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  The Improvised Life of Polycarp...

  Victor Canning

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  An exuberant, life-affirming novel of taking your chances 
  After a spur-of-the-moment day out with his boss’ daughter in celebration of his 21st birthday, Polycarp Jarvis decides to quit his Bristol-based junior government worker job. Newly emboldened, he embarks on an erratic, engaging and not always strictly legal course through life. 
  Going from bus driver for the Red Dragon Motor Company to co-owner of a flying company, to seller of quack medicines, and eventually to media tycoon, Polycarp makes much of his luck along the way. Through ups and downs, his exuberance and charm carry him through. 
  But what kind of person will he be by the end? 
  This gentle coming-of-age story was hugely popular on first publication in the 1930s and retains a timeless appeal today.Praise for Victor Canning: 
  ‘Quite delightful … with an atmosphere of quiet contentment and humour that cannot fail to charm.’ Daily Telegraph 
  ‘There is such a gentle humour in the book.’ Daily Sketch 
  ‘What counts for most in the story … is his mounting pleasure in vagabondage and the English scene.’ The Times 
  ‘A paean to the beauties of the English countryside and the lovable oddities of the English character.’ New York Times 
  ‘His delight at the beauties of the countryside and his mild astonishment at the strange ways of men are infectious.’ Daily Telegraph 
  ‘A swift-moving novel, joyous, happy and incurably optimistic.’ Evening Standard  ‘His gift of story-telling is obviously innate. Rarely does one come on so satisfying an amalgam of plot, characterisation and good writing.’ Punch

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  The Diary of a God - From their...

  Barry Pain

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  Barry Eric Odell Pain was born at 3 Sydney Street in Cambridge on 28th September 1864. He was one of 4 children. 
  He was educated at Sedbergh School and then Corpus Christi College, Cambridge where he read classics and contributed to and edited Granta. 
  Four years of service as an Army coach followed before he moved to London. In 1889, Cornhill Magazine published his short story ‘The Hundred Gates’.  This opened the way for Pain to advance his literary career on several fronts. He became a contributor to Punch and The Speaker, as well as joining the staff of both the Daily Chronicle and Black and White.  
  In 1897 he succeeded Jerome K Jerome as editor of To-Day but still contributed regularly, until 1928, to the Windsor Magazine. 
  It is often said that Pain was discovered by Robert Louis Stevenson, who compared his work to that of Guy de Maupassant.  It’s an apt comparison. Pain was also a master of disturbing prose but able to inject parody and light comedy into many of his works.  A simple premise could in his hands suddenly expand into a world very real but somehow emotionally fraught and on the very edge of darkness as many of these short stories demonstrate.   
  Despite applying his talents to several genres and forms today Pain is more readily thought of, especially during the first decade of the 20th Century, as perhaps the leading British humorist of his day.  These stories reveal a darker side and beg to differ. 
  Barry Pain died on 5th May 1928 in Bushey, Hertfordshire.

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  Billy Budd

  Herman Melville

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  "Billy Budd" is a novella written by Herman Melville, completed shortly before his death in 1891. It tells the story of Billy Budd, a handsome and popular sailor who becomes embroiled in a conflict with his ship's master-at-arms, John Claggart, on board a British naval vessel during the late 18th century. The novella explores themes of innocence, morality, justice, and the inherent conflict between good and evil.The narrative centers around the character of Billy Budd, a young and virtuous sailor admired by his peers for his exceptional charm and simplicity. However, his life takes a dramatic turn when he is falsely accused of inciting mutiny by Claggart, a malevolent and envious officer. The novella delves into the psychological dynamics between the two characters and the moral dilemmas faced by the ship's captain, Captain Vere, as he grapples with the decision of how to handle the situation."Billy Budd" explores the clash between absolute goodness and institutional authority, with Melville examining the complexities and ambiguities of human nature. The novella raises profound questions about the nature of justice, the corrupting influence of power, and the struggle to maintain one's moral integrity in a society driven by hierarchy and oppression.Melville's writing in "Billy Budd" is characterized by his rich prose, nuanced characterization, and philosophical inquiries. The novella incorporates nautical terminology and imagery, drawing on Melville's own experiences as a sailor, and employs a multi-layered narrative that invites readers to contemplate deeper moral and existential questions.

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  Turn of the Screw (Educational...

  Henry James, François Gilbert

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  Contains the unabridged audiobook and an educational audio guide.
  
  The ‘Educational Editions’ from Naxos AudioBooks allow listeners to enjoy important works of fiction and learn about their key elements. Each ‘Educational Edition’ combines the unabridged audiobook with an indispensable audio guide that gives background and author detail and explores the book’s themes, structure, key passages and critical perspectives – stimulating content for students and keen listeners wishing to discover more.
  
  Perhaps the most brilliantly successful ghost story ever written, The Turn of the Screw creates a terrifyingly believable impression of children so corrupted by evil that they remain deceptive pictures of innocent beauty. Their governess must struggle alone to confront and exorcise the demons which she believes possess their souls… Published in 1898, the story was immediately met with glowing reviews. It remains one of Henry James’s most popular works.

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  A Tale of Two Cities - A Story...

  Charles Dickens

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  A Tale of Two Cities is an 1859 historical novel by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long imprisonment in the Bastille in Paris and his release to live in London with his daughter Lucie, whom he had never met. The story is set against the conditions that led up to the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror.
  Dickens' best-known work of historical fiction, A Tale of Two Cities is regularly cited as the best-selling novel of all time. In 2003, the novel was ranked 63rd on the BBC's The Big Read poll. The novel has been adapted for film, television, radio, and the stage, and has continued to have an influence on popular culture.

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  3 Stories - Success at What Cost...

  Leo Tolstoy, Anthony Hope, Amy Levy

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  There is something about the number 3.    
   
  The Ancient Greeks believed 3 was the perfect number, and in China 3 has always been a lucky number, and they know a thing or two.   
   
  Most religions also have 3 this and 3 that and, of course, in these more modern times, three’s a crowd may be too many, except when it’s a ménage à trois.  It seems good things usually come in threes. 
   
  Whatever history and culture says WE think 3, a hat-trick of stories, is a great number to explore themes and literary avenues that classic authors were so adept at creating. 
   
  From their pens to your your ears.  
   
  01 - 3 Stories - Success At What Cost 
  02 - How Much Land Does A Man Need by Leo Tolstoy 
  03 - Cohen of Trinity by Amy Levy 
  04 - A Sucessful Rehearsal by Anthony Hope

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