A romance with the backdrop of the notorious Star Chamber of the English legal system. The Chamber began as purely administrative, but gradually took on more of a judicial role, enforcing the monarch's will when the courts could or would not do so. As the mix of fact and fiction unfolds in this tale, the court is beginning to lose favor during the reign of James I as the church once again increased its power, while Parliament's power decreased as the monarch tried to rule without them. - Summary by Lynne Thompson
29 episodes
Dice Lashmore will do everything he can in in his quest to become rich. The key is, of course, finding a rich wife. This book describes his numerous courtships of women. It also describes the moral decline of a man who has only one goal, and how other people react to it. This book is about courtship, but also about values. It raises questions like: do modern values of feminism and choice still hold? Do everybody who claims to believe in them really believes, and, of course, what if not? - Summary by Stav Nisser
30 episodes
Las "Rimas" De Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer es una de sus obras mas conocidas y halagadas, en ellas encontramos referencias sobre todo al amor, pero también a otros sentimientos como la traición. Estas rimas han sido publicadas en modo póstumo, sin embargo, debido a la sublimidad de las mismas, mantienen mucha vigencia a la actualidad, constituyéndose en un clásico romántico imperdible. Summary by KendalRigans
8 episodes
It is an ideal honeymoon of an ideal couple. But somehow, the wife cannot stop dreaming that her husband would be shot and killed. He dismisses her dreams until they come true. Who commited the murder? How would the wife take it? - Summary by Stav Nisser
36 episodes
So what is the crown of life? Follow the journey of Piers and Irene as they attempt to discover. It is both a coming of age novel and love story at the same time, one which would bring delight to philosophers with many conversations for and against imperialism, romantics who would follow the long courtship in the center of the plot, and sociologists who would follow with interest the vivid way in which George Gissing describes the society in which he lived. - Summary by Stav Nisser.
37 episodes
Priscilla Glenn lives in Kenmore, a place which the Canadian Indians call "the in-place, the place beyond the winds". There are so many traditions, so many things to be proud of, yet Priscilla is different. She dreams of living in the big city. Would she be able to fulfil her dream? If she does, would she leave her traditions behind or remember when she came from? The novel includes descriptions of the traditions and sprawling nature, of the people of Kenmore, and of Priscilla herself. Many people go far away from home to fulfil some or other dream, but home is always there. The novel is perfect for everybody, including fans of Gene Stratton Porter. - Summary by Stav Nisser.
Read by Lynda Marie Neilson and Nancy Gorgen.
26 episodes
It is 1801, in the wild and rugged country that is northern England. A local Squire has died but his manor, Scargate Hall, is left to two sisters, Philippa and Eliza, while the squire's son is disinherited. The family lawyer has discovered a problem with the inheritance and needs to apprise the family of the fact. Meanwhile, over a hundred miles away, Mary Anerley of Anerley Farm meets a man who is running for his life and helps him to evade capture. This man's history is a complicated one and throws up many obstacles in the path of true love with Mary. - Summary by Lynne Thompson
57 episodes
Walter Gregory is a gentleman whose health is broken down by the stress of Wall Street and the consequences of his fast lifestyle. Disillusioned in love and betrayed in friendship, he returns to visit his childhood home in the country. Who is this young woman Annie Walton he finds there? Can she truly be as good as she seems? He determines to test her character to the utmost. Deceitful villains, fire, death, and nautical disasters all try our hero and heroine. She has shown him the saving faith that gives life. Can he rescue her from a false fiancé who would ruin hers? (LikeManyWaters)
36 episodes
Love stories make perfect short stories. This collection contains 16 different short stories on the different ways a love affair can play out. - Summary by Carolin
26 episodes
Marriage is a big adventure. It makes for great stories, too: both in case of a happy marriage and in case of an unhappy one. Eleven of these stories are collected in this collection, concerning all the different obstacles that a couple may face during courtship, engagement, wedding, and the actual marriage. - Summary by Carolin
11 episodes
A World War 1 spy vs spy novel. Oh! And perhaps I should also mention, a bit of romance?
