Showing results by author "ciesse" in All Categories

Sickly and sheltered, nine-year-old Elizabeth Ann is horrified to hear she must be sent away to live with the "Putney cousins." According to Aunt Harriet, these mysterious relations are cold-hearted, stiff-necked, as well as heavy-handed when it comes to the delegation of children's chores. But what will life at the Putney farm truly have in store for Betsy? (Summary by Twinkle88)Cast List:Narrator: MaybeCordeliaBetsy: Nancy HalperAbigail Putney: Maria KasperHenry Putney: Larry WilsonAnn Putney: Joanna Michal HoytAunt Frances: Kim LambAunt Harriet: thestorygirlLittle Molly: LilyEllen Peters: ...

Benjamin Bonneville spent the years 1832 to 1835 on the adventure of a lifetime, leading an expedition of trapping, trading, and exploring in the wilds of Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Nevada and California. Here is Washington Irving's colorful summary of the world that Bonneville observed, experienced, and cherished: the gay free trapper and his steed, decked out in wild array, and tinkling with bells and trinketry; the savage war chief, plumed and painted and ever on the prowl; the traders' cavalcade, winding through defiles or over naked plains, with the stealthy war ...

Following the Equator (American English title) or More Tramps Abroad (English title) is a non-fiction travelogue published by American author Mark Twain in 1897.Twain was practically bankrupt in 1894 due to a failed investment into a "revolutionary" typesetting machine. In an attempt to extricate himself from debt of $100,000 (equivalent of about $2 million in 2005) he undertook a tour of the British Empire in 1895, a route chosen to provide numerous opportunities for lectures in the English language.In Following the Equator, an account of that travel published in 1897, the author unmasks and ...

Alexandre Dumas weaves the compelling story of Siamese twins who are separated physically but never in spirit. When one of the brothers is murdered, the other leaves Corsica for Paris to avenge the killing. Dumas brings this thrilling tale to life with his fascinating descriptions of Italy and France and his powerful portrayal of the undying love of brother for brother. - Summary by Wikipedia

This is a massive effort, taking place in England and the Middle East, with a cast of thousands... Well, not thousands, fortunately, but certainly a great many. There are three Bertrams present: Sir Lionel, his son George (our hero), and the wealthy uncle. The primary story involves the joining of two couples (following some rocky periods), and the disposal of the uncle's fortune. The more amusing bits focus on peripheral characters in the social settings of a fictional town and in travel on board ship or touring Egypt. Trollope digresses from time to time to lecture us on religion, politics, ...

Jane Addams was the first American woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In a long, complex career, she was a pioneer settlement worker and founder of Hull-House in Chicago, public philosopher (the first American woman in that role), author, and leader in woman suffrage and world peace. She was the most prominent woman of the Progressive Era and helped turn the nation to issues of concern to mothers, such as the needs of children, public health and world peace. She emphasized that women have a special responsibility to clean up their communities and make them better places to live, ...

The author, who fought as a private in the Army of Northern Virginia during the Civil War, describes the Confederate soldier’s daily struggles with hunger, illness, fear, and the perils of combat; as well as his pride of service, love of comrades, and courage in the face of overwhelming odds (summary by D. Leeson).

En estas "Memorias de un cortesano de 1815" (segunda entrega de la segunda serie de Episodios Nacionales), Benito Pérez Galdós nos narra, en la figura de Juan de Pipaón, el ascenso social de este personaje, así como sus artimañas para conseguir estar en lo mas alto de la realeza. El tono sarcástico con que lo hace muestra la exquisitéz que sólo Pérez Galdós tiene para narrar historia. Así mismo, en el transcurso de la novela se nos narran hechos históricos, que como ya es harto conocido es una de las materias centrales en esta serie de Episodios Nacionales. Todos los sucesos ...

This is a very impressive collection of some of the best sonnets from the pen of the incomparable William Wordsworth. The appreciation that Wordsworth had for the beauty of his surroundings is vibrantly exhibited in these selections, as are his feelings on love, friendship, society, conflict, history, the supernatural and indeed the art of poetry itself. And what better vehicle for the elegant articulation of a master poet's thoughts and inspirations than the sonnet, an art form ideally suited to assertion, verbalization and contemplation.In these sonnets, we witness Wordsworth's poetic ...

