Random Dramatic Works Podcasts

Villette was Charlotte Bronte’s last published novel. It came out in 1853, just two years before her death in 1855. It is a poignant, strangely lonely and sad work, steeped in conflict between society’s demands and personal desires. Set in the fictional town of Villette in France, it is the story of the young and intelligent Lucy Snowe, the narrator in the book. She is described by another character in the book as having “no beauty…no attractive accomplishments…” and strangely seems to lack a personal history or living relatives. Her godmother Mrs. Bretton looks after the orphaned Lucy, who suddenly leaves the house for a reason that is not made clear to readers. She finds employment as a companion to an elderly widow, Mrs. Marchmont. When her employer dies, Lucy is left without a job or prospects. Impulsively, she decides to travel to Europe and en route, meets the young and spoiled heiress, Ginevra Fanshaw, a student of a girls’ school in Villette. Lucy then travels to Villette to work first as a nanny to the principal’s children and later as a teacher. Here she encounters two men who will play a great role in her life. The young and handsome Dr. John Bretton, her godmother’s grandson, and the arrogant, bad tempered Professor Paul Emmanuel, a fellow lodger at her boarding house who gradually begins to thaw towards Lucy. The rest of the story follows Lucy’s life in Villette. Lucy Snowe is not a very lovable heroine. She is passive, secretive and yet she excites the reader’s interest and compassion and one is compellingly drawn into her story. Villette is also a novel with deep psychological underpinnings. Many have dubbed it even greater than Jane Eyre. It is also one of Bronte’s most autobiographical works. The story harks back to the time when Charlotte and Emily Bronte traveled to Brussels to work in a small pensionnat run by M. Constantin Heger and his wife. Charlotte is reputed to have fallen deeply and hopelessly in love with M. Heger. Paul Emmanuel is said to be based on Heger, while John Bretton is a fictional portrayal of George Murray Smith, her publisher who had once courter her. Villette was written at a time when Bronte was deeply depressed following the deaths of three of her siblings. It was also criticized by contemporary reviewers for its depiction of a woman’s passions and desires, something which Victorian audiences were a little shocked by. For modern day readers, Villette presents a great writer, working at the peak of her powers, overcoming personal tragedy to bring her art to the world.

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Charlotte Brontë, Dramatic Works, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, romance, Villette

Though it’s titled The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, the man himself appears only in five scenes in the entire play! However, such is his impact on the events that surrounded him that he still remains the central figure in this psychological drama that combines politics, honor, assassination, betrayal, the lust for power, patriotism and friendship. Set in 44 BC in ancient Rome, it is one of William Shakespeare’s early Tragedies. First thought to have been performed in September 1599, William Shakespeare’s original text or script have long vanished. What we have today is taken from a prompt script that must have been used by stage managers in Elizabethan times. Shakespeare probably used the historical facts found in Thomas North’s translation of Plutarch’s Life of Brutus and Life of Caesar. Whatever the source, the play remains a deeply moving, engrossing slice of history. The play opens with a street scene in which two Roman tribunes are depicted arrogantly dealing with the common people of the city. This sets the tone for what is to come—the huge public antipathy to a once celebrated war hero who now nurses ambitions beyond his status. Later scenes depict the agony of Marcus Brutus, the beloved friend of Caesar, who is also a supreme patriot above all the calls of friendship and love. The sinister warning of the soothsayer, the conspiracy scene, the brutal assassination and the events that follow are well known. Mark Antony’s famous speech “Friends, Romans, Countrymen….” and Brutus’ inflexible idealism and his far too measured tribute to the man whom he honored so greatly are the highlights of the play. Scholars have concluded that the inspiration for writing this play must have been the overwhelming anxiety felt in Elizabethan England regarding the royal succession. There were fears that the elderly Queen would die without naming a successor, leading to the outbreak of civil war, which is depicted in the play after the death of Caesar. Caesar himself is a charismatic, powerful and intuitive leader, who holds the empire together by sheer dint of his leadership qualities. He has strong premonitions of his own death. Though the crime is committed in full public view, it is sought to be justified as a political necessity. The play is also famous for not having either a real hero or a villain. Julius Caesar has been adapted extensively for stage, screen and television. Many notable actors have played the roles of Brutus, Mark Antony and Caesar with exceptional brilliance. The play is full of wonderful lines that have entered the realms of English literature over the centuries. Indeed a riveting read for young and old!