"I am sorry,” he said coolly, "awfully sorry. As you know, I would have had things different. You may still doubt me when I say that what I have done is the hardest task that I ever undertook in my life. But that is true. You were the only person in England who jeopardized my existence there. I had to take you away. I regret the necessity of having to use force. I shall do what I can here upon the Sylph to counteract the unpleasant impression of my brutality. I am not a bully and a woman-baiter. I am a spoke in the wheel of destiny which you had clogged. By all the rules of the game you should have died. Reasons which I need not mention made your death at my hands an impossibility. So I merely removed you to a place of safety. No harm shall come to you, I pledge my honor." (Excerpt from Chapter 13.)
24 episodes
Khaled is a powerful jinn, or genius, but he has a good heart. When he sees that Zehowah, the beautiful, virtuous daughter of the king is about to accept a foreign prince as husband, who lied about converting to Islam, he takes the law into his own hands and kills the prince. When the pair is confronted by an Angel, Khaled begs to be made into a mortal man. His wish is granted, under one condition: Khaled must win the love of Zehowah... - Summary by Carolin
12 episodes
As a practical joke at a house party, a young and beautiful socialite tries to make a fool out of a visiting young missionary to amuse her friends. She pretends to be a seeker in order to win his affections, but gets a lot more than she bargained for... - Summary by LikeManyWaters
37 episodes
Few plays have been seen as a more fitting conclusion to a playwright's career than Shakespeare's The Tempest. Focusing on the aging sorcerer and rightful Duke of Milan, Prospero, we are transported to a remote island where magic and strange music fill the air, and the monstrous slave Caliban roams in bitterness. Seeing an opportunity to restore his slandered name, Prospero conjures a mighty storm to bring down a ship containing his wicked brother and the King of Naples, both of whom had driven him out of Milan twelve years before. By stranding them on a remote end of the island, and with the help of the airy spirit Ariel, Prospero sets out to right the wrongs that had been done to him, before renouncing his magic forever. Featuring some of the most powerful speeches in Shakespeare's canon, and with an incredible grasp on tone and the Neoclassical unities of time, place and action, The Tempest remains a formidable and moving farewell to both the Bard and the timeless works he left behind.And to perform it all? Three men (Craig Franklin, Tomas Peter, and Brad "Hamlet" Filippone) and one woman (Sonia), determined to give you a performance of Shakespeare's final work that you will never forget. You thought you knew your Shakespeare? Well, think again! - Summary by Tomas Peter
Craig Franklin: Narrator; Alonso; Gonzalo; Trinculo; Iris; Boatswain; Third Mariner.
Brad “Hamlet” Filippone: Prospero; Stephano; Adrian; Ship Master; Second Mariner.
Sonia: Miranda; Ariel; Antonio; Juno; First Mariner.
Tomas Peter: Caliban; Sebastian; Ferdinand; Francisco; Ceres; Fourth Mariner.
6 episodes
A young society woman travels to the country to visit her aunt, only to end up as the unwilling guest of a neighboring family. The daughter is not so sure how to deal with this unpleasant circumstance. The young man of the household has met her before. Through them, she gains new perspectives on life, faith, and love. - Summary by LikeManyWaters
29 episodes
"Gloria" es una novela que relata las costumbres católicas de los españoles desde épocas remotas, especialmente narra la religiosidad de una bella dama, hija de un hombre ilustre en el pueblo de Ficóbriga, quien habiendo recibido dicha doctrina desde su nacimiento, pone en duda sus creencias; y ya en su adultez sus dudas incrementan cuando encuentra el amor de su vida, quien será el protagonista de su mayor fortuna y desgracia. (Summary by Kendal Rigans)
39 episodes
Histoire d'amour.
