05/07/2024
Bagpipers
A story of two sets of lovers and the development of their relationships, set in rural France in the mid 19th century. – Summary by PeterTucker [chương_files]
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05/07/2024
Vertical City
As the city above soars gloriously skyward, the denizens of the city writhe in its dirty underbelly. The Vertical City is a collection of six short stories by Fannie Hurst (American). Each story, tells in gritty, dramatic style, of ugly inner city tragedy: unwed mothers, women doing what they need to do in order to escape poverty, or loneliness… A mother can literally give her life in the attempt to provide a better life for her child, and even then she may fail because her love, protection and guidance, cannot overcome the depravity of the environment. Stories included here are: She Walks In Beauty, Back Pay, The Vertical City, The Smudge, Guilty, and Roulette. Summary by Lisa Reichert [chương_files]
05/07/2024
Nyckfull kvinna del 1 – Den Obundna flickan
Emilie Flygare-Carlén var under 1800-talet en av Sveriges mest populära och lästa författare. En Nyckfull kvinna, som gavs ut i fyra delar, har den unga Edith Sternfelt som centralgestalt. Hon är på ytan en mycket självmedveten, självsäker och nyckfull kvinna, men bär samtidigt på en stor osäkerhet. I första delen, Den obundna flickan, presenteras läsaren/lyssnaren för en rad personer som har viktiga roller på olika sätt. Av dessa är ”farbror Janne”, Ediths döde fars bror, en framträdande person. Han kallar sig ”en man av ränseln” och trivs bäst när han får göra strövtåg genom landet i sällskap med sin lille kortväxte följeslagare Primus. Janne är en både ömsint och vis man, och har ett gott öga till sin brosrdotter, som står hans hjärta nära, även om han är oroad över hennes nyckfullhet. Modern, hovrättsrådinnan, änka och ägare till det stora bruket Dagby i Värmland, styr med fast, och ibland något despotisk, hand sina underlydande, och försöker även styra sin äldsta dotter. Hon är är både oroad och förtretad över hur Edith avvisat en lång rad friare, och planerar, utan Ediths vetskap, att presentera henne för en lämplig kandidat, en greve. Samtidigt pågår en konflikt i Ediths inre. Hon dras alltmer till den nye unge bruksförvaltaren, herr Helmer, något hon försöker att förneka för sig själv och omvärlden, genom att vara högdragen och nedlåtande mot honom. Kring dessa rör sig också en rad andra personer som kommer att påverka varandra och den fortsatta historien. (Sammanfattning: Lars Rolander) En nyckfull kvinna – […]
05/07/2024
На краю света (On the Edge of the World)
Повесть основана на подлинном случае миссионерской деятельности архиепископа Нила (1799-1874), но написана с характерным для Лескова гротеском и тщательной шлифовкой персонажей. Затронута необычная для русской литературы 19-го века тема свободы вероисповедания. “Making up things is hard labour for me, so I’ve always felt the need for having before me real faces which could intrigue me with their spirituality; then they get hold of me and I infuse them with new life, using some real-life stories as a basis,” wrote Leskov about the characters of this book. Bigger than life characters meet at a missionary expedition to the Siberian North. The subject of freedom of faith is unusual for the 19-century Russian literature. – Summary by Mark Chulsky (& Wikipedia) [chương_files]
05/07/2024
Phantom Regiment; or, Stories of “Ours”
The title and a quick glance at the chapter titles of James Grant’s The Phantom Regiment–such as “The Romance of the Month,” “The Halt in Cork Wood,” “Rio de la Muerte (Spanish for death),” Pedro, the Contrabandist,” “A Legend of Fife,” “The Midnight March”–will lead you to realize that this book is filled with excitement, mystery, intrigue, adventure, and cultural conflict with an emphasis on Scottish soldierly daredevilry and pride. It has all the elements that make for an enjoyable and an exciting listen. (Summary by Jim Locke) [chương_files]
05/07/2024
Wing of Azrael, Volume 1
Mona Caird, a British writer and feminist, criticized in numerous non-fiction writings the state of marriage as it existed in her time. Her novel The Wing of Azrael reflects her criticisms. This is the first volume of three. In volume 1, Viola Sedley has attracted the admiration of both Philip Dendraith, a young nobleman, and Harry Lancaster, who, like Viola, comes from a more modest background. Viola’s parents are facing imminent financial hardship, and her marriage to Philip would be advantageous to them. Viola, however, has a distaste for Philip that turns into a marked aversion after she witnesses his cruelty towards animals. Moreover, Harry, who knows Philip’s character, has given her vigorous warnings against marrying him. Torn between her feelings of antipathy towards Philip and her sense of obedience and obligation to her family, Viola must make a difficult choice. (Summary by Scarbo) [chương_files]
05/07/2024
Illustrations of Political Economy, Volume 1
Hugely popular at their time of publication, Harriet Martineau’s Illustrations of Political Economy sought to turn the abstract principles of political economy into engaging, entertaining, and fundamentally humane works of social fiction. Through these dramatizations of dense economic theories, Martineau tried to educate and empower her readers, making even the most arcane concepts digestible and comprehendible to the widest possible audience (many of whom, such as women and the working class, were often excluded from engaging with these ideas via more conventional means). Each volume contains a different series of short, didactic novellas that “illustrate” a different set of economic principles, offering audiences tales that are equal parts riveting and edifying. Their publication caused a minor sensation in Victorian England. This is the first of nine volumes and contains the following short novellas: Life in the Wilds (a tale about self-sufficiency, cooperation, and colonialism that dramatizes an attack against English settlers in South Africa), The Hill and the Valley (a story of industrial strife set in a Welsh iron works that touches on topics of industry, commerce, and Luddism), and Brooke and Brooke Farm (a tale about the enclosure of public land set in the English countryside). (Summary by ChuckW) [chương_files]
05/07/2024
Villette (version 3)
A quiet, self-reliant, intelligent, 23-year-old woman, Lucy has, as Miss Ginevra Fanshawe asserts, “no attractive accomplishments – no beauty.” She seems to have no living relatives. Though usually reserved and emotionally self-controlled, Lucy has strong feelings and affections for those whom she really values. She even sincerely cares for the giddy Ginevra, albeit in a blunt, curmudgeonly fashion. She is a firm Protestant and denounces Roman Catholicism as false (“God is not with Rome”). The novel is initially set in the English countryside, and later follows Lucy Snowe to the fictional Belgian town of Villette, a Gothic town where the majority of the action takes place. Villette is modelled upon the city of Brussels and is set in the fictional kingdom of Labassecour (modelled on Belgium). “Labassecour” is the French word for farmyard.. – Summary by Wikipedia [chương_files]
05/07/2024
Ran Away to Sea
“I was just sixteen when I ran away to sea.” So begins the story of Will, a young man attracted to the romance of the sea. But that romance soon gives way to the reality of the sea on board the Pandora, once her crew meets up with a slaver ship. NOTE: There are issues of race in the telling of “Ran Away to Sea”, particularly anti-Black stereotypes and derogatory language. It is LibriVox’s policy to record texts as written. [chương_files]
05/07/2024
Simon the Jester
Simon de Gex, a wealthy and successful MP, is diagnosed with a terminal illness and decides to use his last few months using his wealth and influence to do good. In particular, he determines to guide his protégé and friend, Dale, away from an unfortunate relationship with Lola Brandt, a lady with an unsuitably colourful background. The book follows what happens to Simon in his quest – and also what further happens when an operation unexpectedly restores his health. (Summary by Simon Evers) [chương_files]