Arts Podcasts

Librivox: Short Story Collection Vol. 013 by Various show

Librivox: Short Story Collection Vol. 013 by VariousJoin Now to Follow

Librivox’s Short Story Collection 013: a collection of 11 short essays and fiction in the public domain read by a variety of LibriVox members.

By LibriVox

Librivox: Carmilla by Le Fanu, Joseph Sheridan show

Librivox: Carmilla by Le Fanu, Joseph SheridanJoin Now to Follow

Carmilla is a Gothic novella by Joseph Sheridan le Fanu. First published in 1872, it tells the story of a young woman's susceptibility to the attentions of a female vampire named Carmilla. Carmilla predates Bram Stoker's Dracula by over twenty years, had a strong influence on Stoker's famous novel. (Summary from Wikipedia)

By LibriVox

Librivox: Shakespeare Monologues Collection vol. 01 by Shakespeare, William show

Librivox: Shakespeare Monologues Collection vol. 01 by Shakespeare, WilliamJoin Now to Follow

William Shakespeare (April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616) remains widely to be considered the single greatest playwright of all time. He wrote in such a variety of genres - tragedy, comedy, romance, &c - that there is always at least one monologue in each of his plays. Some of these teach a lesson, some simply characterize Shakespeare at his best, some are funny, some sad, but all are very moving. Each monologue will touch everybody differently. Some people will be so moved by a particular monologue that they will want to record it. So here are the first fifteen monologues. (Summary by Shurtagal).

By LibriVox

Librivox: No Thoroughfare by Dickens, Charles show

Librivox: No Thoroughfare by Dickens, CharlesJoin Now to Follow

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.

By LibriVox

Librivox: Guld og Ære by Moller, Otto Martin show

Librivox: Guld og Ære by Moller, Otto MartinJoin Now to Follow

Science fiction roman skrevet af Otto Martin Møller i 1895. En ung dansk kemiker ved navn Erik Poulsen gør med afsæt i den nyeste viden om fysik og kemi den epokegørende opdagelse, at være i stand til at forvandle ethvert uædelt metal til guld. Erik, der ikke interesserer sig for penge, men kun for videnskab, tror sig nu i stand til at skabe sig et navn blandt de allerstørste i verdenshistorien. Men ingen af verdens riger og lande, hvis pengesystemer alle er baseret på guldfoden, vil accepterer en offentliggørelse af formlen. En sådan offentliggørelse vil ganske simpelt forårsage et totalt sammenbrud for den globale økonomi. I stedet for berømmelse venter der nu Erik og hans familie en vild flugt fra det ene land til det andet i konstant frygt for magthavernes militær og hemmelige politi. (Summary by Kristoffer Hunsdahl)

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Librivox: This Side of Paradise by Fitzgerald, F. Scott show

Librivox: This Side of Paradise by Fitzgerald, F. ScottJoin Now to Follow

This Side of Paradise is the debut novel of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Published in 1920, and taking its title from a line of the Rupert Brooke poem Tiare Tahiti, the book examines the lives and morality of post-World War I youth. Its protagonist, Amory Blaine, is a wealthy and attractive Princeton University student who dabbles in literature and has a series of romances that eventually lead to his disillusionment. In his later novels, Fitzgerald would further develop the book's theme of love warped by greed and status-seeking. (Summary from wikipedia)

By LibriVox

Librivox: Souls of Black Folk, The by Du Bois, W.E.B. show

Librivox: Souls of Black Folk, The by Du Bois, W.E.B.Join Now to Follow

The Souls of Black Folk is a well-known work of African-American literature by activist W.E.B. Du Bois. The book, published in 1903, contains several essays on race, some of which had been previously published in Atlantic Monthly magazine. Du Bois drew from his own experiences to develop this groundbreaking work on being African-American in American society. Outside of its notable place in African-American history, The Souls of Black Folk also holds an important place in social science as one of the first works to deal with sociology. (Summary from Wikipedia.org )

By LibriVox

Librivox: Around the World in Eighty Days by Verne, Jules show

Librivox: Around the World in Eighty Days by Verne, JulesJoin Now to Follow

Around the World in Eighty Days (French: Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours ) is a classic adventure novel by the French writer Jules Verne, first published in 1873. In the story, Phileas Fogg of London and his newly-employed French valet Passepartout attempt to circumnavigate the world in 80 days on a £20,000 wager set by his friends at the Reform Club. (Summary from Wikipedia)

By LibriVox

Librivox: Heart of the World by Haggard, H. Rider show

Librivox: Heart of the World by Haggard, H. RiderJoin Now to Follow

H. Rider Haggard wrote Heart of the World in 1895 and it tells of the search for a secret and hidden Mayan civilization living in a long lost city filled with gold and jewels! It is also a love story of a couple willing to give up everything, and I mean EVERYthing, for true love. And it is a melodramatic adventure story of good against evil. I am not sure which side wins... however it is a wonderful read! (Description by Paul Hansen)

By LibriVox

Librivox: Book of Tea, The by Kakuzo, Okakura show

Librivox: Book of Tea, The by Kakuzo, OkakuraJoin Now to Follow

The Book of Tea was written by Okakura Kakuzo in the early 20th century. It was first published in 1906, and has since been republished many times. - In the book, Kakuzo introduces the term Teaism and how Tea has affected nearly every aspect of Japanese culture, thought, and life. The book is noted to be accessibile to Western audiences because though Kakuzo was born and raised Japanese, he was trained from a young age to speak English; and would speak it all his life, becoming proficient at communicating his thoughts in the Western Mind. In his book he elucidates such topics as Zen and Taoism, but also the secular aspects of Tea and Japanese life. The book emphasises how Teaism taught the Japanese many things; most importantly, simplicity. Kakuzo argues that this tea-induced simplicity affected art and architecture, and he was a long-time student of the visual arts. He ends the book with a chapter on Tea Masters, and spends some time talking about Sen no Rikyu and his contribution to the Japanese Tea Ceremony. (Summary from Wikipedia)

By LibriVox