Altri libri che potrebbero interessarti

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  Désirée's Baby - From their pens...

  Kate Chopin

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  Katherine O'Flaherty was born on the 8th February 1850 in St Louis, Missouri to parents of French and Irish descent. 
  At age 5, she was sent to the Sacred Heart Academy and, apart from a 2 year period at home when her father died, remained there until graduating in 1868.  Whilst there she began writing and became an avid reader of almost anything that crossed her path.   
  Kate married Oscar Chopin in 1870 and the couple moved to New Orleans, and later to the rural setting of Cloutierville, Louisiana to raise their 6 children.  
  In 1882 her husband died leaving her in a deep trench of debt.  Despite her best efforts to turn the businesses around they were sold, and she moved the family back to St Louis and the financial help of her mother.  Sadly, her mother died within the year.  Kate, now struggling with depression, pushed herself to write and gained a local reputation as a writer of short stories that captured the local color and vibrancy of her surroundings.  
  By the early 1890’s her short stories were published nationally.  With this widespread audience also came negative reviews, controversy, and cries of immorality as themes such as interracial relationships, the rights of women and other burning issues of the day were written about. 
  Despite the criticism, which unnerved her, she continued to write though in the main her works, around 100 short stories and two novels, were not attributed with any literary worth. 
  Kate Chopin died from a brain haemorrhage in St Louis Missouri on the 22nd of August 1904.  She was 54. 
  For much of the 20th Century her work was forgotten and out of print.  It was only in early 1970’s, with the rise of feminism and the call for a more just society that she was given the status her works had long described and shone a literary light at.  She is now safely revered as one of America’s great authors.

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  An Account of Some Strange...

  Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

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  "It was the face of a man who had died in a paroxysm of terror."
  
  Two young medical students, seeking a quiet place to study, rent a massive, dilapidated old house in Dublin's Aungier Street. But the silence they seek is soon shattered by heavy, unseen footsteps, the scratching of a giant rat, and the terrifying apparition of a large man with a crimson velvet waistcoat. They soon discover the house's dark history: it was once the residence of a notorious "hanging judge" who took his own life within its walls. As the atmosphere grows increasingly oppressive, the students realize that the Judge's spirit is not merely wandering—it is actively seeking a new victim.
  
  The Master of Atmospheric Dread: Le Fanu is a pioneer of psychological horror. In this story, he uses the "uncanny"—taking a familiar domestic space and making it feel wrong. The horror isn't just in the ghost itself, but in the growing sense of unease, the shadows that move on their own, and the feeling of being watched by something that "ought not to be there."
  
  The Legacy of the "Hanging Judge": The figure of the Judge represents a common theme in Le Fanu's work: the past refusing to stay buried. The Judge's cruelty in life translates into a predatory supernatural presence in death. The story's climax is a masterclass in suspense, as one of the students finds himself paralyzed by the gaze of the long-dead jurist.
  
  A Classic for Fans of the Macabre: Often cited as one of the greatest ghost stories ever written, this tale influenced a generation of horror writers, including M.R. James. It is a brief but unforgettable journey into the heart of a haunted city.
  
  Open the door to Aungier Street. Purchase this classic of Gothic horror today.

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  The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll...

  Robert Louis Stevenson

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  The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a Gothic novella by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, released in 1886. The work is also known as , Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, or simply Jekyll & Hyde The book follows a London lawyer named Gabriel John Utterson who investigates strange occurrences between his old friend, Dr Henry Jekyll, and the evil Edward Hyde.This classic novella introduced the phrase "Jekyll and Hyde" to refer to people with an unpredictably dual nature: usually very good, but sometimes shockingly evil.

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  The Scarlet Letter - A gripping...

  Nathaniel Hawthorne

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  A single crimson thread weaves a tale of forbidden love, bitter vengeance, and devastating secrets in the harsh dawn of America. 
  In the rigid, unforgiving colony of Puritan Boston, Hester Prynne is thrust onto the public scaffold, clutching an illegitimate child to her breast. Upon her gown blazes a brilliant scarlet "A"—a mark of shame designed to cast her out from society forever. But Hester steadfastly refuses to name her lover. As her estranged husband, the chilling Roger Chillingworth, arrives under a new identity and vows a relentless quest for revenge, a beloved local minister, Arthur Dimmesdale, slowly unravels beneath the agonizing weight of his own unspoken guilt. In a world where law and religion are ruthlessly entwined, Hester must forge a solitary path of survival, transforming her badge of disgrace into a profound symbol of female resilience. 
  Why you will love this: Fans of atmospheric Historical Fiction will be absolutely captivated by this seminal American classic. Blending elements of dark romance, psychological suspense, and historical tragedy, it offers an unforgettable exploration of female strength, moral hypocrisy, and the haunting consequences of concealed sin. If you love sweeping colonial settings, complex character studies, and tales of societal defiance, this gripping audiobook will hold you spellbound. 
  About the Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804–1864) was a titan of American literature whose works heavily focused on history, morality, and religion. Known for his deeply allegorical and psychologically complex narratives, Hawthorne remains a central figure in the dark romanticism movement.

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  Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

  Anonymous

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  King Arthur loved Christmas and New Year - it was an excellent excuse for feasting, exchanging gifts and a time for general good fellowship among the knights at Camelot. And he wouldn't stop feasting until some marvellous adventure had befallen either him or one of his companions. One year, there was an adventure to top the lot. An enormous knight rides into the hall dressed in green. Everything is green. His hair and beard are green. Even his horse is green. "Great outfit", says King Arthur, "What is your name, Sir Knight?". "I am known as 'The Green Knight'", replies the stranger to no-one's surprise, and proposes that someone in the court strikes him once with his axe, on condition that the Green Knight can return the blow one year and one day later. Gawain volunteers, picks up an axe, and lops off the Green Knight's head, thinking this will mark the end of a rather stupid game. But no. Cool as you like, the Green Knight picks up his head, reminds Gawain of his promise, and rides off, leaving the entire Round Table gawping in amazement and Gawain rather apprehensive about what will happen in 366 days' time . . . This wonderful, good-natured adventure was written sometime in the late 14th century by an excellent poet based, we think, somewhere in Cheshire. Not only has the tale come down to us intact (unlike much Arthurian literature), it has captured readers' (and listeners') imaginations for over 600 years. Tolkien was a fan and produced a translation from the Middle English, and Sean Connery starred as the Green Knight in a 1984 movie. What you'll hear on this audio is a faithful translation of the original by Jessie L. Weston, a scholar and poetess of whom TS Eliot was much enamoured.

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  To the Lighthouse

  Virginia Woolf

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  “And all the lives we ever lived and all the lives to be are full of trees and changing leaves.” 
  To the Lighthouse chronicles the lives of the Ramsay family and their close friends, from the tranquil and motherly Mrs. Ramsay to the tragic and eccentric Mr. Ramsay, and their eight children and varied guests. Woolf uses the three movements of the novel to capture their complex family allegiances and the tensions between men and women at the time. Centered around their visits to the Isle of Skye between 1910 and 1920, the novel is an examination of the quiet, seemingly trivial moments of everyday life. As the world changes drastically around the Ramsays, they too must come to terms with, and hopefully face head on, their capacity to change along with it. 
  To the Lighthouse is number fifteen on Modern Library’s list of one hundred best English-language novels of the twentieth century, and it was named as one of the best English-language novels since 1923 by Time magazine.

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