Publisher: Polidori Books
In John William Polidori's The Vampyre, two men decide to travel together in Europe. On their journey, one of the men notices that his companion has troubling habits including one which is deadly.
The bookshelves of British literature are incredible collections that have gathered together centuries of very talented authors. From these Isles their fame spread and whilst among their number many are now forgotten or neglected their talents endure. Among them is the Scottish writer Hume Nisbit.Show book
Villette is a deeply emotional and psychologically rich novel that follows Lucy Snowe, a reserved and observant young woman who travels alone to a foreign city to work as a teacher. In the mysterious town of Villette, she faces loneliness, cultural isolation, and unspoken love.As Lucy navigates complex relationships and inner struggles, her journey becomes one of self-discovery and emotional endurance. With its gothic undertones, subtle romance, and introspective narrative, Villette is often considered Charlotte Brontë's most mature and profound work.This audiobook is perfect for listeners who appreciate introspective storytelling, strong inner narratives, and classic literary fiction.Show book
Edgar Allen Poe is seen today as one of the greatest practitioners of gothic and detective fiction that ever lived, and popular culture is replete with references to him. In "The Pit and the Pendulum," one of his most famous short works, a condemned man is judged guilty by the Spanish Inquisition and sentenced to die. Locked away in a pitch-black cell, he soon discovers a pit in the center of the room, a watery grave at its base. Above him hangs a large, razor-sharp pendulum. As the man is slowly tortured, he must face either the pit or the pendulum. Proceeds from sale of this title go to Reach Out and Read, an innovative literacy advocacy organization.Show book
Charlotte Perkins Gilman was born on 3rd July 1860 in Hartford, Connecticut, to an unaffectionate mother and a father who abandoned her and her older brother to a life of poverty. Inevitably her schooling was limited and by 15 she had attended seven different schools but received only four years education. However Charlotte was resourceful and did spend time with her father’s aunts – the suffragist Isabella Beecher Hooker and the ‘Uncle Tom Cabin’s’ author, Harriet Beecher Stowe as well as many hours at the public library studying ancient civilisations. In 1878, she enrolled in classes at the Rhode Island School of Design where she met Martha Luther and they developed a close relationship until Luther married in 1881. Charlotte was devastated and detested romance and love until she met and married the artist Charles Walter Stetson. Their only child, Katharine Beecher Stetson, was born in 1885 but left Charlotte with post-natal depression, then often dismissed as a case of hysteria or nerves. Unsuited to domestic life she ruptured her life and moved to California with Katherine. She divorced in 1894 and then sent Katharine east to live with her father and his second wife confirming that his paternal rights be acknowledged and that Katherine establish a relationship with her father. After her mother died in 1893, Charlotte moved back east and became involved with her first cousin, Wall Street attorney, Houghton Gilman who she married in 1900. After his death she moved back to California, where Katherine now lived. Her most popular story is ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ which touched on her own post-partum depression and underlined the need for women to be responsible for their mental and physical well-being, as the narrator is ordered by her husband/doctor to take compete rest in her room where she is isolated and becomes obsessed with the revolting yellow wallpaper. She wrote other notable short stories the best of which we also include. Charlotte lectured widely for social reform, wrote important non-fiction works that questioned our patriarchal system and left a legacy as a leading and positive spokesperson for feminism. She was diagnosed with incurable breast cancer in 1932 and, as she wrote in her suicide note and autobiography, she ‘chose chloroform over cancer’ Charlotte Perkins Gilman took her own life on 17th August 1935, aged 75, in Pasadena, California.Show book
Title: The Boarded Window Author: Ambrose Bierce Narrator: Jonathan Dunne Original Publication: 1891 Public Domain: Yes Series Placement: Number 23 in the Timeless Terrors series Description: The Boarded Window by Ambrose Bierce is a grimly atmospheric tale steeped in Gothic dread and the macabre. Set against the backdrop of a remote cabin with its single, shuttered window, the story reveals secrets of death, isolation, and the lingering presence of the uncanny. Bierce weaves a chilling exploration of grief, superstition, and the spectral weight of things best left undisturbed. Narrated by Amazon bestselling horror author Jonathan Dunne, this performance captures the story’s brooding suspense and eerie tension, merging gothic atmosphere with psychological horror. While the text is in the public domain, this narration is an original work and copyright © 2025 Jonathan Dunne. This audiobook is part of Timeless Terrors, a series dedicated to resurrecting classic horror — works from masters of the macabre, retold in haunting new performances for a modern audience. Listeners should be prepared for an unsettling encounter with shadows, silence, and the terrifying suggestion of what lies beyond the boarded window.Show book
The bookshelves of European literature are incredible collections that have gathered together centu-ries of very talented authors. From this continent their fame spread and whilst among their number many are now forgotten or neglected their talents endure. Among them is the Czech writer Jan Neruda.Show book
