Classics Literature Collection

The brothers Grimm collected and edited 210 fairy and folk tales, including such beloved classics as ‘Hansel and Gretel’, ‘Rapunzel’ and ‘Little Red Riding Hood’, into an intoxicating and bewitching combination of morality, love, honour and tragedy - and much more besides. Sir Ben Kingsley and Sir Michael Hordern provide captivating, immersive readings.

Five classic novelisations of exciting TV adventures set on distant planets! In The Sensorites, the First Doctor is forced into an uneasy alliance with a race of telepathic creatures from the Sense-Sphere. In Doctor Who and the Space War, the Third Doctor finds that a full-scale war between Earth and the planet Draconia seems inevitable. In Doctor Who and the Planet of the Daleks, the Third Doctor and Jo discover a vast army of Daleks waiting to mobilise and conquer on the planet Spiridon.

Soothe your soul at bedtime as you listen to some of the world's most beautifully written classic stories, exquisitely read by Alison Larkin and Virginia McKenna. Alison's AudioFile Earphones award-winning reading of Peter Pan is followed by Through the Looking Glass and The Snow Queen. How the Elephant Got Its Trunk is read by Virginia McKenna, OBE, the iconic English actress best known for the films Born Free, A Town Like Alice, and Ring of Bright Water.

The work of Marcus Aurelius is one of the finest examples of stoic philosophy in history. His words are clear and practical, suited to the application of philosophy to the governance of one's own life and that of an empire. One of the great virtues of his work is that it came from a man who was forced by his station to apply his philosophical ideals in a practical setting. While he was undoubtedly a man of learning, his ideas have been tested upon the field of life.

Nearly 100 of the most popular and loved poems in the English language, this collection is one of the most comprehensive anthologies of its kind available. It covers a remarkable range, from the striking vision of Blake and Shelley and the insights of Keats to lighter but equally memorable verse by Tennyson, Donne, and Edward Lear.

Beatrix Potter's most famous tales in one wonderful collection. Contains The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Tale Of Benjamin Bunny, The Tale of Mister Todd, The Tale of The Flopsy Bunnies, The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin and The Tale of Two Bad Mice.

This collection brings together the best British writing of the 20th century, narrated by a trio of beloved voices from the stage and screen. From the ghost stories of M.R. James to the intensity of D.H. Lawrence’s Sons and Lovers, as well as the intrigue of Joseph Conrad’s spy thriller, The Secret Agent, these enthralling modern classics will delight every listener. These classic stories are read by The Jewel in the Crown’s Tim Pigott-Smith; legendary Shakespearean actor Sir Michael Hordern; and Sir Ian McKellen.

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.

Journey into Frances Hodgson Burnett’s enchanting and charming tales in this collection of her beloved classics: Little Lord Fauntleroy, A Little Princess, and The Secret Garden.

E. F. Benson's (1867-1940) ghost and supernatural stories are marvellous jewels, that combine elegant writing with moments of blood-curdling horror. This collection comprises thirteen of his finest stories: The Man Who Went Too Far; The Horror Horn; The Other Bed; Gavon's Eve; The Room in the Tower; Ali Abdul's Grave; How Fear departed from the Long Gallery; The Shootings of Achnaleish; The Dust-Cloud; The Confession of Charles Linkworth; Caterpillars; At the Farmhouse; The Bus-Conductor.

Mary Ann Evans (1819-1880), known by her pen name George Eliot, was one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. Her novels are known for their realism and psychological insight. Four of them are included in this volume: Middlemarch, Daniel Deronda, The Mill on the Floss, and The Lifted Veil.

From tales of humans and animals forced to violence and primitivism, to stories of chaos and civilizational collapse, this elegant collection gathers Jack London’s most famous and influential works for a modern audience. Reflecting the eloquent prose and gripping themes first written over a century ago, these stories speak to universal ideas and truths which have captivated the minds of fans for generations.

Sir Ralph Richardson reads a selection of poetry by John Keats, William Blake and Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

75 Classical Myths Condensed from their Primary Sources is designed to familiarize students with these stories in the most economical and accessible way possible. This text provides condensed versions of the essential myths and legends of the Greeks and Romans, as told by their primary sources. The streamlined stories, which retain much of the drama, irony, and pathos of the originals, include Homeric epics, Greek tragedies, and more.

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 overbearing, 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’. 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.

The Alexandre Dumas Collection, with its deep roots in French history, sheds light on the innate sense of honor, duty, responsibility, and love felt by those who lived during the time. Listen as the author takes you on a historical journey to a time when men fought to the death for what they believed in, when executions were a public event, and jewels were traded for secrets! Join us for a reading of The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers and where you will be enchanted by the adventure, danger, and vengeance that these two tales depict.

Author, poet, screenwriter, and outstanding member of the legendary Algonquin Round Table, Dorothy Parker was known for her quick wit, keen observations, and remarkable insight into the human condition. Regarded as brilliant, but known to be an alcoholic and often depressed, Parker’s work pushes all buttons at once: humor, anger, love, pity, and everything in between...she pulled no punches, writing with pure, unadulterated passion; her work is timeless and as pertinent to today’s society as it was to that of the time she wrote.

The Definitive War Novels Collection is a collection of 8 works that all centre around the destruction of war, and span out to encompass themes from family to love and beyond. Read by esteemed cast of award-winning narrators, included here are novels and epics from George Orwell; Ernest Hemingway; Leo Tolstoy; Homer; Rebecca West; and many more.

In what many refer to as one of the first and greatest science fiction thrillers, a mysterious stranger wanders into an inn, wrapped head-to-toe in bandages. What lies beneath the bandages is something even more mysterious. As Wells tackles issues of identity, deception, and the deterioration of the human mind, listeners will be drawn into the story of the mysterious man, whose own mistakes end up whisking him into a whirlwind of deceit, terror, and even murder. In the end, the question will be asked: when your sense of self and identity vanish, who will you become?

The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyam, in the famous translation by Edward Fitzgerald, remains one of the most popular poems. Here, it forms the main work on the first half of this program, along with other shorter poems by other leading Persian and Indian figures, including Rumi, Sa'di, and Rabindranath Tagore.