Publisher: Reading Essentials
This powerful novel was written late in the career of Sinclair Lewis, it explores themes of love, marriage, heartache, trust and redemption in a small Minnesota town.
The original American dramatization as broadcast on National Public Radio.War rages in the west—a titanic battle of will and strategy between the great wizard Gandalf and Sauron, the Dark Lord. Meanwhile, eastward in Mordor, Frodo and Sam approach the end of their improbable quest, bearing the One Ring ever closer to the Cracks of Doom—and to a final confrontation with the very essence of evil. While the evil might of the Dark Lord Sauron swarmed out to conquer all Middle-earth, Frodo and Sam struggled deep into Mordor, seat of Sauron’s power. The way is impossibly hard and, weighed down by the compulsion of the Ring, Frodo is weakening.The awesome conclusion of J.R.R. Tolkien’ The Lord of the Rings, beloved by millions of readers around the world.Show book
While "The Battle of Life" is one of Charles Dickens' Christmas Books - his annual release of a story just before Christmas - this one breaks the tradition by not being concerned with Christmas. The major events of this book take place on land that once was a battleground. That is just a backdrop for Dickens' idea of the real battle of life - finding and winning the right partner, so that life will go on to the next generation. The family that lives there is rather confused in its affections and intentions regarding who should end up with whom. We are thrust into the fight to make things work out, and, happily for a Christmas book, Dickens leads us on to a happy ending.Show book
The Seven Poor Travellers takes place on Christmas Eve in Rochester at the charity hospice founded in 1579 by Richard Watts - an actual hospice that Dickens knew well from his childhood days. According to Watts' will, his hospice was to supply six poor travelers (providing they were not rogues or proctors) with one night's free lodging and entertainment and with fourpence. In the opening section of The Seven Poor Travellers, entitled 'The First,' the narrator - he brings the travelers up to seven - describes the charity, its procedures, its lapses, and its six clients. Dissatisfied by the scanty charity fare, the narrator provides food and wassail for his companions, and then goes on to tell a story, suggesting that the other guests do likewise. The next six sections are given over to the six stories told by the travelers. In the final section, as the Christmas day dawns, the narrator takes leave of his companions and walks up to London and his home. Produced by Devin Lawrence in Vrindavana Production executive Avalon Giuliano in London ICON Intern Eden Giuliano in Delhi Music By AudioNautix With Their Kind Permission ©2020 Child's Play Audio (P) 2020 Child's Play AudioShow book
Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant was born on August 5th, 1850 near Dieppe in France. Maupassant’s early life was badly torn when at age 11 (his younger brother Hervé was then five) his mother, Laure, a headstrong and independent-minded woman, risked social disgrace in order to obtain a legal separation from her husband. After the separation, Laure kept custody of her two boys. With the father now forcibly absent, Laure became the most influential and important figure in the young boy's life. Maupassant’s education was such that he rebelled against religion and other societal norms but a developing friendship with Gustave Flaubert began to turn his mind towards creativity and writing. After graduation he volunteered for the Franco-Prussian war. With its end he moved to Paris to work as a clerk in the Navy Department. Gustave Flaubert now took him under his wing. Acting as a literary guardian to him, he guided the eager Maupassant to debuts in journalism and literature. For Maupassant these were exciting times and the awakening of his creative talents and ambitions. In 1880 he published what is considered his first great work, ‘Boule de Suif’, (translated as as ‘Dumpling’, ‘Butterball’, ‘Ball of Fat’, or ‘Ball of Lard’) which met with a success that was both instant and overwhelming. Flaubert at once acknowledged that it was ‘a masterpiece that will endure.’ Maupassant had used his talents and experiences in the war to create something unique. This decade from 1880 to 1891 was to be the most pivotal of his career. With an audience now made available by the success of ‘Boule de Suif’ Maupassant organised himself to work methodically and relentlessly to produce between two and four volumes of work a year. The melding of his talents and business sense and the continual hunger of sources for his works made him wealthy. In his later years he developed a desire for solitude, an obsession for self-preservation, and a fear of death as well as a paranoia of persecution caused by the syphilis he had contracted in his youth. On January 2nd, 1892, Maupassant tried to commit suicide by cutting his throat. Unsuccessful he was committed to the private asylum of Esprit Blanche at Passy, in Paris. It was here on July 6th, 1893 that Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant died at the age of only 42. 1 - Guy de Maupassant - A Short Story Collection - An Introduction 2 - The Piece of String 3 - Two Little Soldiers 4 - Two Friends 5 - Suicides 6 - The Grave 7 - An Uncomfortable Bed 8 - Regret 9 - Love 10 - The Kiss 11 - The Dowry 12 - The Vendetta 13 - A Dead Woman's Secret 14 - Mother SauvageShow book
D’Artagnan has a big ambition. He wants to become a musketeer – a brave member of the King’s Guards. So he sets out on his horse to prove himself... and uncovers a terrible plot against the Queen.Will young D’Artagnan be able to convince the three famous musketeers Porthos, Athos and Aramis that he is good enough to join them? And if they don’t take him seriously, what will become of the Queen?Show book
Narrated by Tony Award-winning actress and musician Cynthia Erivo, Persuasion is one of the most moving love stories Austen ever penned. It's the story of Anne Elliott, Jane Austen's only aging heroine, who has devoted her life to caring for her financially irresponsible family. Just when she is growing content with her uneventful lifestyle, a long-lost love re-enters the picture — now as the potential beau of her significantly younger cousin. Anne is then faced with a choice: will she watch Captain Wentworth settle into life with another woman, or will she strive to win back his love and escape her family? Austen understood that mediated and misdirected messages frequently carry a far greater charge than explicit declarations. Persuasion pulsates with the energy of the lovers’ efforts to communicate, often indirectly, across gaps of time and perspective. Cover illustrated by: Lisa Perrin Lisa Perrin is an illustrator and hand lettering artist who had made her home in Baltimore, Maryland where she is a professor of illustration at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Her work has been recognized by The Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, 3X3 Magazine, and Print Magazine. At its heart her work explores the old world in a new way, combining humor with darkness, and beauty with strangeness.Show book
