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In broad daylight, a businessman was kidnapped on the streets of New York's Upper East Side, and a miniature noose used for hanging was left at the scene. A nine-year-old girl was the only witness to the crime. This case is full of doubts and requires the intervention of the highest level criminal investigation experts. Criminal investigation experts Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs were ordered to investigate. Soon, the case took an even stranger turn: a video surfaced of the victim being slowly choked. The struggling gasps became the background sound of a strange music. The author of the video claimed to be a composer... Despite the best efforts of the police to solve the case, the suspect escaped. So when a similar kidnapping occurs on a dusty road outside Naples, Italy, Rhyme and Sachs don't hesitate to join the hunt.

"Laughter in the Dark" is a black allegory parodying melodrama by the novelist Nabokov. It was written in Berlin in 1932 under the title "Camera Obscura" and published in Paris and Berlin. It was translated into English by Way Loy in 1936 and published in London under its original name. In 1938, it was significantly revised and re-translated by Nabokov himself and published in New York under the name "Laughter in the Dark". The novel imitates the kind of cheap love triangle stories popular in movies in the 1920s and 1930s. It uses the movie as its title at the beginning to introduce the relationship between the main characters. The actor Obinus wants to use the new technique of animation to "animate" the paintings of ancient masters, and proposes to cooperate with the caricature painter Rex. Obinas fell in love with the theater usher Margot at first sight. Margot, who was "obsessed with watching movies," dreamed of becoming a movie star. When she was convinced that he belonged to a class that could "provide the conditions for her to be on stage and screen," she decided to associate with him. The banquet hosted by Obinas to entertain the stars creates an opportunity for Margot to reunite with her former lover Rex, thus forming a triangle relationship until the novel ends in tragedy.

"Selected Short Stories of Maupassant" is a collection of representative works of Maupassant in various periods, including "Ball of Suet", "The Necklace", "My Uncle Jules" and other classic works. In Maupassant's works, there are the urban bottom characters who are kind-hearted but are exploited and spurned by hypocritical decent people, the vain girl Mathilde who worked hard all her life for a fake necklace, and a family who were distorted by money and abandoned their family ties... These works represent Maupassant's outstanding achievements in short story creation, and are still of awakening significance in today's era.

"Tess" is one of Hardy's important masterpieces. The novel takes the experiences of the heroine Tess as the main line, describing the conflict between the beautiful poetic image and the surrounding gloomy reality. It vividly describes the disintegration of the small-scale peasant economy after capitalism invaded the British countryside at the end of the 19th century and the painful process of individual farmers heading towards poverty and bankruptcy. Through the description of the double persecution suffered by a pure woman both mentally and physically, it reveals the rich and profound spiritual world of a woman, and boldly and ruthlessly exposes and accuses the laws, religion, ethics, marriage system and the essence of capitalism in capitalist society.

Goethe (1749-1832), a German literary giant. "The Sorrows of Young Werther" is his most important early work. This is an epistolary novel, and the author was only twenty-five years old when he wrote it. The novel describes the experiences and feelings of progressive young people about the despicable German society at that time, and expresses the author's reaction to the feudal moral hierarchy and his strong demand for individual liberation: the young Werther fell in love with a girl named Lotte, who was already engaged to someone else. The setback in love made Werther devastated. Later, Werther committed suicide because he was incompatible with feudal society and felt that his future was hopeless. "The Sorrows of Young Werther" came out in 1775. Its publication was considered an epoch-making event in the history of German literature; it shocked the hearts of an entire generation of young people in Germany and even Europe.

This book mainly tells the story of the Taira family headed by Taira Kiyomori. The first six volumes describe the prosperity and arrogance and arrogance of the Taira family; the last seven volumes focus on describing the battle between the two great samurai groups of Genpei, exaggerating the tragic ending of the Taira family's eventual annihilation. The book quotes a considerable number of Chinese classics. It was once performed vividly by Master Pipa from Japan. The author mainly focuses on the two periods of the Taira family (the Taira Kiyoshi period and the Taira clan's prosperous period), and describes after the Homoto Rebellion and the Heiji Rebellion. The whole article is mainly in the form of a history book, in which the author adds his views on many events, forming a structure in which the author is looking for the reasons for the decline of the Taira clan as the main clue. This book is a hardcover version with color illustrations and inserts.

