Showing results by narrator "Katie Haigh" in All Categories

Oscar Wilde is remembered as one of the wittiest minds ever, thanks to his provocative style and humor. In the 1890s, he was one of London's most popular playwrights; his masterpieces are The Importance of Being Earnest and the dark and fantastical Picture of Dorian Gray. His writings entwine themes of beauty, decadence and duplicity, which made him a more than colorful agent provocateur in the Victorian society. This would eventually lead to a very public trial after he was accused of sodomy. His defense, punctuated with witticism, often left the court roaring with laughter, but the evidence was against him, and he was eventually sent to prison.

Pupil of the great Plato, teacher of Alexander the Great, Aristotle is a massively influential figure in Western philosophy. Cicero described his literary style as "a river of gold". Modern ethics are based on his ideas about virtue; his writings literally encompassed all the scientific knowledge of the time and beyond, so much that many of his findings were still considered cutting-edge many century afterwards. Aristotle also shaped modern logic, and put his mark on all subsequent philosophy and theology.

Sitting on the banks of the river Seine, in the very heart of Paris, the Musée d'Orsay is known worldwide for its exceptional collection of impressionist paintings. These works were absolutely scandalous at the time and for some, they still obviously are. Also, it provides a genuine feeling of time travel by recreating the context in which every single work of art has been produced. Its history is also full of twists and surprises. All of this contributes to making the Musée d'Orsay one of the most alive and striking museums ever.

Geoffrey Chaucer, born around 1340, was the first great English poet. The immense popularity of the "Canterbury Tales" is shown by the number of manuscript copies still in existence. It was one of the first books printed in England. The vividness with which the author describes scenes and events and people, as if he had them before his eyes, is one of his greatest charms as a writer. Those who know him best, place him second only to Shakespeare as a writer of delightful English.

The greatest poems from the greatest masters of French literature have been put together in a brilliant English adaptation in the form of an audiobook. Dive deep into Victor Hugo's superb style, with excerpts from his "Contemplations" or "Autumn Leaves"; enjoy the ephemeral poetry of Verlaine and the darkness of Charles Baudelaire's "Flowers of Evil", narrated with precision and subtlety by Katie Haigh and Paul Edwards.

Once upon a time, there was a wealthy widower who married a proud and haughty woman as his second wife. She had two daughters, who were equally vain and selfish. By his first wife, he'd had a beautiful young daughter, a girl of unparalleled goodness and sweet temper. The stepmother and her daughters forced the first daughter into servitude, where she was made to work day and night doing menial chores.

Classic tales and stories are an fundamental part of children's development, as they awaken imagination and bring essential teachings. These stories inspire children through important archetypes and symbolic imagery; they will bring them into a journey in fantastic worlds, full of possibilities and wonders. This specially designed compilation includes classic folk tales, famous stories by Hans Christian Andersen and fairy tales.

Composed by an unknown author in early thirteenth-century France, The Quest of the Holy Grail is a fusion of Arthurian legend and Christian symbolism, reinterpreting ancient Celtic myth as a profound spiritual fable. It recounts the quest of the knights of Camelot - the simple Perceval, the thoughtful Bors, the rash Gawain, the weak Lancelot and the saintly Galahad - as they journey through danger and temptation to reach the elusive Holy Grail.

Hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness known to enhance capacities. It is used for a wide range of therapeutic purposes, including the reduction of pain, healing, treatment of addictions, or weight loss; it is also a way to facilitate relaxation. This audiobook describes five different methods to induce hypnosis, be it for entertainment or therapeutic purposes: a description of Dr. Cocke's method, another of Dr. Flint's method; the French method at Paris and Nancy, and the Hindoo Silent method; lastly, a much-needed method to wake a subject from hypnotic sleep.

Montaigne might well be one of the most sympathetic writers ever known. He is known for popularizing the essay as a literary genre; his style merges casual anecdotes and autobiography with deep intellectual insights. His "Essays" are among the most influential ever written; one can recognize Montaigne's direct influence on great literary figures all over the world, from René Descartes to Nietzsche, Isaac Asimov, and possibly William Shakespeare.

