Literature Podcasts

Librivox: Old Wives' Tale, The by Bennett, Arnold show

Librivox: Old Wives' Tale, The by Bennett, ArnoldJoin Now to Follow

The Old Wives' Tale is a novel by Arnold Bennett, first published in 1908. It deals with the lives of two very different sisters, Constance and Sophia Baines, following their stories from their youth, working in their mother's draper's shop, into old age. It is generally regarded as one of Bennett's finest works. It covers a period of about 70 years from roughly 1840 to 1905, and is set in Burslem and Paris. (Summary by Andy)

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Librivox: Leeuw van Vlaenderen of de Slag der Gulden Sporen, De by Conscience, Hendrik show

Librivox: Leeuw van Vlaenderen of de Slag der Gulden Sporen, De by Conscience, HendrikJoin Now to Follow

Een historische roman die zich afspeelt in Vlaanderen rond de Guldensporenslag in 1302. Vlaanderen is in de handen van de Fransen gevallen, en de Vlaamse vorst en zijn oudste zoon (Robrecht van Bethune, oftewel de Leeuw van Vlaenderen) zijn in gevangenschap in Frankrijk. Uit het volk staan echter twee nieuwe leiders op, om het land te helpen bevrijden van het Franse juk. De strijd mondt uit in de Guldensporenslag, 11 juli 1302, waarin een Vlaams leger van voetknechten tegenover een Frans ridderleger komt te staan. Door het verhaal heen loopt de romance van Machteld, de dochter van Robrecht van Bethune, en ridder Adolf van Nieuwland. Conscience wilde zijn Vlaamse landgenoten bewust maken van hun nationale identiteit en eigenwaarde (vlak na de 19e eeuwse onafhankelijkheidstrijd van Belgie). Met het grote success van De Leeuw van Vlaenderen werd Conscience bekend als “de man die zijn volk leerde lezen.” (Samenvatting door Anna Simon) A historic novel about the “Battle of the Golden Spurs”, in 1302 in Flanders, and the events leading up to it. The story is laced with a romance between Machteld, daugher of Robrecht van Bethune (also known as "The Lion of Flanders") and the knight Adolf van Nieuwland. Conscience wanted to make his Flemish fellow-countrymen aware of their national identity and feeling of self-worth (shortly after Belgium gained independence). As a consequence of the huge success of this book, Conscience became known as “the man who taught his people how to read." (Summary by Anna Simon). The story is read in Dutch.

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Librivox: Ghost Story Collection 005 by Various show

Librivox: Ghost Story Collection 005 by VariousJoin Now to Follow

A collection of ten pieces, read by various readers, about the unreal edges of this world in legend and story; tales of love, death and beyond. If just one story prickles the hair on the back of your neck, or prickles your eyelids with the touch of tears, we will have succeeded.

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Librivox: Udvalgte Danske Eventyr 001 by Andersen, Hans Christian show

Librivox: Udvalgte Danske Eventyr 001 by Andersen, Hans ChristianJoin Now to Follow

"H. C. Andersen opfattes af de fleste mennesker først og fremmest som en børnebogsforfatter. Det er samtidig meget typisk for hans eventyr, at fortællingerne også rummer passager, der taler til den voksne læsers forståelse. Derfor kan såvel børn som voksne have glæde af at opleve - eller genopleve - historierne. Samlingen her indeholder både kendte og mindre kendte eventyr og rummer et lille udsnit af H. C. Andersens mangfoldige forfatterskab." Summary by Kristoffer Hunsdahl

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Librivox: Defiant Agents, The by Norton, Andre show

Librivox: Defiant Agents, The by Norton, AndreJoin Now to Follow

Travis Fox and a band of fellow Apache AmerIndians have their racial memories and survival abilities enhanced by the Redax machine and are sent to the planet Topaz, one of the few worlds of the ancient star empire that the US has voyage tapes to. But the Reds have "snooped" the tapes and get there first, and have a nasty surprise waiting for any ship that does not have the proper identification. Travis and some of his fellow Apaches survive the ensuing crash landing...but can they defeat the Reds and win Topaz for themselves? This work is a sequel to both The Time Traders and Galactic Derelict. It is book 3 in the Time Traders series by Andre Norton, which also includes Key Out of Time. (Summary by Paul Williams)

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Librivox: Poems: Series One by Dickinson, Emily show

Librivox: Poems: Series One by Dickinson, EmilyJoin Now to Follow

Renowned poet Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886) wrote many many poems. This collection, "Poems: Series One", presents the first installment of the complete poetic works of Miss Emily Dickinson. It is broken into four parts: Life, Love, Nature, and Time and Eternity. The verses of Emily Dickinson belong emphatically to what Emerson long since called "the Poetry of the Portfolio,"--something produced absolutely without the thought of publication, and solely by way of expression of the writer's own mind. The poetry found here is then entirely honest, and indicative of the authors true feelings. (Summary by Shurtagal and Thomas Wentworth Higginson)

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Librivox: Lost Stradivarius, The by Falkner, John Meade show

Librivox: Lost Stradivarius, The by Falkner, John MeadeJoin Now to Follow

The Lost Stradivarius (1895), by J. Meade Falkner, is a short novel of ghosts and the evil that can be invested in an object, in this case an extremely fine Stradivarius violin. After finding the violin of the title in a hidden compartment in his college rooms, the protagonist, a wealthy young heir, becomes increasingly secretive as well as obsessed by a particular piece of music, which seems to have the power to call up the ghost of its previous owner. Roaming from England to Italy, the story involves family love, lordly depravity, and the tragedy of obsession (Summary by Wikipedia)

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Librivox: Beautiful Joe by Saunders, Marshall show

Librivox: Beautiful Joe by Saunders, MarshallJoin Now to Follow

Beautiful Joe is a real dog, and "Beautiful Joe" is his real name. He belonged during the first part of his life to a cruel master, who mutilated him in the manner described in the story. He was rescued from him, and is now living in a happy home with pleasant surroundings, and enjoys a wide local celebrity. The character of Laura is drawn from life, and to the smallest detail is truthfully depicted. The Morris family has its counterparts in real life, and nearly all of the incidents of the story are founded on fact. (Summary by Marshall Saunders)

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Librivox: Defendant, The by Chesterton, G. K. show

Librivox: Defendant, The by Chesterton, G. K.Join Now to Follow

A collection of reprinted articles on a wide-range of subject, all in the unique style of G. K. Chesterton. Using wit, paradox, and good humor he “defends” a series of seeming harmless things that need no defense, and in so doing he exposes many of the broken assumptions and dogmatic notions of secular humanism and other trends of his age and of ours. (Summary by Ray Clare)

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Librivox: Historische Übersichten by Schiller, Friedrich show

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Historische Übersichten by Friedrich von Schiller (1759 - 1805) Schiller, einer der Weimarer Klassiker, bekannt als Dichter und Dramatiker, gibt in meisterhaftem Deutsch kurze Darstellungen Ueber Völkerwanderung, Kreuzzüge und Mittelalter, Uebersicht des Zustands von Europa zur Zeit des ersten Kreuzzugs (Ein Fragment), Universalhistorische Uebersicht der merkwürdigsten Staatsbegebenheiten zu den Zeiten Kaiser Friedrichs I (nicht beendet). (Zusammenfassung von redaer)

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