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  At Christmas Time - From their...

  Anton Chekhov

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  Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was born on 29th January 1860 in Taganrog, on the south coast of Russia.  
  His family life was difficult; his father was strict and over-bearing but his mother was a passionate story-teller, a subject Chekhov warmed to. As he later said; ‘our talents we got from our father, but our soul from our mother’.  
  At school Chekhov was distinctly average. At 16 his father mis-managed his finances and was declared bankrupt. His family fled to Moscow. Chekhov remained and eked out a living by various means, including writing and selling short sketches to newspapers, to finish his schooling. That completed and with a scholarship to Moscow University obtained he rejoined his family. 
  He was able to help support them by selling satirical sketches and vignettes of Russian lifestyles and gradually obtained further commissions. In 1884, he qualified as a physician and, although it earned him little, he often treated the poor for free, he was fond of saying ‘Medicine is my lawful wife, and literature is my mistress.’ 
  His own health was now an issue as he began to cough up blood, a symptom of tuberculosis.  Despite this his writing success enabled him to move the family into more comfortable accommodation.  
  Chekhov wrote over 500 short stories which included many, many classics including ‘The Kiss’ and ‘The Lady with a Dog’.  His collection ‘At Dusk’ won him the coveted Pushkin Prize when was only 26.  
  He was also a major playwright beginning with the huge success of ‘Ivanov’ in 1887.   
  In 1892 Chekhov bought a country estate north of Moscow. Here his medical skills and money helped the peasants tackle outbreaks of cholera and bouts of famine. He also built three schools, a fire station and a clinic.  It left him with less time for writing but the interactions with real people gained him detailed knowledge about the peasantry and their living conditions for his stories.  
  His most famous work, ‘The Seagull’ was received disastrously at its premiere in St Petersburg. It was later restaged in Moscow to highlight its psychological aspects and was a huge success. It led to ‘Uncle Vanya’, ‘The Three Sisters’ and ‘The Cherry Orchard’.  
  Chekhov suffered a major lung hemorrhage in 1897 while visiting Moscow. A formal diagnosis confirmed tuberculosis and the doctors ordered changes to his lifestyle.  
  Despite a dread of weddings the elusive literary bachelor quietly married the actress Olga Knipper, whom he had met at rehearsals for ‘The Seagull’, on 25th May 1901. 
  By May 1904 with his tuberculosis worsening and death imminent he set off for the German town of Badenweiler writing cheerful, witty letters to his family and assuring them his health was improving.  
  On 15th July 1904 Anton Chekhov died at Badenweiler.  He was 44.

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  Hunchback of Notre-Dame The...

  Victor Hugo

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  Book 1: The Hunchback of Notre-Dame or Notre-Dame de Paris is a French Gothic novel by Victor Hugo, published in 1831. - The story is set in Paris in 1482 during the reign of Louis XI. The gypsy Esmeralda (born as Agnes) captures the hearts of many men, including those of Captain Phoebus and Pierre Gringoire, but especially Quasimodo and his guardian Archdeacon Claude Frollo. Frollo is torn between his obsessive lust for Esmeralda and the rules of Notre Dame Cathedral. He orders Quasimodo to kidnap her, but Quasimodo is captured by Phoebus and his guards, who save Esmeralda. Gringoire, who attempted to help Esmeralda but was knocked out by Quasimodo, is about to be hanged by beggars when Esmeralda saves him by agreeing to marry him for four years.

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  Thumbelina and Other Stories

  Hans Christian Andersen

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  Thumbelina was first published in Danish in 1835 as "Tommelise" in the second instalment of "Fairy Tales Told for Children" by Hans Christian Andersen.  A woman, desperate for a daughter, goes to a fairy for help.  The fairy gives her a barleycorn to plant, which grows into a tulip from which a tiny girl, scarcely half as long as a thumb, is born.  Thumbelina soon attracts the attention of a Toad who wants the beautiful little girl as a bride for her son.  This collection also includes "In the Uttermost Parts of the Sea", "The Tinderbox" and "The Swan's Nest".

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  Hide And Seek - From their pens...

