Showing results by publisher "A.R.N. Publications" in Literary Fiction

Seven Pillars of Wisdom is the autobiographical account of T. E. Lawrence's role in the Arab Revolt against the Turkish Empire. The book is mostly set in the deserts of Arabia with a great deal of time spent marching through them with camels and the telling of the events through Lawrence's eyes.

Daniel Deronda is a clever and generous young man who has yet to find his true direction in life, much to the dismay of Sir Hugo, who has helped raise him. While in Germany, Daniel meets the attractive and headstrong Gwendolen, who's lost a fortune at the roulette table that her family cannot afford to lose, before returning to England. Back in London, Daniel rescues a singer Mirah from drowning herself, then begins to find purpose in helping her search for her family.

Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, is a poem, translated by Bayard Taylor, which tells the beautiful and emotional story of a man who has seen and done it all. However, despite all of his learning and education, his life still feels empty and unaccomplished. He believes wholeheartedly that there is something else out there. Faust, having exhausted all other fields of study, turns to magic for fulfillment. He summons the devil and makes a pact - that if the devil can show him something rewarding and fulfilling, he will give the devil his soul.

The book acts as a guide which explains how Christianity is the best choice for all human beings, not because it's outside of our world and an independent truth, but because it is the answer to our base needs and desires. Only when Christianity is seen as a way of life instead of a belief can the true power of the faith be realized.

Edith Wharton's novel The House of Mirth follows the social ups and downs of Lily Bart, who is a very attractive woman about to turn 30. At the beginning of the book, she is slated to marry Percy Gryce, seeing as he fits the exact description of the type of bachelor that she is looking for: wealthy and predictable. Yet through a series of missteps, Lily loses her chance with Percy, and must therefore spend some time trying to regain her social standing.

Set in the 16th century, this classic is the enchanting story of two London boys of opposite social standings. Edward, the Prince of Wales is tired of his life as a royal, so when he encounters a street urchin by the name of Tom who happens to look just like him, the two exchange clothes and roles for a short time. This stunt forever changes the lives of both boys.

The young Danish Prince, Hamlet, is vexed by a trip home to Denmark from school in Germany, to attend his father, the king's funeral. Upon arriving at home, Hamlet has discovered that his mother has already become married to the former King's brother, Hamlet's uncle. What's more, the man has declared himself to be King of Denmark even though Hamlet was the true and rightful heir. Hamlet is enraged by this deception, and immediately suspects foul play in his father's murder.

Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis tells the story of Gregor, the only son of the Samsa family. One morning upon waking up, Gregor, a traveling salesman, discovers that his body has somehow transformed into an insect-like creature; but his mind is somehow still intact. Although not surprised by the change, Gregor's family is disgusted, and his father ends up injuring Gregor while trying to keep him in his bedroom.

Charlotte Brontë's classic novel, Jane Eyre, brings to life the ups and downs encountered by the book's namesake, the young Jane Eyre. Orphaned at an early age, Jane is raised by her aunt, Mrs. Reed, who treats her poorly. Fortunately for Jane, she is sent away to the Lowood School, but she soon encounters more maltreatment at the hands of the headmaster. She later moves to the manor known as Thornfield, where she accepts a nanny position, and it is there that she encounters the famed Mr. Rochester, with whom she falls in love.

Jonathan Swift's classic novel about the loveable Lemuel Gulliver is one that is taught in high schools around the country, and for good reason. Gulliver, who is a surgeon aboard a ship, thinks that he is about to embark on a run-of-the-mill voyage to different ports. Throughout his journey, however, there are a few events that take place that redirect his ship to unfamiliar islands. Not only are they unfamiliar to him, but they are inhabited by natives who are shaped and sized much differently than he is.

Set in Medieval England, The Legends of King Arthur and his Knights by Sir James Knowles takes the listener on one adventure after another filled with magic and danger. When King Vortigern, the unrightful king of England plans to kill Merlin, Merlin tells the prophecy of his downfall and also predicts the birth of a new and powerful king, Arthur Pendragon. Merlin's prediction comes true, and Arthur is born and raised in secret by Merlin.

Moll hones her ability to convince men that she's a wealthy widow, although throughout the course of the novel, her finances take many a dip, especially after she moves to America like her mother. While there, she continuously tries to evade the law and the harsh sentences that come with some of her money-related crimes and later decides to move back to England after getting her hands on the inheritance money that her mother left her.

In a series of complicated and complex cycles of births, deaths, marriages, and reunions, Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights encapsulates much of what life was like in 18th-century England for the noble estate owners and members of prestigious social classes. Told through a series of memories from the housekeeper of a nearby manor, the novel details the adoption of Heathcliff, who currently owns the Wuthering Heights manor when the story begins.

Beyond Good and Evil gives profound insight into the personal philosophies of one of history's greats, Friedrich Nietzsche. Within the work, first published in 1886, you'll find close to 300 of Nietzsche's aphorisms, organized by theme and spanning nine chapters. Nietzsche begins his work by stating that all philosophies are nothing more than the complex personal opinions by the philosophers that put them forth, and that it's the listener's responsibility to weed out the subjective from the true philosophy.

Most of the great Greek stories and epic tales are initiated over women, which is exactly what happens in the very beginning of The Iliad by Homer. The Trojan War has been waging for nearly a decade, and really erupted when Helen, the wife to Menelaos, was kidnapped and thus launched the "thousand ships" in pursuit of her. This is the reason that the Achaians and the Trojans have been fighting each other for so long. Achilles, who has become hero to the Greeks, is given the present of a slave girl for his excellence in battle.

Sense and Sensibility, the first novel written by Jane Austen, is the story of two upper-class sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, who trade fortunes when they leave Sussex with their mother for a more modest life in Devon. While Elinor is torn from the love of her life in Sussex, her younger sister, Marianne, finds romance in Devon. This book, even though it is Austen's first, demonstrates her trademark style of wit and comedy.

The Man Who Was Thursday was written by G. K. Chesterton and follows newly recruited Scotland Yard detective Gabriel Syme as he infiltrates the dangerous underworld of the European anarchist council. Syme is a member of a special antianarchist division of the police and finds his way into the secret group through a poet he befriends, named Lucian Gregory.

The Picture of Dorian Gray, written by Oscar Wilde, tells the story of a handsome young man who is befriended by a painter, Basil Hallward, and becomes the inspiration for his work. The young man is also introduced to one of Basil's friends, the hedonistic aristocrat Lord Henry Wotton, who enthralls Dorian by sharing with him his philosophies and ideals about life, including his belief that youth is the most precious and important thing in the world.

The Pickwick Papers was Charles Dickens earliest success. Written when Dickens was in his mid-20s, this charming and amusing story would be well-received by both critics and fans alike. Dickens introduces the listener to a number of classic characters in such a way that the listener is unwittingly lured into a world of hilarious adventure.

A Tale of Two Cities is a story of love, mystery, suspense, and action all rolled up into one beautifully written novel taking place in two prominent cities, Paris and London, during the French Revolution. The story follows the release and rehabilitation of Dr. Manette, a man falsely imprisoned in the Bastille in France for almost two decades. While trouble is brewing in France with citizens being starved and taxed to death, Dr. Manette is taken to London by Mr. Lorrie, a prominent business man, and Lucie, Dr. Manette's daughter.