Classics

It is Christmas Eve 1932, and the Kluger family are celebrating at home. Their only daughter Lexa is excited about her upcoming summer wedding to Moritz Weissmann, a promising young doctor. Lexa has many admirers, but her heart belongs to Moritz, who is initially welcomed by her parents and two brothers, Helmy and Erich. As the year progresses, Lexa enjoys skiing, swimming and going to parties with Moritz and her friends. But little by little Moritz is excluded from the pool, the library, and eventually his own home.

Guy Montag is a fireman. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the printed book, along with the houses in which they are hidden. Montag never questions the destruction and ruin his actions produce, returning each day to his bland life and wife, Mildred, who spends all day with her television “family.”

Often referred to as the father of science fiction, Victorian author Jules Verne is renowned for his fantastical adventures imagining extraordinary voyages to strange new horizons. Prolific and prophetic, he wrote over 50 novels and numerous short stories, in which he foretold the skyscraper, the submarine, space missions and even the Internet. Featured here are contemporary adaptations of four of his most famous tales, as well as a special episode of The Forum examining the long-lasting appeal of his work.

At Waterloo Station, hopeful new arrivals from the West Indies step off the boat train, ready to start afresh in 1950s London. There, homesick Moses Aloetta, who has already lived in the city for years, meets Henry 'Sir Galahad' Oliver and shows him the ropes. In this strange, cold and foggy city where the natives can be less than friendly at the sight of a black face, has Galahad met his Waterloo? But the irrepressible newcomer cannot be cast down.

A satiric masterpiece about the allure and peril of money, Our Mutual Friend revolves around the inheritance of a dust-heap where the rich throw their trash. When the body of John Harmon, the dust-heap’s expected heir, is found in the Thames, fortunes change hands surprisingly, raising to new heights “Noddy” Boffin, a low-born but kindly clerk who becomes “the Golden Dustman.

Nicholas Nickleby, a young man with a comfortable lifestyle in Devonshire, suddenly finds his life upturned when his father passes away after losing all his money in a poor investment. In the wake of his death, Nicholas, his mother and younger sister are forced to travel to London to seek refuge from their only living relative, but to no avail: Uncle Ralph despises Nicholas at first sight, and has no wish to help his family.

A leak is traced to a small sub-section of the secret service, sparking off the inevitable security checks, tensions and suspicions. The sort of atmosphere, perhaps, where mistakes could be made? For Maurice Castle, it is the end of the line anyway, and time for him to retire to live peacefully with his wife and child. But no-one escapes so easily from the lonely, isolated, neurotic world of the SIS.

In this first volume subtitled ‘The Stories of Jacob', Mann begins with a meditative prelude named “Descent into Hell”, which contextualises the story against a variety of historical, mythological, and historical contexts, before moving on to the story of Joseph's father Jacob. The following chapters follow Jacob as we learn of him stealing his brother's birthright, before fleeing to his uncle Laban and his later marriages to Rachel and Leah.

After rebelling against God, Satan and his followers are cast out of Heaven and descend into Hell. Determined to corrupt humanity, Satan embarks on a mission to tempt Adam and Eve, leading them into sin and the loss of paradise. Paradise Lost explores themes of free will, temptation, and redemption, inviting listeners to reflect on the consequences of disobedience and the eternal struggle between good and evil.

Hailed by The Times as "Hugely entertaining, marvelously light-footed", in celebration of Jane Austen's 250th anniversary, writer/comedian Alison Larkin brings you an audiobook unlike any other. Larkin's award-winning narrations of Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion are followed by Songs from Regency England, Poems, Stories and Plays by a teenage Jane Austen.

Charles John Huffam Dickens (7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime, and by the twentieth century critics and scholars had recognised him as a literary genius. His novels and short stories enjoy lasting popularity. I have been looking on, this evening, at a merry company of children assembled round that pretty German toy, a Christmas Tree.

Arkady Kirsanov is due to move back home after attending university, much to his father’s delight. He also brings with him a close friend, Eugene Barazov, who Arkady’s father warmly receives. But before long, tensions begin to rise in the household: Arkady and Eugene’s philosophies – promoting concepts such as nihilism – are beginning to make Arkady’s father uneasy. Their views are too radical – and they reject the traditional Russian life Arkady’s father so carefully created for himself and the family.

