Belye Nochi ”White Nights” by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. In this small 100kb story (though author states this is a sentimental novel) author describes in his traditional and particular way the internal world of one young lonely person. The hero’s 26 years old man, who is oriented into his internal world, who’s rather shy, and thus is in real demand of a soulful conversations and love. The action take place in the city of a real and deep sentiments and romance — Saint Petersburg, the most romantic and european city in Russia. Not only the location is important, but also a time of a day: all actions in the story take place in evening and night time — the famous time of white nights. Once, hero is going out to have a little daily promenade alone and he occasionaly meets an attractive and lovely woman on evening streets of Saint Petersburg. Can he fell in love with her? Can they estimate the value of this relationship? Can they lead a happy life in this city of lonely hearts? You will know the answers on all these questions if you read or listen to a story. (Summary written by Yakovlev Valery)...

Short stories

On the surface, this short play is a slice-of-life story about a murder investigation in the rural United States. However, it is also a story about the relationships between men and women, husbands and wives, and the often-overlooked trifles which can say so much about a person's life. (Summary by Arielle Lipshaw)...

Play

The action takes place in London, with excursions to Devon, Yorkshire, and Portsmouth, as we follow the adventures of the eponymous hero. Nicholas is forced to unwelcome employment to help secure support for his widowed mother and his sister from their mercenary relative Ralph, on whose mercy they have been thrown. After many adventures Nicholas finally triumphs over his Uncle, although his success is also tinged with sadness. (Summary by Chris Garbett)...

Comedy, Literature, Fiction

This is the second of five books of short stories about G. K. Chesterton’s fictional detective, first published in 1914. Father Brown is a short, nondescript Catholic Priest with shapeless clothes and a large umbrella who has an uncanny insight into human evil. His methods, unlike those of his near contemporary Sherlock Holmes, although based on observation of details often unnoticed by others, tended to be intuitive rather than deductive. Although clearly devout, he always emphasizes rationality: despite his religiousness and his belief in God and miracles, he manages to see the perfectly ordinary, natural explanation of the problem. He is a devout, educated and civilized clergyman, who is totally familiar with contemporary and secular thought and behavior. His character was thought to be based on Father John O'Connor (1870 - 1952), a parish priest in Bradford, Yorkshire. (Summary by Martin)...

Mystery

Excerpt: FIRST QUARTER; THERE are not many people --and as it is desirable that a story-teller and a story-reader should establish a mutual understanding as soon as possible, I beg it to be noticed that I confine this observation neither to young people nor to little people, but extend it to all conditions of people: little and big, young and old: yet growing up, or already growing down again --there are not, I say, many people who would care to sleep in a church. I don?t mean at sermon-time in warm weather (when the thing has actually been done, once or twice), but in the night, and alone. A great multitude of persons will be violently astonished, I know, by this position, in the broad bold Day. But it applies to Night. It must be argued by night, and I will undertake to maintain it successfully on any gusty winter?s night appointed for the purpose, with any one opponent chosen from the rest, who will meet me singly in an old church-yard, before an old church-door; and will previously empower me to lock him in, if needful to his satisfaction, until morning ......

Table of Contents: ILLUSTRATION: TROTTY VECK., ii -- FIRST QUARTER, 1 -- THE SECOND QUARTER, 20 -- THIRD QUARTER, 36 -- FOURTH QUARTER, 52 -- ILLUSTRATION: MR. AND MRS. TUGBY., 68...

Eve’s Diary is a humorous monologue about Eve’s experiences at the dawn of creation. She is fascinated by every aspect of the new world around her and… Adam! The following is an extract from Adam: “She is all interest, eagerness, vivacity, the world is to her a charm, a wonder, a mystery, a joy; she can’t speak for delight when she finds a new flower, she must pet it and caress it and smell it and talk to it…. And she is color-mad: brown rocks, yellow sand, gray moss, green foliage, blue sky…none of them is of any practical value, so far as I can see, but because they have color and majesty, that is enough for her, and she loses her mind over them…. If there is anything on the planet that she is not interested in, it is not in my list.” (Summary by Esther Lockwood)...

Comedy, Short stories

Nothing is what it seems to be as events unfold in this entertaining mystery by Natalie Sumner Lincoln. Red seals and red herrings abound and will keep you guessing all the way through the final chapter! (summary by J. M. Smallheer)...

