English Classic Short Stories

The Irish have always had a knack for telling wonderful stories, and their fantastic ability has been recognized from early Gaelic times. For centuries, stories of all kinds have been offered to friends and strangers alike as a form of entertainment and communication. Today in Ireland, the short story is revered even above the novel. Hearing these magnificent stories, we become aware of more than just the humor and travail of a small island.

The extraordinarily evocative stories depict the generation born in a small-town America during the Depression and growing up in a world where the old sexual morality was turned around and material comforts were easily had. Yet, as these stories reflect so accurately, life was still unsettling, and Updike chronicles telling moments both joyful and painful. The texts are taken from his recent omnibus, The Early Stories, 1953-1975.

Charlie Bucket and his family are rushing around the Earth at seventeen-thousand miles an hour in a great glass elevator. It belongs to the fantastic Mr Willy Wonka, and the adventure becomes even greater upon discovering they're not the only ones orbiting the Earth at that particular time....

Bounty hunter Chet Miller has lost everything dear to him. He warned his brother to stay out of the law but Tate loved to look for trouble. And he found it at the hands of notorious outlaw Bert Patton and his gang in an unjust ambush. When word gets to Chet, he rides back to Utah from Colorado, and the memories come crashing down around him. The only blood he had left is gone, and Chet will do whatever it takes to make sure Patton and his gang pay for what they did to his brother.

A collection of horror/thriller stories for readers who would enjoy a stroll through a graveyard after midnight. Hark! Don’t read this book if a deranged maniac has escaped from the local asylum. Otherwise, enjoy the horror! The creepers include:THE MOTHER KILLER: Rachel's baby doesn't want to be born as long as she is alive, and so far, it's having its way. LILY SHOULD BE SCARED: The monster under her bed doesn't understand why everything he's done to scare the little girl has failed miserably. THE WORLD OF MIRRORS: When the serial killer awoke, everything seemed the same, but alas, the ...

Science Fiction Stories 6 by Various Authors is a captivating anthology of science fiction short stories that transport readers to extraordinary realms, exploring dystopian futures, post-apocalyptic landscapes, and thrilling adventures in space. Discover the Unknown Join Mitch in "Balanced Odds" as he navigates a futuristic world filled with danger and unexpected alliances. Embark on a perilous journey "Beyond Mars" with Timmons, a salesman exploring the inhabited planets and moons. Experience the haunting "Nightmares Above," where the line between reality and dreams blurs in a world above ...

Innovative, startlingly perceptive and aglow with colour, these 15 stories were written towards the end of Katherine Mansfield's tragically short life. Many are set in the author's native New Zealand, others in England and the French Riviera. All are revelations of the unspoken, half-understood emotions that make up everyday experience - from the blackly comic 'The Daughters of the Late Colonel' and the short, sharp sketch 'Miss Brill', in which a lonely woman's precarious sense of self is brutally destroyed, to the vivid impressionistic evocation of family life in 'At the Bay'.

About Love is the musings of several friends about love and the great mystery surrounding it. After trying to figure out the love existing between an abusive, ugly cook and the lovely girl that doted on him, one of the men, Alehin, begins sharing his story of love and heartbreak. He recounts the tale of his love for the beautiful Anna Alexyevna, a young woman married to his friend. Alehin describes the way in which their relationship developed, returning again and again to the strange mysteries of love.

Three men, Mihailo the porter, Nikandr the fish merchant, and Stepan the coachman, sit around a table in the coach-house playing a game of "kings" with Stepan's eight-year old grandson, Alyoshka. While each card player competitively tries to win the coveted position of "king" in the game, a more serious atmosphere casts a sad shadow over the estate in which the coach-house is situated. The man of the house, for whom the porter and coachman work, has attempted suicide, and he lies in the estate house struggling somewhere between life and death.

A treasure-chest of the written and spoken word, this collection is read by brilliant actors who make this audio anthology a genuine treat for the listener.

