When brain surgery makes a mouse into a genius, dull-witted Charlie Gordon wonders if it might also work for him. With more than five million copies sold, Flowers for Algernon is the beloved, classic story of a mentally disabled man whose experimental quest for intelligence mirrors that of Algernon, an extraordinary lab mouse. In poignant diary entries, Charlie tells how a brain operation increases his IQ and changes his life. As the experimental...

After enduring many injuries of the noble Fortunato, Montressor executes the perfect revenge.

First published in The Saturday Evening Post, The Ransom of Red Chief is a humorous short story written in 1910 by O. Henry. A pair of con men kidnap and attempt to ransom a prominent Alabama citizen's son. Immediately they find themselves at the mercy of a particularly spoiled and clever boy who begins driving them mad. The ironic ending remains the story's most enduring feature.

The classic short story, To Build a Fire, by American author Jack London, is brought to life in ways he probably never imagined when it was published in 1908. The subtle blending of narration and music create a vivid image of the "Man" and his "Wolf Dog" as they set out on foot along the Yukon in temperatures colder than –50 F. With plans to meet his friends at a logging camp by 6:00pm, the Man finds himself pitted in a life and death struggle with...

A henpecked husband copes with the frustrations of his dull life by imagining he is a fearless airplane pilot, a brilliant doctor, and other dashing figures.