the first to provide just that, establishing methods and observations of informal reasoning and style, and has continued to be hugely influential on public speaking and philosophy today. Aristotle, the grandfather of philosophy, student of Plato, and teacher of Alexander the Great, was one of the first people to create a comprehensive system of philosophy, encompassing logic, morality, aesthetics, politics, ethics, and science. Although written over 2,000 years ago, The Art of Rhetoric remains a comprehensive introduction for philosophy students into the subject of rhetoric, as well as a useful manual for anyone today looking to improve their oratory skills of persuasion.