Helen Plum Library

First published in 1925, "Manhattan Transfer" by American author John Dos Passos is an engrossing portrayal of urban life in New York City from the Gilded Age to the Jazz Age. Critically acclaimed and widely considered to be his most important work, Dos Passos tells the story of the city as it grows and changes through the perspectives of many of its inhabitants. The city itself is a central character of the novel. It is exciting and glamorous, but...

While they are discussing the possible illnesses they may have, Jerome, Harris, and George all realize they suffer from the same thing-working too much. Upon the realization, the three best friends decide that they must go on a vacation. After rejecting the ideas of a sea trip or country stay, because Jerome doesn't like the sea, and Harris finds the country to be dull, the men decide on a boat trip. With their bags packed and with the company of...

When Riley Cotswald, a writer at work on her second novel, finally leaves her husband, she gets way, more than she bargained for. Her characters' lives echo her own dilemmas, and she feels a kinship to them as they come alive on her desktop. Her best friend Jennifer does not understand this but loves Riley. Maybe too much. After a particularly infuriating conversation with her husband Cameron, Riley impulsively gets involved with Edward, a socially,...

New York City is unique, vibrant, exciting and a melting pot of cultures and values. But sometimes, living in the Big Apple can lead to twists, turns, and unexpected outcomes. The Big Apple Bites Back portrays life in NYC-the people, neighborhoods, the workplace, dashed dreams, and life on the street. The stories attempt to capture the city's spirit, with tales about how things occasionally go awry and how even the unexpected can enliven...

Follaje es el aullido de una generación de soñadores sumida en una carrera de fondo sin fin en la que despertar cada mañana llorando, tiritando del pavor. Una historia de resignación y redención en la que el narrador nos invita a acompañarle en su lúgubre descenso a los infiernos. Artur Nahasapemapetilon, de treinta y cuatro años, es un joven asalariado de cuello blanco cuyo puesto de trabajo transcurre en una moderna agencia creativa. Pesimista...

¿Cuál es el precio de la amistad? Bogotá, año 2006. El afán de pertenecer y la sensación de soledad que le deja la poca atención que le prestan sus padres, llevan a Eduardo a unirse a una pandilla del norte de la ciudad. En ella, conoce a personas en las que cree que puede confiar ciegamente, y que le hacen ver la realidad de manera distinta. Entonces, su adolescencia se sumerge en las calles, el alcohol, las drogas, la violencia y un extraño...

The Pleasure Cats of Nova Playa is a story of sex, drugs, alcohol, violence and techno music. Set in the fictional sun soaked Mediterranean resort of Playa Nova where underground, under town, cats mirror the excesses of the sunseekers above. Into this bustling, vibrant underground city arrives the beautiful Napoleona, a charming and cunning cat with a past, but with her eyes fixed squarely on the future, and in particular the coming winter. In the...

As WWI ends, trauma and tragedy give way to a chance for new life and rekindled love in the third novel of the acclaimed Parade's End tetralogy. Armistice Day, 1918. As fireworks proclaim the end of the Great War, Valentine Wannop learns that the man she loves, Christopher Tietjens, is back in London. He has survived the frontlines, but it has affected him profoundly. He is willing to give up everything to be with Valentine, but they are not yet free...

From one of the leading literary critics of his generation comes the first of Edmund Wilson's three novels, I thought of Daisy, published together with his short story "Galahad." Set in Greenwich Village in the 1920s, Edmund Wilson's I Thought of Daisy tells the coming of age story of a young man living a bohemian life, and of his heartfelt relationship with a chorus girl he meets at a party. Fictional sketches drawn from real-life literary figures...

A lost generation searches for meaning in chaotic post-WWI London in this satirical novel by the acclaimed author of Brave New World. First published in 1923, Aldous Huxley's Antic Hay was banned in Australia and burned in Cairo for its frank depiction of bohemian life in the grim and listless aftermath of the Great War. Set in London, the comic novel follows a large cast of artists and intellectuals through their nihilistic yet determined pursuits....