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When you dive into Mark Twain’s (Samuel Clemens’) The Innocents Abroad, you have to be ready to learn more about the unadorned, ungilded reality of 19th century “touring” than you might think you want to learn. This is a tough, literary journey. It was tough for Twain and his fellow “pilgrims”, both religious and otherwise. They set out, on a June day in 1867, to visit major tourist sites in Europe and the near east, including Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, “the Holy Land”, and Egypt. What Twain records, in often humorous, sometimes grotesque but always fascinating detail, are the day-to-day ups and downs of discovering the truth about people and places. The truths they learn are often far different than their education and rumor have made them preconceive. This is a voyage of discovery. It’s long and, in places, tiresome. But it’s revelatory about so much. As with some of his other works, Twain includes popular prejudices of his time, which are today considered socially unacceptable. His references to “Indians”, “Negroes” and “infidels” come to mind. Beyond the lows, though, there are the highs of Twain’s cutting wit and insight as he guides us along the bumpy and often dangerous voyage. No need to buckle up. Just take it slow, and steady…like the journey itself.

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Mark Twain, Memoirs, Non-fiction, The Innocents Abroad, travel

In his vital, illustrative and dynamic autobiography, Theodore Roosevelt let us into the life that formed one of the greatest and outspoken presidents in American history. Not only are we privy to the formation of his political ideals, but also to his love of the frontier and the great outdoors. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Biography, ebooks, free audio books, History, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Memoirs, Non-fiction, Politics, Theodore Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt: An Autobiography

“Nature” is a short essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson published anonymously in 1836. It is in this essay that the foundation of transcendentalism is put forth, a belief system that espouses a non-traditional appreciation of nature. Recent advances in zoology, botany, and geology confirmed Emerson’s intuitions about the intricate relationships of nature at large. The publication of “Nature” is usually taken to be the watershed moment at which transcendentalism became a major cultural movement. Henry David Thoreau had read “Nature” as a senior at Harvard College and took it to heart. It eventually became an essential influence for Thoreau’s later writings, including his seminal Walden. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, nature, Non-fiction, Philosophy, Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Gift of the Magi is an O. Henry short story in which a young couple are very much in love with each other but can barely afford their one-room apartment. For Christmas, they each make a sacrifice to purchase a gift for the other, with ironic results. The moral of the story is that physical possessions, however valuable they may be, are of little value in the grand scheme of things. The true unselfish love that the characters, Jim and Della, share is greater than their possessions. O. Henry ends the story by clarifying the metaphor between the characters in the story, Della and James (or Jim), and the Biblical Magi. The Gift of the Magi features O. Henry’s characteristic twist ending and use of flowery diction.

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, O. Henry, Short stories, The Gift of the Magi

RESPECTABILITY, n. The offspring of a liaison between a bald head and a bank account. BEAUTY, n. The power by which a woman charms a lover and terrifies a husband. LITIGANT, n. A person about to give up his skin for the hope of retaining his bones. If these caustic definitions catch your fancy, you’d enjoy The Devil’s Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce. He was a columnist with the San Francisco News Letter, a weekly paper which was a business publication aimed at the corporate sector. However, it had a column entitled Town Crier which featured satirical asides and comments in a lighter vein. Bierce went on to edit the paper. His acerbic wit and pungent take on the events of the day earned him the sobriquet of “The Laughing Devil of San Francisco.” At one point, Bierce found himself short of material for the paper and since he had just bought a copy of Webster’s Dictionary, he hit upon the idea of creating a comic dictionary, with a sardonic take on word definitions. In his preface, Bierce says that he began it in a desultory way in 1881 and continued in this fashion till 1906, working through the alphabet. He included some 88 sections comprising about 20 words each as a weekly serial in his newspaper, generously laced with Bierce’s brand of wit, satire and cynicism. Some of it was published under the title The Cynic’s Word Book. In 1911, the entire work was finally compiled and published under the name The Devil’s Dictionary. Apart from zany definitions, the book is also peppered with trenchant bits of verse that add to the appeal. Most of these are Bierce’s own creations, signed under various pseudonyms as Orm Pludge, Salder Bupp and “that learned and ingenious cleric, Father Gassalasca Jape” etc. There are several different versions of The Devil’s Dictionary in circulation. Some are abridged versions, while others have several omissions. Some recent editions are compiled from various sources, since Bierce was largely a freelance columnist and author who contributed to several newspapers simultaneously. He was a gifted writer, orator, journalist, short story writer and fierce opponent of hypocrisy. His credo was “Nothing matters!” He was a purist in style and considered a master craftsman by his peers and readers and generously supported new writers. Bierce’s death is shrouded in mystery because he disappeared without a trace while on a tour of old Civil War battlefields in America and Mexico. The Devil’s Dictionary became so popular that it gave rise to a host of imitations such as Roger’s Profanisaurus, Wickedictionary, The Computer Contradictionary and many more in the same vein. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Comedy

