A Monthly Update from Penguin Classics

By Kayleigh Voss | April 30 2020 | General

PENGUIN CLASSICS

Because what you read matters.


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This month, we’re channeling the Stoics and practicing mindfulness in our daily lives, particularly through the books we read. We’ve gathered up some of our favorite books to keep us company during times of uncertainty, to provide a much-needed dose of calm and tranquility, and to remind us that we are all interconnected. Let us know what classics you’re turning to this month on social media (we’re @PenguinClassics everywhere), and take care of yourselves and one another.


April marks National Poetry Month, and sometimes poetry can be the most healing salve of all in its ability to express so much in so few words. We recommend The Penguin Anthology of Twentieth-Century American Poetry edited by Rita Dove, who will be honored with the Academy of American Poets Leadership Award this year. Through these poems, discover a new voice with a different perspective than your own.

The Penguin Anthology of Twentieth Century American Poetry


Whenever we start to feel stressed at Penguin Classics HQ, a common practice is to open Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations to a random page and read a short passage. Our friend Marcus, as we lovingly call him, seems to have words of clarity and relevance to apply to many situations, and he’s never failed to acknowledge us or put our minds at ease.

Meditations


Is there a better classic family model for charity and hope than the March family? We don’t think so. Whether they’re giving their abundance of food to those less fortunate or finding the silver linings in wartime conditions, we can’t help but feel inspired to live more compassionately and positively, even in the darkest of days, when we read Little Women.

Little Women


And finally, with a book cover as delightful as its contents, Anne of Green Gables is the story of eternal optimism we turn to again and again when we need a reminder of how lovely the world can be. Anne’s triumph over adversity against all odds and her ability to see the goodness in all things is a message we need now more than ever.

Anne of Green Gables


Hot off the presses! We love seeing Penguin Classics and our very own publisher Elda Rotor profiled in The New York Times. Read on to learn more about how we approach adding new books to our series, the importance of publishing works by marginalized voices, and exciting projects coming soon.

New York Times


John Steinbeck

9780143121480
Rita Dove, Pulitzer Prize winner and former Poet Laureate of the United States, introduces readers to the most significant and compelling poems of the past hundred years in The Penguin Anthology of Twentieth-Century American Poetry.
$30.00 US
Sep 24, 2013
Paperback
656 Pages
Penguin Books

9780140449334
A clear and eloquent leading translation of the Roman emperor’s reflections of human life and death, timeless Stoic philosophy that inspires countless others including The Daily Stoic author Ryan Holiday to use philosophy as a tool for self-improvement and resilience to live a better lifeWritten in Greek by an intellectual Roman emperor without any intention of publication, the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius  offer a wide range of fascinating spiritual reflections and exercises developed as the leader struggled to understand himself and make sense of the universe. Spanning from doubt and despair to conviction and exaltation, they cover such diverse topics as the question of virtue, human rationality, the nature of the gods and the values of leadership. But while the Meditations were composed to provide personal consolation, in developing his beliefs Marcus also created one of the greatest of all works of philosophy: a series of wise and practical aphorisms that have been consulted and admired by statesmen, thinkers and ordinary readers for almost two thousand years.To provide a full understanding of Aurelius's seminal work, this edition includes explanatory notes, a general index, an index of quotations, an index of names, and an introduction by Diskin Clay putting the work in its biographical, historical, and literary context, a chronology of Marcus Aurelius's life and career.Penguin Classics is the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world, representing a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
$12.00 US
Oct 31, 2006
Paperback
304 Pages
Penguin Classics

150th-Anniversary Annotated Edition (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)
9780143106654
A beautiful new Deluxe Edition of Alcott's beloved novel, with a foreword by National Book Award-winning author and musician Patti Smith. Nominated as one of America’s most-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read.Little Women is recognized as one of the best-loved classic children's stories, transcending the boundaries of time and age, making it as popular with adults as it is with young readers. The beloved story of the March girls is a classic American feminist novel, reflecting the tension between cultural obligation and artistic and personal freedom. But which of the four March sisters to love best? For every reader must have their favorite. Independent, tomboyish Jo; delicate, loving Beth; pretty, kind Meg; or precocious and artistic Amy, the baby of the family? The charming story of these four "little women" and their wise and patient mother Marmee enduring hardships and enjoying adventures in Civil War New England was an instant success when first published in 1868 and has been adored for generations.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
$17.00 US
Apr 24, 2012
Paperback
560 Pages
Penguin Classics

(Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)
9780143131854
The classic coming-of-age tale of a spunky heroine named Anne, now for the first time in Penguin Classics and packaged in a Deluxe edition.
$20.00 US
Nov 14, 2017
Paperback
368 Pages
Penguin Classics