The novel describes the protagonist's life of struggle, from the awakening of his musical talent as a child, to his contempt and resistance to the powerful in his youth, to his career pursuit and success as an adult, and finally to the lofty state of spiritual tranquility. It is a novel that reflects a series of contradictions and conflicts in real society through the life experience of the protagonist, and promotes humanitarianism and heroism.

"Jude the Obscure" is the last novel written by British writer Thomas Hardy, published in 1895. The novel narrates the tragedy of the life of rural young Jude in a tragic tone. Jude was studious, thoughtful and diligent in self-study, but he was always rejected from the university. The heroine Shu is smart and beautiful, and more importantly, has an independent personality and thoughts, and despises secularity and rigid religion. However, her love with Jude is not tolerated by the church and despised by the world. Jude's ambition was unrewarded, he had no way to find a job, and he had no way to borrow money. In despair, his eldest son hanged together with his weak sister and younger brother. Shu suffered this tragic change and finally succumbed to fate and the church. She left her beloved Jude, and her free thoughts and independent personality were destroyed. Jude, on the other hand, indulged in drinking all day long, became depressed and became ill, and died of resentment before he reached thirty.

December, the coldest month of winter, also known as the "cold month", is a time when all things go dormant and die. It was at this moment that New York City ushered in a terrifying serial killer-the clockmaker. The unknown dead body at the dock, the office workers who live a simple life, the flower shop owner, the serving military officer... What do these people have in common? The murderer left no trace at the scene, just like a perfect criminal who could not exist. For the first time, Lincoln Rhyme was so at a loss about a case, and yet, his right-hand assistant Sachs was investigating "another case" again. The only thing that is the same is that the victims all received an eerie moon clock and a business card signed by the clockmaker. Two of them had been brutally killed, and the rest seemed to hear the approaching footsteps of death. Tick, tick. That's the sound of a clock.

"How Steel Was Tempered" is a novel written by the former Soviet writer Nikolai Ostrovsky, written in 1933. By narrating the growth path of Paul Korchagin, the novel tells people that only when a person defeats the enemy and himself in the hardships of the revolution, and only when he connects his pursuit with the interests of the motherland and the people, can he create miracles and grow into a steel warrior.

This is a literary review written in the form of essays, and it is also a book of Maugham's insights into reading and philosophy. When you open this book, you will be stunned by the little-known sides of the top ten literary giants: Dostoevsky, whom everyone admires, was addicted to gambling and liked to advance manuscript fees but did not submit manuscripts on time; Balzac was vain and flashy, and often owed money. Not to return; Jane Austen's tacky clothes and low taste... Maugham's almost ruthless and bloody comments about the great masters are not intended to sensationalize, but to present their truest and most human side to the readers. In Maugham's words, "Knowing what kind of person the author is can help you better understand the author's works." Maugham not only told the personalities, hobbies and life experiences of the ten writers, but also introduced ten great novels. Once opened, you will enter a rich and wonderful world of literature.

Grandpa and Noah sat on a bench in the square, sharing their obsession with math and numbers. Every day, the walk home becomes longer and longer, and everything around me becomes blurry. Grandpa knew that his memories were gradually passing away, and he could only hold Noah's hand tightly, hoping to make Noah disappear in the end. Sometimes sitting next to Grandpa is his son Ted. Ted doesn't like math and only likes writing and guitar. Throughout his life, he has been waiting for his father to accompany him, encourage him and recognize him. The forgotten things are remembered again, the resentful ones are finally forgiven, and we miss someone who is still alive. We should all learn how to say goodbye.

"Selected Novels and Novels by Mark Twain" selects thirty-five of the author's most popular works and arranges them in chronological order. These works are extensive in content and profound in meaning, and each one is full of humorous satire.

It records a woman's passionate confession at the end of her life in the form of a letter, telling her love for a man since childhood and never asking for a response throughout her life, and expressing the pathos and determination of a secret love.

