Penguin Classics Books
The Penguin Classics Book is the first reader’s companion to the world’s largest library of classic literature. Featuring new reading suggestions, insights on beloved classics, and reading connections across time and geography, this book celebrates an ongoing series of books that began more than 70 years ago. The classics aren’t just books, but an ongoing literary tradition. In this edition, Penguin celebrates these classics with a new cover design.
The Ipcress File
The Ipcress File was first published in 1965 as a paperback novel and was made into a movie starring Michael Caine as the British spook Harry Palmer. Although the book and the film are very different, the book and the movie both have similar premise – British scientists are brainwashed by foreign powers. The book’s wry humor and sardonic style are sure to keep readers entertained throughout.
The Ipcress File by Len Deighton is a classic novel that ushered in a new era of spy fiction. Written in 1962, the novel features an anonymous spy who is later christened Harry Palmer, and is the focus of a six-part television series. The novel was one of the first novels to break the mold of spy novels, and it paved the way for the development of modern thriller writing.
Deighton’s writing draws on his experiences working for a smart advertising agency. In his job, he mingled with Eton-educated young men who enjoyed barbed banter. These experiences informed his portrayal of intelligence service offices. The Ipcress File in Penguin Classics is a classic book that deserves to be read by everyone. So get your copy of The Ipcress File in Penguin Classics today.
The Iliad
Homer’s epic poem, The Iliad, first appeared in the ninth century B.C., and it’s arguably the greatest work of Western literature. Its epic narrative depicts the brutality and horror of war, moving inexorably toward the tragic conclusion of the Trojan War. In Penguin Classics’s new translation, renowned classicalist Bernard Knox offers a fresh perspective on Homer’s classic poem, setting it against the epic backdrop of the divine.
The Iliad has captivated readers for two thousand and seven hundred years. The tale of the Trojan War and the rage of Achilles has gripped readers for generations. With the skill of a poet and scholar, Robert Fagles’s new translation brings contemporary energy to the classic. The Odyssey is considered the ultimate evocation of the journey of every man through life. Fagles’s translation not only captures the vividness of the battle but also the domestic life in Troy’s besieged city, Ilium.