Special Collections
Free Books for All!
- Table View
- List View
No Pockets in a Shroud
by Horace McCoyIs the pen really mightier than the sword – or the gun?
Mike Dolan is an investigative journalist with his eyes on a baseball bribery scandal until his editor kills the story.
Mike quits his job and starts his own magazine, determined to unearth corruption and make the world a better place. But as he goes after more and more dangerous and powerful people, will he find that he’s bitten off more than he can chew?
Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values.
Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved
Scalpel
by Horace McCoyWhat do you do when everything that you could possibly want doesn’t make you happy? Colonel Tom Owen has found a comfortable place in the world. He has a distinguished career as a military surgeon, starting during World War II and extending into the lingering action in Europe. He is content, until a period of leave brings him back home to Coalville, Pennsylvania. His brother Lloyd was killed in a mining accident and has been blamed for causing it. His nephew has left school and his mother is under siege from striking miners. Almost as shocking is his encounter with Helen Curtis – the daughter of the mine’s owner - who falls for him as hard as he falls for her. She convinces him to leave the army and hang his shingle back in Pittsburgh, but treating the ailments and the rich and fashionable quickly loses its charm. Dr. Owen believes himself a hack and fraud … maybe he’s right? Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
by Horace McCoyA classic hard-boiled novel, trading back alleys and detectives offices for a dance marathon. Robert is an aspiring director which, in Depression-era Hollywood, means that he’s an out-of-work extra. This might explain why he lets Gloria, similarly unemployed and similarly hunting for a break, talk him into being her partner in a marathon dance competition, despite having only just met her. But hey, there’s free food and a place to sleep (for 10 minutes every hour), so that can’t be terrible, right? But as the days and weeks wear on, Gloria’s gloominess and talk of dying become more and more frequent, leaving Robert to wonder what he’s gotten himself into. Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
by Carson McCullersThe Heart Is a Lonely Hunter is the first novel from the critically acclaimed author Carson McCullers, and one that made her an overnight literary sensation at age twenty-three. Ambitious in scope, this book presents five radically different characters whose troubled lives intersect in the Depression-era south. At the center of the novel is John Singer, a deaf-mute, who becomes a confidant to the town’s four misfits, helping them to navigate their troubles. The five characters unite in a cry of isolation from being voiceless and rejected; the result is a vision of existence as terrible as it is real and as violent as it is beautiful. Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
Bartleby, the Scrivener
by Herman MelvilleA deceptively simple premise – a scrivener who refuses to work – gives way to one of the most spectacular works of a great American author. When a Manhattan lawyer’s workload increases, he hires a new scrivener to help manage the workload. At first Bartleby, is an excellent addition to the office. But when his productivity starts dropping – and doesn’t stop – his boss has to intervene. Yet he is baffled when the only answer he can get from Bartleby about working is, “I would prefer not to.” Bartleby refuses to work, but refuses to leave. What’s to be done with Bartleby? Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
The Confidence-Man
by Herman MelvilleA Canterbury Tales for pre-Civil War America. On April Fool’s Day the titular Confidence-Man stows away aboard a steamboat, where he tests the motley group of passengers, forcing them to wrestle with their own confidence and where they place their trust. Melville weaves their stories together into an amazing satirical tapestry that crosses genres and styles. It was his final novel, and one of his most challenging. Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
Israel Potter
by Herman MelvilleThe Odyssey meets Forrest Gump. Israel Potter is a simple farmer from the Berkshires, but when the American Revolution breaks out, he bravely volunteers to fight for country and freedom. After a disastrous first battle on land, he tries his hand at seafaring, only to be captured by the British. Thus begins a whirlwind string of adventures that put him in the path of some of history’s greatest figures – but no closer to returning to the home that he misses so dearly.
Moby-Dick; or, The Whale
by Herman Melville“Call me Ishmael.” Thus begins one of the classics of American literature.
A masterful tale of revenge, Moby Dick follows the relentless quest of Captain Ahab to find and slay the whale that stole his leg. The story touches of topics ranging from the technicalities of whale oil to the existence of God, and all things in between.
It is Melville’s most ambitious novel, bending genres and styles, and is still considered one of the greatest achievements in American writing. Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values.
Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
Redburn
by Herman MelvilleThe life of a sailor isn’t all its cracked up to be.
Wellingborough Redburn cannot find employment in his native New York, and so signs aboard the merchantship Highlander, on its journey to Liverpool.
He discovers that he is a “boy,” the lowest rank among the crew, and has to contend with the worst, most offensive duties, and the abuse of the seaman Jackson. Redburn proves to be a quick study at both the craft of seafaring and the surprisingly intricate social dynamics among the crewmembers, but will it be enough to turn his voyage around?
Drawing equally on Melville’s experiences at sea and his talent for cleverly poking fun at human foibles, this is a wonderful treat from a spectacular writer.
Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
Peyton Place
by Grace MetaliousPeyton Place is a sleepy little American town, like any other. But like any other, it harbours its fair share of secrets. Constance MacKenzie is a widower—or so the residents of Peyton Place believe. In reality, after leaving Peyton Place she carried on an affair that lasted until her illicit lover’s untimely death.
No one in town knows the truth—not even her daughter, Allison, a budding intellectual and aspiring author.
Allison feels lonely and isolated in Peyton Place, save for the company of her best friend, Selena Cross, a poor girl trapped under the thumb of an abusive step-father. As the ebb and flow of small-town drama cascades over Peyton Place, the three women must navigate the constraints of their pasts, the potential of their futures, and growing understandings of their own sexuality.
Peyton Place was a resoundingly successful—and deeply controversial—novel when published, bolstered by its colourful cast and frank discussions of sex and sexuality. It was adapted as a film, and then a prime time television series.
Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
Don Quixote
by Miguel De Cervantes SaavedraRevered as one of the greatest and most influential works of fiction ever written, Don Quixote was published in two parts (1605 and 1615). It chronicles the adventures of Don Quixote (Alonso Quixano), an aging knight bemused by reading chivalric romances who sets off on his horse—faithful squire in tow—to seek adventure. Experimental in form and literary playfulness, Don Quixote is funny, heartwarming, and an instant classic. Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
On Liberty
by John Stuart MillOn Liberty presents John Stuart Mill's theory of utilitarianism, which posits that all conduct should be directed toward the achievement of happiness. The individual should be able to govern himself in this pursuit. One of the great works of 19th century philosophy, On Liberty remains relevant, highly-readable and fascinating.Sayre Street Books offers the world's greatest literature in easy to navigate, beautifully designed digital editions.
Life in the Backwoods
by Susanna MoodieLife in the Backwoods in Susanna Moodie's follow-up to her first memoir, Roughing It in the Bush. She and her family leave the home they've carved out in the bush for new opportunities in Canada's frontier. Once again she chronicles their struggles, sorrows, and joys as they try to build a life for themselves in a place that can be equal parts bounteous and unforgiving. Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
Bushido
by Inazo NitobeThere are eight virtues of Bushido, the code of the samurai: justice, courage, benevolence, politeness, sincerity, honor, loyalty, and self-control. These virtues comprise the essence of Japanese cultural beliefs, which are still present today.Inazo Nitobe, one of Japan's most respected scholars, explores the ethical code of the samurai and contextualizes it within Japan's traditions of Buddhism, Shintoism, and Confucianism. He then compares and contrasts Eastern values with those present in Western societies. Written in English and first published in 1905, this classic introduction to Japan's samurai culture has been a best-seller for decades. Focus on Asian Studies says it is "a must for an understanding of the soul of Japan."
Twelve Years a Slave
by Solomon Northup"This is no fiction, no exaggeration. If I have failed in anything, it has been in presenting to the reader too prominently the bright side of the picture."Solomon Northup-s best-selling memoir recounts his harrowing experience of being kidnapped and sold into slavery. First published in 1853, the book explores the horrors Northup endured as a result of his enslavement, and provides a shocking account of his struggles to reclaim his freedom. Twelve Years a Slave was made into an Academy-Award winning film starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Lupita Nyong'o, Michael Kenneth Williams, Michael Fassbender, Paul Giamatti, and Benedict Cumberbatch.Be it mystery, romance, drama, comedy, politics, or history, great literature stands the test of time. ClassicJoe proudly brings literary classics to today's digital readers, connecting those who love to read with authors whose work continues to get people talking. Look for other fiction and non-fiction classics from ClassicJoe.
William James on the Courage to Believe
by Robert J. O'ConnellWilliam James’ celebrated lecture on “The Will to Believe” has kindled spirited controversy since the day it was delivered. In this lively reappraisal of that controversy, Father O’Connell contributes some fresh contentions: that James’ argument should be viewed against his indebtedness to Pascal and Renouvier; that it works primarily to validate our “over-beliefs” ; and most surprising perhaps, that James envisages our “passional nature” as intervening, not after, but before and throughout, our intellectual weighing of the evidence for belief.
Isis in America
by Henry OlcottTheosophical Society cofounder Colonel Henry Steel Olcott's memoirs cover his years with Madame Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and the birth of the American occult--part of the new Tarcher Supernatural Library.
There are few more intriguing, or polarizing, figures in modern American spiritual history than Madame Helena Petrovna Blavatsky. The cofounder of the Theosophical Society, Blavatsky remains a figure of fascination more than a century after her death. In Isis in America--one of the most unique documents of recent American spiritual history--we get a closer look at Blavatsky, through the eyes of Theosophical Society cofounder, writer, lawyer, investigator, and Blavatsky confidant Henry Steel Olcott. Olcott spent years by Blavatsky's side, witnessing acts of aura projection and spontaneously produced objects--and undergoing his own spiritual awakening--as they laid the foundations for a new era in esoteric spirituality. This special edition features a comprehensive timeline of the life of Henry Steel Olcott by Mitch Horowitz.
