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.
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.Show book
We rely on your support to help us keep producing beautiful, free, and unrestricted editions of literature for the digital age. Will you support our efforts with a donation ? Trevor, the captain of the Wrykyn football team, finds his schoolboy honor in jeopardy when a miniature gold bat known to be in his keeping is misplaced in the course of a prank executed by O'Hara, the irrepressible Irishman. Trevor, O'Hara, and others must find the bat to preserve Trevor's honor, while also ensuring Wrykyn's victory in football over their arch-rival Ripton, and suffering increasingly audacious attacks from the sinister and anonymous League. The Gold Bat is one of P. G. Wodehouse's earliest works, and the first of several set at the fictional boys' public school Wrykyn. It was originally serialized in The Captain magazine and later published by A & C Black, London. P. G. Wodehouse (died 1975) was a significant literary figure of the 20th century. Their work has endured across generations and continues to be read and studied worldwide. As a work of classic literary fiction, The Gold Bat exemplifies the narrative craft and social insight that defined great storytelling of its era. Literary fiction of this period was characterized by careful attention to character psychology, social milieu, and the moral questions that animated public discourse.Show book
The bookshelves of European 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 Mikhail Lermontov.Show book
‘“Come along, Toto,” she said. “We will go to the Emerald City and ask the Great Oz how to get back to Kansas again.”’ Swept away from her home in Kansas by a tornado, Dorothy and her dog Toto find themselves stranded in the fantastical Land of Oz. As instructed by the Good Witch of the North and the Munchkins, Dorothy sets off on the yellow brick road to try and find her way to the Emerald City and the Wizard of Oz, who can help her get home. With her companions the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion, Dorothy experiences an adventure full of friendship, magic and danger. A much-loved children’s classic, The Wizard of Oz continues to delight readers young and old with its enchanting tale of witches, flying monkeys and silver shoes.Show book
"The dead travel fast." Originally excised from the manuscript of his immortal vampire masterpiece, Bram Stoker's title story plunges an unwitting English traveler into the freezing, snow-swept wilderness of Bavaria on Walpurgis Night. Ignoring the desperate warnings of his terrified coachman, the arrogant wanderer finds himself trapped inside an abandoned, desecrated graveyard. As a fierce blizzard descends, he must survive the unholy horrors that stir within a shattered marble tomb—and the massive, glowing-eyed guardian lurking in the shadows. But the terror does not end there. This essential volume features a curated selection of Stoker’s most brilliant supernatural short fiction. Journey to the accursed, rat-infested isolation of The Judge's House, witness the excruciating horrors of a medieval torture chamber in The Squaw, and unravel the eerie vengeance woven into The Secret of the Growing Gold. Each story masterfully escalates the dread, proving Stoker's unparalleled command of the macabre. Why you will love this audiobook: If you crave classic Gothic Horror laced with atmospheric dread, haunted houses, sinister curses, and masterful tension, this collection will freeze your blood. Perfectly tailored for fans of vintage supernatural thrillers, ghostly literature, and vampire folklore, this immersive auditory experience delivers spine-tingling suspense from the very first minute. About the Author: Bram Stoker (1847–1912) was an Irish author best known today for his 1897 Gothic novel, Dracula. His brilliant ability to blend dark folklore, psychological tension, and macabre romance forever reshaped the horror genre, cementing him as one of literature's most influential architects of terror.Show book
Dive into Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, a masterpiece that seamlessly weaves Gothic horror with the seeds of science fiction. Journey with Victor Frankenstein, a scientist consumed by ambition, who creates a being that defies nature, only to spiral into a nightmare of his own making. This novel is not just a tale of terror but an introspective look at the human condition, exploring themes of guilt, isolation, and the ethical quandaries of scientific advancement. Shelley's novel, enriched by her own life's turmoil and the intellectual ferment of her times, challenges us to ponder the boundaries between creator and creation, responsibility, and regret. Its complex narrative and profound questions resonate as much today as they did in the 19th century, making it a timeless examination of man’s aspirations and the darkness they can unleash. Frankenstein is a journey into the depths of human ambition and the consequences it can birth. This gripping narrative, alongside its enduring questions, proves that true horror lies in the mirror reflection of our collective choices. Don't miss this chance to own a piece of literary history that remains chillingly relevant in today's technological age. 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)Show book
