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Librivox: What's Wrong With the World by Chesterton, G. K. show

Librivox: What's Wrong With the World by Chesterton, G. K.Join Now to Follow

Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874–1936) has been called the “prince of paradox.” Time magazine observed of his writing style: “Whenever possible Chesterton made his points with popular sayings, proverbs, allegories—first carefully turning them inside out.” His prolific and diverse output included journalism, philosophy, poetry, biography, Christian apologetics, fantasy and detective fiction. The title of Chesteron’s 1910 collection of essays was inspired by a title given to him two years earlier by The Times newspaper, which had asked a number of authors to write on the topic: “What’s wrong with the world?”. Chesterton’s answer at that time was the shortest of those submitted - he simply wrote: “Dear Sirs, I am. Sincerely yours, G.K. Chesterton”. In this collection he gives a fuller treatment of the question, with his characteristic conservative wit. (Summary by Wikipedia and Carl Manchester)

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Librivox: House of the Seven Gables, The (Version 2) by Hawthorne, Nathaniel show

Librivox: House of the Seven Gables, The (Version 2) by Hawthorne, NathanielJoin Now to Follow

The House of the Seven Gables is a gloomy New England mansion, haunted from its foundation by fraudulent dealings, accusations of witchcraft, and sudden death. The current resident, the dignified but desperately poor Hepzibah Pyncheon, opens a shop in a side room to support her brother Clifford, who is about to leave prison after serving twenty-five years for murder. She refuses all assistance from her unpleasant wealthy cousin Judge Jaffrey Pyncheon. A distant relative, the pretty young Phoebe, turns up and quickly becomes invaluable, charming customers and rousing Clifford from depression. A delicate romance grows between Phoebe and the mysterious lodger Holgrave, who is writing a history of the Pyncheon family. -- The House of the Seven Gables is set mainly in the mid-19th century, with glimpses into the history of the house, which was built in the late 17th century. The primary interest of this book is in the subtle and involved descriptions of character and motive. (Summary from Wikipedia)

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Librivox: Success by Brooke, Rupert show

Librivox: Success by Brooke, RupertJoin Now to Follow

LibriVox volunteers bring you 15 recordings of Success by Rupert Brooke. This was the weekly poetry project for April 19th, 2009.

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Librivox: Thing from the Lake, The by Ingram, Eleanor M. show

Librivox: Thing from the Lake, The by Ingram, Eleanor M.Join Now to Follow

To get away from city life periodically, New Yorker Roger Locke purchases an abandoned farm house in rural Connecticut, and with the assistance of his cousin Phillida and her beau Ethan Vere, he sets about fixing up the place. Immediately however, an unseen mysterious woman begins giving him warnings during nocturnal visits to leave the house at once. Soon he begins hearing strange ominous sounds emanating from the tiny lake at the back of the house coupled with a permeation of sickly odors. An evil presence then begins to visit him during the witching hours of the late night, challenging him to a battle of wits from which there can be only one victor. Is his mysterious female visitor there to help and encourage him to flee from the house, or is she working in tandem with The Thing From the Lake ? A gripping, occasionally frightening tale, Ms. Ingram wastes no time in grabbing the reader into the story and manages to weave a tale that will leave the reader guessing at every turn of events. (Summary by Roger Melin)

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Librivox: Reis om de Wereld in 80 Dagen, De by Verne, Jules show

Librivox: Reis om de Wereld in 80 Dagen, De by Verne, JulesJoin Now to Follow

De held van het verhaal is Phileas Fogg, die een weddenschap aangaat dat hij in tachtig dagen om de wereld kan reizen. Vergezeld van zijn knecht Passepartout gaat hij van start, maar al vanaf de allereerste dag wordt hij tegengewerkt door inspecteur Fix van Scotland Yard.

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Librivox: Diary of a Superfluous Man, The by Turgenev, Ivan show

Librivox: Diary of a Superfluous Man, The by Turgenev, IvanJoin Now to Follow

Turgenev's shy hero, Tchulkaturin, is a representative example of a Russian archetype - the "superfluous man", a sort of Hamlet not necessarily dignified with the title Prince: an individual of comfortable means leading a dreary existence, without purpose and led on by events which may, as in this story, engulf him. The novella takes the form of a diary started by Tchulkaturin in the shock of being diagnosed as having a terminal illness. The journal entries cover a period of two weeks, leading to his death. Tchulkaturin quickly homes in on the only significant event in his life - an unreciprocated falling-in-love leading haphazardly to a non-fatal duel that leaves him desolated and fully conscious of the futility of his inactive existence.(Summary by Martin Geeson)

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Librivox: Mr Hogarth's Will by Spence, Catherine Helen show

Librivox: Mr Hogarth's Will by Spence, Catherine HelenJoin Now to Follow

Jane and Elsie Melville were raised by their kindly but eccentric uncle, Mr Hogarth who believed that women were just as good as men, and thus gave his nieces a boy's education. Upon his death, they find that he has left his entire fortune to his heretofore unknown son and left them only a small allowance, expecting them to make their own way in the world using the education he furnished them. Will the girls survive in a world that expects them, at the most, to become governesses? (summary by Karen Savage)

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Librivox: Raven, The (Multilingual) by Poe, Edgar Allan show

Librivox: Raven, The (Multilingual) by Poe, Edgar AllanJoin Now to Follow

The Raven, by Edgar Alan Poe, is one of the most famous poems ever written. First published in 1845, it was soon reprinted, illustrated, emulated, becoming one of the icons of American literature and giving its author immediate and lasting fame. Its popularity is represented in this collection, that brings together the original poem and a series of translations by various translators, who tried to bring the musicality, theme and atmosphere of "The Raven" to their native languages. (Summary by Leni)

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Librivox: House on the Borderland, The by Hodgson, William Hope show

Librivox: House on the Borderland, The by Hodgson, William HopeJoin Now to Follow

In 1877, two gentlemen, Messrs Tonnison and Berreggnog, head into Ireland to spend a week fishing in the village of Kraighten. While there, they discover in the ruins of a very curious house a diary of the man who had once owned it. Its torn pages seem to hint at an evil beyond anything that existed on this side of the curtains of impossibility. This is a classic novel that worked to slowly bridge the gap between the British fantastic and supernatural authors of the later 19th century and modern horror fiction. Classic American horror writer H. P. Lovecraft lists this and other works by Hodgson among his greatest influences. (Summary by Wikipedia)

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