Verlag: Interactive Media
An Unpleasant Predicament is a novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky that tells the story of a man who is forced to make a difficult decision. The man is in a difficult situation because he is being blackmailed, and he must choose between two unpleasant options. He eventually decides to commit suicide rather than face the consequences of his decision.
Abraham Stoker was born in Dublin, Ireland on the 8th of November 1847, the third of seven children. His early years were plagued with such ill-health that he was unable to start school until the age of seven. He turned the long periods of recovery into an opportunity for thinking and said “I was naturally thoughtful, and the leisure of long illness gave opportunity for many thoughts which were fruitful according to their kind in later years”. Strikingly at Trinity College, Dublin his health had returned with such vigour that he was named their University Athlete whilst also achieving a BA in Mathematics with honours. At this time his interest in theatre became a job offer to be the Dublin Evening Mail’s theatre critic, co-owned by Sheridan Le Fanu. He now began to also write short stories and in 1872 ‘The Crystal Cup’ was published. An interest in art developed and he co-founded the Dublin Sketching Club. In 1878 came marriage to Florence Balcombe. She had formerly been courted by Stoker’s acquaintance, Oscar Wilde. The marriage produced one child. Stoker had some years before reviewed Henry Irving’s Hamlet and had dined with him. That friendship now resulted in a proposal from Irving to move to London and to manage his Lyceum Theatre. His numerous commercial innovations ensured both he and the theatre thrived. Irving would also often take Stoker with him when he toured abroad. Despite this busy life Stoker continued to write and these works paved the way for his most famous creation, published in 1897, ‘Dracula’. It is rightly recognised as one of the greatest horror novels of all time and although not the first with a theme of Vampires, it is undoubtedly the most well-known. Stoker also wrote poetry and many excellent short stories and continued to write novels and other works throughout his career. Politically Stoker supported Home Rule, though only by peaceful means. He was also keen on following scientific trends particularly in medicine. In 1902 his tenure at the Lyceum Theatre ended and although he continued to write his health was deteriorating, mainly due to a series of debilitating strokes. Bram Stoker died on the 20th April 1912, in Pimlico, London. He was 64.Zum Buch
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” So begins one of Charles Dickens’ most enduring and powerful works. A Tale of Two Cities sweeps listeners into the turmoil of the French Revolution, capturing both the grandeur and the horror of the era. Set between the contrasting cities of London and Paris, this historical masterpiece follows the lives of Charles Darnay, a French aristocrat who renounces his title, and Sydney Carton, a dissolute English barrister whose redemption lies in a profound act of sacrifice. Themes of justice, resurrection, and the brutal weight of revolution collide in a narrative as thrilling as it is moving. With unforgettable characters—Lucie Manette, Madame Defarge, Dr. Manette—and an emotionally charged plot, A Tale of Two Cities remains a landmark of literary history. In this compelling narration by Roger Arnold, Dickens’ voice is brought to life with clarity and passion, delivering an immersive journey through the shadowed streets of Paris and the quiet resolve of London. A must-listen for fans of historical drama, courtroom intrigue, and stories of personal transformation.Zum Buch
"The Star" is an 1897 apocalyptic short story by H.G. Wells. In January (about 1900, presumably), the people of Earth awaken to the news that a strange luminous object has erupted, into the Solar System, after disturbing the normal orbit of the planet Neptune. The object is a celestial body whose luminosity is distinguishable on the sky about the constellation of Leo.Zum Buch
The second of two volumes collecting the complete tragedies of Seneca. Edited by world-renowned classicists Elizabeth Asmis, Shadi Bartsch, and Martha C. Nussbaum, the Complete Works of Lucius Annaeus Seneca offers authoritative, modern English translations of the writings of the Stoic philosopher and playwright (4 BCE–65 CE). The two volumes of The Complete Tragedies presents all of his dramas, expertly rendered by preeminent scholars and translators. The first volume contains Medea, The Phoenician Women, Phaedra, The Trojan Women, and Octavia, the last of which was written in emulation of Senecan tragedies and serves as a unique example of political tragedy. This second volume includes Oedipus, Hercules Mad, Hercules on Oeta, Thyestes, and Agamemnon. High standards of accuracy, clarity, and style are maintained throughout the translations, which render Seneca into verse with as close a correspondence, line for line, to the original as possible, and with special attention paid to meter and overall flow. In addition, each tragedy is prefaced by an original translator’s introduction offering reflections on the work’s context and meaning. Notes are provided for the reader unfamiliar with the culture and history of classical antiquity. Accordingly, The Complete Tragedies will be of use to a general audience and professionals alike, from the Latinless student to scholars and instructors of comparative literature, classics, philosophy, drama, and more.Zum Buch
In the comfortable English Dorsetshire village of Anneypenny in the 1930s, fruit farmer Douglas Sewell – narrator of the story – sees his friend John die in agony. The death certificate states gastric ulcers but the post mortem’s revealing of poison punctures Anneypenny’s idyllic backdrop. Soon every friend and neighbour seems to harbour something suspicious. Douglas challenges his readers, or listeners, to answer the key questions before throwing out several scenarios and turning them upside-down in a tantalising path to the truth. A journalist as well as a novelist, Anthony Berkeley was a founding member of the Detection Club and one of crime fiction’s greatest innovators. He was one of the first to predict the development of the ‘psychological’ crime novel.Zum Buch
A Case of Identity is one of the 56 short Sherlock Holmes stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and is the third story in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.The story revolves around the case of Miss Mary Sutherland, a woman with a substantial income from the interest on a fund set up for her. She is engaged to a quiet Londoner who has recently disappeared. Sherlock Holmes' detective powers are barely challenged as this turns out to be quite an elementary case for him, much as it puzzles Watson.The fiancé, Mr. Hosmer Angel, is a peculiar character, rather quiet, and rather secretive about his life. Miss Sutherland only knows that he works in an office in Leadenhall Street, but nothing more specific than that. All his letters to her are typewritten, even the signature, and he insists that she write back to him through the local Post Office.The climax of the sad liaison comes when Mr. Angel abandons Miss Sutherland at the altar on their wedding day.Famous works of the author Arthur Conan Doyle's: "A Study in Scarlet", "Silver Blaze", "The Hound of the Baskervilles", "The Yellow Face", "A Scandal in Bohemia", "The Red-Headed League", A Case of Identity", "The Boscombe Valley Mystery", "The Five Orange Pips", "The Man with the Twisted Lip", "The Blue Carbuncle", "The Speckled Band", "The Engineer's Thumb", "The Noble Bachelor", "The Beryl Coronet", "The Copper Beeches" and many more.Zum Buch
