The Age of Innocence centers on an upper-class couple's impending marriage, and the introduction of a woman plagued by scandal whose presence threatens their happiness. Though the novel questions the assumptions and morals of 1870s' New York society, it never devolves into an outright condemnation of the institution. In fact, Wharton considered this novel an "apology" for her earlier, more brutal and critical novel, The House of Mirth. Not to be overlooked is Wharton's attention to detailing the charms and customs of the upper caste. The novel is lauded for its accurate portrayal of how the 19th-century East Coast American upper class lived, and this, combined with the social tragedy, earned Wharton a Pulitzer Prize — the first Pulitzer awarded to a woman. Edith Wharton was 58 years old at publication; she lived in that world, and saw it change dramatically by the end of World War I. The title is an ironic comment on the polished outward manners of New York society, when compared to its inward machinations.
The Marvelous Land of Oz Being an account of the further adventures of the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman and also the strange experiences of the highly magnified Woggle-Bug, Jack Pumpkin-head, the Animated Saw-Horse and the Gump; the story being A Sequel to The Wizard of Oz.
Daisy Miller is an 1878 novella by Henry James first appearing in Cornhill Magazine in June–July 1879, and in book form the following year. It portrays the courtship of the beautiful American girl Daisy Miller by Frederick Winterbourne, a sophisticated compatriot of hers. His pursuit of her is hampered by her own flirtatiousness, which is frowned upon by the other expatriates when they meet in Switzerland and Italy.
The last collection of Sherlock Holmes short stories contains some of the most dramatic moments of the entire Sherlock Holmes canon. "The Dying Detective" sees the great Holmes brought low by a fatal illness and refusing even Dr Watson's medical care. "The Bruce-Partington Plans" is a case of national importance, not least for the introduction of Mycroft Holmes. It also contains the quintessential Holmes line "whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."
"The Devil's Foot" is what happens when the great sleuth and his doctor attempt to go on a restful holiday. "His Last Bow" is the last ever Sherlock Holmes story, about his war service and undercover spy experiences. These and other classic Holmes and Watson stories are here brought to life by a dramatic cast of voices, so sit back and let the mysteries unfold!
After an unspecified family disaster, protagonist Lucy Snowe travels to the fictional city of Villette to teach at an all-girls school where she is unwillingly pulled into both adventure and romance.
When orphaned Oliver Twist asks for more food, the workhouse board are horrified and immediately pack him off to work for an undertaker, who treats him badly. Oliver runs away and finds himself in the streets of London, where he meets the Artful Dodger and is lured into a gang of young pickpockets, led by the evil Fagin. Even amidst his horrible surroundings, Oliver escapes and finds his way into a loving home. But Fagin's gang are determined to steal him back to their life of crime, coming closer and closer...
Dickens' classic tale of an orphan boy who has adventures with pickpockets and thieves, is here brought to life in a dramatised reading with a full cast! Scheming Fagin, cruel Bill Sykes and innocent Oliver tell their stories in their own voices, as dramatically as Dickens intended. Oliver Twist has been made into several movies and a musical, as the themes of social justice and the triumph of goodness over evil are perennially appealing.
Anne Shirley is grown up and married, and her six children are off having their own adventures with the Merediths - the four children of a widowed, absent-minded minister. Whether they're hiding a runaway home girl and plotting to save her from the orphanage or organizing a day of fasting to punish themselves for singing an awful song in the graveyard, their adventures and misadventures make this seventh Anne novel a different, but still delightful, story.
Clym Yeobright returns home to Egdon Heath, a scattered collection of houses on the isolated Wessex moors, and is caught up in a "love pentagon" which includes: his cousin, Thomasin Yeobright; the shadowy inn-keeper, Damon Wildeve; the controversial and romantic Eustacia Vye; and the mysterious reddleman, Diggory Venn, whose skin is stained completely red from his work. This work has all the well-known marks of Thomas Hardy: the Wessex landscape, a choice of lovers, a wedding gone wrong, a particularly shy 30-something man, and a woman with an independent spirit. But, The Return of the Native is unique in its pagan undertones - the first five books take place over a year and a day, starting on All Hallow's Eve, and hints of magic and witchcraft.
