What are you looking for at Aqrani library?
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The Count of Monte Cristo
Written by French author Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo follows the life of Edmond Dantes as he embarks on a journey of revenge after being wrongly imprisoned and set up by none other than his so-called friends. Set during the years after the fall of Napoleon’s empire, the story unwinds in several locations including Paris, Marseilles, Rome, Monte Cristo and Constantinople. A handsome young sailor and soon to be ship captain Edmond Dantes seems to have it all in life, as he returns to Marseilles to wed the love of his life and fiancée, the beautiful Mercedes. However, Edmond’s supposed friends have a hard time staying indifferent to his growing success, and their true jealous nature is revealed. Each has their own reason to envy Edmond. Danglers, who is a colleague of Edmonds, envies his career success, Fernand Mondego is in love with Edmonds fiancée, while his neighbor Caderousse is envious of his luck in life in general. Just as Edmond is about to pick the fruits that life has bore him, he is framed by the dangerously jealous trio, accused of being a traitor and unjustly sentenced to life in prison. As Edmond makes certain acquaintances in prison, he is determined to escape from his confinement and take the vengeance that is rightfully his. When Edmond does in turn return to the world of the free, he acquires a new identity and is motivated by his hunger for revenge. It is not said in vain that revenge is a dish best served cold.
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The Innocents Abroad
When you dive into Mark Twain’s (Samuel Clemens’) The Innocents Abroad, you have to be ready to learn more about the unadorned, ungilded reality of 19th century “touring” than you might think you want to learn. This is a tough, literary journey. It was tough for Twain and his fellow “pilgrims”, both religious and otherwise. They set out, on a June day in 1867, to visit major tourist sites in Europe and the near east, including Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, “the Holy Land”, and Egypt. What Twain records, in often humorous, sometimes grotesque but always fascinating detail, are the day-to-day ups and downs of discovering the truth about people and places. The truths they learn are often far different than their education and rumor have made them preconceive.
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The Man In The Iron Mask
The Man in the Iron Mask by Alexandre Dumas is part of the novel The Vicomte of Bragelonne: Ten Years After, published in serial form between 1857-50. It is also the last of the D'Artagnan stories written by Dumas and the three musketeers are the real heroes of the story, though the title is given to the man in the iron mask. The story opens with Aramis (one of the musketeers who is now a priest) taking the last confession of a prisoner who is condemned to be executed soon. His confession comes as a thunderbolt to the former musketeer. This mysterious person is actually the identical twin brother of Louis XIV. He was ordered to be killed by his own parents, Louis XIII and Anne of Austria, to prevent any future challenge to the throne. However, he is ultimately thrown into prison and has lived there ever since. Now that Louis has ascended the throne, he is condemned to die. Aramis is not one to let such a crime go unpunished. He enlists the help of Porthos. He feels that Phillipe being the older twin and thus entitled to reign should be restored to the throne and along with this, Aramis himself can also become the Cardinal of France. Devious plots are meanwhile underway, launched by the evil Superintendent of Finance, Fouquet. Aramis brings Phillipe to the palace, kidnaps Louis and substitutes one twin for another. And the story races to its gripping climax.
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The Prince and The Pauper
A poor young boy from the slums of London watches a royal procession pass, with the youthful Prince of Wales riding at its head. He ventures too close and is caught and beaten by the Prince's guards. However, the young royal stops them and invites the vagrant to the palace. Here the two boys sup alone and are stunned to discover that they bear a startling resemblance to each other. The Prince is Edward, long awaited heir of the monarch, Henry VIII, while the vagrant is Tom Canty, the son of a thief and a beggar. Edward is fascinated by the free and unfettered life that Tom leads, while Tom is overawed by the wealth and luxury of the palace. The boys decide to switch clothes. From here, adventure begins for both of them! First published in 1881, The Prince and The Pauper by Mark Twain is the famous American writer and humorist's first foray into historical fiction. Set in the sixteenth century Tudor court of Henry VIII, the book is reputedly Mark Twain's most carefully plotted novel. Great attention has been paid to setting, dialog and character. Early plot devices are carefully constructed to become invaluable features that carry the story along. Several real historical figures appear in the book.
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The Voyages and Adventure...
