Altri libri che potrebbero interessarti

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  How They Stopped the 'Run' -...

  Anthony Hope

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  Sir Anthony Hope Hawkins was born on 9th February 1863 in Clapton, London.  
  He was educated at St John's School, Leatherhead, Marlborough College and Balliol College, Oxford.  Hope trained as a lawyer and barrister and was called to the Bar by the Middle Temple in 1887. Despite what was thought to be a promising legal career he had literary ambitions and wrote in his spare time. 
  His early works appeared in various periodicals of the day but for his first book ‘A Man of Mark’ (1890), with no publisher interested, he published with his own resources.  
  More novels and short stories followed, including the mildly successful ‘Mr Witt's Widow’ in 1892. Hope even found time to run as the Liberal candidate for Wycombe in the election that same year but was unsuccessful. 
  His first major literary success came with ‘The Dolly Dialogues’, a collection of previously published magazine pieces followed very quickly by his instant classic, ‘The Prisoner of Zenda’. He now gave up the vestiges of his legal career to pursue writing full-time. 
  Despite never again reaching the same pinnacle of success he was popular and wrote prolifically across novels, plays and of course, short stories though his writing output rapidly diminished after the war. 
  In 1918 he was knighted for his contribution to propaganda efforts during World War I.  
  His short stories are delicate, mannered and often surprising with their wit, humour and interplay of characters who say one thing and usually mean another.  He was very definitely a writer of escapist rather than serious fare but they are no less enjoyable for that. 
  Anthony Hope died of throat cancer on 8th July 1933 at his country home, Heath Farm at Walton-on-the-Hill in Surrey. He was 70.

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  My Confession

  Leo Tolstoy

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  My Confession is a brief autobiographical story of Leo Tolstoy's struggle with a mid-life existential crisis of melancholia. It describes his search for answers to the profound questions "What will come of my life?" and "What is the meaning of life?", without answers to which life, for him, had become "impossible." Tolstoy reflects on the arc of his philosophical life until then: his childhood abandonment of his Russian orthodox faith; his mastery of strength, will, power, and reason; and how, after he had achieved tremendous financial success and social status, life to him seemed meaningless. After despairing of his attempts to find answers in science, philosophy, eastern wisdom, and his fellow men of letters, he describes his turn to the wisdom of the common people and his attempts to reconcile their instinctive faith with the dictates of his reason. The main body of the text ends with the author reaching a compromise: faith, he realizes, is a necessity, but it must be constrained by reason. However, an epilogue that describes a dream he had some time after completing the body of the text suggests that he has undergone a radical personal and spiritual transformation. (Summary from Wikipedia)

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  The Machine Stops

  E. M. Forster

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  Are you a fan of classic literature and looking for a fresh and modern way to experience it? Look no further than the digital audio version of E. M. Forster's "The Machine Stops" and "The Story of the Siren"! 
   
  These short stories are timeless classics that explore the themes of technology, human connection, and the power of storytelling. With our digital audio version, you'll be transported to a world where machines rule and humans struggle to find their place in it. You'll experience the thrill of discovery as the characters navigate a world beyond their comprehension. 
   
  And with the inclusion of "The Story of the Siren", you'll also get to indulge in the beauty of Forster's prose as he unravels the tale of a man's encounter with a mythical creature. This haunting and lyrical story will capture your imagination and leave you breathless. 
   
  Our digital audio version of these stories is perfect for anyone who's always on the go. Listen while you're commuting to work, working out at the gym, or even just while you're doing chores around the house. With our expertly crafted narration and production quality, you'll feel like you're right there in the story, experiencing every moment as if it were real. 
   
  So why wait? Download our digital audio version of "The Machine Stops" and "The Story of the Siren" today and experience the magic of E. M. Forster's writing like never before!

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  White Fang

  Jack London

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  From Jack London comes another tale of the wild. In this story the wild half-wolf White Fang survives a harsh living in America's frozen northland. First in the wild, then as a dog of the Indian peoples, then as a fighting dog, before at last finding a good home in the south. The novel is partly an autobiographical allegory based on London's conversion from teenage hoodlum to married, middle-class writer. With influences from the works of Herbert Spencer, Karl Marx, and Friedrich Nietzsche. 
  First serialized in Outing magazine, it was published in 1906. The story takes place in Yukon Territory and the Northwest Territories, Canada, during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush. 
  Narrated by Michael Ward.

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  From the Earth to the Moon

  Jules Verne

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  From the Earth to the Moon is one of Jules Verne's most visionary and influential novels, a pioneering work of science fiction that astonishingly anticipates humanity's real journey into space. Set in post–Civil War America, the story centers on the members of the Baltimore Gun Club, a group of inventive artillery enthusiasts who turn their talents toward an audacious new goal: launching a projectile to the Moon.
  
  Led by the bold and charismatic Impey Barbicane, the Gun Club devises an unprecedented plan to construct a massive cannon capable of firing a space-bound capsule beyond Earth's atmosphere. As scientific debates, engineering challenges, and international rivalries unfold, the novel blends technical detail with humor, satire, and a deep fascination with human ambition. The arrival of the eccentric Frenchman Michel Ardan adds a daring twist that transforms the project from a theoretical experiment into a manned lunar expedition.
  
  More than a tale of invention, From the Earth to the Moon is a celebration of scientific curiosity and imaginative daring. Verne's remarkable attention to mathematics, physics, and astronomy—combined with his flair for storytelling—makes the novel both intellectually stimulating and thrillingly entertaining. A cornerstone of classic science fiction, this timeless work continues to inspire readers with its bold vision of exploration, innovation, and the limitless reach of the human imagination.

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  Dracula's Guest - From their...

  Bram Stoker

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  Abraham Stoker was born in Dublin, Ireland on the 8th of November 1847, the third of seven children.  
  His early years were plagued with such ill-health that he was unable to start school until the age of seven.  He turned the long periods of recovery into an opportunity for thinking and said “I was naturally thoughtful, and the leisure of long illness gave opportunity for many thoughts which were fruitful according to their kind in later years”.  
  Strikingly at Trinity College, Dublin his health had returned with such vigour that he was named their University Athlete whilst also achieving a BA in Mathematics with honours.  
  At this time his interest in theatre became a job offer to be the Dublin Evening Mail’s theatre critic, co-owned by Sheridan Le Fanu.  He now began to also write short stories and in 1872 ‘The Crystal Cup’ was published.  An interest in art developed and he co-founded the Dublin Sketching Club.  
  In 1878 came marriage to Florence Balcombe.  She had formerly been courted by Stoker’s acquaintance, Oscar Wilde.  The marriage produced one child.   
  Stoker had some years before reviewed Henry Irving’s Hamlet and had dined with him.  That friendship now resulted in a proposal from Irving to move to London and to manage his Lyceum Theatre.  His numerous commercial innovations ensured both he and the theatre thrived.  Irving would also often take Stoker with him when he toured abroad. 
  Despite this busy life Stoker continued to write and these works paved the way for his most famous creation, published in 1897, ‘Dracula’.  It is rightly recognised as one of the greatest horror novels of all time and although not the first with a theme of Vampires, it is undoubtedly the most well-known. 
  Stoker also wrote poetry and many excellent short stories and continued to write novels and other works throughout his career. 
  Politically Stoker supported Home Rule, though only by peaceful means.  He was also keen on following scientific trends particularly in medicine. 
  In 1902 his tenure at the Lyceum Theatre ended and although he continued to write his health was deteriorating, mainly due to a series of debilitating strokes. 
  Bram Stoker died on the 20th April 1912, in Pimlico, London.  He was 64.

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