The Bibliophile's Compass

1868  The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins is first serialized - UK One of the earliest examples of the detective novel, this taut and intricate mystery remains a classic work of Victorian literature. 1907  Don Juan in Hell by George Bernard Shaw - Ireland It consists of a dramatic reading in which three characters from Man and Superman appear in archetypal guises: Don Juan, the libertine turned moralist; Doña Ana, the eternal female; and the Commander, a hypocrite transformed into a statue. 1921  Diff'rent by Eugene O'Neill - US The story concerns a woman who rejects her fiancée over a single act of infidelity and later becomes engaged to another man who turns out to have poor character. The first man commits suicide, and she regrets her choice. 2012 All is Song  by Samantha Harvey - UK ⭐⭐⭐ ( My Review ) Set against the backdrop of tabloid frenzies and an escalating national crisis, All Is Song is a novel about filial and moral duty, and about the choice of que...

1732 Poor Richard's Almanack by Benjamin Franklin - US Poor Richard's Almanack (sometimes Almanac) was a yearly almanac published by Benjamin Franklin, who adopted the pseudonym of "Poor Richard" or "Richard Saunders" for this purpose. 1903 Glad of It by Clyde Fitch - US 1923  Saint Joan by George Bernard Shaw - Ireland With Saint Joan, which distills many of the ideas Shaw had been exploring in earlier works on politics, religion, feminism, and creative evolution, he reached the height of his fame as a dramatist. Fascinated by the story of Joan of Arc, but unhappy with the way she had traditionally been depicted, Shaw wanted to remove “the whitewash which disfigures her beyond recognition.” He presents a realistic Joan: proud, intolerant, naïve, foolhardy, and brave—a rebel and a woman for Shaw’s time and our own. 1927 Royal Family by George Kaufman & Moss Hart - US 1961  Night of the Iguana by Tennessee Williams -...

1852  Masks & Faces by Charles Reade and Tom Taylor (UK) 1906  Doctor's Dilemma by George Bernard Shaw (Ireland) This social comedy revolves around the ethical quandaries faced by a set of doctors once they need to determine which affected person is most deserving of limited clinical assets, particularly an existence-saving but experimental treatment. 1934  Children's Hour by Lillian Hellman The Children's Hour is a play written by Lillian Hellman that tells the story of two women who run a boarding school for girls in New England. When a vindictive student accuses them of having a lesbian relationship, their lives are turned upside down as the scandal spreads throughout the community. 1946  Another Part of the Forest by Lillian Hellman Set in the fictional town of Bowden, Alabama, in June 1880, the plot focuses on the wealthy, ruthless, and innately evil Hubbard family and their rise to prominence. 1952  Seven Year Itch by George Axelrod The ti...

1832 Loss of Breath by Edgar Allan Poe ( My Review ) ⭐️⭐️ 1920  Heartbreak House by George Bernard Shaw When Ellie Dunn joins a house party at the home of the eccentric Captain Shotover, she causes a stir with her decision to marry for money rather than love, and the Captain’s forthright daughter Hesione protests vigorously against the pragmatic young woman’s choice. Opinion on the matter quickly divides and a lively argument about money and morality, idealism and realism ensues as Hesione’s rakish husband, snobbish sister, and Ellie’s fiancé—a wealthy industrialist—enter the debate. 1958  The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui by Bertolt Brecht Described by Brecht as 'a gangster play that would recall certain events familiar to us all', Arturo Ui is a witty and savage satire of the rise of Hitler - recast by Brecht into a small-time Chicago gangster's takeover of the city's greengrocery trade. Using a wide range of parody and pastiche - from Al Capone to Shakespeare...

1604  Othello by Shakespeare is first presented (UK) 1611  The Tempest by Shakespeare is performed at court in front of James I at Whitehall Palace - its first recorded performance (UK) 1904  John Bull's Other Island by George Bernard Shaw premieres in London (Ireland) John Bull's Other Island is a comedy about Ireland, written by George Bernard Shaw in 1904. Shaw himself was born in Dublin, yet this is one of only two plays of his where he thematically returned to his homeland, the other being O'Flaherty V.C. 1935  Murder in the Cathedral by T. S. Eliot (UK) T. S. Eliot's most famous drama, a retelling of the murder of the archbishop of Canterbury 1983 The Rape of Shavi by Buchi Emecheta (UK) ( My Review ) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ An allegorical tale, in which a collision between Westerners and tribal members imperils the stoic traditionalism of the Africans. 2005 Comfort & Joy by Kristin Hannah Joy Candellaro once loved Christmas more than any other time of t...

1906  Caesar & Cleopatra by George Bernard Shaw In a cheeky nod to Shakespeare’s towering reputation, Shaw reinvents two of his historical characters but sets his own play in a period predating both Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra. 1917  In the Zone by Eugene O'Neill 2016 The Book of Endless Sleepovers by Henry Hoke "In his atmospheric debut, Henry Hoke maps the wild country of adolescence, the murky realm of childhood and its mysterious stirrings, where the names of cities are always changing along with our own, as we swap them for those of our favorite characters: The Hardy Boys or Huck Finn or Peter Pan. A land where pet bunnies are eaten by owls in the night and cats change owners at their own will. The Book of Endless Sleepovers is beguiling and evocative and sometimes sad. It is not to be missed." -Kate Durbin, author of E! Entertainment 2023 The Reformatory by Tananarive Due A gripping, page-turning “masterpiece” (Joe Hill, #1 Ne...

  1905  Mrs Warren's Profession by George Bernard Shaw It tells the story of Mrs. Kitty Warren and her daughter Vivie, as they struggle to come to terms with the truth of Mrs. Warren's occupation. Vivie, a successful graduate of Cambridge University, is shocked to discover that her mother is a wealthy madam, and is forced to reassess her own choices in life and the values she holds dear. In the end, the two are able to reconcile their differences and come to an understanding that Mrs. Warren's profession is not something to be ashamed of. 1996 Home Again by Kristin Hannah A moving, powerful novel about the fragile threads that bind together our lives and the astonishing potential of second chances 2025 Attention: Writing on Life, Art, and the World by Anne Enright From one of our most distinguished literary voices, a defining essay collection blending personal reflection with urgent political writing and wide–ranging cultural criticism.

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,...

1897  Devil's Disciple by George Bernard Shaw (UK) 2022 Jackal by Erin E. Adams A young Black girl goes missing in the woods outside her white rust belt town. But she's not the first—and she may not be the last Edgar Award Finalist Bram Stoker Award Finalist Shirley Jackson Award Nominee 2022 The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler Humankind discovers intelligent life in an octopus species with its own language and culture, and sets off a high-stakes global competition to dominate the future. Winner of 2023 Locus Award for Best First Novel Finalist for The Nebula Award Finalist for The Los Angeles Times Ray Bradbury Prize

1651 Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe Crusoe runs away to sea and is promptly shipwrecked 1652 Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe Crusoe captured by Turkish pirates and enslaved for two years at Salé, on the Barbary Coast. 1659 Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe Crusoe leaves Brazil on his disastrous slaving voyage. 1773 "Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral" by American slave Phillis Wheatley published in the UK - first known book of poetry published by a Black woman 1913 George Bernard Shaw's play "Androcles and the Lion" premieres in London The play is Shaw's retelling of the tale of Androcles, a slave who is saved by the requiting mercy of a lion. 1982 Naira Power by Buchi Emecheta is published (Uk-Nigeria) It is a narrative about corruption in which the main character Ramonu wielded power over justice due to his riches. Everything went wrong when the power went off. 2003 The King of Capri by Jeanette Winterson is published (UK) When a greedy king wakes ...