Here is the first new translation of ever-popular adventure writer Jules Verne's thrilling novel of polar exploration in over a century. In the novel, First Mate Shandon receives a mysterious letter asking him to construct a reinforced steamship in Liverpool. As he heads out for Melville Bay and the Arctic labyrinth, a crewman finally reveals himself as Captain John Hatteras, and his obsession--to get to the North Pole. After experiencing appalling cold and hunger, the captain treks across the frozen wastes in search of fuel. Abandoned by most of his crew, and accompanied by a rival American explorer, Hatteras continues his journey to the Pole, encountering endless perils and adventures along the way. This new and unabridged translation of the first of Verne's Extraordinary Journeys series brilliantly conveys the novel's hypnotic mood and atmosphere. This edition also includes the original, censored ending, and fascinating details about the Arctic expeditions that captivated Verne's imagination. The introduction provides biographical insights based on recently discovered documents, and contains original proof of Verne's sources and inspiration; the notes analyze for the first time the hundreds of real-life figures cited by Verne.
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The Wonderful Wizard of O...
One of the greatest American novels and a popular culture sensation, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz depicts the adventures of the young Dorothy Gale, who is swept away from her colorless farm home in Kansas by a cyclone, and winds up in the magical Land of Oz. Trapped in an unknown land, Dorothy must find a way back home and subsequently embarks on an adventure and meets a group of colorful characters along the way. Serving as an inspiration throughout generations, the children’s novel has been represented through various cinema adaptations and musicals. The novel commences with the introduction of Dorothy, a young orphan girl who is taken in and raised by her Uncle Henry and Aunt Em in their dreary farm home in Kansas. One day, however, a treacherous cyclone sweeps across the prairie and catches hold of the house while Dorothy and her beloved pet dog Toto are still inside. Afraid and bewildered, Dorothy and Toto are eventually set down in a mysterious land which they later identify as the Land of Oz. Greeted and commended by the small Munchkins, Dorothy is declared to be a good witch, because her house had accidentally landed on the evil ruler of the Munchkins – the Wicked Witch of the East and consequently resulted in her death. Subsequently, the Good Witch of the North also arrives to greet Dorothy and presents her with a pair of silver shoes believed to contain magical properties. In addition, she instructs Dorothy to follow the yellow brick road to Emerald City and ask the almighty Wizard of Oz to help her get back to Kansas. On her way across the land she is accompanied by the Scarecrow, the rusted Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion.
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The Wrecker
The Wrecker (1892) is a novel written by Robert Louis Stevenson in collaboration with his stepson Lloyd Osbourne. The story is a 'sprawling, episodic adventure story, a comedy of brash manners and something of a detective mystery'. It revolves around the abandoned wreck of the Flying Scud at Midway Island. Clues in a stamp collection are used to track down the missing crew and solve the mystery. It is only in the last chapter that different story elements become linked.
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Three Musketeers
The Three Musketeers follows the adventures of the young Gascon nobleman, D’Artagnan and his three trusted friends who served as musketeers in the king’s regiment – Athos, Porthos & Aramis. Written by Alexandre Dumas, the book was a bestseller during the time of its publication and it remains so even today. It follows the timeless theme of friendship and bravery. The main protagonist of the story is D’Artagnan who travels to Paris to realize his dreams of becoming one of the musketeers for the king. But things start to fall apart from the very beginning when his cherished letter of introduction is stolen by a mysterious gentleman. D’Artagnon reaches Paris and becomes friends with the ‘The Three Musketeers’ and seems to settle down comfortably in accordance with the scheme of life that was prevalent in the 17th century Paris.
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Tom Sawyer Abroad
Tom Sawyer Abroad is a novel by Mark Twain published in 1894. It features Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn in a parody of Jules Verne-esque adventure stories. In the story, Tom, Huck, and Jim set sail to Africa in a futuristic hot air balloon, where they survive encounters with lions, robbers, and fleas to see some of the world’s greatest wonders, including the Pyramids and the Sphinx. Like Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, Detective, the story is told using the first-person narrative voice of Huck Finn.
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Twenty Thousand Leagues U...
An early science fiction novel written by the second most translated author, French writer Jules Verne, the classic tale depicts an incredible sea expedition on board a state-of-the-art submarine. First published in 1870 and a part of the Voyages Extraordinaires series, the novel is regarded as one of the most thrilling adventure stories and one of Verne’s greatest pieces of work. Immersed in themes of exploration, avant-garde technology, and man’s insatiable desire for knowledge and scientific progression, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea has been an influence for many writers as well as an inspiration for numerous film adaptations.