Best 100 British Literature Podcasts

CraftLit is a weekly podcast for people who love, read, and curious about classic literature

Dramas for English language learners from BBC World Service. Improve your English with retellings of stories classic and new. Each episode is between 6 and 10 minutes long. more

Fall asleep with the ultimate comfort bedtime stories: the works of Jane Austen! Each episode we'll read a section of Jane Austen's work aloud in a soothing voice, set to relaxation music, to help you get to sleep. more

This timeless novel highlights the abuse and neglect that the orphaned Jane Eyre faced while growing up.This story opens with Jane Eyre being shipped off to be cared for by her uncle Mr. Reed who lived at the Gateshead Hall. Her uncle was always kind to her but his wife, Sarah Reed was anything but. Sarah's son John and Sarah's two daughters also contributed to Jane's torment. Jane was excluded from all family activities and found solace only in her books and dolls.One day John knocked her down and she tried to defend herself. This earned her a traumatic lock up in the room where her uncle died. At one point, she thought that she could see his ghost and this so terrified the poor child that an apothecary had to be called in. The kind man advised Sarah Reed to send Jane off to boarding school and she was subsequently sent to Lowood.Seen through Jane's eyes, Lowood was only marginally better than Gateshead but at least she had friends there. The book will take you way back to the days of bumpy carriage rides and class discrimination. It is also a glimpse into some historical aspects of England centuries ago and the antiquated notions that were held at the time.Charlotte Bronte tells an amazing story about a woman who faces issues of respect in an era when women were not permitted to stand up to society. Eventually Jane finds an employer that supports her but the shadowy and ominous Mr. Rochester, hides a dreadful secret that threatens Jane's happiness. more

From the opening passage itself of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, the reader is drawn into the world of the hero, Pip, who is at that time, seven years old. The author creates an unforgettable atmosphere: the gloom of the graveyard, the melancholy of the orphan boy, the mists rising over the marshes and the terrifying appearance of an escaped convict in chains. Told in first person (one of the only two books that Dickens used this form for, the other being David Copperfield) Great Expectations is a classic coming of age novel, in which we trace the growth and evolution of Pip or Philip Pirrip to give his full name. Pip has lost his parents very early in life and is being brought up by his much older sister and brother-in-law Joe Gargery. His sister is a dominating and shrewish woman, while Joe is an affectionate man. Joe's uncle Mr Pumblechook (another of Dickens' delightfully evocative names) asks Joe to send Pip to the stately mansion Statis House ostensibly to play with the owner Miss Havisham's adopted daughter Estella. This marks the beginning of a life-changing experience for Pip. Miss Havisham is a wealthy eccentric whose twisted agenda is that of taking revenge on the man who jilted her at the altar. Pip is unwittingly drawn into her malevolent schemes. When Pip grows older, Miss Havisham's lawyer Mr Jaggers informs Pip that he has come into a large fortune from an unknown benefactor and that he must move to London and learn to become a 'gentleman.' What follows is a strange and labyrinthine tale of Pip's journey into adulthood. Dickens' wonderful gift for characterization peoples the book with a host of memorable characters and sub-plots. The novel also explores the fears and anxieties of childhood and traces Pip's moral and emotional development and his ambitions as he matures. Estella as the warped creation of a vengeful mind has her own route to traverse. Great Expectations finds Charles Dickens at the peak of his creative powers. The Victorian preoccupation with wealth and social ambition, personal ambition, class distinctions, crime and punishment and how they looked at education and self improvement as a means to rise in society are all vividly portrayed here. There are some delightfully humorous passages throughout the book which add to its flavor and authenticity. As with most of Dickens' work, this is a book to be savored by young and old alike and preferably to be read aloud, as Dickens himself did in his wildly popular public readings. more

Pride and Prejudice is Jane Austen's classic comic romance, in which the five Bennett sisters try to find that most elusive creature: a single man in possession of a large fortune. Sparks fly when sweet, pretty Jane meets their new neighbor, Mr. Bingley, but her sister Elizabeth is most offended by his haughty friend, Mr. Darcy. This is Austen at the height of her powers: the ironic narration, hilariously drawn supporting characters, and romantic suspense make this her most enduringly popular novel. more

A Pride and Prejudice audiobook performed by 27 actors with gorgeous ambient sounds and music to bring the story to life. Presented over 30 beautiful episodes.This dramatised audiobook is produced by the Australian not-for-profit community theatre company, Ballarat National Theatre. 2021 Webby Award Honoree in the 25th Annual Webby Awards (Limited Series Podcast - Scripted Fiction). more

The podcast talks about Jane Austen's Emma.

This classic tale tells of an orphan, Pip, who through a series of strange circumstances first finds a trade as a blacksmith's apprentice and then learns that he has 'great expectations' of a future inheritance from an anonymous benefactor. He soon learns to live the profligate life of a gentleman as he gradually sheds his associations with the gentle souls of his past, Joe and Biddy. He throws his money at improving the prospects of his roommate and friend Herbert and his heart at an 'ice princess' whose heart will never respond. more

Nicholas Nickleby is a young Devonshire man of nineteen, handsome and hot headed, devoted to his sister Kate and his parents. Following the death of Nicholas's father, they find themselves penniless, and travel to London to seek help from his uncle, Ralph Nickleby, a heartless, cunning rogue. He grudgingly finds employment for Nicholas in Dotheby Hall, a school in Yorkshire run by the brutal Mr. and Mrs. Wackford Squeers. Appalled at the condition and treatment of the school children, Nicholas rebels, escaping with Smike, a young man/child who has become devoted to him. Meanwhile back in London, Ralph Nickleby uses his beautiful niece Kate to adorn dinner parties for his disreputable male clientele. He also acquires for her a position as a dressmaker, where she finds herself working under a despotic supervisor.Nicholas, in search of employment, first tutors children of the Kenwigs family. Later he meets the flamboyant Mr.Vincent Crummles, and along with Smike, joins his theatrical troupe, with a band of hilarious actors. Among his many tasks, he creates posters, adapts scripts and acts in many productions. Learning of Kate being in peril, he and Smike leave the troupe to come to her aid. Nicholas then meets with the wonderful Cheeryble brothers who help him start a new life with his family and Smike -- but Smike is captured by Wackford Squeers and returned to Dotheby Hall in Yorkshire. Nicholas goes to the school to rescue Smike, and faces off Mr.Squeers, in an unforgettable scene.In the course of his many adventures, Nicholas falls in love, his sister Kate falls in love, and even the often dotty Mrs. Nickleby is courted by a strange man who flings vegetables to her as tokens of love.Written when Dickens was himself a young man, Nicholas Nickleby is full of twists and turns, and adventures both merry and tragic, with, as always, many unforgettable characters. (Summary by Mil Nicholson) more

The Podcast narrates the story of Jane Austen's Mansfield Park novel.

North and South is a social novel that tries to show the industrial North and its conflicts in the mid-19th century as seen by an outsider, a socially sensitive lady from the South. The story: the heroine, Margaret Hale, is the daughter of a Nonconformist minister who moves to the fictional industrial town of Milton after leaving the Church of England. The town is modeled after Manchester, where Gaskell lived as the wife of a Unitarian minister. The change of lifestyle shocks Margaret, who sympathizes deeply with the poverty of the workers and comes into conflict with John Thornton, the owner of a local mill, also a friend of her father. After an encounter with a group of strikers, in which Margaret attempts to protect Thornton from the violence, he proposes to her, telling her that he is in love with her; she rejects his proposal of marriage, mainly because she sees it as if it were out of obligation for what she had done. Later, he sees her with her fugitive brother, whom he mistakes for another suitor, and this creates further unresolved conflict. Margaret, once she believes she has lost his affection, begins to see him in another light, and eventually they are reunited. (Summary from Wikipedia) more

Great Expectations is written in the first person and is virtually a fictional autobiography of 'Pip' from his childhood, through often painful experiences, to adulthood. It charts his progress as he moves from the Kent marshes - his social status radically changed having gained an unknown benefactor - to busy commercial London. The book is richly populated with a variety of extraordinary characters many of whom, unbeknownst to them, have lives that are inextricably linked to the others. It is all there, love, hate, passion, humour, rejection, duplicity, betrayal, a whole gamut of emotions and human strengths and weaknesses . This is one of Dickens most fascinating, and disturbing novels. (Summary by Peter Keeble) more

Scenes of Clerical Life, which appeared in book form in 1858 (after serial publication in the previous year), was the first published fiction by George Eliot, the pen name for Mary Anne Evans. It consists of three novellas based on the lives of country clergymen and their communities. These characters interest Eliot not for their theology — she had abandoned conventional Christian belief — but for their humanity. In these stories, we find the earliest signs of the narrative voice, the humanism, and the realism that would make George Eliot one of the greatest novelists of the 1800s. (Introduction by Bruce Pirie) more

Watching and reviewing every Jane Austen adaptation ever filmed. Hosted by Sasha Sienna and Jessica Law. Episodes released monthly. Contact us @austentations or email janeaustentations@gmail.com more

The Chancery Court had jurisdiction over all matters of equity, including administration of estates, the guardianship of orphans, and disputed property disbursement. In Dickens' time, some cases could take years to be settled, changing the lives of those involved.Esther Summerson, a young woman raised in a tough and unloving atmosphere, is unexpectedly requested to be a companion to two teenage orphans, Richard Carstone and Ada Clare, for whom the court has appointed as guardian, John Jarndyce. They take up residence at Mr. Jarndyce's home, Bleak House. The story of their lives and fortunes is the main thrust of the novel, and is related at times through the eyes of Esther, whose gentle point of view gives the reader a different and more intimate perspective.Richard is sure his fortune is 'just around the corner' when the case of Jarndyce-v-Jarndyce, of which he and Ada will be beneficiaries, is settled. He tries his hand at a career or two, but he becomes obsessed with hastening the probate of the willed fortune he feels must soon be theirs. Further difficulties arise when he and Ada fall in love, while he, penniless, continues the quest to bring his case to justice.A scriber of legal documents dies, and from his death, questions arise which unearth secrets that the Jarndyce's neighbour, Lady Dedlock, has kept hidden for years. Inspector Bucket enters the case, and begins investigating the disappearance of Lady Dedlock. In the dirt poor part of London comes a young boy called Joe who claims to 'know noffink' but who has witnessed something very important.Several other colorful characters are wound into the story. Nearly insane Miss Flite, who for years has attended court every day, with her little folder of documents, is ever hopeful of a settlement. Mr. Boythorn is a boisterous friend of Jarndyce who has a vendetta with Sir Leicester Dedlock. The Jellyby Family, invariably on the verge of a disaster, is neglected by their Mother who is obsessed with an overseas project. The Smallweed family is mean and avaricious squeezing money from poor clients. Mr. Skimpole is the childlike captivating friend of Mr. Jarndyce who sees no harm in living off everybody else. Mr. Guppy fawns after Esther, and plots to steal documents with his friend Weevle. Mr. Woodcourt is a gentle surgeon and family friend, who becomes a hero.Since the writing of Bleak House, the property laws of England were changed, and disbursements were thenceforth conducted in court with the object of swiftly coming to a settlement for the benefit of inheritors.(Summary by Mil Nicholson) more

A sportsman who doesn't hunt; a poet who doesn't write; a lover with no one to love; all three are devoted to their cheerful and benevolent leader, Mr. Pickwick. Join him and his friends, Winkle, Snodgrass, and Tupman, as they tour the country in search of adventures, knowledge, and stories. Along the way, they have their share of mishaps, and meet plenty of interesting characters, both the good and the not so good. (Mr. Pickwick's dedicated manservant, Sam Weller, is a scene-stealer sure to delight just about everybody.)You may shed a few tears along the way, but usually of the pleasant sort. This is a mostly lighthearted and humorous tale, with a number of subplots woven in, in Dickens' incomparable style.(Introduction by Debra Lynn) more

Dombey and Son is a novel by the Victorian author Charles Dickens. The story concerns Paul Dombey, the wealthy owner of the shipping company of the book's title, whose dream is to have a son to continue his business. The book begins when his son is born, and Dombey's wife dies shortly after giving birth.As with most of Dickens' work, a number of socially significant themes are to be found in this book. In particular the book deals with the then-prevalent common practice of arranged marriages for financial gain. Other themes to be detected within this work include child cruelty (particularly in Dombey's treatment of Florence), familial relationships, and as ever in Dickens, betrayal and deceit and the consequences thereof. (Wikipedia) more

Wilde's literary reputation has survived so much that I think it proof against any exhumation of articles which he or his admirers would have preferred to forget. As a matter of fact, I believe this volume will prove of unusual interest; some of the reviews are curiously prophetic; some are, of course, biassed by prejudice hostile or friendly; others are conceived in the author's wittiest and happiest vein; only a few are colourless. And if, according to Lord Beaconsfield, the verdict of a continental nation may be regarded as that of posterity, Wilde is a much greater force in our literature than even friendly contemporaries ever supposed he would become. It should be remembered, however, that at the time when most of these reviews were written Wilde had published scarcely any of the works by which his name has become famous in Europe, though the protagonist of the æsthetic movement was a well-known figure in Paris and London. more

Pride and Prejudice is a novel by Jane Austen, first published in 1813. The story follows the main character Elizabeth Bennet as she deals with issues of manners, upbringing, morality, education and marriage in the society of the landed gentry of early 19th-century England. Elizabeth is the second of five daughters of a country gentleman, living near the fictional town of Meryton in Hertfordshire, near London.In this reading, Librivox volunteers lend their voices to dramatize Jane Austen's classic and well-loved novel. (Summary by Wikipedia and wildemoose)Cast:Mrs. Bennet: Beth ThomasMr. Bennet: Andy MinterJane Bennet: Elizabeth KlettElizabeth Bennet: Arielle LipshawMary Bennet: Tina DanhCatherine 'Kitty' Bennet: GabrielleCLydia Bennet: BumbleVeeMr. Bingley: John FrickerMr. Darcy: Peter BishopCharlotte Lucas: Laurie Anne WaldenYoung Mr. Lucas: Beth ThomasSir William Lucas: Robert ScheidMiss Caroline Bingley: Liz BenningtonMrs. Hurst: Elizabeth BarrMr. Hurst: Barry EadsMr. Collins: mbMr. Wickham: Algy PugDenny: David RichardsonMrs. Gardiner: TriciaGMr. Gardiner: David LawrenceMaria Lucas: Maria ThereseLady Catherine de Bourgh: Mil NicholsColonel Fitzwilliam: Ric FMrs. Reynolds: EstherMrs. Hill: Nadine Eckert-BouletButler: Barry EadsMrs. Phillips: deboleeNarrator: Debra LynnAudio edited by: Arielle Lipshaw more

Bleak House is the ninth novel by Charles Dickens, published in 20 monthly parts between March 1852 and September 1853. It is widely held to be one of Dickens' finest and most complete novels, containing one of the most vast, complex and engaging arrays of minor characters and sub-plots in his entire canon. Dickens tells all of these both through the narrative of the novel's heroine, Esther Summerson, and as an omniscient narrator. Memorable characters include the menacing lawyer Tulkinghorn, the friendly but depressive John Jarndyce and the childish Harold Skimpole. The plot concerns a long-running legal dispute (Jarndyce and Jarndyce) which has far-reaching consequences for all involved. (Summary from Wikipedia) more

Straight Talking English gives you the context and stories behind secondary school Literature in ordinary language that anyone can enjoy. Come join us for terrible mockney jokes as the wrapping paper for surprisingly rigorous research!Support the show, check out the youtube channel and buy the books which accompany each series at straighttalkingenglish.co.uk! more

When Mr Henry Dashwood dies, with his estate entailed to his son and grandson, his wife and three daughters are left in reduced circumstances. In their new home at Barton Cottage, the two older sisters, Elinor and Marianne, experience both romance and heartache. Will they find true love? (Introduction by Karen Savage) more

Eleven-year-old Jude Fawley, inspired by his teacher Mr. Phillotson, who leaves Marygreen for Christminster to take a university degree, decides to adopt the same course for himself. Raised by his great-aunt, he studies hard with the aid of some old Latin and Greek books sent to him by Phillotson.He trains as a stonemason in order to enable him to support himself when at the university. However when he finally arrives in Christminster he soon finds that a university education is not easily come by for one of his social standing.Meeting and falling in love with his cousin Sue Bridehead his future becomes a series of challenges to his moral, religious and social beliefs.The novel caused quite a stir in late Victorian England due in part to it's depiction of marriage and the role religion played in it. Savagely criticised on publication it led to Hardy turning from novel writing and concentrating for the rest of his career on poetry alone. It's now considered one of Hardy's finest works and is held up as an example of English novel writing at it's best.Summary by T.Hynes. more

Cranford is the best-known novel of the 19th century English writer Elizabeth Gaskell. It was first published in 1851 as a serial in the magazine Household Words, which was edited by Charles Dickens. more

Pride and Prejudice, first published on 28 January 1813, is the most famous of Jane Austen's novels. It is one of the first romantic comedies in the history of the novel and its opening is one of the most famous lines in English literature —'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.' [From Wikipedia]Co-BC - Micah SheppardCataloging - David Lawrence more

The Schlegels frequently encounter the Wilcoxes. The youngest, Helen, is rejected by the younger Wilcox brother, Paul. The eldest, Margaret, becomes friends with his mother Ruth Wilcox. Ruth's most prized personal possession is her family house at Howards End. She wishes that Margaret could live there, as she feels that it might be in good hands with her. Ruth's own husband and children do not value the house and its rich history, because such abstractions, while being very dear to Margaret, are lost to them. As she is terminally ill, and Margaret and her family are about to be evicted from their London home by a developer, Ruth bequeaths the cottage to Margaret in a handwritten note found among her effects when she dies, causing great consternation among the Wilcoxes. Mrs Wilcox's widowed husband Henry and his children burn the note without telling Margaret about her inheritance. However, over the course of several years, Margaret becomes friends with Henry Wilcox and eventually marries him. The more free-spirited Margaret tries to get Henry to open up more, to little effect. Henry's elder son Charles and his wife try to keep Margaret from taking possession of Howards End. (Summary from Wikipedia) more

Like all of Hardy's work, The Return of the Native (1878) is passionate and controversial, with themes and sympathies beyond what a good Victorian would ever admit. A modern and honest novel of chance and choice, faith and infidelities, this dark story asks what is free will and what is fate? What is the true nature of nature, and how do we fit together? Can we fit together?A tragedy set in the barren land of Edgon Heath. Our heroine, Eustacia, is proud, passionate, cruel, fickle, avaricious, and desperate. She burns every life she touches, never able to find the mad love and exotic world she dreams of. Our supposed hero, Clym, is modest, steady, plain, moral, and dutiful. He is satisfied returning from Paris to the simple comfort of home.When they come together, the Heath will come apart.Originally released as five books, in classic tragic form, a sixth, tacking on a 'happy ending', was added by editor and public pressure. (Summary by Marlo Dianne) more

The English Romantic Period in literature featured a towering group of excellent poets: Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley and Keats. If we add in forerunners Burns and Blake, we have perhaps an unmatchable collection of writers for any era. Of these, Percy Bysshe Shelley was one of the brightest and best, coupling a giant intellect with a highly emotional and impetuous nature. He was always a champion of liberty, but was largely ignored when he tried to promote political and social reform. He was wise enough, however, to realize that his efforts were ineffective, and he chose instead, not to attempt to reshape society, but to transform the individual, to inspire his readers to a greater love of beauty, of nature, and especially of each other. To this end, he poured forth a profusion of gorgeous verse overflowing with brilliant imagery, all aimed at uplifting the good and the beautiful, the free and the loving, while denouncing the social forces that tended to suppress them.Unfortunately, it was Shelley's fate to be misunderstood by the people of his own time. He was vilified as an evil influence, a free thinker and free lover whose ideas should be abhorred. He pictured himself in his poetic tribute to Keats, 'Adonais,' as an outcast or a martyr, a 'phantom among men, companionless,' bearing a brand upon his brow like that of Cain or of Christ. His life was unorthodox, but his nature was highly sympathetic and filled with devotion to those who were ground down by life and the pressures of a callous society. Perhaps the greatest testimonial was paid to him in letters written by Lord Byron (who, incidentally, disagreed with his political ideas): '...he is, to my knowledge, the least selfish and the mildest of men--a man who has made more sacrifices of his fortune and feelings for others than any I ever heard of.' 'Shelley...was, without exception, the best and least selfish man I ever knew. I never knew one who was not a beast in comparison.' (Introduction by Leonard Wilson) more

Rob Roy is a historical novel by Walter Scott. It is narrated by Frank Osbaldistone, the son of an English merchant who travels first to the North of England, and subsequently to the Scottish Highlands to collect a debt stolen from his father. On the way he encounters the larger-than-life title character of Rob Roy MacGregor. Though Rob Roy is not the lead character (in fact the narrative does not move to Scotland until half way through the book) his personality and actions are key to the development of the novel. (Summary from Wikipedia) more

William Blake's volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were 'the two contrary states of the human soul,' and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman) more

A Tale of Two Cities (Nederlands: In Londen en Parijs of De Geschiedenis van Twee Steden) is een roman van Charles Dickens, die zich afspeelt in Londen en Parijs ten tijde van de Franse Revolutie. De roman verscheen in wekelijkse afleveringen in het tijdschrift All the Year Round, tussen april en november 1859. more

Named a 'prophet of British imperialism' by the young George Orwell, and born in Bombay, India, Rudyard Kipling had perhaps the clearest contemporary eye of any who described the British Raj. According to critic Douglas Kerr: 'He is still an author who can inspire passionate disagreement and his place in literary and cultural history is far from settled. But as the age of the European empires recedes, he is recognised as an incomparable, if controversial, interpreter of how empire was experienced. That, and an increasing recognition of his extraordinary narrative gifts, make him a force to be reckoned with.' This force shines in THE PLAIN TALES FROM THE HILLS. -- MH . (Introduction by Mike Harris) more

'The Forsyte Saga' is the story of a wealthy London family stretching from the eighteen-eighties until the nineteen-twenties. In Chancery is the second book in the saga. Five years have passed since Irene left Soames and the death of Bosinney. Old Jolyon meets Irene and is enchanted by her. At his death he leaves her a legacy sufficient for her to live an independent life in Paris. Soames, who is desperate for a son, attempts to effect a rapprochement but is rejected by her. Meanwhile Young Jolyon, now a widower who is Irene's trustee, falls in love with her. Soames suspects Young Jolyon and Irene of adultery and sues for divorce. His action is successful. Young Jolyon and Irene marry. She bears him a son, John. Soames remarries. His wife Annette bears him a daughter, Fleur. more

This bittersweet tragicomedy centers on an odd triangle of characters: Basil Ransom, a political conservative from Mississippi; Olive Chancellor, Ransom's cousin and a Boston feminist; and Verena Tarrant, a pretty, young protégée of Olive's in the feminist movement. The storyline concerns the struggle between Ransom and Olive for Verena's allegiance and affection, though the novel also includes a wide panorama of political activists, newspaper people, and quirky eccentrics.(Summary by Wikipedia) more

The Voyage Out is the first novel by Virginia Woolf, published in 1915 by Duckworth; and published in the U.S. in 1920 by Doran. One of Woolf's wittiest social satires.Rachel Vinrace embarks for South America on her father's ship and is launched on a course of self-discovery in a kind of modern mythical voyage. The mismatched jumble of passengers provide Woolf with an opportunity to satirize Edwardian life. The novel introduces Clarissa Dalloway, the central character of Woolf's later novel, Mrs. Dalloway.E. M. Forster described it as '... a strange, tragic, inspired book whose scene is a South America not found on any map and reached by a boat which would not float on any sea, an America whose spiritual boundaries touch Xanadu and Atlantis... It is absolutely unafraid... Here at last is a book which attains unity as surely as Wuthering Heights, though by a different path.' (Introduction from Wikipedia) more

Apart from 'Rip Van Winkle' and 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' - the pieces which made both Irving and The Sketch Book famous - other tales include 'Roscoe', 'The Broken Heart', 'The Art of Book-making', 'A Royal Poet', 'The Spectre Bridegroom', 'Westminster Abbey', 'Little Britain', and 'John Bull'. His stories were highly influenced by German folktales, with 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' being inspired by a folktale recorded by Karl Musäus. Stories range from the maudlin (such as 'The Wife' and 'The Widow and Her Son') to the picaresque ('Little Britain') and the comical ('The Mutability of Literature'), but the common thread running through The Sketch Book — and a key part of its attraction to readers — is the personality of Irving's pseudonymous narrator, Geoffrey Crayon. Erudite, charming, and never one to make himself more interesting than his tales, Crayon holds The Sketch Book together through the sheer power of his personality - and Irving would, for the rest of his life, seamlessly enmesh Crayon's persona with his own public reputation. (Introduction by Wikipedia) more

Lyrical Ballads, with a Few Other Poems is a collection of poems by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, first published in 1798 and generally considered to have marked the beginning of the English Romantic movement in literature. The immediate effect on critics was modest, but it became and remains a landmark, changing the course of English literature and poetry. Most of the poems in the 1798 edition were written by Wordsworth, with Coleridge contributing only four poems to the collection, including one of his most famous works, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. (Additionally, though only the two writers are credited for the works, William's sister Dorothy Wordsworth's diary which held powerful descriptions of everyday surroundings influenced William's poetry immensely.) (Summary by Wikipedia) more

The Rainbow is a 1915 novel by British author D.H. Lawrence. It follows three generations of the Brangwen family, particularly focusing on the sexual dynamics of, and relations between, the characters. (Summary from Wikipedia) more

Shakespeare's Sonnets analysed for listeners of all levels. In this podcast, I will be analysing Shakespeare's Sonnets as a part of a fundraising campaign to create a graphic novel adaptation based on the original 1609 Quarto edition and virtually uncontaminated by contemporary theory. Please sign up at www.patreon.com/fisherking to support this project and gain access to exclusive content! more

Virginia Woolf is one of the most influential and controversial feminine figures in the literary life of the London society. Night and Day is one of her first novels published in 1919 which displays the moral and spiritual issues that people confront. The author herself was an emotionally unstable person, her episodes of mental illness and suicidal depression being recurrent and always brought into the public attention.The novel revolves around the life of the main character, Katherine Hilbery, a superb girl, free spirited and living in her twenties. Being the only child of a traditional English family, Katherine spends her time surrounded by intellectual ideas, literature, and family duties. The young lady is pursued by two gentlemen, William Rodney and Ralph Denham. The first one sees Katherine as the perfect image of womanhood, a strong feminine figure delimited by strong moral laws. Ralph is different; he is the idealistic kind of person who falls in love with her at a first sight. He is loved, at his turn, by Mary, but Woolf decides to make the narration even more exciting by introducing a new feminine figure, Katherine's cousin, Cassandra. Virginia Woolf depicts the gender difference by creating female figures like Katherine who consider themselves strong enough to have an independent life. These ladies delay marriage because they follow their own interest, and they see the full satisfaction in the work they do. This novel will hold your attention with the conflict played out between traditional roles and the emerging modern view of Women. more

The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, normally known simply as Doctor Faustus, is a play by Christopher Marlowe, based on the Faust story, in which a man sells his soul to the devil for power and knowledge. Doctor Faustus was first published in 1604, eleven years after Marlowe's death and at least twelve years after the first performance of the play. (Summary by Wikipedia)Cast:Chorus: Martin GeesonGood Angel: AvailleEvil Angel/Cardinal/Third Scholar: Denny SayersDoctor Faustus/Vintner/First Friar/Covetousness/Gluttony: Algy PugMephistophilis/Knight/First Scholar/Envy/Narrator: Elizabeth KlettLucifer: CalmDragonWagner: Arielle LipshawValdes/Clown/Third Friar: Nadine Eckert-BouletCornelius: RainerThe Pope: John SteigerwaldEmperor: Sean RandallHorse-courser: Frank BookerRobin: Jason MillsRalph/Second Scholar/Wrath: Sandra GSecond Friar/Old Man: David LawrenceFourth Friar/Duke of Vanholt: Lars RolanderDuchess of Vanholt: Musicalheart1Pride: Mary-Beth BlackburnSloth: Diana MajlingerLechery: Lucy PerryAudio edited by: Elizabeth Klett more

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is a novella by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, first published in 1886. London lawyer Utterson is driven to investigate Edward Hyde, the unlikely protégé of his friend Dr Henry Jekyll, suspecting the relationship to be founded on blackmail. The truth is worse than he could have imagined. Jekyll's 'full statement of the case', the final chapter of the book, explores the idea of dual personality that led him to his experiments, and his inexorable and finally fatal descent into evil.(Summary by David Barnes) more

Wayne talks about the bio he's written about 18th-century English writer Samuel Johnson, My Sam Johnson: A Biography for General Readers, to be published in fall 2023. More info at MySamJohnson.com. more

Crome Yellow, published in 1921 was Aldous Huxley's first novel. In it he satirizes the fads and fashions of the time. It is the witty story of a house party at 'Crome' where there is a gathering of bright young things. We hear some of the history of the house from Henry Wimbush, its owner and self appointed historian; Apocalypse is prophesied, virginity is lost, and inspirational aphorisms are gained in a trance. Our hero, Denis, tries to capture it all in poetry and is disappointed in love.The author, Aldous Huxley, was born in 1894 and began writing poetry and short stories in his early twenties; this was his first novel and established his literary reputation. (Summary by Martin Clifton) more

After the turmoil and uncertainty of Henry IV a new era appears to dawn for England with the accession of the eponymous Henry V. In this sunny pageant Chorus guides us along Henry's glittering carpet ride of success as the new king completes his transformation from rebellious wastrel to a truly regal potentate. Of course, there is an underlying feeling that the good times won't last, and this is all the more reason to enjoy the Indian summer before the protracted and bitter fall of the house of Lancaster. (Introduction by Algy Pug)Cast:Alice: Caroline SophieArchbishop of Canterbury: Sean RandallBardolph: John FrickerBates: David LawrenceBishop of Ely: Algy PugBoy: AldorChorus: Elizabeth KlettConstable of France: Lars RolanderCourt: Dale BurgessDuke of Bedford: Dale BurgessDuke of Bourbon: Algy PugDuke of Burgundy: Algy PugDuke of Exeter: David GoldfarbDuke of Gloucester: Tadhg HynesDuke of Orleans: Ric FDuke of York: Algy PugEarl of Cambridge: Algy PugEarl of Salisbury: Algy PugEarl of Warwick: Algy PugEarl of Westmoreland: Timothy FergusonFirst Ambassador: Dale BurgessFluellen: Martin GeesonFrench soldier: Nadine Eckert-BouletGovernor of Harfleur: Dale BurgessGower: Bruce PirieGrandpre: Dale BurgessHenry V: Arielle LipshawHerald: Maria ThereseHostess Quickly: Elizabeth KlettJamy: lennichKatharine: ezwaKing of France: Paul AdamsLewis the Dauphin: Nadine Eckert-BouletLord Scroop: Bruce PirieMacmorris: Tadhg HynesMessenger: Elizabeth KlettMontjoy: Amy GramourNym: Sandra GPistol: Algy PugQueen Isabel: KalyndaRambures: Elizabeth KlettSir Thomas Erpingham: Dale BurgessSir Thomas Grey: Dale BurgessWilliams: Ty UnglebowerNarrator: Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by: Elizabeth Klett more

When Lucy Honeychurch travels to Italy with her cousin, she meets George Emerson, a bohemian and an atheist who falls in love with her. Upon her return to England, she is forced to choose between free-spirited George and her more conventional fiancé, Cecil Vyse. The story is both a romance and a critique of English society at the beginning of the 20th century. (Summary from Wikipedia) more

A classic of early literary modernism, Lord Jim tells the story of a young 'simple and sensitive character' who loses his honor in a display of cowardice at sea -- and of his expiation of that sin against his own 'shadowy ideal of conduct' on the remote island of Patusan. The novel, written by Conrad for magazine serialization during an intense and chaotic ten months in 1899 and 1900, has, in the words of Thomas C. Moser, 'the rare distinction of being a masterpiece in two separate genres. It is at once an exotic adventure story of the Eastern seas in the popular tradition of Kipling and Stevenson and a complexly wrought 'art novel' in the tradition of Flaubert and James. (summary by Stewart Wills) more

The necessity of a work on Snobs, demonstrated from History, and proved by felicitous illustrations:—I am the individual destined to write that work—My vocation is announced in terms of great eloquence—I show that the world has been gradually preparing itself for the WORK and the MAN—Snobs are to be studied like other objects of Natural Science, and are a part of the Beautiful (with a large B). They pervade all classes—Affecting instance of Colonel Snobley. (Summary excerpted from Prefatory Remarks from the book by W. M. Thackeray) more

Edith Nesbit's classic story, in which three children, pulled suddenly from their comfortable suburban life, move to the country with their mother, where they come to know and love the ways of the railways. (Summary by Karen Savage) more

Round the Sofa (1859), is a book of stories by the lady that Charles Dickens called his 'dear Scheherazade' due to her skill as a story teller. That Lady was Mrs. Elizabeth Gaskell (North and South, Wives and Daughters, Cranford etc.). Mrs. Gaskell begins with Round the Sofa, a short story which she uses as a device to stitch together six previously published stories into a single work. It introduces us to a set of characters who take turns to recount stories to one another during their weekly soirée. My Lady Ludlow tells the story of the widowed, aristocratic Lady Ludlow and her fierce resistance to change. It is told through the eyes of one of her young charges. Incidentally, it was one of the books used to create the TV series Cranford. An Accursed Race is actually an essay about a persecuted minority group, the Cagots in Western France. The Doom of the Griffiths. A Gothic short story about a cursed family and set in Wales. Half a Life-Time Ago. A novella set in the Wiltshire Dales. The Poor Clare. A Ghostly short story! The Half Brothers. A sad short story about brotherly love and a sheep-dog dog named Lassie! (Summary by Noel Badrian) more

Written around the middle of his career, Much Ado About Nothing is one of Shakespeare's great festive comedies. The men are back from the war, and everyone is ready for romance. The dashing young Claudio falls for Hero, the daughter of Leonato, governor of Messina, and his friend Don Pedro helps him secure her affection. These youthful lovers are contrasted with the more experienced (and more cynical) Benedick and Beatrice, who have to be tricked into falling in love. Don Pedro's bastard brother, Don John, provides the intrigue, and the dimwitted constable Dogberry provides the laughs. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)Cast:Don Pedro: JaniceDon John: Christie NowakClaudio: Lizzie DriverBenedick: Elizabeth KlettLeonato: StephenCAntonio: CalibanBalthazar: David O'ConnellBorachio: Troy BondConrade: James PritchardDogberry: Rosalind WillsVerges: Lamarr GulleyFriar Francis: SharontzuSexton: AleithiaBoy: Arielle LipshawHero: Karen SavageBeatrice: Kristin HughesMargaret: Gates MaruUrsula: Sibella DentonMessenger: Josh WilsonFirst Watch: Graham DaileySecond Watch: CalibanA Lord:Gilles LehouxNarrator: Laurie Anne WaldenAudio edited by: Elizabeth Klett more

More than eight years before the novel opens, Anne Elliot, then a lovely, thoughtful, warm-hearted 19 year old, accepted a proposal of marriage from the handsome young naval officer Frederick Wentworth. He was clever, confident, and ambitious, but poor and with no particular family connections to recommend him. Sir Walter, Anne's fatuous, snobbish father and her equally self-involved older sister Elizabeth were dissatisfied with her choice, maintaining that he was no match for an Elliot of Kellynch Hall, the family estate. Her older friend and mentor, Lady Russell, acting in place of Anne's late mother, persuaded her to break the engagement. Now 27 and still unmarried, Anne re-encounters her former love when his sister and brother-in-law, the Crofts, take out a lease on Kellynch. Wentworth is now a captain and wealthy from maritime victories in the Napoleonic wars. However, he has not forgiven Anne for rejecting him. While publicly declaring that he is ready to marry any suitable young woman who catches his fancy, he privately resolves that he is ready to become attached to any appealing young woman except for Anne Elliot. (Summary by Wikipedia)Cast ListNarrator: Bob NeufeldSir Walter Elliot: Algy PugLady Russell: Libby GohnMr. Shepherd / Mr. Musgrove: ToddHWMrs. Clay: Michele EatonSir Basil: Richard FridayAnne Elliot: Elizabeth BarrMary Musgrove: Amanda FridayElizabeth Elliot: Eden Rea-HedrickMrs. Musgrove: Maria KasperCharles Musgrove: Jason MillsHenrietta Musgrove: TriciaGLouisa Musgrove: Charlotte DuckettCaptain Frederick Wentworth: Max KörlingeMrs. Croft: Frances BrownAdmiral Croft: Larry WilsonCharles Hayter: Bill MosleyInnkeeper / Sir William Elliot: Beth ThomasWaiter / First Lady: Elizabeth KlettCaptain Harville: mbMrs. Harville: WoollyBeeLady Dalrymple: Katalina WattMrs. Smith: LovedaySecond Lady: Kristin GjerløwThird Lady: MaryankaEdited by Michele Eaton more

Persuasion is the last completed novel by Jane Austen and it was published posthumously in 1818. Readers have often connected Persuasion with Northanger Abbey as the setting of both stories is in Bath, a highly fashionable health resort with which the author was well acquainted. Another interesting point to note is that the title of 'Persuasion' was probably not envisioned by Jane but by her brother or sister. Another theory is that her two siblings had a great role in choosing the title of the story. Persuasion opens with a brief spotlight on the Elliot family. The reader gets to know that the Elliots are a well-respected family who are landowners. Lady Elliot died a long time ago leaving behind her three daughters - Anne, Elizabeth & Mary (married). Due to mounting debts, Sir Walter decided to move to a house in Bath with far less comforts. They were lucky to find tenants for their home as Admiral & Mrs. Croft were well-mannered people from the Navy. Anne is very excited to see Mrs. Croft as she is the sister of the man whom she loves dearly. But to understand the situation we need to go back 8 years when he she was happy to be betrothed to Frederick Wentworth, a naval officer. However, Anne broke off the engagement when she was persuaded to think that the match was unworthy by the widow Lady Russell, her mother's friend. Anne felt deep regret as a result of this decision and Wentworth too was bitter after seeing the unwanted interference of Lady Russell and the lack of fortitude on the part of Anne. Wentworth has now returned from the sea as a rich and successful captain and finds that Anne and her family are on the verge of a financial breakdown. He is also intrigued by the fact that his own sister is actually a tenant in the Elliot estate - Kellynch Hall. The tension of the story revolves around one pertinent question - will Wentworth be re-united in love? Readers of Persuasion will realize that even in her final work, Jane Austen has successfully managed to implement her skill for delicate observations on various social customs, love, marriage and the much touted English morals and manners. more

When the absent-minded Earl of Emsworth wanders off with the pride of his scarab collection, American millionaire J. Preston Peters is willing to pay $5000 to the person who can get it back for him. Discretion is necessary since Peters' daughter is engaged to Emsworth's son. Joan Valentine and Ashe Marson both decide to go after the reward—she as Aline Peter's ladies maid, and he as Mr. Peter's valet—and they all end up at Blandings Castle. But is it possible for anyone to steal back the scarab with The Efficient Baxter ever vigilant? This is, IMHO, one of Wodehouse's funniest novels. Debra Lynn more

Billed as a satire concerning the dishonest advertising and business practices of the day, it tells the tale of an upstart clothing business doomed from the get-go to utter failure. Its senior partner (the elderly Brown, who provides the investment) is far too timid for business. His son-in-law (Jones, who runs the store) is stealing from the till, and the junior partner, Robinson (who writes advertisements for the store) is so obsessed with the idea that advertising alone will drive the business, he uses up every last penny of the capital investment in a series of increasingly ludicrous ad campaigns and publicity stunts.Thrown into this mix are the two daughters of Brown, who are equally cold and calculating. The elder (married to Jones) is constantly trying to wring money out of the old man, and the younger, Maryanne, spends the entire novel playing off of two potential suitors, Robinson, or Brisket the butcher (one of Trollope's wonderful examples of ironic character naming). (above summary by Steve Forsyth, Texas) Nevertheless, Trollope shows considerable sympathy for the risks faced by small businessmen (and also notes the vulnerability of writers to over-ready critics); Robinson is to publish his experiences in the Cornhill Magazine, a prominent journal for over 100 years, in which many Victorians serialized novels (including this one). In the final chapter there is a surprising ennoblement of Robinson, and a very positive ending (final comments by Arnold Banner) more

LibriVox volunteers bring you 23 different recordings of Sonnet 43 by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. This was the weekly poetry project for the week of February 4th, 2007. more

Silas Marner (originally published in 1861): Betrayed by a beloved friend and accused of a crime he didn't commit, awkward Silas Marner is expelled from his beloved religious community — the only community he has ever known. He exiles himself in the remote village of Raveloe. Friendless and without family, set apart from the villagers by their superstition and fear of him, he plies his weaving trade day after day, storing up gold which becomes his idol. When his gold is stolen, he is rescued from despair by the arrival on his lonely hearth of a beautiful little girl, whom he adopts, and through whom he and the other people of the village learn that loving relationships are more fulfilling than material wealth. (Summary by rachelellen) more

The recently widowed Adela Gereth, a lover of beauty and passionate collector of fine objects, strikes up a friendship with the young Fleda Vetch, when both of them find themselves guests in the tasteless house of Brigstock family. Mrs. Gereth fears that her son Owen, an honorable but somewhat unimaginative young man, may take up with one of the Brigstock girls, and indeed he presently announces his engagement to Mona, the eldest daughter. That means that Mrs. Gereth will have to leave Poynton, the beautiful house that she and her husband filled with the furniture, china, tapestries, and other objects that they lovingly collected over the years. It is not so much possessiveness that drives Mrs. Gereth to want to maintain control over them (or so she claims, at any rate), but rather the sense that she will have failed if Mona, understanding and appreciating nothing of what Poynton contains, should become Owen's wife and take charge. The story and its developing conflicts are seen largely from the point of view of Fleda Vetch, the young woman who, her moral and aesthetic sensibilities tuned perhaps as finely as any of James's protagonists, finds herself caught in the middle.(Summary by Nicholas Clifford) more

Robin Hood is the archetypal English folk hero; a courteous, pious and swashbuckling outlaw of the mediæval era who, in modern versions of the legend, is famous for robbing the rich to feed the poor and fighting against injustice and tyranny. He operates with his 'seven score' (140 strong) group of fellow outlawed yeomen named the Merry Men. He and his band are usually associated with Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire.The Victorian era generated its own distinct versions of Robin Hood. The traditional tales were often adapted for children, most notably in Howard Pyle's Merry Adventures of Robin Hood. These versions firmly stamp Robin as a staunch philanthropist, a man who takes from the rich to give to the poor.(Summary from Wikipedia) more

LibriVox readers present the third collection of monologues from Shakespeare's plays. Containing 20 parts. - William Shakespeare (April 26, 1564 April 23, 1616) remains widely to be considered the single greatest playwright of all time. He wrote in such a variety of genres - tragedy, comedy, romance, &c - that there is always at least one monologue in each of his plays. Some of these teach a lesson, some simply characterize Shakespeare at his best, some are funny, some sad, but all are very moving. Each monologue will touch everybody differently. Some people will be so moved by a particular monologue that they will want to record it. (Summary by Shurtagal). more

LibriVox readers present the fifth collection of monologues from Shakespeare's plays. Containing 20 parts. William Shakespeare (April 26, 1564 April 23, 1616) remains widely to be considered the single greatest playwright of all time. He wrote in such a variety of genres - tragedy, comedy, romance, &c - that there is always at least one monologue in each of his plays. Some of these teach a lesson, some simply characterize Shakespeare at his best, some are funny, some sad, but all are very moving. Each monologue will touch everybody differently. Some people will be so moved by a particular monologue that they will want to record it. (summary by Shurtagal) more

The Charles Dickens 200th Anniversary Collection comprises short works previously unrecorded for LibriVox - fiction, essays, poetry, letters, magazine articles and speeches - and each volume will be a potpourri of all genres and periods of his writing. This first volume was released on Dickens' 200th birthday, February 7th 2012 and further volumes followed during the anniversary year.Volume 1 includes short stories including, amongst others, The Holly Tree, the first part of Holiday Romance and three pieces from Mugby Junction.Some items requiring a little further explanation are Prince Bull, written as a fairy tale, but in reality a scathing attack on the Government's handling of supplies to the troops in the Crimean War; Old Lamps for New Ones in which Dickens makes clear his low opinion of the ethos of the Pre-Raphaelite school of painting; and Frauds on the Fairies, a polemic against George Cruikshank's bowdlerisation of fairy tales for moralistic purposes, and the interesting revelation that 'product placement' is by no means a new phenomenon. (Introduction by Ruth Golding) more

2012 was the 200th anniversary of Dickens' birth. This is the fourth volume; the first volume of short works - fiction, essays, poetry and speeches, previously unrecorded for LibriVox, was catalogued by Dickens' birthday on February 7th 2012. Further volumes were added during the anniversary year. (Summary by Ruth Golding) more

LibriVox readers present the tenth collection of monologues from Shakespeare's plays. Containing 20 parts. William Shakespeare (April 26, 1564 April 23, 1616) remains widely to be considered the single greatest playwright of all time. He wrote in such a variety of genres tragedy, comedy, romance, &c that there is always at least one monologue in each of his plays. Some of these teach a lesson, some simply characterize Shakespeare at his best, some are funny, some sad, but all are very moving. Each monologue will touch everybody differently. Some people will be so moved by a particular monologue that they will want to record it. (Summary by Shurtagal) In a departure from previous collections we are including versions from the many languages to which his works have been translated. more

2012 was the 200th anniversary of Dickens' birth. This is the fifth and last volume; the first volume of short works - fiction, essays, poetry and speeches, previously unrecorded for LibriVox, was catalogued by Dickens' birthday on February 7th 2012, and further volumes followed throughout the anniversary year. (Summary by Ruth Golding) more

This personal anthology is my choice of speeches from Shakespeare that I enjoy reading (that I would like to have had by heart years ago!) and that seem to me to illustrate his unsurpassed use of language. He was a man who seemed to know everything about human nature and as Orson Welles said 'he speaks to everyone and we all claim him'. I know that it has been said that 'it is impossible to be a great Shakespearian actor without an idiosyncratic and extraordinary voice' and this may be so, but that does not preclude ordinary mortals from reading, hearing and enjoying Shakespeare. (Summary by Martin Clifton) more

This year is the 200th anniversary of Dickens' birth. This is the second volume; the first volume of short works - fiction, essays, poetry and speeches, previously unrecorded for LibriVox, was catalogued on Dickens' birthday, February 7th 2012, and further volumes followed during the anniversary year. (Summary by Ruth Golding) more

Cranford is set in a small market town populated largely by a number of respectable ladies. It tells of their secrets and foibles, their gossip and their romances as they face the challenges of dealing with new inhabitants to their society and innovations to their settled existence. It was first published between 1851 and 1853 as episodes in Charles Dickens' Journal Household Words. Appended to this recording is a short sequel, The Cage at Cranford, written ten years later and published in the journal All the Year Round. In a letter to Mrs. Gaskell, Charlotte Bronte wrote: 'Thank you for your letter, it was as pleasant as a quiet chat, as welcome as spring showers, as reviving as a friend's visit; in short, it was very like a page of Cranford.'... Cranford is a genteel and humorous look at Victorian society by Elizabeth Gaskell, and is quite a change from her more gritty novels like Mary Barton or North and South. (Summary by Noel Badrian) more

Daniel Defoe's The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe of York, Mariner (1719) is considered by many the first English novel. Based on the real-life experiences of the castaway Alexander Selkirk, the book has had a perennial appeal among readers of all ages- especially the young adult reading public -who continue to find inspiration in the inventive resourcefulness of its hero, sole survivor of a shipwreck who is marooned on an uninhabited island. Especially poignant, after more than two decades of unbroken solitude, is the affection that Robinson develops for Friday, another survivor fleeing certain death at the hands of enemy tribesmen from the South American continent. (Summary by Denny Sayers) more

'Who ever lov'd, that lov'd not at first sight?'The wonder-decade of the English drama was suddenly interrupted in 1592, when serious plague broke out in London, forcing the closure of the theatres. Leading playwrights took to penning languorously erotic poetry to make ends meet: so we have Venus and Adonis, The Rape of Lucrece - and Marlowe's blazing masterpiece, Hero and Leander.Marlowe's poem became more notorious than either of Shakespeare's, due not only to its homophile provocations but also to the scandal attaching to every aspect of Marlowe's brief life, violently ended in a mysterious brawl, leaving the poem in an unfinished state.The edition read here includes the wonderful continuation by George Chapman, a versatile playwright: tragedian as well as author of Jonsonian metropolitan comedies: in short, an all-round literary craftsman, whose Homer translation was famously admired by Keats. Chapman excels in extended allegory, but also in pithiest epigram 'Love is a golden bubble, full of dreams,That waking breaks, and fills us with extremes.'All these playwrights come from the generation of grammar-school alumni raised on the secular curriculum of Latin poetry: above all, Ovid the source of the story of Hero and Leander, and their 'love-death' in the Hellespont.(Summary by Martin Geeson) more

Cymbeline is one of Shakespeare's late romances, which (like The Tempest and The Winter's Tale) combines comedy and tragedy. Imogen, the daughter of King Cymbeline of Britain, angers her father when she marries Posthumus, a worthy but penniless gentleman. The King banishes Posthumus, who goes to Rome, where he falls prey to the machinations of Iachimo, who tries to convince him that Imogen will be unfaithful. Meanwhile, the Queen (Imogen's stepmother) plots against her stepdaughter by trying to plan a match between Imogen and her worthless son Cloten. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)Cast:Arviragus: om123Attendant and First Gaoler: Bill MosleyBelarius: Algy PugCaius Lucius: Mark F. SmithCloten: mbCornelius: Amy GramourCymbeline: Bruce PirieFirst British Captain and Messenger: Elizabeth KlettFirst Brother: John FrickerFirst Gentleman and First Senator: Algy PugFirst Lady: rashadaFirst Lord: rfFirst Tribune and Roman Captain: Bill MosleyFrenchman and Soothsayer: Timothy FergusonGuiderius: Denny SayersIachimo: John FrickerImogen: Elizabeth KlettJupiter: Elizabeth KlettMother: SweetlilbirdyPhilario: RakenPisanio: Matthew ReecePosthumus Leonatus: David GoldfarbQueen: Arielle LipshawSecond British Captain, Second Gentleman, and Second Senator: John FrickerSecond Brother, Second Lord, and Second Gaoler: Arielle LipshawSicilius Leonatus: Jason BortlesNarrator: David LawrenceAudio edited by: mb more

LibriVox volunteers bring you seventeen different readings of Shakespeare's Sonnet 130. This sonnet offers a look into the Elizabethan ideal of womanly beauty, then turns it on its head with wry realism. Then as now, real beauty is inside. This was the weekly poetry project for the week of March 5, 2006.(Summary by Fox in the Stars) more

A Christmas Carol (full title: A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a Ghost Story of Christmas) is A Christmas Carol is a Victorian morality tale of an old and bitter miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, who undergoes a profound experience of redemption over the course of one evening. (Wikipedia) more

Much Ado About Nothing is generally considered one of Shakespeare's best comedies, because it combines elements of robust hilarity with more serious meditations on honor, shame, and court politics. Much Ado About Nothing chronicles two pairs of lovers: Benedick and Beatrice (the main couple), and Claudio and Hero (the secondary couple). Benedick and Beatrice are engaged in a very 'merry war'; they are both very witty and proclaim their disdain of love. In contrast, Claudio and Hero are sweet young people who are rendered practically speechless by their love for one another. Although the young lovers Hero and Claudio provide the main impetus for the plot, the courtship between the wittier, wiser lovers Benedick and Beatrice is what makes Much Ado About Nothing so memorable. Benedick and Beatrice argue with delightful wit, and Shakespeare develops their journey from antagonism to sincere love and affection with a rich sense of humor and compassion. (Summary by Wikipedia) CastLeonato: Bob NeufeldMessenger: Ernst PattynamaBeatrice/Boy/Second Watch: Elizabeth KlettHero: Amanda FridayDon Pedro: Bruce PirieBenedick: mbDon John: Eden Rea-HedrickClaudio: Beth ThomasAntonio: Larry WilsonConrade: Brett DowneyBorachio: Chris CartwrightBalthazar: James SilversteinMargaret: Arielle LipshawUrsula: Sarah ParshallDogberry: Alan MapstoneVerges: Charlotte DuckettFirst Watchman: rookieblueFriar Francis: balaSexton/Lord: ToddNarrator: Libby GohnAudio edited by mb and gloriana more

William Shakespeare's most well-known play is more than most people realize. While it is the story of star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, it is also the story of two families in the middle of a bitter feud. Many people avoid the story because they believe it will be too difficult to read, but this is not true at all. Within a few paragraphs, the play captures your imagination and attention.Juliet is 13 years old and is love with the son of her father's enemy. Her father has promised that she will marry another boy when it is time, but she refuses to accept the suit. One night, Romeo sneaks into a ball in Juliet's home (in hopes of seeing a girl he is in love with) when he overhears Juliet speaking of her love for him. He steps out of the shadows and they decide to marry. They are married the next day in secret.It is discovered that Romeo snuck into the ball and Juliet's cousin is angry and challenges him to a duel. When Romeo refuses to fight, a man is killed and Romeo is banished from the country. Juliet is thrown into a depression and her father decides she needs to get married right away. However, the Friar who helped Juliet marry Romeo comes up with a plan to get Romeo back and to unite the families. The plan unravels quickly, though.The story of Romeo and Juliet has everything that a reader could want. Like many of Shakespeare's works, it has comedy and tragedy, but it also has love, family, duals, good and evil. Do not pick up the book assuming that knowing about the tragedy will ruin the story. The tale of how both families got to this point is one that will not soon be forgotten. The lessons of love and forgiveness are ones that are just as important more than 400 years after the play was written. more

These online audio resources consist of lectures and interviews on Bernard Shaw by renowned Shaw scholars. The plays covered include Pygmalion, Heartbreak House, Major Barbara, Man and Superman, Caesar and Cleopatra, and many more. Featured scholars will include Professor Stanley Weintraub, Professor Sally Peters, Professor Leonard Conolly, Professor Richard Dietrich and Professor Michael O'Hara. more

Join Lisa VanDamme as she guides you through Silas Marner by George Eliot.Recommended Book Url: https://readwithme.app.link/MyF7NaGLEjbDescriptionSilas Marner is the story of a man who, having had his spirit broken by acruel injustice, retreats from society and lives the solitary life of a village weaver whoseonly pleasure is his ever-growing store of gold. This barren life of monotonous routine,reclusive loneliness, and soulless hoarding is all he knows, until, one day, somethinghappens that changes it…for good.Why Lisa loves this bookThis book took me entirely by surprise. It had been recommended by atrusted friend, so one winter break I listened to it on audiobook during my daily walks.And at certain points, anyone who passed me on my walks would have seen tearsstreaming down my face. It is a deceptively quaint and simple story set in thecountryside of 19 th century England that is densely packed with insights into the humansoul and when all is said and done devastatingly sweet.To learn more about Read With Me visit https://readwithmesalon.com more

LibriVox volunteers bring you seven different readings of the short poem Song by John Donne, a weekly poetry project. Song is a bitter little poem on the falsity of women: search the world for ages, see mythical wonders, but you'll not find a true woman. Deep hurt is the bane of the loving heart. (Summary by Peter Yearsley) more

These podcasts are for students of English language and literature.

LibriVox volunteers bring you 6 different recordings of The Lie by Sir Walter Raleigh.

William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice was probably written between 1596 and 1598, and was printed with the comedies in the First Folio of 1623. Bassanio, an impoverished gentleman, uses the credit of his friend, the merchant Antonio, to borrow money from a wealthy Jew, Shylock. Antonio pledges to pay Shylock a pound of flesh if he defaults on the loan, which Bassanio will use to woo a rich heiress, Portia. A subplot concerns the elopement of Shylock's daughter Jessica with a Christian, Bassanio's friend Lorenzo. In its focus on love and marriage, the play shares certain concerns with Shakespeare's other comedies. Yet its depiction of the tensions between Jews and Christians in early modern Venice - and its highly dramatic trial scene in Act 4 - create darker currents in the play. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)Cast:Duke of Venice: Filippo GioachinPrince of Morocco: Mark F. SmithPrince of Arragon: David NicolAntonio: David O'ConnellBassanio: mbSalanio: Rosalind WillsSalarino: Laurie Anne WaldenGratiano: David LeesonLorenzo: Aaron ElliottShylock: etkTubal: Carolyn FrancesLauncelot Gobbo: L. Lambert LawsonOld Gobbo: David LawrenceLeonardo: Laurie Anne WaldenBalthasar: David LawrenceStephano: Lucy PerryPortia: Arielle LipshawNerissa: Megan KunkelJessica: Elizabeth KlettClerk in court: Ernst PattynamaPortia's servant: Joshua B. ChristensenNarrator: Dennis Sayers more

Richard III is an early history play probably written and performed around 1592-93. It is the culmination of Shakespeare's earlier three plays about Henry VI, and chronicles the bloody career of Richard, Duke of Gloucester. As the play opens, the Wars of the Roses are over, King Edward IV (Richard's brother) is on the throne, and all is ostensibly well. The problem? Richard wants to be king - and he'll stop at nothing to realize his ambition. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)Cast:King Edward IV: David ColeEdward, Prince of Wales: Sandra GRichard, Duke of York: Tricia GGeorge, Duke of Clarence: Bob ShermanRichard, Duke of Gloucester: David NicolSon of Clarence: Nadine Eckert-BouletHenry, Earl of Richmond; Lord Mayor of London: Mark F. SmithCardinal Bourchier; Sir James Blunt: NullifidianArchbishop of York; Daughter of Clarence; Page: AvailleDuke of Buckingham: mbDuke of Norfolk: Bruce PirieEarl of Surrey: Lucy PerryEarl Rivers: Denny SayersMarquis of Dorset; Second Citizen: StephenCLord Grey: om123Earl of Oxford; Fourth Messenger: Roger CliftonLord Hastings: Peter BloomfieldLord Stanley: Andy MinterLord Lovel; Sir Walter Herbert: L. Lambert LawsonSir Thomas Vaughan; Priest; First Gentleman: David LawrenceSir Richard Ratcliff: Filippo GiaochinSir William Catesby: ArixaSir James Tyrrel; Third Citizen; Ghost of Henry VI: 1evilmofoSir Robert Brakenbury: Garrett FitzgeraldChristopher Urswick: Christopher CaronSheriff of Wiltshire; Bishop of Ely; First Murderer: RismythQueen Elizabeth; Scrivener: Elizabeth KlettQueen Margaret: Ruth GoldingDuchess of York: Karen SavageLady Anne: Arielle LipshawSecond Murderer; First Citizen; Third Messenger: SonjaMessenger: KalyndaSecond Messenger: Veronica JenkinsPursuivant: Matt JuddGhost of Prince Edward: SnaefaxiNarrator: Diana MajlingerAudio edited by: Elizabeth Klett more

Troilus and Cressida is Shakespeare's 'problem' play about the Trojan War. As the opening Chorus tells us, the play 'begins in the middle' of the epic conflict, and counterpoints the drama of battle with the romance of the title characters. Just as Agamemnon and his Greek forces (particularly the smooth-tongued Ulysses) attempt to woo the invincible Achilles to resume fighting on their side, the Trojan go-between Pandarus tries to bring together Troilus, a son of King Priam, with his niece, the lovely Cressida. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)Cast:Achilles: John FrickerAeneas: David RichardsonAgamemnon: Lars RolanderAjax: Arielle LipshawAlexander: David LawrenceAndromache: Amy GramourBoy: Arielle LipshawCalchas: Algy PugCassandra: Nadine Eckert-BouletChorus: Algy PugCressida: Elizabeth KlettDeiphobus: Ted GarvinDiomedes: Peter BishopHector: David GoldfarbHelen: Elizabeth BarrHelenus: Elizabeth KlettMenelaus: Tom CrawfordNestor: Andy MinterPandarus: Ted GarvinParis: Matthew ReecePatroclus: Timothy FergusonPriam: Ric FServant/Myrmidons: Chris DonnellyThersites: Algy PugTroilus: mbUlysses: Bruce PirieNarrator: Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by: Elizabeth Klett more

A Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens first published by Chapman & Hall on 17 December 1843. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visits of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. The novella met with instant success and critical acclaim. ( Summary by Wikipedia ) more

The play is set in Bath in the 18th century, a town legendary for conspicuous consumption and fashion at the time. Wealthy, fashionable people went there to 'take the waters', which were believed to have healing properties. The plot centres on the two young lovers, Lydia and Jack. Lydia, who reads a lot of popular novels of the time, wants a purely romantic love affair. To court her, Jack pretends to be 'Ensign Beverley', a poor officer. Lydia is enthralled with the idea of eloping with a poor soldier in spite of her guardian, Mrs. Malaprop, a moralistic widow. Mrs. Malaprop is the chief comic figure of the play, thanks to her continual misuse of words that sound like the words she intends but mean something completely different. (The term malapropism was coined in reference to the character.) Lydia has two other suitors: Bob Acres (a somewhat buffoonish country gentleman), and Sir Lucius O'Trigger, an impoverished and combative Irish gentleman. Sir Lucius pays Lucy to carry love notes between him and Lydia (who uses the name 'Delia'), but Lucy is swindling him: 'Delia' is actually Mrs. Malaprop. (Summary by Wikipedia)Cast:Fag: Algy PugThomas/Servant: Brett W. DowneyLucy: Linda HoganLydia Languish: Elizabeth KlettJulia Melville: Arielle LipshawMrs. Malaprop: Mil NicholsonSir Anthony Absolute: Andy MinterCaptain Jack Absolute: John FrickerFaulkland: mbBob Acres: Peter BishopBoy/Maid: rashadaSir Lucius O'Trigger: Lars RolanderDavid: Matthew ReeceNarrator: Mary AnnAudio edited by: Elizabeth Klett more

Love and Freindship [sic] is a juvenile story by Jane Austen, dated 1790, when Austen was 14 years old. Love and Freindship (the misspelling is one of many in the story) is clearly a parody of romantic novels Austen read as a child. This is clear even from the subtitle, 'Deceived in Freindship and Betrayed in Love,' which neatly undercuts the title.Written in epistolary form, it resembles a fairy tale as much as anything else, featuring wild coincidences and turns of fortune, but Austen is determined to lampoon the conventions of romantic stories, right down to the utter failure of romantic fainting spells, which always turn out dreadfully for the female characters.In this story one can see the development of Austen's sharp wit and disdain for romantic sensibility, so characteristic of her later novels.Summary revised from Wikipedia by Cori Samuel. Music from Schubert's Fantasy in C Major, at musopen.org. more

This is a solo recording of the play, meaning that all parts including stage directions are performed by one person. LibriVox has three excellent dramatic recordings with all the parts played by different people so if that is more to your taste, please listen to them. Little needs to be said about the play itself, a sparkling example of Wilde's amazing ability to poke fun at almost everyone while making you laugh out loud at the witty sayings sprinkled throughout the acts. As to the plot, if you don't know it already, let me just say that it involves two young English men who fall madly and instantly in love with two young English.women who of course love them back mainly because their name is Earnest. Unfortunately, that is not their names and there are many bumps and crashes on the road to the happy wedding bells. I only hope I have done justice to this jewel of a play. Please listen and enjoy ! more

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El objetivo de este podcast es analizar la visión feminista en la novela Cumbres Borrascosas de Emily Brontë, en la que, a través de los personajes - principalmente femeninos -, se desarrolla todo un panorama de la sociedad de la época, que además devela la realidad de la mujer victoriana. Del mismo modo, se analizará la postura de la escritora frente a una sociedad patriarcal en la que las mujeres no tenían ni voz ni voto, para de esta manera entender por qué esta novela debería de ser leída desde una perspectiva feminista. more

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