DescriptionThe tragic but doomed love of Marguerite and Armand, recounted so passionately in La Dame Aux Camélias, became one of the great love stories from its first publication in 1848. The title role of the consumptive heroine and her ultimate sacrifice inspired actresses from Sarah Bernhardt to Greta Garbo - and Giuseppe Verdi to write La Traviata . In this sound dramatization, the story of passion and conflict is fresh and compelling as when it was first written.
DescriptionAs journeys go, none have more excitement than those invented by Jules Verne. In Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Verne takes us on a terrifying journey to the Earth's core where young Axel, led by his overbearing uncle Otto Lindenbrock discovers not only the planet's secrets, but also his own identity.
DescriptionIn The Three Musketeers, one of the greatest adventure stories ever written, we follow the fortunes of the dashing young swordsman D'Artagnan and his daredevil companions Athos, Aramis, and Porthos. As the thrilling story unfolds, "The Four" find themselveds embroiled in duels, love tangles, and sinister intrigues which threaten the furtue of the king, the queen, and France herself.
DescriptionThe year is 1866. The maritime world is gripped by fear after reported sightings of a huge and terrible sea monster. Monsieur Aronnax, a distinguished professor of natural history, pronounces the creature to be a giant narwhal and is invited to join an official expedition to track down the beast. But Professor Aronnax is proved wrong; the beast is not of the natural world, but is a huge submarine. When he is pulled out of the sea by the enigmatic Captain Nemo, and imprisoned on the Nautilus, he experiences at first hand the marvels and perils of submarine life. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is possibly the first and finest work of science fiction; plausible, terrifying and utterly gripping.
DescriptionIn the grotesque bell-ringer Quasimodo, Victor Hugo created one of the most vivid characters in classic fiction. Quasimodo's doomed love for the beautiful gipsy girl Esmeralda is an example of the traditional love theme of beauty and the beast. Yet, set against the massive background of Notre Dame de Paris and interwoven with the sacred and secular life of medieval France, it takes on a larger perspective. The characters come to life; the poet Gringoire, the tormented priest Claude Frollo, the upright, fun-loving captain Phoebus and above all Quasimodo and Esmeralda themselves. It is a tale peppered with humor but fuelled by the anguish which unfolds beneath the bells of the great cathedral of Paris.
DescriptionAnna Karenina has been described as the perfect Russian novel. Trapped in a loveless marriage, Anna Karenina is defenseless against the power of her passions once they are unleashed by the adoration of Count Vronsky. Having defied the rules of 19th century Russian society, Anna is forced to pay a heavy price. Human nature, with all its failings, is the fabric of which this great and passionate work is composed.
DescriptionOne for all and all for one! Crossed swords, intrigue, romance, and swashbuckling adventure accompany literature's most famous swordsmen as they set off on an action-packed journey to save nothing less than the throne of France. This exciting full-cast presentation is like nothing you've ever heard before!
DescriptionPrince Lef Nikolayevitch Muishkin is one of the great characters in Russian literature. Is he a saint or just naive, an idealist or, as many in General Yepanchin's society feel, an 'idiot'? Certainly, his return to St. Petersburg after years in a Swiss clinic has a dramatic effect on the beautiful Aglaya, youngest of the Yepanchin daughters and on the charismatic but willful Nastasia Phillipovna. As he paints a vivid picture of Russian society, Dostoyevsky shows how principles conflict with emotions - with tragic results.
DescriptionA swashbuckling swordsman extraordinaire, a wordsmith of unparalleled flair, action and romance follow him everywhere, as he of the pronounced protuberance beyond compare, seeks the favor of his beloved Roxanne, by waxing poetic...for another man. This exciting full-cast presentation is like nothing you've ever heard before!
DescriptionThrough all the world there goes one long cry from the heart of the artist: give me leave to do my utmost. This line from "Babette's Feast" lends itself to both of the stories in this audio collection, which tell of unbreakable human spirit and total commitment to life choices. "Babette's Feast, " now an award-winning film, takes a humorous look at a pure-spirited community in which love, lost youth, self-denial, and creative urges contribute to making the right choices. And "Sorrow-Acre, " the most anthologized of Isak Dinesen's stories, challenges the most profound choice of all. Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress Colleen Dewhurst's warm, sensitive interpretation reveals the subtle beauty of Dinesen's prose.
