Showing results by narrator "Philippe Duquenoy" in All Categories

Arrowsmith is the story of a brilliant man named Martin Arrowsmith, who has a passion for science and medicine, but with a weakness for women, money, and glory. As a child, Martin would spend his free time reading through the medical books in the local doctor’s practice. This interest leads him to medical school, and eventually Martin starts his own private practice in medicine, while getting married to Leora Tozer.

Ulysses takes us on the journey of two men, Leopold Bloom and Stephen Dedalus, through an hour-by-hour account of their lives for one day. These men cross paths in a series of coincidental events and listeners learn how interconnected they are even though they are not friends.

Faust has long been considered one of the most important works of European literature ever published. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe began writing Faust in the 1770s while still a young man, spending most of his adult life on the project. Faust was finally finished almost 50 years later, near the end of his life. Faust is a philosophical drama full of humor, satire, and tragedy. The demon Mephistopheles makes a bet with God that he can lure Faust from the path of good.

This collection by Robert W. Chambers was first published in 1895 and features stories loosely tied together with one theme, the supernatural. Many of the stories in The King in Yellow were not received well by the critics of the time due to their supernatural undertones. Some of the stories mention a play by the same name that had been outlawed in some regions of the world. It was thought that the play could induce madness in those who viewed it. Two of the stories in this book take place in a fictional world of the future 1920s and are macabre in tone.

Paradise Lost is one of the most brilliant works of poetry ever written in the English language. With ease and grace, John Milton's words paint a picture of the fall of man, epically layering his words with all the innocence and treachery that such a fantastic tale deserves. Through Milton's words we witness the downfall of Adam and Eve as well as the epic battle between good and evil.

Those who live in this futuristic city are always taken care of but they lack creativity and individuality. This all changes when a mathematician named D-503 discovers that he has a soul that is separate from the OneState. He and the citizens of OneState live out their lives deprived of passion and creativity. Their names have been taken away and replaced with numbers, their daily routines are dictated by the “Time Tablet” which tells them what they should do, and when they should do it, hour after hour.

Similar to the Anne of Green Gables series, the Emily novels follow the life of a young orphan girl. After her father dies of tuberculosis, she is raised by aunts Elizabeth and Laura, one of whom is strict and will stand no nonsense, whereas the other shows kindness and sympathy for a young orphan. Throughout the novel, Emily shows that she is a girl with a love for the beauty and nature and art, loyalty and her friends, a thirst for knowledge, and a passionate dedication to her writing.

Set in Regency England, Vanity Fair follows the lives of two young women from drastically different backgrounds. Becky Sharp is the daughter of a lowly art teacher while Amelia Sedley is the daughter of a wealthy investor. Although the two women are worlds apart in personality and background, Becky and Amelia become friends while in finishing school. When Amelia invites Becky to her family home, events are set in motion that result in both tragedy and fortune.

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.

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.

The Secret Garden is a wonderful children's book that explores the nature of curiosity and perseverance. When the young and sickly Mary Lennox is shipped off to her uncle's mansion after her parents' deaths, Mary doesn't know what to do. She feels alone and isolated within the confines of the giant Misselthwaite Mansion. Gradually, and without her uncle's knowledge, she builds new friendships with the staff of the mansion and her strength builds so that she is not as sickly as she had once been.

Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations has influenced economic thinkers for generations. Smith was a firm believer that the economic progress of any nation was tied to free trade and the division of labor.

Walden, by Henry David Thoreau, is a personal narrative about Thoreau's solitary living experience near Walden Pond in Massachusetts. Starting with the building of his cabin by the pond in 1845, Thoreau recounts his experience away from society and city life. Thoreau spends his time growing beans for money while appreciating the beautiful wilderness around him. Although he lives a solitary life for nearly two years, Thoreau explains that he does not feel as isolated as one might think.

As one of the greatest novels of all time, Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables takes the listeneron a journey into the turbulent Parisian underworld. With breathtaking realism, Hugo recreates the dark world of the 1832 uprising and the sad but meaningful struggle between good and evil. In Les Misérables, Victor Hugo introduces one of the most beloved fictional characters of classic literature, Jean Valjean, who is best known for his imprisonment for the minor offense of stealing a loaf of bread.

First published in 1865 by The Russian Messenger, War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy is considered to be one of the longest novels ever written, although Tolstoy himself did not consider this book "a novel". Interspersed between narrative chapters concerning five aristocratic families are several philosophical and historical chapters against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars, where Tolstoy weaves a tale of drama with characters that include statesmen and generals of that era, mixing domestic life, balls, and war councils into one epic story.

The Three Musketeers, written in 1844, is one of the greatest novels written by French author Alexandre Dumas. Set in 17th century France, The Three Musketeers chronicles the adventures of d’Artagnan, a young man who leaves home and travels to Paris in his pursuit of joining the king’s elite Musketeers of the Guard.

Often considered one of the greatest novels in American classic literature, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is the story about a young man named Nick Carraway, who moves to Long Island in pursuit of his dream of becoming a bond salesman, and his next door neighbor, a self-made millionaire named Jay Gatsby, a man who lives a lavish lifestyle, and likes to throw extravagant parties every weekend. As the two get better acquainted, Carraway is thrust into Gatsby’s world of over the top parties, and his love and desire for a married woman he once knew named Daisy Buchanan.

Since first published in 1923, The Prophet written by Kahlil Gibran has never been out of print. This classic has been translated in to more than 50 languages, and is constantly on international best seller lists. The book is made up of 26 prose poems, delivered as sermons by a wise man called Almustafa. He is about to set sail for his homeland after 12 years in exile on a fictional island when the people of the island ask him to share his wisdom on the big questions of life, such as love, family, work and death.

At its heart, Bleak House is a 19th-century mystery and legal drama. This Charles Dickens novel tells the story of Esther Summerson and her quest to unravel the mystery of her true identity. Orphaned as an infant, Esther is raised by Miss Barbary. Esther’s cruel guardian’s sadistic method of celebrating Esther’s birthday every year not only raises questions but shatters her sense of self-worth. When Esther does discover her true identity, it changes the course of her life.

Something strange is afoot at the Paris Opera House. When staff and performers spot a skeleton dressed in dinner attire, tales of the opera house ghost begin to surface. The new manager dismisses the stories as overactive imaginations, but chaos ensues, and encounters with the phantom become increasingly frightening. Who is the mysterious phantom that haunts the theater after the crowds have left for the night? How can he enter locked rooms and get from place to place so quickly? What is his connection to the beautiful and talented Christine?