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On a trip to the South of France, a shy young woman falls in love with Maxim de Winter, a handsome widower. Although his proposal comes as a surprise, she happily agrees to marry him. But as they arrive at her husband's home, Manderley, a change comes over Maxim, and the young bride is filled with dread. Friendless in the isolated mansion, she realizes that she barely knows him. In every corner of every room is the phantom of his beautiful first wife, Rebecca, and the new Mrs de Winter walks in her shadow.

Nora seems to have it all – a loving husband, children and a comfortable life. But when a secret from her past threatens her carefully constructed world, she is forced to confront the stark realities of her marriage and the issues of her gender in society. The recording is followed by a fascinating conversation in which the actors talk how powerful and relevant the play still is today and how this unique project came to be. Exclusively for Audible the interview is followed by reviews of A Doll’s House, written between 1879 and 1900.

The Evil Clergyman is a brief but chilling work by H.P. Lovecraft, written in 1933 and published posthumously in 1939. Unlike many of Lovecraft's stories that delve into cosmic horror and elaborate mythologies, this tale presents a deeply personal and mysterious vision, drawing readers into an unsettling encounter with the unknown. Originally conceived as a vivid nightmare that Lovecraft recounted in a letter to fellow writer Bernard Austin Dwyer, this story unfolds with an eerie immediacy that reflects its dreamlike origins.

1984 is a seminal work of dystopian fiction written by British author George Orwell. Born Eric Arthur Blair in 1903, Orwell was known for his sharp criticism of totalitarian regimes and impassioned advocacy of democratic socialism. Orwell’s experiences as a police officer in colonial Burma, a fighter in the Spanish Civil War, and a critic of Stalinist Russia profoundly influenced his writing. His firsthand observations of political manipulation and the corrupting nature of power are deeply embedded in his works.

After the death of her mother, Mary Yellan crosses the windswept Cornish moors to Jamaica Inn, the home of her Aunt Patience. But she finds Patience a changed woman, cowering before her domineering, vicious husband Joss. Behind its crumbling walls, the inn harbours a dark secret - and Mary is soon dragged into a dangerous world of smuggling and murder. Disturbed by her powerful attraction to Joss's younger brother, and in fear of her life, Mary is forced to cross her own moral line to save herself.

Collected here are four of the world's best-known and beloved tales of horror, suspense and terror: H.G. Wells' "The Island of Doctor Moreau," Robert Louis Stevenson's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," H.P. Lovecraft's "The Call of Cthulhu," and Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart."

The tale follows an unnamed narrator, an intern at a mental hospital, who becomes intrigued by a patient, Joe Slater, a troubled man from the backwoods of the Catskills. Slater’s violent outbursts and visions of a celestial battle suggest a connection to a higher, otherworldly plane. Using a fictional “etheric wave” device, the narrator attempts to link his consciousness with Slater’s, embarking on a journey into an ethereal world where thoughts and dreams take on cosmic significance.

Orphaned at an early age, Philip Ashley is raised by his benevolent cousin, Ambrose. Resolutely single, Ambrose delights in making Philip his heir, knowing he will treasure his beautiful Cornish estate. But Philip's world is shattered when Ambrose sets off on a trip to Florence. There he falls in love and marries. Then he suddenly dies in suspicious circumstances.

In 1958, 27 years after Aldous Huxley wrote "Brave New World", he took another look at his remarkable fable and résumé the development since. His understandings are most alarming in his time already. They are even more alarming almost another half century later and shockingly up-to-date, considering recent developments. His prophetic view proofs once more, how terribly precise and visionary it was.

Thomas Mann's last great novel, first published in 1947 and now newly rendered into English by acclaimed translator John E. Woods, is a modern reworking of the Faust legend, in which Germany sells its soul to the Devil. Mann's protagonist, the composer Adrian Leverkühn, is the flower of German culture, a brilliant, isolated, overreaching figure, his radical new music a breakneck game played by art at the very edge of impossibility. In return for twenty-four years of unparalleled musical accomplishment, he bargains away his soul—and the ability to love his fellow man.

