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The Ex-Classics Web Site Book of the Month -- December 2024 The Octave of Claudius, by Barry Pain < This book, originally published in 1897, tells the story of Claudius Sandell, a down-and-out gentleman who makes a deal with an eccentric scientist -- in return for eight days of unlimited money to enjoy himself with, he binds himself for life to be the scientist's slave -- or worse. Things become more complicated for him when he meets a girl, and would like to go back on his bargain. To quote George Orwell in his essay Good Bad Books: "A cut above most of these [popular writers of the 1890s] was Barry Pain. Some of Pain's humorous writings are, I suppose, still in print, but to anyone who comes across it I recommend what must now be a very rare book–THE OCTAVE OF CLAUDIUS, a brilliant exercise in the macabre." Previous BOMs AboutUs The Ex-Classics project was founded in 2000 to fill an unmet need.  When reading the blurb etc. to a book by Charles Dickens or Charlotte Bronte, say, we would often come across sentences like "Favourite reading included . . ."  If  it's good enough for them, it's good enough for us. So off we go to the library or bookshop, to be met first with blank stares and then with the information that the book has been out of print for decades. Our first two books were Gil Blas and Hudibras, which are prime examples of this. This web site is dedicated to rescuing these works from obscurity and making them available online, both for reading directly, and for downloading. What do you think? Any comments about this site or its contents? E-mail us (Click here) We have an occasional newsletter - please say if you want to be added to the mailing list. We never give out your details to spammers, or anyone else, for that matter. No-Copyright notice This site and its contents are public domain and free to the world. Anything in it may be copied and distributed free of charge or obligation. [There are one or two exceptions to this,which are clearly marked where they occur.] We expect this policy to be passed on - anyone who copies our texts or web pages and tries to claim copyright for themselves is stealing - not from us, but from you, and from everyone. An example of what we mean.

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