Showing results by narrator "Philippe Duquenoy" in All Categories

Edgar Allan Poe was one of the most prolific authors of his time, eventually gaining recognition for his tales of horror and his uncanny ability to paint a macabre picture with words. The Complete Works Collection of Edgar Allan Poe contains over 150 stories and poems, separated into individual chapters, including all of Poe's most notorious works such as The Raven, Annabel Lee, A Dream Within a Dream, Lenore, The Tell-Tale Heart, and many more.

The book acts as a guide which explains how Christianity is the best choice for all human beings, not because it's outside of our world and an independent truth, but because it is the answer to our base needs and desires. Only when Christianity is seen as a way of life instead of a belief can the true power of the faith be realized.

Faust has long been considered one of the most important works of European literature ever published. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe began writing Faust in the 1770s while still a young man, spending most of his adult life on the project. Faust was finally finished almost 50 years later, near the end of his life. Faust is a philosophical drama full of humor, satire, and tragedy. The demon Mephistopheles makes a bet with God that he can lure Faust from the path of good.

A Treatise of Human Nature is the first work ever published by David Hume, a man who revolutionized our understanding of philosophy. Hume was an advocate of the skeptical school of philosophy and a key figure in the Scottish Enlightenment. He looks at the nature of human experience and cognition, showing that philosophy and reason can only be reflections of our nature.

Published in 1844, The Count of Monte Cristo would become one of the most popular works of literature of its time. In this story, the reader is taken on a wild adventure as they transverse the world of Edmond Dantes, a man that has been wrongfully imprisoned in the gloomy Château d’If. Dantes' time at the château has not been a complete waste. During his imprisonment, he hears of hidden treasure on the island of Monte Cristo. With grim determination, Edmond Dante plans to escape and find the treasure.

Chesterton's compilation of essays in Heretics discusses the difference in Orthodoxy and Heretics, rational vs. irrational, and denial vs. affirmation. He questions the reason for the existence of man and the universe and calls out many prominent figures in the artistic and literary fields for their unorthodox ideas; thus labeling them heretics. He will have you thinking of favorite authors like Rudyard Kipling, Oscar Wilde, and H.G. Wells in a new light, challenging their ideals and morals.

The Tao Te Ching is perfect for those who would like to delve deeper into the intriguing nature of the Tao and to gain a deeper understanding of life and the nature of reality. This series of meditations is also a great way to gain a better understanding of ancient Chinese beliefs. In ancient China, Tao, also known as the Way, is believed to be the guiding light of the soul and the very source of existence. For generations, the Tao Te Ching had drawn scholars from around the world, including those who sought understand human existence.

Ishmael, a sailor looking for his next adventure, and his friend who happens to be a former prince, sign up to join a whaling ship in Nantucket. The morning before they set sail on their voyage, many ominous signs of what the pair's fate may be are seen and heard through sermon and prophecy as the two friends ignore the warnings and make their way to the docks. Soon into the trip, the one-legged Captain Ahab announces that the whaling adventure is really a hunt for one very specific large, white sperm whale.

After reading chivalric romances, Don Quixote becomes infatuated with the idea of being a heroic knight and with the help of his squire sets out to do exactly that. Although Sancho’s adventures continually get him into trouble, he grows and learns from those mishaps, becoming a character that will enchant the listener long after the last words.

Emily Climbs is the story of a young orphan growing up in New Moon Farm who has a passion for writing, a talent that has helped her cope with some of the more difficult times in her life. However, Emily is faced with a dilemma. Elizabeth, her aunt, wants her to promise to give up writing in exchange for being able to attend high school in the nearby town of Shrewsbury, the school which all of her friends are attending.

Those who live in this futuristic city are always taken care of but they lack creativity and individuality. This all changes when a mathematician named D-503 discovers that he has a soul that is separate from the OneState. He and the citizens of OneState live out their lives deprived of passion and creativity. Their names have been taken away and replaced with numbers, their daily routines are dictated by the “Time Tablet” which tells them what they should do, and when they should do it, hour after hour.

The Pilgrim's Progress is written as a dream by author John Bunyan, a strict religious man with Puritan beliefs who began writing the book while imprisoned for his religious convictions. The dream is of a man named Christian who is tormented by spiritual anguish. A spirit guide appears to him and explains to him the path he must take to salvation.

The story takes place in the 18th century, where fashion was very much a la mode, with silks, stains, and powdered wigs. Philip Jettan, a handsome and sturdy youth, is rejected by the lady of his dreams, Cleone Charteris, because he is not foppish enough. Encouraged by his uncle, Philip decides to go to Paris in order to learn the ways of a stylish gentleman. On his return, however, Philip wonders whether Cleone prefers him as he is - or as he was. Cleone in her turn, wonders whether Philip has really changed or whether he is putting on a front.

When it comes to 19th-century French literature, few can compare to Victor Hugo. In 1831, Victor Hugo wrote one of the most memorial gothic stories of all time, Notre Dame de Paris, later changed to The Hunchback of Notre Dame in 1833. This amazing story is set in medieval Paris and is centered on the famed Notre Dame cathedral as well as the three main characters: Esmeralda (the gypsy dancer); Quasimodo (the hunchback); and the priest, Claude Frollo.

Considered by many to be one of G.K. Chesterton’s greatest works, The Everlasting Man (first published in 1925), along with many of Chesterton’s other works, were heavily influenced by his own spiritual journey into Christianity. Published in 1925, The Everlasting Man is said to be a rebuttal of H.G. Wells’ The Outline of History, in which Chesterton delves into the history of religion and the spiritual exploration of Western society while defending any objections to Christianity.

First published in 1865 by The Russian Messenger, War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy is considered to be one of the longest novels ever written, although Tolstoy himself did not consider this book "a novel". Interspersed between narrative chapters concerning five aristocratic families are several philosophical and historical chapters against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars, where Tolstoy weaves a tale of drama with characters that include statesmen and generals of that era, mixing domestic life, balls, and war councils into one epic story.

This collection by Robert W. Chambers was first published in 1895 and features stories loosely tied together with one theme, the supernatural. Many of the stories in The King in Yellow were not received well by the critics of the time due to their supernatural undertones. Some of the stories mention a play by the same name that had been outlawed in some regions of the world. It was thought that the play could induce madness in those who viewed it. Two of the stories in this book take place in a fictional world of the future 1920s and are macabre in tone.

Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations has influenced economic thinkers for generations. Smith was a firm believer that the economic progress of any nation was tied to free trade and the division of labor.

Ulysses takes us on the journey of two men, Leopold Bloom and Stephen Dedalus, through an hour-by-hour account of their lives for one day. These men cross paths in a series of coincidental events and listeners learn how interconnected they are even though they are not friends.

As one of the greatest novels of all time, Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables takes the listeneron a journey into the turbulent Parisian underworld. With breathtaking realism, Hugo recreates the dark world of the 1832 uprising and the sad but meaningful struggle between good and evil. In Les Misérables, Victor Hugo introduces one of the most beloved fictional characters of classic literature, Jean Valjean, who is best known for his imprisonment for the minor offense of stealing a loaf of bread.