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“One morning Gregor Samsa woke from anxious dreams to find himself transformed into a disgusting insect…” Thus opens one of the most famous books of the twentieth century, The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. Published in 1915, The Metamorphosis is written originally in German. It is a brief but extremely thought provoking novella. Readers and writers have termed it one of the most influential works of the century and hailed Kafka as the creator of a new form in literary tradition. Today, the book has been studied, analyzed and researched extensively by teachers, students and psychologists. It is seen as a tale which reflects how human beings view those who are stricken by illness or disability. It also causes us to think about our attitudes towards people of different sexual orientation, race, social and economic status. Franz Kafka was a Czech writer who struggled to find his voice amidst the pressures and compulsions enforced by his strict father. He studied law but ultimately went to work in a government agency for a pittance, which however, allowed him to spend time on developing his passion for writing. He wrote The Metamorphosis in 1912 but it took the Herculean efforts of friends and well-wishers to finally persuade him to publish it, as he was so lacking in confidence in his own abilities. The book met with instant success, bagging the prestigious Theodor Fontane Prize for German literature. Spurred by the acclaim and encouragement he received, Kafka went on to write a slew of short stories and novels. However, before many of them were published, Kafka tragically died at the age of just 41. His works, which included many letters to friends and his personal journals form part of his body of work. His close friend Max Brod did not heed his last wishes to destroy all his manuscripts and hence we are fortunate enough to still have access to the works of this great writer even today. Translations from the original German into other world languages is an ongoing feature of Kafka’s work. Gregor Samsa the unlikely hero of The Metamorphosis finds himself in a most bizarre, yet unexplained, situation when he wakes up as a revolting vermin. His family and friends cannot accept him and their subsequent behavior towards him forms the rest of this strange yet intensely poignant story. As one of the most important turning points in modern literature, The Metamorphosis is indeed a great addition to your collection.

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Franz Kafka, free audio books, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, The Metamorphosis

Mary Everest Boole (1832-1916) was born Mary Everest in England and spent her early years in France. She married mathematician George Boole. She was the author of several works on teaching and teaching mathematics in particular. This short book, Philosophy and Fun of Algebra, is meant to be read by children and introduces algebra and logic. She uses the word “algebra” broadly, defining it as a “method of solving problems by honest confession of one’s ignorance”. Using this definition, Boole introduces, in a conversational manner, the concepts of logic and algebra, illustrating these concepts with stories and anecdotes, often from biblical sources. At times, her discussion seems somewhat mystical, speaking of the imagination and angels as messengers which guide one toward the next step in a logical investigation. Boole ends the book with a reminder that algebra’s essential element is “the habitual registration of the exact limits of one’s knowledge” and a call for the public to keep this principle in mind when encountering any situation.

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, Kids, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Mary Everest Boole, Non-fiction, Philosophy, Philosophy and Fun of Algebra, science

Zane Grey (Pearl Zane Gray) born in 1872 in Zanesville, Ohio was best known for his western stories, most notably Riders Of The Purple Sage which has been filmed four times, the last in 1996 starring Ed Harris and Amy Madigan. Among his other interests was baseball. He attended the University of Pennsylvania on a baseball scholarship where he earned a degree in dentistry. Grey later played minor league baseball with a team in Wheeling, West Virginia. According to the Internet Movie Data Base he is credited with 110 films made from his stories and books. Grey died from a heart attack in 1939 in Altadena, California. In The Shortstop (1909) drawing on his baseball experience Grey follows the adventures of seventeen year-old Chase Alloway on his quest to make his fortune as a baseball player and lift his family out of poverty. Along the way young Chase encounters hardship and set-back. But with perseverance he discovers not only himself but friendship and love.