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Dramatic Works, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Historical Fiction, Julius Caesar, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, play, William Shakespeare

Considered to be one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays, the tragedy King Lear portrays some of the darkest aspects of human nature that can be found in literature. The helplessness of the human condition, as we fall prey to our destinies, the injustice and random cruelties practiced by people, suffering and humiliation, the lust for power and the greed for wealth are all depicted in this magnificent play. And through it all, runs the golden thread of love and sacrifice, daughterly affection and the true nature of our relationship with our parents. Little is known about the writing of the play. It is thought to have been drafted some time in 1603 but the authorship of Shakespeare was finally attributed to it only in the 1623 First Folio. Early 17th century audiences disliked the gloomy aspects of the play and it was given a happy ending. However, in the 19th century, the original was brought back and with it, Shakespeare’s unerring grasp of human nature, love and family values. The almost fairytale quality of the opening scene can beguile the reader into a sense of familiarity. However, this is literally the lull before the storm! King Lear of Britain is aging and he wishes to divide his inheritance and the kingdom among his three daughters. However, he devises a strange test for each, based on which he will give the largest share to the winner. The daughters have to describe how much they love him. The elder two, Goneril and Regan heap praise on their father, layering their speech with fulsome compliments designed to please and flatter the old man. However the youngest, his favorite daughter, Cordelia remains silent, saying she has no words to express her love. Enraged and disappointed, the old king disinherits Cordelia and gives her share to her two sisters. Her lover, the Duke of Kent, objects, but he is banished. Lear then declares that he will spend the rest of his life with his two faithful elder daughters and here begins the kernel of the play. Said to be based on a legendary ruler of ancient Britain, Shakespeare’s brilliance turns the bland myth into a towering narrative, filled with wonderful quotations and dramatic elements, creating an immortal portrait of the human condition. Lear’s descent into madness and the final tragic aspects of the play make it an unforgettable read. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Dramatic Works, ebooks, free audio books, King Lear, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Myths/Legends, play, tragedy, William Shakespeare

Jo’s Boys is the third book in the Little Women trilogy by Louisa May Alcott, published in 1886. In it, Jo’s “children”, now grown, are caught up in real world troubles. All three books – although fiction – are highly autobiographical and describe characters that were really in Alcott’s life. This book contains romance as the childhood playmates become flirtatious young men and women. The characters are growing up, going out into the world and deciding their futures.

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Dramatic Works, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Jo's Boys, Literature, Louisa May Alcott, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, romance

His name has become a metaphor for one who will never grow old. Peter Pan by JM Barrie is the story of a boy who remains a boy while the world around him changes. Sir James Mathew Barrie was a Scottish playwright and novelist whose works were received with great critical and commercial success in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. He discovered the main inspiration for his creative genius in his friendship (and later guardianship) with the children of Arthur and Sylvia Llewellyn-Davies. The Llewellyn-Davies boys, five in number and related to the famous Du Maurier family, featured in many of Barrie’s stories and plays and some of these works were written specifically for them. Peter Pan was first introduced as a character in one of Barrie’s stories, The Little White Bird in 1901. Consequently, he appeared in a few other stories and plays and finally in 1904 made his debut in a full length play, Peter Pan or The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up. Following the phenomenal success of the play, Barrie transformed it into a novel in 1911 entitled Peter and Wendy. Peter Pan is pure and delightful fantasy. Peter’s character is far from a “perfect child.” He is selfish, foolish, thoughtless and ignorant and this is where the real appeal of the book lies. Readers are preconditioned to believe that childhood and children must always be portrayed as good and innocent. However, Barrie portrays Peter in all his authentic humanity and that’s what makes him so endearing because we truly see ourselves in Peter Pan. The descriptions are fascinating in their detail and intricacy, the dialog and conversations are absolutely spot on and Neverland is a brilliant example of the Utopia we all seek in its perfection and completeness. Captain Hook is a truly evil villain, while Tinkerbell shines in all her haughty magic. For readers who have only seen the saccharine sweet Disney version, the original Peter Pan may come as a surprise! Peter Pan cajoles Wendy Darling and two more boys to fly with him to Neverland to become the surrogate family of the Lost Boys there. A series of adventures follows, including scary encounters with Captain Hook and the vicious Tiger Lily. In fact, many readers have found the tale to be quite a disturbing Victorian fantasy about motherhood and emotional immaturity. Whatever the interpretation, Peter Pan remains one of the most brilliant and definitive portrayals of childhood and children.

