Literature by Place - Exodus Books

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It's kind of crazy to what extent geography can inform an author's work. Jack London spent most of his life at sea, dog-sledding across Alaska, boxing and generally being an adventurous guy who would put today's REI crowd to shame. Would he have penned some of the greatest American novels otherwise? especially ones concerned primarily with man battling the elements for survival in both a mental and physical sense? Very probably not, which explains why Oscar Wilde didn't write about wolves and crazy ship captains.

No, Oscar Wilde wrote primarily about fops and society people parrying witticisms incessantly. That's not to say his work has no place in a serious consideration of literature—au contraire, The Picture of Dorian Grey is one of the finest novels written in English. It's just more evidence that if you're an author who lives in the Canadian mountains or the clubs of London, your writing will reflect that.

Physical terrain isn't the only consideration. Sartre wrote about people lolling about with no real sense of purpose except to drink wine and smoke cigarettes and look languorous because he lived in France in the 1940s. Friedrich Nietzsche had immense mustaches and espoused a form of nihilism because he was German. The Russians wrote impossibly long novels because they lived in Russia. And Chinua Achebe was almost entirely influenced by his African upbringing.

That's not to say no one can write well about a context they haven't experienced firsthand. I'm pretty sure Robert Heinlein never visited Mars, and even if he did it wasn't as his books describe; the same goes for Bradbury. And no, Roald Dahl was never lost in a delightfully (though at times, terrifyingly) absurd chocolate factory. Yet even with these examples, the authors conveyed essentially the attitudes of the countries they came from—Heinlein and Bradbury from the U.S., Dahl from the U.K.

Our Literature by Place subcategories are admittedly Anglo-centric. North American literature features, well, American literature, and you can be pretty sure British literature reflects the same system; everything else goes in world literature. We have plenty of non-American or -British literature, we just don't have much from any one place besides those two. At any rate, we hope these categories are helpful, and if they guide you toward one book you're looking for (or maybe one you didn't even know existed), they've done their job.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.

