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  The Princess and the Goblin

  George MacDonald

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  “One of MacDonald’s best and most satisfying books”—a Victorian-era fairy tale featuring a lonely princess and a miner’s son (Tor.com).    As editor of the magazine Good Words for the Young, MacDonald had a ready audience for “fairy tale” and “children’s” stories and produced some of his most famous titles during this period of his writing life. The third of his stories for the magazine, The Princess and the Goblin, published in 1872, is universally acclaimed as MacDonald’s best pure fairy tale, and has been enchanting readers for well over a century.   This story of princess Irene, her mysterious ageless namesake “grandmother,” and miner’s son Curdie surely provided inspiration for C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia. G.K. Chesterton wrote of it in 1924, “I can really testify to a book that has made a difference to my whole existence, which has helped me to see—a vision of things—so real. Of all the stories I have read, it remains the most real, the most realistic, in the exact sense of the phrase the most like life. It is called The Princess and the Goblin, and it is by George MacDonald.” This edition for The Cullen Collection is unedited in any way.   “A little-known, girl-powered fairy tale that should be on your radar.”—Bustle   “A rich, vibrant tale.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune

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  Conan Doyle - Selected Short...

  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

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  Head Stories Audio presents a selection of 16 short stories by the creator of Sherlock Holmes. 
  Despite being over a century old, Conan Doyle's short stories continue to captivate readers and inspire other works of fiction. Many modern writers including Neil Gaiman, Michael Chabon, and Anthony Horowitz have paid homage to Conan Doyle and his world. These fascinating stories are sure to entertain, thrill, and intrigue you. 
  Although none of the stories feature the famous detective, a number of them could easily be from his case history. They feature as many a fascinating scenario and colourful character as were ever presented at Baker Street. 
  Narrated by Simon Hester. With original music. 
  (Please see supplementary pdf for descriptions of each story)

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  Candide

  Voltaire

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  Candide, ou l'Optimisme is a French satire first published in 1759 by Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment. The novella has been widely translated, with English versions titled Candide: or, All for the Best (1759); Candide: or, The Optimist (1762); and Candide: Optimism (1947). It begins with a young man, Candide, who is living a sheltered life in an Edenic paradise and being indoctrinated with Leibnizian optimism by his mentor, Professor Pangloss. The work describes the abrupt cessation of this lifestyle, followed by Candide's slow and painful disillusionment as he witnesses and experiences great hardships in the world. Voltaire concludes Candide with, if not rejecting Leibnizian optimism outright, advocating a deeply practical precept, "we must cultivate our garden", in lieu of the Leibnizian mantra of Pangloss, "all is for the best" in the "best of all possible worlds".Candide is characterized by its tone as well as by its erratic, fantastical, and fast-moving plot. A picaresque novel with a story similar to that of a more serious coming-of-age narrative (Bildungsroman), it parodies many adventure and romance clichés, the struggles of which are caricatured in a tone that is bitter and matter-of-fact. Still, the events discussed are often based on historical happenings, such as the Seven Years' War and the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. As philosophers of Voltaire's day contended with the problem of evil, so does Candide in this short theological novel, albeit more directly and humorously. Voltaire ridicules religion, theologians, governments, armies, philosophies, and philosophers. Through Candide, he assaults Leibniz and his optimism.Candide has enjoyed both great success and great scandal. Immediately after its secretive publication, the book was widely banned to the public because it contained religious blasphemy, political sedition, and intellectual hostility hidden under a thin veil of naïveté. However, with its sharp wit and insightful portrayal of the human condition, the novel has since inspired many later authors and artists to mimic and adapt it. Today, Candide is considered as Voltaire's magnum opus and is often listed as part of the Western canon. It is among the most frequently taught works of French literature. The British poet and literary critic Martin Seymour-Smith listed Candide as one of the 100 most influential books ever written.

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  Fairy Tales for Adults Volume 4

  Oscar Wilde, Beatrix Potter

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  "Fairy Tales for Adults" offers a captivating anthology of enchanting tales that seamlessly blend Oscar Wilde's wit and wisdom with the imaginative world created by Beatrix Potter. Delving into the realm of fantasy, these stories transport readers of all ages on a journey of adventure, magic, and self-discovery. Within these pages, you'll encounter Oscar Wilde's "The Model Millionaire," a tale that challenges our preconceptions about wealth and generosity. This thought-provoking story introduces us to a young artist who embarks on an unexpected encounter that changes his perspective on life forever. "Fairy Tales for Adults" invites readers to rediscover the timeless allure of folklore and fables. Through the imaginative narratives of Oscar Wilde and the endearing characters created by Beatrix Potter, this volume promises a captivating reading experience that both entertains and enlightens, proving that the magic of fairy tales transcends age and time. This volume includes: The Model Millionaire, The Remarkable Rocket by Oscar Wilde, The Roly Poly Pudding, The Tailor of Gloucester by Beatrix Potter. Read in English, unabridged.

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  Wedding of Mrs Fox The - Story...

  Brothers Grimm

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  In the first version of the story, Mr. Fox has nine tails. He feigns death to test his wife's fidelity. Mrs. Fox rejects all the fox suitors that have fewer than nine tails. When she gets engaged to another fox with nine tails, Mr. Fox arises and throws everyone out of his house, including his wife.

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  Finest Story in the World The...

  Rudyard Kipling

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  "The Finest Story in the World" is an short story by Rudyard Kipling: This story was first published in the Contemporary Review of July 1891. It includes the poem "Song of the Galley-slaves".The narrator meets a young bank clerk, Charlie Mears, who longs to be a writer and seeks his advice. Charlie seems a commonplace and not particularly imaginative young man, but - partly written and partly in conversation - he produces strangely powerful accounts of sea voyages in the ancient world, by a Viking adventurer on a voyage to America, and by a Greek galley slave. He gives vivid details, including fragments of script which turn out to be corrupt Greek. The narrator becomes convinced that - rather than creating these stories - Charlie is remembering past lives, and that it is such recollections that feed the mysterious processes of creative 'imagination'. Another friend, a sophisticated Bengali, Grish Chunder, confirms that this must be the case, but warns that when Charlie falls in love the threads from the past will be broken. - This is exactly what happens. Charlie meets a young woman, expresses his love in banal conventional verses, and loses interest in his 'tales' of the past.

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