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, Dramatic Works, ebooks, fantasy, fiction, free audio books, J. M. Barrie, Kids, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Peter Pan, Teen/Young adult

A precursor to gothic literature and science fiction genres, Frankenstein is a novel fuming with imagination as it depicts a well known horror story. Shelly’s gothic fiction is written in epistolary form as a means of correspondence between the failed writer Robert Walton and his sister, while he is away on a dangerous expedition in search of fame. Some major themes explored in the gothic classic are the fallibility of ambition and knowledge, revenge, prejudice, isolation, and the imperfections of society. The novel begins with the introduction of Captain Robert Walton, who is on a ship bound for the North Pole in search of scientific progress and knowledge. During his voyage, he and his crew come across a man nearly frozen and in frail condition. Taking the man onboard and nurturing him back to health, Walton is finally acquainted with Victor Frankenstein. Frankenstein sees the same ambition within Walton that he too possessed and which is the reason for his current troubled state. Hence he decides to recount his life and share the miserable events leading him to his present isolated circumstance. Walton listens and records Frankenstein’s account which begins with his childhood in his family home in Geneva. Even as a young child, Frankenstein was encouraged by his parents to seek out the truth about the world, and use science as his instrument. It is this passion for knowledge that prompts him to conduct experiments in order to recreate life from lifeless matter. However, the result is not the ideal being the scientist had initially expected, and instead produces an eight foot tall creature with yellow eyes and visible muscle tissue. Repulsed by his creation, Frankenstein tries to steer clear of the monster, but only ignites the monster’s anger as it goes into a revenge spree taunting his creator. A chilling tale of murderous mayhem follows which is guaranteed to give goose bumps. Though many are familiar with Frankenstein through countless adaptations, most are unaware of the original depiction which can only be witnessed in the classic novel. Far from a simple horror story meant to scare and entertain, Frankenstein is a timeless classic which evokes vital questions about human nature and centers on important issues targeting human curiosity and the dangers of science. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Dramatic Works, ebooks, fantasy, fiction, Frankenstein, free audio books, Horror/Ghost stories, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, science, science-fiction, Teen/Young adult, tragedy

A life lived backwards, with events happening in reverse order forms the strange and unexpected framework of one of F Scott Fitzgerald’s rare short stories. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was published in Collier’s in 1927 and the idea came to Fitzgerald apparently from a quote of Mark Twain’s in which he regretted that the best part of life came at the beginning and the worst at the end. Fitzgerald’s concept of using this notion and turning the normal sequence of life on its head resulted in this delightful, thought provoking fantasy tale. The story was later incorporated in a Fitzgerald anthology, Tales of the Jazz Age. The story opens with a young, high society couple who are shocked beyond belief when they discover that their much awaited first born child resembles an elderly gent of seventy, complete with a white beard and whiskers, sitting up and querulously demanding to know, “Are you my father?” Their young son is born to live out a peculiar destiny. And so begins a grotesque journey through life, with the child, Benjamin “growing down” instead of up. Set in the Baltimore of the 1860s the story is also a satire of contemporary American society of the time. Though Fitzgerald maintains a cool and light tone throughout the story, it is in fact, deeply reflective and a very interesting take on the human condition. For contemporary readers who are familiar with the problems of aging and “second childhood” Benjamin Button’s difficulties with dealing with the demands of his chronological age vs his mental age are extremely interesting. As we find more and more older people succumbing to Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, requiring the kind of care that an infant does, the story is strangely prophetic of the condition of geriatric care in our century. The plot is not exactly new to literature, with several stories and novels being written on a similar theme by many other writers. However, Fitzgerald’s take on growing old and how we humans deal with it is what sets The Curious Case of Benjamin Button apart. The style is extremely readable, the premise is intriguing and refreshingly different and appeals to readers of all ages. The story was adapted into a film in 2008 and continues to fascinate Fitzgerald fans the world over. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Comedy

