Great Classics

Revolutionary terrorists, a dead British agent, a man-eating tiger, and the Commander of the British Army cavorting with a Russian spy. Now it's a national emergency. Monarchies are collapsing daily and the world is on the brink of revolution, but most importantly--the game is afoot!

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.

The story is told from the point of view of Pip, an orphan of humble origins who dreams of being a gentleman. From a chilling encounter with a convict when he was seven, through his coming of age and early adulthood, he tells of his "memorable days" and the "great changes" they wrought in him.

A terrifying encounter with an escaped convict in a graveyard on the wild Kent marshes; a summons to meet the bitter, decaying Miss Havisham and her beautiful, cold-hearted ward Estella; the sudden generosity of a mysterious benefactor—these form a series of events that change the orphaned Pip's life forever, and he eagerly abandons his humble origins to begin a new life as a gentleman. Dickens's haunting late novel depicts Pip's education and development through adversity as he discovers the true nature of his great expectations.

As any fan of Jo Walton's Among Others might guess, Walton is both an inveterate reader of SF and fantasy, and a chronic rereader of books. In 2008, then-new science fiction mega-site Tor.com asked Walton to blog regularly about her rereading—about all kinds of older fantasy and SF, ranging from acknowledged classics, to guilty pleasures, to forgotten oddities and gems. These posts have consistently been among the most popular features of Tor. Now this volume presents a selection of the best of them, ranging from short essays to long reassessments of some of the field's most ambitious series.

A vintage collection of some of the greatest short stories ever written: "The Purloined Letter", by Edgar Allan Poe; "The Nose", by Nikolai Gogol; "The Story of an Hour", by Kate Chopin; "The Gift of the Magi", by O. Henry; "The Apparition of Mrs. Veal", by Daniel Defoe; "The Lifted Veil", by George Eliot; "Life of Ma Parker", by Katherine Mansfield; "The Baron", by Katherine Mansfield; "The Cask of Amontillado", by Edgar Allan Poe; "The Seventh Pullet", by Saki; and more.

A comprehensive and varied collection of the best vampire stories from the Victorian era by the greatest Gothic writers of the time. Includes: 'The Horla' by Guy de Maupassant; 'Mrs. Amworth' by E. F. Benson; 'La Belle Dame Sans Merci' by John Keats; 'Dracula's Guest' by Bram Stoker; 'The Bride of Corinth' by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe; 'Will' by Vincent O'Sullivan; 'Ken's Mystery' by Julian Hawthorne.

A vintage collection of some of the greatest short stories ever written

Pip is a poor orphaned boy who lives together with his sister and her husband. Pip is not educated but has great dreams of the future. He is determined to get out of the low class and seek progress in the higher class. One day a lawyer appears. Pip has suddenly received a large fortune from a secret benefactor and he has to get to London to start his education. Pip’s life changes in a second. But he is ready to embark on his next journey.

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.

Art and life. Each the mirror of the other. This then is the classic definition of what ‘Realism’ as a writing form really is. Some might call it a fancy term for the mundane day to day pursuits but in the hands of an author it comes alive. We are drawn into characters and landscapes that we can empathize with, we can, metaphorically speaking, help shoulder their burden, be on the long trail with them whatever the landscapes, the hurdles, incidents and other people may place in their literary way.

The story takes place in The Winglebury Arms, the chief inn in the little town of Great Winglebury. When an anonymous letter form one of the guests is misinterpreted by the mayor of the town events don’t go quite as planned! This humorous little tale, told as only Dickens could, is as sure to amuse now as when it was written over 150 years ago.

Friedrich Engels spent two years (from 1842 to 1844) in Manchester, England, working at his father's factory. During that period he observed and recorded the effect of the industrial revolution on the labor market and the subsequent condition of what became the working class of England.

The Great Gatsby is a triumph of descriptive prose, and has entered into the annuls of fame of both American literature as well as Americana. The story transcends time, and while set in the Roaring Twenties, describes the human psyche—its needs, desires, obsessions—in both detail and depth. A must listen for anyone wanting to gain a deeper understanding into the mindset of that time, as well as perhaps modern-day America.

"In his blue gardens, men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars." It’s the height of the roaring 20’s. Every Saturday, the doors to Gatsby’s gothic mansion are flung wide to the bright young things of New York - the music is loud, the dancing is wild, and the champagne flows freely. Gatsby’s new neighbor, Nick Carraway, is fascinated by the spectacle. But when he pushes beyond the shimmering, glistening veneer of Gatsby’s charmed life, Nick discovers his new friend is tortured by a profound yearning for the one thing - and one person - he can’t have.

Sound interesting? The author thinks so too! Listen to The Great Gatsby and experience a classic work of fiction by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

The is the heart-rending tale of carpenter Adam Bede's love for pretty, superficial Hetty Sorrel, her trial for the murder of her ilegitimate child, the plight of her seducer, and Adam's growing affection for Dinah Morris, a Methodist preacher. Eliot's comments on pastoral life and the wisdom and candor of Mrs. Poyser add zest and humor.

A glorious collection of some of the finest British short stories ever written. The Dog – Arnold Bennet, Not On The Passenger List – Barry Pain, The Old Man’s Tale About The Queer Client – Charles Dickens, The Half Brothers – Elizabeth Gaskell, The Veiled Portrait – James McGovan, Markheim – Robert Louis Stevenson, The Bottle Imp – Robert Louis Stevenson, The Adventures Of The Kind Mr. Smith – William J. Locke, The Man Of Mystery – Barry Pain, The Brazilian Cat – Sir. Arthur Conan Doyle.

A gripping collection of 30 minute stories by some of the greatest storytellers in the English language....

While visiting his parents gravesite in the marshy mists of a village graveyard, Pip, a young orphan living with his older sister, encounters a shivering, limping convict on the run. In spite of his fear of the man, Pip befriends the convict and gives aid, an act that spells considerable consequences for Pip later in life. Fate intervenes and Pip is sent to the household of Miss Havisham, a wealthy and eccentric spinster. Pip shares the household with Miss Havisham and her beautiful, but cold, adopted daughter Estella.