By Caroline Boden
Penguin Random House is a book publisher that distributes worldwide. They were founded in 1925 by Bennett Perf and Donald Klopfer. In 1934 they published the first authorized edition of Ulysses by James Joyce. This book launched Penguin Random House into being a powerful publisher over the next twenty years. They entered reference publishing in 1947 with the American College Dictionary. Twelve years later, Random House went public at $11.25 a share. This action led their competitors to later go public. Over the next forty years, they would grow their brand by acquiring other publications and by 1998, they were global. The financial crisis in 2007 and 2008 caused retail sales for the publishing industry to be hit hard. In December, Random House, like many other publishers, reconstructed their company and laid off employees on what became known as Black Wednesday. In 2012, Random House merged with Penguin group to become the new company Penguin Random House in 2013. They then continued to grow their brand with imprints across the United States with specialities in different genres.
The publisher's headquarters is located in Manhattan in New York City. Random House Inc. also maintains several independent subsidiaries around the globe. With branches in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, New Delhi, Germany, Spain, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Uruguay, Canada, Japan and Korea, Penguin Random House has become a global book publishing brand and has been labeled one of the big five publishers in the United States.
The Bestselling Books of All Time published by Penguin Random House
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
As provocative today as when it was first published in 1954, Lord of the Flies continues to ignite passionate debate with its startling, brutal portrait of human nature.
1984 by George Orwell
Winston Smith wrestles with oppression in Oceania, a place where the Party scrutinizes human actions with ever-watchful Big Brother. Defying a ban on individuality, Winston dares to express his thoughts in a diary and pursues a relationship with Julia.
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Published in 1937, it tells the story of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers, who move from place to place in California in search of new job opportunities during the Great Depression in the United States.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
With his wife's disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, a man sees the spotlight turned on him when it's suspected that he may not be innocent. On the occasion of his fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne reports that his wife, Amy, has gone missing.
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
In a dystopian, polluted right wing religious tyranny, a young woman is put in sexual slavery on account of her now rare fertility. Set in a Fascistic future America, The Handmaid's Tale tells the story of Kate, a handmaid. In this America, the religious right has taken over and gone hog-wild.
Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss’s wonderfully wise Oh, the Places You’ll Go! has been the perfect send-off for grads—from nursery school, high school, college, and beyond!
Becoming by Michelle Obama
The intimate, powerful, and inspiring memoir by the former First Lady of the United States.
Comments