Showing results by author "Dream audio books" in All Categories

Beowulf is an Early English legendary sonnet that recounts the tale of its gallant hero, Beowulf, a champion from Geatland. He goes to Denmark to help Lord Hrothgar, whose mead corridor is threatened by a beast named Grendel. Beowulf routs Grendel in fight and later kills Grendel's vindictive mother. He gets back a legend and ultimately becomes lord of the Geats. Years after the fact, Beowulf faces his last test: a furious mythical beast undermining his realm. However he kills the winged serpent, Beowulf is mortally injured and bites the dust. His kin grieve him, regarding his dauntlessness ...

Beowulf was composed by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet. Francis Barton Gummere translates this beautiful poem. Beowulf is an epic poem. The main character, Beowulf, proves himself a hero as he battles against supernatural demons and beasts. (Summary by Tad E.)

Fairy Tales from Brazil by Elsie Spicer Eells is a collection of Brazilian folktales filled with magic, adventure, and moral lessons. Inspired by Indigenous, African, and Portuguese traditions, the stories feature enchanted creatures, clever heroes, and supernatural events. Tales like How Night Came, The Jabuti That Cheated the Man, and The Adventures of a Tortoise showcase Brazil’s rich storytelling heritage. Themes of kindness, wit, and justice prevail, as characters outsmart foes and overcome challenges. Eells preserves the oral tradition with vivid, engaging prose, making the book a ...

Women of Versailles: The Court of Louis XIV explores the influential women who shaped the Sun King’s reign. From Queen Maria Theresa to powerful mistresses like Madame de Montespan and Madame de Maintenon, these women played key roles in politics, culture, and intrigue. The book delves into courtly life, scandals, and the rigid etiquette of Versailles. It highlights the influence of women in diplomacy, patronage of the arts, and even governance. Through detailed portraits, it reveals their ambitions, rivalries, and impact on Louis XIV’s rule. A fascinating glimpse into the opulent yet ...

"William Blake" by G.K. Chesterton is a thoughtful exploration of the life and works of the iconic poet, artist, and mystic William Blake. Chesterton delves into Blake’s unique vision, profound spirituality, and rebellious creativity that defied conventions of his time. With sharp wit and deep admiration, Chesterton examines Blake's artistic philosophy, his vivid imagery, and his impact on art and literature. The audiobook captures Blake’s genius and his struggles, offering insights into his revolutionary ideas about imagination, religion, and the human spirit. A timeless tribute to an ...

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes: The Illuminating Diary of a Professional Lady by Anita Loos is a satirical novel following the diary of Lorelei Lee, a beautiful but naïve blonde from Little Rock. She charms wealthy men, especially the older and generous kind, using her wit and beauty to secure a lavish lifestyle. With her friend Dorothy, a sharp-witted brunette, Lorelei travels from New York to Europe, indulging in diamonds, fine dining, and high society. Despite her apparent simplicity, she masterfully manipulates men for personal gain. The novel humorously critiques gender roles, materialism, and...

Beautiful Joe by Marshall SaundersBeautiful Joe is a real dog, and "Beautiful Joe" is his real name. He belonged during the first part of his life to a cruel master, who mutilated him in the manner described in the story. He was rescued from him, and is now living in a happy home with pleasant surroundings, and enjoys a wide local celebrity.The character of Laura is drawn from life, and to the smallest detail is truthfully depicted. The Morris family has its counterparts in real life, and nearly all of the incidents of the story are founded on fact. (Summary by Marshall Saunders)

The Metamorphosis (German: Die Verwandlung, also sometimes translated as The Transformation) is a novella by Franz Kafka, first published in 1915. It has been cited as one of the seminal works of fiction of the 20th century and is studied in colleges and universities across the Western world. The story begins with a traveling salesman, Gregor Samsa, waking to find himself transformed (metamorphosed) into a large, monstrous insect-like creature. The cause of Samsa's transformation is never revealed, and Kafka never did give an explanation. The rest of Kafka's novella deals with Gregor's ...

