Literary Classics

The crime that led Sisyphus to push a boulder was cheating death. He made his wife not bury him properly before he died, chained death, and tricked Persephone into letting him briefly return to earth to scold his wife and ran away instead of returning to hell.

History, Law & Government, Literary Classics /

Sisyphus Sisyphus was the king of Ephyra (Corinth) in Greek mythology. He was the son of King Aeolus of Thessaly and Enarete. He founded Ephyra, which he ruled over as its first king. His spouse was the nymph Merope, with whom he had four children; Glaucus, Ornytion, Almus, and Thersander. Although Sisyphus helped its city

The crime that led Sisyphus to push a boulder was cheating death. He made his wife not bury him properly before he died, chained death, and tricked Persephone into letting him briefly return to earth to scold his wife and ran away instead of returning to hell. Read More »

Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini were friends at one point, however Doyle refused to accept Houdini performed using trickery and believed he had supernatural powers. Their friendship ended after Houdini exposed séance mediums who claimed to have powers to talk to the dead.

Literary Classics /

Arthur Conan Doyle “Conan Doyle” redirects here. For the rugby player, see Conan Doyle (rugby union). Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle KStJ DL (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for A Study in Scarlet, the first of four novels and

Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini were friends at one point, however Doyle refused to accept Houdini performed using trickery and believed he had supernatural powers. Their friendship ended after Houdini exposed séance mediums who claimed to have powers to talk to the dead. Read More »

In 1865, Charles Dickens was traveling home from France when his train derailed while crossing a bridge, and his car was left dangling from the tracks. He helped save stranded passengers and then climbed back into the dangling car to find a manuscript he was supposed to send to his publishers.

Literary Classics /

18 Facts About Charles Dickens It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, and Charles Dickens wrote it all down—the gruesome truths about Victorian England and the perils of Britain’s social class system. His unprecedented celebrity made him the most popular novelist of his century, and since then Charles Dickens’s books

In 1865, Charles Dickens was traveling home from France when his train derailed while crossing a bridge, and his car was left dangling from the tracks. He helped save stranded passengers and then climbed back into the dangling car to find a manuscript he was supposed to send to his publishers. Read More »

Molière’s legendary death: collapsing on stage while performing in the last play he had written, insisting on completing his performance, collapsing again, died hours afterwards.

Literary Classics /

Molière This article is about the French playwright. For other uses, see Molière (disambiguation). Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (UK: /ˈmɒliɛər, ˈmoʊl-/, US: /moʊlˈjɛər, ˌmoʊliˈɛər/, French: [mɔljɛʁ]), was a French playwright, actor and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the

Molière’s legendary death: collapsing on stage while performing in the last play he had written, insisting on completing his performance, collapsing again, died hours afterwards. Read More »

Edgar Allen Poe died mysteriously after having been missing for six days. Though still alive when he was finally found, he was wearing someone else’s cheap clothes and not coherent enough to tell where he’d been. He had disappeared en route to his own wedding.

Literary Classics, Sensitive Subjects /

The Riddle of Edgar Allan Poe’s Death Despite his macabre literary genius, Edgar Allan Poe’s life was short and largely unhappy. After his young wife, Virginia, got tuberculosis in 1842 and died five years later, the already hard-drinking Poe apparently dove deeper into the bottle. In the late summer of 1849, he was in Richmond,

Edgar Allen Poe died mysteriously after having been missing for six days. Though still alive when he was finally found, he was wearing someone else’s cheap clothes and not coherent enough to tell where he’d been. He had disappeared en route to his own wedding. Read More »

Ray Bradbury, author of Fahrenheit 451, released a limited 200 signed copies of the book bound in an asbestos cover making them fireproof. They rarely sell for less than $10,000.

Arts & Entertainment, Literary Classics /

The Ray Bradbury Chronicles: Tribute to a Literary Legend Five Limited Ray Bradbury Editions From the Dust Returned Limited leather-bound copy from Easton Press Match to Flame: The Fictional Paths to Fahrenheit 451 Signed, limited edition printing. Somewhere a Band is Playing Limited to 500 copies, Bradbury wrote this novella in 2007. The Last Circus

Ray Bradbury, author of Fahrenheit 451, released a limited 200 signed copies of the book bound in an asbestos cover making them fireproof. They rarely sell for less than $10,000. Read More »

In England when Shakespeare was writing, the word ‘Nothing’ was slang for female genitalia, meaning ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ is a dirty double entendre.

Literary Classics /

Why Shakespeare’s ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ is a brilliant sneaky innuendo It’s one of Shakespeare’s best works, it’s a brilliant take on gender roles, and it’s also a sexual joke: in Shakespeare’s time, the word ‘Nothing’ was slang for female genitalia. The title of ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ is a double entendre. The play was

In England when Shakespeare was writing, the word ‘Nothing’ was slang for female genitalia, meaning ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ is a dirty double entendre. Read More »

In 1888, Richard Mansfield played Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in a stage production at a time when Jack the Ripper was murdering women. A theatre-goer wrote to the police accusing him of the murders because his stage transformation from a gentleman to mad killer was so convincing.

Acting & Theater, Literary Classics /

Richard Mansfield For the cricketer, see Richard Mansfield (cricketer). Richard Mansfield Richard Mansfield (24 May 1857 – 30 August 1907) was an English actor-manager best known for his performances in Shakespeare plays, Gilbert and Sullivan operas, and the play Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Life and career Mansfield was born in Berlin and spent his

In 1888, Richard Mansfield played Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in a stage production at a time when Jack the Ripper was murdering women. A theatre-goer wrote to the police accusing him of the murders because his stage transformation from a gentleman to mad killer was so convincing. Read More »

Victor Hugo wrote the Hunchback of Norte-Dame to inform people of the value of Gothic architecture, which was being neglected and destroyed at the time. This explains the large descriptive sections of the book, which far exceed the requirements of the story.

Literary Classics /

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame This article is about the Victor Hugo novel. For other uses, see The Hunchback of Notre Dame (disambiguation). The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (French: Notre-Dame de Paris, “Our Lady of Paris”) is a French Gothic novel by Victor Hugo, published in 1831. Title The novel’s original French title, Notre-Dame de Paris, is

Victor Hugo wrote the Hunchback of Norte-Dame to inform people of the value of Gothic architecture, which was being neglected and destroyed at the time. This explains the large descriptive sections of the book, which far exceed the requirements of the story. Read More »

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