Random Loyal Books Podcasts

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

This story opens with a young woman who voyages alone into the wilds of Alaska to escape her tragic past. It then continues on to a young man who passionately protects the pristine environment, people and way of life in this snowbound country. Finally, a greedy profiteer arrives in the narrative whose only aim is to fill his pockets. When these three characters encounter each other on the stark and snowy plains, it’s a clash of ideals and the sparks begin to fly. The Alaskan by James Oliver Curwood is one of his very engaging adventure romance conservationist stories and was an instant bestseller, like most of his books, when it was first published in 1923. Curwood was a highly successful writer in the early part of the twentieth century and was in fact, the best paid writer in the world at his time. His books were wildly popular and have been adapted for screen, stage, television and radio. Though he was a high school drop out, he wrote and passed a university entrance exam that gave him entry into the University of Michigan’s English department. He studied journalism and discovered his writing talents when he worked on a Detroit newspaper. He fell in love with Alaska when he traveled there on a story and decided that he would settle there once he’d saved enough. He continued to write and travel often to his dream destination. His books proved extremely successful and allowed him to retire early to devote himself to his writing. From 1903 until his death in 1927, he produced novels, essays, short stories and articles dealing mainly with his favorite subjects: Alaska and adventure. Though he was fond of hunting in his early years, he soon became a conservationist like many before him and died at the young age of 49. His former studio in Ossowo, Michigan is now a museum. Curwood’s writing style follows the great adventure story tradition of writers like Jack London who also used the Arctic and Arctic animals as heroes of their tales. His books have been translated into many world languages, including Swedish and Polish. The Alaskan is a typical Curwood tale, with wonderful descriptions of the Alaskan landscape, the wildlife, vegetation and local populations. The plot is studded with exciting twists and turns, memorable characters and is indeed a great read for young and old alike. Recent film adaptations of his 1916 book The Grizzly King and titled The Bear have led to a renewed interest in the work of this writer who was famous in his day, but is little known to modern readers.

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Historical Fiction, James Oliver Curwood, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, nature, The Alaskan, travel

“THE study of history, like the study of a landscape, should begin with the most conspicuous features. Not until these have been fixed in memory will the lesser features fall into their appropriate places and assume their right proportions. The famous men of ancient and modern times are the mountain peaks of history. It is logical then that the study of history should begin with the biographies of these men. Not only is it logical; it is also pedagogical. Experience has proven that in order to attract and hold the child’s attention each conspicuous feature of history presented to him should have an individual for its center. The child identifies himself with the personage presented. It is not Romulus or Herecules or Alexander that the child has in mind when be reads, but himself, acting under similar conditions.”(Excerpt from the Preface of “Famous Men of the Middle Ages”) More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Biography, ebooks, Famous Men of the Middle Ages, free audio books, History, John H. Haaren, Kids, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction

King Solomon’s Mines is the story of the leader Allan Quatermain and his adventurous group of followers on their mission to find the lost brother of an aristocrat, Sir Henry Curtis. Considered similar to Robert Louise Stevenson’s novel Treasure Island, Haggard’s book proved to be another must-read adventure novel in the international literary world. The African desert hides underneath its sands myths and legends that lasted for centuries in the minds of the locals. Quatermain has a mysterious map that could lead to the ancient mines of the wise King Solomon. The road to discovery is not easy, and the group of adventurers must pass through dangerous and life threatening situations. They are taken prisoner by a local tribe ruled by King Twala, a violent and cruel person who wove his path to the throne by killing his brother and abandoning his sister-in-law in the hot sun of the African desert. The novel presents a whole series of furious battles between the Englishmen and the indigenous tribes, in the end the road to King Solomon’s mines being revealed by the maleficent Gagool. The mysteries deepen when Quatermain discovers the body of the adventurer who drew the map to these mines in his own blood. But how will they get to the labyrinth of the mines and find the correct route through? This and many mysteries will keep you riveted as you read this book. King Solomon’s Mines is a great book to explore the ancient world and discover wisdom through Haggard’s amazing narration.