Voici un très beau roman, riche et profond, très apprécié et commenté, écrit d’une plume raffinée et poétique ; les sentiments complexes des personnages sont cernés avec subtilité ; la nature, les saisons, les couleurs sont omniprésentes, décrites avec un sens esthétique remarquable.
Rejoignons la France de la fin du 19ème siècle, son évolution, la société parisienne, et celle d’un village près de Port-Royal-des-Champs, qui fut un haut lieu janséniste,
et les personnages, si bien évoqués :
Augustin de Chanteprie, imprégné de religion et de l’histoire de sa famille, qui va découvrir l’amour auprès de Fanny Manolé, artiste pastelliste à Paris, tous leurs proches, et amis…
et Jacquine dite La Chavoche, et Madame de Chanteprie, la Sainte, les deux mères d’Augustin, à son berceau, à son chevet.
Un bel ouvrage qui porte à réfléchir.
M. Tinayre fut très proche des milieux artistiques.
Elle est enterrée à Grosrouvre, dans les Yvelines, France.
- Summary by ChristianeJehanne
33 episodes
Geoffrey Holland, a young millionaire, visits his country home in Hillsborough after hearing of a recent string of burglaries. To Holland's surprise, he finds the burglar reading a book in his library. And it's none other than his old schoolmate, Billy McVay. As the blizzard gets stronger, McVay persuades Holland to go out and rescue his sister who is living in a nearby rundown shack. What will Holland do and find? - Summary by SaraHale
7 episodes
Roberta, daughter of an American soldier and a French marquise, is returning to the childhood home of her father after his death in the Great War. Upon reaching New York she realizes that her Uncle, a woman-hater, has confused the genders of her and her small crippled brother. In order to please her Uncle and ensure medical treatment for Pierre, she becomes "Robert", his nephew. In her new identity she secures supplies for France, has many hilarious close-calls, and manages to fall in love with the Governor. - Summary by LikeManyWaters
20 episodes
This is a collection of twelve original and entertaining little romances. Literature is an important anchor that helps us understand society in the American Gilded Age in the late ninteenth century, and these stories allow us to understand the marriage market of the time. - Summary by Carolin"Miss Ticknor, well known as one of the most promising of the younger school of American writers, has never done better work than in the majority of these clever stories, written in a delightful comedy vein." - The Publisher
12 episodes
The second volume of a romance with the backdrop of the notorious Star Chamber of the English legal system. The Chamber began as purely administrative, but gradually took on more of a judicial role, enforcing the monarch's will when the courts could or would not do so. As the mix of fact and fiction unfolds in this tale, the court is beginning to lose favor during the reign of James I as the church once again increased its power, while Parliament's power decreased as the monarch tried to rule without them.
33 episodes
Kitty Ellison, orpheline vit avec la famille de son oncle dans l'Etat de New York. En voyage, sur le bateau à vapeur quittant le Québec pour remonter le Saguenay, elle fait la connaissance de l'aristocrate Miles Arbuton de Boston. Il s'éprend de la jeune fille et la demande en mariage. Kitty est consciente de leur différence de milieu, mais accepte sa proposition. Quand des amis aristocrates de Arbuton les rejoignent, celui-ci change de comportement. - Summary by Margot
14 episodes
This is a wonderfully written novel by Mrs. Hungerford about the perennial bachelor and the various interests in his life, where he is a doctor by trade. From taking care of his sister's children to a possible love on the horizon, the author keeps us on our toes in this quick read of a book with its many unexpected twists and turns!
8 episodes
Back from the Great War, a penniless and disillusioned young soldier finds himself in the home of Miss Marilla Chadwick, a sweet old lady who is expecting her nephew for dinner. Mary Amber, Miss Marilla's neighbor, is also there. He hates girls. She hates men. What will be the result? He will fight girl in the concrete! - Summary by LikeManyWaters
7 episodes
Mary Roberts Rinehart offers a superb blend of romance and suspense amidst political tensions in this story set in early 20th Century America. The characters are compelling and representative of the various socioeconomic classes. The reader follows the complicated relationship of Lily Cardew (just returned from working with the Red Cross during the war) who finds herself unable to go back to the empty social life of the rich and William Wallace Cameron, an honest, fearless and patriotic pharmacy clerk during the turbulent times of an industrial town.
