Showing results by publisher "CSA Word" in Genre Fiction

Elizabeth Gaskell highlights the difference between the middle and working classes in this tale set in the time of the Industrial Revolution. A largely autobiographical story, she also highlights the good that each group can do for each other, and the friendships and understandings that can blossom between two seemingly irreconcilable means and modes of life. Gaskell shows her great love of people, and of love itself, in this touching and enlightening tale.

Captain Ahab is hell-bent on catching the famous gargantuan whale, who cost him one of his legs on a previous voyage. With disregard for his safety or that of his crew, he persues the beast with an obsession tantamount to madness.

A group of Florentine youths escape to the mountain countryside during the time of the plague, only to regale each other with vignettes of sex, vice, temptation, and come-uppance. This is a strictly adult listen, which will bring a little colour to your cheeks and have you laughing out loud.

A biting satire on American life which turned convention on its head. This story explores the obsessive affections of the radical Olive Chancellor for Verena Tarrant, a gifted young speaker in the feminist movement. When Olive's cousin Basil becomes equally besotted, the scene is set for a bitter tug of war.

A collection of stories about unscrupulous film writer Pat Hobby, a relic from the early days of Hollywood, looking for success in the changing world of the movies. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s collection paints a comic portrait of a man unwilling to accept his fate as a thing of the past. Entertainingly artless and insensitive; by turns lazy and scheming, Hobby keeps his head just above water as the decades leave silent film behind.

Maggie and Tom, brother and sister, try to save their livelihood as their parents flounder in the face of modernization. Maggie befriends the disabled son of a family rival in an attempt to build bridges, and Tom fights hard to reclaim the family property. Having drifted apart, they are brought back together in the novel's dramatic and moving conclusion.

Sydney Carton, a lawyer and wastrel, tries to redeem himself somewhere between Paris and London to make up for his mis-spent youth. A tale of two cities is considered by many to be Dickens' most thrilling novel. Whilst contrasting the tranquility of London with revolution-torn Paris, incident follows incident as Sydney Carton finally redeems himself from his past. Read movingly by Martin Jarvis.

Moll Flanders is the epitome of a "bawdy" woman, who makes few excuses for herself and is unashamed of her shady past. Now converted to religion, Moll recounts her history, which includes thievery, prostitution, incest, and deception amongst a list of other necessary evils. Often shocking and always funny, Moll's story is poignant and captivating, and our charismatic narrator is sure to bring joy to a listener's ears and heart.

Alfie was originally a radio show, then a stage play, and finally a book by the talented writer Bill Naughton before the character was immortalised by Michael Caine and then Jude Law on the screen. With an overwhelming desire for the opposite sex, Alfie cannot resist as many as three "birds" on one night. But underneath the surface fun and humour, consequences unfurl, and Naughton paints Alfie as ultimately a sad figure, unable to find "peace of mind, and if you haven't got that, you've got nothing".

Hugo's vibrant portrait of the characters in late 18th century Paris is a world-famous story, which has also been made into an award-winning musical. Jean Valjean, an ex-convict, tries to turn his life around for the sake of his adopted daughter, Cosette. Set in turbulent times, this reding by Michael Jayston of this classic tale is a bustling and thrilling trip for a listener through the streets and cafes of a Paris finding its feet and losing its head.

An interesting novel due to its depiction of a violent love/hate relationship between two men, this story highlights the strains of competition in pre-industrial rural society. Michael Henchard attains the position of town mayor, but the lies that lead him there leave the door open to a dramatic newcomer to expose his fundamental flaws.

Dracula (1897) first brought vampires to the popular literary consciousness, and they have been firmly entrenched in horror stories ever since. Jonathan Harker, an English solicitor, travels to Transylvania to meet the mysterious 'Count' who has instructed him to purchase a property in England on his behalf. Thus begins a series of awful events, where Harker finds himself in the midst of a nightmare, in a deadly game of cat and mouse where he himself is hunted as prey.

Oliver Twist is an orphan who was born in a workhouse. After an unhappy apprenticeship, Oliver steals away to London where he is taken in by thieves, headed by a man named Fagin. He is rescued by Mr Brownlow, but the gang kidnaps him back. Oliver discovers the identity of his parents and the gang is exposed.

The Trick of It is a comical look at an odd couple. Original and witty, Frayn tells a complete story through one-sided letters. Compact, light and entertaining, The Trick of It is a clever tale. A nameless college professor writes letters to an esteemed friend living in Australia. The professor is a critic who has dedicated his life to teaching and explaining the writings of a profound female writer. He knows her books inside and out.

Based on Charlotte Bronte's work as a governess in Brussels, Villette concerns the life of Lucy Snowe, an English girl who obtains a post at a girl's school in Belgium. With few friends and little money, Lucy concentrates on her work. However, she starts to find solace in an unlikely suitor. Could there be more to life than loneliness?

Women in Love begins one blossoming spring day in England and ends with a terrible catastrophe in the snow of the Alps. Ursula and Gudrun are very different sisters who become entangled with two friends, Rupert and Gerald, who live in their hometown. The bonds between the couples quickly become intense and passionate, but whether this passion is creative or destructive is unclear.