Other books that might interest you

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  The Odyssey

  Homer Homer

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  The Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the Iliad, the poem is divided into 24 books. It follows the Greek hero Odysseus, king of Ithaca, and his journey home after the Trojan War. After the war itself, which lasted ten years, his journey lasted for ten additional years, during which time he encountered many perils and all his crewmate were killed. In his absence, Odysseus was assumed dead, and his wife Penelope and son Telemachus had to contend with a group of unruly suitors who were competing for Penelope's hand in marriage.The Odyssey was originally composed in Homeric Greek in around the 8th or 7th century BCE and, by the mid-6th century BCE, had become part of the Greek literary canon. In antiquity, Homer's authorship of the poem was not questioned, but contemporary scholarship predominantly assumes that the Iliad and the Odyssey were composed independently, and the stories themselves formed as part of a long oral tradition.  Scholars still reflect on the narrative significance of certain groups in the poem, such as women and slaves, who have a more prominent role in the epic than in many other works of ancient literature. This focus is especially remarkable when considered beside the Iliad, which centers the exploits of soldiers and kings during the Trojan War.The Odyssey is regarded as one of the most significant works of the Western canon. The first English translation of the Odyssey was in the 16th century. Adaptations and re-imaginings continue to be produced across a wide variety of mediums. In 2018, when BBC Culture polled experts around the world to find literature's most enduring narrative, the Odyssey topped the list. Here is the great tale as an exciting extended Icon Audiobook!

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  A Chapel and a Hayhut Among the...

  D H Lawrence

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  'A Chapel and a Hayhut among the Mountains'. This piece of writing falls between the short story and travel writing but is presented here as a short story largely because it depicts the warm love between Lawrence and his wife Frieda (Anita in the story) as they begin their life of travel together.

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  Barry Pain - Six of the Best -...

  Barry Pain

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  Six has always been a number we group things around – Six of the best, six of one half a dozen of another, six feet under, six pack, six degrees of separation and a sixth sense are but a few of the ways we use this number. 
   
  Such is its popularity that we thought it is also a very good way of challenging and investigating an author’s work to give width, brevity, humour and depth across six of their very best. 
   
  In this series we gather together authors whose short stories both rivet the attention and inspire the imagination to visit their gems in a series of six, to roam across an author’s legacy in a few short hours and gain a greater understanding of their writing and, of course, to be lavishly entertained by their ideas, their narrative and their way with words. 
   
  These stories can be surprising and sometimes at a tangent to what we expected, but each is fully formed and a marvellous adventure into the world and words of a literary master. 
   
  1 - Six of the Best - Barry Pain - An Introduction 
  2 - Barry Pain - An Introduction  
  3 - The Extermination by Barry Pain 
  4 - The Diary of a God by Barry Pain 
  5 - The Act of Heroism by Barry Pain 
  6 - The Bet by Barry Pain 
  7 - Murder, from The Memoirs of Constantine Dix by Barry Pain 
  8 - Post Mortem by Barry Pain

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  The First Men in the Moon

  H. G. Wells

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  Published in 1901, The First Men in the Moon is one of the earliest science-fiction novels in the English language. An impecunious businessman, Bedford, retreats to the Kent coast where he meets the archetypal absent-minded scientist, Dr Cavor, who is on the point of producing a gravity-defying material. His experiments prove successful, making possible one of man’s oldest dreams: a journey to the moon. The two men embark on this fantastic voyage – Bedford motivated by the prospect of wealth, and Cavor by the thirst for knowledge. However, when they arrive, they find a world of freezing nights and sweltering days, and signs of a threatening alien presence, from which they may never escape.The novel invites obvious comparisons with its predecessor, Jules Verne’s From the Earth to the Moon, though Wells’s approach markedly differs from that of his French counterpart, with Wells being more concerned by the adventure on the moon, even at the expense of scientific plausibility.

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  Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr...

  Robert Louis Stevenson

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  "Man is not truly one, but truly two."
  
  In the fog-shrouded streets of Victorian London, the respected and brilliant Dr. Henry Jekyll has made a terrifying discovery. Believing that every human soul is a battleground between good and evil, he develops a chemical potion to separate the two. But the experiment goes horribly wrong. Out of the laboratory emerges Edward Hyde—a man of pure, unadulterated malice who prowls the night committing acts of unspeakable violence. As Hyde's influence grows, the boundary between the two men begins to dissolve, leading to a desperate race for control and a shocking final revelation that changed the face of horror fiction forever.
  
  A Masterpiece of Suspense: Told through the eyes of the lawyer Gabriel Utterson, the story unfolds like a Victorian detective novel. Stevenson expertly builds dread through the "mystery of the door" and the unsettling physical descriptions of Hyde, whom people find "deformed" without being able to specify how—a brilliant psychological touch that suggests his evil is felt rather than seen.
  
  The Birth of Psychological Horror: Long before modern psychiatry, Stevenson explored the "repressed" desires of the Victorian gentleman. The tragedy of Dr. Jekyll isn't just his transformation into a monster, but his addiction to the freedom that being a monster provides. It is a searing critique of a society that demands outward perfection while ignoring the shadows within.
  
  Why It Endures: The phrase "Jekyll and Hyde" has entered our daily language for a reason. This novella remains a terrifyingly relevant look at the masks we wear and the consequences of trying to split our own nature. It is a fast-paced, atmospheric, and profoundly philosophical journey into the heart of human darkness.
  
  Face the monster in the mirror. Purchase "Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" today.

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  The Hound of the Baskervilles -...

  Arthur Conan Doyle

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  Step into the eerie moors of Devonshire with The Hound of the Baskervilles: A Sherlock Holmes Novel by Arthur Conan Doyle, an audiobook that brings one of the greatest mysteries in detective fiction to life. In this spine-tingling tale, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson are called to investigate the chilling legend of a ghostly hound that has haunted the Baskerville family for generations. When Sir Charles Baskerville is found dead under mysterious circumstances, Holmes must untangle a web of clues to protect the new heir, Sir Henry Baskerville, from a similar fate. 
  As Holmes’ brilliant mind takes on this supernatural puzzle, listeners are transported into a world of dark secrets, suspicious characters, and an atmosphere thick with suspense. Doyle’s masterful storytelling weaves together elements of gothic horror and detective fiction, creating an unforgettable listening experience. 
  Narrated with vivid detail, this audiobook captures the tension, drama, and intelligence of Sherlock Holmes as he battles to solve one of his most famous cases. Whether you're a longtime fan or new to Holmes’ adventures, The Hound of the Baskervilles offers a thrilling journey into the unknown. 
  Perfect for commutes, quiet evenings, or any time you crave a gripping mystery, this audiobook will keep you on the edge of your seat. Start Listening to The Hound of the Baskervilles today and experience the detective genius of Sherlock Holmes as he unravels a legend shrouded in fear!

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