Tags: Ambrose Bierce, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, humor, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, satire, The Devil's Dictionary

A Chief of Police hosts a dinner party for an American millionaire wishing to will his entire fortune to the Church of France. Jewels that have been stolen and recovered so many times that they’re known colloquially by thieves as The Flying Stars. A murder committed by an invisible man. These and many others are the mysteries that are presented to the lovable, bumbling, stumpy Man of God, Father Brown. The Innocence of Father Brown, by G.K. Chesterton is a collection of eleven stories which marks the debut of this most unusual detective. Chesterton was a contemporary of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and it is only natural that his fictional sleuth be compared with the most famous one in English literature, Sherlock Holmes. Unlike Holmes, Father Brown is a gentle, unassuming figure, who solves crimes through reasoning based on spiritualism and philosophic truths instead of scientific methods. The priest is also deeply compassionate and insightful as far as psychological aspects go. He truly delves into the minds of the people and comes up with results. Another big difference is that unlike Doyle, Chesterton was in fact a brilliant writer. His elegant, humorous prose, full of literary touches is very different from Conan Doyle’s bland and simple style. The Father Brown stories are characterized by wildly improbably crimes and plots! In The Secret Garden for instance, the walled garden is almost a parody of the traditional Agatha Christie like isolated country house murder, with no access to outsiders. Though the stories are all stand alone ones, there are some common threads that run through them, providing a tenuous connection. One of Chesterton’s most famous Father Brown stories, The Hammer of God, is contained in this volume. It is a story of unbridled lust and murder that is set in a peaceful village. Full of memorable characters like Mad Joe, the local dysfunctional vagabond, the lascivious Colonel Bohun in hot pursuit of the blacksmith’s beautiful wife and many others, this is one of Chesterton’s masterpieces, remarkable for its tight plot and interesting solution. Chesterton wrote a total of five volumes in the Father Brown series, and a total of some sixty stories concerning the Catholic priest with “an uncanny insight into human evil.” As a most unusual sleuth, Father Brown is sure to captivate readers of all ages and if you haven’t encountered him before, The Innocence of Father Brown could be the beginning of a great literary adventure for you!

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, G. K. Chesterton, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, MYSTERY, The Innocence of Father Brown

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

Thomas Bulfinch (July 15, 1796 – May 27, 1867) explains the his work is “an attempt tell the stories of mythology in such a manner as to make them a source of amusement. We have endeavored to tell them correctly, according to the ancient authorities, so that when the reader finds them referred to he may not be at a loss to recognize the reference. Thus we hope to teach mythology not as a study, but as a relaxation from study; to give our work the charm of a story-book, yet by means of it to impart a knowledge of an important branch of education.” The Bulfinch version of myth, presents the myths in their literary versions, without unnecessary violence, sex, psychology or ethnographic information. The Bulfinch myths are an indispensable guide to the cultural values of the American 19th century.

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Myths/Legends, or Legends of King Arthur, The Age of Chivalry, Thomas Bulfinch

