This "beginner's guide" introduces the reader to the life and works of Dostoyevsky by exploring the range and versatility of his thought-provoking writing, by considering the characteristic features and recurrent themes of his works, and by focusing on his concern with writing as a means of understanding the human condition. Analysis of his 3 most famous works (Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, and The Brothers) is also included. [From publisher's...

Franz Kafka's classic 1915 novella tells the story of traveling salesman Gregor Samsa, who wakes one morning to find himself transformed into some sort of monstrous insect. In her new translation, Susan Bernofsky strives to capture both the humor and the humanity in this macabre tale, underscoring the ways in which Samsa's grotesque metamorphosis is just the physical manifestation of his longstanding spiritual impoverishment.

The King of France gives Helena the hand of any man she wants in marriage, but the one she chooses, Bertram, flees to Tuscany, and she must use her wits to get him back; this text includes background on the play's sources and stage history, as well as a textual analysis.

Offers detailed accounts of sixty-five poems that span Frost's writing career and assesses the particular nature of the poet's style, discussing how it changes over time and relates to the works of contemporary poets and movements.