Categories: Arts

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, H Rider Haggard, King Solomon's Mines, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com

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

A collection of short stories by author Jack London

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Jack London, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Short stories, The Faith of Men

Off the coast of Greenland, a man finds a floating thermos bottle. Wedged tightly inside is a sheaf of papers covered with minute handwriting. As he begins to read, a fantastic tale begins to unwind. The writer, on his way to a WWI battlefield was shipwrecked and his entire regiment except for a woman and his faithful dog are killed. The three are rescued by a passing British tug, but fall prey to the schemes of a German spy aboard. They are then captured by the crew of a German U-boat. After many near mishaps, they sail towards Greenland. Stranded, with fuel in short supply, they spot an island that seems washed by a warm-water current. As they sail closer, they spot a decomposing human body. Nevertheless, they decide to disembark. An amazing world greets them – filled with lush tropical vegetation, giant reptiles, exotic species and most frightening of all, a race of sub-human Neanderthals…. First published as a three-part serial in The Blue Book magazine in 1918, The Land that Time Forgot by Edgar Rice Burroughs is the first in his Caspak Trilogy. These stories are located in the fictitious island of Caprona, which is called Caspak in the native language of its inhabitants. Similar to the “lost world” novels of Arthur Conan Doyle and Jules Verne, the book would certainly appeal to modern-day Jurassic Park enthusiasts. Burroughs, best known for his Tarzan series undeservedly earned the reputation of being a “pulp-fiction writer” although his books are well-researched and explore the dimensions of their characters. For this trilogy, he researched prehistoric studies, geography, biology and human development. The book has been adapted very successfully for film and has also been released in graphic/animation form, to be enjoyed by generations of readers and viewers. A racy thriller, filled with excitement, adventure and fantasy for all ages!

Categories: Arts

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Edgar Rice Burroughs, fiction, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, science, science-fiction, Sea stories, The Land that Time Forgot

The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776. It announced that the thirteen American colonies, who were at war with Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War, no longer considered themselves part of the British Empire. They now called themselves a new nation, The United States of America. This famous document went on to become a well-known keystone of the human rights movement. However, the newly formed state had no real identity or philosophy and were merely a loose collection of states that had freed themselves from colonial rule. The Continental Congress was considered to be their governing body and by 1777, this congress decided to bring the colonies together via the articles of confederation. Individual states could come together on a common platform whenever issues that affected all of them arose, but inside each state, there was freedom to conduct affairs independently. In time, the states realized that there was no centralized power which became necessary to maintain unity and uniformity. In 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia led by George Washington established a strong central policy with a federal system for states and the three branches: the judiciary, the executive and the legislative. The delegates to the convention became known as the framers of the constitution. The US Constitution is the work of many combined intellects and sought to include various different viewpoints. They included famous Americans like Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, George Washington, George Mason and many others. The average age at the convention was about 38 – which was appropriate for the founding and the birth of a young nation. After nearly four months of intense debate and discussions, the final document was agreed upon. Since then, there have been nearly 27 amendments to the constitution, the most important being the Bill of Rights. This famous document, which begins, “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish Justice, insure domestic tranquility….” has become the template for many countries which became independent in later years. It is an interesting and insightful document that records the history, aspirations and hopes of the New World. Benjamin Franklin admitted that it was not perfect, but felt it was necessary to establish a central government. The original document, written on parchment is on display at the National Archives, Washington DC. Modern day readers will indeed find it a fascinating and impressive read. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: 1787, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Founding Fathers of the United States, free audio books, History, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, Politics, The Constitution of the United States of America