Ce roman plonge le lecteur dans la folie du personnage principal, Goliadkine. Déjà fragile psychologiquement, ce dernier sombre progressivement dans la démence à la suite d'une série d'événements. L'auteur suit de près la dégradation de son état mental, sans jamais l'abandonner. Goliadkine est hanté par la vision constante de son double, qu'il tient pour responsable de tous ses malheurs. Cette obsession le conduit jusqu'à vouloir provoquer en duel cette apparition imaginaire, devenue son cauchemar permanent.

The Schoolboy's Story is a short stories by Charles Dickens. Charles John Huffam Dickens (7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's most memorable fictional characters and is generally regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian period. During his life, his works enjoyed unprecedented fame, and by the twentieth century his literary genius was broadly acknowledged by critics and scholars. His novels and short stories continue to be widely popular.

Charles John Huffam Dickens (7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime, and by the twentieth century critics and scholars had recognized him as a literary genius. His novels and short stories enjoy lasting popularity.

Witty playwright Oscar Wilde is most famous for his 1895 play "The Importance of Being Earnest." The two protagonists use a false identity, Earnest, as a way to escape from unwanted social obligations. However, they encounter difficulties keeping up their personas as their social circles draw closer together. Wilde drew upon what he thought were outrageous social conventions of the Victorian Era and used satire to show the absurdity of its beliefs, like how marriage was more of a boring burden than a joyous commitment.

Dracula by Bram Stoker is a gothic horror classic that tells the chilling tale of Count Dracula, a vampire from Transylvania who travels to England in search of new blood. Through journal entries, letters, and newspaper clippings, the story unfolds as a group of brave individuals, led by Professor Van Helsing, confront the ancient and sinister vampire. With its dark atmosphere, suspenseful plot, and timeless themes of fear and courage, Dracula remains one of the most influential works in the horror genre.

Carleton Myatt meets Coral Musker, a naïve English chorus girl, aboard the Orient Express as it heads across Europe to Constantinople. As their relationship develops, they find themselves caught up in the fates of the other passengers and drawn into a web of espionage, murder and lies.

Shakespeares Komödie versetzt den Zuhörer ins schöne Padua, wo die noch schönere Bianca nur verheiratet wird, wenn ihre aufsässige Schwester Katharina zuerst einen Bräutigam findet. Doch niemand will das "scharfzüng'sche Weib" freien - außer Petruchio, der glaubt, einer Frau nur beizukommen, wenn man sie wie einen Falken abrichtet. Sagt's, tut's, und schafft es mit allerlei Tricks und psychischer Manipulation, Katharina sich ihm gefügig zu machen. David Nathan (Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, u.v.a.) und Simon Jäger (Matt Damon, Heath Ledger u.v.a.

Follow the spirited and self-assured Emma Woodhouse as she navigates matchmaking misadventures, class dynamics, and the gentle unraveling of her own heart. From her misguided attempts to pair her friend Harriet Smith with the wrong suitor to the slow realization of her feelings for Mr. Knightley, this edition retains the sharp humor and emotional insight that have made Emma a literary classic for over two centuries.

At the heart of Dark Romanticism is its brooding, pessimistic tone, its emphasis on the supernatural and the sins of humanity, and its use of iconic symbols and horrifying imagery. The classic Dark Romantic authors (Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville) are represented in the stories and poems in this volume, as well as some authors who are not commonly included in this genre.

Together, these three works exemplify Hemingway's distinctive style and thematic preoccupations, making this collection an essential listen for anyone interested in American literature and the complexities of the human experience.

"The Torrents of Spring" is a novella by Ernest Hemingway, first published in 1926. It serves as a satirical commentary on the literary world and the nature of artistic creation. Set against the backdrop of post-World War I America, the story follows the journey of two main characters, the aspiring writer and the disillusioned author, as they navigate their personal and professional lives.

In this gripping tale of passion, independence, and societal constraints, the young and introspective Robert Moore is caught in the whirlwind of his factory's struggles, while becoming entangled with the fierce and enigmatic Shirley. A strong, unconventional woman with a sharp mind, Shirley challenges the rigid social norms of her time, forcing those around her to confront their own beliefs and desires.

En El Príncipe Feliz, Oscar Wilde narra, de manera sumamente conmovedora, el primer y último intento de un príncipe por ayudar a su pueblo; para ello contará con la ayuda de una intrépida golondrina, y juntos, lo entregarán todo en nombre del amor. El sufrimiento de los hombres y de las mujeres es aún más sorprendente, no hay misterio tan grande como la miseria... Vuela sobre mi ciudad, pequeña golondrina, y dime qué ves allí.