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"Rain" is the first volume of "The Complete Collection of Maugham's Short Stories", which contains a total of 12 short stories. These stories take place in different corners of the world, such as Samoa, Tahiti, Hawaii and the Mediterranean Riviera in the South Pacific, and are full of suspense. The complex human nature and the unknowable life are vividly revealed under Maugham's sharp writing. He conveys the themes of modernism - loneliness, absurdity and disillusionment - through realist techniques and fascinating stories. This is a distinctive feature that distinguishes him from other writers. No wonder people call him "the most talented writer who knows how to tell stories."

"Loving Life" consists of a series of 12 representative northern story short stories by Jack London. Including "Love of Life", "Northern Odyssey", "Wisdom on the Road", "A Piece of Steak", etc. These stories take place near the North Pole, where cold is its most striking feature. The weather is cold, the ground is cold, life is cold, and even his words are cold, so he writes about the hardness and toughness of life and human nature. The Arctic, gold rush, Indians, and exploration combine to form a spectacular picture, a magnificent wilderness scene. What we see is the fragile life and tenacious strength.

Zweig is a world-renowned master of psychological novels. This book is planned to be included in Zweig's popular short and medium-sized novels such as "Fear", "Emotional Chaos", "The Story of Chess", "Mendel the Used Bookseller", "The Sinking of the Heart" and "Invisible Pressure". These works deeply portray the psychology of the characters, especially the subconscious. The translators Zhang Yushu, Zhao Dengrong, Pan Zili, Zhang Rongchang, and Hu Qiding are all well-known German literary translators in China. Their translations are faithful and smooth and convey the charm of the original work very well. Zweig is a German-language writer loved by Chinese readers. 2022 Marks the 80th anniversary of his death. This book is released as a commemoration of him.

"The Dying Flesh" tells the story of an unusual erotic relationship between David Kepusch, an American professor who is over sixty years old, and his student, Consuela, a twenty-four-year-old Cuban girl. Kepus was obsessed with Consuela's body, and for Consuela, his age and status legitimately gave her the right to submit. However, gradually, the fear of the age gap and the jealousy of youth robbed Kepus of his self-confidence, leaving him struggling between sex and death. The end of this relationship made him suffer for a long time. Eight years later, on a New Year's Eve, the day before Consuela was about to have a mastectomy, she made her first phone call to David Kepusch in eight years, asking him to take the last photos of her body...

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The protagonist Bayerle is a young doctor who is completely apolitical. He likes to cultivate tulips, and is trying to cultivate a large black tulip without any variegation, because the first person to cultivate a black tulip will receive a considerable bonus. Beierle's neighbor Boxdale also wanted to cultivate black tulips in order to get the bonus. He was very jealous of Bayerle, fearing that Bayerle would gain the upper hand first. He unscrupulously monitored Bayerle's actions and secretly destroyed the tulips he cultivated. Later, he falsely accused Bayerle of hiding letters that were detrimental to the Dutch governorship, causing him to be innocently imprisoned and almost guillotined. Baierle met and fell in love with the guard's daughter Rosa in prison, and finally got married. The book tells thrilling and tear-jerking stories around Black Tulip. The work mainly uses Byerle's experience to describe the fierce political struggle at that time. In order to seize power, the Prince of Orange did not hesitate to murder his adoptive father, and finally became King William III of England, which made people sigh. And the sentence at the end of the book, "Sometimes a person has suffered too much in his life, giving him the right to never say - I am too happy", even more makes the happy life that has gone through hardships cast a trace of sadness.

Charles Dees called A Tale of Two Cities his "best work". The story is set against the backdrop of the French Revolution in the 18th century, connecting the two major cities of Paris and London. Manette, a famous doctor living in Paris, accidentally witnessed the atrocities committed by the feudal aristocrats Evermonde brothers who treated human life indiscriminately. Because of their injustice, he was thrown into the Bastille and imprisoned for eighteen years. After being released from prison, Manette's daughter Lucy fell in love with her enemy's son Dardenne. As a result, in the vortex of the French Revolution, scenes of family grudges were grandly staged... Through the confrontation of love and hate, and the struggle between good and evil, as the author said, "love can always defeat hate" and "evil is often short-lived and will perish together with the evildoer, while good will last forever", achieving the author's consistent creative intention of punishing evil and promoting good.