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Teen/Young adult, The Shortstop, Zane Grey

The Blackfeet were hunters, travelling from place to place on foot. They used implements of stone, wood, or bone, wore clothing made of skins, and lived in tents covered by hides. Dogs, their only tame animals, were used as beasts of burden to carry small packs and drag light loads. The stories here told come down to us from very ancient times. Grandfathers have told them to their grandchildren, and these again to their grandchildren, and so from mouth to mouth, through many generations, they have reached our time. (Sibella Denton)

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Blackfeet Indian Stories, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, George B. Grinnell, History, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Memoirs, Myths/Legends

Rabbi Louis Ginzberg was one of the outstanding Talmudists of the twentieth century. He was born on November 28, 1873, in Kovno, Lithuania; he died on November 11, 1953, in New York City. Ginzberg taught at the Jewish Theological seminary from 1903 to 1953. For 50 years, he trained two generations of Conservative Rabbis.The Legends of the Jews is an epic 7-volume compilation of traditional Jewish stories loosely related to the Bible. Volumes 1-4 contain the stories, while volumes 5-7 contain Ginzberg’s notes and commentary. Over the millenia, these stories, which expand on the Bible, flesh out the lives of biblical figures. In the process, they help bring to life the Bible’s valuable lessons.The Legends of the Jews has been called a monumental work of scholarship. It is studied by serious students of both Judaism and Christianity. And yet the stories continue to be accessible and understood by all. They were designed to impart lessons of the Torah, and any child or adult will find much to enjoy about this work.

Categories: Arts, Religion & Spirituality

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Legends of the Jews, Louis Ginzberg, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Myths/Legends, religion, Short stories

There are certain names which are familiar, as names, to all mankind; and every person who seeks for any degree of mental cultivation, feels desirous of informing himself of the leading outlines of their history, that he may know, in brief, what it was in their characters or their doings which has given them so widely-extended a fame. Consequently, great historical names alone are selected; and it has been the writer’s aim to present the prominent and leading traits in their characters, and all the important events in their lives, in a bold and free manner, and yet in the plain and simple language which is so obviously required in works which aim at permanent and practical usefulness. This volume is dedicated to Hannibal. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Biography, ebooks, free audio books, hannibal, History, Jacob Abbott, Kids, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, War stories

The Social Contract outlines Rousseau’s views on political justice, explaining how a just and legitimate state is to be founded, organized and administered. Rousseau sets forth, in his characteristically brazen and iconoclastic manner, the case for direct democracy, while simultaneously casting every other form of government as illegitimate and tantamount to slavery. Often hailed as a revolutionary document which sparked the French Revolution, The Social Contract serves both to inculcate dissatisfaction with actually-existing governments and to allow its readers to envision and desire a radically different form of political and social organization. (Summary by Eric Jonas)

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, Philosophy, Politics, The Social Contract

Two boys from the Foundling Hospital are given the same name, with disastrous consequences in adulthood. Two associates, wishing to right the wrong, are commissioned to find a missing heir. Their quest takes them from fungous wine cellars in the City of London to the sunshine of the Mediterranean — across the Alps in winter. Danger and treachery would prevail were it not for the courage of the heroine and the faithful company servant. The story contains crafted descriptions, well-drawn and diverse characters, eerie and exotic backgrounds, mystery, semi-concealed identities, brinkmanship with death, romance, the eventual triumph of Good over Evil, and many other elements expected in classic Dickens. First published in 1867 there are thematic parallels with other books from Dickens’ mature writings, including Little Dorrit (1857) and especially Our Mutual Friend (1865). The Listener will decide if this story yields insights into The Mystery of Edwin Drood (unfinished 1870). Wilkie Collings collaborated with Charles Dickens to produce this ‘Christmas’ book and the stage play of the same name. In the book Collins assisted in Act 1 and Act 4; Collins scripted most of the stage play with Dickens’ assistance. If this book were released today it would be splashed “THE BOOK OF THE FILM”. Summary by Alan Chant.

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Charles Dickens, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, No Thoroughfare

This autobiographical work describes the author’s harrowing experience caught on a small drifting piece of ice, while crossing a frozen bay by dog team on the Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland.