Esta obra narra la vida de David Copperfield desde su infancia hasta la madurez. El padre de David muere seis meses antes de que él naciera, y siete años después, su madre se vuelve a casar, pero David y su padrastro no se llevan bien, y DAvid es enviado por ello a un internado. A medida que David va labrando su vida, nos encontramos con una deslumbrante variedad de amigos, compañeros, familiares, el amor, los celos,la miseria, la avaricia, la traición, unos personajes inolvidables y otros que no querremos recordar, hasta el descubrimiento, al final de su vida, de una felicidad completa. ...

Miriam Winthrop doesn't know what to do when she realizes her beloved husband Claude, the father of her children, has become infatuated with another woman. Her marriage vows were made to be kept, and not just as empty words that now echo from room to room in her lonely home. Is there a way for love to triumph? Miriam determines to fight for him, and she will fight fire with fire! - Summary by LikeManyWaters

Alexander's Bridge is the first novel by Willa Cather, published under the name Willa Sibert Cather. Heavily influenced by the works of Henry James, the book tells the story of bridge builder Bartley Alexander. Through his relationship with Actress Hilda Burgoyne while he is married his wife, Winnifred, he meets his moral downfall, and through another set of circumstances he meets his physical. (Summary by Miranda Stinson)

Michael Angelo and Campanella represent widely sundered, though almost contemporaneous, moments in the evolution of the Italian genius. Michael Angelo was essentially an artist, living in the prime of the Renaissance. Campanella was a philosopher, born when the Counter-Reformation was doing all it could to blight the free thought of the sixteenth century; and when the modern spirit of exact enquiry, in a few philosophical martyrs, was opening a new stage for European science. The one devoted all his mental energies to the realisation of beauty: the other strove to ascertain truth. The one ...

Sonnet sequences, which these poems by Sidney made very popular in the Elizabethan age, reflected the Medieval motif of courtly love, whereby a wretched lover courts an unavailable woman, typically married already and faithful to her vows. The poet, although unsuccessful, is a slave to her beauty and virtue, which, by pulling in opposite directions, hold him in an agonizing tension that prolongs the sequence.Sidney wrestles creatively, though, with the restrictions of the ancient conventions. The first line of the first poem declares him an iconoclast, for he defies the very definition of a ...

The English Romantic Period in literature featured a towering group of excellent poets: Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley and Keats. If we add in forerunners Burns and Blake, we have perhaps an unmatchable collection of writers for any era. Of these, Percy Bysshe Shelley was one of the brightest and best, coupling a giant intellect with a highly emotional and impetuous nature. He was always a champion of liberty, but was largely ignored when he tried to promote political and social reform. He was wise enough, however, to realize that his efforts were ineffective, and he chose instead, not ...

This is our 33rd collection of short pieces, poetry or prose, fiction and non-fiction, in several different languages (except standard English) as listed below. All chosen and recorded by Librivox volunteers. (Summary by ToddHW)1. Bengali - শাবধাণ [Shabdhan] - 02:38Sukumar Raylink to text (p. 34)Keyword: Nonsense verse; Humour; Be careful2. French - À cheval - 14:01Guy de Maupassantlink to textKeywords: Société; Fatalité; Paris; Humour3. French - Décoré! - 12:08Guy de Maupassantlink to textKeywords: Société; Humour; Honneurs4. French - De la mode - 36:12Jean de La ...

The book describes the love triangle between a young woman, Elfride Swancourt, and her two suitors from very different backgrounds. Stephen Smith is a socially inferior but ambitious young man who adores her and with whom she shares a country background. Henry Knight is the respectable, established, older man who represents London society. (Summary by Wikipedia)

This is a volume of short stories by the famous Arthur Conan Doyle. - Summary by Carolin

This is a collection of early Sir Arthur Conan Doyle short stories. It includes stories of mystery, comedy, shipwrecks and fantasy. (Summary by Richard Kilmer)

As much as any other work of literature, Henri Murger’s 1851 collection of witty sketches Scènes de la vie de bohème shaped the later romanticized image of the bohemian artist: independent, insouciant, exuberantly lustful, devoted to Art for Art’s sake no matter how cold and hungry the artist might be. Four young Parisian artists, Schaunard the composer, Marcel the painter, Rodolphe the poet, and Colline the philosopher, form an informal Bohemian alliance dedicated to Art and the joy of Life. Pretty and faithless young mistresses come and go from their beds, most notably Mimi, Phémie, ...