Middle Unearthed: The Best Fantasy Short Stories 1800-1849 is annotated and edited by Andrew Barger. Before there were lovable green ogres called Shrek and kid wizards named Harry Potter, there were the 10 best fantasy short stories published in English during the first half of the nineteenth century. These excellent stories have been uncovered by Andrew Barger, awarding winning editor of 6a66le: The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849 and BlooDeath: The Best Vampire Short Stories 1800-1849. In old magazines and forgotten journals, Andrew read well over 100 fantasy short stories and settled...

A collection of horror/thriller stories with surprise endings to chill you and thrill you to the bone. The creepers include: JIMMY SAID IT WAS THE BOOGEYMAN: His mother and older brother have been brutally murdered, and Jimmy says the boogeyman did it. CREATURE FEATURE: Bruce has always dreamed of becoming an actor, but his nose is too big for leading roles. He agrees to have plastic surgery to become the star of a monster movie. VESPA: Kurt marries a beautiful woman who prefers to dress as a goth and live in a house suitable for the Munsters and The Addams Family. THE AMATEUR: A mild-...

Hot on the heels of Gardner Dozois's acclaimed anthology The Book of Swords comes this companion volume devoted to magic. How could it be otherwise? For every Frodo, there is a Gandalf... and a Saruman. For every Dorothy, a Glinda... and a Wicked Witch of the West. What would Harry Potter be without Albus Dumbledore... and Severus Snape? Figures of wisdom and power, possessing arcane, often forbidden knowledge, wizards and sorcerers are shaped - or misshaped - by the potent magic they seek to wield.

The brilliance of this story is in how a normal bureaucrat, a judge in this case, has a small accident that winds up gradually taking his life. As he deals with this incident, with hope at first and then despair, he comes to terms with his family, his life, and the mediocrities that we all suffer with, except for the exceptional few. This story rings a particularly poignant note for those in early middle age facing the next part of their lives. This story is considered Tolstoy's best.

Wheeler was raised by a mother who loved deeply moving inspirational Christmas stories. It shows: his Christmas in My Heart series is today the longest-running Christmas story series in America. Readers believe there is a reason: unless a given story touches the heart, or takes the reader somewhere new, the story will be rejected. And he considers the spiritual dimension of a Christmas story to be paramount. This sixth collection of Joe Wheeler's treasury of old-fashioned Christmas stories takes readers back to a time when Christmas was more than a frenzy of commercial promotion. These ...

Catch the holiday spirit with this magical collection of beloved Christmas tales. Christmas favorites from L.M. Montgomery, O. Henry, Willa Cather, Hans Christian Anderson, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Mark Twain, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Bret Harte and Anthony Trollope are lovingly recorded and presented here in one enchanting volume.

Set in the world of Enid Blyton's best-loved series, these newly created stories follow Julian, Dick, Anne, George and Timmy the dog on special new adventures. Each story is broken down into short chapters—perfect for shared listening or for newly confident kids to enjoy independently.

A collection of horror/thriller stories with surprise endings to chill you and thrill you to the bone. The nightmares include: Creepers 2 THE STUFF FILM: A billionaire is worried about his three daughters' disappearance after they left for Hollywood to be movie stars. THE COLLECTION: After twenty years together as soulmates, Jason is suspicious Cindy may be having an affair. THE PRACTICAL JOKER: Tom Tully has been playing repulsive pranks on people all his life but this time he picked the wrong person. FINGERS: A serial killer the media has named "Fingers" who amputates the index finger of ...

when she offers to work beside him in his trade, he digs in his own heels, struggling with the notion of changing his business model Just as he and Camelia are starting to see eye to eye and Herman is realizing how blessed he is to have found her, an accident endangers their lives Now it will be up to Camelia to save both of them. Can Herman place his trust in the woman he’s swiftly falling in love with? Read all the books in Christmas Glory Bound Frontier Mail Order Bride Romance Series by bestselling authors Katie Wyatt with Kat Carson! Book 1 Holly's Hope Book 2 Daphne’s Dream Book 3...

Five stories from influential women writers of the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th century. New Zealand-born Katherine Mansfield settled in England where she wrote a series of short stories that are widely recognized as among the finest of the 20th century for their economy, clarity, sensitivity and effect. "The Garden Party" is one of her most famous, while "Daughters of the Late Colonel" shows a wonderful sense of wit.