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: Adrift on an Ice-Pan, art, audio books, audiobook, Biography, ebooks, free audio books, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Memoirs, Non-fiction, Sir Wilfred Grenfell

Set in 19th century Russia, The Brothers Karamazov (Russian: Братья Карамазовы) is the last novel written by the illustrious author Fyodor Dostoyevsky who died a few months before the book’s publication. The deeply philosophical and passionate novel tells the story of Fyodor Karamazov, an immoral debauch whose sole aim in life is the acquisition of wealth. Twice married, he has three sons whose welfare and upbringing, he cares nothing about. At the beginning of the story, Dimitri Karamazov, the eldest son who is now a twenty-eight year old war veteran, returns to his home town to claim the inheritance left to him by his dead mother. Fyodor is none too pleased to see him as he hates to part with money. The middle brother Ivan, a cold and unemotional man, is called in to settle the dispute but he fails. The youngest son, Alyosha, a gentle and learned soul is training to be a monk in a nearby monastery. He suggests that they consult the famous monastic elder Zosima who could work out a satisfactory solution. The plot winds through an amazing labyrinth of twists and turns, with the characters of the three brothers becoming more and more apparent to the readers. As different aspects of a human being, the three are completely different, yet bound by the irrevocable ties of common ancestry. The true hero of the story is the gentle Alyosha, whose spiritual journey and wonderfully humane qualities of kindness and compassion remain with the reader for ever. As one of the most compelling and fascinating explorations of the human heart, The Brothers Karamazov remains one of the world’s greatest literary creations. A novel of great length (it is divided into twelve volumes) and breadth, its sheer scale and scope captures the imagination of readers. The book has had an enduring influence on writers all over the world. It was admired and loved by renowned intellectuals like Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, Sartre, Camus, James Joyce, Franz Kafka and a host of others. Pope Benedict XVI referred to it in his 2007 encyclical. It has been extensively adapted for stage, screen, TV and translated into many world languages. Dostoyevsky was one of literature’s greatest observers of the human mind. His writings were shaped by his own experiences of political activism, imprisonment, questioning of faith and finding spiritual enlightenment towards the end of his life. The novel is as relevant today as when it was published in 1880 and though it is deeply complex, it was also strangely prophetic as it foretold the events that would take place under the Soviet Regime.

Categories: Arts, Education, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Languages, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, Philosophy, Psychology, The Brothers Karamazov

Oedipus the King (often known by the Latin title Oedipus Rex) is an Athenian tragedy by Sophocles that was first performed c. 429 BC. It was the second of Sophocles’s three Theban plays to be produced, but it comes first in the internal chronology, followed by Oedipus at Colonus and then Antigone. Over the centuries, it has come to be regarded by many as the Greek tragedy par excellence. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Dramatic Works, ebooks, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Myths/Legends, Oedipus Rex, play, poetry, Sophocles

An anthology of Buddhist scriptures, appropriate as an introduction to its vast literature, or as a sampler for those who want to better understand Buddhism. The selections in this anthology are primarily from the Theravada school of Buddhism.

Categories: Arts, Religion & Spirituality

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Buddhist Writings, ebooks, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, religion, various

Science fiction (abbreviated SF or sci-fi with varying punctuation and case) is a broad genre of fiction that often involves sociological and technical speculations based on current or future science or technology. This is a reader-selected collection of short stories originally published between 1931 and 1963, that entered the US public domain when their copyright was not renewed. Summary by Cori Samuel, with Wikipedia input.

