Showing results by narrator "Simon Hester" in All Categories

It is all to easy to be familiar with Oscar Wilde the aesthete, the limpid sophisticate ever ready with a witty epigram designed to both shock and stimulate. However, here in this set of short stories Wilde, at least partly, lays aside his barbs and is careful to not let cynicism cloud the parable like innocence of these tales. There is an undeniable purity in these tales, which Wilde’s simple, lyrical style beautifully enhances. Narrated by Simon Hester with original music.

After first introducing Sherlock Holmes in "A Study in Scarlet", Sir Arthur Conan Doyle then began his series of shorter Holmes' adventures as chronicled by the famous detective's friend and companion Dr. John Watson. Here, we have many classics of the Holmes series. The gothic horror of "The Speckled Band", the bizarre and clever deception of "The Red Headed League", the unique and frightening experience of the "Engineer's Thumb", and the lofty client from "A Scandal in Bohemia", a case that finds Holmes up against "The Woman".

Here are 12 specially selected tales by one of the masters of this miniature art, Saki (H.H Munro). They range from the comic deception of "The Schartz Metterklume Method" to "The Cobweb", a subtle meditation on life, change and death. Also included is Munro's short essay "Birds on the Western Front", a poignant description of some of Nature's response to the devastation of war, written in the very place where Munro would tragically lose his life to a sniper's bullet in 1916.

Once again, Alice enters into an imaginary world full of nonsense, color, and paradox. This time, she enters through a mirror and, as one might expect, everything becomes back to front. She is on a quest to become a queen in a fantastical game of chess meeting both help and hindrance in a cast of unforgettable characters such as Humpty Dumpty and the White Knight.

Once again Alice enters into an imaginary world full of nonsense, color and paradox. This time she enters through a mirror and, as one might expect, everything becomes back to front. She is on a quest to become a Queen in a fantastical game of chess meeting both help and hindrance in a cast of unforgettable characters such as Humpty Dumpty and the White Knight.

On the edge of the unknown, Oak Wilder is beckoned to defend his homeland from the darkness lurking at his doorstep. However, Oak is not keen on leaving his rich farmland in the western Sussex of England to chase folklore. With the help of the Steward, he finds his courage to embark on the adventure and discover the truth that lay beyond the hills.

First published in 1895 this classic tale of three friends taking a boating holiday on the Thames is as fresh as ever and creates a unique blend of humorous travelogue and historical information; even pausing at times, amidst the comedic mishaps, to reflect eloquently upon life and its sufferings.

June 1813. As the Peninsular War edges toward its climactic battle at Vitoria, a well-bred, newly commissioned, and hopelessly incompetent officer arrives to take charge of a seasoned troop of British cavalry. The troop's eloquent but shifty corporal takes the officer under his wing, and thus begins a journey through the campaign with many laugh-out-loud moments as the less-than-upright members of the troop determine to turn the war against the French to their pecuniary advantage.

The epic tale of a major inter-war novelist whose work was lauded by the literary establishment of the 1930s - but overshadowed by his biggest hit. As a 10-year-old working in a Leeds knacker's yard, Eric Knight had a dream. Emigrating to the USA, he reinvented himself as artist, newspaper reporter, film critic, and best-selling novelist. His books were praised by Ernest Hemingway and H L Mencken and turned into Hollywood movies.

In this 1914 collection of short stories by P.G. Wodehouse, listeners are beckoned into the whimsical universe of P.G. Wodehouse, where wit dances hand in hand with charm. Through these stories, Wodehouse showcases his mastery of the short form, offering vignettes that sparkle with his trademark humor and keen observation of human nature.

"The Water-Babies" remains relevant today as it resonates with universal themes and moral insights that extend beyond the Victorian context. The narrative's enduring appeal lies not only in its engaging storyline, but also in the profound messages that it conveys about human nature and societal values.

In the swirling mists of post-World War I England, a character emerged from the pen of "Sapper", (H.C.McNeile) whose adventures would captivate readers and endure through the ages. Bulldog Drummond, the invincible hero, burst onto the literary scene with a resounding force that echoed the sentiments of a society grappling with the aftermath of conflict and the winds of change.

The enigmatic and diminutive priest continues to fathom the deepest of mysteries in a set of 11 fascinating stories which are set in such diverse locations as a Mexican Hotel, an English Seaside Pier, and an Oxford University Garden. Chesterton presents his humble and blinking detective as an almost childlike contrast to the bizarre and dark machinations of the fallen world.

In The Secret of Father Brown, G.K. Chesterton bookends eight classic Father Brown mysteries with a fascinating encounter between the detective-priest and an admiring yet inquisitive American.

The Russia of the mid 19th century was a period in which the society was awash with a myriad of philosophical ideas as it became increasingly influenced by the West. The writer instinctively reacts against Utopian ideals and sees in himself the proof that such a philosophy is doomed.

Edward Prendick finds himself floating perilously in the ocean after having been shipwrecked. He is picked up and saved by the curious Dr. Montgomery, a medical man travelling with a cargo of various wild animals. Prendick soon finds himself once again adrift at sea after an argument with a hostile and drunken captain.