  Fyodor Sologub

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  Fyodor Kuzmich Teternikov was born on 1st March 1863 in St. Petersburg into the family of a poor tailor.  When his father died of tuberculosis in 1867, his illiterate mother was forced to become a servant in the home of an aristocrat, where Sologub and his younger sister grew up.  
  Seeing how difficult his mother's life was, Sologub was determined to rescue her from it, and after graduating from the St. Petersburg Teachers' Institute in 1882 he took his mother and sister with him to his first teaching post in Kresttsy.  It was here he began his literary career in 1884 with his poem ‘The Fox and the Hedgehog’ under the name Te-rnikov. 
  It would be another decade before he could escape his various jobs to move to Moscow and begin his literary career on what would be his most famous novel, ‘The Petty Demon’.  It was now suggested that he use a pseudonym and so Sologub became his new identity. 
  In 1896 he published a book of poems, a collection of short stories, and his first novel, ‘Bad Dreams’, which is considered one of the first decadent Russian novels. 
  In 1905 ‘The Petty Demon’, was published, initially in serial form. But life was still difficult unrewarding jobs, little time to write and a small, cramped apartment lightened only by gatherings of friends, poets and writers. 
  By the October Revolution his work was becoming popular and with the novel of ‘The Petty Demon’, finally published as a book, he now had a growing income. 
  His sister's tuberculosis could now be more easily treated with treatments in proper sanitoria, even as far away as Finland, but in June 1907 she passed. 
  He returned to St. Petersburg and retired.  The following year he married the translator Anastasia Chebotarevskaya who reordered his life.  A big new apartment was rented, small gilt chairs were bought, and the walls of the large cold office were decorated with paintings. 
  Sologub continued to write and publish poems, plays, and translations and in 1914 he started a magazine, Writers' Journals, but the outbreak of World War I put an end to it.  
  The October Revolution, with publishing under Bolshevik control, ensured he now had no outlets for his writing and could only lecture. 
  His wife’s suicide in September 1921, mainly due to deprivation and uncertainty, as they prepared for a new life abroad, grieved him for the rest of his life. 
  In May 1927 Sologub became seriously ill, and by summer he could leave his bed only rarely.  
  After a long struggle, Fyodor Sologub died on 5th December 1927 in Leningrad.  He was 64.

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  Tom Sawyer Complete Collection

  Mark Twain

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  What if childhood was the greatest adventure of all?
  
  Tom Sawyer Complete Collection brings together Mark Twain's beloved stories of mischief, freedom, and growing up along the Mississippi River. Through humor, heart, and sharp observation, Twain captures the joy and danger of boyhood—and the moral lessons learned along the way.
  
  Follow Tom Sawyer and his friends through daring escapades, secret caves, painted fences, and moments of courage that shape character. With wit and warmth, Twain blends playful storytelling with deeper reflections on friendship, justice, and conscience.
  
  Funny, adventurous, and endlessly readable, these stories remain a rite of passage for readers of all ages.
  
  Inside this eBook, you'll enjoy:
  
  The complete Tom Sawyer stories in one collection
  
  Classic American adventure and coming-of-age storytelling
  
  Humor, imagination, and unforgettable characters
  
  A cornerstone of American children's and young-adult literature
  
  Read in classrooms, shared in families, and loved for generations, Tom Sawyer's adventures never grow old.
  
  Rediscover the joy of childhood adventure. Buy now and enjoy the complete collection of Tom Sawyer.

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  Gulliver's Travels into Several...

  Jonathan Swift

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  Dive into the heart of satire with Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels, a timeless masterpiece that has captivated readers for centuries. Beyond the surface of this enchanting tale of shipwrecks and fantastical realms lies a sharp critique of society, politics, and human nature. Through the extraordinary voyages of Lemuel Gulliver, Swift takes us on an adventure to the tiny world of Lilliput, the giant lands of Brobdingnag, and beyond, each a mirror reflecting the absurdities of our own world. 
  Swift's brilliant satire has not only defined a genre but also influenced countless works of literature and philosophy. Gulliver's Travels is more than just an adventure story; it’s a profound commentary on the human condition, power, and pride, all delivered with Swift’s signature wit. This edition not only brings the classic tale to life but also includes critical essays that illuminate Swift's enduring relevance and the depth of his critique on the societal constructs of his time and ours. 
  Whether you’re drawn to epic tales, intrigued by satire, or seeking insight into humanity's complexities, Gulliver's Travels is an unforgettable journey that promises to entertain, challenge, and provoke thought long after the final page is turned. 
  This audiobook was narrated and produced by RAM Studios, where humans and artificial intelligence collaborate to create an excellent listening experience. (The reading is done primarily by AI)

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