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, science-fiction, Short Science Fiction Collection, Short stories, Teen/Young adult, various

A young, but not too brilliant writer is conscripted by a ne’er-do-well friend to help out on a chicken farm in remote Dorset. While traveling to the country, the writer encounters a lovely young girl and her academician father on the train. He is delighted to discover that she is reading a copy of his latest book. In the countryside, he also discovers that the professor and his daughter are neighbors. However, over dinner one night, he gets into an acrimonious debate with the elderly scholar who storms out, furious with his daughter’s potential suitor. Meanwhile the chicken farm seems to be a doomed enterprise… All this and other zany events form the delightful plot of Love Among the Chickens by PG Wodehouse. Published in 1906 in England and also serialized in the Circle magazine, it was revised and rewritten several times by the author himself. He changed the narrative viewpoint, the ending and the dedication several times before finally settling on this version. It was also the first Wodehouse book to be independently published in the United States. Love Among the Chickens is notable for being the first novel for adult readers written by the master humorist. It also introduces the insufferable Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge, schemer, egomaniac and supreme opportunist. This character features in many of Wodehouse’s short stories and though he never reached the heights of popularity that others like Jeeves, Wooster and the Blandings set did, Wodehouse himself confessed a sneaking fondness for this slippery villain. Based on a real character whom Wodehouse knew well, and in fact dedicated Love Among the Chickens to, Ukridge features in more than 18 short stories about himself and several more which are about other denizens of Wodehouse’s inimitable world. However, Love Among the Chickens is the only full length book the obnoxious Ukridge appears in. Wodehouse fans will be charmed as usual with his impeccable plotting, faultless sense of timing and the wonderful world of afternoon teas and eccentric aunts. Another quality that makes his works so attractive is the brilliant use of the English language and how he bends it to evoke both delighted chuckles and gusts of laughter. Few may know that Wodehouse, in spite of his lighthearted themes and plots, was a perfectionist when it came to his craft. He is famous for his detailed construction and development of plot lines and character study. He was also an extremely prolific writer, but naïve when it came to finance, politics and government regulations. Love Among the Chickens is indeed a most entertaining and madcap adventure, great for readers of all ages.

Categories: Arts, Comedy

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Comedy, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, humor, Literature, Love Among the Chickens, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, P. G. Wodehouse

An aristocratic English family is marooned off the coast of West Africa. They find their way into the interior of the dense jungle that lines the coast and here, Lord Greystoke is killed by a predatory ape. Lady Greystoke survives with her infant boy, but in a few months, she too succumbs to the perils of jungle life. The baby is adopted by a maternal she-ape who nurses him along with her own child. This marks the dawn of a legend – Tarzan of the Apes. Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American novelist who turned to fiction writing after an unsuccessful stint as a pencil sharpener salesman. His shrewd business acumen and marketing blitzkrieg ensured that Tarzan burst upon the world in the form of novels, comic-strips, films and merchandise. The legend of Tarzan took on the proportions of an icon that has endured ever since it first appeared in 1912. Since then, nearly 26 books and short stories featuring the Lord of the Jungle appeared in various magazines and in serial form. It seemed as if the world could not get enough of this rough hewn nobleman, clad in leopard skin and leaping through the magnificent forests of darkest Africa. Tarzan of the Apes is the very first book in the series. The plot is fast paced and the style captures the reader’s interest till the very last chapter. The young orphan grows up with a tribe of apes, but all the while knowing that he is different from them. He chances upon a small metal box which contains his father’s diary, faded photographs and artifacts that once belonged to his dead parents and finally begins to understand his true heritage. His growth into manhood and his journey to England to trace his lost inheritance form the rest of this compelling story. Generations of readers have enjoyed and loved memorable characters in the book like the maternal she-ape, Kala, the villainous males Kerchak and Tublat and of course, the gorgeous Jane who captures the jungle hero’s heart. Tarzan is portrayed as the symbol of pure and untainted manhood, perfect both physically and mentally and this is probably the secret of his enduring appeal over so many decades. Though modern-day readers may find parts of the novel dated and not politically correct, it remains a classical coming of age story that appeals to young and old alike. Adventure, thrills and romance interspersed with exciting episodes of combat and villainy make it an exciting read. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Edgar Rice Burroughs, fantasy, fiction, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Tarzan of the Apes, Teen/Young adult

Mike’s dream of studying and playing cricket at Cambridge are thwarted as his father runs into financial difficulties. Instead, Mike takes on the job of clerk at the “New Asiatic Bank.” Luckily, school friend Psmith, with his boundless optimism and original views, soon joins his department, and together they endeavour to make the best of their new life in London.