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Comedy, Dramatic Works, ebooks, F. Scott Fitzgerald, fiction, free audio books, humor, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Short stories, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

A collection of short stories first published in 1912, the book focuses on events occurring in the popular fictional village of Avonlea, which is notorious as the hometown of Anne Shirley. Comprised of 12 short stories, the Chronicles of Avonlea present a different view of the town, with the introduction of many new gripping characters, which prove to be just as endearing as their most renowned resident. Tales of everyday snippets of life proving to be humorous, identifiable, and heartwarming, the collection is an effective reinvigoration to the classic setting. Montgomery’s short stories are loosely related to the Anne of Green Gables series, incorporating the charming Anne as a minor role in one of the stories and briefly mentioning her in others. It also features some other familiar characters, although the plots are independent of the series and are based on the experiences on other Avonlea locals. One of the most gripping stories in the collection, which holds the power to enchant, is “Each in His Own Tongue” where Montgomery portrays the sacred nature of art and its hidden value. The tale involves a young boy who has a love and gift for the violin, but his passion is frowned upon by his grandfather who is a reverend, and frowns upon the idea of the boy becoming a musician. However, the boy’s talents are well known and appreciated by various residents, and although he is forbidden he still continues to play the violin. Much to the dismay of the minister, the captivating tune does in fact have the ability to serve a higher purpose and is even able to match the foundations of his own capacity as a church member. Nevertheless, each story portrays its own unique plot guaranteed to entertain with its colorful variety. Focusing on universal themes about mankind, the book conveys the flaws of critical behavior that is sure to leave a poignant mark later in life. In addition it deals with compassion, taking risks, and absolute dedication in order to attain one’s hopes and dreams, while serving as a reminder to not allow pride the luxury to govern one’s choices.

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Chronicles of Avonlea, Dramatic Works, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Kids, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Lucy Maud Montgomery, romance, Teen/Young adult

Rilla of Ingleside is the eighth book in the Anne of Green Gables series and focuses on the inspiring journey of Rilla Blythe, the youngest daughter of Anne and Gilbert, as she transforms from a carefree young girl into an enduring young woman swept into the chaos of war. Written from a female perspective, Montgomery accurately depicts a time in history, as she provides a contemporaneous account of the war and serves up the most emotional book in the series. Set during the First World War, the novel explores themes of coming of age, love, separation, and most importantly women’s roles during the war. The novel begins with the introduction of 15-year-old girl Rilla, who appears as a spoilt, self-centered and immature young girl, preoccupied with adolescent strife as she excitedly prepares for her first grown-up party. However, the bliss of the party is interrupted when word reaches of the outbreak of war and throws the town into frenzy as the men talk about joining. Subsequently, Rilla’s brother Jem and his friend Jerry enlist and go to a training camp before leaving to join the front in France. Following a series of events, Rilla is left alone with her parents worrying about the fate of those fighting, which later include her brother Walter and her love interest Kenneth. As the war continues, the young girl slowly matures and turns her back on her past self-serving ways and instead embraces helping others and putting their needs above her own. Assisting the Junior Red Cross, helping a couple wed, and raising a war orphan are just some of the responsibilities Rilla takes up without protest. As the novel progresses, so does the young protagonist who courageously rises to each occasion with the hope of the safe return of loved ones. A heart wrenching and inspirational sequel, Rilla of Ingleside offers a rare insight in the roles and hardships experienced by women during war as they were left to the mercy of uncertainty as each day passed. A story caught up in the shadow of war, the novel is an emotional journey of growth, loss, and sacrifice, but nevertheless a timeless piece of literature.

