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This collection includes six masterpieces from American literature. All our titles are enriched by an extensive critical apparatus, notes and extra reading material, as well as a selection of photographs:

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Regarded as Fitzgerald’s masterpiece and one of the greatest novels of American literature, The Great Gatsby is a vivid chronicle of the excesses and decadence of the Jazz Age, as well as a timeless cautionary critique of the American dream.

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s tense narrative astonished readers with its unparalleled psychological depth when it first appeared, and the novel now stands as one of America’s literary landmarks.

Moby Dick by Herman Melville

One of the great American novels, if not the greatest, Moby Dick epically combines rip-roaring adventure, a meticulously realistic portrayal of the whaling trade and a profound philosophical disquisition on the nature of good and evil.

Tales of Horror by Edgar Allan Poe

Immensely popular both during and after his lifetime, and a powerful influence on generations of writers and film-makers to this day, Edgar Allan Poe is still counted among the greatest short-story writers of all time and seen as one of the initiators of the detective, horror and science-fiction genres.

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Widely considered one of the greatest American novels, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn tells the story of Huck Finn and his companion, the slave Jim, as they journey down the Mississippi river after running away from Huck’s alcoholic father and Jim’s owners.

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

An extraordinarily well-observed dissection of New York high society in the 1870s – the world in which Edith Wharton grew up – The Age of Innocence shines a critical light on the social mores and values of the old order.

Also available Essential Russian Masterpieces and Essential French Masterpieces