Full catalogue

Buck, a pet dog used to a peaceful life, is stolen and sold as a sledge dog in the Far North, in the middle of the gold rush. Under the whip and in the cold, he learns the law of the strongest, and the wild instinct of his ancestors slowly awakens in him. A powerful adventure about survival and freedom, in which the wild takes back its own. Jack London's direct, vivid style makes it an ideal first classic to read in the language you are learning.

Alice, a curious little girl, follows a white rabbit in a great hurry and falls down a rabbit hole that leads her to a strange land. There she grows, shrinks, and meets the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter and a queen who wants to cut off everyone's head. Between dream and nonsense, this tale plays endlessly with words and logic, and is just as enjoyable at any age. Its simple sentences and lively dialogue make it an ideal first classic to read in the language you are learning.

One morning, Gregor Samsa, a humble travelling salesman, wakes up transformed into an enormous insect. Shut in his room, he can no longer work, and his family, who depended on his wages, have to learn to live with him. This short story, unsettling and shot through with dark humour, shows what is left of a man when his family sees him only as a burden. Kafka writes in simple, precise sentences: an ideal text for a first read in the language you are learning.

Sorting through the papers of his great-uncle, who died suddenly, a man discovers strange notes, accounts of nightmares and a monstrous statuette. He gathers testimony from the four corners of the world, and follows the trail of a very ancient cult devoted to Cthulhu, a creature asleep at the bottom of the ocean. In this short tale, fear comes not from a monster you see, but from everything you sense. It is this story that created the Cthulhu myth, taken up since in games and novels. You can read it in one sitting in the language you are learning.

In the America of the Roaring Twenties, the mysterious Jay Gatsby throws huge parties every weekend at his mansion by the water. His young neighbour gradually discovers what lies behind all this luxury: a youthful love that Gatsby has never forgotten. Beyond the love story, this short novel by Fitzgerald paints a critical portrait of a society fascinated by money and appearances. Fitzgerald writes with elegance and clarity, and his novel is a pleasure to read in the language you are learning.

Carried off by a tornado with her little dog Toto, Dorothy, a girl from Kansas, lands in a marvellous country. To get home, she must go and see the great Wizard of Oz, and she travels with a scarecrow who would like a brain, a Tin Woodman who would like a heart and a lion who would like some courage. This tale full of fantasy is about friendship, courage and self-confidence. Simply written, in short sentences, it is an ideal first classic to read in the language you are learning.

In London, the lawyer Mr Utterson is worried about his old friend Dr Jekyll, a respected physician. In his will, Jekyll leaves everything he owns to a certain Mr Hyde, a brutal man whom everyone fears. Utterson investigates to understand what binds these two men. This short novel is about the dark side everyone carries within, and leads to one of the most famous revelations in literature. Its fast pace makes it an ideal classic to read in the language you are learning.

Epictetus, a former slave who became a philosopher, starts from a simple distinction. There are things that are up to us: our judgements, our desires and our choices. And there are things that are not: the body, money, other people's opinions. In short maxims, he teaches how to stop worrying about what is beyond our control, and to act on what is within our power. His advice helps us stay calm in the face of difficulties and feel less at the mercy of events. Many readers keep it close at hand all their lives. Its brief, clear sentences can be read one by one, at your own pace, in the language you are learning.

In the sixteenth century, Machiavelli, a Florentine diplomat pushed out of power, writes this little treatise to explain how a prince seizes power and, above all, how he keeps it. He draws on examples from antiquity and from the Italy of his day, and gives blunt advice: is it better to be feared or loved, to keep your word or to know how to lie? It shows how those who govern, lead or negotiate think: his lessons on power held true then and still do today. The book is so clear-sighted that it gave rise to a word: “Machiavellian”. With the translation always in front of you, you can read this great classic in the language you are learning.

One evening in London, a terrified neighbour takes refuge in Richard Hannay's flat and reveals a plot against England. A few days later the neighbour is found dead, and Hannay, accused of the murder, has to flee across the Scottish moors, pursued by both the police and the spies. A breathless short spy novel: an ordinary man, hunted by everyone, can count only on his courage and his wits. Its fast pace and direct sentences make it easy to follow in the language you are learning.

Sunzi, also known as Sun Tzu, a Chinese general and strategist, sets out in thirteen short chapters the principles of war and victory. His central idea is still surprising: the best strategist wins without fighting, by knowing the enemy, knowing himself and choosing the right moment. These principles apply far beyond the battlefield. Today they are used in business, negotiation, sport and everyday life, to anticipate, decide and persuade more effectively. Its short, clear maxims can be read one by one in the language you are learning.

Attributed to the Chinese sage Lao Tzu, this little book gathers eighty-one short poems about the Tao, the way that guides all things. It praises water, which overcomes stone through its softness, and emptiness, which makes a vessel useful. For more than two thousand years, its readers have learnt from it how to act without forcing, to stay simple and to find calm. Its very short texts can be read one by one, at your own pace, in the language you are learning.