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Dramatic Works, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Kids, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Memoirs, play, Rilla of Ingleside, Teen/Young adult, War stories

Daisy Miller is an 1878 novella by Henry James. It portrays the confused courtship of the eponymous American girl by Winterbourne, a compatriot of hers with much more sophistication. His pursuit of her is hampered by her own flirtatiousness, which is frowned upon by the other expatriates they meet in Switzerland and Italy. Her lack of understanding of the social mores of the society she so desperately wishes to enter ultimately leads to tragedy.

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Daisy Miller: A Study in Two Parts, Dramatic Works, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Henry James, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com

Eleven year old Rebecca Rowena Randall travels to Riverboro, Maine, to live with her spinster aunts, Jane and Miranda Sawyer. Her father has been dead for three years and her mother is unable to cope with her brood of seven growing children. Rebecca is being sent to her aunts’ farm to try to improve her prospects in life and also ease the family’s burden. The aunts had actually wanted her older and more placid sister, Hannah, who is more handy round the house to be sent, but Rebecca’s mother sends the dreamy, more imaginative Rebecca instead. Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin was published in 1903. The fictional town of Riverboro is based on Hollis, Maine, where the author herself spent her childhood. Kate Douglas Wiggin’s life took a monumental turn with a chance encounter – her unexpected meeting with Charles Dickens on a train when she was 11 years old. She engaged the famous author in a lively chat that she later described in a memoir A Child’s Journey with Dickens published in 1912. She began writing to supplement the family income and achieved great success with many of her books and stories. She wrote for both children and adults and some of her works included scholarly non-fiction on education and child rearing. However, she is best known for her classic children’s books like Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, Mother Carey’s Chickens and Rose o’ the River. She was also a talented musician and is credited with several melodious compositions. This book has much in common with another book written two years later, one which is equally famous and loved by children the world over – Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Though Anne’s story continued over eleven more books, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm was followed by just one sequel written by Wiggin, The New Chronicles of Rebecca. A distant cousin of her husband’s, Eric Wiggin, wrote a few more Rebecca books in the 1990’s and also updated the original. Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm traces the heroine’s growth and maturity from an impulsive, carefree child into a responsible, mature young woman, who is able to use her imaginative gifts wisely and profitably. The book was adapted for the stage by the author herself in 1909 and filmed several times. The most popular film version has Shirley Temple playing Rebecca. More than a hundred years after it first came out, the book remains a firm favorite with children and adults the world over. A great addition to your collection of classic children’s books!

Categories: Arts, Education, Kids & Family

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Dramatic Works, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, instruction, Kate Douglas Wiggin, Kids, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, Teen/Young adult

In a tiny French dukedom, a younger brother usurps his elder brother’s throne. Duke Senior is banished to the Forest of Arden along with his faithful retainers, leaving his lovely daughter Rosalind behind to serve as a companion for the usurper’s daughter, Celia. However, the outspoken Rosalind soon earns her uncle’s wrath and is also condemned to exile. The two cousins decide to flee together and join Duke Senior in the forest. Meanwhile, a young nobleman, Orlando is thrown out of his home by his cruel older brother Oliver. He too finds his way into the forest. What follows is absolutely captivating and a typical Shakespearean comedy! As You Like It was printed in the First Folio in 1623 though there is evidence to show that it was performed quite regularly after its presumed creation between 1598-1600. Though a very popular play and one that has been invariably brought to stage, As You Like It is not considered to be the finest of Shakespeare’s works. George Bernard Shaw commented that it was devoid of the “high artistry” that marked the great playwright. However, others like critic Harold Bloom have found Rosalind to be one of Shakespeare’s great heroines. The complicated twists and turns in the plot, elaborate disguises and gender reversals, the importance of love and forgiveness, the contrast between court and forest and the antics of Touchstone, the Fool who accompanies Duke Senior to the forest all make this a delightful play to view and to read. This is also one of Shakespeare’s most musical plays. There are plenty of songs incorporated into the body of the play, adding to the rural charm of the pastoral landscape. “Under the Greenwood Tree,” “Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind” and “It was a Lover and his Lass” are some of the famous songs that feature in As You Like It. The play is also famous for one of the most widely quoted passages in literature: “All the World’s a Stage” spoken by the melancholy Jacques, who is Duke Senior’s faithful lord and has vowed to stay with him throughout his troubles. The portrayals of the Seven Ages of Man, from birth till death is one of the immortal examples of Shakespeare’s deep insight into the human condition. As You Like It is indeed a delightful and charming play and one that will provide hours of entertaining reading!