A thrilling spy story, a children’s adventure, a charming portrait of early twentieth century life in London and the countryside and a heart warming family tale are all combined in this classic of children’s literature The Railway Children by E Nesbit. The book has remained on the list of the best-loved children’s books ever since it was first published as a serial story in The London Magazine in 1905. Later, it was published in book form and won acclaim from critics and readers across the world for its wonderful elements of character and plot. Edith Nesbit the author published more than sixty books during her long and illustrious career as a children’s writer. She was considered to be the first modern children’s writer and departed from the hitherto focus on fantasy and fairytale type of themes that were considered suitable for children. Apart from writing for children, she wrote several novels for adults. She also dabbled in poetry, horror fiction and collaborations with other writers. Her works include another famous book, The Secret Garden which also explores the childhood landscape and influenced generations of children’s writers. She was also a political activist and laid the foundations for the present Labor Party in England. Her dominant themes were children in real life settings, contemporary events, children’s encounters with the mysterious and often nefarious activities of grown-ups, a deep psychological insight into the mind of a child and the enduring love of nature, family relationships and the simple pleasures of countryside life. The story opens with the description of three little Londoners who enjoy an ordinary, peaceful life in the city with visits to the Zoo and Madame Tussauds. They have a charming, well-appointed home and loving parents. Things take a sudden turn for the worst when Father suddenly leaves after receiving mysterious “bad news.” Mother decides equally suddenly to move with the children to the country-side and here begins their adventure with the railways. They befriend a strange Old Gentleman who invariably travels on the 9.15 train from near their home and get drawn into bizarre and dangerous events. Said to be based on contemporary events such as the Dreyfus Affair, Russian dissidents who were fighting the Tsarist regime and the circumstances leading up to World War I, The Railway Children though ostensibly written for children certainly appeals to readers of all ages. It has been adapted extensively for radio, stage, television and screen and has retained its freshness and thrill over the hundred plus years since it first made its debut.

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, Dramatic Works, ebooks, Edith Nesbit, fiction, free audio books, Kids, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, Railway Children

A sequel to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s earlier volume of Greek mythology interpreted and retold for young people, Tanglewood Tales includes more legends and tales of ancient heroes and monsters. In his earlier book, A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys, Hawthorne had designed the book to be a book within a book. A young college student keeps a group of young children entertained by retelling Greek myths in a way in which they can easily understand. Nathaniel Hawthorne also wrote a brief introduction to Tanglewood Tales, entitled The Wayside. Eustace Bright, the student in the earlier book, makes an appearance here too and reveals that he has compiled more such stories for his young audience. Tanglewood Tales contains six famous stories. The first one is Theseus and the Minotaur, in which the Greek hero Theseus slays the terrible monster who lives in a Labyrinth below the palace of King Minos. He is helped by Princess Ariadne, who falls in love with the young stranger who comes to slay the fabled creature and deliver the citizens of the land from the evil beast. The second story describes one of the incidents from the Odyssey. The Palace of Circe recounts the legend of the loathsome monster, Circe, who turns all people into beasts. How the brave Ulysses saves his men and other unfortunate people whom Circe has enslaved is told in an entertaining and exciting manner. The legend of Prosperina, her mother Ceres the Earth Goddess and the dark ruler of the Underworld, Vulcan is told in the third story, The Pomegranate Seeds. The story of Antaeus, son of Poseidon and Gaia is retold in The Pygmies. This is a little known story, set in Africa and is based on both Greek and Berber legends. The Dragon’s Teeth is a delightful retelling of the myth of Europa and her brothers. One of the brothers, Cadmus, who is the only one of the family left behind after Zeus abducts Europa, slays a monstrous dragon who preys upon the surrounding villages. The goddess Athena advises Cadmus to sow the dragon’s teeth in the ground and a race of fine warriors springs up, and thus is built the city of Cadmeia the capital of Thebes. The last story is one of the most famous in Greek mythology: Jason and The Golden Fleece. Tanglewood Tales is indeed a charming volume to be read in tandem with the Wonder-book and it will perhaps spur young readers to delve more into the immortal Greek myths and legends of yore. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Classics (antiquity), ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Kids, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Myths/Legends, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Tanglewood Tales

The Twelve Caesars is a set of twelve biographies of Julius Caesar and the first 11 emperors of the Roman Empire. The work was written in 121 during the reign of the emperor Hadrian, while Suetonius was Hadrian’s personal secretary. On the Life of the Caesars concentrates on the acts and personalities of the Julio-Claudians and their immediate successors. Together with Tacitus’ Annals, this work is a major source for the historical details in Robert Graves’ novels “I Claudius” and “Claudius the God”. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Biography, ebooks, free audio books, Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, History, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, The Lives of the Twelve Caesars

