Showing results by publisher "Real Reads" in Literature & Fiction

The world's greatest classics retold for children. Is it really possible to become famous throughout your country and beyond both as a fearless warrior and as a renowned poet? Egil Skallagrimsson lived in Iceland a thousand years ago, and this is the story of his long and violent life. He could compose beautiful poetry, but he was also capable of staggering brutality. Can Egil successfully avenge his father's exile from Norway, defend his honour against Norwegian King Erik Bloodaxe and support English King Athelstan in his battles against the Scots?

In this retold classic for children, it seems that poor Cosette will never escape from the wicked Monsieur and Madame Thénardier. She is only eight years old, but they force her to work hard every day. Jean Valjean has promised her mother that he will rescue the little girl - but Inspector Javert is on his trail. Will the fierce Inspector arrest Jean Valjean? If he does, will Cosette ever be set free? Cosette is not the only person who desperately needs help. When Marius is badly wounded, will even Jean Valjean's courage and determination be enough to save the brave young student?

Edward Waverley is an English officer in the army of King George, but will his love for Flora, the beautiful Scottish rebel, lead him to betray his king? Life with his regiment in Scotland is dull until he visits his uncle's friends in the Highlands, where he meets Fergus McIvor and his sister Flora. Attracted by the wild freedom and romance of the Scottish clans, Edward finds himself in a difficult and dangerous position. His new friends are Jacobites, planning to overthrow King George and restore the Stuart monarchy.

As Dimitry struck him, Grigory screamed and fell back, the blood streaming horribly from his head. Dimitry bent over him, trying to stop the flow with his handkerchief which turned soaking red in an instant. Alexey, Ivan and Dimitry Karamazov were sent away by their father, Fyodor, when they were very young and never knew a father's love. Now what will Dimitry's bitter quarrel with Fyodor lead to?

A violent storm shipwrecks the King of Naples and his noblemen on what appears to be an uninhabited island. They don't know that they have been brought here by powerful magic. Prospero, the mysterious ruler of the island, has a plan, but will he use his magic for revenge or for reconciliation? His daughter, Miranda, has never seen another man except her father. What will she think of the stranger who stumbles into her life? Will Propsero's monstrous servant, Caliban, succeed in overthrowing his master?

If there ever was an epic that touches upon every conceivable human emotion and poses the most complex of questions, it has to be the Mahabharata, the most famous of stories from India. In the second book of this exciting three-part series a single roll of the dice reverses the fortunes of the Pandavas. The peaceful years following the division of the kingdom of Bharata are soon to end because of Duryodhana's jealousy.

The blackness of eternal night encompassed me. The intense darkness oppressed and stifled me so that I struggled for breath. Having been condemned to death by the Spanish Inquisition, the narrator descends into a kind of hell. Dizzy with weakness and fainting with fear, he experiences such torments that death itself would be welcome. What troubles him most is the eternal question: how will he die? Toledo Prison is notorious for the torture of the condemned. What minds have dreamed up the terror of the pit in the centre of the cell?

The world's greatest classics retold for children. If there ever was an epic that touches upon every conceivable human emotion and poses the most complex of questions, it has to be the Mahabharata, the most famous of stories from India. The deadly rivalry between the royal cousins, the Pandavas and the Kauravas, can only end one way - in the mightiest of battles imaginable. The gods watch in dismay as the opponents draw up their forces. Will the mighty warriors Bhishma and Drona survive to see the end? And what of Karna?

After ten long years of war and the fall of Troy, Greek hero Odysseus sets sail for his homeland. His voyage, however, is destined to take much longer than he expects. During his eventful journey, Odysseus comes across all sorts of monsters and mythical creatures and loses his ships and crew. When he finally reaches his beloved island, he finds his queen besieged by suitors who claim his throne. What tricks will Penelope resort to in her effort to avoid them?

