Publisher: Bu Classics Books
Mute and destitute, a young street urchin named Gibbie navigates a world of cruelty with a heart of pure, unblemished gold. His ascent from the gutters to the highlands is marked by an almost angelic innocence that transforms the lives of those he meets. A lyrical fable about the triumph of the meek in a harsh world.
Luigi Pirandello was born on 28th June 1867 into an upper-class family in Agrigento, in Sicily. In 1880, the family moved to Palermo and there he completed high school and thence to the University of Palermo, at that time the centre of what became the Fasci Siciliani movement. Although not an active member he had close friendships with many of its leading ideologists. Pirandello then completed his university studies in Rome and Bonn, receiving his Doctorate in March, 1891. His time in Rome had provided him with the opportunity to visit its many theatres. "Oh the dramatic theatre! I will conquer it. I cannot enter into one without experiencing a strange sensation, an excitement of the blood through all my veins..." 1894 brought marriage, at his father's suggestion, to a shy, withdrawn girl: Mara Antonietta Portulano. The marriage encouraged his studies and writings and, the following year, the first part of the ‘Dialoghi tra Il Gran Me e Il Piccolo Me’ was published. In 1903 the flooding of the sulphur mines in which his father had invested the family capital and Antonietta's dowry, brought financial catastrophe. She, on hearing the news, was mentally broken. Pirandello would now work a full day and then watch over his troubled wife at night. Somehow he found time to write ‘The Late Mattia Pascal’. It was an immediate and resounding success. In 1909, Pirandello began his collaboration with the prestigious Corriere della Sera. Whilst his fame as a writer was increasing his private life was poisoned by the suspicion and jealousy of Antonietta who now turned physically violent. His plays were now being regularly performed but, within a decade, Antonietta had to be placed into an asylum from which she never left. In 1921, in Rome his play, ‘Six Characters in Search of an Author’ debuted. It was a failure. However, when presented in Milan it was a great success, as it also was in London and New York. In 1925, Pirandello, with Mussolini’s help, assumed the artistic direction and ownership of the Teatro d'Arte di Roma. He now described himself both as ‘a Fascist because I am Italian’ and ‘I'm apolitical, I'm only a man in the world...’ However his later conflicts with fascist leaders meant he fell under close surveillance by the OVRA, the secret police. In 1934 he won the Nobel Prize but asked that the medal be melted down for Italy’s occupation of Abyssinia Campaign to which he had given his support. Pirandello's canon stretches across novels, short stories, poetry, essays and some 40 plays. His tragic farces are often cited as forerunners of the Theatre of the Absurd. Luigi Pirandello died on the 10th December 1936 at his home at Via Bosio, Rome, Italy. He was 69.Show book
"The Canterville Ghost" The first of Wilde's stories to be published, appearing in the magazine The Court and Society Review in February 1887. When a family from the United States buys Canterville Chase, they are told it is haunted by a horrible spirit, but this does not deter them in the slightest. Indeed, when they find a recurring blood stain on the floor, and hear creaking chains in the night, even seeing the ghost himself, all they do is clean up the blood and insist that the ghost oil his manacles if he is going to keep living in the house. This perturbs the ghost to no end, and he does everything he can to try to frighten the family.Show book
Jude Fawley is a stone mason with a passion for scholarship who longs to study at the nearby university town of Christminster. Then Arabella Donn comes into his life. His longing for her eclipses all else for a time, and they marry but unhappily. Meeting his spirited and intelligent cousin, Sue Bridehead, Jude dares to dream again. But in acknowledging their feelings for one another, Jude and Sue risk becoming social outcasts. In defying conventional morality, their lives become plagued by uncertainty and torment.Show book
One of the great Victorian novels by an author at the height of his powers, Vanity Fair follows the fortunes of the calculating, upwardly-mobile Becky Sharp and her gentle, good-hearted friend Amelia Sedley as they leave their boarding school and embark upon their lives in Vanity Fair – the social-climbing, wealth-obsessed world of Regency England in the time of the Napoleonic Wars. William Makepeace Thackeray was a British novelist, author, and illustrator. He is known for his satirical works, particularly his 1848 novel Vanity Fair, a panoramic portrait of British society, and the 1844 novel The Luck of Barry Lyndon, adapted for a 1975 film by Stanley Kubrick.Show book
Welcome dear Listener! We are glad to have you join us for Root & Twig Sounds classic novel experience of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, told with the power of a soundscape audiobook production. Experience the wonder of the classic tales of Mowgli, the boy raised by wolves in the jungles of India, as well as the unforgettable characters of Shere-Khan, Baloo, Bagheera and Rikki-Tikki-Tavi. The Jungle Book was written by Rudyard Kipling as an anthology of seven stories featuring a variety of animals and their relationship to mankind. Originally published in 1894, it is our distinct pleasure to present to you a new way to experience the story - a 'soundscape audiobook'. A word-for-word production, this is not merely an ‘adaptation’ or ‘radio drama'. This is a way to experience the story as if you are within the very pages of the tale.Show book
The Vampyre by John Polidori, narrated by Declan McHugh, is one of the earliest and most influential vampire tales in literary history. This dark and atmospheric story follows the mysterious and sinister Lord Ruthven, an aristocratic figure whose charm hides a terrifying secret. As Lord Ruthven lures his unsuspecting victims, the chilling truth about his nature is slowly revealed, drawing listeners into a world of gothic suspense and supernatural horror. Narrator Declan McHugh brings the eerie, otherworldly quality of the story to life with his captivating performance, capturing both the menace and allure of the vampire. His narration immerses listeners in the fog-shrouded, moonlit landscapes and chilling encounters that make this story a timeless classic. Perfect for fans of gothic literature and vampire lore, The Vampyre is a must-listen for those who enjoy dark, haunting narratives filled with suspense and mystery. This audiobook offers an unforgettable journey into the origins of the vampire mythos, where danger and seduction intertwine.Show book
