Showing results by narrator "Mark Rice Oxley" in All Categories

Guy de Maupassant is justly revered as one of the strongest proponents of the short story. The miniature gems he created are woven from the many worlds and strata of society that surrounded him. From feuds and revenge to tales of avarice and friendship de Maupassant is the master of all and second to none.

As a writer Zola wrote numerous short stories, essays, plays and novels. When ‘La Confession de Claude’ was published and received the attention of the police Hachette fired him. He continued to write and after his first major novel, ‘Thérèse Raquin’ (1867), Zola started the series called ‘Les Rougon-Macquart’, a carefully planned twenty-volume history of a single family under the reign of Napoléon III.

Johann Christoph Friedrich Schiller was born on 10th November 1759, in Marbach, Württemberg, the sole son of six children, into a very religious family. Although primarily admired for his plays Schiller also wrote histories, poetry and some notable translations. In his short story ‘The Criminal from Lost Honour’ the layers of a man’s life are examined as perhaps only Schiller and his literary genius can.

Hector Hugh Munro, more familiarly known by his pen-name ‘Saki’, was born in what was then Akyab in British Burma on 18th December 1870. His father was an Inspector General for the Indian Imperial Police, and his mother the daughter of a Rear Admiral. After a stint working in Burma with the Indian Imperial Police, Saki decided to move to London to make a living as a writer. Initially he wrote as a journalist for a number of newspapers and magazines before attempting an historical study, ‘The Rise of the Russian Empire’, whose real value lay in directing him to writing short stories instead.

When Peter Attwood discovers a most unlikely find on an archaeological dig in Egypt, he knows the Antique Shop is up to something, and this time, he feels a deep dread. Yes, he has been searching for the tomb of Cleopatra, and yes, he would love to be the one to find it, but is the Antique Shop really going to send him back to see the queen, the last Pharaoh of Egypt? Could the shop be that helpful? Experience told him it was unlikely. When he gets home to London, he finds that, as usual, the shop will not let him rest until he knows what it has in mind.

With Peter and Jason away in Egypt in search of the the lost tomb of Cleopatra, Rachel is left to help Martha to settle into the 21st century. But the Antique Shop has other ideas and tempts them to go back to the 16th century. They believe they are going to rescue Lord Mountford, a man who lost his head during the reign of King Henry VIII for helping the monks during the dissolution of the monasteries. In fact, the shop sends them back too late for that and they meet Lord Mountford's stepson, Marcus, who they learn is from the future.

The promised cure for obesity turned out to be the catalyst that made the Black Death look like a quiet Sunday stroll. It infected hundreds, then thousands, then millions, until the world was all but consumed by the ravenous hordes it created. They found their way into every safe haven and fortress and massacred the few remaining survivors at will.

Tarantulas, snakes, and lizards are no problem whatsoever for 12-year-old animal expert, Archie Jones! But when an unexpected turn of events lead to his annoying sister demanding they take home an innocent golden-plumed parakeet from a creepy animal sanctuary (and its creepy owner), Archie discovers rather quickly that this is not a cute and cuddly bird. Can Archie and his best-leopard-gecko-lizard-friend, Lizzie, return the evil monster bird before it destroys his life? Can the siblings put their rivalry aside and find their way to the sanctuary through the dark forest?

After returning from their last trip into the past, Peter continued his investigation of all the things that were in the mysterious back room. He found that new things appeared on a regular basis, but what he found this time was very unlikely. It was a cap from the uniform of the Confederate Army. It was in the back room, but when he tried to take it outside, it took him nowhere.

Learning to Drive and Pass Your Practical Driving Test in the UK is written by a DVSA-approved driving instructor and is a helpful guide for anyone who is just starting out on their learning to drive journey. It is essential listening for anybody who is about to sit the practical driving test. Jam packed full of handy hints and tips to enhance the learning experience. Written in easy-to-follow language without jargon.

Rachel was relieved that Peter had lost interest in the antique shop after his last trip. She thought that now, perhaps, they could keep the place out of their minds and get on with their lives. But it was not to be. Dreams about a medieval nun were plaguing them both, and it seemed the shop itself was calling to them. They would know no peace until they had discovered what it wanted.

At an advanced academic institute in Canberra, Josh and Alice meet scientists Henry and Vanessa Jones who are experimenting with mind transference. The four of them combine their technology to try and project their minds back through time into their younger bodies, thus achieving immortality. After some initial success, unforeseen implications become apparent.

Izzy Miller has grown out of "family game night". As a mature and sporty 12-year-old, playing boring board games with her family is not her idea of a good time. But when her brainiac twin Noah discovers an ancient board game and casts the dice, he unknowingly sets off a chain of events that freezes time and leaves the twins with a frightening choice - play or never see your family again.

This audio study guide for Great Expectations by Charles Dickens includes detailed summary and analysis of each chapter and an in-depth exploration of the book’s multiple symbols, motifs, and themes such as class as a learned social performance and the morality of ambition. Featured content also includes commentary on major characters, 25 important quotes, essay questions, and discussion topics.

When you find out your best friend and business partner is secretly sleeping with your wife, it may be time to move on.... From your job and your marriage.... Which is precisely what happened to Jamie Newgent. A change of lifestyle is what’s needed, and a bachelor pad on the fourth floor of a jutting tower provides a new home, a fresh start, and a new chapter in his life.

When Rachel inherits an abandoned antique shop in London, she suspects the reason for its abandonment. But when she and her friend Peter find a valuable coin, they take it with them - only to then find themselves in the 15th century. Then, there's the discovery of the Edward V. coin, a relic from the short-lived reign of Edward V., which prompts Peter to want to find out what really happened to the princes in the tower. When Peter finds the famous B necklace worn by Anne Boleyn in many portraits, he is eager to use it to go back and see her in the flesh. But that's only the beginning.

While Rachel has stayed away from the Antique Shop and concentrated on her business, Peter has spent a lot of time there, making short trips to the past and cataloguing the things that have taken him there. What neither of them realize is that their activities are being watched, and when an estate agent contacts Rachel, wanting to negotiate a sale of the Antique Shop for a wealthy client, she is concerned that he won't take no for an answer. She is right; David Mills is very persistent, as he can see no good reason why Rachel won't sell.

This audio study guide for Paradise Lost by John Milton includes detailed summary and analysis of each chapter and an in-depth exploration of the book’s multiple symbols, motifs, and themes such as individual freedom and self-determination, the paradox of the pursuit of knowledge, and having the humility to ask for forgiveness. Featured content also includes commentary on major characters, 25 important quotes, essay questions, and discussion topics.

This audio study guide for Animal Farm by George Orwell includes detailed summary and analysis of each chapter and an in-depth exploration of the book’s multiple symbols, motifs, and themes such as how equality can fail in practice and the way revolutions come full circle. Featured content also includes commentary on major characters, 25 important quotes, essay questions, and discussion topics.

This audio study guide for 1984 by George Orwell includes detailed summary and analysis of each chapter and an in-depth exploration of the book’s multiple symbols, motifs, and themes such as the oppressive nature of constant surveillance, totalitarian power as a diminisher of individuality, and the role of propaganda in manipulating emotion and discouraging individuality. Featured content also includes commentary on major characters, 25 important quotes, essay questions, and discussion topics.