Young, rich and handsome, Dorian Gray seems to have it all. So why do people who were once his friends leave the room when he enters? Can there really be any truth in the dark tales that are told about him? And why does he keep his portrait locked away in an attic room? Two men hold the answer to Dorian's secret. One is the artist Basil Hallward, who paints Dorian's portrait. The other is Lord Henry Wotton, who convinces the impressionable Dorian that youth and pleasure are the only things worth living for.

Huckleberry Finn is one of a series of retellings of classic literature by publisher Real Reads. True to the original plot, characters, and themes, Real Reads also imitate the original author's style. An intelligent, lively and enjoyable retelling of this classic tale.

As soon as Aladdin started cleaning the lamp there was a sound like a clap of thunder. A swirling cloud of smoke filled the room, changing until it formed the outline of a huge green figure. Aladdin and his mother live a poor and humble life. Then one day Aladdin meets his long-lost uncle and his life is changed for ever. Can his new friend be trusted? When Aladdin persuades the sultan to let him marry the beautiful Princess Badroulbadour, he thinks his happiness is complete.

A word of warning - if you are expecting to listen to a story about model children, you'd better listen to something else. Not one of the seven children in this story is truly good - Australian children never are. The Woolcot children enjoy a life of fun and adventure in their rambling riverside home, despite frequent reprimands from their strict father, Captain Woolcot.

It is the ninth year of the Greeks' siege of Troy. Will the fighting go on forever? Achilles, the greatest of Greek heroes, is angered by Agamemnon and decides to withdraw from the battle. What is the reason for his wrath? Is there anything that will make him change his mind and return to the battlefield? Both armies have suffered tremendous losses, and the long war seems to be heading towards a stalemate.

Henry Fleming leaves his widowed mother behind and marches off to join a war that is tearing his country apart. His regiment has yet to be tested in the fire of battle. Together the soldiers wait while distant guns rumble and the lights of enemy campfires flicker on the hills beyond a darkened river. The young man recalls his childhood dreams of valiant combat. Will he pass the test and return home to tell others of his triumphs on the battlefield? Or will he flee at the first sign of real danger?

If there ever was an epic that touches upon every conceivable human emotion and poses the most complex of questions, it has to be the Mahabharata, the most famous of stories from India. The rivalry between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, royal cousins fighting for the throne at Hastinapura, will end in a mighty battle, but what is it that makes such a conflict inevitable? Is it the eldest Kaurava brother's envy of his cousins' exceptional military skills?

What price will Edna Pontellier pay to be free? She seems to have everything she needs - her loving husband, Léonce, two beautiful children and a wonderful home in turn-of-the-century New Orleans. But deep inside her burns a creative fire that longs to be unleashed. One summer changes everything. When Edna meets Robert, she starts to question all that she was taught to believe. Is her comfortable marriage nothing more than a cage?

This drama is a retelling of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy, made accessible to younger listeners but still true to the Bard's original style and vocabulary. On a dark heath, Macbeth stumbles across three witches who can see into the future. What he hears will change everything. Encouraged by his wife, he decides to kill in order to gain the Scottish crown. How many people will die in his pursuit of power? With armies, ghosts and magic against him, will Macbeth survive in this tale of greed and betrayal?

William Legrand has found a new type of bug, a golden bug, unusually heavy. His servant, Jupiter, is worried. Why is Legrand behaving so oddly? Has the bug's bite made him mad? When Legrand shows his friend a drawing of the gold-bug, it looks more like a skull. What can this mean? The arrival of the gold-bug leads the three men on an exciting adventure towards skeletons, a skull and a hunt for buried treasure.

Hester Prynne stands defiantly on a scaffold before hostile Puritans in 17th century Boston, Massachusetts. The baby in her arms and the bright scarlet letter A on her gown are evidence and punishment for the shame she has brought on her religious neighbours. Will Hester continue to conceal the name of the husband who sent her away from Europe years before as well as that of the father of her baby? Will the husband get his revenge on the man who has shamed him? Will that man admit his past and join Hester and her daughter, Pearl?