"Shipwreck" is Rabindranath Tagore's masterpiece. The whole story describes the joys and sorrows of Nari Naksha and Kamana, an extremely pious and kind-hearted young couple. The accidental encounters in the story clearly indicate in Tago's writing that everything is God's arrangement or God's will. He deliberately used this to promote his religious ideas. But more importantly, Tagore actually fully expressed his outlook on life and world view through this story.

"Rashomon" tells the story of a dismissed servant and an old woman who was a robber. When faced with a life-or-death decision, they "reviled the evil with evil" to survive "as a matter of course". The novel uses a suffocating and compact layout to push people to the limit of life and death choices, conveying the author's perspective and thinking on human nature. "Rashomon" contains the most representative works of Ryunosuke Akutagawa: "Rashomon", "In the Bamboo Forest", "Hell Transformation", "The Nose", "Yam Porridge", "Kappa" and "Words of the Dwarf". Each novel is a classic work by the author. The plot of the novel is mysterious and profoundly demonstrates the choices and entanglements of human desire, conscience, and interests.

Tom lost his mother when he was young and was adopted by his aunt. The smart and naughty Tom couldn't stand the control of his aunt and school teachers, and often skipped school and got into trouble. Late one night, while playing in a cemetery with his good friend Huckleberry Finn, he accidentally witnessed a murder. Because they were afraid that the murderer would discover that they knew about it, Tom and Huckleberry fled to a desert island with another friend and became "pirates". The family thought they were drowned, but they turned up at their own "funeral". After a fierce ideological struggle, Tom finally stood up bravely and testified against the murderer. Not long after, during a picnic, he and his beloved girl Betsy got lost in a cave. They were hungry and cold for three days and nights, and faced the threat of death. Later, he finally escaped from danger and found the treasure buried by the murderer with his friend Huck.

"Treasure Island" is the most widely circulated masterpiece among all Stevenson's works. Its storyline originated from a map drawn by the author. "Treasure Island" has been translated into various languages ​​and widely circulated around the world, and has been put on the screen many times. The novel vividly describes the thrilling story of young Jim meeting a captain by chance, accidentally obtaining a treasure map, going to Treasure Island to hunt for treasure, fighting wits and courage with pirates, and finally finding the treasure after going through untold hardships. The novel uses Jim's personal experience to tell us that the most valuable thing in this world is not gold and silver, but the beautiful qualities of human nature such as love, bravery and sense of justice.

"Robinson Crusoe" is a full-length adventure novel by the British writer Daniel Defoe. It is the pioneer of British realist novels and a pioneer of nautical adventure novels. The novel tells the story of the protagonist, Robinson Crusoe, who encountered a storm on his way to Africa and drifted alone to an uninhabited desert island, where he began to live an isolated life. With his strong will and unremitting efforts, he survived on the desert island.

A broker of the British Stock Exchange already had a solid career, status, and a happy family, but he became obsessed with painting and felt like he was "possessed by the devil." He suddenly abandoned his home and went to Paris to pursue his ideal of painting. No one could understand his behavior. In a foreign country, he not only suffered physically from poverty and hunger, but also endured mental pain in search of expression techniques. After some bizarre encounters, the protagonist leaves the civilized world after his death and escapes to the isolated island of Tahiti. He finally found peace of soul and an atmosphere suitable for his artistic temperament. He lived with an indigenous woman and created one masterpiece after another that shocked later generations. Before he contracted leprosy and became blind, he painted a great work depicting the Garden of Eden on the fourth wall of his house. But before his death, he ordered the indigenous woman to burn the painting after his death.

The first beautiful fairy tale written for adults in the history of literature! Wilde's masterpiece truly entered the temple of literature, and has since become the embodiment of beauty in the history of literature! The first beautiful fairy tale written for adults in the history of literature! Oscar Wilde said that my fairy tales are not written for children, but for adults aged 18 to 80 who have childlike innocence. The book includes Wilde's important events.

This book is the representative work of American writer Mark Twain. It describes that Prince Edward and pauper Tom exchange places with each other through an unexpected chance. Pauper Tom wears the prince's clothes and enjoys all the glory and wealth in the palace, and becomes the new king of England. But the real prince Edward wandered around and had to endure poverty and the bullying and ridicule of beggars. With the help of kind-hearted people, Prince Edward went through many hardships, corrected his bad habits, and finally returned to the palace. Under the condemnation of his conscience, Pauper Tom returned the throne that did not belong to him to the real prince. After that, Edward became a benevolent monarch and lived a happy life with his people. The story is extremely imaginative and the language is humorous. While bringing happiness to children, it can greatly stimulate children's imagination and yearning for purity, kindness, and beautiful things.

