Jason Smith
1) Beowulf
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Beowulf is one of the most universally studied of the English classics, and considered to be the most important and most often translated works of Old English literature.
The title character is a warrior with superhuman strength who honors his king by performing glorious deeds, the first of which is to rescue the royal house of Denmark from two violent monsters. After killing them, he returns triumphantly and rules his people wisely as their King...
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Based on Stevenson's travels with a stubborn donkey named Modestine through south central France, this entertaining narrative is one of the best travelogues of the nineteenth-century. Stevenson offers many keen observations about France, the people, and the dramatic history of the region, as well as thoughtful insights about the religious strife between the Catholics and Protestants.
3) Meditations
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Marcus Aurelius was the Roman Emperor from 161 to 180 AD, and during that time, he kept several collections of journals that contained personal notes, militaristic strategy, and ideas on Stoic philosophy. While unlikely that he ever intended to publicly publish these journals, there is no real official title, so most often Meditations is used because of his in depth writings on philosophy. These journals give an introspective look at how and why Marcus...
4) The law
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First published in 1850, "The Law" is the best known work of 19th century economist Frederic Bastiat, a prominent member of the French Liberal School. A forerunner to the Austrian School of Economics, the French Liberal School was a major proponent of the laissez-faire capitalistic system. Bastiat advocated for unregulated free markets and against protectionism. At the heart of Bastiat's philosophy was an opposition against the redistribution of wealth...
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Paradise Lost is the greatest epic poem in English literature, and Milton's Satan one of its most compelling figures. The controversy has been exceeded only by its tremendous influence: countless masters of English verse have paid homage to Milton and Paradise Lost. A profound meditation on the role of man under God, Pardise Lost is essential reading.
6) Labor Day
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"From Academy Award-nominated director Jason Reitman (Up in the Air, Juno), Labor Day is “a romance to root for”* starring Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin as two strangers drawn together under incredible circumstances. What starts as an unforeseen encounter over a long holiday weekend soon becomes a second chance love story in the unforgettable film that critics are calling “satisfying and deeply touching” Nominated for the Audience Choice Award...
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"The Old Man and the Sea" is one of Ernest Hemingway's most enduring works, earning him the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1953 and contributing to his Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. The novella tells the tale of Santiago, an old Cuban fisherman who has not caught a fish for 84 days. In his relentless pursuit of a great marlin, Santiago embarks on a solitary journey that becomes as much about his internal struggle and resilience as it is about
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