This is a little volume of poetry by Canadian poet Virna Sheard. Published in 1917, its subject is the then ongoing first World War. - Summary by Carolin

Carmilla is a Gothic novella by Joseph Sheridan le Fanu. First published in 1872, it tells the story of a young woman's susceptibility to the attentions of a female vampire named Carmilla. Carmilla predates Bram Stoker's Dracula by over twenty years, had a strong influence on Stoker's famous novel. (Summary from Wikipedia)

Charlotte Bronte's classic novel Jane Eyre is narrated by the title character, an orphan who survives neglect and abuse to become a governess at the remote Thornfield Hall. She finds a kindred spirit in her employer, the mysterious and brooding Mr. Rochester, but he hides a terrible secret that threatens their chances of happiness. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)

Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog), published in 1889, is a humorous account by Jerome K. Jerome of a boating holiday on the Thames between Kingston and Oxford.The book was intended initially to be a serious travel guide, with accounts of local history of places along the route, but the humorous elements eventually took over, to the point where the serious and somewhat sentimental passages now seem like an unnecessary distraction to the essentially comic novel. One of the most praised things about Three Men in a Boat is how undated it appears to modern readers. The jokes seem ...

Fred Jane, who later went on to publish his famous "Jane's Fighting Ships", doubtless was noting the success of other books that forecast a British defeat in the event of war in the late 19th century when he wrote this fictional account of "The Man Who Saved England." Jane tells of a possible war against both France and Russia with plenty of verve and derring-do amid naval battles, both small and large. - Summary by Mark

Die Bhagavadgita ist eine der zentralen Schriften des Hinduismus. Sie hat die Form eines spirituellen Gedichts. Der vermutlich zwischen dem fünften und dem zweiten vorchristlichen Jahrhundert entstandene Text ist eine Zusammenführung mehrerer verschiedener Denkschulen des damaligen Indien auf Grundlage der Veden, der Upanishaden, des orthodoxen Brahmanismus, des Yoga u.a. (Zusammenfassung nach Wikipedia)

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is Joyce’s semi-autobiographical first novel. It traces the early life of Stephen Dedalus and his inner struggle with the oppression of Irish society and the Catholic church, ending with his awakening as a poet and writer and self-imposed exile from Ireland.“Welcome, O life, I go to encounter for the millionth time the reality of experience and to forge in the smithy of my soul the uncreated conscience of my race.”(Description by T. Hynes, with quote from the book)

The poem begins with the beloved god Balder, thought to be invulnerable, dead at the hands of the inoffensive blind god Hoder, in a game. Loki, whose deceit brought about this catastrophe, is promptly punished with exile, and Odin, Balder's father, sponsors a heroic quest to rescue his son from the land of the dead. This desperate venture unexpectedly meets with partial success, a conditional agreement to release Balder if everyone in the land of the living mourns his death. And even though over every hope hangs the threat of the ultimate end of the reign of the Norse gods, the mother of the ...

Dick Brewster is implicated in a murder and comes to his aunt's farm to hide. His Aunt Sarah stands by him in his need and they all move to the city in the effort to clear his name. She investigates on her own account and.... - Summary by The AuthorCast list:Lily Ann, Help at the farm: Devorah AllenAaron Flint, the hired man: Alan MapstoneMrs. Brewster, from New York: TJ BurnsHelen Brewster, her daughter: Jenn BrodaLeonard Fillmore, a young country lawyer: skypigeonSarah Newcomb, sister of Mrs. Brewster: AvailleDick Brewster: David PurdyHenson, a butler: Adrian StephensRalph Deering: Matthew ...

Cranford is the best-known novel of the 19th century English writer Elizabeth Gaskell. It was first published in 1851 as a serial in the magazine Household Words, which was edited by Charles Dickens.The fictional town of Cranford is closely modelled on Knutsford in Cheshire, which Mrs Gaskell knew well. The book has little in the way of plot and is more a series of episodes in the lives of Mary Smith and her friends, Miss Matty and Miss Deborah, two spinster sisters. The "major" event in the story is the return to Cranford of their long-lost brother, Peter, which in itself is only a minor ...

In a little town of Buckskin, population 100, or 200 depending on who did the counting, all kinds of trouble is brewing. See, there was a rivalry going on between Buckskin and a nearby town, Perry's Bend. That rivalry had turned sour, and involved the four nearby ranches. Hopalong Cassidy lives on the Bar-20, and the cows from the C 80 were mixing with his herd. There are gun fights, barroom brawls and stampedes to make live exciting out there on the Texas-New Mexico line!

The Far Country by Winston Churchill (not to be confused with the British leader) is a romantic and political novel set in the 20th century. The story follows Victoria "Torie" Randolph, a young woman from an aristocratic British family, as she navigates love, societal expectations, and personal growth. Torie moves to the Australian outback, where she discovers resilience and passion while forging a new life. Through vivid landscapes and contrasting cultural norms, Churchill explores themes of identity, class, and the pursuit of freedom in a rapidly changing world.Summary by Dream AudioBooks