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1Martyrdom of Man

By (William) Winwood Reade

William Winwood Reade (1838 - 1875) was a British historian, explorer, and philosopher.<br><br> His most famous work, the Martyrdom of Man (1872)—whose summary running head reads "From Nebula to Nation"—is a secular, "universal" history of the Western world. Structurally, it is divided into four "chapters" of approximately 150 pages each: the first chapter, "War", discusses the imprisonment of men's bodies, the second, "Religion", that of their minds, the third, "Liberty", is the closest thing to a conventional European political and intellectual history, and the fourth, "Intellect", which discusses the cosmogony characteristic of a "universal history"<br><br> Cecil Rhodes, an English-born South African politician and businessman, said that the book "made me what I am". Other admirers of The Martyrdom of Man included H. G. Wells, Winston Churchill, Harry Johnston, George Orwell, Susan Isaacs, A. A. Milne and his son Christopher Robin, and Michael Foot. A laudatory reference is made to the book by Sherlock Holmes in the Sign of the Four. - Summary by Wikipedia

For many nineteenth-century Christians, the new biological and geological discoveries of that era brought on severe crises of faith. Winwood Reade’s small epistolary novel “The Outcast” tells the story of a young man who sacrifices love and family and property for the sake of his conscience, which tells him that his lifelong beliefs cannot stand up to the heady revelations of the new science. Interestingly, the most crushing discovery for the anonymous letter-writer of this story is not simply that the Bible is not what he thought it was. He is far more overwhelmed by the concept of the new God he would have to believe in; instead of the benevolent God who had created the mystical Nature of Romanticism, he would have to accept a God who had created a ruthless evolutionary Nature in which murder and death are the ruling principles. The great choice before the narrator is this: should I cause pain and suffering to all I love by following my conscience, or should I compromise my conscience in a life of hypocrisy? - Summary by Expatriate

George Murray was a British poet, translator and scholar who lived out most of his life in Canada, where he was a classics master at a Montreal high school. In this collection, intermixed with his own original poetry, are Murray's translations of works by popular French poets like Victor Hugo, Alphonse de Lamartine, Alfred de Musset, Gérard de Nerval and Théophile Gautier, along with selections from Greek, Latin, Swedish and German authors. The volume was edited by "the grand old man of Canadian letters" and <i>Montreal Gazette</i> literary editor John Reade, who also provided the prefatory biographical memoir. - Summary by Tomas Peter

4It Is Never Too Late to Mend

By Charles Reade

A ruthless squire becomes obsessed with a younger woman and conspires against her lover, George Fielding, so that the squire can win her. With the squire's financial pressure turned up on his family, George goes to Australia to earn money enough to marry his girl. In the meantime, a young man named Tom Robinson is sent to prison for stealing. For his somewhat minor offense, he suffers severe mistreatment in prison. "It Is Never Too Late to Mend" was written in the 1850s to shed light on abuses in British prison discipline and the treatment of criminals, but is also an adventure yarn set in the gold fields of Australia. (Summary by TriciaG)

5Cloister and the Hearth (version 2)

By Charles Reade

Set in the 15th century, the Cloister and the Hearth is a story Gerald Eliassoen, a young scribe and illuminator, who travels through seven different countries. Gerald is afraid of persecution from a burgomaster, and so he escapes from Rome to Holland, to search and find a place to make money for his family. His father and mother die, and Gerald's brothers decide to take most of the share, and instead tell Gerald that his wife, Margaret, has died. This was all a lie, but Gerald believed it, and decided to attempt suicide. But instead of killing himself and escaping death, he decides to become a friar. - (Summary by Elijah Fisher)

6Cloister and the Hearth

By Charles Reade

'The Cloister and the Hearth', by Charles Reade, was published in 1861. It's a long and winding picaresque novel set in 15th century Europe, telling the story of the love between Gerard Eliason, an artist turned priest, and Margaret Brandt, the daughter of a poor scholar, and reflects the conflict between family and church which overshadowed the lives of so many in medieval times. Its uniqueness lies in the way Reade, having meticulously researched his subject and the period, gives us insights more detailed than any other writer of fiction into medieval lifestyles and morals, combined with vivid descriptions of his characters – many based on real historical figures – and locations. He deliberately strays towards a medieval writing style, with many an archaic word to tantalise the reader or listener (an education in itself). Until well into the twentieth century, ‘The Cloister and the Hearth’ was considered one of the greatest novels in the English language. Its popularity may have faded, but those who have read it will tell you of the enduring power of Reade’s tour de force. A revival is long overdue, and is deserved: it’s an exceptional book. - Summary by Tom Denholm

Not a complete history of tea, but a pleasant diversion concerning tea, the pleasures found in its drinking, effects, benefits, cautions, etc. Sprinkled with poetry and excerpts from historical personages and the occasional sermon. - Summary by KevinS

8Foul Play

By Dion Boucicault and Charles Reade

Wrongly convicted of a crime, Robert Penfold is condemned to 5 years penal servitude. After a year he is transported on the hulk VENGEANCE destined for Australia. Once again karma is against him, and he is shipwrecked on an uncharted island in the South Pacific. Helen Rolleston (the woman he loves and who does not even recognize him) happens to also be on board and shares his fate. After several months of hardships, they are rescued thanks to Robert's ingenuity, and she returns to Britain alone in order to vindicate him. As with all good Victorian Sensation novels you can expect a complex plot and a superb cast of characters. - Summary by Celine Major