Originally written for his young daughter Josephine, who died tragically aged six, The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling is a collection of short stories which were published separately in magazines before being compiled into a book. The stories are in the form of fables, where animals communicate and speak to each other as humans do and the purpose of each story was to convey a moral or message to the reader. Modern readers would be more familiar with the Disney animated version in which Mowgli the little “man-cub” is raised by wolves. As he grows, he is trained by denizens of the jungle like Bagheera the panther, Baloo the bear and Kaa the snake. The dreaded tiger Sher Khan is a diabolical villain, feared by all. However, the book is quite different from the Disney film which tends to romanticize some of the characters and demonize others! The original Jungle Book includes the delightful Riki Tiki Tavi tales about a valiant and clever mongoose who protects his friends from the dangerous snakes of the jungle. Contrary to the film version again, only a few of the stories are about Mowgli. What strikes the reader is the sense of wonder and magic that Kipling evokes in these stories about the mysterious jungle and its inhabitants. The writer’s brilliant skills with the English language are another feature that makes the book such a reading pleasure. Interspersed with delightful poems, this is indeed the perfect choice for a read-aloud with your kids! First published in book form in 1894, the original edition contained beautiful illustrations by Rudyard’s father, John Lockwood Kipling, an artist and art teacher who spent much of his career in India. It was here that Kipling first heard Indian folk tales and was inspired to recreate his versions of them for his own children. The Jungle Book also gained a great reputation for being a “moral story” and Sir Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the Scouts movement requested permission from Kipling to use many of the book’s situations and characters as motivational resources. The leader of a Scout pack was dubbed “Akela” after the warrior wolf of the Free People as wolves are called in the Jungle Book. Kipling was a journalist who covered several wars like the Boer War in South Africa. His extensive body of work includes the famous Just So Stories, Kim and several volumes of short stories, articles, essays and poetry. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907 and till date, remains the youngest to have won the prestigious award. Today, though his reputation stands dimmed as he is seen as one of the “prophets of Imperialism” the magic of his words cannot be denied. The Jungle Book is a classic that indeed belongs on every bookshelf!

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: Adventure, animals, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Kids, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, poetry, Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book

Long before Christiane Amanpour, Frances Fitzgerald and Martha Gellhorn blazed a trail in courageous investigative journalism, a pioneering and intrepid writer and journalist whose pen name was Nellie Bly opened up a whole new field in what had previously been a strictly male domain. Ten Days in a Madhouse was published as a series of articles in the New York World during 1887. Nellie Bly was given the assignment by her editor to have herself committed to an insane asylum in New York with a “view to writing a plain and unvarnished narrative of the treatment of patients therein and the methods of management…” She was to feign insanity and get herself legally declared insane, pass the test conducted by the doctors and get committed. She was to chronicle her experiences and write a report that revealed everything that she went through in the asylum. It was not an easy decision to make and Nellie herself had doubts about the fact that once she was declared insane, her editors would hardly be in a position to get her out! Ten Days in a Madhouse received a sensational response. Nellie’s account of the dehumanizing conditions inside the asylum, the prevailing attitudes towards mental illness, contemporary ideas of treatment and the brutality and neglect of the system that she experienced were an eye-opener for the authorities. The authorities were left red-faced when it was discovered that insanity could so easily be faked. However, her expose of the conditions inside the Lunatic Asylum for Women at Blackwell’s Island prompted a grand jury investigation in which she was asked to testify. The Department of Public Charities and Corrections was allotted a larger budget as a result of this. Nellie Bly, or to give her real name, Elizabeth Jane Cochrane, was a champion of human rights. She was also an extremely adventurous and creative journalist who looked at her profession not just as a job. A later series of articles that followed Ten Days… was one in which she aimed to beat Phineas Fogg’s record of 80 days recreating the journey described in Jules Verne’s novel. Nellie completed the nearly 25-thousand km journey in 72 days. Her other articles included Six Months in Mexico, a report on Mexico under the dictator Porfirio Diaz. She retired from journalism after marrying the industrial tycoon Robert Seaman and proceeded to devote herself to social causes. Ten Days in a Madhouse is a riveting account of the shocking and pathetic condition of mental health rehabilitation in the early part of the twentieth century. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Biography, ebooks, free audio books, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Nellie Bly, Non-fiction, Ten Days in a Madhouse

The Last of the Mohicans is an epic novel by James Fenimore Cooper, first published in January 1826.It was one of the most popular English-language novels of its time, and helped establish Cooper as one of the first world-famous American writers.The story takes place in 1757 during the French and Indian War, when France and Great Britain battled for control of the American and Canadian colonies. During this war, the French often allied themselves with Native American tribes in order to gain an advantage over the British, with unpredictable and often tragic results.