The first three titles released in Tarcher's Supernatural Library are Ghost Hunter (by Hans Holzer), Romance of Sorcery (by Sax Rohmer) and Isis in America (by Henry Steel Olcott).
A Clergyman's Daughter
by George OrwellAn ambitious novel by one of the great author’s of the twentieth century, exploring faith and doubt, class disparity, the nature of education, and more. Dorothy Hare lives in a small village with her father, the hard-hearted town rector. She juggles her time between working for the Church and keeping the house for her father, while simultaneously ensuring that he never has to deal with the minutia of everyday life. She is struck with amnesia, and force to invent a new life for herself in a strange city, while, unbeknownst to her, her disappearance is becoming national news. Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
Coming Up for Air
by George OrwellA thoughtful exploration of growing up, growing old, and of whether you can, in fact, go home again, by one of the twentieth century’s greatest writers. George Bowling is forty-five year old insurance salesman with a wife and two kids. In an attempt to escape the monotonous banality of his life he takes some money that he won gambling and uses it to finance a trip to where he grew up, to see places and faces that he remembers from his youth. Unfortunately for George, reality isn’t as rosy as his memories. Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
Down and Out in Paris and London
by George OrwellThe first book from the author of Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four. Down and Out in Paris and London is an account of George Orwell's experiences with poverty in France and England.
First, in France, he struggles to make ends meet while looking for work at various Restaurants, and when he manages to find employment, he discovers that the hours of cruelly long and the pay low staggeringly low. Eventually, he retreats to England with the promise of work, only to find that it will not start for several weeks. When his meager savings run out, he is forced to live on the streets until his new positions begins. It is a frank, honest depiction of a bleak way to live. Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
Homage to Catalonia
by George OrwellA first-hand account of the horrors of the Spanish Civil War, straight from the pen of one of the twentieth century's most renowned authors.
In 1936, George Orwell enlisted with a left-wing Spanish militia organization, The Workers' Part of Marxist Unification, out of a combined desire to fight against fascism and to record the events of the war. He fought against the fascist forces for several months, before infighting among the various left-wing groups turned him against former allies, and eventually forced him to flee the country. Homage to Catalonia is a vivid, intensely personal retelling of these events. Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
Ninteen Eighty-Four
by George OrwellGeorge Orwell's dystopian masterpiece, Nineteen Eighty-Four is perhaps the most pervasively influential book of the twentieth century, published with an introduction by Ben Pimlott in Penguin Modern Classics. 'Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past' Hidden away in the Record Department of the sprawling Ministry of Truth, Winston Smith skilfully rewrites the past to suit the needs of the Party. Yet he inwardly rebels against the totalitarian world he lives in, which demands absolute obedience and controls him through the all-seeing telescreens and the watchful eye of Big Brother, symbolic head of the Party. In his longing for truth and liberty, Smith begins a secret love affair with a fellow-worker Julia, but soon discovers the true price of freedom is betrayal. If you enjoyed Nineteen Eighty-Four, you might like Orwell's Animal Farm, also available in Penguin Modern Classics. 'His final masterpiece . . . enthralling and indispensible for understanding modern history' Timothy Garton-Ash, New York Review of Books 'The book of the twentieth century . . . haunts us with an ever-darker relevance' Independent
The Road to Wigan Pier
by George OrwellA brutally honest portrait of Depression-era British poverty, written by one of the country’s great authors.
One of George Orwell’s non-fiction works, The Road to Wigan Pier is an investigation of the harsh living conditions found among the poorer classes in pre-World War II northern England.
The first half is a direct, often blunt description of several families and homes, while the second is a more abstract consideration of the potential for socialism to improve what he sees as unacceptable circumstance for the workers.
He also contemplates his own privileged, middle-class upbringing. Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values.
Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
Shooting an Elephant
by George OrwellA biting critique of British imperialism, wrapped in a highly personal story about a police officer in colonial Burma. While he is most famous for his long-form fiction, including such works as Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farm, George Orwell was also an accomplished essayist, and Shooting an Elephant stands as one of his best, and most well known, pieces. Orwell worked as a police officer in Burma earlier in his, and there has been a great deal of debate about whether the story is autobiographical. Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in eibook form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
Common Sense
by Thomas PaineThe rousing argument for independence that inspired a nation Published anonymously in 1776, this landmark political pamphlet spread across the colonies more rapidly than any document of its kind ever had before. Its words were read aloud in town squares, its pages affixed to tavern walls. Both a clear-eyed, plainly stated case for separation from Great Britain and a stirring call to action, Common Sense sparked the imagination of a fledgling nation and played a decisive role in the march toward revolution. Thomas Paine’s masterpiece is crucial reading for any student of American history. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.