One of the most controversial novels written by Austen, Mansfield Park follows the life of the young heroine Fanny Price as she searches for her place in society. Set in early 19th century England, the classic novel depicts the social issues of the time including marriage, social mobility and morality. The classic centers on the life of the poor young girl Fanny Price, who is the oldest daughter of nine siblings. Her father is a former naval officer and a heavy drinker, while her mother has married beneath her and is undeniably the black sheep in the family when compared to her two sisters, Mrs. Norris and Lady Bertram who lead comfortable lifestyles. As a form of charity, Fanny is taken in to live with her wealthy aunt Lady Bertram and her husband Sir Thomas Bertram at their Mansfield Park estate. At her new home, Fanny is raised and lives beside her four cousins Tom, Edmund, Maria and Julia. Although sharing the same home, Fanny is never really considered their social equal. She is often mistreated by her aunt and treated as an inferior by her cousins. The only person who shows her kindness is Edmund Bertram, for whom she gradually develops feelings. However, Fanny is constantly reminded of her social status and grows up shy and humble, but nevertheless remains true to herself. As the years pass by, the Bertram children find themselves in love entanglements with the sophisticated Crawfords, while Fanny keeps her feelings for Edmund well hidden. As the novel reaches its climax, the true nature of morality and its fruits are revealed. A plot questioning the infinite dilemma of nature versus nurture, Fanny must decide whether she places a higher value on priceless morality or the expectations imposed on her by society. Because of its uniqueness, Mansfield Park has a love-hate relationship with its readers, due to its unconventional protagonist. Although it is known to have sparked many debates among audiences due to its subtle criticism of society and moral integrity, it still remains one of the most profound pieces written by its author. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Comedy, Kids & Family

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, jane austen, Kids, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Mansfield Park, romance, satire

If you’ve read and loved Anne of Green Gables you will surely be delighted to follow Anne’s further adventures in Anne of Avonlea. In this sequel, we find Anne Shirley teaching in Avonlea School though she continues her studies at home with Gilbert Blythe. Lucy Maud Montgomery first published the best selling Anne of Green Gables in 1908. Enthused by the amazing success of this account of a young orphan girl who arrives by mistake on Prince Edward Island, Canada, the author followed it up with five more sequels, tracing Anne’s career and life. Three other books and a couple of collections also feature Anne, her family, children and friends. The series has remained one of the firm favorites of children and older readers. Anne of Avonlea was published in 1909, immediately after the first book. It contains several of the characters present in the previous book, so readers get a feeling of comfortable continuity as they follow Anne in her new role as a student teacher. She is now officially a grownup person and part of the adult society of Avonlea village and soon plunges into a series of situations in which dismay and delight have equal share. The book has a blend of old and new characters. Her best friend, Diana Barry, her foster mom Marilla Cuthbert, Jane Andrews her favorite teacher, Gilbert Blythe her enemy turned friend and Priscilla Grant an old classmate are people the reader would have met in the earlier book. New characters like the crotchety Mr. Harrison, who owns a rude parrot appropriately called Ginger, the twins Dora and Davy Keith, Paul Irving and a few more provide lots of fun and entertainment. Anne remains as delightful as she was in the earlier book, getting in and out of various scrapes of her own creation, imaginative, gutsy and full of spirit and joie de vivre. Towards the end of the book, we find her and Gilbert charting out their future careers and planning to start university life in Redmond College which of course keeps readers eagerly awaiting the next book in the series! Touches of romance, flashes of Montgomery’s typical tongue in cheek humor, a lively and interesting heroine, wonderful descriptions of the Canadian landscape and the idyllic Prince Edward Island countryside and a host of memorable characters make Anne of Avonlea a great read especially if you’re continuing on with the entire series! All books in this series:1 Anne of Green Gables2 Anne of Avonlea3 Anne of the Island5 Anne’s House of Dreams7 Rainbow Valley8 Rilla of Ingleside More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family, Society & Culture

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

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

Harry Houdini, master illusionist and contortionist, unmasks the various ways that criminals take advantage of their victims.

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, Harry Houdini, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, The Right Way to Do Wrong

The Man Who Would Be King tells the story of two British adventurers in British India who become kings of Kafiristan, a remote part of Afghanistan. It was inspired by the exploits of James Brooke, an Englishman who became the “white Raja” of Sarawak in Borneo, and by the travels of American adventurer Josiah Harlan, who claimed the title Prince of Ghor. The story was first published in The Phantom Rickshaw and other Tales (Volume Five of the Indian Railway Library, published by A H Wheeler & Co of Allahabad in 1888). It also appeared in Wee Willie Winkie and Other Stories in 1895, and in numerous later editions of that collection. It is the basis for John Huston’s 1975 film of the same name, starring Sean Connery and Michael Caine as the “kings”, and Christopher Plummer as Kipling.