Categories: Arts, Comedy

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Comedy, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, humor, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, P. G. Wodehouse, Psmith in the City

The Tragedy of King Richard II, by William Shakespeare, is the first of the history series that continues with Parts 1 and 2 of King Henry IV and with The Life of King Henry V. At the beginning of the play, Richard II banishes his cousin Henry Bolingbroke from England. Bolingbroke later returns with an army and the support of some of the nobility, and he deposes Richard. Richard is separated from his beloved Queen, imprisoned, and later murdered. By the end of the play, Bolingbroke has been crowned King Henry IV. Audio edited by J. M. Smallheer and John Gonzalez. Characters:Narration, Keeper, and Lord – read by Annie ColemanKing Richard II and First Servant – read by Peter YearsleyNorthumberland and Gaunt – read by ChipBolingbroke – read by Kayvan SylvanAumerle – read by John GonzalezHenry Percy – read by Michael SiroisYork – read by Martin CliftonMowbray – read by Mark F. SmithSurrey and Willoughby – read by Nikolle DoolinSalisbury – read by David BarnesBushy and Carlisle – read by Cecelia PriorBagot, Abbot, Scroop, and Exton – read by LintonGreen – read by deadwhitemalesQueen Isabel – read by Joy ChanDuchess of York – read by Kristen McQuillinBerkeley – read by RainerRoss – read by Mr. Baby ManFitzwater and Groom – read by Sean McKinleyMarshal – read by Lenny Glionna Jr.Captain and First Herald – read by Hugh MacDuchess of Gloucester – read by GesineLady – read by Maureen S. O’BrienGardener, Second Herald, and Second Servant – read by Kara Shallenberg

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Dramatic Works, ebooks, free audio books, History, King Richard II, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, play, tragedy, William Shakespeare

Comprised of four parts, Gulliver’s Travels documents the bizarre, yet fascinating voyages of Lemuel Gulliver as he makes his way through several uncharted destinations, experiencing the lives of the small, the giant, the scientific, and downright eccentric societies. Narrated in first person, Swift successfully portrays Gulliver’s thoughts and reactions as he faces struggles of integration throughout his travels. Beginning with the introduction of Gulliver, an educated ship’s surgeon, who after a series of unfortunate events is victim to repeated shipwrecks, desertions, and set adrift. His first of several misadventures sees him washed up on the shores of Lilliput, home to the less than six inches tall Lilliputians, where he wakes up to the sounds of scurrying beneath him. However, roles are reversed when his misfortunes lead him to Brobdingnag, a land occupied by giants where he must experience life as an inferior and fragile being. Subsequently, he comes across a society of oppressive theoreticians, and finally an intellectual, superior race. Divided between the known and the unknown, Gulliver must put aside his prejudgments and experience the unfamiliar societies first hand. As the novel gradually progresses, the transformation of the narrator becomes evident as he draws conclusions from each and every one of his adventures. Written by the master of satire, Jonathan Swift has not only created a story of adventure, but also cunningly attacks the mere nature of society in between its lines. Abuse of power, criticism of human nature, politics, and individualism are just some of the themes explored during the enlightening journeys of the venturesome Gulliver. Swift’s witty use of metaphors and satirical style serves as a puzzle waiting to be solved. An adventure story for the young, but a critical piece for the mature, the novel has a bit of everything and appeals to all age groups. The details in which the locations are described, the escapism it offers, and its openness to interpretation is what makes Gulliver’s Travels a timeless piece of literature.

Categories: Arts, Comedy, Society & Culture

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fantasy, fiction, free audio books, Gulliver's Travels, Jonathan Swift, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, satire, travel