Categories: Arts, Comedy

Tags: As You Like It, audio books, audiobook, Comedy, Dramatic Works, ebooks, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, play, William Shakespeare

Right from its famous opening scene which begins, “Thunder and lightning. Enter Three Witches” The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare holds the reader fast in a stirring, monumental experience that plumbs the depths of the human soul and reveals its most morbid secrets. The play is set in medieval Scotland. It is based partly on historical facts and recounts the tale of Macbeth, who was a king in Scotland, according to The Holinshead Chronicles, a book published in 1577. This book was extensively used by contemporary playwrights like Shakespeare and Marlowe as inspiration for their themes, characters and events. Though Shakespeare did use some of the material found in Holinshead, the final product is entirely his own and he fleshed-out and created most of the principal characters himself in a play that is considered his darkest, most ominous and most powerful tragedy. The Tragedy of Macbeth is also one that explores the nature of the supernatural in our lives. The play begins with Macbeth and Banquo, two army generals in the employ of their king, Duncan, returning victorious from two different wars. As they cross a dark and lonely heath, they encounter three women who predict that Macbeth will be named Thane of Cawdor and one day reign as King of Scotland and that Banquo will beget an illustrious line of noble descendants who will one day rule the land, though Banquo himself will never reign. The two men are skeptical, but their disbelief begins to vanish when messengers arrive with the news that Macbeth has been elevated to the rank of Thane of Cawdor! This sets off a train of devastating events. Macbeth’s ambitious and evil wife, Lady Macbeth, is willing to go to any lengths to achieve her ends. Plots, treason, murder, ghosts, war and suicide follow, in a terrible mélange. Macbeth is Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy. It deals with issues that are relevant even today. The overarching greed for power at any cost, the breakdown of morality, corruption and unbridled ambition, cruelty and its effect on the soul, omens and portents, superstitions and violence are some of the dark themes explored. Since it was first performed in the 1600s, Macbeth has remained one of the most widely enacted plays in the world, been translated into hundreds of world languages, given contemporary twists, adapted for film, television, studied in schools and universities and been the subject of psychological, sociological and political research. Ultimately, it remains one of the most remarkable portrayals of the shadowy and unlit spaces of the human heart. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Dramatic Works, ebooks, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, play, The Tragedy of Macbeth, tragedy, William Shakespeare

The Happy Prince and Other Tales (also sometimes called The Happy Prince and Other Stories) is an 1888 collection of stories for children by Oscar Wilde. It is most famous for The Happy Prince, the short tale of a metal statue who befriends a migratory bird. Together, they bring happiness to others, in life as well as in death. The stories included in this collection are:The Happy PrinceThe Nightingale and the RoseThe Selfish GiantThe Devoted FriendThe Remarkable RocketThe stories convey an appreciation for the exotic, the sensual and for masculine beauty.

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Dramatic Works, ebooks, Fairy tales, fiction, free audio books, Kids, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Myths/Legends, Oscar Wilde, Short stories, The Happy Prince and Other Tales

