Victorian Era Classics

When Queen Victoria stepped onto the throne of Great Britain and Ireland in 1837, gone were the days when the monarch had supreme authority over the kingdom. Victoria ruled at the head of a government with which she was meant to converse, debate, and ultimately guide, and it was a job she sometimes struggled to perform. Victoria described herself as an emotional creature and blamed her gender for what she believed were her shortcomings as a monarch.

Step into the fog-shrouded streets and intrigue of the nineteenth century with Classic Detective Stories of the Victorian Era, a compelling collection of early mystery fiction by Charles Dickens, Guy de Maupassant, and Arthur Conan Doyle. Featuring gripping tales such as Hunted Down, The Piece of String, My Friend the Murderer, The Cabman’s Story, and the famous Sherlock Holmes mystery The Red-Headed League, this volume captures the suspense, clever deduction, and atmospheric storytelling that shaped the foundations of modern detective fiction.

Emma loathes her period. Really, she does. But there’s something she loathes even more: not being able to talk about it. Despite women having had periods since the dawn of time, we’ve totally clammed up on anything to do with menstruation. Why, oh why, would we rather say ‘Auntie Flo’ than ‘period’? Why, in the 21st century, are periods still seen as icky? Why are we still so ignorant about such a fundamental bodily process?

The year is 1807. The Napoleonic Wars continue and their violence reverberates in the lives of the Morland family. Lucy, trying to rebuild her life after the death of her lover, is thrown into doubt and confusion by an unexpected proposal of marriage. At Morland Place, the hard-won happiness of James and Heloise is threatened by his rebellious daughter, Fanny, who is determined to claim more than her inheritance. These troubled times hold many surprises. In their darkest hour, the Morlands make an astonishing discovery.

William Collins Books and Decca Records are proud to present ARGO Classics, a historic catalogue of classic fiction read by some of the world’s most renowned voices. Originally released as vinyl records, these expertly abridged and remastered stories are now available to download for the first...

Step into a world of European aristocracy, hidden passions, and rigid societal roles. Written by the celebrated late 19th-century German author E. Werner, Fickle Fortune follows the contrasting lives of two aristocratic cousins, Edmund and Oswald von Ettersberg. Bound by tradition but driven by...

In "Biographies of Working Men" (1884), the notable Victorian naturalist and social critic Grant Allen presents an inspiring collection of biographical sketches celebrating the lives of ordinary laborers who achieved greatness through sheer perseverance and self-education. This classic work...

In the hands of these classic American humorists, even the simplest household task can become a spectacular catastrophe. A cook turns a respectable home upside down. A burglar alarm causes more trouble than any burglar. Weddings descend into chaos, automobiles become runaway hazards, and the...

James Legge was one of the first great popularisers of Eastern ideas and religion in the West. In this foundational work, he provides a translation of the Dao De Jing/ Tao Te Ching that stands up well today, over a hundred years later.

An occult device leaving threatening messages. A dinner party ending with a fatal main course. Was it a tragic accident, or is something foul at play? The Society of Free Spirits invites you to investigate, in this YA crime series with a supernatural twist. Ada Hawthorne would much rather be...

Discover these horror stories of the Victorian era, with Gothic tales from J. S. Lee Fanu. This definitive audio version is narrated by Jilly Bond and brings the classic horrors of old to a new audience. Ghostly Tales by J. S. Le Fanu is brought to audio for the first time. Dim the lights and listen to these unsettling tales of Victorian horror. Fanu is described as a "master of the genre" by subsequent distinguished authors such as E. F. Bleiler. Fanu's unique approach helped to usher in a new, more psychological era of dread.

A new edition Wilkie Collins's classic novel with a new introduction by bestselling crime author Val McDermid The Moonstone, a yellow diamond looted from an Indian temple and believed to bring bad luck to its owner, is bequeathed to Rachel Verinder on her eighteenth birthday. That very night the...

A Birds’ Christmas Story is heartwarming Victorian novella about about Carol Bird, born on Christmas Day, who is sickly but generous. Bedridden by age ten, she devotes her energy to planning a heartfelt Christmas celebration for the impoverished “Ruggles” children living nearby, and...

On Christmas Eve, miser Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley, who warns Scrooge that three more ghosts will visit him before the night is over—the ghost of Christmases Past, the ghost of Christmas present, and the ghost of Christmas yet to come...