Showing results by publisher "Simply Media" in Literature & Fiction

The Prince is considered the all-time best book on political strategy. It has of late become a much-referred-to book for all competitive situations. Machiavelli's name is associated closely with his philosophy, as he well deserves. His other works are worth reading or hearing, as well, especially his Art of War and Belfagor: The Devil Who Took a Wife.

Ambrose Bierce brings to life the heart rendering stories of divided loyalties, splitting families, states, countries, and individuals. He writes of the glory in beginning and savagery in the doing. Here is a moving anti-war series of stories if ever there was one. A must read by all students of American History and Literature, though perhaps best understood by older adults.

"The Open Boat" is considered Stephen Crane's finest work and one of the great short stories of all time. The story begins with four men in an open boat, subject to the vagaries of the sea after their ship went down. The Captain, though injured, retains control over the boat and its occupants by force of habit and uncanny skills. In this trial, he proves his worth, putting his men first, guiding them at every step of the way.

"White Nights" is the third major Dostoyevsky short story that everyone should read or listen to, along with "A Faint Heart" and "The Christmas Tree and Wedding". The story contains a series of Winesburg, Ohio-like moments: a woman and man meet on the First Night; proceed to meet again on the Second and Third, almost fall in love, and at the last minute the former lover of the woman returns to take her away. But the point is that the man had a glorious moment....

The classic transformation story by Kafka. A man is transformed into a bug and how everyone deals with the situation from his mother and father, to his employer and paying boarders, and himself.

A unique witty, sardonic, ironic, and insightful dictionary of terms. American humor, stem to stern. Best heard rather than read due to the sharp incisive wit. A must read in American Literature and Cultural History. Widely anthologized and used as a basis for stories such as one of the most popular Twilight zone episodes.

Belfador is the single novella remaining of Machiavelli’s works. It was considered one of the finest of the period. Machiavelli was considered a skilled storyteller by all who knew him for, after all, stories form the basis of his most famous work, The Prince, "Belfagor" is a compact version of lessons from The Prince.

With this audio, you will hear the original Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln in less than 60 minutes, plus much more. To improve your understanding of the Address, we have included original readings and commentary related to its subject, such as the Emancipation Proclamation and Pericles' Funeral Oration

A story of growth and responsibility through the person of an energetic grounded woman divided between work and art. First published in 1917.

A singer is popular with the German people but not particularly good at singing. Kafka uses the story to illustrate Germanic beliefs, tight fistedness, strong work effort, and battles with neighbors. Remarkable insights as always from Kafka.

The rollicking humorous ribald story of soldiers in World War I carrying on and living and dying in war, worthy of Catch-22 fame. Translated from German into modern American English with a simplification of place names, as well as people's names, to not distract the American listener from unfamiliar names and places and stay focused on the story itself.

>"The Cop and the Anthem" may be the third most widely read O. Henry story in grammar, middle, and high school. "The Ransom of Red Chief" rates number one, "The Gift of the Magi" number two, and "A Retrieved Reformation" number four. Young readers enjoy this story a lot because of the hilarious plot of Soapy, the only named character, trying to get arrested so he can spend the winter in jail. Adults tend to like the ironic approach of Soapy’s potential victims....

The Art of War is the most famous and longest-lasting book on the practice of war. The book does not mince words: war is about winning; it is not a gentleman's game; it is about using every means at one's disposal to tip the odds in one's favor. Of the centuries, this book has been used by military figures, war departments, business people, educators, and politicians, to name a few. This is the original work without additional editorial comment.

This classic novel describes an ambitious poor relative of a rich man who secures an opportunity in his uncle’s factory and has a social leap to prospectively marry another rich man’s daughter in town. Similar to Gatsby and published in the same year, 1925.

Nine stories narrated by Pertie and one by Jeeves. In an American voice for easy listening by Americans with occasional American words used for more obscure English ones with a bit of the halting style of comic dialogue. Number two in the Jeeves series.

The story of a man who does not want to leave his old study for a new house.

A breathtaking story of a woman marrying, growing up, bravely persevering, and seeing what traditionally was a man's point of view with the insights of a woman growing up in the same way. An insightful novel in so many ways.

The last great 19th-century Russian novelist brings his symbolism together with realism, to blend real and fictional people together in the Russian revolutionary period of 1905 that laid the seeds for the 1917 dark Soviet period that Bely anticipates, set in the Paris of Russia, St Petersburg. An intriguing fantasy mixed with reality, dark and bright colors, with a dose of romanticism.

Presenting an American voice for this legendary Agatha Christie mystery with one of her best denouements. 

"Paul's Case" was first published in 1905 in Cather's first collection of short stories, titled The Troll Garden. Similar to "The Enchanted Forest" featured in her Nine Stories published by Simply, it is one of the great writer's stories accessible to most young people in high school and college. It relates to what they feel, think, and want to be. Perhaps just as importantly, it depicts young people upset by their current circumstances, their families, and the drabness they perceive in their own lives.