- Summary by Celine Major
20 episodes
A night editor at a New York paper escapes to the country to avoid a nervous breakdown. Providence lands him in the middle of a loving Quaker family in time to save them from being roasted by a lightning strike. Then what could be more natural than falling in love with a girl already engaged to someone else? Truly, it was a Day of Fate for him. "Some shallow story of deep love." (Shakespeare) - Summary by LikeManyWaters
36 episodes
“Digger Smith” is a series of narrative poems about an Australian soldier coming home in the closing months of the Great War minus a leg and with “ANZAC eyes” ... what a later war would call “The Thousand Yard Stare”.
Despite his post-traumatic stress disorder, Digger Smith sets about ministering to everybody’s troubles but his own ... his internal conviction that his amputee status will make him seem “half a man” in the eyes of the lady love he left behind when he went off to the War.
Oh Digger Smith, how little faith you have in woman... - Summary by Son of the Exiles
13 episodes
"Then was there war in the house of Baxendale. Guy had made up his mind to wed the fair daughter of the forester; while Sir Stephen and Dame Alice his wife had made up their minds — with equal firmness — that no son of their noble name should mate with a daughter of the people". A rumor started that the girl was a witch and so she was burned. However before she was burned she cursed the family who condemned her: "First by the King, and then by the State, And thirdly by that which is thrice as great As these, and a thousandfold stronger and higher Shall Baxendale Hall be made fuel of fire". Ever since, the Baxendales cannot be truly happy, for they cannot have true love. What is life without love? They do their duty, rule over the land, but cannot be happy. Can the curse be lifted? Can a Baxendale experience true love? This book is a protest against the prominent view of marriage at the time. Against the values of ambition and duty, and of course against social class. It offers a new way to look at marriage, the modern way of true love. A year after publishing this novel, the author, a daughter of a viscount, would marry a senior teacher at a navy school. Not someone from her own class. However the marriage was described as very happy. - Summary from the book's prolog with additions by Stav Nisser.
24 episodes
“On the day the drafted men march away, Ruth MacDonald catches John Cameron's eye and waves to him. In the excitement of the moment they both forget the social barriers that lie between them and only remember they were schoolmates as children. From this a friendship develops that has far-reaching results. To Ruth, spoiled daughter of the rich, comes a new conception of life, of war, of love. To John comes tests of fire before he finds himself. Here is the absorbing romance of two people who searched through the devious paths of a warring world for fulfillment and happiness.” - Dust Jacket, 1919 Edition. Note: Chapter numbering skips XI, like the original chapter numbering in the first edition. - Summary by LikeManyWaters
19 episodes
Rich and sophisticated Arthur Tracy returns to Tracy Park after several years abroad confused and mentally unstable. Initially claiming that Gretchen accompanied him on the boat and train back he then expects her to arrive at any moment. Meanwhile a child is found at the side of a woman frozen to death in the Tramp House nearby. Arthur's brother Frank believes he knows the child's identity but keeps it a secret fearing that his elaborate lifestyle could be in jeopardy. This is a heartwarming story with just the right mix of suspense and romance. - Summary by Celine Major
31 episodes
Here are 20 love stories under an hour each, covering all kinds of experiences involving romantic or other kinds of love resulting in heartbreak or happiness -- where the heart overflows with passion, pride, emotion or wonder. ( ~ Michele Fry)
20 episodes
Ann Radcliffe is the founder of the gothic novel. This novel is no exception. The wicked baron murdered the good earl's father twelve years before the novel began. Only twelve years later, free from his mother's wishes, can the earl seek revenge. Meanwhile, Mary, the earl's beautiful sister is falling in love with a peasant. Yet her brother was abducted by the baron and he wants to marry her. She may have to wed him in order to secure his return. We see Mary's conflict along with a description of her brother's captivity. This book has everything: murder, revenge, battles, damsels in distress, aristocrats, captives, secrets, and, most of all, love. It is a love story in every sense: the love to the Scottish highlands in which it is set, the family love that binds almost above all else, and of course the love between men and women. This short work would later influence Radcliffe's other works. Radcliffe had an influence on Jane Austen, Mary Shelley, and many others who wrote popular gothic novels. - Summary by Stav Nisser and Wikipedia
