Botchan (1906) is a novel by Natsume Sōseki. Inspired by his experience as a teacher on the island of Shikoko, Sōseki composed a beloved tale of growth and moral decency that continues to be read in Japan and around the world to this day. Filled with humorous asides and heartwarming scenes, Botchan is a classic bildungsroman from one of Japan's most successful twentieth century writers. Ever since his childhood days in Tokyo, Botchan has experienced...

Confessions of a Young Man (1888) is a memoir by George Moore. Originally written in French, it is a record of his life in Paris as a young man with money and dreams to spare. Controversial for its depictions of bohemianism and pointed critique of Victorian morality, Confessions of a Young Man has been recognized as an invaluable portrait of nineteenth century Paris and the geniuses who struggled to reshape art in their image. Degas. Renoir. Monet....

After the release of D.H Lawrence's compelling novel, Sons and Lovers, which details a complicated and borderline abusive relationship between a mother and son, many critics sought issues with the content, accusing Lawrence of writing a shameful and incestuous novel. Amid this criticism, Lawrence was inspired to write Fantasia of the Unconscious, explaining the themes and topics that often find their way into his work while defending himself against...

Hawaiian Legends of Ghosts and Ghost-Gods (1915) is a collection of Hawaiian folktales and myths by W. D. Westervelt. Connecting the origin story of Hawaii to the traditions of other Polynesian cultures, Westervelt provides an invaluable resource for understanding the historical and geographical scope of Hawaiian culture. Drawing on the work of David Malo, Samuel Kamakau, and Abraham Fornander, Westervelt, originally from Ohio, became a leading authority...

A Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin is a "supplement" book published to document Harriet Beecher Stowe's bestselling book and anti-slavery novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin. An instant classic, Uncle Tom's Cabin (which was first published in 1852) had a profound impact on attitudes toward African Americans and slavery in the United States. Stowe's novel, which was highly controversial at the time, provoked a firestorm of competing and contradictory responses among...

Margaret Ogilvy (1897) is a biography by J. M. Barrie. Although he is more widely known as a popular storyteller whose Peter Pan books are filled with the wit and wonder of history's greatest fairytales, Barrie was also a gifted memoirist and biographer. Margaret Ogilvy is the story of his mother and their life as a family in Scotland. Written in tribute to her influence on his life as a professional writer, Margaret Ogilvy was a bestselling book...

Ten Days in a Mad-House (1887) is a book by American investigative journalist Nellie Bly. For her first assignment for Joseph Pulitzer's famed New York World newspaper, Bly went undercover as a patient at a notorious insane asylum on Blackwell's Island. Spending ten days there, she recorded the abuses and neglect she witnessed, turning her research into a sensational two-part story for the New York World later published as Ten Days in a Mad-House. Checking...

American Indian Stories (1921) is a collection of stories and essays from Yankton Dakota writer Zitkála-Šá. Published while Zitkála-Šá was at the height of her career as an artist and activist, American Indian Stories collects the author's personal experiences, the legends and stories passed down through Sioux oral tradition, and her own reflections on the mistreatment of American Indians nationwide. In "My Mother," Zitkála-Šá remembers...

First Published in 1920, "Darkwater: Voices from Within the Veil" is the first of three autobiographical works by W. E. B. Du Bois, the American sociologist, educator, author, historian, and civil rights activist. Presented as a collection of essays, poems, and spiritual songs, "Darkwater" is part personal memoir and part social commentary and criticism. Du Bois was deeply spiritual and relied heavily on his Christian beliefs throughout his life....

Hawaiian Legends of Volcanoes (1916) is a collection of Hawaiian folktales and myths by W. D. Westervelt. Connecting the origin story of Hawaii to the traditions of other Polynesian cultures, Westervelt provides an invaluable resource for understanding the historical and geographical scope of Hawaiian culture. Drawing on the work of David Malo, Samuel Kamakau, and Abraham Fornander, Westervelt, originally from Ohio, became a leading authority on the...