Nineteenth century attitudes towards marriage, the role of women, morality and the search for identity are brilliantly explored in Henrik Ibsen’s three act play, A Doll’s House. It was highly controversial and received with a sense of outrage among opinion leaders in Europe. Many thinkers like August Strindberg lashed out at Ibsen for portraying the sacred institution of marriage in such a derogatory way. A Doll’s House, written in the original Danish, was first performed at the Royal Theater in Copenhagen in 1879. The ending of the play, where the heroine, Nora decides to leave her sham of a marriage aroused the ire of many viewers and critics at that time. The play portrays Nora Helmer who is the pampered wife of a wealthy banker, Torvald Helmer. He treats Nora as a parent would pamper and indulge a child, calling her his “little squirrel” and constantly teasing and making fun of her habits and personality. When Nora’s old friend Kristine Lind drops in with a request that Nora put in a word to Torvald about finding Kristine a job in the bank, things take a dramatic and unexpected turn. Nora’s entire world turns upside down and she gradually comes to realize that she has been living a life that’s a mere facade. Though she has taken serious decisions that have protected her family, she has always been regarded as a helpless and incompetent infant. As the play progresses, Nora’s gradual realization of her own true powers and strengths lead to the stunning climax. The first English production of A Doll’s House was an adaptation by Henry Jones and Henry Herman, who re-titled it Breaking a Butterfly. English audiences were prevented from watching a real translation of the play for many decades by a ban order passed by the government. However, today with more liberal thinking, the rise of the feminist movement and a more broad and humanist ideology prevailing, A Doll’s House can be read or watched almost anywhere in the world without restrictions. As a revolutionary play that attacked the oppressive and inhuman mind-set of traditional, patriarchal social orders throughout the world, A Doll’s House is a remarkable and thought provoking work of literature. It not only addresses the place of women in society, but also that of men and how the usefulness of each is essential for healthy family life and child rearing. It is relevant even today, when perhaps such attitudes still persist though things may seem to have changed on the surface, more than a century after it was written.

Categories: Arts

Tags: A Doll's House, audio books, audiobook, Dramatic Works, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Henrik Ibsen, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, play, tragedy

Banished from his own lands by a usurping brother, Prospero and his daughter Miranda have been living on a deserted island for years, until fate brings the brother within the range of Prospero’s powers. Will he seek revenge, or reconcilement? More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Comedy

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Comedy, Dramatic Works, ebooks, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, play, The Tempest, William Shakespeare

A secret shared by four convicts and two prison guards, a daughter in search of her missing father, a strange gift of a single pearl received every year, a fabulous treasure buried in the ancient Agra Fort in India, an eccentric detective being consulted to solve a deadly puzzle. All these events are set against the turbulent backdrop of the Great Indian Mutiny of 1857 in the second Sherlock Holmes novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Sign of the Four. Mary Morstan, a lovely young woman, comes to the Baker Street lodgings shared by Holmes and Dr Watson. Her mother died when she was very little and her father, an army Captain stationed in India, sent the child back to England to live in a boarding house. She had never seen her father, but ten years earlier, when she was seventeen she received a letter from him saying he had retired, was on his way home and asking her to meet him at the Langham Hotel in London. However, at the Langham, she discovers that her father stepped out the previous evening and never returned. Since then, every year, on her birthday she has been receiving a present from an anonymous giver. It is a very expensive, lustrous, single pearl. And now, she has received a mysterious letter asking her to come to the Lyceum Theater at seven in the evening, bringing two friends with her. For Sherlock Holmes, this is an enigma that’s simply crying out to be solved! Added to this are masterly touches that provide more insights into Holmes’ unconventional persona. His uncanny ways of tracking through sight, sound and smell, his knowledge of diverse subjects and his fondness for obscure quotations in foreign languages are all aspects that went into the creation of the immortal detective. Following the publication of The Sign of the Four, Doyle began concentrating on the short story format featuring Holmes and Watson. This met with immediate success and led to a revived interest in the novels and the rest, as they say, became literary history. The Sign of the Four has been adapted extensively on stage, screen, TV and radio. In fact, more than eighteen different film versions have been made since 1913-2013, marking a century of perennial interest in the maverick sleuth and his faithful assistant!

Categories: Arts

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, Dramatic Works, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, MYSTERY, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Sign of the Four

George MacDonald’s fairy stories and fantasy have inspired a number of writers including C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien and of this popular fairy story, which as you might suspect concerns a little princess plotted against by a race of goblins, G.K. Chesterton said that it “made a difference to my whole existence.”

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Dramatic Works, ebooks, Fairy tales, fiction, free audio books, George MacDonald, Kids, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, The Princess and the Goblin