12 episodes
Mein blaues Buch ist eine Sammlung von Balladen und Romanzen, welche 1909 erschien. Löns war leidenschaftlicher Jäger und gerne in der Natur unterwegs. Viele seiner Beobachtungen und Eindrücke setzte er nicht nur in Prosa, sondern auch in Gedichten um. Er gilt als einer der Vorreiter für den Naturschutz und war schon zu Lebzeiten ein Mythos. - Summary by lorda
48 episodes
LibriVox volunteers bring you 15 recordings of The Indian Serenade, by Percy Bysshe Shelley.
This was the Fortnightly Poetry project for September 8, 2019. ------
From Wikipedia, Shelley's short life spanned from August 1792 – 8 July 1822 and after his death, became known as was one of the major English Romantic poets, who is regarded by some as among the finest lyric and philosophical poets in the English language, and one of the most influential. - Summary by Wikipedia and Michele Fry
15 episodes
The Bronze Eagle is a romantic historical novel which takes place during the return of Napoleon and his attempt to reestablish his Empire. The main character is a rich English businessman, who falls in love with an aristocratic young woman, with lots of pitfalls and challenges. - Summary by deongines
19 episodes
The coverup of a murder leads to the search for the dead man's heiress decades later in this delightful 3 part novel by Mary Jane Holmes. Her characters are as always very interesting and realistic. Poor little Bessie is raised in poverty because her mother spends most of her time at the gaming tables of Monte Carlo or Baden Baden while her so called aristocratic father looks down on all menial work. Her wealthy relatives will do nothing to help. Add the love of three men for one girl to the mix and the result is an absorbing historical romance. - Summary by Celine Major
31 episodes
This swash-buckling, romantic story of Zorzi Ballarin and Angelo Beroviero, master glass-blowers of Murano, Italy in the 1500's, is not entirely fiction. Many of the works of these artizans are preserved in the Museum of Murano, including their discovery of the clear glass we know as "crystal". Giovanni Beroviero, the lesser artist and jealous son, did indeed write the damning letter which brought Zorzi to trial before the Council of Ten (the original letter is still preserved). The treasured colored glass formulas of Paolo Godi are real. Arisa the Georgian slave mistress is fictional, but beautiful Eastern slaves were indeed bought and sold in Italy for many centuries. The patriarchal society that kept women walled in was real, and the myriad gondolas plying the canals, and the palaces of Venice in which much of the story takes place, are still there. Francis M. Crawford has woven a riveting tale of intrigue that never slacks off from first word to last. ( ~ Author's note and Michele Fry, Soloist)
24 episodes
"There are some women who will brew mystery from the decoction of even a very simple life. Matilda is one of them, remarked the major to himself as he filled his pipe and settled himself before his high-piled, violet-flamed logs..."A sweet, heartfelt, old-fashioned romance. The middle-aged adults take a kindly interest in the affairs of the young people, with many having friendships across generations in a way not often seen today. Experience life with Phoebe, David, Caroline, Andrew, and the Buchanans in a small town in the Harpeth Valley, Tennessee in the early 1900s.This book reflects many of the feelings and attitudes prevalent at the time of its original publication. It may contain references that reflect mores and opinions that directly conflict with today’s prevailing sentiments. - Summary by LikeManyWaters
Narrator: LikeManyWatersMajor Buchanan: Larry WilsonMatilda Buchanan: Lynette CaulkinsDavid Kildare: Adam BielkaPhoebe Donelson: KHandCaroline Brown: thestorygirlAndrew Sevier: Adrian StephensTempie: TriciaGMrs. Cherry Lawrence: Christine LehmanPolly Farrell: Katharina GlowallaMilly Overton, Mistake: Leanne YauBilly Bob Overton, Tom Cantrell, Jeff: EJWileyCap Cantrell: RHelfmannHobson Capers, Telephone Repair Man: lordaMrs. Payt: TJ BurnsMrs. Peyton Kendrick: Julie BurksJake and others: LikeManyWaters
12 episodes
’St. George and St. Michael’ is a little-known historical romance telling the story of a young couple who find themselves on opposing sides during the tumultuous years of the English Civil Wars. Volume 3 completes the series.
Tensions are rising between king and parliament, the Church of England and the numerous independent puritans, and rumours abound that Charles I will soon declare open war on the dissident elements within his realm. Seventeen-year-old Dorothy Vaughan knows little of the brewing conflict, yet is sure that her loyalty must be with her king and her nation. When she challenges her childhood friend, Richard Heywood, to prove himself a man and so worthy of winning her hand in marriage by becoming involved in the larger events that surround them, he finds that his convictions – both political and spiritual – lie with his father’s and the puritans. Determined to do what he believes is right, Richard finds that he cannot shake his immovable conscience, even for the woman he loves.
Though it is, for the most part, a realistic novel, ‘St. George and St. Michael’ is not without either the otherwordly atmosphere of the fantastic or the rich spiritual depth that characterizes so much of MacDonald’s writing. - Summary by Jordan
21 episodes
Giovanna and Costantino Ledda are a happily married couple living with their young child in a Sardinian country village close to their extended family. Costantino is wrongly convicted of murdering his wicked uncle and with no way of supporting herself, Giovanna reluctantly divorces him and is driven to marry Brontu Dejas, a wealthy but brutish drunkard who has always lusted after her.
As well as enduring a marriage amounting to slavery, Giovanna is derided by villagers for having two husbands. When Constantino is freed after the real murderer confesses to his crime, he and Giovanna are together again, but this time their relationship is outside the law, and sets both on a path of destruction, at the mercy of religious and social forces they cannot control.
The author, Grazia Deledda, won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1926, for writings which show passion and sympathy for the people of her native Sardinia, and ‘After the Divorce’ (Dopo il Divorzio) is one of her finest works. - Summary by Tom Denholm
20 episodes
This is a less known, but not less beautiful, novel by the author of The Secret Garden, A Little Princess, The Lost Prince, Little Lord Fauntleroy, The Shuttle, and many more. There is something different about miss Lysbeth Crespigny. Raised by three maiden aunts and sheltered from the world, she leaves them for the first time in order to explore the world. Yet she is often misunderstood. The world she discovers is more complicated and confusing then she anticipates. She is only 18 when the book starts. However the choices she has to make have consequences which she learns to navigate and become the strong woman she can be. - Summary by Stav Nisser.
19 episodes
En esta obra corta de Gautier un anciano sacerdote, Romualdo, relata su experiencia de amor con la bella Clarimonda. Romualdo en el oficio de toma de sus hábitos queda deslumbrado por la belleza de una misteriosa mujer que no deja de mirarle y que al finalizar la ceremonia habla con él y le augura la infelicidad por haber dedicado su vida a Dios. El superior de Romualdo, Serapio, le advierte sobre el misterioso y macabro destino de aquella mujer y de que todos los que se enamoraban de ella acababan también muertos. (Montse González)
6 episodes
Minnie, who lives in the South, does not know she is a mulatto. She is sent to the North after her mother's death, and there she marries Louis, who is ironically also of mixed parentage. The story revolves around their discoveries and how they deal with their true identities. (N.B. There are some missing portions of the text.)