Lesley Castle is a melodramatic epistolary novelette written by Jane Austen when she was sixteen years old. Although the novels Austen became known for were not published until she was in her thirties, she was an active writer from the age of twelve, frequently composing epistolary works such as Lesley Castle. Austen eventually compiled 29 of her early writings in three notebooks that became known as the Juvenilia and that she called “Volume the First”, “Volume the Second”, and “Volume the Third”, including Lesley Castle in “Volume the Second”.
Lesley Castle is set contemporaneously to Austen’s writing and consists of a series of ten letters by five characters, all of whom are women of high society living in Great Britain. In this short work, Austen employs a mock serious tone to humorously critique her peers on subjects such as self-absorption and jealousy. Austen acknowledged in a prefatory note that she left Lesley Castle unfinished; it includes several interconnected storylines, but no overarching plot or clear conclusion.
In this dramatic reading of the classic epic Ben Hur, rediscover the wonder of three wise men who travel through the wilderness together. Thirty years later, Judah ben Hur accidentally looses a tile upon the head of the Roman governor and is sentenced to the galleys for life. When he escapes, he is caught up in his thirst for revenge against his accuser, Messala, and his search for the Messiah of his people, the King who is to come. As Judah learns more about this King, however, he begins to realize that the kingdom he is searching for may not be found in what he can see and the revenge he is seeking may not be found in the way that he expects
Agnes Grey is the daughter of a minister, whose family comes to financial ruin. Desperate to earn money to care for herself, she takes one of the few jobs allowed to respectable women in the early Victorian era, as a governess to the children of the wealthy. In working with two different families, the Bloomfields and the Murrays, she comes to learn about the troubles that face a young woman who must try to rein in unruly, spoiled children for a living, and about the ability of wealth and status to destroy social values. After her father's death, Agnes opens a small school with her mother and finds happiness with a man who loves her for herself.
Doctor John Dolittle is an animal doctor and famous naturalist whose success hinges on his ability to speak the languages of many different kinds of animals. This book, the second Dr. Dolittle adventure, is narrated by Tommy Stubbins, who meets the Doctor after finding an injured squirrel. Stubbins becomes interested in the Doctor's work and has the opportunity to travel with him and several animal companions to a mysterious floating island called Spidermonkey Island.
Sylvie and Bruno, first published in 1889, and its 1893 second volume Sylvie and Bruno Concluded form the last novel by Lewis Carroll published during his lifetime. Both volumes were illustrated by Harry Furniss.
The novel has two main plots; one set in the real world at the time the book was published (the Victorian era), the other in the fantasy world of Fairyland. While the latter plot is a fairy tale with many nonsense elements and poems, similar to Carroll's Alice books, the story set in Victorian Britain is a social novel, with its characters discussing various concepts and aspects of religion, society, philosophy and morality.
In this first collection of stories following the characters from the "Anne of Green Gables" series, we see 12 vignettes into the lives of the other inhabitants of Avonlea. The case of Ludovic Speed as mentioned in "Anne of the Island" is finally detailed, along with another appearance by Anne Shirley herself in "The Courting of Prissy Strong". We meet some old friends and many new ones from "The Island", in stories both sweet and poignant. An old lady finds happiness in being a "fairy godmother" to a young music teacher; two lovers will not speak for fifteen years, but still love each other dearly; a woman-hater is quarantined with a man-hater; and other anecdotes of country town life are drawn by the delicate and sure hand of L.M. Montgomery.
When country girl Polly Milton comes to visit her friend Fanny Shaw, city life isn’t all she had hoped it would be. Thrown in the middle of a dysfunctional family, Polly remembers the teachings of her wise mother, and does her best to plant seeds of cheerfulness, honesty, and respect -- and teaching virtue by example.
Four years later, Polly returns to scratch out a living as a music teacher, but finds herself mixed up in much more than piano lessons. Through heartache and love triangles, temptation and tragedy, Polly’s story shows that even the dreams of old-fashioned girls can come true.
Jo’s little men and women are grown up and entering new stages of life. Along with discovering their individual niches, there are lots of lessons to study, plays to perform, and parties to attend… and love is undeniably in the air. When three of Jo’s most beloved boys embark on journeys of their own, they encounter some of the most difficult challenges ever faced in their young lives. Meanwhile, back at home, Jo and her family must be strong when they receive the news that not all three of the boys may return. Will Emil, Nat, and Dan find their way home to Plumfield?
