Great Expectations Selected as NetLibrary's November eBook of the Month
Dickens' Timeless Classic Available Online through More than 13,000 Libraries
BOULDER, COLO.— For nearly 60 years, Penguin Classics has been the preeminent publisher of the world's greatest works of literature. From the major Greek thinkers to the sagas of the world's great cultures, from the most famous novels of the Victorian Era to the greats of 20th century fiction, Penguin Classics are known throughout the world. This November, NetLibrary highlights the Penguin Classics series by selecting Great Expectations as the eBook of the Month.
Named one of the Top 100 Books of the Millennium by Amazon, Great Expectations stands as one of the most enduring novels ever written. Even readers who have not turned a page of Dickens since senior English will find themselves caught up in the story of young Pip, a poor blacksmith's apprentice who unexpectedly receives great wealth, education, and social privilege. But when his secret benefactor turns out to be a convict whom Pip helped as a child, he is forced to reexamine his feelings about society, criminality, and what it means to be a gentleman.
Great Expectations can be read on many levels: as a morality play of a young boy's coming of age; as a social critique on money and how it affects everyone around it; and as mystery story replete with secrets, shady characters and thieves. In the end, Great Expectations is an unforgettable tale about fate, and how chance encounters can alter the lives of everyone around them.
Provided through the generous support of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., Great Expectations will be available with free, unlimited access November 1-30. To help libraries promote the November eBook of the Month, NetLibrary has developed a tool kit of free promotional materials that includes print-on-demand bookmarks, a sample press release, and electronic support materials. More information is available at:
http://library.netlibrary.com/eBookOfTheMonth.aspx
About Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth in 1812. His father was imprisoned for debt and Dickens was briefly sent to work in a blacking warehouse at the age of twelve. He taught himself shorthand and became a reporter. His first novel, The Pickwick Papers (1836-37), was a huge success. His most famous works include Oliver Twist (1837), A Christmas Carol (1843), David Copperfield (1849-50), A Tale of Two Cities (1859) and Great Expectations (1860-61). His last novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, was never completed and he died in 1870.
About Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Penguin Group (USA) Inc. is the U.S. affiliate of the internationally renowned Penguin Group, the second-largest English-language trade book publisher in the world. Formed in 1996 as a result of the merger between Penguin Books USA and The Putnam Berkley Group, Penguin Group (USA), under the stewardship of Chief Executive Officer, David Shanks, is a leading U.S. adult and children's trade book publisher. The Penguin Group, with primary operations in the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States and Canada, and smaller operations in South Africa and India, is led by its CEO and Chairman, John Makinson, and is owned by Pearson plc. Pearson is an international media company with market-leading businesses in education, business information, and consumer publishing.
About NetLibrary
Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, NetLibrary (www.netlibrary.org) is a division of Online Computer Library Center, Inc., a worldwide library cooperative. NetLibrary provides content and technical delivery solutions to institutional libraries, corporations and government agencies that facilitate the purchase, management and distribution of research, reference, digital learning, and general interest content via Web-based technologies. NetLibrary's eContent solution is the most broadly adopted in the market, making the content of more than 400 publishers and eContent providers available through more than 13,000 libraries worldwide.