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Historical Fiction, History, James Fenimore Cooper, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, The Last Of The Mohicans, War stories

Travel along as Mike Vendetti aka miketheauctioneer narrates an outstanding true account of a trip made in 1909 by Zane Grey and a plainsman, Buffalo Jones, through the Grand Canyon to lasso a cougar. That’s right lasso. Throw a rope around. That’s equivalent to catching one by the tail. As I narrated this book, I found fact to be as exciting as fiction. This part of the west was relatively wild and untamed at this time. Wolves, wild horses, buffalo and other wildlife were quite prevalent, and the Indians were not that friendly. This adventure would never make it to “Animal Planet”, or as a National Geographic special, because there is quite a lot of what we would consider cruelty to animals, but this is a true story, and life as it was at the turn of the last century. Parts of this story will offend the sensibilities of some, but it is a glimpse into a world that no longer exists. I was definitely drawn into this story, as I hope the listener will be.

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family, Society & Culture

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Historical Fiction, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, Teen/Young adult, The Last of the Plainsmen, westerns, Zane Grey

Although Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) was a wealthy landowner, in his later life he had what was considered a “religious awakening.” This experience went on to inform his writing and his lifestyle in profound ways. His views transcended the specifics of religion, as known in his day – so much so he came to be a helpful guide both to Mohandas Gandhi and to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The four stories in this collection ask profound questions and gently supply helpful, non-dogmatic hints to their answerings: What is the most important thing to do? Who is the most important person? When is the most important time? What is worth owning? What is the most profound religion? What rules should men live by? How much land does a man need? Who is God? What should we bother to discuss? How should we act towards one another? How should we respond to cruelty and violence? And many more. Wonderful stories written in a relaxed style. Summary by Alan Drake

Categories: Arts, Education, Religion & Spirituality

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Languages, Leo Tolstoy, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, religion, Short stories, What Men Live By and Other Tales

The Three Musketeers follows the adventures of the young Gascon nobleman, D’Artagnan and his three trusted friends who served as musketeers in the king’s regiment – Athos, Porthos & Aramis. Written by Alexandre Dumas, the book was a bestseller during the time of its publication and it remains so even today. It follows the timeless theme of friendship and bravery. The main protagonist of the story is D’Artagnan who travels to Paris to realize his dreams of becoming one of the musketeers for the king. But things start to fall apart from the very beginning when his cherished letter of introduction is stolen by a mysterious gentleman. D’Artagnon reaches Paris and becomes friends with the ‘The Three Musketeers’ and seems to settle down comfortably in accordance with the scheme of life that was prevalent in the 17th century Paris. However, as expected, the peace did not last long as D’Artagnan and his friends get embroiled in an intriguing web of conspiracy in the fight for power among the people of the upper echelons. The matter gets further complicated by the introduction of a mysterious woman who is very beautiful but is more than what she projects herself to be. The author employs well-crafted narrative skills to give this enthralling novel a dramatic yet gripping conclusion. But do the heroes of the story manage to escape the agents of the Cardinals? Can they protect the honour of the queen? You will soon find out as this adventurous tale will keep you hooked till you finish. The book is written from the perspective of D’Artagnan. It is a real classic and is perfect for light reading. The style of narration followed by Dumas is very light and leaves no space for any kind of philosophical subtext. No wonder, The Three Musketeers is one of the most popular historical romances. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: Adventure, Alexandre Dumas, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Historical Fiction, History, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, romance, The Three Musketeers

