Classic Literature Anthology

In these two famous short novels, Leo Tolstoy takes readers to the brink of despair. At the end of life, worldly ambition offers no consolation for the spiritually empty soul, but Tolstoy is the master of themes and redemption. He turns his morbid topic into hope, leading toward spiritual awakening. Tolstoy offers his readers a lifetime of perspective on death.

Queen Marguerite de Navarre was one of the most powerful women of her age. Her masterpiece, The Heptameron, is a collection of some 72 stories told by five gentlemen and five ladies who find themselves stranded in an abbey. Proposed as an edifying way of passing the time while a bridge is being repaired, the tale-telling - as well as the conversations that follow each story - quickly becomes a battle of wits between the sexes, with tales concerning illicit lovers, romantic conquests, lecherous monks, manly honor, and women's virtue.

Washington Irving was an American author of the early 19th century. He is best known for his short stories, with his two most famous being "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip van Winkle".

In “A Smile of Fortune”, a ship’s captain meets the seemingly genial Mr. Jacobus and his irritable brother while embarking in the tropics. One a respectable businessman with a considerable reputation, the other a confessed rogue and entrepreneur with no reputation left to lose, the captain is at a loss to determine which he should befriend. In this masterly tale of misplaced loyalty, family feuds, and illicit bargaining, the captain finds himself the unwitting partner in a deeply unorthodox transaction.

Though The Arabian Nights are generally known as stories for children, they were originally tales for adults full of adventure, sexuality, violence, and the supernatural. They certainly inspired the imagination of Sir Richard Burton, the 19th century explorer, linguist, and erotologist who brought all his worldly experience and superbly expressive prose style to bear on the tales of Sindbad the Seaman and Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.

In the final years of his life, Chekhov produced some of the stories that rank among his masterpieces and some of the most highly-regarded works in Russian literature. The poignant 'The Lady with the Little Dog' and 'About Love' examine the nature of love outside of marriage - its romantic idealism and the fear of disillusionment. And in stories such as 'Peasants', 'The House with the Mezzanine' and 'My Life' Chekhov paints a vivid picture of the conditions of the poor and of their powerlessness in the face of exploitation and hardship.

Unknowingly, a man arrives on the anniversary of the “Great Tragedy” that led to his host having her large French window wide open onto the lawn on an October afternoon in the vain hope that her husband and brothers - whom he learns have been dead three years - will return through it. To his horror, the man shares in the terrors of the day.

"The Gift of the Magi" is not read or heard widely after one leaves high school, which is a shame, because it is such a magical story about expectations being crushed by realities, and the turn of events, which O. Henry was so masterful at achieving. The interesting twist is that these two people both sacrifice for each other, but that means neither of their gifts works out as planned. However (and O. Henry is full of howevers), the two are deeply in love and shrug it off and move on in their happiness.

Like all great metropolises before it, when a city gets big enough, old enough, it must be born; but there are ancient enemies who cannot tolerate new life. Thus New York will live or die by the efforts of a reluctant midwife...and how well he can learn to sing the city's mighty song.

The stories in this volume, selected by Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Strout, are tales of families trying to heal their wounds, save their marriages, and rescue their children. In "Ralph the Duck," a security guard struggles to hang on to his marriage. In "Name the Name," a traveling teacher attends to students outside the school, including his own son, locked in a country jail. In Busch's work, we are reminded that we have no idea what goes on behind closed doors or in the mind of another.

The stories narrate the tricks, deceit and greed of hyena in all his relationships. These traits come out strongly in the tales entitled "The Cow, Hyena, Lion and Hare Share a Home", "Hyena and Hare Go in Search of Food" and "The Hyena and the Hare". Hare, however, shows his ingenuity to always outsmart hyena. Cat's pilgrimage to Mecca and his self righteous attitude on his return was challenged by the eldest member of the clan of rats. He was reminded of his old ways before his transformation.

