Today in Bookish and Literary History, October 16

1913 Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw (Ireland)

The Pygmalion of legend falls in love with his perfect female statue and persuades Venus to bring her to life so that he can marry her. But Shaw radically reworks Ovid’s tale to give it a feminist slant: while Higgins teaches Eliza to speak and act like a duchess, she also asserts her independence, adamantly refusing to be his creation.

1922 The Waste Land by T. S. Eliot (UK)

The Waste Land is a 434 line poem presented in five-parts, written by T. S. Eliot; considered by many to be one of the greatest poets in history.

1950 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (UK)

Four siblings step through a mysterious wardrobe and into the magical Narnia, a once-peaceful land now frozen in snow and stone by the cruelty of the evil White Witch. Only the return of the Great Lion, Aslan, can put an end to the White Witch’s tyranny and restore peace. But for winter to meet its death and spring to come again, a great sacrifice must be made. . . .

2025 The Heat of Battle by Chris Glatte

Thrust into an amphibious landing against a heavily defended speck of an island somewhere in the Pacific, Private First Class Clemens doesn't have time for fear. With bullets cracking and mortar shells falling, he may not survive the first few seconds of combat, let alone the next few days. But along with his G.I. buddies, he'll do whatever it takes to stay alive.