Arts Podcasts
Librivox: Wisdom of Father Brown, The by Chesterton, G. K.Join Now to Follow
This is the second of five books of short stories about G. K. Chesterton’s fictional detective, first published in 1914. Father Brown is a short, nondescript Catholic Priest with shapeless clothes and a large umbrella who has an uncanny insight into human evil. His methods, unlike those of his near contemporary Sherlock Holmes, although based on observation of details often unnoticed by others, tended to be intuitive rather than deductive. Although clearly devout, he always emphasizes rationality: despite his religiousness and his belief in God and miracles, he manages to see the perfectly ordinary, natural explanation of the problem. He is a devout, educated and "civilized" clergyman, who is totally familiar with contemporary and secular thought and behavior. His character was thought to be based on Father John O'Connor (1870 - 1952), a parish priest in Bradford, Yorkshire. (Summary by Martin)
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Librivox: Auf der Galerie by Kafka, FranzJoin Now to Follow
In der Erzählung “Auf der Galerie” beschreibt Franz Kafka in zwei komplett gegensätzlichen Perspektiven die Darbietung einer Künstlerin in der Manege eines Zirkus und das Leiden des Galeriebesuchers durch diesen beiden Darbietungen.
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Librivox: Sarrasine by Balzac, Honoré deJoin Now to Follow
Published by Honoré de Balzac in the tempestuous year of 1830, the tale follows the undulating pathways of Sarrasine the sculptor’s shocking journey to his coming of age. As one of the “fathers of realism” Balzac painted with his words a vivid portrait of life in the swirling salons of Europe at the end of the Bourbon monarchy, and we follow Sarrasine from France to Italy in search of both his métier and his muse. However it is also the story of La Zambinella, an Italian singer with whom Sarrasine falls madly and passionately in love. But that passion holds a secret which Sarrasine spies too late. (Summary by Chip)
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Librivox: Aesop's Fables, Volume 09 (Fables 201-225) by AesopJoin Now to Follow
Dating back to the 6th century BC, Aesop's Fables tell universal truths through the use of simple allegories that are easily understood. Though almost nothing is known of Aesop himself, and some scholars question whether he existed at all, these stories stand as timeless classics known in almost every culture in the world. This is volume 9 of 12. (Summary by Chip)
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Librivox: Anne of Green Gables by Montgomery, Lucy MaudJoin Now to Follow
Lucy Maud Montgomery’s classic children’s novel, Anne of Green Gables tells the story of a red headed orphan girl with a personality you can’t help but love. Despite her “tragical” past, Anne’s optimism and imagination have helped her to always see the best in things. Anne’s life changes considerably when she is accidentally adopted by the Cuthberts, a brother and sister who thought they were getting a boy to help out on the farm. The Cuthberts decide Anne will have to be sent back to the orphange but before they know it, she has begun to work her way into their hearts. (Summary by Annie Coleman)
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Librivox: Diary of a Nobody, The by Grossmith, GeorgeJoin Now to Follow
The Diary of a Nobody is the fictitious record of fifteen months in the life of Charles Pooter, his family, friends and small circle of acquaintances. It first appeared, serialised in Punch magazine and might be regarded as the first ‘blog’; being a record of the simplicities and humiliations in the life of this mundane, but upright, city clerk, who had an incontestable faith that a record of his daily life was worth preserving for posterity. Set in about 1891 in Holloway, which was then a typical suburb of the impecuniously respectable kind, the authors contrive a record of the manners, customs and experiences of the late Victorian era. The bare record of facts, simply recorded, manages to be humorous rather than dull, no doubt because of the usual occupations of the authors. George Grossmith (1847-1912) was an actor and comedian. Weedon Grossmith (1852-1919) was an entertainer and illustrated the original work. (Summary by Martin Clifton)
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Librivox: Chapters from my Autobiography by Twain, MarkJoin Now to Follow
Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) began writing his autobiography long before the 1906 publications of these Chapters from my Autobiography. He originally planned to have his memoirs published only after his death but realized, once he’d passed his 70th year, that a lot of the material might be OK to publish before his departure. These chapters were published in serial form in the North American Review during 1906-1907. While much of the material consists of stories about the people, places and incidents of his long life, there’re also several sections from his daughter, which he calls “Susy’s biography of me”. (Summary by John Greenman)
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Librivox: Über die Weiber by Schopenhauer, ArthurJoin Now to Follow
In diesem vielzitierten Essay aus dem Jahre 1851 ist Schopenhauers generell herablassende Einstellung zu Frauen zusammengefaßt. Frauen, laut Schopenhauer, sind Wesen zweiter Klasse mit weniger Vernunft als Maenner, und sind biologisch zur List und Intrige getrieben... Schopenhauers dominante Mutter Johanna, eine bekannte Schriftstellerin, wird oft als Ursache für die Frauenfeindlichkeit ihres Sohns genannt. (Zusammenfassung von Gesine)
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Librivox: Song of Wandering Aengus, The by Yeats, William ButlerJoin Now to Follow
LibriVox volunteers bring you eighteen different readings of The Song of Wandering Aengus , by Irish poet William Butler Yeats, to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. This is Yeats in his faerie folklore vein, and he paints an evocative picture of a beautiful brush with the supernatural. This was the weekly poetry project for the week of March 12, 2006. (Summary by Fox in the Stars)
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Librivox: Barbara Frietchie by Whittier, John GreenleafJoin Now to Follow
This was the weekly poem for Flag Day 2006. It tells the largely-apocryphal but nonetheless inspiring story of one old woman’s act of patriotism during a Confederate advance in the civil war. (summary by LauraFox)
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