Ce recueil audio se compose de neuf nouvelles captivantes d'Edgar Allan Poe : "Le Scarabée d'Or", "Le Système du docteur Goudron et du professeur Plume", "La Chute de la Maison Usher", "Manuscrit trouvé dans une bouteille", "Le Mystère de Marie Roget", "Le Chat Noir", "La Lettre volée", "Double Assassinat dans la rue Morgue", "Le Joueur d'échecs de Maelzel".

Hailed as one of the world's supreme masterpieces on the subject of death and dying, Leo Tolstoy's "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" is the story of a worldly careerist, a high court judge who has never given the inevitability of his death so much as a passing thought. But one day, death announces itself to him, and to his shocked surprise he is brought face to face with his own mortality.

A collection of timeless Westerns from some of the most well-known authors of the genre, including Zane Grey and Max Brand: "The Little Gold Miners" by Joaquin Miller, "Bulger's Reputation" by Bret Harte, "The Leaf of Red Rose" by W.H.H. Murray, "The Secret of Macarger's Gulch" by Ambrose Bierce, "The Californian's Tale" by Mark Twain, "Twelve O'Clock" by Stephen Crane, "The Vengeance of Padre Arroyo" by Gerturde Atherton, "A Deal in Wheat" by Frank Norris, "The Caballero's Way" by O. Henry, and more.

Inside this classic kids collection, you’ll find a mixture of some of the most famous folklore and fairy tales ever written. From short stories by Aesop and Hans Christian Andersen to folklore from The Brothers Grimm, these timeless masterpieces have endured centuries to resonate deep in the hearts of adults and children alike.

Mathilde Loisel, the lowly born wife of a clerk, has always felt she was meant for greater things. She imagines beautiful gowns, glittering parties, a home of opulence, and a life of comfort. Her only wish is to be flattered and admired, and she is miserable that she will never know that life. But out of the blue, her husband comes home with an invitation to a ball. She buys a new dress but mourns her lack of jewels. But wait!

Die schönsten deutschen Sagen über Könige, Ritter und Edelfräulein: von Kaiser Karl bis Lohengrin. Das einfache Volk hat sie bewundert und gefürchtet: Die Könige und Kaiser, die mächtigen Ritter und ihre Burgfräulein. Viele Volks- und Heldensagen erzählen bis heute von ihrem Ruhm und ihren Taten. Und von manchem Herrscher geht die Sage, dass er nicht gestorben sei, sondern nur schlafe, um eines Tages wiederzukehren und dem Volk in großer Not zu Hilfe zu kommen.

A good story takes us in a new, fantastic world; the pleasure is all the greater if it keeps us inside for long enough. We have carefully selected for you ten long stories, for you to enjoy the craft of the writer as much as the opportunity of evasion good stories bring to us; they will make perfect bedtime stories, to accompany young children as long as they need to get into a peaceful sleep. Enjoy these tales by Charles Perrault, Hans Christian Andersen, and from the "Arabian Nights" (or "One Thousand and One Nights"), narrated in a warm and lively way.

It was the eye. The dull, sightless, vulture's eye that shredded his final nerve. But the murder was done so carefully, so perfectly, that only one thing could reveal the whereabouts of the body. B. J. Harrison gives a masterful reading of the famous murder that wouldn't keep quiet. This audiobook was the #3 best-selling audiobook in 2008 at the iTunes Music Store!

The ultimate collection of great short stories by the best Russian classic authors. 1. "Her Lover" by Maxim Gorky 2. "The Empty Drum" by Count Leo Tolstoy 3. "The Hoop" by Fedor Sologub 4. "The District Doctor" by Ivan Turgenev 5. "The White Dog" by Fedor Sologub 6. "The Cloak" by Nikolai Gogol 7. "A Soothing Dream" by Fedor Sologub 8. "The Christmas Tree and the Wedding" by Fyodor Dostoyevsky 9. "A Work of Art" by Anton Chekhov 10. "Children Wiser Than Their Fathers" by Count Leo Tolstoy