AesopFables
Language: English, Short Stories – Format: iSilo

Alcott, Louisa MayLittle Women
Language: English, Novel – Format: ePub, iSilo

Little Women or, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy is a novel by American author Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888). Written and published in two parts in 1868 and 1869, the novel follows the lives of four sisters — Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy March — (More) and is loosely based on the author’s childhood experiences with her three sisters. The first part of the book was an immediate commercial and critical success and prompted the composition of the book’s second part, also a huge success. Both parts were first published as a single volume in 1880. The book is an unquestioned American classic.

Amundsen, RoaldSouth Pole, The
Language: English, History & Biography – Format: iSilo

In contrast to Scott’s South Pole expedition, Amundsen’s expedition benefited from good equipment, appropriate clothing, and a fundamentally different primary task (Amundsen did no surveying on his route south and is known to have (More) taken only two photographs). Amundsen had a better understanding of dogs and their handling, and he used of skis more effectively. He pioneered an entirely new route to the Pole, and they returned. In Amundsen’s own words: “Victory awaits him who has everything in order — luck, people call it. Defeat is certain for him who has neglected to take the necessary precautions in time; this is called bad luck.” Short accounts by other members of the party are appended.

AristotleThe Art of Poetry
Language: English, Essay & Philosophy – Format: iSilo

Austen, JaneMansfield Park
Language: English, Novel – Format: ePub, iSilo

Mansfield Park is Jane Austen’s 1814 novel focusing on Fanny Price, the daughter of a poor Portsmouth family, who is taken to live with her aunt and uncle Bertram’s family on their estate at the age of ten. Surrounded by her (More) wealthy and privileged cousins, and continually reminded of her lower status by her bullying Aunt Norris, Fanny grows up timid and shy, but with a strong sense of ethics, partly instilled by her kindly cousin Edmund. Fanny’s gratitude and friendship for Edmund gradually grow into love, but the introduction of Mary and Henry Crawford, a captivating sister and brother, into the neighborhood of Mansfield Park, confuses and complicates the affections of the Bertram household. In this recording, LibriVox volunteers lend their voices to the colorful cast of characters in Austen’s classic novel.

Austen, JaneSense and sensibility
Language: English, Novel – Format: ePub, iSilo

The story is about Elinor and Marianne, two daughters of Mr Dashwood by his second wife. They have a younger sister, Margaret, and an older half-brother named John. When their father dies, the family estate passes to John, and the (More) Dashwood women are left in reduced circumstances. The novel follows the Dashwood sisters to their new home, a cottage on a distant relative’s property, where they experience both romance and heartbreak. The contrast between the sisters’ characters is eventually resolved as they each find love and lasting happiness. Through the events in the novel, Elinor and Marianne encounter the sense and sensibility of life and love.

Brontë, AnneAgnes Grey
Language: English, Novel – Format: ePub, iSilo

The novel tells the story of Agnes Grey, the daughter of a minister, whose family comes to financial ruin. Desperate to earn the money to care for herself, she takes one of the few jobs allowed to respectable women in the early (More) Victorian era – the role of governess to the children of the wealthy. In working with two different families (the Bloomfields and the Murrays), she comes to learn about the troubles that face a young woman who must try to rein in unruly, spoiled children for a living, and about the ability of wealth and status to destroy social values. After her father’s death, Agnes opens a small school with her mother and finds happiness with a man who loves her for herself. They have three children at the end of the novel, Edward, Agnes and Mary.

Calderón de la Barca, PedroLife is a Dream
Language: English, Theater Play – Format: iSilo

Life Is a Dream (Spanish: La vida es sueño) is a Spanish-language play by Pedro Calderón de la Barca. First published in 1635 (or possibly early in 1636),  it is a philosophical allegory regarding the human situation and the (More) mystery of life. The play has been described as “the supreme example of Spanish Golden Age drama”. The story focuses on the fictional Segismundo, Prince of Poland, who has been imprisoned in a tower by his father, King Basilio, following a dire prophecy that the prince would bring disaster to the country and death to the King. Basilio briefly frees Segismundo, but when the prince goes on a rampage, the king imprisons him again, persuading him that it was all a dream.

Chekhov, AntonIvanoff
Language: English, Theater Play – Format: iSilo

Nicolai (anglicised Nicholas in this translation) Ivanov, a middle-aged public servant, is unhappy. His wife Anna, disinherited by her family after converting from Judaism, is dying of tuberculosis. He is deeply in debt. And his (More) best friend’s daughter is infatuated with him. Comedy and tragedy ensue in truly Chekhovian fashion. An example of the young Chekhov’s maturing style, Ivanov is an early harbinger of themes that would recur throughout his work.

Chekhov, AntonThe Schoolmistress and others stories
Language: English, Short Stories – Format: iSilo

Anton Chekhov, perhaps better known as a world famous classical playwright for works such as “Uncle Vanya” and “The Cherry Orchard” was also a prolific short story writer. “The Schoolmaster and Other Stories” is one of several of (More) his collections. It’s a compilation of 30 short stories. Some bizarre, some comical but all very interesting.

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