Step into the opulent world of Versailles during Christmastime with Mary Stuart Boyd’s charming holiday tale, The Versailles Christmas Tide. Set against the luxurious backdrop of the French palace, this story brings to life the festive celebrations, historical elegance, and enchanting customs of a bygone era. Boyd captures the wonder of the season, blending vivid descriptions of holiday decor with the timeless spirit of togetherness and joy.

Amid the haunting beauty and isolation of the Scottish coast lies Aros, an eerie isle battered by the relentless "Merry Men"—waves that dance with deadly abandon. When Charles returns to the island to stay with his brooding uncle and his cousin, he discovers more than he bargained for. Rumors of hidden treasure, tales of ghostly shipwrecks, and whispers of ancient curses hover over the cliffs and dark waters. As the tides shift, so do the shadows of past sins, luring Charles into a harrowing mystery that threatens to claim him, just as it has countless others before.

Step into the haunting and introspective world of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Christmas Banquet. In this darkly contemplative holiday tale, Hawthorne presents a gathering unlike any other—a Christmas banquet where the guests are bound by their sorrows, regrets, and life’s unfulfilled desires. The story follows a mysterious host who invites individuals to join in the festivities, creating an atmosphere filled with both somber reflection and eerie revelations.

Anton Chekhov’s The Lady With The Dog weaves a tale of love, longing, and the elusive nature of happiness, set against the scenic backdrop of late 19th-century Yalta. When Dmitri Gurov, a man weary of his monotonous life, encounters Anna Sergeyevna and her small dog by the seaside, his world shifts unexpectedly. Both dissatisfied with their lives yet hesitant to embrace change, they find themselves drawn together by a connection as powerful as it is uncertain.

Henry Armstrong has been buried, yet he doesn’t quite feel dead. In the pitch-black confinement of his grave, he slowly grasps the absurdity of his situation, though his body lies sealed in a tight coffin beneath layers of fresh soil. Above him, on this gloomy summer night, three men are digging up his resting place—two medical students and their mysterious companion, Jess, who knows the cemetery better than anyone. But none of them could anticipate the horror awaiting them.

This is a reproduction of a classic text. We have endeavoured to create this version as close to the original artefact as possible. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we believe they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

Theodor Fontane's best-known novel is published in simple language for the first time. Theodor Fontane's best-known novel is published in simple language for the first time. It largely complies with the ISO 24495-1:2023 plain language standard. We have also largely adapted it for plain language. The content is also typographically designed to be particularly reader-friendly. The book is suitable for readers with limited reading ability, English as a second language or with cognitive impairments.

The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton is one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It is one of 13 stories in the cycle collected as The Return of Sherlock Holmes and was published in 1904. Holmes is hired by the débutante Lady Eva Blackwell to retrieve compromising letters from a blackmailer: Milverton, who causes Holmes more revulsion than any of the 50-odd murderers in his career. Milverton is "the king of blackmailers".

The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez, one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is one of 13 stories in the cycle collected as The Return of Sherlock Holmes. One wretched November night, Inspector Stanley Hopkins visits Holmes at 221B Baker Street to discuss the violent death of Willoughby Smith, secretary to aged invalid Professor Coram. Coram had dismissed his previous two secretaries. The murder happened at Yoxley Old Place near Chatham, Kent, with a sealing-wax knife of the professor's as the weapon.

The Adventure of the Second Stain, one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is one of 13 stories in the cycle collected as The Return of Sherlock Holmes and the only unrecorded case mentioned passively by Watson to be written. Doyle ranked The Adventure of the Second Stain eighth in his list of his twelve favourite Holmes stories. Lord Bellinger, the Prime Minister, and the Right Honourable Trelawney Hope, the Secretary of State for European Affairs, come to Holmes in the matter of a document stolen from Hope's dispatch box, which he kept at home in Whitehall Terrace when not at work.