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19th Century Literature,

Mystery & Suspense

	Adventures and Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Conan Doyle from Penguin Classics for 7th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $14.00
	Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Reader's Digest World's Best Reading by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, illustrated by Richard Lebenson from Reader's Digest for 7th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Books of Wonder by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, illustrated by Barry Moser from HarperCollins for 7th-12th grade in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, illustrated by Sidney Paget 100th Anniversary from SeaWolf Press in Seawolf Illustrated Classics (Location: FIC-SW) $10.95
	Annotated Sherlock Holmes Volumes 1 & 2 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle from Clarkson Potter Publishers for 8th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Bold Dragoon and other Ghostly Tales by Washington Irving, illustrated by James Daugherty 1960 printing from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. for 6th-Adult in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
	Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Everyman's Library by Robert Louis Stevenson from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. for 9th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $24.00
	Dracula Everyman's Library by Bram Stoker from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. for 10th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	ECL: Casebook of Sherlock Holmes (abridged) Educator Classic Library #7 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, illustrated by Don Irwin from Classic Press for 8th-Adult in Educator Classic Library (Location: VIN-ECL)
	Frankenstein Whole Story Series by Mary Shelley from Viking Press Horror for 7th-10th grade in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Hound of the Baskervilles Signet Classics by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle from Signet Classics Mystery for 9th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $4.95
	Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle from Dover Publications for 7th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $4.00
	Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle, Illustrated by Sidney Paget 100th Anniversary from SeaWolf Press for 7th-Adult in Seawolf Illustrated Classics (Location: FIC-SW) $7.95
	Invisible Man by H. G. Wells from Signet Classics Science Fiction for 7th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $5.95
	Invisible Man by H. G. Wells, illustrated by Louis Strimpl from SeaWolf Press Science Fiction for 7th-Adult in Seawolf Illustrated Classics (Location: FIC-SW) $7.95
	Island of Dr. Moreau Signet Classics by H. G. Wells from Signet Classics Speculative Fiction for 9th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $4.95
	Island of Dr. Moreau Signet Classics by H. G. Wells from Dover Publications Speculative Fiction for 9th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $4.00
	Island of Dr. Moreau by H. G. Wells from SeaWolf Press Speculative Fiction for 9th-Adult in Seawolf Illustrated Classics (Location: FIC-SW)
	Kidnapped (The Original Text) Or, the Lad with the Silver Button by Robert Louis Stevenson, edited with an introduction and notes by Barry Menikoff from Huntington Library for 9th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes Reader's Digest World's Best Reading by Arthur Conan Conan Doyle from Reader's Digest for 7th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle, Illustrated by Sidney Paget 100th Anniversary Edition from SeaWolf Press for 7th-Adult in Seawolf Illustrated Classics (Location: FIC-SW) $9.95
	Moonstone Signet Classics by Wilkie Collins from Signet Classics Mystery for 9th-12th grade in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Moonstone Signet Classics by Wilkie Collins from Oxford University Mystery for 9th-12th grade in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. for 10th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $18.00
	New Annotated Sherlock Holmes Volume 1 The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes & the Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle Non-slipcased edition from W. W. Norton and Co. for 8th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	New Annotated Sherlock Holmes Volume 2 The Complete Short Stories: The Return of Sherlock Holmes, His Last Bow and The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle from W. W. Norton and Co. for 8th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	New Annotated Sherlock Holmes Volume 3 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle from W. W. Norton and Co. for 7th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Picture of Dorian Gray Whole Story Series by Oscar Wilde from Viking Press Mystery and Suspense for 10th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Picture of Dorian Gray Dover Thrift Editions by Oscar Wilde from Dover Publications Mystery and Suspense for 10th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $5.00
	Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde Revised from Penguin Classics Mystery and Suspense for 10th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, illustrated by Eugene Dete & Paul Thiriat 1910 Illustrated from SeaWolf Press Mystery and Suspense for 10th-Adult in Seawolf Illustrated Classics (Location: FIC-SW)
	Return of Sherlock Holmes Reader's Digest World's Best Reading by Arthur Conan Doyle from Reader's Digest for 8th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle, Illustrated by Sidney Paget 1905 Illustrated from SeaWolf Press for 8th-Adult in Seawolf Illustrated Classics (Location: FIC-SW) $10.95
	Sign of Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 1892 Illustrated from SeaWolf Press Mystery for 8th-Adult in Seawolf Illustrated Classics (Location: FIC-SW) $6.95
	Sign of the Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, illustrated by Leonard Vosburgh from Hart Publishing Company Mystery for 8th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Whole Story Series by Robert Louis Stevenson from Viking Press Mystery/Suspense for 8th-Adult in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
	Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson Revised from Penguin Classics Mystery/Suspense for 8th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $9.00
	Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and other tales Signet Classics by Robert Louis Stevenson from Oxford University Mystery/Suspense for 8th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $7.95
	Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Sterling Classics by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Scott McKowen from Sterling Publishing Co. for 7th-10th grade in Mystery & Suspense (Location: FIC-MYS)
	Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Signet Classics by Robert Louis Stevenson from Signet Classics Mystery/Suspense for 8th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $5.95
	Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Edward A. Wilson from Heritage Press for 9th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Signet Classics by Robert Louis Stevenson from Living Book Press Mystery/Suspense for 8th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Stories by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Joseph Ciardiello from Reader's Digest for 9th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Illustrated by George Hutchinson 1891 Illustrated from SeaWolf Press Mystery for 8th-Adult in Seawolf Illustrated Classics (Location: FIC-SW) $7.49
	Study in Scarlet & Hound of the Baskervilles Reader's Digest World's Best Reading by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle from Reader's Digest Mystery for 6th-10th grade in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Study in Scarlet & The Sign of Four Dover Thrift Editions by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle from Dover Publications Mystery for 8th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $5.00 $3.00 (1 in stock)
	Tales of Mystery and Imagination Calla Editions by Edgar Allan Poe from Dover Publications for 7th-12th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
	Tales of Mystery and Imagination Portland House Illustrated Classics by Edgar Allan Poe, illustrated by Arthur Rackham from Portland House for 7th-12th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
	Tales of Mystery and Imagination by Edgar Allan Poe, illustrated by Arthur Rackham from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. for 7th-12th grade in Everyman's Library Children's Classics (Location: FIC-ELC) $22.00
	Valley of Fear by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Illustrated by Arthur Keller 1915 Illustrated from SeaWolf Press Detective Stories for 10th-Adult in Seawolf Illustrated Classics (Location: FIC-SW) $7.95
	Woman in White Dover Giant Thrift Editions by Wilkie Collins from Dover Publications Mystery for 10th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $7.95
	Woman in White by Wilkie Collins from Heritage Press for 9th-Adult in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
	Woman in White Dover Giant Thrift Editions by Wilkie Collins from Penguin Classics Mystery for 10th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $11.00

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