This book includes fourteen of the author's best short and medium-sized novels, including "Call of the Wild", "Love of Life", "Silent Snowy Wilderness" and "The Power of the Strong". These works describe shocking scenes of life-and-death struggles between humans and harsh nature, humans and beasts, humans and humans, and animals and animals in the vast wilderness. They show the primitive struggle for survival between humans and animals, and are highly artistically appealing.

Sadness does not mean that I am weak, but on the contrary, it will turn into a steady stream of motivation, driving me to keep moving forward. Since I experienced so many hardships in my childhood and finally survived and became the person I am now, then the current hardships will definitely inspire me to continue moving forward and take further steps.

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"The Hunchback of Notre Dame" is Hugo's first novel and a romantic novel that caused a sensation. In the novel, Hugo used fascinating and vivid writing to describe the entanglement, conflict, and destruction among the fates of several main characters such as Esmeralda, Quasi Mordo, and Frollo. He told a legendary and tragic story that took place in Paris, France in the 15th century, and artistically reproduced the historical reality of France during the reign of French King Louis XI. The novel embodies Hugo's artistic expression principle of "contrast between beauty and ugliness". Its publication breaks the shackles of pseudo-classicism and marks the victory of romanticism.

"Gulliver's Travels" is the representative work of the 18th century satirical fable writer Jonathan Swift. The story is told in the voice of Captain Gulliver, narrating his strange travel experiences in Lilliput, Adult, Flying Island and Huima. Since its publication in 1726, it has become a household classic, loved by readers all over the world, and has endured for more than 200 years.

"David Copperfield (Volume 2)" is a long masterpiece with a length of more than 800,000 words, centered on the open-minded intellectual David Copperfield. Through the daily life, studying and making a living, making friends and love, and travel writings of various people in the book, it fully expresses the humanitarian views advocated by the author throughout his life, and also depicts a series of eye-catching stories. Unforgettable characters: the gentle and intelligent ideal female Agnes, the eccentric Miss Trowu, the simple and kind Peggotty brothers and sisters... Among all Dickens's works, "David Copperfield" covers the widest range of social life content, shows the most complex and rigorous story structure, and is unique in the history of world literature.

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Jane Austen's most popular masterpieces (6 novels) Sun Zhili's translation is currently recognized as the best in China. Many classic pen drawing illustrations by famous illustrator Hugh Thomson. Wonderful introduction by famous poet Austen Dobson and literary history expert George Saintsbury.

"Water Margin" is my country's first classical vernacular novel and the pioneering work of ancient heroic romance novels in my country. With its shocking green forest theme, fresh and exciting heroic stories, heroic and brave characters, and superb and skillful artistic techniques, it is deeply loved by the masses and has become a well-known literary masterpiece in ancient my country.

"Eugénie Grandet" is the representative work of the French literary giant Balzac in "The Human Comedy". The novel centers on Eugenie's love tragedy, with three intertwined clues: the turmoil within Grandet's family, the overt and covert fight between the banker and the notary outside the family, and Eugenie's experience of being betrayed by Charlie despite her deep love for Charlie.

It describes the little urchin Huck meets the little black slave Jim who has escaped from his master. In order to avoid a murderous misunderstanding, the two took a small raft down the Mississippi River and encountered various interesting encounters. One of the most exciting and thrilling scenes is when Huck exposes the scam of the liar "King" to defraud the three sisters of their property. As a result, Huck is pursued by the bad guys. And Huck often had an inner battle over whether he should help the slaves escape, and finally had a happy ending after many twists and turns. "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" can be said to be an outstanding picture of American social life. Mark Twain used humorous writing to reproduce what he saw and heard in the South in his early years, and carved the raw gold and jade of his life experience into exquisite literary treasures. What is outstanding about Mark Twain is that he reflected the universal ideological conditions of mankind by describing specific and local people and things.