Find out in Jo’s Boys, the final installment of the Little Women trilogy by Louisa May Alcott.
Cyril, Robert, Anthea and Jane need a new carpet for the nursery, but it turns out to be a magic carpet containing a phoenix egg! They discover how to hatch the egg, but a magical creature with a big ego and a wishing carpet that can read but not talk leads straight to another hilarious series of adventures! Throw in a thief, a cook, a lot of cats and a cow, and stir well with a Phoenix feather for a recipe for excitement...
The second book of the "Psammead" trilogy, following on directly after "Five Children and It" sees the children once again being caught up in magic events which, despite their best intentions, cause chaos and usually result in their being sent to bed!
When ten-year-old Rebecca Randall arrives at her aunts' brick house in Riverboro, she is not exactly welcomed with the open arms one would hope for. Her cheerful spirit touches the lives of many, but will Rebecca be able to endure Aunt Miranda's stern ways?
A translation of 'Les Liaisons dangereuses' alternative title 'Dangerous Liasons'
Everyone probably has Glenn Close and John Malkovich in mind, but for those who have not seen the movie, this epistolary fiction describes how a young girl, Cécile de Voanges, walks on the road to perdition, and is just a toy in the Vicomte de Valmont's and the Comtesse de Merteuil's hands.
After her famed book "Anne of Green Gables," Lucy Maud Montgomery continued her stories in "Chronicles of Avonlea" followed by "Further Chronicles of Avonlea." The book includes fifteen short and entertaining, funny, and romantic stories. She brings back old characters such as Anne, Rachel Lynde, and Matthew Cuthbert, although most of the stories are focused around new characters living in Avonlea.
L. Frank Baum takes us through the adventures of Santa Claus beginning with his adoption as an infant by Necile the nymph. As a youth, Claus discovers fellow humans on earth and returns to their world where he decides his duty is to make children happy through the gift of toys. Claus has to fight Awgwa’s and eventually gets help from the Flossie and Glossie, the first reindeers. Through his tireless work Claus is declared a Saint and is bestowed with immortality. His work lives on today with the help of good parents around the world.
The Five Children (from Five Children and It) are once again on holidays, but this time with no sand fairy to grant wishes - or is there? In a pet shop they meet with their friend the Psammead again, and a whirlwind adventure follows through time and space! The magical Amulet has been broken in half, and they must find and reunite the lost half with their own. But they are not the only ones seeking the power of the Amulet...
After a strange event at the Raymond First Church, Reverend Henry Maxwell asks his congregation a startling question: Will they pledge to try and do only what Jesus would for an entire year? Even more important, however is the question: Who will follow through the whole way?
While working in Africa, the eminent naturalist John Dolittle sets out to create the best post office on earth, using his bird friends to carry messages and packages anywhere in the world in record time. Along the way, he also manages to foil a slave trader, enrich a kingdom, save a ship, and meet the oldest living creature on earth!
A novelist finds himself struggling to make ends meet. In his effort to raise a bit of money to get him by, he finds himself in the middle of a mystery. Murder, theft, and love, all the ingredients for a wonderful reading. Please note: There is some stereotyping of ethnic groups however it is presented without malice but rather a sign of the times.
Following Katy's recovery in What Katy Did, Katy and Clover go to Hillsover, a boarding school. Together with their new friend Rosamond Redding, or "Rose Red", they form a Society for the Suppression of Unladylike Conduct--but then they are accused of sending notes to a boy outside the school. Katy and Clover know they have nothing to do with it, but can they prove their innocence to the teachers and principal before they are expelled?
A controversial lecturer, brilliant lawyer, and arguably the most famous orator of the mid to late 1800's, Ingersoll railed against the absurdities of the Bible and cruelties of Christianity, particularly the horrific notion of "eternal damnation". He tirelessly supported the arts, education, science, women’s rights, abolition, home, family, children, and human liberty. As a leader of the Freethought movement, his creed was: “Happiness is the only good, Reason the only torch, Justice the only worship, Humanity the only religion, and Love the only priest.” He was often attacked in the press. Here are 30 published interviews in which Ingersoll spoke extemporaneously, bitingly, sometimes hilariously, on a wide range of topics with newspaper reporters of the day. (Compiled from The Works Of Robert G. Ingersoll, Volume 8, Dresden Edition, Pub. 1900
Journey back to the "brick house" for a further look into the life of young Rebecca Randall during her adventures and scrapes in the small town of Riverboro, Maine. A companion story to Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.
