Showing results by author "Popular Culture and Religion." in All Categories

The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan. The Pilgrim's Progress from This World to That Which Is to Come is a Christian allegory written by John Bunyan and originally published in February, 1678. It is regarded as one of the most significant works of religious English literature, has been translated into more than 200 languages, and has never been out of print. This 1890 edition published by the American Tract Society includes a memoir of the author condensed from his "Grace Abounding," and "Life of Bunyan" by Canon Edmunds Venables.

American Indian Fairy Tales by William Trowbridge Larned. With no written language, Native Americans living in the Lake Superior region passed their cultural identity down through the generations by way of stories. Far more than mere tales to amuse children, they passed along the collective wisdom of the tribes. In the 1830s, government Indian Agent and ethnologist Henry R Schoolcraft learned the language of these people and went out to collect and preserve their stories before the tribes disappeared under the westward rush of American civilization. Though these stories were recast as ...

The Book of Lies by Aleister Crowley. The Book of Lies, or Liber 333, is a holy book in the Western occult tradition of Thelema, consisting of 91 short chapters of poems, aphorisms, rituals, and metaphysics. This recording is of the original 1913 publication, and thus omits the further commentaries added by Crowley for subsequent additions. Those familiar with Crowley’s hermetic writings will recognize his subversive and playful style. Beneath the layers of symbolism, contradiction, and blasphemy lies a biting critique of the puritanical social, political, and religious values of the ...

All of Grace by Charles H. Spurgeon. HE WHO SPOKE and wrote this message will be greatly disappointed if it does not lead many to the Lord Jesus. It is sent forth in childlike dependence upon the power of God the Holy Ghost, to use it in the conversion of millions, if so He pleases. No doubt many poor men and women will take up this little volume, and the Lord will visit them with grace. To answer this end, the very plainest language has been chosen, and many homely expressions have been used. But if those of wealth and rank should glance at this book, the Holy Ghost can impress them also; ...

Maria Chapdelaine by Louis Hémon. The novel Maria Chapdelaine portrays life in rural Quebec at the beginning of the 20th century. Published first in French in 1913, it is a famous example of the genre known as "novels of the land" ("romans du terroir"). These stories sought to reinforce and preserve the cultural, linguistic, and religious heritage of French Canada — a heritage at risk because of French Canada's historical situation as a conquered enclave inside English North America. Maria is a young woman whose family works the farm they have cleared from the harsh Quebec forest — "a ...

Il giornalino di Gian Burrasca di Luigi Bertelli. (Italiano) Il giornalino di Gian Burrasca is a novel sited in Tuscany (Italy). It was written by Vamba (Luigi Bertelli’s pseudonym) in 1907 and published in 1912. The first edition was published on instalments by the newspaper “Il Giornalino della Domenica”, between 1907 and 1908. The protagonist, Giannino Stoppani known as Gian Burrasca, writes the story as a diary. His nickname, given by Giannino’s family because of his restless behaviour, has become proverbial, in Italy, to indicate a terrible boy. Il giornalino di Gian Burrasca...

The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind by Gustave Le Bon. "Civilisations as yet have only been created and directed by a small intellectual aristocracy, never by crowds. Crowds are only powerful for destruction. Their rule is always tantamount to a barbarian phase. A civilisation involves fixed rules, discipline, a passing from the instinctive to the rational state, forethought for the future, an elevated degree of culture — all of them conditions that crowds, left to themselves, have invariably shown themselves incapable of realising. In consequence of the purely destructive nature of ...

Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin Abbott Abbott. Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions is an 1884 science fiction novella by the English schoolmaster Edwin Abbott Abbott. As a satire, Flatland offered pointed observations on the social hierarchy of Victorian culture. However, the novella's more enduring contribution is its examination of dimensions; in a foreword to one of the many publications of the novella, noted science writer Isaac Asimov described Flatland as "The best introduction one can find into the manner of perceiving dimensions." As such, the novella is still ...

Dracula by Bram Stoker. Dracula as written by Bram Stoker in 1897 was not the first depiction of vampires and other such creatures, Gothic horror stories had been around since the early part of the century. The story related by Bram Stoker is told in an epistolary fashion utilising the journals and diaries of the main protagonists. The storyline is relatively simple; Dracula the longest living and most evil of vampires comes to England with a view to increasing the vampire population of the country. He is thwarted by five friends and driven back to his castle in Transylvania. It is not the...

The Time Machine by H. G. Wells. H.G. Wells' classic science fiction-fantasy story, in which a scientist known only as “The Time Traveller” tells the tale of his journey to the year 802,701 A.D. and beyond, where he witnesses the end of human civilization as we know it, as well as the beginning of the end of the world. This original time-travel story has been copied many times, but never improved upon.

