Penguin Book covers - Chosen Books and Summaries

Chosen Penguin Books:

The fall of Icarus - Ovid

Daedalus is a brilliant inventor who unfortunately angers the ruler of the island Crete King Minos. He therefore has to flee the Island and decides to use wax to build some wings for himself and his son Icarus. He warns his son not to fly near the sea water as it will dampen the wings and not near the sun as it will melt the wings.
Icarus ignores his fathers advice and having too much fun forgets the warning he was given and flies too close to the sun. As expected, his wings, melt and Icarus plummets into the sea and drowns. Daedalus is devastated but has to continue his journey and flies to Sicily where he mourns his sons death and builds a temple in honour of the God Apollo.


The Sandman - E.T.A. Hoffman

The story begins with Nathanael describing a childhood fear to his fiancee and brother, of a creature called the Sandman who would come in the night and steal the eyes of children. The Sandmans appearance resembled a man named Coppelius who once attacked Nathanael and threatened to steal his eyes before killing his father and disappearing.
At university, Nathanael meets a man called Coppola who he is convinced is the same horrible man from his childhood. His family try to tell him it is a childish delusion that he needs to forget. He tries hard to do this but finds it hard to not think about it at all.
Nathanael later meets the daughter of one of is professors, a girl named Olimpia. He becomes fascinated by her and forgets about everything else in his life.
One day, he comes across the professor and Coppola fighting over the body of Olimpia arguing over who made what parts of her. Nathanael then realises she is a doll and thinks he is cured of the nightmare he has been living. However, when at home he and his daughter go for a walk and he attempts to throw her to the floor.
The story ends with Nathanael jumping off a parapet to his death as he is too haunted by the events of his past.


Lot No.249 - Arthur Conan Doyle

Abercrombie Smith is a medical student at Old College and is called to the room of his neighbour Edward Bellingham. Bellingham is a Egyptology student and has fainted with severe shock. Smith uses his medical skills to revive him while Bellinghams friend explains that bellingham has a obsession with an Egyptian mummy he purchased at an auction.
Over the next few weeks Smith continues to hear noises from Bellinghams room. Soon after a student Bellingham hates is violently attacked by a mysterious human looking figure. Smith vows to avoid his neighbour after this who he is sure had something to do with it.
Smith is later warned against Bellingham but when passing his room he witnesses the mummy vanish and reappear in its sarcophagus.
After discovering there has been another attack, Smith is certain the mummy has been brought to life and is being sent to attack people Bellingham dislikes. Smith confront his neighbour but Bellingham denies any involvement. The following evening Smith is pursued by the mummy and he realised Bellingham must be stopped.
The next day Smith put Bellingham at gunpoint and forces him to burn the mummy and any items associated with it. After everything is destroyed Smith vows to return if Bellingham attempts any such activity again. Bellingham then quit university and flees to Sudan.