19 episodes
This novel is subtitled A Temperance Story, which identifies explicitly the focus of the work. Frances Harper is a Christian moralist and uses her writings for didactic purposes. Here she contrast two couples, one, Belle and Paul, who do not drink and whose lives are happier and more productive, and the other, Jeanette and Charles, who lives are destroyed by the demon rum. (N.B. There are some missing portions of the text)
16 episodes
Orgullo y prejuicio (en inglés, Pride and Prejudice), publicada por primera vez el 28 de enero de 1813 como una obra anónima, es la más famosa de las novelas de Jane Austen y una de las primeras comedias románticas en la historia de la novela. Su primera frase es, además, una de las más famosas en la literatura inglesa: «Es una verdad mundialmente reconocida que un hombre soltero, poseedor de una gran fortuna, necesita una esposa». Es una novela de desarrollo personal, en la que las dos figuras principales, Elizabeth Bennet y Fitzwilliam Darcy, cada uno a su manera y, no obstante, de forma muy parecida, deben madurar para superar algunas crisis y aprender de sus errores para poder encarar el futuro en común, superando el orgullo de clase de Darcy y los prejuicios de Elizabeth hacia él. Summary by Phileas Fogg.
34 episodes
Kit Orchardson, an apprentice produce grower in Sunbury, England describes for us a time in his youth in which he fell in love with Kitty, a young lady of higher status, endeavored to secure her love and ventured to solve her mysterious disappearance shortly after they were joined in marriage. Through Kit's perspective, we get a wonderful view of life in 1860 England where people's attitudes were maneuvering between their societal status and their character.
66 episodes
Genji Monogatari, or The Tale of Genji, is a Japanese classic novel from the eleventh century. Supposedly commissioned by members of the Imperial Family, it tells the story of the son of the Emperor's favorite concubine and his role as a privileged boy and man, but not quite recognized as royal. He is placed in a loveless marriage, but continues a number of 'friendships' with the women of the court. This translation brings us the first seventeen chapters, and there is some dispute over the authorship of later (not included) chapters. The book gives us a fascinating insight into court life of the period. - Summary by Lynne Thompson
19 episodes
These stories form the first volume of the renowned Tales of Hoffman. They are fantasies with hints of the supernatural—quintessential Romanticism. Writers of the Romantic period typically seek to lift the spirit to awe, wonder, love, horror, or other extremes of emotion. Hoffmann is drawn to such experiences, particularly as they relate to the creative process. Although he occasionally arouses them in the reader, he more often examines them critically or, in the case of hysterical excesses, especially infatuation, satirizes them. - Summary by T. A. Copeland
17 episodes
Published two years after Gissing's death, this novel tells the story of Will Warburton. Will loses his money in a failed business venture and has to come to terms with his new job as a grocer. This is a book about acceptance, love, and, of course, the meaning of money and status. - Summary by Stav Nisser.
48 episodes
George Eliot was the pen name of Mary Ann Evans – an ironic ‘deception’ given that Adam Bede, her first novel, is written unashamedly from a feminist standpoint.
The story centres on a pastoral love triangle. Two young men, carpenter Adam Bede and squire Captain Arthur Donnithorne, are both in love with the mercurial Hetty Sorrel. There’s a further love interest between Adam and beautiful lay preacher Dinah Morris.
The setting is a country village in the north of England in the last years of the eighteenth century. The author paints a wonderful landscape of contemporary life as it really was, and excels in the portraits of her characters. Each is flawed, each has their own passions, each is unique, and through this great novel, Eliot put her stamp on literature and on the way we view the vagaries of character, helping us to see people as they really are.
This is one of the greatest novels in the English language. First published in 1859, Adam Bede has never been out of print since, which speaks volumes about its timeless quality. - Summary by Tom Denholm
62 episodes
