Meursault leads a bachelor life until he commits a random act of violence. His lack of emotion and failure to show remorse serve to increase his guilt in the eyes of the law. This novel explores the predicament of the individual who refuses to pretend and is prepared to face the indifference of the universe, courageously and alone.

'Nothing happens, nobody comes, nobody goes, it's awful.' This line was adopted by Jean Anouilh, to characterize the first production of Waiting For Godot at the Theatre de Babylone, in 1953. Anybody acquinted with Beckett's masterly black comedy would not question the recognition of this twentieth-century literature classic.

Presents a terrifying tale of Joseph K, a respectable functionary in a bank, who is suddenly arrested and must defend his innocence against a charge about which he can get no information. This book is a vision of the excesses of modern bureaucracy wedded to the mad agendas of twentieth-century totalitarian regimes.

The townspeople of Oran are in the grip of a deadly plague. Each person responds in their own way to the disease: some resign themselves to fate, some seek blame, and a few resist the terror. This title is in part an allegory of France's suffering under the Nazi occupation, and a story of bravery against the precariousness of human existence.

Two minor characters from Hamlet offer a novel view of the melancholy Dane.

Written in French, and then translated into English, by Beckett, Endgame was given its first London performance at the Royal Court Theatre, in 1957.

'The Metamorphosis' is one of the most remarkable stories ever written. Kafka's surrealistic approach shocks us into a new apppreciation of a basic truth: when we have outlived our usefulness there are no longer any certainties.

A collection of stories presenting the writing of Russian absurdist Daniil Kharms. This book is composed of short miniatures: strange, funny, dream-like fragments - many of which the author called 'incidents' - that tend to feature accidents, falling, chance violence and sudden death.

Offers a portrayal of a man who has glimpsed the hollowness of his existence. But beyond depicting one man's disillusionment, this novel exposes the universal human condition and its absurdities - and our innocence that, once lost, can never be recaptured.

Opening a door to a bizarre world of comedy, fantasy, and social commentary, this work is a depiction of a lunatic civil servant and his struggles to be noticed by the woman he loves. Also includes 'Nevsky Prospect' and 'The Portrait'.

Helps your child learn about castles. This title contains a guide, giant wallchart, interactive clip-art CD and a website. From why round towers are better than square ones to how a castle was defended from attack, it lets your child visit the exciting world of a medieval fortress.

Explores the dilemma of being an outsider - even in one's own country - and of allegiance. This work aims to evoke beautiful but harsh landscapes, whether the shimmering deserts of Algeria or the wild, mysterious jungles of Brazil.

Features a satirical indicement of military madness and stupidity, and the desire of the ordinary man to survive it. This work tells a tale of the dangerously sane Captain Yossarian, who spends his time in Italy plotting to survive.

An essay on the nature of human revolt, this book makes a critique of communism, how it had gone wrong behind the Iron Curtain, and the resulting totalitarian regimes. It also questions two events held sacred by the left wing, the French Revolution of 1789 and the Russian Revolution of 1917.

Centring on the infamous fire-bombing of Dresden in the Second World War, Billy Pilgrim's odyssey through time reflects the journey of our own fractured lives as we search for meaning in what we are afraid to know.

A study of the playwrights who have dramatised the absurdity of the human condition. Esslin seeks to show how Beckett; Ionesco; Genet; Pinter and others have confronted a world in which there is no communication and where man flounders in a void; cut off from his roots and shorn of all certaintie

Written in 1842, this comic masterpiece about a mysterious con man and his grotesque victims is one of the major works of Russian literature.

Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves - and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives - and destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook ...