Best 100 Literature Podcasts

Overdue is a podcast about the books you've been meaning to read. Join Andrew and Craig each week as they tackle a new title from their backlog. Classic literature, obscure plays, goofy murder mysteries: they'll read it all, one overdue book at a time. more

Amateur literary enthusiast Jacke Wilson journeys through the history of literature from ancient epics to contemporary classics. The History of Literature takes a fresh look at some of the most compelling examples of creative genius the world has ever known. more

Book Riot - The Podcast is a weekly news and talk show about what's new, cool, and worth talking about in the world of books and reading. more

The literary podcast Is presented by John Mitchinson and Andy Miller. Brought to you by Unbound.

We're not just book nerds. We're professional book nerds! We are staff librarians who work at OverDrive, the leading app for eBooks and audiobooks from public libraries and schools. It's our job to discuss books all day long so we thought, 'Why not share the conversation!' Hear about the best books we've read, get recommendations, and learn about the hottest books coming out that we can't wait to dive into. Titles discussed are available to borrow through public libraries. Get started reading at overdrive.com and subscribe to our podcast today! more

Interviews with Scholars of Literature about their New BooksSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies more

What should I read next? Book critic and longtime NPR commentator Marion Winik answers this question in four opinionated, book-loving minutes. With reviews of new releases and older titles you may have missed, it's like having a new best friend with very good taste to guide you in your literary adventures. The Weekly Reader is produced by WYPR and hosted by Lisa Morgan. more

THE BIBLIO FILE is one of the world's leading podcasts about 'the book' and an inquiry into the wider world of book culture. Hosted by Nigel Beale it features wide ranging conversations with authors, poets, book publishers, booksellers, book editors, book collectors, book makers, book scholars, book critics, book designers, book publicists, literary agents and other certified bibliophiles. more

Simply a book review podcast. We read the books, then we talk about them. Each review is in two parts: a spoiler-free summary and review, and then a spoiler-heavy in-depth discussion and review. more

The Readings Podcast is a celebration of books, reading and culture. Episodes are published weekly and include author interviews, event recordings, booksellers chatting about their favourite reads, industry insights, and more. more

Hi, we're Julia and Victoria. Join the Book Club each episode as we choose a text off our shelves to discuss, dissect, and maybe - after another glass of wine - dissolve into a TED talk on the history of the English language. Welcome to the party. more

Shelf Life is a show about books and the people who love them. In each episode, we invite a celebrated bibliophile (think Alan Cumming, John Waters, and Joyce Maynard) to select two of their favorite books, and then we chat about them, drawing connections between their lit choices and their lives and careers. more

Die Sendungen SWR Kultur lesenswert können Sie als Podcast abonnieren.

Podcast literalmente literario en el que ficcionamos relatos y audiolibros de todos los géneros, tanto de autores consagrados como de nuevos talentos literarios. Presentado y narrado por Xavi Villanueva more

Literary Anything, our Marion Libraries podcast where we talk about anything literary and literary anything.

Spiracle Audiobooks is a curated platform for the UK's best literary audiobooks, with a focus on small and independent publishers. The sound of great writing. Each month, new podcast episodes delve into the world of our audiobooks. more

Reader's Entertainment Radio is a fun, informative and entertaining way to learn about books, engage with authors and have fun! From Book Lights to Reader's Entertainment Radio Show we have something for every reader and every genre! more

While fashions change and technology evolves, there are just some things about being human that transcend time. And the persistence of those human experiences is why anyone can find themselves in the timeless, romantic, and funny novels of Jane Austen.The Jane Austen Podcast with Alison Larkin brings a fresh voice to these classic stories. Hosted by writer and comedian Alison Larkin, each season will present an Austen novel with her award-winning narration and feature chats with actors, writers, and other fascinating people who have one thing in common: a passionate love for Jane Austen. Whether you're a die-hard Austen fan or you have yet to be introduced, you'll find something delightful and relatable at every turn. We are currently airing Pride and Prejudice. Elizabeth Bennet is not interested in marrying only for money, to the distress of her poor mother's nerves, and Mr. Darcy is a man in possession of a good fortune and certain opinions about what constitutes an accomplished woman. Though seemingly at odds due to their (you guessed it) pride and prejudice, the complicated and slow burn romance of one of Jane Austen's most recognized novels is not to be missed.Stay tuned for Emma, Sense and Sensibility, Northanger Abbey, Mansfield Park, and Persuasion!'Alison Larkin is a comic writer and performer and she approaches Austen as a satirist…she has genuine theatrical skill…sustained comic creations. The voice reveals all.' The New Yorker'Listeners will be captivated from the first sentence' AudioFile MagazineThe Jane Austen Podcast with Alison Larkin is presented by Realm. Listen away. 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

Edith Wharton's 1913 novel is a devastating critique of American upward mobility, told through the journey of Undine Spragg from fictional Midwestern Apex City to New York to Paris. Undine is determined to acquire money and position through marriage, even if it means multiple divorces. - Summary by Elizabeth Klett more

Dans le quatrième volet des Misérables, L'idylle rue Plumet et l'épopée rue Saint-Denis, l'action se déroule sur fond d'émeute à la barricade Saint-Denis. Éponine et Gavroche, les enfants de la rue, y tiennent un rôle important, tandis que la relation amoureuse de Cosette et Marius se développe, au grand dam de Jean Valjean. (résumé par Nadine) more

Dès 1828 Hugo avait conçu Note Dame de Paris et se rend plusieurs fois à la cathédrale. Il ressuscite le Paris d'autrefois avec sa cathédrale. Notre-Dame de Paris retrace la destinée tragique au Moyen Âge d'une jeune bohémienne, Esméralda, victime du désir qu'elle inspire à trois hommes. Convoitée par l'archidiacre Frollo, elle est enlevée sur son ordre par le sonneur de cloches difforme de Notre-Dame, Quasimodo, puis est sauvée par le beau capitaine Phoebus dont elle s'éprend. Mais Frollo, jaloux, poignarde Phoebus, et n'intervient pas lorsque Esméralda est accusée de ce meurtre. Elle est emprisonnée, puis délivrée, cette fois, par Quasimodo, épris d'elle, qui l'entraîne au sein de l'inviolable cathédrale. Les truands de la cour des Miracles, inquiets de sa disparition, assaillent l'édifice, et livrent, sans s'en douter, Esméralda à son pire ennemi, Frollo. Arrêtée, la jeune fille sera pendue sous l'oeil cynique de ce dernier. Quasimodo, enfin édifié sur son «bienfaiteur» Frollo, le précipite du haut des tours de Notre-Dame, et se laisse ensuite mourir dans les bras d'Esméralda dans le charnier où elle repose. ( adapté de http://romantis.free.fr/Victor hugo/html/notdadep.html ) 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

El Anaquel es un blog y podcast sobre Literatura y Libros, realizado por Roberto Wong, escritor mexicano (París D.F. fue su primera novela. Tiene, además, un libro de relatos por el que ganó el Premio Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz en 2017). more

The Pharaoh and the Priest (Polish: Faraon) is the fourth and last major novel by the Polish writer Boles?aw Prus. It was the sole historical novel by an author who had earlier disapproved of historical novels on the ground that they inevitably distort history. Pharaoh has been described by Czes?aw Mi?osz as a 'novel on mechanisms of state power and, as such, probably unique in world literature of the nineteenth century.... Prus, in selecting the reign of 'Pharaoh Ramses XIII' in the eleventh century BCE, sought a perspective that was detached from pressures of topicality and censorship. Pharaoh is set in the Egypt of 1087 85 BCE as that country experiences internal stresses and external threats that will culminate in the fall of its Twentieth Dynasty and New Kingdom. The young protagonist Ramses learns that those who would challenge the powers that be are vulnerable to co-option, seduction, subornation, defamation, intimidation and assassination. Perhaps the chief lesson, belatedly absorbed by Ramses as pharaoh, is the importance, to power, of knowledge. Prus' vision of the fall of an ancient civilization derives some of its power from the author's intimate awareness of the final demise of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795, a century before the completion of the novel. (Summary by Wikipedia) more

This is book 4 of 5. An ex-convict breaks parole and starts a new life as a righteous man, but is pursued by a police inspector. Along the way, the ex-convict joins a revolution, adopts a daughter, and beats people up. Hooray. (Summary by smileyman457) more

This is book 3 of 5.An ex-convict breaks parole and starts a new life as a righteous man, but is pursued by a police inspector. Along the way, the ex-convict joins a revolution, adopts a daughter, and beats people up. Hooray. (Summary by smileyman457) more

Lezioni del prof. Gaudio su Italo Calvino

Cruz e Sousa foi um poeta brasileiro, considerado um dos precursores do movimento simbolista no Brasil. Seus poemas são marcados pela musicalidade e pelo sensualismo, mesclado com uma espiritualidade e religiosidade de maneira às vezes espantosa. Broquéis foi seu livro de estréia, e contém algumas de suas obras mais famosas, como o poema Antífona, peça de abertura do livro. (Sumário escrito por Leni) 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

Louisa May Alcott's beloved 1868 novel is about the four March girls - Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy - who are growing up in Massachusetts during the Civil War. As the novel opens, their father is away at war, and the girls are struggling to be good and to reconcile themselves to their relative poverty. Each has her trials to deal with, and they are encouraged by their loving mother, and by their friendship with their neighbor, Theodore 'Laurie' Laurence.Cast:Narrator/Jo: Elizabeth KlettMeg: Arielle LipshawBeth: KalyndaAmy/Parrot: Karen SavageMarmee: Kara ShallenbergMr. March: Bruce PirieHannah: MaryAnnMrs. Hummel/Hummel Children/Lotty: ElliGirl/Child/Tina/Daisy/Maid: LaviniaLaurie: mbAunt March: Amy GramourOld Man/Dr. Bangs: Phil ChenevertMr. Laurence: David LawrenceMr. Davis/Shopman/Young Man #2/Clerk: Tom CrawfordAnnie/May Chester: sherlock85Clara/Miss Lamb/Kitty: ESFJ GirlMr. Lamb/Mr. Dashwood: Denny SayersMrs. Moffat/Aunt Carrol/Old Lady/Mrs. Chester: Sally McMajor Lincoln/Tudor: Henry FrigonBelle/Second Girl/Minnie: BookAngel7Nan/Mrs. Kirke: SusannaSallie Gardiner Moffat: rashadaHortense/Esther: Nadine Eckert-BouletFred Vaughan: John CroudyJohn Brooke: Peter BishopKate Vaughan: BumbleVeeNed Moffat/Parker/Young Man #1: coolkid2219Frank Vaughan: John FrickerBoy/Demi: E. LeeProfessor Bhaer: RainerAudio edited by: Elizabeth Klett 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

Gulliver's Travels (1726, amended 1735), officially Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, is a novel by Jonathan Swift that is both a satire on human nature and a parody of the 'travelers' tales' literary sub-genre. It is widely considered Swift's magnum opus and is his most celebrated work, as well as one of the indisputable classics of English literature. (Summary from Wikipedia) more

Señor Gould is a native Costaguanan of English descent who owns the silver-mining concession in Sulaco. He is tired of the political instability in Costaguana and its concomitant corruption, and puts his weight behind the Ribierist project, which he believes will finally bring stability to the country after years of misrule and tyranny by self-serving dictators. Instead, the silver mine and the wealth it has generated become a magnet for local warlords to fight over, plunging Costaguana into a new round of chaos. Among others, the revolutionary Montero invades Sulaco; Señor Gould, adamant that his silver should not become spoil for his enemies, entrusts it to Nostromo, the trusted 'capataz de los cargadores' (head longshoreman).Nostromo is an Italian expatriate who has risen to that position through his daring exploits. ('Nostromo' is Italian for 'mate' or 'boatswain,' as well as a contraction of nostro uomo — 'our man.') He is so named by his employer, Captain Mitchell. 'Nostromo's' real name is Giovanni Battista Fidanza — Fidanza meaning 'trust' in archaic Italian.Nostromo is what would today be called a shameless self-publicist. He is believed by Señor Gould to be incorruptible, and for this reason is entrusted with hiding the silver from the revolutionaries. He accepts the mission not out of loyalty to Señor Gould, but rather because he sees an opportunity to increase his own fame. (Summary from Wikipedia) 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

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

Don Quijote de la Mancha (ortografía y título original —1605—, El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha) es una de las obras cumbre de la literatura española y la literatura universal, el libro más traducido después de la Biblia, escrito por Miguel de Cervantes.La novela consta de dos partes: la primera, El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha, fue publicada en 1605; la segunda, El ingenioso caballero don Quijote de la Mancha, en 1615.La primera parte se imprimió en Madrid, en casa de Juan de la Cuesta, a fines de 1604. Salió a la venta en enero de 1605 con numerosas erratas, a causa de la celeridad que imponía el contrato de edición. Esta edición se reimprimió en el mismo año y en el mismo taller, de forma que hay en realidad dos ediciones de 1605 ligeramente distintas. Se sospecha, sin embargo, que existió una novela más corta, que sería una de sus futuras Novelas ejemplares. (Resumen de Wikipedia) more

For this collection, LibriVox volunteers made their own selections from Robert Browning's poetry and prose to celebrate the 200th anniversary of his birth on 7th May 1812. 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

La Divina Commedia, originalmente Commedìa, è un poema di Dante Alighieri, capolavoro del poeta fiorentino, considerata la più importante testimonianza letteraria della civiltà medievale e una delle più grandi opere della letteratura universale.È diviso in tre parti chiamate cantiche: Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradiso; il poeta immagina di compiervi un viaggio ultraterrenoIl poema, pur continuando i modi caratteristici della letteratura e dello stile medievali (ispirazione religiosa, fine morale, linguaggio e stile basati sulla percezione visiva e immediata delle cose), tende a una rappresentazione ampia e drammatica della realtà, ben lontana dalla spiritualità tipica del Medioevo, tesa a cristallizzare la visione del reale. (Sommario di Wikipedia) more

Cette oeuvre d'anticipation sociale nous décrit un vingtième siècle dans lequel les grands criminels sont défendus par des femmes, celles-ci étant plus aptes à faire pleurer les jurés. Les systèmes politiques, les droits de la femme, le capitalisme, le tourisme, beaucoup de sujets sont abordés de manière drôle et intelligente. L'auteur anticipe le téléphone et la télévision, la synchronisation, le battage médiatique.L'histoire se concentre autour de la jeune Hélène Colobry, qui sort du lycée où elle a peu appris, et qui se cherche une carrière sur les conseils de son tuteur, le riche banquier Raphaël Ponto. Après avoir fait quelques pas comme apprentie avocate, Hélène s'essaie à une carrière politique, avant de se lancer dans la littérature et le journalisme.À noter: les illustrations du livre original sont absolument fantastiques. (résumé par Nadine) more

The Picture of Dorian Gray is the only published novel by Oscar Wilde, appearing as the lead story in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine on 20 June 1890, printed as the July 1890 issue of this magazine. Wilde later revised this edition, making several alterations, and adding new chapters; the amended version was published by Ward, Lock, and Company in April 1891. The novel tells of a young man named Dorian Gray, the subject of a painting by artist Basil Hallward. Basil is impressed by Dorian's beauty and becomes infatuated with him, believing his beauty is responsible for a new mode in his art. Dorian meets Lord Henry Wotton, a friend of Basil's, and becomes enthralled by Lord Henry's world view. Espousing a new hedonism, Lord Henry suggests the only things worth pursuing in life are beauty and fulfillment of the senses. Realizing that one day his beauty will fade, Dorian (whimsically) expresses a desire to sell his soul to ensure the portrait Basil has painted would age rather than himself. Dorian's wish is fulfilled, plunging him into debauched acts. The portrait serves as a reminder of the effect each act has upon his soul, with each sin displayed as a disfigurement of his form, or through a sign of aging. The Picture of Dorian Gray is considered a work of classic gothic fiction with a strong Faustian theme. (Summary by Wikipedia) 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

Edith Wharton's 1911 novel Ethan Frome tells the story of a tragic love triangle. Set in the highly symbolic wintry landscape of Starkfield, Massachusetts, the narrative centers on the title character's fraught relationships with his 'sickly, cantankerous' wife Zeena and his young, beautiful cousin Mattie Silver. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett) 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

Madelon et Cathos, deux jeunes provinciales, arrivent à Paris en quête d'amour et de jeux d'esprit. Gorgibus, père de Madelon et oncle de Cathos, décide de les marier à deux prétendants, La Grange et Du Croisy, mais ces dernières les ridiculiseront de telle façon que ceux-ci voudront se venger de ces « précieuses ». Entre alors en scène un jeune homme, Mascarille, se prétendant homme du monde fréquentant les meilleurs cercles, qui tombera amoureux de Madelon. Vient ensuite un second homme, Jodelet, dont Cathos s'amourachera. On découvre ensuite que ces deux hommes sont des imposteurs, soit les valets des deux premiers hommes rejetés. Les précieuses sont tombées dans le piège et ont donc montré le ridicule de leur vanité. (de Wikipedia)Personnages : La Grange, amant rebuté - Michaël Cadilhac Du Croisy, amant rebuté - Michaël Cadilhac Madelon, fille de Gorgibus - Nadine Eckert-Boulet Gorgibus, bon bourgeois - Christian Cathos, nièce de Gorgibus - Ezwa Almanzor, laquais des précieuses ridicules - Stanley Marquis de Mascarille, valet de la Grange - Dan Mewton Vicomte de Jodelet, valet de du Croisy - Christian Al-Kadi Premier porteur de chaise - Glenn Simonsen Deuxième porteur de chaise - mb Violons - Aldor Marotte, servante des précieuses ridicules - Maud Benard Lucile, voisine - ani poirier Didascalies et préface : Kalynda Violons (musique) : mb more

Die Aufzeichnungen des Malte Laurids Brigge ist ein 1910 veröffentlichter Roman in Tagebuchform von Rainer Maria Rilke - sein einziger Roman. Das Werk besteht aus 72 Aufzeichnungen, die oftmals Prosagedichten ähneln und meist unverbunden aufeinander folgen. Rilke selbst nannte das Werk stets „Prosabuch' und niemals Roman. Die Aufzeichnungen haben einen bewusst fragmentarischen und (besonders zu Beginn) tagebuchähnlichen Charakter, und sie besitzen auch keinen durchgehenden Handlungsstrang. Dennoch sind sie durch die inneren Konflikte Maltes verbunden. Der Roman beginnt im Paris der Wende des neunzehnten auf das zwanzigste Jahrhundert. Die Aufzeichnungen umfassen Maltes Pariser Erlebnisse, seine Kindheitserinnerungen und seine Bearbeitung von historischen Begebenheiten und Geschichten. Einige Themenschwerpunkte sind Tod und Krankheit, Angst und Verzweiflung, Armut und Elend, Sprache und Wirklichkeit, Schicksal und Leben, Identität und Rollen, Künstler und Gesellschaft, Liebe und Einsamkeit, der einzelne Mensch und Gott. (Summary by Wikipedia and Sonja) more

Dickson McCunn, a respectable, newly retired grocer, plans a walking holiday in the hills of south-west Scotland. He meets a young English poet and finds himself in the thick of a plot involving the kidnapping of a Russian princess, who is held prisoner in the rambling mansion, Huntingtower. This modern fairy-tale is also a gripping adventure story. (Summary by Simon Evers) 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

Capsulas del programa por Internet LatinTime, de la emisora por independiente ExodoAudio. Ezra Alcázar platica, como en una conversación de amigos, lo que fue, es y será la literatura de Latinoamerica. more

Clotel; or, The President's Daughter is a novel by William Wells Brown (1814-84), a fugitive from slavery and abolitionist and was published in London, England in December 1853. It is often considered the first African-American novel. This novel focuses on the difficult lives of mulattoes in America and the 'degraded and immoral condition of the relation of master and slave in the USA' (Brown). It is about the tragic lives of Currer, Althesea, and Clotel. In the novel, Currer is the former mulatto mistress of President Thomas Jefferson who together have two daughters, Althesea and Clotel. Because she was beautiful and the mistress of Jefferson, Currer and her daughters lived a confortable life, this changed when her master passes away. In the end, Currer and Althesea are auctioned to the notorious slave trader, Dick Walker. Clotel is bought by her lover Horatio Green. The separation of these three women is just the beginning of the injustices they face.It gained notoriety amid the unconfirmed rumors regarding Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings. Brown was still considered someone else's legal property within the borders of the United States at the time of its publication. It is considered to be the first novel written by an African American.Brown used the injustices of slavery to demonstrate the destructive effects it had on the African American family, most significantly the so-called tragic mulatto. Brown had escaped from slavery in Kentucky while still in his youth, and became active on the anti-slavery circuit.(Summary from Wikipedia) more

'Der Stechlin' ist Fontanes letzter großer Roman. Die Handlung rankt sich um das uralte märkische Adelsgeschlecht derer von Stechlin, die am gleichnamigen Stechlinsee im Ruppiner Land ihren Sitz haben. Der Autor selbst sagte ironisch, in dem Roman geschehe nicht viel. Tatsächlich liegt das Gewicht des Romans nicht auf der Handlung, sondern auf den vielfältigen Dialogen, welche die gesellschaftliche Wirklichkeit zur Wende vom 19. auf das 20. Jahrhundert offenbaren. (Zusammenfassung nach Wikipedia) more

Born in 1862 and died in 1910, O. Henry's birth name is William Sydney Porter; however, he adopted the pen name O. Henry while in prison. He published 10 collections and over 600 short stories during his lifetime.The Trimmed Lamp follows The Four Million and provides another series of short stories that take place in New York City in the early years of the 20th century and are representative of the surprise endings that popularized O. Henry's work. They also capture his use of coincidence or chance to create humor in the story. O Henry wrote about ordinary people in everyday circumstances. He is quoted as once saying, 'There are stories in everything. I've got some of my best yarns from park benches, lampposts and newspaper stands.'I hope you enjoy the following readings as much as I enjoyed recording them.(Summary by Marian Brown) more

Published as a serial in 1875, Roderick Hudson is James's first important novel. The theme of Americans in Europe, so important in much of James's work, is already central to the story. Hudson is a young law student in Northampton, Massachusetts, who shows such surprising ability as a sculptor that the rich Rowland Mallett, visiting a cousin in Northampton, decides to stake him to several years of study in Rome, then a center of expatriate American society. The story has to do not only with Roderick's growth as an artist and the problems it brings, but also as a man susceptible to his new environment, and indeed his occasional rivalries with his American friend and patron.Interestingly enough, at least two of the book's characters made sufficient impression on James that he brought them back in other books: the French-Italian-Yankee sculptor, Gloriani, who appears later in The American, and Christina Light, the American who becomes the subject of Princess Casamassima, one of James's later (and much longer) novels.(Introduction by Nicholas Clifford) 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

A land owner, Vasili Andreevich, takes along one of his peasants, Nikita, for a short journey to another town. He wishes to get to the town quickly 'for business'. They find themselves in the middle of a blizzard, but the master in his avarice wishes to press on. They eventually get lost off the road and they try to camp. The master's peasant soon finds himself about to die from hypothermia. The master leaves him on the horse to stubbornly try to find the road. When he returns, he attains a spiritual/moral revelation, and Tolstoy once again repeats one of his famous themes: that the only true happiness in life is found by living for others. (Wikipedia) more

Victor Frankenstein discovers the secret of animating lifeless matter and, by assembling body parts, creates the monster who has no name in the book. Rejected by society, the Monster vows revenge on his creator. (Summary written by Gesine)Note: Project originally cataloged October 20, 2005. Audio files were volume adjusted and re-uploaded May 3, 2010. more

Un podcast ameno y corto sobre literatura de toda época y estilo

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

Lezioni del prof. Gaudio su Tito Lucrezio Caro

LibriVox's Short Poetry Collection 059: a collection of 20 public-domain poems.

D'amants qu'ils étaient, le Vicomte de Valmont et la Marquise de Merteuil sont restés complices dans leurs projets de liaisons et confidents dans leur correspondance, chacun préservant sa réputation aux yeux du monde : d'homme irrésistible pour l'un, de femme respectable pour l'autre.Ils ont, cette fois-ci, jeté leur dévolu sur la Présidente de Tourvel, jeune femme vertueuse et dévote dont l'époux demeure au loin et Cécile Volanges, adolescente à peine sortie du couvent, promise au Comte de Gercourt, dont s'éprend le Chevalier Danceny.Si, à force de manipulations, leurs projets aboutissent, la première fera la gloire de son vainqueur, la seconde, le déshonneur de son mari lorsque la chose sera rendue publique.Suivons donc le courrier de ces protagonistes, de leurs parents, de leurs amis. Pourrons-nous « ne pas frémir en songeant au malheur que peut causer une seule liaison dangereuse » ? 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

Wharton's 1917 novella Summer, like her more famous work Ethan Frome, is set in a very small rural New England town. Charity Royall longs to escape the claustrophobic confines of North Dormer and the inappropriate advances of her guardian Mr. Royall, who adopted her as a child from the nearby Mountain community. Hope arrives in the form of city boy Lucius Harney, who has come to research the architecture of the region; but will his presence in Charity's life mean her salvation - or her undoing? (Introduction by Elizabeth Klett) more