In 1895 Oscar Wilde was convicted of gross indecency and sentenced to two years' hard labor. This account of his two trials was compiled from the original shorthand court reports by an anonymous author. While a more complete account of the trial was published several years later, it omitted the more 'sensational' exchanges. This shorter version was clearly intended for a more prurient reader. In it we hear Wilde's famous defence of "the love that dare not speak its name", and see the evidence mount as a succession of attractive young men step into the witness box to tell their tales.
Marcellus, a Roman centurion, is instructed to eradicate the Christians from the catacombs. When he goes to investigate, he discovers the truth about their beliefs and 'Him Who loved us.' As persecution sweeps across Rome, will Marcellus be the next one in danger?
At a house in the country 8 guests are invited to enter a magical wood to see what might have happened had they made a different choice in life. Even though they are warned away from the wood, they take a chance and enter. The title comes from Shakespeare: "The fault lies in our selves, dear Brutus, not in our stars...," and summarizes the theme of this play: given a second chance, will people still make the same mistakes?
Prince Inga lives a happy life on the island of Pingaree until one day invaders from the north enslave every person on the island, including his parents. Inga, who escaped unnoticed in an apple tree, visiting King Rinkitink who had fallen in a well, and surly talking donkey Bilbil embark on a quest to save the Pingareeans.
Armed only with three magic pearls that imbue strength, invincibility, and wisdom, the three take on the open sea, the military might of the islands of Regos and Coregos, and the Nome King.
Danny begins his tale regretting the length of his tail until he is corrected by Mr. Toad. Then he has a series of stalkings by Reddy and Granny Fox. He is captured by Hooty the Owl and escapes mid-flight to Peter Rabbit's briar patch. Peter goes to Farmer Brown's peach orchard and gets caught in a snare and barely escapes himself. Finally Danny gets trapped in a tin can and must use his wits to escape Reddy Fox again.
When a neighbor brings word that Grandma is sick, Mr. and Mrs. Bassett hurry off to tend to her, leaving their seven children to prepare for Thanksgiving on their own. The story of the adventures of Eph, Tilly, Prue, Seth, Sol, Roxy, and Rhody Bassett as they go sledding, face bears, tell old stories, and wrestle with plum puddings is a holiday treat fit to make anyone stop and count their own blessings.
A Mysterious killer—Man? Beast? Or devil?—spreading terror throughout a nation, flouting law and lawless alike … Curious GOINGS-ON in a house rented immediately upon the death of its owner … A WARNING to leave the house, underlined with threats of death … A SHADOW bearing one gleaming eye [ … ] Wouldn’t You Like to Know – What happens when the indomitable Miss Van Gorder refuses to be frightened from the house of murder? What nerve-shaking word is spelled out by the Ouija board? [ … ] Who is the stranger who arrives half dead? Who is the Bat?” ~ from the ad in the book. Originally published in 1926, Rinehart's entertaining mystery offers suspense and humor, and you will see evidence of that era's Asian xenophobia and Prohibition in the United States.
Join this couple in their annual house party where the “guests” becoming unknowing “actors” in their beach house play “Rainy Week” (Linette Geisel).
“To be indeed absolutely explicit experience has proved, with an almost chemical accuracy, that, quite regardless of "age, sex, or previous condition of servitude," this particular combination of Romantic Passion, Psychic Austerity, Tragedy, Ambition, Poignancy, Innocence, And Irritation, cannot be housed together for even one Rainy Week without producing drama!”
Headlong Hall is the first novel by Thomas Love Peacock, published in 1815 (dated 1816). As in his later novel Crotchet Castle, Peacock assembles a group of eccentrics, each with a single monomaniacal obsession, and derives humor and social satire from their various interactions and conversations. The setting is the country estate of Squire Harry Headlong Ap-Rhaiader, Esq. in Wales.
readers present a collection of their favorite chapters and short stories, with the original author’s words all brought to life with different reader voices for each character in our popular Dramatic Reading style. This volume includes Various Detectives, Cute Animals, Talking Fireworks, and Interesting People and Situations: See cast list for authors and book/story names.
