Religion & Philosophy
So controversial was The Adventures of the Black Girl in Her Search for God when it first appeared in 1932 that it provoked public outcry with Shaw decried as a blasphemer. Today, it remains a surprisingly irreverent depiction of the universal search for God. This brilliantly sardonic allegory showcases some of Shaw's most unorthodox thoughts on religion and race. Includes an afterword by the author and the original illustrations.
The Jefferson Bible. The dedicated deist, rationalist and scientist Thomas Jefferson believed that the New Testament contained some of the finest moral lessons ever written. He also believed that they were diluted by religious dogma and superstition. To this end, he created his own version of the New Testament, deleting all of the supernatural elements. This edition duplicates the text of a 1904 edition created for the US Congress. Illustrated and with an introduction.
Mass market paperback
Eve's Diary. Written shortly after the death of his beloved wife, this little book is one of Mark Twain's greatest masterpieces...at one and the same time one of his funniest, gentlest and most romantic tales...and one of the greatest love stories ever written. Includes the original illustrations.
Mass market paperback.
Penguin Island, Anatole France's satiric classic, opens with a Christian missionary monk who accidentally lands on the island and mistakes the native penguins for people and baptizes them. This mistake causes a problem for God
who normally only allows people to be baptized, so he resolves it by converting the penguins to people and giving them a soul. Includes the original illustrations by Frank C. Pape.
Letters from Earth. Mark Twain's acid critique of religion, the church and God was suppressed during his lifetime. It was not eventually published until nearly half a century after his death. Must reading for both sceptic and believer.
Extract from Captain Stormfield's Visit to Heaven, by Mark Twain. Long out-of-print, this classic of American humor was the last book to be published in the author's lifetime. It tells the story of a crusty American sea-dog who travels to heaven aboard a comet...a year later Twain himself died as Halley's Comet glowed in the sky above his home, Stormfield, Connecticut.
