Publisher: Bu Classics Books
Orphaned by a devastating earthquake, young Clare is thrust into a world that tests his gentle nature at every turn. His wanderings expose him to the harshness of humanity, yet he retains an innate goodness that touches those he meets. This narrative is a poignant exploration of innocence persisting amidst the rough shaking of a cruel world.
The bookshelves of American 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 the seminal, often lauded yet equally divisive figure and talents of Gertrude Stein.Show book
Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce was born on 24th June 1842 at Horse Cave Creek in Meigs County, Ohio. His parents were poor but they introduced him to literature at an early age, instilling in him a deep appreciation of books, the written word and the elegance of language. Growing up in Koscuisko County, Indiana poverty and religion were defining features of his childhood, and he would later describe his parents as “unwashed savages” and fanatically religious, showing him little affection but always quick to punish. He came to resent religion, and his introduction to literature appears to be their only positive effect. At age 15 Bierce left home to become a printer’s devil, mixing ink and fetching type at The Northern Indian, a small Ohio paper. Falsely accused of theft he returned to his farm and spent time sending out work in the hopes of being published. His Uncle Lucius advised he be sent to the Kentucky Military Institute. A year later he was commissioned as an Officer. As the Civil War started Bierce enlisted in the 9th Indiana Infantry Regiment. In April 1862 Bierce fought at the Battle of Shiloh, an experience which, though terrifying, became the source of several short stories. Two years later he sustained a serious head wound and was off duty for several months. He was discharged in early 1865. A later expedition to inspect military outposts across the Great Plains took him all the way to San Francisco. He remained there to become involved with publishing and editing and to marry, Mary Ellen on Christmas Day 1871. They had a child, Day, the following year. In 1872 the family moved to England for 3 years where he wrote for Fun magazine. His son, Leigh, was born, and first book, ‘The Fiend’s Delight’, was published. They returned to San Francisco and to work for a number of papers where he gained admiration for his crime reporting. In 1887 he began a column at the William Randolph Hearst’s San Francisco Examiner. Bierce’s marriage fell apart when he discovered compromising letters to his wife from a secret admirer. The following year, 1889 his son Day committed suicide, depressed by romantic rejection. In 1891 Bierce wrote and published the collection of 26 short stories which included ‘An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge’. Success and further works including poetry followed. Bierce with Hearst’s resources helped uncover a financial plot by a railroad to turn 130 million dollars of loans into a handout. Confronted by the railroad and asked to name his price Bierce answered “my price is $130 million dollars. If, when you are ready to pay, I happen to be out of town, you may hand it over to my friend, the Treasurer of the United States”. He now began his first foray as a fabulist, publishing ‘Fantastic Fables’ in 1899. But tragedy again struck two years later when his second son Leigh died of pneumonia relating to his alcoholism. He continued to write short stories and poetry and also published ‘The Devil’s Dictionary’. At the age of 71, in 1913 Bierce departed from Washington, D.C., for a tour of the battlefields where he had fought during the civil war. At the city of Chihuahua he wrote his last known communication, a letter to a friend. It’s closing words were “as to me, I leave here tomorrow for an unknown destination,” Ambrose Bierce then vanished without trace.Show book
Ready to fall head over heels for one of the most beloved stories ever written? Get ready, because Pride and Prejudice (Classic Literature Edition) isn’t just a novel — it’s a journey into the sparkling heart of wit, passion, and timeless romance that will leave you utterly captivated from the very first word. Step into the lively world of Elizabeth Bennet, a sharp, spirited heroine who challenges society’s expectations with grace and humor, and meet Mr. Darcy, the proud gentleman whose heart is not so easily won. As you listen, you’ll laugh at the delicious satire of 19th-century manners, swoon over one of literature’s most iconic love stories, and uncover timeless truths about pride, love, and personal growth. This audiobook will sharpen your understanding of human nature, deepen your appreciation for classic literature, and remind you why true love stories never go out of style. Press play — and let this unforgettable masterpiece sweep you off your feet!Show book
François-Anatole Thibault was born on the 16th April 1844 in Paris, France, the son of a bookseller and bibliophile. He studied at the Collège Stanislas, a private Catholic school, and after graduating joined his father in the bookstore, which specialised in works on the French Revolution. Several years later he secured a position as cataloguer at Bacheline-Deflorenne and at Lemerre before being appointed librarian for the French Senate in 1876. His literary career had begun as a journalist and as a poet before publishing his novel ‘Le Crime de Sylvestre Bonnard’ in 1881. Praised for its elegant prose, it won him a prestigious prize from the Académie Française, which later elected him to its storied ranks. His works were profound and thoughtful and often couched in surreal and outlandish expressions; whether penguins baptized by a near-blind Abbott transformed themselves into humans or of a guardian angel who becomes an atheist, his stories turned established thought into startling literature. His short stories run in the same vein. The premise may seem plausible but his distinctive style turns them into an individual viewpoint which invokes both discussion and admiration. In his private life his relationships with women were often turbulent. A Socialist, he was a fervent supporter of the Russian Revolution and the early years of the French Communist party. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1921 but the following year his entire canon of works was placed on the prohibited list of the Catholic Church, which he thought of as a credit to his name. Anatole France died on the 12th October 1924 in Tours. He was 80.Show book
Lafcadio Hearn was born on the 27th June 1850 on the Ionian isle of Levkás in Greece to a British Army officer and a Greek Mother. His father, fearing for his career prospects at being married to a Greek Orthodox wife, sent them to Dublin whilst he continued to advance his career with further postings. Life there was difficult for mother and son. His father returned, wounded and traumatised, when Lafcadio was three. He annulled the marriage and she remarried but had to give up care of Lafcadio to her sister-in law. After brief periods for Catholic education in England and France he emigrated to Ohio in the United States when he was 19, taking on a series of casual jobs before embarking on a career as a journalist, publishing poems and essays in Cincinnati. It was whilst here that he began a side-line in translating, starting with Gautier and Flaubert. He married in 1874 to a 20 year old African-American woman in violation of Ohio's anti-miscegenation law. The marriage soon failed. In 1877 he relocated to New Orleans to write on a variety of themes before picking up a two year assignment from Harper’s to write in the West Indies, where he also wrote his first novel. In 1890 Harper’s sent him to Japan. Here he left journalism and took the remarkable decision to become a schoolteacher in the north of Japan. Enraptured by the culture he was driven to explain it in various Western publications to those who had little, if any, knowledge of its culture. Within the year he had fallen in love with, and married, a high-born Japanese lady, together they would have four children. In 1895 he became a Japanese national and took the name Koizumi Yakumo, Koizumi being his wife’s family name. The following few years, whilst a professor of Literature at the Imperial University of Japan, were his most creative and admired period. Lafcadio Hearn died of heart failure on the 26th of September 1904, in Tokyo, Japan shortly before leaving to deliver a series of lectures at Cornell University in New York State. He was 54.Show book
The narrative begins with young David Balfour's attempt to claim his inheritance, which leads to his kidnapping and the unfolding of a gripping tale of betrayal, friendship, and survival. Along the way, David encounters characters such as Alan Breck Stewart, a Jacobite, and together they navigate the treacherous Scottish Highlands, facing numerous challenges and adventures.Show book
