Showing results for "The Player" in Anthologies

This narrative is an absorbing tale of one man's journey to find peace, complicated by the traumas of his life so far. You can only discover the answers as to where Jessica and Melanie fit into Richard James' life - or death? - by listening to this intriguing story. Does such an establishment as The Halfway-House Hotel really exist for us all.

Lu Xun (1881-1936) was born in Shaoxing, in the province of Zhejiang, China. He came from a scholar-official family and by the age of six had begun studying the ancient classics. Regarded as the founder of contemporary Chinese literature, Lu Xun used the pen as a weapon to wage an heroic struggle against imperialism, feudalism and bureaucratic capitalism. The rich heritage he has left behind is a treasure in the literature of the Chinese people.

Three delightfully intriguing short stories from the pen of Katherine Mansfield (born Wellington, New Zealand, 1888 - died Fontainebleau, France, 1923). In "Bliss" the listener is introduced to 30-year-old Mrs Bertha Young. She has everything…. The nameless He and She in "Psychology": He is 31; she is 30. She has invited him to tea. Their discourse turns to the future of the psychological novel.... Exactly when the ball began 18-year old Leila would have found it hard to say. This, "Her First Ball", is an enthralling experience but, at the same time, quite terrifying.

Lu Xun’s evocative tale is reflected in the memory of the protagonist who, as a young Chinese boy, avidly wanted to fulfil his dream of watching an opera in a rural environment. The listener is given an intriguing insight into people’s lives in China during the late 1920s. This story, amongst others, is also available in the collection entitled Chinese Classic Stories read by Martin Jarvis.

The dramatized narrative, “A Fireside Tale”, is entirely a work of fiction which owes nothing to either fact or Northumbrian folk legend. The ancient Kingdom of Northumbria covers a large part of North-East England and stretches Southward from the Scottish borders to encompass the Counties of Northumberland and Durham, as far South as the River Tees. The entire region is famed for its great rural beauty and its amazing coastline of sandy beaches.

These innovative short stories by Rita Lawrance give the listener a fascinating insight into different aspects of life. Particularly, in Lady of Secrets, the project that Leonardo and Giacoma are working on is one of the most important works of art that the world has ever known.

In this fictional story, Mr Tang, an artist, has been stripped of his livelihood during the Cultural Revolution in China. Painters, writers and intellectuals were forbidden to work during those years (1966-1976). As a result, Mr Tang’s supporters had fallen by the wayside so he and his wife are left alone with time on their hands. Mr Tang develops a passion for carving pipes, some of which are exquisite.

As a middle-aged man, the protagonist revisits his old home which he had left more than 20 years ago. He meets up with family members, and Runtu, a childhood friend, as well as someone he does not even remember - Mrs Yang, who exclaims "Don't you know me? And I have held you in my arms!" In this story, the listener is given an intriguing insight into people’s lives in China during the 1920s. My Old Home is also available in the collection entitled Chinese Classic Stories, read by Martin Jarvis.

The Cricket on The Hearth was first published in 1845. A cricket constantly chirps on the hearth and acts as a guardian angel to the Peerybingle family. The arrival of a mysterious stranger threatens to shatter this harmony. Does the cricket have supernatural powers? The Seven Poor Travellers was first published in 1854. On Christmas Eve, a traveling gentleman happens upon a house in a quaint little village, which houses up to six travelers each evening. He decides to treat them all to a Christmas dinner and tells them a story around the fireplace about a soldier....

"Meat Eaters" by Richard Dunford: This is a short story about a vegan terrorist who takes their passion for animal rights a step too far and as a result changes the world forever. "Collateral Damage" by Richard Goscicki: The author is a long-time admirer of the great English genius and war-hero, Allan Turing. "Chaos theory, that’s why," he says. "The masters of war, as Bob Dylan calls them, have no idea what the far-off ripples in the pond will look like after the tranquillity’s been shattered."

"A Good Brandy", by John Bunting: James Branding has been Prime Minister for only three weeks, when his phone rings late one night. As he answers it, little does he know that in the next few hours he will be fighting to save the nation from the gravest danger it has faced for over 70 years. Also includes "The Ambassadors", by Janet Gogerty; "The Duck and Thistle", by Bridget Arregger; and "Esther", by Paul Cassidy.