Great Classics

One of the most revered works in English literature, Great Expectations traces the coming of age of a young orphan, Pip, from a boy of shallow aspirations into a man of maturity. From the chilling opening confrontation with an escaped convict to the grand but eerily disheveled estate of bitter old Miss Havisham, all is not what it seems in Dickens’ dark tale of false illusions and thwarted desire.

When Orwell went to England in the 30's to find out how industrial workers lived, he not only observed but shared in their experiences. He stayed in cramped, dreary lodgings and subsisted on the scant, cheerless diet of the poor. He went down into the coal mines and walked crouching, as the miners did, through a one- to three-mile passage too low to stand up in. He watched the back-breaking, dangerous labor of men whose net pay then averaged $575 a year.

The Ultimate Modern Classics Collection: Volume One is the first instalment in our classics collection focusing on the most important and iconic novels, stories, and poems of the 20th century. Featuring 22 essential modern classics from Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Herman Hesse, Agatha Christie, Virigna Woolf, and many more, and read by a cast of incredible narrators including David Rintoul, Robert G. Slade, Karen Cass, Nathan Osgood, amongst others, this is an essential addition to your library.

The Ultimate Classics Collection: Volume One is a continent-hopping, century-spanning collection of 10 of the greatest classic novels ever written, from British, Irish, American, and German authors, read by a cast of incredible narrators including Joanne Froggatt, Stephen Fry, Jonathan Keeble, David Rintoul, and many more.

What makes a symphony a masterpiece? Why do certain symphonies continue to move audiences centuries after they were composed? The Anatomy of a Symphony takes you deep into the heart of the greatest orchestral works ever written, unlocking their structure, meaning, and emotional power. From Haydn’s groundbreaking classical forms to Beethoven’s revolutionary intensity, from the rich storytelling of Tchaikovsky to the daring innovations of modern symphonists, this book explores the evolution of the symphony and the genius behind its creation. With clear, engaging explanations, you’ll ...

An anthology of over 50 classic children's poems, read by some of our finest actors. Full of fun, excitement, and magic, the poems in this collection are guaranteed to spark the imagination and open up a world of wonder. Favourites from authors such as Edward Lear, Lewis Carroll, and Robert Louis Stevenson are all here, as well as less familiar but nonetheless hugely entertaining poems such as" The Camel's Complaint"and "The Elephant, or The Force of Habit".

In this Audible Exclusive performance by Matt Lucas of Great Expectations, Charles Dickens demonstrates that conscience, loyalty and empathy are virtues far more valuable than intellect, wealth and social standing. First published in Dickens’ own periodical, All the Year Round, the novel was divided into nine monthly instalments, from December 1860 to August 1861. Unsurprisingly, it was an instant success and managed to sell over 100,000 copies per week. Though written at a challenging time in Dickens’ life, when the impending breakdown of his marriage loomed over him, Great Expectations proves to be one of his most optimistic, comical and romantic novels.

“Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us.” Step into the dazzling, deceptive world of the 1920s—a world bathed in champagne, jazz, and whispered secrets. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald invites us to peer beyond the shimmering curtain of the American Dream, exposing the illusions that lie at its glittering heart. This is not just a love story. It is a haunting elegy for a generation intoxicated by wealth, ambition, and the desperate need to reinvent oneself.

In Keeping the Heart, John Flavel (1627-1691) centers his teaching on Proverbs 4:23: “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” Flavel maintains that it is our great responsibility as Christians to watch our hearts and guard them against sin and lifelessness in spiritual duties. This watchfulness also results in a more joyful and victorious life that adorns the Gospel with beauty. The main part of the book provides advice on how to approach various seasons of life that each pose their own dangers to the heart. This book was first published in 1670 as “...

The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a poignant tale of love, ambition, and the elusive American Dream, set against the opulent backdrop of the Roaring Twenties. Narrated by Nick Carraway, the story unfolds on Long Island's glittering North Shore, where he becomes entangled in the life of his enigmatic neighbor, Jay Gatsby.

In 2008, celebrating the long-awaited completion of the English-language translation of The Great Treatise, the Dalai Lama gave a historic six-day teaching at Lehigh University to explain the meaning of this classic text and to underscore its importance. It is the longest teaching that he has ever given to Westerners on just one text, and Westerners have never before had the opportunity to receive such a complete teaching that encompasses the totality of the Buddhist path from the Dalai Lama.

Now that he's won the chocolate factory, what's next for Charlie? Last seen flying through the sky in a giant elevator in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlie Bucket's back for another adventure. When the giant elevator picks up speed, Charlie, Willy Wonka, and the gang are sent hurtling through space and time. Visiting the world’' first space hotel, battling the dreaded Vermicious Knids, and saving the world are only a few stops along this remarkable, intergalactic joyride.

Author of the National Book Award-winning All the Pretty Horses, Cormac McCarthy is one of the most provocative American stylists to emerge in the last century. The striking novel Blood Meridian offers an unflinching narrative of the brutality that accompanied the push west on the 1850s Texas frontier.

Celebrating its 75th anniversary, John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men remains one of America's most widely read and beloved novels. Here is Steinbeck’s dramatic adaptation of his novel-as-play, which received the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play in 1937-1938 and has featured a number of actors who have played the iconic roles of George and Lennie on stage and film, including James Earl Jones, John Malkovich and Gary Sinise.

Kirkus Reviews: "A thorough and enthusiastic introduction to the life and works of Mozart, perfect for readers of all ages." The aim of this book is simple—to give you a direct personal experience with a heavenly state of consciousness while listening to Mozart’s music. Or if you already have access to Mozart’s heavenly mansion, to provide you a glimpse into more rooms within that mansion, with greater appreciation. Chapter 1: Why Is Mozart Great? surveys what people from several professions think of Mozart, indicating a broad appeal. Chapter 2: Hearing Mozart, Part 1: Serenade No. 10...

"The Great Gatsby" is a 1925 novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, near New York City, the novel depicts first-person narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and Gatsby's obsession to reunite with his former lover, Daisy Buchanan.

Great Expectations follows Pip's life from a plucky but poor and put-upon child in the Kent marshes, to a young man with "great expectations" in London and the choices he must make as a result of his winding journey. On the way, we meet some of Dickens' most memorable and unique characters - the mysterious and brutal Magwtich; eternally heartbroken Miss Havisham; and her cold-hearted child Estella.

Step into the glittering world of the Roaring Twenties with The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s timeless masterpiece of love, ambition, and illusion. Set in the opulent mansions and jazz-fueled parties of Long Island, this novel follows the enigmatic millionaire Jay Gatsby and his obsessive pursuit of the elusive Daisy Buchanan. Through the eyes of narrator Nick Carraway, Fitzgerald weaves a haunting tale of wealth, desire, and the shattered American Dream. Both dazzling and tragic, The Great Gatsby captures the spirit of an era—and the cost of chasing dreams that may never come true.

In an elaborate house known as the Cloisters, Maud Wainwright rules supreme. The queen of society in the small town of Beverly, she has a table long enough to seat 100, and she keeps an iron grip on the guest list. Her right-hand woman is Pat Abbott, a local girl who is beautiful, innocent, and kind. Pat has no idea how cutthroat high society can be, but she's about to get a deadly first lesson.

In the little town of Palomo Grove, two great armies are amassing; forces shaped from the hearts and souls of America. In this New York Times best-seller, Barker unveils one of the most ambitious imaginative landscapes in modern fiction, creating a new vocabulary for the age-old battle between good and evil. Carrying its readers from the first stirring of consciousness to a vision of the end of the world, The Great and Secret Show is a breathtaking journey in the company of a master storyteller.