If this is your first encounter with Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) you’re certainly in for a treat! One of the most delightful examples of Victorian humor, this book by Jerome K Jerome is all the way a fun cruise down the Thames River with some funny characters for company. Three Men in a Boat was originally meant to be a serious piece of travel writing, full of local flavors, legends and folklore about England’s mighty river. As it turned out, somewhere along the way, the author Jerome found himself catapulted into a madcap adventure. The plot is relatively simple. It describes three friends, namely, the author himself, Jerome, George Wingrave and Harris, who set out with their dog on a boat trip and encounter a series of amusing, poignant and strange happenings along the river. Wingrave and Harris (Carl Hentschel in real life) are both friends with whom Jerome often took trips on boats. The dog Montmorency however, is fictional! The three friends meet one evening and begin discussing their busy lives and how they feel stressed and overworked. They also imagine that they are prey to exotic and fatal diseases. The solution, they feel, is a nice long holiday. After much discussion and consideration of many options, they decide to take a boat and sail along the Thames from Kingston to Oxford, camping in suitable places along the way as the river takes them. There are interesting nuggets of history thrown in like the landmarks of Hampton Court, Marlow, Magna Carta Island and the like. In between, the author goes off on several entertaining tangents regarding a host of topics like anecdotes about his Uncle and Aunt Podger, imaginative flights of fancy, the mischievous doings of Montmorency and a hundred other digressions. Jerome’s thoughts on steam ships verses tug boats, putting up tents, cooking on oil stoves, the uselessness of barometers and many more add spice and zest to the mix. First published in 1889, Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) was initially received with a less than enthusiastic response but soon became a runaway bestseller. It has been extensively adapted for stage, screen and television and has even contributed to the Thames becoming an important tourist destination in England. The book holds immense appeal for readers of all ages and is one that evokes the same entertainment even after multiple readings.

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, Jerome K. Jerome, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog)

One of the most memorable scenes in this novel occurs in Chapter Twelve, when the dejected and desolate Silas Marner steps outside his lonely cottage on New Year’s Eve. He suffers from one of his bizarre fits of catalepsy and stands frozen for a few seconds. When he regains consciousness, he returns to his fireside. There in front of the warm blaze he imagines he sees a heap of gold! The very gold that had been robbed from his house many years ago. He stretches out his hand to touch it. Instead of hard metal, he encounters a soft head of golden hair. It is a little child who has wandered in out of the cold winter night… Silas Marner or The Weaver of Raveloe was George Eliot’s third book. It was published in 1861 and is notable for its very sensitive treatment of the burning issues of the day: industrialization, religion, individualism and the community and the idea of character as destiny. The apparently simple plot is however a framework that holds together a complex structure of symbolism and great historical accuracy. The story portrays young Silas Marner who works as a weaver in Lantern Yard, a fictitious industrialized town in the Midlands. He is falsely accused of stealing the Calvinist congregation’s church funds while watching over the dying deacon. In reality the clues point to his best friend, but Marner is declared guilty and forced to leave town. He settles down in the distant rural village of Raveloe. Here he lives as a recluse, amassing considerable wealth from his expertise as a weaver. One night, the gold which he hoards in his cottage is mysteriously stolen, pushing him over the edge into deep depression. One night, an orphan child wanders by chance into his cottage and for Silas, this is the turning point in his life. Filled with memorable characters and steeped in the rural atmosphere of Victorian rural England, Silas Marner is ultimately a tale of love and hope. The reclusive, miserly weaver is transformed by the love of a child. The novel also explores the crisis of faith that George Eliot herself suffered. She was also deeply concerned about the changes that industrialization was bringing to the traditional English way of life. The moral and ethical transformations that people experienced in the space of a single generation are vividly portrayed in this novel. As a tribute to Wordsworth’s ideal that the Child is the Father of Man, Silas Marner is a deeply engrossing and poignant story that both young and old will enjoy.

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, George Eliot, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Silas Marner

“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 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