Great Classics

Awful, rich people - and the folks who want to be just like them. Drawing freely from the real people and actual events of its setting in 1920s Long Island (with literary license, of course), The Great Gatsby looks at the acquisition of the American Dream of wealth, power, and prestige, and what the costs are to those who realize that dream. And if that sounds a bit too highbrow for you, there are speakeasies, a broken nose, wild parties, and a bit of rough and tumble as well.

After an escaped prisoner bullies him into freeing him using stolen tools, seven-year-old orphan Pip is made to pay regular visits to the mysterious spinster Miss Havisham, who lives in the wedding dress she wore when jilted at the altar and keeps every clock in her crumbling mansion frozen at the same time. While there, he meets and instantly falls in love with her beautiful but aloof ward Estella

The tale begins with an experiment to enable a woman named Mary to experience the supernatural realm, which turns her into an idiot. Then follows an account of a series of mysterious occurrences and deaths surrounding a sinister woman named Helen Vaughan. The protagonists eventually confront Helen and forces her to kill herself. Before dying, she undergoes a series of spooky transformations that reveals her to be the daughter of the ill-fated Mary and the god Pan.

In a world on the brink of madness...In the summer of 1914, a young man beyond reproach awakens under police guard grievously injured and accused of heinous, impossible murder.

Gatsby le Magnifique est un roman de l'écrivain américain Francis Scott Fitzgerald. Il est considéré à ce jour comme un chef-d’œuvre de la littérature américaine. Ce roman raconte l’histoire de Jay Gatsby, un jeune et mystérieux millionnaire au style de vie somptueux, ainsi que sa passion pour la belle Daisy qu’il a connue cinq ans plus tôt, mais qui lui a échappé pendant qu’il était mobilisé à la guerre…

1922, New York. La Première Guerre Mondiale est encore toute récente dans les esprits. Pendant que le monde change, la jeunesse veut profiter de la vie, être divertie et consommer malgré la Prohibition. Dans la banlieue de West Egg, l'énigmatique Monsieur Gatsby donne des fêtes extravagantes et reçoit les gens par centaines. Personne ne sait qui il est ni comment il a fait sa fortune. On dit qu'il est bootlegger, on dit qu'il a tué. Témoin privilégie, Nick Carraway, se verra offrir l'occasion de découvrir ce qui se cache derrière ces racontars, et qui est le vrai Gatsby.

The focus of the book is on Shakespeare's London, how it influenced his drama, and how he represents it on stage. Taking listeners on an imaginative journey through the city, the book moves both chronologically, from beginning to end of Shakespeare's dramatic career, and geographically, traversing London from west to east.

Set in 1872, Around the World in 80 Days tells the extraordinary and wonderful adventures of Phileas Fogg and his servant Passepartout, who set out to win a £20,000 bet to circumnavigate the globe in eighty days.

The New York Times best-selling author of seagoing epics now celebrates an American classic.Moby-Dick is perhaps the greatest of the Great American Novels, yet its length and esoteric subject matter create an aura of difficulty that too often keeps readers at bay. Fortunately, one unabashed fan wants passionately to give Melville's masterpiece the broad contemporary audience it deserves.

على الرَّغم من أنَّ هذه الرواية تصنَّف اليوم كأحد أهمّ الروايات التي أرّخت لفترة العشرينات بكامل صخبها وألقها في العالم، إلّا أنّها لم تلقَ نجاحًا عند نشرها أول مرة عام 1925 وقد مات مؤلفها سكوت فيتزجيرالد وهو ما زال يعتقد بأنّها أسوء ما كتب.

The quartercentenary of John Milton (1608-1674) is celebrated next year. This selection of his finest poetry includes sections from "Paradise Lost", "Samson Agonistes", the masque "Comus", as well as sonnets and other poems. They are read by two of Britain's leading classical actors.

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 "A Great Mistake," Stephen Crane weaves a captivating short story set against the vibrant backdrop of old New York City. Narrated by Mike Vendetti, this audiobook brings to life the hustle and bustle of the streets as an unsuspecting Italian produce vendor tends to his colorful wares. The story delves into the innocent world of a child who becomes mesmerized by the vendor's bountiful display. With a heart full of wonder and mischief, the child hatches a plan to stealthily snatch one of the beautiful fruits from the cart while the vendor appears to doze.

A treasure chest of the most popular classic crime stories from the 19th century. •The Purloined Letter by Edgar Allan Poe •A Terribly Strange Bed by Wilkie Collins •Murder under the Microscope by William Russell •The Three Strangers by Thomas Hardy •The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe •The Mystery of Marie Roget by Edgar Allan Poe •Mr. Higginbotham’s Catastrophe by Nathaniel Hawthorne

In the shadow of World War One and set against the backdrop of the Roaring Twenties, "The Great Gatsby" is F. Scott Fitzgerald's magnum opus. In it, he explores the themes of decadence, idealism, social class, and the mystery of human identity.

The 1660s were a time of turmoil in England: Cromwell had been defeated and Charles II, who was sympathetic to the Catholics, was restored to the throne; the Dutch declared war on England; the Plague raged; and the Great Fire of London destroyed half the city! Our hero, Cyril, at the death of his father Sir Aubrey Shenstone, inherits nothing except his father's title, and works as a bookkeeper for various London tradesmen.

Orphaned as baby, Pip is raised by his sister to live the simple life of a blacksmith’s boy. But a chance encounter in a graveyard and a visit to a ruined mansion set him on a different path. When a secret benefactor pays for him to become a gentleman, Pip’s life takes a greatly unexpected turn …

"El gran Gatsby", publicada en 1925, ha sido considerada en numerosas ocasiones la mejor novela norteamericana del siglo XX. La historia se desarrolla en Nueva York y Long Island en los años 20 del pasado siglo y retrata de una manera brillante esos locos años de las fiestas, el jazz y el desenfreno previos a la Gran Depresión.

Pip, un niño huérfano de 6 años, tiene un terrorífico encuentro con un preso evadido al que se ve obligado a entregar víveres y una lima. Poco después, es llamado a la tenebrosa mansión de una rica y recluida dama como compañero de juegos de una niña hermosa y altiva de quien Pip termina enamorándose. Luego, gracias a un misterioso benefactor, recibe una fortuna, le dice adiós a su familia y se va a Londres para intentar convertirse en un caballero.

Charles Dickens: 5 Essential Novels & A Christmas Carol brings together all the five most revered novels written during Dickens' lifetime, as well as his iconic Christmas story. In this collection you'll hear Stephen Fry narrating Great Expectations, Scrooge's ghostly journey narrated by Jason Isaacs, David Rintoul leading us through David Copperfield, and other award-winning narrators bringing Dickens' most beloved stories to life.