Other books that might interest you

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  Top 10 Short Stories The - Bret...

  Bret Harte

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  The Top 10 – Bret Harte – An Introduction 
   
  The American West. A landscape hewn in vastness as its rips from Plains, to deserts, to mountain, to ocean overlaid by waves of emigration of peoples either dispossessed or searching for a new life and the American dream.  These are their stories. 
   
  Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author’s brain, their soul and heart.  A few pages can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere. 
   
  In this series we try to offer up tried and trusted ‘Top Tens’ across many different themes and authors. But any anthology will immediately throw up the questions – Why that story? Why that author?  
   
  The theme itself will form the boundaries for our stories which range from well-known classics, newly told, to stories that modern times have overlooked but perfectly exemplify the theme.  Throughout the volume our authors whether of instant recognition or new to you are all leviathans of literature. 
   
  Some you may disagree with but they will get you thinking; about our choices and about those you would have made.  If this volume takes you on a path to discover more of these miniature masterpieces then we have all gained something. 
   
  1 - The Top Ten - Bret Harte - An Introduction  
  2 - The Outcasts of Poker Flat by Bret Harte 
  3 - The Luck of Roaring Camp by Bret Harte 
  4 - The Iliad of Sandy Bar by Bret Harte 
  5 - Tennessee's Partner by Bret Harte 
  6 - The Man of No Account by Bret Harte 
  7 - Brown of Calaveras by Bret Harte 
  8 - A Jersey Centarian by Bret Harte 
  9 - The Poet of Sierra Flat by Bret Harte 
  10 - The Yellow Dog by Bret Harte 
  11 - A Lonely Ride by Bret Harte

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  Crime and Punishment - The...

  Fyodor Dostoyevsky

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  Crime and Punishment is the second of Fyodor Dostoyevsky's full-length novels following his return from 5 years of exile in Siberia, and is considered the first great novel of his "mature" period of writing. The novel focuses on the mental anguish and moral dilemmas of Rodion Raskolnikov, an impoverished ex-student in St. Petersburg who formulates and executes a plan to kill an unscrupulous pawnbroker for her cash. Raskolnikov, in an attempt to defend his actions, argues that with the pawnbroker's money he can perform good deeds to counterbalance the crime while ridding the world of a vermin, and to test a theory of his that some people are naturally superior and have the right to commit crimes if it is in pursuit of a higher purpose. 

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  The Beauties

  Anton Chekhov

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  One great example of Chekhov's minimalism is found in The Beauties, a very short "story" - I use the term loosely, because it is really just two snapshots, two unrelated anecdotes in which a man describes seeing true beauty in two different women. These women are imperfect, yet enigmatically alluring.
  Chekhov's genius lies in the way he manages to convey with such apparent effortlessness a profound sense of the mystery of beauty, and of the sadness of those who observe and think. The narrator of this apparently inconsequential tale fixes on exactly the right details, from a myriad of possible ones, to strike at the heart. It's a masterpiece of minimalism.

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  Fall Asleep to Anne of Green...

  Lucy Maud Montgomery

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  Enjoy the timeless classic "Anne of Green Gables" by Lucy Maud Montgomery in a whole new way as you drift off to sleep. This audiobook has been specially edited, narrated, and produced to help you fall asleep with ease. 
  Narrated by Elizabeth Grace for Slumber Studios. 
  If you're struggling to fall asleep at night due to insomnia or a racing mind, soothing audio stories can be an effective solution. At Slumber Studios, we specialize in creating audio experiences that help you fall asleep and stay asleep. 
  Just close your eyes, relax, and let the soothing voice of Elizabeth Grace take you on a journey to the picturesque Prince Edward Island, where you'll meet the spirited and imaginative Anne Shirley. As you listen to the gentle and melodic tone of the narration, let your mind wander and immerse yourself in the heartwarming adventures of Anne as she navigates life, friendship, and the pursuit of her dreams at Green Gables. 
  Our audiobooks are expertly crafted to help you relax and drift off to sleep. Each episode is designed with a slower pace and soothing background music to ensure a peaceful slumber. 
  So, if you're looking for a way to unwind after a long day, you've come to the right place. Simply press play, lay down in bed, and let Elizabeth Grace's calming voice transport you into a world of dreams. You'll wake up feeling refreshed and recharged in the morning.

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  Andreas

  Hugo von Hofmannsthal

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  This novel from the great Austrian poet, dramatist, essayist and librettist, Hugo von Hoffmansthal Andreas is a fascinating insight into the work of this renowned author.
  Andreas is an unfinished and posthumously-published novel of violence and naivety, pathos and melancholy. Set in the eighteenth century, it tells the story of a young Viennese aristocrat who intends to travel alone to Venice as the first stage of his 'Grand Tour';. On his journey, he acquires an unsavoury servant who unleashes a trail of destruction and violence, which taints and corrupts Andreas' first experience of love. Andreas' loss of innocence takes place in the misty alleyways and gloomy palaces of La Serenissima, whose masked inhabitants confuse and entice him, the women either madonnas or whores indistinguishable behind their masks.
  Hugo von Hoffmansthal (1874-1929) was a writer of poems and plays from a young age. As a teenager, he met Stefan George, and had several poems published in his journal Blätter für die Kunst. He went on to study in Vienna, and along with Peter Altenberg and Arthur Schnitzler, was a member of the avant-garde group Young Vienna (Jung Wien). He went on to write the libretti for several operas composed by Richard Strauss, including Elektra and Der Rosenkavalier. During the First World War, the conservative Hoffmansthal wrote speeches and articles praising the war effort. He was devastated by the post-war dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but continued with his work, founding the Salzburg Festival in 1925, along with Max Reinhardt. In 1939 his son committed suicide, and two days later Hoffmansthal died of a stroke.

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  Trouble of Life The (Unabridged)

  H. G. Wells

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  "The Trouble of Life" by H. G. Wells is a short essay. H. G. Wells once different, humorous social satire and ironic.
  
  I do not know whether this will awaken a sympathetic lassitude in, say, fifty per cent. of its readers, or whether my experience is unique and my testimony simply curious. At any rate, it is as true as I can make it.

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