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  Arch Rascal An - From their pens...

  Knut Hamsun

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  Knud Pedersen was born in Lom in the Gudbrandsdal valley of Norway on the 4th of August, 1859 in what was then the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway.  He was the fourth son of seven children born to poor parents who, when he was three, were invited to an uncle’s farm to work his land. 
  When he was nine he moved away from his family to help another uncle who ran a post office.  Whilst with him he was beaten and starved which manifested in a series of chronic nervous difficulties.  The treatment endured for six years until he managed to escape back to Lom. 
  For some time he now took any job that was available to him, including store clerk, peddler, shoemaker's apprentice, sheriff's assistant, elementary-school teacher and ropemaker's apprentice.  At about the same time, with the wealth of these gained experiences, he began to explore his literary talents. 
  In 1877 he published his first book ‘The Enigmatic Man: A Love Story from Northern Norway’, others soon followed but real success only came in 1890 with ‘Hunger’, an influential work for later novelists with its internal monologue and bizarre logic.  His work is often associated with Pantheism; where nature and mankind are unified in a strong and often mystical bond.   
  His work was so influential that in 1920 he was awarded the Novel Prize for Literature. 
  Shortly after this point his works became fewer and his interests darker.  During World War II he became a fervent admirer of the Nazi’s, even meeting Hitler, even though German armies had overrun Norway.  With the war’s end he was detained on charges of treason.  His old age was apparently the primary reason given for Hamsun receiving only a fine.  Other reasons also sought to excuse his abhorrent behaviour but it was clear that whilst he was loved for his literature he was detested for his politics and morals. 
  His literary canon includes more than 20 novels, a poetry collection, short stories, plays, a travelogue, other works of non-fiction and essays. 
  Knut Hamsun died on the 19th February 1952 in Grimstad. He was 92.

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  Hamlet

  William Shakespeare

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  The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. Set in the Kingdom of Denmark, the play dramatizes the revenge Prince Hamlet exacts on his uncle Claudius for murdering King Hamlet, Claudius's brother and Prince Hamlet's father, and then succeeding to the throne and taking as his wife Gertrude, the old king's widow and Prince Hamlet's mother. The play vividly portrays both true and feigned madness – from overwhelming grief to seething rage – and explores themes of treachery, revenge, incest, and moral corruption.

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  Gusev

  Anton Chekhov

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  "Gusev"  is an 1890 short story by Anton Chekhov.
  Several discharged soldiers return home from the Far East by ship. Confined to the hospital cabin, they are all apparently dying of consumption and seemingly indifferent to their condition. Among them are Gusev, a mild, racist, slightly dim man, and the mysterious Pavel Ivanovich, an ardent "protester" who often goes on diatribes (many of which Gusev either misunderstands or ignores) about his lifelong commitment to telling people "the truth to their faces". Ivanovich is proud of having riled every single person around him during his three years' service in the East, and thinks all the other men present are fools. He later reveals that he is the son of a priest and had to disguise himself as a peasant to buy his third-class ticket. One day, while Gusev is asleep, Pavel Ivanovich dies. One of the other soldiers, seeing that Gusev will also die shortly, helps him up to the ship's deck, where they look at the waves crashing into one another. Several days later, Gusev dies. His body is sewn into a sailcloth sack and weighted. After a short prayer, it is thrown into the ocean, where a shark bites at it. Up above, the ocean begins to reflect the colors of the sky, "...tender, joyous, passionate colours for which it is hard to find a name in human speech".

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  The White Company

  Arthur Conan Doyle

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  Embark on a Medieval Adventure with The White Company! 
  Step into the heart of the Hundred Years’ War with Arthur Conan Doyle’s The White Company, a thrilling tale of chivalry, courage, and camaraderie. Follow the journey of Alleyne Edricson, a sheltered young man leaving the quiet walls of a monastery to embrace the chaos and honor of the medieval world. His path crosses with the valiant Sir Nigel Loring, whose unwavering bravery inspires Alleyne to join The White Company—a legendary band of mercenary archers known for their unmatched skill in battle. 
  Through richly detailed landscapes, fierce battles, and moments of heartfelt camaraderie, Doyle paints a vivid portrait of medieval life. Experience the clash of swords, the roar of arrows, and the unwavering bonds of loyalty that define this epic adventure. From the quiet monastic beginnings to the storm of war, Alleyne's transformation is as captivating as the historical tapestry woven around him. 
  Whether you're a fan of action, historical fiction, or timeless tales of honor, The White Company will transport you to a world of knights, castles, and epic quests. 
  Narrated by an advanced AI voice, this audiobook brings every detail and emotion to life with stunning clarity and precision. Prepare to be captivated!

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  Edgar Allan Poe - Selected Tales

  Edgar Allan Poe

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  Edgar Allan Poe will always be associated with the macabre and mysterious. In this selection of 11 of his short stories Poe's unique voice can be heard in all its Gothic splendour. 
  "The Fall of the House of Usher" a death obsessed man, in his desperate attempt to save his sister from premature burial, seals his own fate. 
  "The Masque of the Red Death" A nobleman uses his wealth to protect himself from the Red Death only to find it stalks his palace of pleasure and privilege as a guest. 
  " The Premature Burial" Fearful that his cataleptic illness may lead to premature interment, the narrator becomes obsessed with avoiding such an horrific end. 
  "The Tell-Tale Heart" A murderer's frenzied guilt over his deadly deed manifests itself in a bizarre incriminating manner. 
  "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" A macabre and violent double murder in Paris attracts the attention of Dupin, an amateur detective whose powers of deduction foreshadow the techniques of Sherlock Holmes nearly 50 years later. 
  "The Oblong Box" While on a sea voyage the narrator mistakes his old friend's mysterious reticence regarding his cargo of an "Oblong Box" for rudeness, with tragic consequences. 
  "The Oval Portrait" While convalescing in an old castle, a man becomes intrigued by a portrait of a young woman and soon learns of its sad history. 
  "The Black Cat" A Man spirals down into an existence of increasing drunkenness and violence. Those he once loved are dragged down with him, but one is bent on revenge. 
  "The Raven" A short poem in which a Raven enters a lovelorn man's room only to be the unexpected prophet of the poet's bleak and lonely future. 
  "The Sphinx" The oppressive atmosphere of a Cholera epidemic causes the writer to overestimate the evidence of his own eyes. 
  "The Pit and the Pendulum" A claustrophobic masterpiece, describing the experience of a man undergoing the tortures of the Spanish Inquisition.

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  The Piece of String

  Guy de Maupassant

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  “The Piece of String” by Guy de Maupassant is a timeless short story from 1883 that captures the tension between appearance and truth in a small French village. With sharp irony and emotional depth, Maupassant explores how pride, suspicion, and social perception can shape a man’s fate. Originally published in the collection Miss Harriet, this classic work of French literature is a compelling reflection on human nature, reputation, and the power of rumor.

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