Here are 60 of the greatest poems of all time: the art of three major French authors, Baudelaire, Victor Hugo, Paul Verlaine, translated into English with perfect accuracy and elegance, and carefully selected excerpts of Japanese poetry, for a world-encompassing literary culture and delight.

Sigmund Freud is the father of psychoanalysis, a clinical method of treatment through dialogue. Modern thought owes him his theoretical description of the structure and functioning of the unconscious, through the discovery of the essential role of transference in the analytic process, the redefinition of sexuality including its infantile forms, the analysis of dreams, symptom formation and the mechanisms of repression. His ideas are still controversed, but his work has suffused the whole of Western thought. The idea of an ego who is not master in its own house shattered intellectual fundations, and its legacy are everywhere in our everyday life.

"Little Red Riding Hood" is a famous fairy tale about a young girl’s encounter with a wolf. The story has been changed considerably in its history and has been subject to numerous modern adaptations and readings. The Little Red Riding Hood story is among the most popular fairy tales in the world. Once upon a time there was a little girl. Her grandmother gave her a red riding hood and the girl loved it so much she wore it all the time. Therefore everybody started to call her Little Red Riding Hood. One day her mother told the girl that her grandmother was ill.

Stress, tension and anxiety can make us miss out on all the positive life offers us every day, and they take their toll health-wise. This series of relaxation exercises is intended to bring the listener to a state of complete relaxation through simple, efficient and proven techniques. Each script will guide you and provide tools you can use anytime you are subjected to pressure, be it work-related or in any other environment.

"The Prince" is the most famous of Machiavelli's works; it gives very clear, precise and realistic instructions on how to gain and maintain power, fortune, and glory, sometimes at the expense of others. Written in 1513, it is one of the most feared and hated political treatises, taken to be the first work in which the effect the leader desires to achieve is taken as more important than any abstract ideal or ethical value that might prevent him from taking immoral action.

Epictetus was born a slave, and became one of the most influent Stoic philosophers. Stoicism is the attitude allowing one to free oneself from the unnecessary suffering that arises from anxiety about events that are beyond our control; therefore, it can be of tremendous importance in one's life. According to Epictetus, our own actions and attitudes are the only thing in our control; whatever else happens, we should examine calmly and dispassionately, because no amount of suffering will change the impact of external events.

‘The Three Asian Wise Men - Confucius, Lao Tzu, Buddha’ is a collection of quotes and sayings by the three great ancient sages, whose words of wisdom continue to influence Chinese society to this day. Architects of the three teachings: Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, they created the idea of Yin and Yang, going with the flow, reincarnation, benevolent leadership and many others.

Alfred North Whitehead once noted: "the safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato." Plato is indeed considered the most pivotal figure in the development of philosophy, along with his teacher, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle. But his writings are often light, fresh and funny; it was Plato who invented the dialogue in philosophy, which makes a point very easy to follow and the occasion of various scenic arrangements.

"The Legend of Saint Julian the Hospitalier" is a short story by French writer Gustave Flaubert, one of the great masters of literary style and aesthetics. Saint Julian is predicted at birth to do great things, but a growing hatred takes root in him, leading him to seek a way to escape a destiny which seems more and more likely to be terrible. "The Legend of Saint Julian the Hospitalier" is an inspiring tale of perseverance and humility, one of Flaubert's most touching short stories with a religious theme.

The legend of the famous hero Robin Hood originates in dramatic pieces and ballads from the 15th century in England. His story has been given shape and retold through the centuries, and is still universally known to children nowadays. "The Tales of Robin Hood and his Merry Men", as retold by Mary Macleod, is a faithful rendition of the original medieval legend full of colorful and moral adventures. It is read by Katie Haigh, for the delight of children and as well as adults sensitive to literary style.