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  Twilight Alley - An early 20th...

  Stefan Zweig

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  Stefan Zweig was born on the 28th November 1881 in Vienna, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and into a wealthy Jewish family with interests in banking and textiles. 
   
  He studied philosophy at the University of Vienna and achieved his degree in 1904. 
   
  Zweig first published in 1900 and two decades later was a popular and highly regarded author in many parts of the world, although not in England.    
   
  During the Great War he served in the Archives of the Ministry of War and supported Austria's war effort through his writings in the ‘Neue Freie Presse’.  Whilst his work praised his Country’s progress and, on occasions, its excesses and massacres, he later claimed, in his memoir, that he was a pacifist. 
   
  In 1912 he began an affair with the married, and mother or two, Friderike Maria von Winternitz, but it was only in 1920 that circumstances allowed them to marry.  She took care of much of his business interests and supported him artistically.  In this decade too many of his most famous works including the short stories; ‘Amok’, and ‘Letter from an Unknown Woman’ (filmed in 1948 by Max Ophüls), novels; ‘Confusion of Feelings’ and biographies including that on Marie Antoinette (filmed by MGM in 1938) were published. 
   
  He was also the librettist with Richard Strauss of two operas and a keen collector of autographed musical manuscripts.  His collection of over two hundred pieces was later donated to the British Library.  
   
  In 1934, Zweig, as a Jew, and finding life very difficult under his anti-Semitic government and the neighbouring Nazi’s persuaded him to leave Austria for England.   
   
  In 1940 Zweig, now divorced and married to his second wife, and former secretary, Lotte Altmann, left London and via New York moved to Petrópolis, a German-colonized town 50 miles north of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.  Although he continued to write he became, along with his wife, increasingly depressed about the situation in Europe and the future for humanity,  
   
  His memoir ‘The World of Yesterday’ was completed on the 22nd February 1942. 
   
  The following day the Zweig’s were found in their house dead of a barbiturate overdose, holding each other’s hand.  He was 60.

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  Tale of Two Cities A (Book the...

  Charles Dickens

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  Book 3: The Track of a Storm: A Tale of Two Cities is an 1859 historical novel by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long imprisonment in the Bastille in Paris and his release to live in London with his daughter Lucie, whom he had never met. The story is set against the conditions that led up to the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror.
  Dickens' best-known work of historical fiction, A Tale of Two Cities is regularly cited as the best-selling novel of all time. In 2003, the novel was ranked 63rd on the BBC's The Big Read poll. The novel has been adapted for film, television, radio, and the stage, and has continued to have an influence on popular culture.

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  The Cricket on the Hearth

  Charles Dickens

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  A timeless holiday classic, The Cricket on the Hearth by Charles Dickens is a heartwarming tale of love, family, and redemption. Set in a cozy Victorian home, the story follows John Peerybingle and his wife Dot, whose simple yet contented lives are disrupted by a series of misunderstandings, mysterious arrivals, and surprising revelations. A seemingly ordinary cricket, chirping beside their hearth, becomes a symbol of warmth, hope, and the unseen forces that guide us through hardship. 
  As secrets unravel and mistaken identities come to light, Dickens masterfully weaves a touching narrative filled with festive spirit, romance, and moral lessons. Blending humor, sentimentality, and social commentary, this novella captures the magic of Christmas and the enduring power of love and kindness. 
  A delightful tale filled with memorable characters and heartfelt moments, The Cricket on the Hearth remains a cherished holiday tradition and a testament to Dickens’ ability to craft stories that resonate across generations.

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  War and Peace Book 8

  Leo Tolstoy

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  In Book 8 of War and Peace, Tolstoy depicts the aftermath of the Battle of Borodino and Napoleon’s occupation of Moscow. Pierre Bezukhov wanders into the chaos, capturing a sense of purpose by attempting to assassinate Napoleon but ends up imprisoned. Prince Andrei, gravely wounded in battle, reflects on life, death, and his strained relationship with Natasha as he faces mortality. The Rostovs flee Moscow, their lives forever changed by war's devastation. Tolstoy explores themes of fate, sacrifice, and resilience, contrasting personal struggles with the broader historical narrative. Amidst ruin, glimmers of hope emerge, setting the stage for renewal and redemption.

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  Mrs Dalloway

  Virginia Woolf

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  Mrs Dalloway is a novel by Virginia Woolf, published on 14 May 1925, that details a day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway, a fictional upper-class woman in post-First World War England. It is one of Woolf's best-known novels. 
   
  The working title of Mrs Dalloway was The Hours. The novel began as two short stories, "Mrs Dalloway in Bond Street" and the unfinished "The Prime Minister". The book describes Clarissa's preparations for a party she will host in the evening, and the ensuing party. With an interior perspective, the story travels forwards and backwards in time, to construct an image of Clarissa's life and of the inter-war social structure. The novel addresses the nature of time in personal experience through multiple interwoven stories. 
   
  In October 2005, Mrs Dalloway was included on TIME Magazine's list of the 100 best English-language novels written since its first issue in 1923. 
   
  Woolf began writing professionally in 1900. After her father's death in 1904, the Stephen family moved from Kensington to the more bohemian Bloomsbury, where, in conjunction with the brothers' intellectual friends, they formed the artistic and literary Bloomsbury Group. In 1912, she married Leonard Woolf, and in 1917, the couple founded the Hogarth Press, which published much of her work. They rented a home in Sussex and moved there permanently in 1940. Woolf had romantic relationships with women, including Vita Sackville-West, who also published her books through Hogarth Press. Both women's literature became inspired by their relationship, which lasted until Woolf's death. 
   
  A beautifully wrought audiobook exclusive treasure.

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  Anne of the Island

  Lucy Maud Montgomery

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  "Anne of the Island" is the third book in the "Anne of Green Gables" series by Lucy Maud Montgomery. In this enchanting novel, Anne Shirley leaves her beloved Green Gables in Avonlea, Prince Edward Island, for the first time to attend Redmond College in Kingsport, Nova Scotia.New adventures lie ahead as Anne Shirley packs her bags, waves good-bye to childhood, and heads for Redmond College. With her old friend Prissy Grant waiting in the bustling city of Kingsport and her frivolous new friend Philippa Gordon at her side, Anne tucks her memories of rural Avonlea away and discovers life on her own terms, filled with surprises . . . including a marriage proposal from the worst fellow imaginable, the sale of her very first story, and a tragedy that teaches her a painful lesson.

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