Other books that might interest you

• 

  Classic Short Stories - Volume 1...

  Rudyard Kipling, Daniel Defoe,...

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Stories are one of mankind’s greatest artistic achievements.  Whether written down or spoken they have an ability to capture our imagination and thoughts, and take us on incredible journeys in the space of a phrase and the turn of a page. 
   
  Within a few words of text or speech, new worlds and characters form, propelling a narrative to a conclusion with intricate ease. Finely crafted, perfectly formed these Miniature Masterpieces, at first thought, seem remarkably easy to conjure up. But ask any writer and they will tell you that distilling the essence of narrative and characters into a short story is one of the hardest acts of their literary craft.  Many attempt, but few achieve.

  Show book

• 

  The Picture of Dorian Gray

  Oscar Wilde

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  The Picture of Dorian Gray is a Gothic and philosophical novel by Oscar Wilde, first published complete in the July 1890 issue of Lippincott's Monthly Magazine. Fearing the story was indecent, the magazine's editor deleted roughly 500 words before publication without Wilde's knowledge. 
  Despite that censorship, The Picture of Dorian Gray offended the moral sensibilities of British book reviewers, some of whom said that Oscar Wilde merited prosecution for violating the laws guarding public morality. 
  In response, Wilde aggressively defended his novel and art in correspondence with the British press, although he personally made excisions of some of the most controversial material when revising and lengthening the story for book publication the following year.

  Show book

• 

  Richard III (Argo Classics)

  William Shakespeare

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  William Collins Books and Decca Records are proud to present ARGO Classics, a historic catalogue of classic prose and verse read by some of the world’s most renowned voices. Originally released as vinyl records, these expertly remastered stories are now available to download for the first time. 
  ‘Now is the winter of our discontent 
  Made glorious summer by this sun of York.’ 
  Richard III completes the cycle of plays covering the Wars of the Roses. It’s the story of Richard, Duke of Gloucester’s villainous plan to take the throne. It is a tale of jealousy, manipulation and deceit based on Sir Thomas More's unfinished – and largely untrue – History of King Richard III. 
  All of the Shakespeare plays within the ARGO Classics catalogue are performed by the Marlowe Dramatic Society and Professional Players. The Marlowe was founded in 1907 with a mission to focus on effective delivery of verse, respect the integrity of texts, and rescue neglected plays by Shakespeare’s contemporaries and the less performed plays of Shakespeare himself. The Marlowe has performed annually at Cambridge Arts Theatre since its opening in 1936 and continues to produce some of the finest actors of their generations. 
  Thurston Dart, Professor of Music at London University and a Fellow of Jesus College Cambridge, directed the music for this production. 
  The full cast includes: Richard Wordsworth; David Dickinson; Patrick Garland; Patrick Wymark; John Shrapnel; David Rowe-Beddoe; John Tracy-Phillips; William Squire; John Hopkins; Corin Redgrave; Denis McCarthy; Terrence Hardiman; George Rylands; John Shearer; Roger Croucher; Peter Orr; David Buck; David King; John Tydeman; Margaretta Scott; Mary Morris; Beatrix Lehmann; Prunella Scales; Freda Dowie. 
  This European theatre masterpiece, performed by the best in the field, continues to top charts with its timeless appeal. The performing arts community reveres it for its intricate plot and compelling characters. 
  For fans of Richard Parsons (GCSE English Shakespeare Text Guide), and Arthur Miller (Incident at Vichy).

  Show book

• 

  The Son of Tarzan

  Edgar Rice Burroughs

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  In this sequel to The Beasts of Tarzan, the Lord of the Apes' old nemesis, Alexis Paulvitch, lures Tarzan's son, Jack, to Africa, where he plans to kill him. His plan is foiled when Jack escapes with the help of Akut, the great ape. The pair flee to the jungle where Tarzan was raised a generation earlier, and Jack establishes his own reputation among the apes as Korak the Killer. He also rescues Meriem, a beautiful young woman, from a band of Arab raiders. She turns out to be the daughter of Armand Jacot, the Prince de Cadrenet, and is therefore a fitting mate for the son of Lord Greystoke.

  Show book

• 

  The Big Four

  Agatha Christie

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Originally published as a series of short stories in Sketch magazine, this tale of international intrigue and espionage begins when a visitor stumbles into detective Hercule Poirot's bedroom. In the final moments before his death, he tells Poirot of the crime cartel known only as the Big Four. What follows is Hercule Poirot's biggest case yet, taking him and his sidekick Arthur Hastings on the trail of the Big Four before their plans to take control of the world unfold. Note: The Big Four contains characterization and thematic elements representative of prejudiced beliefs, particularly Sinophobia and Orientalism. While these views were never legitimate nor equitable, they were unfortunately commonplace at the time of writing and publication. Rather than glossing over this painful dimension of literary history, this audiobook edition references the text as it was originally published so that it may be included when taking into consideration the overall impact of Agatha Christie's body of work. The beliefs and views present in this book do not reflect that of the publisher's.

  Show book

• 

  Nightmare Abbey - Unabridged

  Thomas Love Peacock

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Nightmare Abbey is a Gothic satire about the romantic movement in contemporary English literature, its morbid subjects, misanthropy and transcendental philosophical systems. Most of the characters are based on historical figures whom Peacock wishes to ridicule. The main character is Christopher Glowry, Esquire, a morose widower who lives with his only son in his shabby family mansion. Mr. Glowry has servants with long faces or dismal names such as Raven, Graves or Deathshead. The few visitors he welcomes are mostly of a similar cast of mind: a transcendental philosopher; a Manichaean Millenarian; his son's languid and world-weary college friend; and a misanthropic poet. The only exception is the sanguine Mr. Hilary, who, as Mr. Glowry's brother-in-law, is obliged to visit the abbey from family interests. And there is Reverend Mr. Larynx, the vicar of nearby Claydyke, who readily adapts himself to whatever company he is in.

  Show book