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  Elizabeth and Her German Garden

  Elizabeth Von Arnim

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  Elizabeth von Arnim, who is best known for her later novel The Enchanted April, married a Prussian aristocrat and, with their five children, lived in Nassenheide, Pomerania. Elizabeth and Her German Garden is a semi-autobiographical novel about the joy that the protagonist finds in the delights of her Pomeranian garden, which provides relief from the stifling environment of her household. The novel was originally published anonymously because von Arnim feared that her husband, whom she satirised in the book, would disapprove.Each season of the year is wittily recorded, bringing new events and visitors, conveyed through von Arnim’s idiosyncratic perspective, while the ‘kingdom of heaven’ of the garden provides a calm place where the author finds solace.

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  Titus Andronicus (Argo Classics)

  William Shakespeare

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  William Collins Books and Decca Records are proud to present ARGO Classics, a historic catalogue of classic prose and verse read by some of the world’s most renowned voices. Originally released as vinyl records, these expertly remastered stories are now available to download for the first time. 
  ‘Vengeance is in my heart, death in my hand, Blood and revenge are hammering in my head.’ 
  A story of hatred and revenge, Titus Andronicus is Shakespeare’s most bloody revenge tragedy. 
  The Roman general Titus Andronicus returns from war with four prisoners who vow to take revenge against him. They rape and mutilate Titus' daughter and have his sons killed and banished. Titus kills two of them and cooks them into a pie, which he serves to their mother before killing her too. The Roman emperor kills Titus, and Titus' last remaining son kills the emperor and takes his place. 
  All of the Shakespeare plays within the ARGO Classics catalogue are performed by the Marlowe Dramatic Society and Professional Players. The Marlowe was founded in 1907 with a mission to focus on effective delivery of verse, respect the integrity of texts, and rescue neglected plays by Shakespeare’s contemporaries and the less performed plays of Shakespeare himself. The Marlowe has performed annually at Cambridge Arts Theatre since its opening in 1936 and continues to produce some of the finest actors of their generations. 
  Thurston Dart, Professor of Music at London University and a Fellow of Jesus College Cambridge, directed the music for this production. 
  The full cast includes: Dennis Arundell; John Tydeman; William Devlin; Tony Church; Frank Duncan; Gordon Gardner; Richard Marquand; Roger Clissold; Jean England; Bob Jones; Roger Croucher; David Rowe-Beddoe; Anthony Jacobs; Peter Orr; Peter Woodthorpe; David King, Philip Strick, George Rylands; Jill Balcon; Susan Maryott; Barbara Lott. 
  The Titus Andronicus is a top performing play in European theatres, showcasing the best of Shakespeare's dramatic writing. Its short but intense narrative has captivated audiences, making it a must-read for any literature enthusiast. 
  For fans of Richard Parsons (GCSE English Shakespeare Text Guide), and Arthur Miller (Incident at Vichy).

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  Pygmalion

  George Bernard Shaw

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  Pygmalion is a play by George Bernard Shaw, named after a Greek mythological character. It was first presented on stage to the public in 1912. Professor of phonetics Henry Higgins makes a bet that he can train a bedraggled Cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, to pass for a duchess at an ambassador's garden party by teaching her to assume a veneer of gentility, the most important element of which, he believes, is impeccable speech. The play is a sharp lampoon of the rigid British class system of the day and a commentary on women's independence. In ancient Greek mythology, Pygmalion fell in love with one of his sculptures, which then came to life. The general idea of that myth was a popular subject for Victorian era English playwrights, including one of Shaw's influences, W. S. Gilbert, who wrote a successful play based on the story called Pygmalion and Galatea first presented in 1871. Shaw also would have been familiar with the burlesque version, Galatea, or Pygmalion Reversed. Shaw's play has been adapted numerous times, most notably as the musical My Fair Lady and the film of that name.

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  Buffalo Bill Cody: Stories from...

  William Cody, Buffalo Bill

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  William Frederick Cody, known as Buffalo Bill, is one of the great icons of the pioneer years in the early American West. His exploits provide much insight into the life on the plains, with its Indians, cowboys, rough riders, and overall rugged existence. You are sure to enjoy this selection of entertaining stories from the Old West, written by the Honorable William F Cody.

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  The Mysteries of Robert Louis...

  Robert Louis Stevenson

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  A short thriller and a comic crime novel by the author of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde explore murderous greed in nineteenth-century Scotland.The Wrong Box: Two elderly brothers, Joseph and Masterman, are the last surviving members of an investment agreement known as a tontine. All their two nephews have to do to inherit everything is make sure Joseph outlives Masterman. But that’s easier said than done. Robert Louis Stevenson cowrote this comic crime novel with his stepson Lloyd Osbourn.The Body Snatcher: Inspired by the notorious Burke and Hare murders, this chilling short story tells the tale of two medical students in charge of receiving human cadavers for dissection in their anatomy class. When one of them begins to suspect murder is afoot, the other starts acting increasingly suspicious—until both find themselves in a terrifying predicament.

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  What Not

  Rose Macaulay

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  Rose Macaulay was a fascinating and influential British writer, known for her wit and intellect. She wrote numerous novels, essays and biographies, and she was highly regarded for her versatility as a writer. Her works often explored themes of social change, women’s rights and the complexities of human relationships. She had a unique ability to capture the essence of her characters and the world they inhabited, making her a much-admired figure in the literary world.
  The satirical novel What Not was published in 1918. Foreshadowing Orwell’s 1984, it is set in a futuristic England where a government agency, known as the Ministry of Brains, is responsible for regulating and controlling relationships and marriages based on intelligence and eugenics. The story follows the main character, Kitty Grammont, as she navigates and rebels against the strict rules and regulations imposed by the Ministry. What Not is notable for its biting social commentary on government control, bureaucracy and the dangers of sacrificing personal liberty for societal ideals.

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