X-ing a paragraph

Edgar Allan Poe - American writer, poet, literary critic and editor, representative of American Romanticism. The creator of the form of a modern detective and the genre of psychological prose. Some works of Edgar Poe contributed to the formation and development of science fiction. The main theme of Edgar's poetry was death. In his novels, he often experimented and even resorted to parodies.

In this satirical story a stubborn Mr. touch and go bullet head comes from the east land of wise men and settles down in Alexander the great o nopolis. In the west where he opens the nopolis teapot a newspaper. In his first article he attacks John Smith the editor of the local daily news and is answered with heavy criticism on his overuse of letter O. Upset by the attack on his style he decides to show John Smith and the town how skillful he is and purposely overuses Os again. But when about to print that article the printers boy finds that there are no Os in the boxes. He is instructed by his master to somehow print the article anyway and following printers tradition replaces all of Os with X. Their article comes out unreadable which leads their population to believe that there is something devilish in it. In anger crowds try to find Mr. Who has the vanished. The story closes with a funny account of people’s reactions expressed with the use of X.

The Courtship of Susan Bell

Anthony Trollope - English writer, one of the most successful and talented novelists of the Victorian era. In the works of Trollop reflected the problems of his time - political, social and family. In his works he described the life of landowners and clerks of provincial England, their everyday life.

After the death of her husband, Mrs Bell moves to Saratoga Springs with her daughters, where she rents rooms and they all live a dull life. Aaron Dunn, a young engineer from New York rents a room. After several evenings together in the sitting room, Aaron decides to open a conversation with Susan, the younger daughter. Susan and Aaron fall in love, but Aaron is called back to New York. He declares his love to Susan and leaves. While he is away, Hetta becomes engaged to Mr Beckard,

a minister whom Mrs Bell trusts. When Aaron is back, Beckard, asked by Mrs Bell for advice, disallows the relationship because Aaron’s job isn’t stable. Hetta agrees, Susan is grief-stricken and Aaron has to leave. Time passes

with no news from Aaron and Susan's health declines. After some months, Aaron, now with a permanent post on a railway line, comes for Susan.

Lord Mountdrago

Somerset Maugham - British writer, one of the most successful prose writers, agent of British intelligence. It is surprising that he achieved such success in English literature because in childhood he spoke only French, and he began to learn English only in ten years, after the death of his parents. A great inspiration Maugham drew from his life as an agent of British intelligence and from his travels to the east.

Mr Mountdrago is the Foreign Minister, and a conceited man. He sees Dr Audlin, a reputable psychiatrist, because he is having difficulty in sleeping. He systematically

dreams about situations in which he is humiliated and there is always the same witness: Griffiths, a member of the House of Commons. The problem is that every

morning following a dream, Griffiths makes a comment that seems to suggest that he has been in the dream. Mountdrago thinks that what happens in the dreams has an effect on reality and, in his desperation, thinks of either

killing himself or killing Griffiths in a dream.

As the psychiatrist manages to make him speak more openly, Mountdrago admits that he has politically destroyed Griffiths’ political career by humiliating him in Parliament. One evening Audlin reads in the newspaper

that the Foreign Minister has fallen under an underground train and died. On another page, he reads that Griffiths

has also died.

Silas the Good

Herbert Ernest Bates - was an English writer and author.He set many of his novels and short stories in the rural Midlands of England. He invented an idyllic way of life and drew happy portraits of country characters and their simple ways. He also wrote about his wartime

experiences in the air force.

Old Uncle Silas was working as a gravedigger. One spring afternoon he fell asleep in a grave, his bottle of beer filled with iced tea in his hands. A passing lady became furious

at the sight of man drinking on holy ground. With a cup of tea, flattering words, and stories about having become a good man in spite of a difficult life — and the alcohol in the

tea which the lady didn't notice — uncle Silas softened her, and she was later seen on the train, talkative and excited, with flowers and a strong smell, happy to have met a good man.

Mabel

Somerset Maugham - British writer, one of the most successful prose writers, agent of British intelligence. It is surprising that he achieved such success in English literature because in childhood he spoke only French, and he began to learn English only in ten years, after the death of his parents. A great inspiration Maugham drew from his life as an agent of British intelligence and from his travels to the east.

At a club in a village on his way to Pagan, the narrator is told the story of George, a local man. George had met Mabel in England and they had agreed to marry in six months; but difficulties had made it seven years. On the

day she was coming, George felt that he couldn’t marry a woman he practically didn't remember, so he wrote a letter for her and left. His escape led him across Asia, but wherever he arrived there was news that Mabel was

following him. When he finally felt safe, Mabel arrived and said how relieved she was to see he had not changed, as it would have otherwise been difficult to tell him she would

not marry him. After five minutes they were married. Now Mabel is on a trip and George misses her.