Jessica is a little girl who used to be an actress till she grew too big. Now she lives on the streets, mostly starving until she meets Mr. Dan'el. Mr. Dan'el gives Jessica his cast-off crusts and warmed-over coffee. Jessica follows Mr. Dan'el to a building where a bunch of people sing and then listen to a man tell them about someone named God. Jessica wants to know who God is so she sneaks into listen every Sunday, hoping she won't be found out.
Rose Wiley is a pretty country girl. She's engaged to Stephen Waterman, a country boy. She is quite content, until Claude Merril, a man from Boston, tells her that her love is ruining Stephen's life. A cute coming-of-age novel.
Juan and Carlos Meñaya have longed to find their father ever since they were little. Their dream starts to get lost, though, as they grow up and go separate ways. Juan goes off to war and falls under the influence of a Huguenot prisoner while Carlos becomes a monk and begins to discover the Bible for himself.
When an innocent blue jay starts talking in his sleep, it's up to him to find out what's going on in this fun, naturalistic, Southern-style children's story.
Join us in a journey of two young men in search of adventure as they discover more than they bargained for.
The novel takes place 10 years after the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759 when Quebec becomes a British colony. Written as a collection of letters, the story follows the relationships between Edward Rivers (a British soldier), his friend, John Temple (rather a cad), Emily Montague (a young British woman), and her dearest friend, Arabella Fermor (a flirtatious drama queen). Giving glimpses into the new frontier discoveries of Canada, one not only peeks into the personal relationships of these characters but gets swept away by the enticing descriptions of the "new world." This is Volume 3 of 4.
The novel takes place 10 years after the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759 when Quebec becomes a British colony. Written as a collection of letters, the story follows the relationships between Edward Rivers (a British soldier), his friend, John Temple (rather a cad), Emily Montague (a young British woman), and her dearest friend, Arabella Fermor (a flirtatious drama queen). Giving glimpses into the new frontier discoveries of Canada, one not only peeks into the personal relationships of these characters but gets swept away by the enticing descriptions of the "new world." This is Volume 4 of 4.
The novel takes place 10 years after the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759 when Quebec becomes a British colony. Written as a collection of letters, the story follows the relationships between Edward Rivers (a British soldier), his friend, John Temple (rather a cad), Emily Montague (a young British woman), and her dearest friend, Arabella Fermor (a flirtatious drama queen). Giving glimpses into the new frontier discoveries of Canada, one not only peeks into the personal relationships of these characters but gets swept away by the enticing descriptions of the "new world." This is Volume 2 out of 4.
The novel takes place 10 years after the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759 when Quebec becomes a British colony. Written as a collection of letters, the story follows the relationships between Edward Rivers (a British soldier), his friend, John Temple (rather a cad), Emily Montague (a young British woman), and her dearest friend, Arabella Fermor (a flirtatious drama queen). Giving glimpses into the new frontier discoveries of Canada, one not only peeks into the personal relationships of these characters but gets swept away by the enticing descriptions of the "new world." This is Volume 1 out of 4.
A group of friends spend a summer camping in a canyon in Southern California. Fun camp adventures, breath-taking scenery, and a little state history and legends too.
Frank Merriwell is from Yale he excelled at football, baseball, basketball, crew and track at Yale while solving mysteries and righting wrongs the stories show how he handles a number of challenges that come his way.
The seventeenth book of the King James Bible, Esther recounts a tale of two queens. Queen Vashti is the loveliest woman in the land, but when she refuses to come to her husband's banquet, she is banished from the kingdom. Hadassah is called to take her place - a beautiful young woman with a secret. Hadassah is Jewish, but her guardian warns her to keep her identity hidden. Taking on the name Esther - which means "hidden" - she moves in to the palace, but when a wicked man hatches a plot to rid the land of Jews, her guardian asks her to take on a terrible job. Esther must go to the king unasked - and if he does not extend his golden scepter, she will face the ultimate punishment. Can she rely on God to save her people - and herself? -