Categories: Arts

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Rudyard Kipling, Short stories, The Man Who Would Be King

An adventure novel with an unexpected hero, Captain Blood follows the unintended journey of chivalrous and well-educated gentleman Peter Blood, who without much choice was plunged into the world of piracy forcing him to leave his tranquil lifestyle behind. Sabatini first introduced his protagonist in a series of eight short stories published in magazine installments, until later weaving them together in 1922 as a novel. Set in the late 17th century, the novel begins with the image of Peter Blood, a physician, casually attending his geraniums and smoking a pipe. However, things in the quiet town of Bridgewater are everything but ordinary. The town is in the midst of the Monmouth rebellion and despite not wanting to take part in the matter, Blood’s duty as a doctor prevails as he goes to tend the wounded rebels. Unfortunately for Blood, his duty of caring for the wounded is seen as aiding the rebellion and after being put to trial, he is unjustly convicted of treason and sentenced to slavery. Following his imprisonment and services to the malignant Colonel Bishop, Blood plans an escape with fellow captives from their miserable conditions and treatment. Fortunately, all is not gloomy in the life of the protagonist, as he also experiences the enchantment of love as he becomes acquainted with Bishop’s kind-hearted niece Arabella. Captain Blood is marked by its exciting high seas adventures, exotic locations, historical elements, clever characters, romance, and its generous contribution of swashbuckling. Cast away from his tedious lifestyle as a physician, Blood must rise and take responsibility as his character develops to fit the description of the very rebel he initially opposed. Apart from creating an interesting piece of literature, Sabatini shows his determination for precision as he keeps the historical background in the book as close to the actual events as possible. Moreover, the memorable characteristics of the protagonist leave readers returning to his gripping adventures. A tempting fusion of love, high seas adventure, swashbuckling, and clever maneuvering allures one to capture every detail in this classic.

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, Captain Blood, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Historical Fiction, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Rafael Sabatini, Sea stories

“Call me Ishmael” is one of the most famous opening lines in American literature. With these words, opens one of the strangest and most gripping stories ever written about the sea and sea-faring. Moby Dick by Herman Melville is today considered one of the greatest novels written in America but paradoxically, it was a miserable failure when it first made its debut in 1851. Entitled Moby Dick or The Whale the book finally got its due after the author’s death and is now regarded as a classic portrayal of mania and fatal obsession. The narrator, Ishmael, travels to New Bedford, Massachusetts, to find a place on a whaling ship. He lodges at a seedy inn where he is forced to share a room with a strange old character, Queequeg, who was a harpooner. Despite his initial revulsion of Queequeg, Ishmael decides to join him in looking for work together. They reach Nantucket, the traditional center of whaling, where they find a berth on the Pequod, a bizarre vessel adorned with the skeletons and teeth of whales. The captain, Ahab, a mysterious figure, does not appear immediately. Later, they come to know that he is on board, recovering from losing a leg on his last voyage having escaped death narrowly following an encounter with a massive sperm whale. As the ship sails past Africa, Ahab’s sinister motives begin to emerge. His agenda is to hunt and destroy a legendary whale named Moby Dick, whom he has unsuccessfully pursued several times. He has smuggled his own private harpooners on board and he accosts every whaling ship he meets and demands information about sightings of Moby Dick. One of the ships has a maniacal passenger called Gabriel, who claims to be a prophet and he predicts doom for anyone who seeks Moby Dick. The peg leg captain finally encounters Moby Dick and a trail of destruction follows. The obsessed Ahab refuses to give up. The novel then races towards a brilliant and dramatic climax. As an example of the Great American Novel, Moby Dick is unrivaled in its structure, language and style. Melville amalgamates a fabulous mix of Biblical, Shakespearean and mythical elements along with wonderful seafaring atmosphere sourced from his own nautical experiences on board whaling schooners. Whaling stories from contemporary sources in Nantucket’s local grapevine was another rich fountainhead of material. Moby Dick has been adapted for stage, radio, screen, television, comics and graphic novels. It remains a strange and unforgettable classic which no reader should miss. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, herman melville, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, moby dick, Sea stories