Classics Collection

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, unique tales inspired by traditional literary forms appeared frequently in socialist-leaning British periodicals, such as the Clarion, Labour Leader, and Social Democrat. Based on familiar genres, these stories were meant to entertain readers of all ages - and some challenged the conventional values promoted in children’s literature for the middle class. Acclaimed critic and author Michael Rosen brings together more than 40 of the best and most enduring examples of these stories in one beautiful volume.

In C.S. Lewis's classic The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, Lucy asks if Aslan the lion is safe. It is quickly clarified that Aslan is not safe...but he is good. That concept serves as the foundation for this collection of short stories. While put together from a Christian worldview, our goal isn't comfort food for Christians or G-rated stories that offer simplistic lessons. Instead, we're serving up stories sharpened by faith. Stories that will engage, challenge, entertain, and stretch the listener.

Drawing on three of the greatest works of Russian literature, this sweeping collection breathes new life into Leo Tolstoy’s legacy, providing contemporary listeners with an easy, accessible way to discover and enjoy this great Russian author’s literary talents. With gripping prose and profound philosophical insights, listeners will be transported to the battles of the Napoleonic era in War and Peace, explore the trials and tribulations of upper-class Russian life and love in Anna Karenina, and uncover a controversial reflection on Russian culture.

Robert Louis Stevenson, Scottish essayist, poet, and author of fiction and travel books, was born in 1850 in Edinburgh, Scotland, as an only son of a prosperous civil engineer. He entered the University of Edinburgh at the age of 17 and studied to be an engineer to follow his father in the family business; however, he soon realized that he was not cut out for that profession. His father agreed to let him study law instead and although Stevenson graduated from the law school, he never practiced law because, by then, he knew he wanted to be a writer.

Journey into an idyllic, heartwarming, and fanciful story in The Anne Collection, with Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea by Lucy Maud Montgomery. The Anne of Green Gables series is the tale of Anne Shirley, a young girl orphaned and sent to live with a family who initially wanted to adopt a boy. Anne is kindhearted and charming, and wins over everyone she meets throughout her adventures in this collection.

The Odyssey is an epic poem, written by the ancient Greek philosopher Homer, and considered to be the second oldest piece of western literature still in existence. Scholars believe it was written at the end of the eighth century BC. Still heavily used in schools because of its unique literary makeup and historical value, the poems follow Greek hero Odysseus, as he journeys home after the 10-year long Trojan War. His journey home takes another 10 years, and Odysseus encounters many obstacles.

Many people have the problem of not fully understanding literary classics due to the different time periods and translations. Well, this classics collection audiobook is the perfect solution because it lays character analysis and plot climaxes to help with understanding the material. A lot of people usually have to shop around to to find the classic writers' work, but luckily the Classic Writers Literary Classic Collection audiobook is able to place two classic authors in one book with a character analysis.

This curated collection of children’s classics will take you on a journey through the bizarre world of Wonderland, into a long undiscovered secret garden and finally into the enchanted fairytale world of the Brothers Grimm. These classic children’s stories are read by actress and author Jane Asher, Shakespearean actor Sir Michael Horden and Academy Award winners Glenda Jackson and Sir Ben Kingsley.

James Barrie grew up in a family where the mother was the dominant figure. When he was six years old, his elder brother died in an accident, a trauma from which his mother never recovered. As his mother played a dominant role in his life, her pain and suffering affected Barrie deeply and changed his life forever.

In The Call of the Wild, Buck is a big-hearted dog whose blissful domestic life gets turned upside down when he is suddenly uprooted from his California home and transplanted to the exotic wilds of the Alaskan Yukon in the 1890s. White Fang is the story of a wolf-dog that is rescued from its brutal owner and gradually becomes domesticated through the patience and kindness of its new owner. Lost Face (Including Other Short Stories) is a collection of seven short stories by Jack London.

In her best-known work, The Yellow Wallpaper, Gilman writes about different kinds of oppression that women were exposed to at the time. Herland is a utopian novel from 1915, in which an isolated society composed entirely of women exists. The result is an ideal social order: free of war, conflict, and domination. The Crux tells the story of a group of New England women who move west to start a boardinghouse for men in Colorado. It is an important early feminist work that brings forward complicated issues of gender, citizenship, eugenics, and frontier nationalism.

Unique to this title is: a historical introduction, an overview, a study of themes, and a list of famous quotes. You may of course skip all of it and go straight to the main title if you do not want any spoilers and come back later to the beginning. William Shakespeare, the 16th-century English poet, playwright, and actor, is generally regarded as the best writer in the English language and the world's best dramatist.

This Jules Verne Collection will carry you away to underwater adventures, will take you deep inside the earth, and pull you on a journey around the world. Are you ready to travel to faraway lands, to be tracked by the authorities, and to encounter prehistoric monsters? If you are ready for adventure, then join us along with the protagonists of each of the three stories in this collection of science fiction and surreal tales.

One of the supreme masterpieces of world literature, the Homeric saga of the shipwrecks, wanderings, and homecoming of the master tactician Odysseus encompasses a virtual inventory of the themes and attitudes that have shaped Western culture. The tale of Odysseus' encounters with such obstacles as Calypso, Circe, Scylla and Charybdis, the Sirens, and the lotus-eaters, and his dramatic return to Ithaca and his patient wife, Penelope, forms a prototype for all subsequent Western epics.

In Stephen Mitchell's The Iliad, the epic story resounds again across 2,700 years, as if the lifeblood of its heroes Achilles and Patroclus, Hector, and Priam flows in every word. And we are there with them, amid the horror and ecstasy of war, carried along by a poetry that lifts even the most devastating human events into the realm of the beautiful. Mitchell's The Iliad is the first translation based on the work of the preeminent Homeric scholar Martin L. West.

An anthology of verse by women poets writing in Persian, most of whom have never been translated into English before, from acclaimed scholar and translator Dick Davis. From Rabe'eh in the 10th century to Fatemeh Ekhtesari in the 21st, the women poets found in The Mirror of My Heart write across the millennium on such universal topics as marriage, children, political climate, death, and emancipation, recreating life from hundreds of years ago that is strikingly similar to our own today and giving insight into their experiences as women.

Unique to this title is: A historical introduction and a study of the themes present in A Tale of Two Cities, A Christmas Carol and The Chimes. Charles Dickens was an English writer and social critic. He was born in 1812 in Portsmouth. When his father was sent to jail because of unsettled debt, Dickens had to leave school and get a job in a factory. Dickens is believed to be the best novelist of the Victorian era and he became very popular during his lifetime. His novels are still widely read and translated.

How can the Tortoise run faster than the Hare? What happens when the dog growls at its image? Or when the Country Mouse goes to supper with the Town Mouse? These wonderful stories have delighted adults and children for centuries, with their witty observations on animals and humans too. The stories are told with the enduring magic of a master story-teller, and set against the bright sounds of Vivaldi's Four Seasons and sound effects.

Offering poignant and eye-opening reflections on Victorian society, the works of Emily and Charlotte Bronte hold a special place in literary history and in the hearts of everyone who reads them. Deeply controversial in their time for their critical look at core parts of society - including religion, class, and the role of women - their work has transcended the 19th century to provide an often-forgotten glimpse into the struggles of the past.

Here are the most exciting and essential parts of two historic, epic poems: the "Iliad" and the "Odyssey". The ancient words of Homer find a new home in today's world - spoken aloud, just as Homer intended. Translated by Stanley Lombardo.