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  The Brothers Karamazov

  Fyodor Dostoyevsky

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  The final masterpiece from the celebrated author of "Crime and Punishment" and "The Idiot.".. This extraordinary novel, Dostoyevsky s last and greatest work, tells the dramatic story of four brothers Dmitri, pleasure-seeking, impatient, unruly . . . Ivan, brilliant and morose . . . Alyosha, gentle, loving, honest . . . and the illegitimate Smerdyakov, sly, silent, cruel. Driven by intense passion, they become involved in the brutal murder of their own father, one of the most loathsome characters in all literature. Featuring the famous chapter, The Grand Inquisitor, Dostoyevsky's final masterpiece is at once a complex character study, a riveting murder mystery, and a fascinating examination of man's morality and the question of God's existence.

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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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  The Island

  Maurice Baring

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  Maurice Baring (1874 – 1945) was an English travel writer, novelist and war correspondent during World War I. 
  "The Island" is a supernatural horror story about two explorers who discover an uncharted volcanic island off the coast of southern Spain. As they begin to explore they have a strong feeling that they are not alone...

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  Curious Animal Tales

  Saki Saki

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  A quartet of short stories by Britain’s raconteur supreme, Hector Hugh Munro, better known under his pseudonym “Saki”. This collection brings together four of his most curious and amusing tales, all of which involve animals. Saki’s satirical take on the morals and eccentricities of Edwardian society, combined with a compelling narrative and an unexpected ending draw keep the reader hanging on until the very last word. 
  
  
  'Mrs. Packletide’s Tiger': Mrs. Packletide is determined to shoot a tiger in order to get one up on her arch rival Loona Bimberton. In a comical and at times ironic sequence of events, Mrs. Packletide finds herself at the mercy of another rival, just when she had least expected it. 
  
  
  'Tobermory': When Mr. Cornelius Appin announces that he has succeeded in teaching the cat, Tobermory, to speak, nobody in the house party believes him. But when Tobermory makes his entrance and begins to reveal the kind of personal secrets only a cat can know about the assembled company, chaos breaks out. Tobermory must be destroyed at all costs. 
  
  
  'The Mouse': When Theodoric Voler boards a train he finds he is not alone in the compartment. Not only is there a female companion asleep in one corner, there is a mouse that has hidden itself inside his clothes. Can the sensitive and prudish young man manage to undress and extricate the mouse without his female companion waking up? 
  
  
  'Esme': The Baroness recounts a hunting story with a twist. Instead of a fox, the quarry turns out to be an escaped hyena, which adopts her and Constance Broddle and leads them to cover up a heinous killing.

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  Fall Asleep to The Time Machine...

  H. G. Wells

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  Step into the captivating world of "The Time Machine" by H.G. Wells, narrated to guide you into a restful sleep, courtesy of Slumber Studios and the soothing voice of Elizabeth Grace. 
  Are sleepless nights becoming too familiar? Whether you're battling insomnia or simply can't shake off the day's anxieties, our stories are tailored to escort you to a deep sleep. 
  Close your eyes, relax, and let Elizabeth Grace's soothing narration transport you through time with the Traveler. Journey alongside him to the distant future, where you'll encounter the gentle Eloi and the formidable Morlocks. Immerse yourself in the mysteries and wonders of time travel, experiencing the excitement and challenges the Traveler faces as he navigates through the epochs. 
  Our audiobooks are expertly crafted to help you relax and drift off to sleep. Each episode is designed to instill calm, with a slower pace and soothing background music, ensuring that you will be lulled into a peaceful slumber. 
  So if you're looking for a way to unwind after a long day, you've come to the right place. Simply press play, lay down in bed, and let Elizabeth's calming voice transport you into a world of dreams. You'll wake up feeling refreshed and recharged in the morning.

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  The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

  Washington Irving

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  Headless horsemen were staples of Northern European storytelling, featuring in German, Irish (e.g. Dullahan), Scandinavian (e.g. the Wild Hunt) and English legends and were included in Robert Burns's "Tam o' Shanter" (1790), and Burger's Der wilde Jager, translated as The Wild Huntsman (1796). Usually viewed as omens of ill-fortune for those who chose to disregard their apparitions, these specters found their victims in proud, scheming persons and characters with hubris and arrogance. The chief part of the stories, however, turned upon the favorite specter of Sleepy Hollow, the Headless Horseman, who had been heard several times of late, patrolling the country; and, it was said, tethered his horse nightly among the graves in the churchyard. The story was immediately matched by a thrice marvelous adventure of Brom Bones, who made light of the Galloping Hessian as an arrant jockey. He affirmed that on returning one night from the neighboring village of Sing Sing, he had been overtaken by this midnight trooper; that he had offered to race with him for a bowl of punch and should have won it too, for Daredevil beat the goblin horse all hollow, but just as they came to the church bridge, the Hessian bolted, and vanished in a flash of fire. All these tales, told in that drowsy undertone with which men talk in the dark, the countenances of the listeners only now and then receiving a casual gleam from the glare of a pipe, sank deep in the mind of Ichabod.

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