Showing results by publisher "A.R.N. Publications" in All Categories

Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu's Carmilla is an old Gothic classic that tells the story of Laura, a young lady who lives with her father in a large castle. Despite living in a castle, Laura is lonely and made lonelier when her father tells her that a girl her same age who was supposed to come visit has mysteriously died.

The timeless tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and his adventures on Christmas Eve continue to teach an important lesson, even to this day. Author Charles Dickens introduces us to the main character by painting him in a negative light, a selfish and miserly old man who will barely pay enough money to keep his office heated. When Scrooge returns home after work, the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, visits him and tells him that because of the wrongdoing he had done during his life, he has been condemned to walk in his ghost years shackled....

In George Eliot's Middlemarch, the idea of marriage and vocation are explored through a small town's community of ordinary people. One of the main characters, Dorothea Brooke, is a kind and good-hearted woman who gives to the poor and helps to rebuild cottages of poor farmers. However, she is also stubborn and very strong-willed.

Notes from the Underground is an 1864 existentialist novella written by the Russian author, Fyodor Dostoyevsky. The speaker, an unknown yet common type of man, writes in first person about his views on Western philosophy, as well as his stark analysis of his own life. The work is written as the ramblings of this retired government employee who seems to have a very pessimistic yet honest opinion on his own life, as well as the world as seen through his eyes.

Published in 1862 by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky, The House of the Dead tells the story of life in a 19th century Russian prison. Narrated by the fictional character, Alexander Goryanchikov, this audiobook provides the listener with a firsthand account of life in a Russian prison. The author portrays his fellow inmates with sympathy and, at times, even admiration. By the time Fyodor Dostoevsky was released, he concluded that Russia's prison system was tragic beyond reason.

Utilitarianism is a book released in 1863 by John Stuart Mill to provide the support for the value of utilitarianism as a moral theory and to respond to misconceptions about it. =The book consists of five chapters; the introduction to the essay, the definition of utilitarianism and its common criticisms, the rewards it can offer the methods of proving its validity and in the final chapter looks at the connection between justice and utility and argues that happiness is the foundation of justice.

On Liberty is a book by John Stuart Mill, one of the most celebrated philosophers on the subject of leadership and governing ideals. The book focuses on Mill's philosophy on utilitarianism which is one of his defining principles. The principles of the book are focused on developing a relationship between the ruling authority and liberty.

Ivanhoe is the perfect novel for any listener who loves an action-packed adventure based on the mythology and legends of Medieval times in England. Set in the 12th century, Ivanhoe is the story of a young man who joins up with Richard the Lion Hearted during a dark time where England is split between the Normans and the Saxons, pitting friends and family against each other through the conquering of land and the changing seats of the Royal Family.

The 15 short stories that make up James Joyce's Dubliners give a realistic account of the life in and around Dublin, Ireland, in the early 20th century. In many of the short stories within the work, Joyce includes the Irish struggle for self-identity through epiphanies from the main characters.

Though the Romans were known for having contributed much to culture and the arts, there was one facet that was unrivaled when it came to ancient civilizations: their published works. Philosophy was their forte, and it goes without saying that the meditations by Marcus Aurelius is a superb piece of philosophical writings and musings. What is interesting about this collection is that it chronicles his thoughts during the time of his reign as Roman Emperor from AD 161 to 180.

Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows is a delightful children's book that captures the attention of listeners of all ages. Set in England, Grahame brings animals to life for an adventure full of mishaps and lessons. One of the main characters in the story, Mole, befriends the water vole, Rat. Together, they explore the beautiful landscape of England by boat and eventually leading to a visit with Toad.

Anne of Avonlea by Lucy Maud Montgomery covers the mid-teenage years of Anne Shirley. She is the new schoolteacher of Avonlea, and Anne meets many new people and gets into several fun mishaps. From accidentally selling her neighbor's cow to painting the town hall a bright, startling blue, the adventures never stop.

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.

The Secret Garden is a story about Mary Lennox, a 10-year-old child who never received love or affection from either of her self-centered parents, and was raised by the family's servants. She grows to be spoiled, selfish, and rude and after a cholera epidemic in India, everyone in her household is found dead except Mary. She is then transplanted to live with her uncle, whom she has never met before, at his manor in Yorkshire England.

Ishmael, a sailor looking for his next adventure, and his friend who happens to be a former prince, sign up to join a whaling ship in Nantucket. The morning before they set sail on their voyage, many ominous signs of what the pair's fate may be are seen and heard through sermon and prophecy as the two friends ignore the warnings and make their way to the docks. Soon into the trip, the one-legged Captain Ahab announces that the whaling adventure is really a hunt for one very specific large, white sperm whale.

Victory is the story of a loner who believes that the best way to avoid life's pain and pitfalls is to distance himself from others. In spite of his misgivings, Axel Heyst agrees to manage a coal company on a remote island. When the company eventually fails, he again turns his back on people and society, more convinced than ever that his original philosophy was right.

Originally published in 1848 as a political pamphlet, The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels would become one of the most influential works of the era. Written as a summary of the authors' political thought, the manifesto is also a reflection of the unrest and the revolutions of the time.

Two Treatises of Government is a work of political philosophy that outlined a concept foreign to the American people who, at the time, were still under English monarchy. This concept is what we now call democracy and advocated for a system in which all people were afforded rights to freedom and property ownership. The book was intended to push forward the ideas on contract theory and natural rights. Thomas Jefferson borrowed many of the ideas of Two Treatises of Government while writing the Declaration of Independence.

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.

The concept of justice and what constitutes "just" behavior has been a topic of philosophical conversation for centuries. Indeed, famed Greek philosopher Plato made it the very focus of his 10-book epic The Republic, in which he endeavored not only to give a working definition of the word "justice", but also to provide examples of justice in society, in the city-states, and in humankind. The Republic is written as a Socratic dialogue. In it, Socrates and other prominent figures have conversations regarding these topics.