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  Dies Irae - From their pens to...

  Kenneth Grahame

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  Kenneth Grahame was born on 8th March 1859 in Edinburgh. 
  At age 5 his mother succumbed to puerperal fever.  His father, who had a drinking problem, now sent his 4 children to live with their grandmother at her large house in Cookham, Berkshire. Here the children lived in large open grounds next to the river.  These early experiences would in later years, be retold in his writing through a myriad of characters. 
  Grahame loved being a pupil at St Edward's School, Oxford and wanted to enroll at the university there but his guardian demurred on account of the cost. 
  Instead, a banking career was chosen for him, starting in 1879 at the Bank of England, where he rose steadily to the rank of its Secretary until retiring, with a pension, in 1908 due to ill health. 
  Alongside his commercial career Grahame had written and published various stories and essays in several periodicals. Some were anthologized as ‘Pagan Papers’ in 1893, and two years later ‘The Golden Age’ and later still ‘Dream Days’ and its masterpiece ‘The Reluctant Dragon’ became part of many home libraries.  His ability to view life through the lens of a young and curious child was superb, enabling the reader to easily identify with the character.   
  Grahame married Elspeth Thomson in 1899 and they had one child; Alastair, born semi-blind and plagued by health problems.  In a heart-rending tragedy he would later take his own life whilst attending Oxford University in 1920.   
  In 1908 Grahame reworked many of the bedtime stories he had fashioned for his son into the enduring favourite; ‘The Wind in the Willows’, describing the heart-warming adventures of Mr Toad and his friends.   
  Kenneth Grahame died in Pangbourne, Berkshire, on 6th July 1932.

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  The Domain of Arnheim

  Edgar Allan Poe

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  Ffrom his cradle to his grave a gale of prosperity bore my friend Ellison along. Nor do I use the word prosperity in its mere worldly sense. I mean it as synonymous with happiness. The person of whom I speak seemed born for the purpose of foreshadowing the doctrines of Turgôt, Price, Priestly and Condorcêt — of exemplifying by individual instance what has been deemed the chimera of the perfectionists. In the brief existence of Ellison I fancy that I have seen refuted the dogma, that in man's very nature lies some hidden principle, the antagonist of bliss. An anxious examination of his career has given me to understand that, in general, from the violation of a few simple laws of humanity arises the wretchedness of mankind — that as a species we have in our possession the as yet unwrought elements of content — and that, even now, in the present darkness and madness of all thought on the great question of the social condition, it is not impossible that man, the individual, under certain unusual and highly fortuitous conditions, may be happy.

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  Cavalleria Rusticana - From...

  Giovanni Verga

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  The bookshelves of European literature are incredible collections that have gathered together centuries of very talented authors.  From this continent their fame spread and whilst among their number many are now forgotten or neglected their talents endure.  Among them is Giovanni Verga.

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  Mansfield park

  Jane Austen

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  Adopted into the household of her uncle, Sir Thomas Bertram, Fanny Price grows up a meek outsider among her cousins in the unaccustomed elegance of Mansfield Park. Soon after Sir Thomas absents himself on estate business in Antigua (the family's investment in slavery and sugar is considered in the Introduction in a new, post-colonial light), Mary Crawford and her brother Henry arrive at Mansfield, bringing with them London glamour, and the seductive taste for flirtation and theatre that precipitates a crisis. While Mansfield Park appears in some ways to continue where Pride and Prejudice left off, it is, as Kathryn Sutherland shows in her illuminating Introduction, a much darker work, which challenges 'the very values (of tradition, stability, retirement and faithfulness) it appears to endorse'. This new edition provides an accurate text based, for the first time since its original publication, on the first edition of 1814.

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  The Misanthrope

  Molière Molière

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  Molière's timeless classic, The Misanthrope, is a brilliant exploration of human nature, social hypocrisy, and the conflicts between honesty and societal expectation. Written in the 17th century, this comedic masterpiece remains strikingly relevant today, revealing the eternal struggle of integrity in a world governed by pretense.
  
  At the heart of the play is Alceste, a man of unwavering honesty who despises the lies, flattery, and superficiality of high society. His refusal to compromise his principles earns him ridicule and isolation, yet his moral rigidity is contrasted with his passionate love for Célimène, a witty and charming woman whose playful flirtations and social maneuvering epitomize the very society Alceste despises.
  
  Through sharp wit, clever dialogue, and intricate social commentary, Molière exposes the contradictions and absurdities of human behavior. The play examines the tension between sincerity and politeness, love and reason, individuality and conformity. It challenges readers to question their own values, social interactions, and the compromises they make to fit into a world rife with pretense.
  
  Molière's The Misanthrope is more than just a comedy—it is a mirror reflecting the complexities of human relationships, a satire that cuts to the core of social conventions, and a timeless study of integrity, love, and the struggle to remain true to oneself in an often hypocritical society.
  
  Perfect for lovers of classic literature, drama, and social critique, this edition brings Molière's sharp insights and timeless humor to life, offering readers both entertainment and profound reflection.

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  Mrs Dalloway in Bond Street

  Virginia Woolf

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  Step into the glittering world of post-war London with Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway in Bond Street, brought to life in this immersive audiobook experience. Follow Clarissa Dalloway as she moves through the elegant shops and bustling streets of Bond Street, where each encounter stirs memories, emotions, and profound reflections on identity, time, and the lingering effects of war. This introspective journey offers a rich, sensory exploration of a single moment in time, captured with Woolf’s signature stream-of-consciousness brilliance. Perfect for fans of literary fiction, modernist prose, and psychological depth, this audiobook invites you to hear the heartbeat of a society in transition—one thought at a time.

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