Podcast sobre literatura ao som de ótimas bandas de Rock and Roll. O nome Literofobia vem em resposta a um fenômeno atual onde as pessoas leem menos livros. Os programas deste podcast tentam ser uma resposta a isso, incentivando as pessoas a retomarem o gosto pela nobre arte literária. more

Lezioni di epica del prof. Luigi Gaudio

'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

Notes from Underground is an 1864 novella by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Notes is considered by many to be the first existentialist novel. It presents itself as an excerpt from the rambling memoirs of a bitter, isolated, unnamed narrator (generally referred to by critics as the Underground Man) who is a retired civil servant living in St. Petersburg. The first part of the story is told in monologue form, or the underground man's diary, and attacks emerging Western philosophy, especially Nikolay Chernyshevsky's What Is to Be Done?. The second part of the book is called 'Àpropos of the Wet Snow,' and describes certain events that, it seems, are destroying and sometimes renewing the underground man, who acts as a first person, unreliable narrator. (Summary by Wikipedia) more

Novelle per un anno è una raccolta di 241 novelle scritte da Luigi Pirandello. Originariamente sono state pubblicate sul Corriere della Sera, successivamente ripubblicate in 15 raccolte. Inizialmente erano previste 24 raccolte contenenti 365 novelle, tuttavia la prematura morte dell'autore ha impedito il raggiungimento del traguardo. Postume sono state pubblicate altre novelle scritte dall'autore. Le raccolte sono state pubblicate tra il 1922 e il 1938. L'ottava raccolta, edita nel 1925, contiene novelle pubblicate tra il 1902 ed il 1923. (Riassunto di Filippo Gioachin)Nota: Per motivi di diritti d'autore negli Stati Uniti, alcune novelle sono state rimosse da questa raccolta. Gli abitanti di nazioni ove i diritti d'autore su quest'opera sono già cessati possono trovare le novelle mancanti su Legamus.euQuesto libro è stato promosso dal gruppo Volontari del Libro di aNobii. 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's Short Story Collection 009: a collection of 20 short essays and fiction in the public domain read by a variety of LibriVox members.Note: Section 4, In The Year 2889 was originally published under the name of Jules Verne, but is currently believed to be the work of his son, Michel Verne. more

Appreciations, with an Essay on Style, is a collection of Walter Pater's previously-published essays on literature. The collection was well received by public and critic since its first edition, in 1889. The volume includes an appraisal of the poems of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, first printed in 1883, a few months after Rossetti's death; an essay on Thomas Browne, whose Baroque style Pater admired; and a discussion of Measure for Measure, one of Pater's most often reprinted pieces. The second edition, published in 1890, had a few modifications, and is the basis for all other editions of the book. (Summary by Leni) more

Douze nouvelles dans lesquelles Guy de Maupassant pose un regard ironique, voire pessimiste, sur la société française de la fin du XIXe siècle. (Par Didier) more

The Excursion: Being a portion of The Recluse, a Poem is a long poem by Romantic poet William Wordsworth and was first published in 1814. It was intended to be the second part of The Recluse, an unfinished larger work that was also meant to include The Prelude, Wordsworth's other long poem, which was eventually published posthumously. The exact dates of its composition are unknown, but the first manuscript is generally dated as either September 1806 or December 1809. (Introduction by 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

'Der Großinquisitor' ist eine Erzählung aus dem Roman 'Die Brüder Karamasow'. Die Handlung spielt im 16. Jahrhundert, in Sevilla. Jesus, auf die Erde zurückgekehrt, wird von einem greisen Großinquisitor verhaftet und soll auf dem Scheiterhaufen verbrannt werden. (Introduction by Al-Kadi) more

Three Sisters is a naturalistic play about the decay of the privileged class in Russia and the search for meaning in the modern world. It describes the lives and aspirations of the Prozorov family, the three sisters (Olga, Masha, and Irina) and their brother Andrei. They are a family dissatisfied and frustrated with their present existence. The sisters are refined and cultured young women who grew up in urban Moscow; however for the past eleven years they have been living in a small provincial town. Moscow is a major symbolic element: the sisters are always dreaming of it and constantly express their desire to return. They identify Moscow with their happiness, and thus to them it represents the perfect life. However as the play develops Moscow never materializes and they all see their dreams recede further and further. Meaning never presents itself and they are forced to seek it out for themselves. (Summary by Wikipedia)The Three Sisters Cast:ANDREY SERGEYEVITCH PROSOROV - Joe SpyNATALIA IVANOVA (NATASHA), his fiancée, later his wife - AvailleOLGA - Elizabeth KlettMASHA - Arielle LipshawIRINA - Elizabeth BarrFEODOR ILITCH KULIGIN, high school teacher, married to MASHA - mb ALEXANDER IGNATEYEVITCH VERSHININ, lieutenant-colonel in charge of a battery - Bruce PirieNICOLAI LVOVITCH TUZENBACH, baron, lieutenant in the army - John Fricker VASSILI VASSILEVITCH SOLENI, captain - Denny SayersIVAN ROMANOVITCH CHEBUTIKIN, army doctor - Algy PugALEXEY PETROVITCH FEDOTIK, sub-lieutenant - RakenVLADIMIR CARLOVITCH RODE, sub-lieutenant - Elizabeth KlettFERAPONT, door-keeper at local council offices, an old man - David LawrenceANFISA, nurse - AnaNarrator/Stage Directions - Mary Herndon Bell Audio edited by Arielle Lipshaw 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