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. In this most popular of all Oscar Wilde’s plays, two fashionable bachelors, Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, discover that each has been simplifying his social obligations via the use of a convenient false persona. Their comfortable white lies suddenly lead to chaos when romance enters the picture in the form of the lovely Gwendolyn Fairfax and the innocent Cecily Cardew. Hilarity ensues as the bachelors attempt to quickly untangle the web of their deceptions in order to win the lady of their choice and withstand the scrutiny of the ...

Heidi by Johanna Spyri. Hear Heidi if you've ever longed to see the Swiss mountain slopes. This story transports the listener from the fine air and freedom of the mountaintop to the confines of Frankfurt, back to the peaks again, bounding in flowered fields with goats at your heels and sky utterly surrounding you. We meet Heidi when she is 5, led up the mountain by her aunt who has raised the orphan but must leave now for a position in Frankfurt. In a mountain cottage overlooking the valley is Heidi's grandfather, and there with him the girl's sweet, free nature expands with the vista. The...

The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells. The Invisible Man (1897) is one of the most famous science fiction novels of all time. Written by H.G. Wells (1866-1946), it tells the story of a scientist who discovers the secret of invisibility and uses it on himself. The story begins as the Invisible Man, with a bandaged face and a heavy coat and gloves, takes a train to lodge in a country inn whilst he tries to discover the antidote and make himself visible again. The book inspired several films and is notable for its vivid descriptions of the invisible man--no mean feat, given that you can't see him!

The Angel of Terror by Edgar Wallace. When this was written, literary traditions still decreed beauty to be the outward sign of inner saintliness, whereas evil characters tended to be “ugly as sin.” Jean Briggerland defies these expectations by being every bit as angelically beautiful as she is sociopathic. So lovely that all around her are blinded to her guilt no matter how blatant her crimes, only Jack Glover, best friend and lawyer of her most recent victim, is aware of her true nature. Can he stop her crime spree and bring her to justice before she murders her way to wealth and ...

The Book of All Power by Edgar Wallace. The Book of All Power by Edgar Wallace is set in London at the beginning, and then the action moves to Russia. The story covers the period from 1910 to 1919 during which the Russian Revolution takes place and this results in drastic changes to Russian society. This book could be described as a romantic adventure story and the main characters are a weird assortment - Malcolm Hay, a young Englishman, a beautiful Grand Duchess of the Russian Aristocracy, a Russian general, a Jewish bookbinder, and an American sharp shooter. Much happens, and the Russian ...

The Story of 'Mormonism' by James E. Talmage. A few years before James E. Talmage was called to serve as an apostle for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as the "Mormon" church), he gave a series of lectures at universities such as the University of Michigan and Cornell, describing the history of the Church. These lectures were later compiled and published as 'The Story of "Mormonism."' It is a concise, yet informative summary for all interested in learning the history and beliefs of the "Mormon" church.

An Iron Will by Orison Swett Marden. Orison Swett Marden was well-known at the turn of the 20th century for his inspirational and spiritual books of self-help. This one deals with the importance of a man developing his own will-power. Swett Marden here offers advice on how to achieve success and how to overcome disappointments through self-belief, persistence and determination, all within a spiritual and moral framework.

The Profits of Religion by Upton Sinclair. This excoriating critique of religion, especially as represented by powerful clerical institutions, is a lesser-known work by the author who had earlier become famous with his publication of The Jungle, an exposT of the poor labor conditions and unsanitary practices in Chicago's meat-packing industry. More than just a tirade against religion, this is the work of an impassioned, idealistic socialist writing at the beginning of the First World War, when the notion of an international socialist revolution still seemed like a very real possibility to ...

The Science of Being Great by Wallace D. Wattles. The Science of Being Great, published in 1910 by Wallace D. Wattles, is a self-help book that teaches readers how to achieve personal greatness through self-awareness, right thinking, and spiritual development, focusing on aligning one's life with an inner, "pure idea" of power and greatness. It's a practical guide for unlocking potential, emphasizing obedience to the soul and abandoning outdated ideas to live a more powerful and purposeful life.

The Way of Peace by James Allen. ‘The Way of Peace’ is the second part of James Allen’s first published work titled ‘From Poverty to Power’ alternatively titled ‘The Realization of Prosperity and Peace’ (1901). Where part one focused more on the power an individual possesses over their circumstances and environment, part two dives deeper into that pathway which leads to what every soul inwardly seeks. The simplicity of these teachings make them accessible to everyone and invaluable to those with an interest in practical transcendentalism. Focusing on meditation and ...