Showing results by narrator "Paul Spera" in All Categories

"The Nameless City." Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890-1937) is a novelist famous for his horror stories, fantasy and science fiction. Although he was not famous during his lifetime, his work is now considered a classic of literature. Lovecraft's work has influenced many authors, including Stephen King, who considers him "the greatest craftsman of the classic horror story of the 20th century."

"Philosophy in the Bedroom" ("La philosophie dans le boudoir") was written in 1795 by the Marquis de Sade, while imprisoned in the Bastille. It is a work of erotism, laced with socio-political subversion. The main characters are libertines, who decided to give a young maiden their own brand of sex education. They explain to her that pleasure is the most important goal of all, and then proceed with affirming that she will not be able to feel "true pleasure" without pain.

"Shadowed by Death" is a short story from "The Confessions of Arsène Lupin": ten grippling short stories in which the world's premier thief looks back on a lifetime of adventure and mysteries. He uses his wit and courage to outsmart criminals, pull wool over the eyes of the French police, and solve terrifying mysteries, always keeping just enough time to save a pretty lady and pocket something for himself. Intelligent, witty, funny: there is the real gentleman thief in all his brilliance!

In this audiobook, read by Paul Spera, each historical event is replaced into context and presented in clear and easy-to-read snippets, so that younger and older readers can deepen their understanding of how modern France came to be and broaden their culture. This historical essays deals with France's earlier kings, the hundred years' war, the struggle with Burgundy, the Italian wars, the wars of religion, absolute monarchy, and the French Revolution.   

Herbert George Wells was an English writer. He was prolific in many genres, writing dozens of novels, short stories. He is now best remembered for his science fiction novels and is often called a "father of science fiction". Discover H. G. Wells best short stories and science fiction classics.

"The Colour out of Space." Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890-1937) is a novelist famous for his horror stories, fantasy and science fiction. Although he was not famous during his lifetime, his work is now considered a classic of literature. Lovecraft's work has influenced many authors, including Stephen King, who considers him "the greatest craftsman of the classic horror story of the 20th century."

In his lifetime, Ralph Waldo Emerson was the most widely known man of letters in America, establishing himself as a prolific poet, essayist, popular lecturer, and advocate of social reforms. He was considered one of the great orators of the time, and his enthusiasm and respect for his audience enraptured crowds. As a poet and philosopher, he led the Transcendentalist movement, which professes the belief that everything in ouf world is a microcosm of the universe, and in the infinitude of individual man.

In this audiobook, read by Paul Spera, each historical event is replaced into context and presented in clear and easy-to-read snippets, so that younger and older readers can deepen their understanding of how modern France came to be and broaden their culture. 

Among his many feats, Lincoln is widely remembered for having paved the way for the abolition of slavery, before his assassination in 1865. These 100 quotes have been selected to introduce you to one of the greatest political minds that lived, in an efficient and convenient format. 

Mahatma Gandhi is a world-famous pacifist figure who managed to lead the Indian independence movement against British rule by employing nonviolent civil disobedience. His ethics and unwavering stance inspired movements for civil rights and freedom all across the world, long after his assassination in 1948.

Albert Einstein is widely considered as one of the greatest minds that ever lived. He developed the theory of relativity, one of the two pillars of modern physics alongside quantum mechanics, and penned the world's most famous equation, E=mc².

Améliorez votre anglais en écoutant de la littérature !C'est notre promesse, notre engagement. Retrouvez 5 aventures du plus célèbre des voyous au grand cœur, le célèbre Arsène Lupin. Chaque histoire est interprétée d'abord en version française, puis elle est suivie à chaque fois de la même histoire interprétée en anglais : L'arrestation d'Arsène Lupin/The arrest of Arsène Lupin ; Arsène Lupin en prison/Arsène Lupin in prison ; L'Évasion d'Arsène Lupin/The escape of Arsène Lupin ; Le Mystérieux voyageur/The mysterious traveller.

The classical poetry of Japan focuses on direct experience of fleeting moments, in total contrast with its Occidental counterpart. These seminal poems were passed down orally, before great collections assembled works of art spanning several centuries in written form as early as the 8th century, from the Kojiki to the Kokinshu.

"The Death of Adonis" is a fundamental part of Greek mythology and one of its most touching stories. Accidentally wounded by one of Eros' arrows, the goddess Aphrodite falls desperately in love with the handsome Adonis, son of a king and a beauty among mortals. Yet his only passion is hunting and he refuses to take her warnings seriously when he hears about a great boar he would love to slay. There is something of the idea of coming of age in this tale, when the moment of realisation brings forth the understanding of what could have been and where the real beauty lays.

The myth of King Midas is a cautionary tale about the dangers of believing that gold should be coveted above all things, and the foolishness of wishing without thinking. It appeared in Ovid's "Metamorphosis", and has inspired many works of art and literature through the centuries. This is a retelling of the complete tale of "The King with the Golden Touch", from the Gordian knot to the ears of an ass, in great detail and with an elegant style that will edify children and adults alike.

Set in 12th-century England, with colourful descriptions of medieval life and adventures, "Ivanhoe" is a realistic and vibrant story set in a kingdom torn asunder by the hatred between Saxons and Normans. Richard the Lionheart is headed home from the Third Crusade to reclaim his throne. Amid the heat of a tournament, King Richard comes to the aid of another crusader who has returned in disguise. Wilfred of Ivanhoe also seeks to recover a lost heritage - and the hand of Lady Rowena, "a rose of loveliness, and a jewel of wealth; the fairest among a thousand."

Phaeton is the son of Apollo and a mortal woman, and his heart's desire is to be seen but once driving his father's chariot, the one used by the god to make the sun travel in the sky. This myth is an ageless story of failure at the hands of pride, similar to that of Icarus. It is a fundamental part of Greek mythology and of modern culture. This short story is a retelling of the myth in great detail and with an elegant style that will edify children and adults alike.

The myth of Icarus is an ageless story of failure at the hands of pride, similar to that of Phaeton. It is a fundamental part of Greek mythology and of modern culture. This short story is a retelling of the myth from 1914, a year in which it was easy to fear for a son who would soar in the sky with metal wings; the story of Icarus and Daedalus is told in great detail and with an elegant style that will edify children and adults alike.

Beatrice Clay's retelling of Arthurian tales remain as vibrant today as when they first became a popular success eighty years ago. Sir Galahad, Sir Launcelot, Queen Guenevere and Morgan Le Fey, all these beloved characters are brought together for a vibrant recreation of life in the Middle Ages. This great treasure-house of stories is to English culture what the stories of Ulysses and Aeneas were to the Greeks and Latins, a national inheritance of which they should be, and are, proud.

The spoiled son of a Spanish nobleman, Don Juan Belvidero cannot wait for the moment to claim the family wealth and title for himself. His father calls to his death-bed to inform him that he is in possession of a magic, death-defying potion. If the son will only rub the liquid on his dead body, the father will come back to life. Don Juan assures his father that he will resurrect him, but will he keep his promise or betray the old man?