The Awakening of Spring is the German dramatist Frank Wedekind's first major play and a seminal work in the modern history of theatre. It is the source material for the contemporary rock musical Spring Awakening. The play criticises the sexually-oppressive culture of fin de siècle Germany and offers a vivid dramatisation of the erotic fantasies that it breeds. Due to the nature of its content, the play has often been banned. (Summary by Wikipedia and wildemoose)Cast:Narrator: Diana MajlingerWendla: Arielle LipshawFrau Bergman: Elizabeth KlettMelchior: mbOtto/Fliegentod/Gaston: David LawrenceMoritz: Margaret EspaillatGeorge/Martha/Ina: KristingjRobert/Zungenschlag/Ruprecht: John FrickerErnest: Max KörlingeThea/Ilse: Carolin KaiserLaemmermeier/Knuppeldick/Diethelm/Friend Ziegenmelker/The Masked Man: Nathanial W.C. HigginsHans/Habebald/Helmuth: Martin GeesonProfessor Hungergurt/Uncle Probst: FranswaProfessor Knochenbruch: Bellona TimesFrau Gabor: Ann SimmonsSonnenstich/Rheinhold: Chuck WilliamsonPastor Kaulbauch/Locksmith: Lucy PerryRenter Stiefel/Dr. Prokrustes: LegentisHerr Gabor/Dr. Von Brausepulver: Algy PugAudio edited by: Arielle Lipshaw more

Michael Kohlhaas is an 1811 novella by Heinrich von Kleist, based on a 16th-century story of Hans Kohlhase. Both the theme (a fanatical quest for justice) and the style (existentialist detachment posing as a chronicle) are surprisingly modern. They resonated with other writers more than a century after it was written. Kafka devoted one of only two public appearances in his whole life to reading passages from Michael Kohlhaas. Kafka said that he 'could not even think of' this work 'without being moved to tears and enthusiasm.' (Introduction by Wikipedia) more

Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest is subtitled 'A Trivial Comedy for Serious People,' and has proved immensely popular since its first performance in 1895. The play certainly has its farcical and comic elements, such as the witty banter exchanged by the characters and the flippant attitude towards love and marriage that characterizes the action. However, the play also explores more serious themes through the central story of Jack Worthing's search for his identity. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastJohn Worthing: Dublin GothicAlgernon Moncrieff: John FrickerRev. Chasuble: Martin GeesonMerriman: mbLane: Algy PugLady Bracknell: Ruth GoldingGwendolyn Fairfax: Elizabeth KlettCecily Cardew: Arielle LipshawMiss Prism: Carol BoxNarrator: Tiffany Halla ColonnaAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett more

This collection of ten stories, first published in 1904, shows Edith Wharton dissecting some of the customs, habits and vagaries of courtship and marriage, particularly as practiced in the upper reaches of New York society at the turn of the twentieth century (two stories, however, are set in Italy). Fidelity is only one problem; others may arise from the machinations and emotions of the protagonists or outsiders. Wharton handles the questions with her usual gentle (and sometimes not so gentle) irony and curiosity about human behavior. (Summary by Nicholas Clifford) more

Childe Harold's Pilgrimage is a lengthy narrative poem in four parts written by Lord Byron. It was published between 1812 and 1818 and is dedicated to 'Ianthe'. The poem describes the travels and reflections of a world-weary young man who, disillusioned with a life of pleasure and revelry, looks for distraction in foreign lands. In a wider sense, it is an expression of the melancholy and disillusionment felt by a generation weary of the wars of the post-Revolutionary and Napoleonic eras. The title comes from the term childe, a medieval title for a young man who was a candidate for knighthood. Canto IV describes Harold's travels in Italy. (Summary by Wikipedia and alan mapstone) more

Veröffentlicht 1797. Hermann und Dorothea ist ein Epos in neun Gesängen von Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Die Gesänge tragen die Namen der antiken griechischen Musen.Ein Treck deutscher Flüchtlinge zieht, den Feind auf den Fersen, ostwärts, überquert den Rhein und nähert sich dem Ort der Handlung im Sommer kurz vor der Getreideernte. Dieser Ort ist eine rechtsrheinische Kleinstadt.Während seiner Teilnahme an der Kampagne in Frankreich hatte Goethe 1792 die Flucht linksrheinischer Deutscher nach Osten miterlebt.(Zusammenfassung von Wikipedia) more

LibriVox volunteers bring you 10 recordings of To The Immortal Memory of the Halibut, On Which I Dined This Day, Monday, April 26, 1784 by William Cowper. This was the Fortnightly Poetry project for May 29, 2011.William Cowper is attributed with various familiar quotations, one is..GOD moves in a mysterious way,His wonders to perform;He plants his footsteps in the sea,And rides upon the storm.Olney Hymns (1779)--'Light Shining out of Darkness' more