Mystery, Fiction

Ethan Frome is a novel published in 1911 by the Pulitzer Prize-winning American author Edith Wharton. It is set in the fictitious town of Starkfield, Massachusetts, New England, where an unnamed narrator tells the story of his encounter with Ethan Frome, a man with dreams and desires that end in an ironic turn of events. ( Summary by Wikipedia )...

Fiction, Literature

This road trip novel is set in the early twentieth century and follows the experiences of an aristocratic New Englander and her father as they travel by automobile from Minneapolis to Seattle. She is wooed and won by a noble but simple commoner she meets along the way. Lewis is at his usual wryly humorous self, poking fun at the upper class and treating the common people only slightly better. Summary by Hollis Hanover....

Adventure, Comedy, Romance

30 Erzählungen von Edgar Allan Poe, dem Altmeister des Gruselns.

Horror/Ghost stories, Short stories

Excerpt: In those lusty ages when the Kaisers lifted high the golden goblet of Aachen, and drank, elbow upward, the green-eyed wine of old romance, there lived, a bow-shot from the bones of the Eleven Thousand Virgins and the Three Holy Kings, a prosperous Rhinelander, by name Gottlieb Groschen, or, as it was sometimes ennobled, Gottlieb von Groschen; than whom no wealthier merchant bartered for the glory of his ancient mothercity, nor more honoured burgess swallowed impartially red juice and white under the shadow of his own fig-tree....

A tragic but very captivating tale of a monk in the 17th century. There were actually two authors: Ambrose Bierce and Adolph de Castro.

A compelling love triangle. Marcia is young & sweet. Her older sister Kate is vain & selfish. Marcia deeply admires the man that Kate is to marry: handsome & respected David Spafford. But on the eve of the wedding, Kate elopes with another man. Marcia is there when the note is found...the note that effectively breaks David's heart. Out of pity for his situation, Marcia offers to take Kate's place, in order to save David from humiliation. She grows in love for him, all the while aware that he's still grieving for his lost Kate. What will happen when Kate returns, fully intending to get David back? Will Marcia have the strength to fight for the man she now loves? (Summary by Chloey Winters)...

Romance, Fiction

Pretty but socially clueless Bernice lets her know-it-all cousin push her around, but eventually, something's gotta give! (Introduction by BellonaTimes)...

Humor, Short stories

This is Edith Wharton's second published collection of short stories (1901). One of these seven stories, Copy: A Dialogue, is written as a short play. The role of Hilda is read by Arielle Lipshaw, and the role of Ventnor by Mark F. Smith. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)...

Literature, Short stories

It so happened that the circumstances of fate allowed me to follow my own bent in the choice of a profession. From my earliest youth the weird, the mysterious had an irresistible fascination for me. Having private means, I resolved to follow my unique inclinations, and I am now well known to all my friends as a professional exposer of ghosts, and one who can clear away the mysteries of most haunted houses....I propose in these pages to relate the histories of certain queer events, enveloped at first in mystery, and apparently dark with portent, but, nevertheless, when grappled with in the true spirit of science, capable of explanation. - from the Introduction to A Master of Mysteries...

Mystery

Det er næppe nogen overdrivelse at benævne Edgar Allan Poe som gysets sande mester. Her følger et lille udvalg af historier, som fører lytteren gennem en oplevelse af alt lige fra den mest psykopatiske kynisme og over til noget der minder om direkte mareridtsagtige drømme. (Summary by Kristoffer Hunsdahl)...

Horror/Ghost stories

The Wit and Humor of America is a 10 volume series. In this, the seventh volume, 43 short stories and poems have been gathered from 35 authors. This volume is sure to delight listeners. (Summary by Linette Geisel)...

Humor, Fiction, Poetry

Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, recalls growing up in early 19th Century Massachusetts. (Introduction by Veronica Jenkins)

Biography

Excerpt: A Dispersion. ?A telegram! Make haste and open it, Jane; they always make me so nervous! I believe that is the reason Reginald always will telegraph when he is coming,? said Miss Adeline Mohun, a very pretty, well preserved, though delicate-looking lady of some age about forty, as her elder sister, brisk and lively and some years older, came into the room....