"Lily of the Valley" is one of Balzac's best novels and a shining pearl in the treasure house of French literature. The novel describes the young aristocrat Felix's pursuit of Countess Morserve. The countess's husband is violent and her family life lacks joy. His intervention caused her emotional turmoil. She endured the inner pain and remained faithful to her husband. Felix later went to Paris, unable to withstand the temptation of the noble lady Miss Dietrich, and fell in love. When the countess learned of this, she was devastated and regarded death as a gift from God. This is a sad and touching love song. In the story that happened in the castle, we can see the changing times. The influence of the Hundred Days Coup, the changes in the palace, the exile life of the old nobles, the fortune of the young nobles in Paris, etc., Are all deeply marked by the times.

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This book is set in the foggy city of London, and describes the story of an orphan named Oliver who was bullied in an orphanage since he was a child. After escaping to London, he unfortunately fell into a den of thieves. The world around him is like a crazy machine, but little Oliver strives to maintain the purity deep in his heart. This persistence finally helped him to wait for a bright future - well-wishers extended a helping hand in time; at the same time, the truth about Oliver's strange life experience was also revealed step by step. While the novel deeply reveals social ills, it also leaves a series of vivid characters in the history of British literature, and has been deeply loved by readers for more than a hundred years.

This book is a children's novel written by Italian writer Amici in 1886. This is a diary-style novel, including various touching stories that happened around Amway, admonishing and inspiring articles written by his parents and sisters in his diary, and wonderful "monthly quotes" read by the teacher in class. This book is written from the perspective of a boy, Amway, from the first day of school in October to July of the following year. It records his life for nine months and involves all aspects of the daily life of children aged 9-13.

Faust, who was full of talent and knowledge, was tired of the long study life, felt confused and uneasy about the future, and did not know where to go. In a state of extreme distress, he was involved in a bet between the devil and God. In order to pursue a new life, he signed an agreement with the devil: using his soul as a mortgage, in exchange for the devil meeting all his requirements for earthly life. He has tasted the joy and bitterness of love, made great achievements in governing the country, and built a paradise on earth by exploring nature. He also failed and sank driven by desire... After going through hardships, traveling through ancient and modern times, and walking the path of human exploration, can Faust carve out an ideal life path and obtain the salvation of his soul?

During the French Revolution, the famous doctor Manette accidentally witnessed the atrocities committed by the feudal aristocrats Evremonde brothers who took human lives indiscriminately. Because of their injustice, he was thrown into the Bastille and imprisoned for eighteen years. After being released from prison, Manette's daughter Lucy fell in love with her enemy's son Danai. As a result, in the whirlpool of the French Revolution, scenes of family grudges and hatreds were grandly staged, and good, evil, life, and death blended in the conflict, changing in an instant... "A Tale of Two Cities" has a strict structure and concise language. Dickens's in-depth thinking on revolution and human nature and his breathtaking writing talent are vividly displayed in it.

Natsume Soseki's classic masterpiece was lovingly translated by the famous translator Lin Shaohua. The novel "Heart" is a rare masterpiece among modern Japanese literary works, and it is still among the ten most popular works among Japanese middle school students. "I" met a "Mr." And later received a long letter from "Mr." ("Mr." Was no longer alive at that time). The letter told that "Mr." And his friend K fell in love with the landlord's beautiful only daughter when they were in college. "Sir" designed K to commit suicide, and he got his wish. But after marriage, she often suffered from conscience and moral condemnation, and finally committed suicide.

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"Old age is not a battle; old age is a massacre." Philip Roth's late masterpiece, which describes the grief, anger and helplessness of the ordinary world, has been highly recommended by many authoritative European and American book review media. The title "Mortal" comes from a medieval morality play that tells the story of a "mortal"'s deathbed experience when he is summoned by death. Roth's "Mortal" is a story about loss and regret, illness and death. The protagonist of the novel was once the creative director of an advertising company in New York. He had three failed marriages, two sons who hated him and a daughter who loved him. He also has a good brother who always takes care of him, and his healthy body even makes him jealous. From witnessing his first death at the beach in the summer of his childhood, to his vigorous career success as an adult, several marriages and family reunions, to his old age when he watched his contemporaries wither away and suffered from repeated illnesses, loneliness and powerlessness became the themes of his life. This is the life of the "mortal" described by Roth, which is frank, profound, and of universal significance.