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

Don Juan is a long narrative poem by Byron, based very loosely on the legend of the evil seducer, Don Juan. The first and second of (eventually) seventeen Cantos composed during Byron's self-imposed exile from England appeared, anonymously, in July 1819 and were greeted with scandal, condemnation, admiration and hilarity. Modern critics generally consider the self-proclaimed 'epic', which remained incomplete at Byron's death, to be his masterpiece. (Summary by Peter Gallagher) more

Sappho lived in the Greek-speaking Aeolian islands off the coast of Turkey. She is one of the very few female poets from antiquity. Although her work was very popular in ancient Greece and Rome, only small fragments survive today. This book includes translations of these fragments, as well as a poem from Ovid's Heroides, 'Sappho to Phaon,' a fictional letter from Sappho to her assumed lover. (Summary by Libby Gohn) more

'(T)he past is what man should not have been. The present is what man ought not to be. The future is what artists are.'Published originally as 'The Soul of Man Under Socialism,' this is not so much a work of sober political analysis; rather it can be summed up as a rhapsodic manifesto on behalf of the Individual. Socialism having deployed technology to liberate the whole of humanity from soul-destroying labour, the State obligingly withers away to allow the free development of a joyful, anarchic hedonism...'Is this Utopian? A map of the world that does not include Utopia is not worth even glancing at, for it leaves out the one country at which Humanity is always landing.'Far from abandoning the epigram in favour of the slogan, Wilde wittily assails several of his favourite targets: the misguided purveyors of philanthropy; life-denying ascetics of various kinds; the army of the half-educated who constitute themselves the enemies of Art - and those venal popular journalists who cater to them...'Behind the barricade there may be much that is noble and heroic. But what is there behind the leading-article but prejudice, stupidity, cant, and twaddle?' (Introduction by Martin Geeson) 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

The Metamorphosis (in German, Die Verwandlung, 'The Transformation') is a novella by Franz Kafka, first published in 1915, and arguably the most famous of his works along with the longer works The Trial and The Castle. The story begins with a traveling salesman, Gregor Samsa, waking to find himself transformed into a giant 'monstrous vermin'. (Summary from Wikipedia) 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

The Grand Inquisitor is a parable told by Ivan to Alyosha in Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel The Brothers Karamazov (1879 1880). Ivan and Alyosha are brothers; Ivan questions the possibility of a personal, benevolent God and Alyosha is a novice monk. The Grand Inquisitor is an important part of the novel and one of the best-known passages in modern literature because of its ideas about human nature and freedom, and because of its fundamental ambiguity. In the tale, Christ comes back to earth in Seville at the time of the Inquisition. He performs a number of miracles (echoing miracles from the Gospels). The people recognize him and adore him, but he is arrested by Inquisition leaders and sentenced to be burnt to death the next day. The Grand Inquisitor visits him in his cell to tell him that the Church no longer needs him. The main portion of the text is the Inquisitor explaining to Jesus why his return would interfere with the mission of the church. (Summary by Wikipedia)CastNarrator: Ruth GoldingIvan Karamazov: om123Aloysha Karamazov: Martin GeesonThe Grand Inquisitor: Denny SayersAudio edited by Todd more

Jonathan Swift almost defines satire in this biting and brutal pamphlet in which he suggests that poor (Catholic) Irish families should fatten up their children and sell them to the rich (Protestant) land owners, thus solving the twin problems of starving children and poverty in one blow. When the 'Proposal' was published in 1729, Swift was quickly attacked, and even accused of barbarity the exact state the 'Proposal' was written to expose. (Summary by Hugh) more

Mit Lenz wird eine Novelle von Georg Büchner benannt, wobei der Titel nicht vom Autor stammt. Büchner hat sich nachweislich spätestens seit Frühjahr 1835 mit dem Stoff beschäftigt, jedoch ist die genaue Entstehungszeit unbekannt. Die Novelle erschien erstmals im Jahre 1839. Lenz beschreibt den sich verschlechternden Geisteszustand des Schriftstellers Jakob Michael Reinhold Lenz. Die Erzählung basiert auf einem Bericht von Johann Friedrich Oberlin und auf einigen Briefen von Lenz. Ungefähr die Hälfte der etwa zwanzig Seiten langen Novelle wurde von Büchner wortwörtlich aus Oberlins Bericht übernommen. (Wikipedia) more

'Prometheus Bound' is the only complete tragedy of the Prometheia trilogy, traditionally assumed to be the work of Aeschylus. Jupiter has turned against Prometheus for protecting mankind and has ordered him to be chained to a rock. But Prometheus is comforted by his knowledge of a way to bring about the downfall of Jupiter. (Summary by Libby Gohn) Cast:Narrator: Charlotte DuckettPrometheus: Jason MillsChorus of Nymphs, daughters of Ocean: Elizabeth KlettStrength: Bob NeufeldVulcan: Alan MapstoneOcean: Amanda FridayIo: AvailleMercury: balaAudio edited by: Libby Gohn more