Victor Frankenstein, a young man from Geneva with a passion for science, succeeds in giving life to a being made of dead matter. Horrified by what he has created, he flees, and the creature, abandoned, has to find its own way in a world whose people reject it. This is the novel that gave birth to the most famous of all monsters. It asks a question that is still with us: what responsibility do we have towards what we create? A great novel to discover in the language you are learning, with the translation always in view.

An English inventor explains to his friends that time is a dimension like any other, then sets off in a machine he has built himself. On his return, exhausted, he describes a very distant future in which the Eloi, a frail and carefree people, live among gardens, while other creatures hide underground. It was with this book that time travel became a great subject for fiction. H. G. Wells imagines what would become of humanity if the gap between rich and poor kept widening for thousands of years. Told like a story among friends, this short novel is easy to read in the language you are learning.

In the English countryside, Mrs Bennet has only one idea: to marry off her five daughters. The arrival of Mr Bingley, a rich young man, in the neighbourhood delights her, but his friend Mr Darcy is cold and proud from the very first ball. Elizabeth, the second of the sisters, lively and teasing, takes an instant dislike to him. Its witty exchanges and amused eye on families and marriages make it one of the best loved comedies in literature. With the translation always in front of you, Jane Austen's elegant, ironic style is a pleasure to read in the language you are learning.

A gentleman of La Mancha has read so many tales of chivalry that he loses his mind. Calling himself Don Quixote, he takes to the road on a thin old horse, with Sancho Panza, a talkative peasant full of common sense, to whom he has promised an island. The knight mistakes inns for castles and windmills for giants. Funny and moving at once, this novel gave the whole world a famous image: tilting at windmills. It is often called the first modern novel. With the translation always in front of you, you can read this great classic in the language you are learning.

Arsène Lupin, the gentleman thief, steals jewels and paintings from the very rich with elegance and humour, and makes fools of the police. He even warns his victims before he strikes, and constantly escapes those who hunt him. Tricks, disguises and dramatic twists: you never know where he will turn up, or with what face. Its lively, light tone makes it a delightful read in the language you are learning.

At the end of the nineteenth century, a strange cylinder from space crashes near London. Martians emerge from it, armed with giant machines and a burning ray, and the narrator has to flee across an English countryside plunged into chaos. It is one of the very first stories of alien invasion. Faced with the Martians, a civilisation that thought itself invincible discovers how fragile it is. The narrator tells the events day by day, like an eyewitness account, and the novel is easy to read in the language you are learning.

In the midst of wars and the cares of power, Marcus Aurelius, Emperor of Rome, wrote notes for himself alone, to stay calm and just. In them he reminds himself of what really matters: doing your duty, accepting what you cannot change, and not letting others disturb you. These thoughts help us step back from everyday difficulties, and keep calm when everything around us is in turmoil. Short and clear, they can be read one by one, at your own pace, in the language you are learning.

In an old sailor's sea chest, young Jim Hawkins finds the map of an island where a pirate has hidden his treasure. He sails as cabin boy aboard the Hispaniola, but part of the crew, led by the one-legged cook Long John Silver, has plans of its own. Treasure maps, mutinies, a parrot on the shoulder: this is the novel that fixed for ever the image of the pirate in our imagination. Full of action and twists, it is easy to read in the language you are learning.

In Marseille in 1815, the young sailor Edmond Dantès is arrested on the day of his engagement, on a false accusation. Locked up without trial in the Château d'If, he meets the Abbé Faria, an old prisoner who educates him and reveals the existence of a hidden treasure. Years later, a rich and mysterious Count of Monte Cristo appears in Paris, among the very people who betrayed him. It is the most famous revenge story in literature, full of disguises and dramatic twists. With its lively dialogue and a new turn in every chapter, the novel is a gripping read in the language you are learning.

On Prince Edward Island, a brother and sister were expecting a boy from the orphanage to help them on the farm. Instead, a little red-haired girl arrives: Anne, talkative, dreamy and full of imagination. She shakes up the quiet life of Green Gables, and slowly wins everyone's heart. A radiant novel full of humour about childhood, friendship and the need to be loved, which has enchanted generations of readers. Its lively dialogue makes it an enjoyable read in the language you are learning.

In London in 1872, Phileas Fogg, a very methodical English gentleman, bets a fortune that he can travel around the world in eighty days. He leaves that very evening with Passepartout, his new manservant, a resourceful Frenchman. Inspector Fix sets off after them, convinced he is dealing with a thief. By steamer, by train and even on the back of an elephant, Fogg races against the clock, and one surprise follows another right up to the very last page. Full of pace and humour, the novel is easy to read in the language you are learning.

In his rooms at 221B Baker Street, Sherlock Holmes receives visitors with strange stories: a league open only to red-headed men, a precious stone hidden in a goose, a mysterious speckled band… With his friend Dr Watson, who tells of their cases, he solves every puzzle thanks to extraordinary powers of observation. Twelve short cases, each of which can be read in one sitting, in which the smallest detail becomes a clue. The lively dialogue and clear sentences make them an ideal read in the language you are learning.