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  The Picture of Dorian Gray

  Oscar Wilde

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  In a late nineteenth century London studio, aspiring artist Basil Hallward puts the finishing touches on a portrait of his handsome young friend Dorian Gray. Dorian looks at the painting and wishes that the portrait might grow old while he remains forever young. As Dorian spends his life pursuing fresh experiences and new sensations, his looks do not change. However, the portrait, secretly hidden in the attic of Gray's residence—and with which he has grown increasingly obsessed—does. More and more, as Dorian struggles to hide his true identity, the portrait reveals his progressive path to dissolution.

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  Adventures of Sherlock Holmes...

  Arthur Conan Doyle, Classic...

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  The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is the third book in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary series about the brilliant detective Sherlock Holmes. This classic collection of twelve thrilling detective stories showcases Holmes's unparalleled skills in observation and deduction, alongside his loyal companion, Dr. John Watson. Set in Victorian England, each tale unravels a new, intricate mystery, ranging from theft to murder, while exploring the complexities of human nature and justice.This volume includes iconic adventures like "A Scandal in Bohemia," where Holmes meets the clever Irene Adler, and "The Speckled Band," one of the most suspenseful and chilling cases. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is a timeless masterpiece and an essential part of any mystery lover's library.Table of Contents:1. A Scandal in Bohemia2. The Red-Headed League3. A Case of Identity4. The Boscombe Valley Mystery5. The Five Orange Pips6. The Man with the Twisted Lip7. The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle8. The Adventure of the Speckled Band9. The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb10. The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor11. The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet12. The Adventure of the Copper Beeches

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  Romeo and Juliet - Audiobook

  William Shakespeare, Classic...

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  Romeo and Juliet is an iconic tragedy written by William Shakespeare, telling the story of forbidden love between Romeo and Juliet, two young members of the rival Montague and Capulet families in Verona. From the moment they meet, they fall deeply in love, unaware of the longstanding hatred that divides their families. Their sincere love drives them to defy social expectations and dream of a life together.However, a cruel twist of fate and a series of misunderstandings lead to a tragic end, highlighting the destructive consequences of family conflicts and intolerance. Secondary characters, such as Mercutio and Juliet's Nurse, add depth to the plot, bringing moments of lightness and tension that enrich the story.Through this poignant narrative, Shakespeare explores timeless themes of forbidden love, sacrifice, and fate, which continue to resonate with audiences today. Romeo and Juliet remains a powerful and enduring work, reminding us of love's strength in the face of prejudice and the human cost of hatred.

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  Five Children and It

  E. Nesbit

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  The story of three wishes being granted is an old one and often takes the form of a precautionary tale with the resultant moral being “be careful what you wish for!” Such is the fallibility of human nature that we can’t easily be trusted to use those wishes wisely. 
  The great children’s author Edith Nesbit (1858 – 1924) took this popular concept for her 1903 book “Five Children and It” and extended the wishes from three to eleven, now granted to five young siblings in Edwardian England. 
  They have no Geni of the Lamp or Fairy Godmother, but instead, an irascible Sand Fairy dug accidently out of the sand of an abandon quarry. This strange “Psammead”, with his snail’s eyes on stalks, furry squat body and aversion to water reluctantly grants the four children their, often ill thought out, wishes. 
  Nesbit writes with her usual warmth and humour, placing her protagonists into funny and sometimes frightening adventures which gradually make the children “wise beyond their years.” 
  Head Stories Audio presents "Five Children and It" by E. Nesbit. Narrated by Simon Hester. With original music.

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  Hunchback of Notre-Dame The...

  Victor Hugo

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  The Hunchback of Notre-Dame or Notre-Dame de Paris is a French Gothic novel by Victor Hugo, published in 1831.
  The story is set in Paris in 1482 during the reign of Louis XI. The gypsy Esmeralda (born as Agnes) captures the hearts of many men, including those of Captain Phoebus and Pierre Gringoire, but especially Quasimodo and his guardian Archdeacon Claude Frollo. Frollo is torn between his obsessive lust for Esmeralda and the rules of Notre Dame Cathedral. He orders Quasimodo to kidnap her, but Quasimodo is captured by Phoebus and his guards, who save Esmeralda. Gringoire, who attempted to help Esmeralda but was knocked out by Quasimodo, is about to be hanged by beggars when Esmeralda saves him by agreeing to marry him for four years.

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  A Chameleon - From their pens to...

  Anton Chekhov

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  Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was born on 29th January 1860 in Taganrog, on the south coast of Russia.  
  His family life was difficult; his father was strict and over-bearing but his mother was a passionate story-teller, a subject Chekhov warmed to. As he later said; ‘our talents we got from our father, but our soul from our mother’.  
  At school Chekhov was distinctly average. At 16 his father mis-managed his finances and was declared bankrupt. His family fled to Moscow. Chekhov remained and eked out a living by various means, including writing and selling short sketches to newspapers, to finish his schooling. That completed and with a scholarship to Moscow University obtained he rejoined his family. 
  He was able to help support them by selling satirical sketches and vignettes of Russian lifestyles and gradually obtained further commissions. In 1884, he qualified as a physician and, although it earned him little, he often treated the poor for free, he was fond of saying ‘Medicine is my lawful wife, and literature is my mistress.’ 
  His own health was now an issue as he began to cough up blood, a symptom of tuberculosis.  Despite this his writing success enabled him to move the family into more comfortable accommodation.  
  Chekhov wrote over 500 short stories which included many, many classics including ‘The Kiss’ and ‘The Lady with a Dog’.  His collection ‘At Dusk’ won him the coveted Pushkin Prize when was only 26.  
  He was also a major playwright beginning with the huge success of ‘Ivanov’ in 1887.   
  In 1892 Chekhov bought a country estate north of Moscow. Here his medical skills and money helped the peasants tackle outbreaks of cholera and bouts of famine. He also built three schools, a fire station and a clinic.  It left him with less time for writing but the interactions with real people gained him detailed knowledge about the peasantry and their living conditions for his stories.  
  His most famous work, ‘The Seagull’ was received disastrously at its premiere in St Petersburg. It was later restaged in Moscow to highlight its psychological aspects and was a huge success. It led to ‘Uncle Vanya’, ‘The Three Sisters’ and ‘The Cherry Orchard’.  
  Chekhov suffered a major lung hemorrhage in 1897 while visiting Moscow. A formal diagnosis confirmed tuberculosis and the doctors ordered changes to his lifestyle.  
  Despite a dread of weddings the elusive literary bachelor quietly married the actress Olga Knipper, whom he had met at rehearsals for ‘The Seagull’, on 25th May 1901. 
  By May 1904 with his tuberculosis worsening and death imminent he set off for the German town of Badenweiler writing cheerful, witty letters to his family and assuring them his health was improving.  
  On 15th July 1904 Anton Chekhov died at Badenweiler.  He was 44.

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