Showing results by publisher "Canongate Books" in Classics

A major mix-up at Blandings Castle, in which Galahad introduces yet another imposter to Lord Emsworth's residence and the Empress of Blandings gets sloshed in her sty. Formidable comic characters designed to interrupt Lord Emsworth's peace include his overbearing sister Lady Hermione Wedge who comes complete her own meddling secretary, and Dame Daphne Winkworth who has her eye on becoming the next Countess. As ever the stage is set for Gally to try and restore order to the ensuing chaos!

"You girls are my vocation... I am dedicated to you in my prime." So says Miss Jean Brodie, a teacher unlike any other. She is proud and cultured. A romantic, with progressive, sometimes shocking ideas and aspirations for the girls in her charge. When she decides to transform a select group of pupils into the 'crème de la crème' at the Marcia Blaine School they become the Brodie set. In exchange for their undivided loyalty the girls earn a special place of honour and privilege within the school. Yet they are also introduced to a startling new world of adult games....

The One State is the perfect society, ruled over by the enlightened Benefactor. It is a city made almost entirely of glass, where surveillance is universal and life runs according to algorithmic rules to ensure perfect happiness. And D-503, the Builder, is the ideal citizen, at least until he...

The Collected Blandings Short Stories. Blandings Castle is the home of Lord Emsworth, who likes nothing better than to potter at home in his enormous castle garden. But his rural idyll is once again set to be disturbed in these nine hilarious fables. No peace is possible when his sister Constance is let loose, and she is constantly trying to reorganise the household and its inhabitants! Without great success…

An unabridged recording of Orwell's brilliant first novel read by Allan Corduner. The story is largely based on Orwell's own experiences as a police officer in Burma. Set in the dying days of the Raj, it depicts the harshness and darker side of colonial rule. And at its centre is John Flory, a lone individual hopelessly trapped in a vast political system; themes which set the agenda for much of his writing. Burmese Days was Orwell's first novel, and was issued in 1934 in America, then a year later in the UK where there had been fears and controversy initially that the material could be libellous.

First published in 1910, Howards End is considered by many to be Forster's greatest novel. Set at the beginning of the 20th century it follows the fortunes and interrelations between three family groups of differing backgrounds and outlooks. At the top of the money tree are the Wilcoxes who represent broadly materialism and an upper-class English archetype. The family has made money in the colonies and also have a property - Howards End - owned by the terminally-ill mother, Ruth Wilcox, who must decide how best to pass on the estate.

In the near future, world wars have transformed the earth into a battleground. Fleeing the unending violence and the planet's now-radioactive surface, humans have regrouped to a mysterious platform known as CIEL, hovering over their erstwhile home. The changed world has turned evolution on its head: the surviving humans have become sexless, hairless, pale-white creatures floating in isolation, inscribing stories upon their skin.

A series of comic short stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes. These comic shorts were written in 1884-1885 and are set during the Napolenonic wars, 1807-1814. They first appeared in issues of the famous Strand magazine. Our hero, Etienne Gerard, is a Hussar in the French army. His vanity is all encompassing; he is utterly convinced that he is the bravest soldier, most masterful swordsman and horseman throughout the whole of France, not to mention being a much in demand and gallant lover!

A collection of humorous stories featuring Munro's best-loved creation: master mariner Para Handy. Read by Robert Trotter, all stories are unabridged, self-contained, and describe the numerous adventures aboard Para Handy's ship, The Vital Spark.

Window in Thrums - the story of the "untrue son" - is about the fictional village of Thrums. The story and setting are widely acknowledged to be modelled on Barrie's home town of Kirriemuir. It was one of his earlier works which, along with Auld Licht Idylls, also published in 1889. The novel contains many memorable sketches and illuminations of Scottish life at the time, and it paved the way for the rest of Barrie's great career.

Salute to Adventurers takes place in the 1680s. It begins as the hero, Andrew Garvald, on his way to Glasgow, takes a cut across the moors. There he meets Elspeth Blair and a religious fanatic known as Muckle John Gib. Later Andrew encounters Ninian Campbell, coming to Campbell's aid when he is attacked by ruffians in a Glasgow back street. Andrew is sent by his uncle - as his merchant representative - to Virginia, where he initially experiences hostility because of his attempts to reform trading practices.

The most acclaimed Scottish novel of all time, Sunset Song is a powerful portrait of a land and people in turmoil, seen through the life and struggles of its heroine Chris Guthrie. In the years up to and beyond the First World War, Chris's resilience, like the land itself, endures despite...

The follow up to best-selling audio Three Men in a Boat, Three Men on the Bummel features delightful, gentle, comic writing. First published in 1900, the story revives the three companions from Three Men in a Boat, this time taking them on a bicycle tour through the German Black Forest. Written during the Victorian era bicycle-craze, it is a light-hearted commentary on German culture at the time, told through the eyes of the hapless British tourist.

The Complete Short Stories is a collection to be loved and cherished, from one of the finest short-story writers of the twentieth century. From the cruel irony of A member of the Family to the fateful echoes of The Go-Away Bird and the unexpectedly sinister The Girl I Left Behind Me, in settings that range from South Africa to the Portobello Road, Muriel Spark coolly probes the idiosyncrasies that lurk beneath the veneer of human respectability, displaying the acerbic wit and wisdom that are the hallmarks of her unique talent.

Joseph Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) was an English author and poet born in Bombay, India. Educated in Britain, he later returned to Lahore, India, to work as a journalist. Kipling travelled widely and also lived in Vermont, having married Carrie Balestier, an American. Throughout his life...

The Glenmutchkin Railway was published in 1845. First published anonymously, it relates the political and technological issues surrounding the buildings of railways in Scotland at a time of dramatic industrial development. The first wave of truly manic railway promotion took place in 1844. By the summer of 1845, when Aytoun was writing his piece, the British Parliament was finishing its consideration of the projects hatched in 1844, approving some lines and rejecting others.

Lord Jim is a riveting story of courage and cowardice, self-knowledge and growth. This story follows the fortunes of Jim, first mate of a ship named Patna, which is abandoned along with the passengers. Jim suffers shame in court for "dereliction of duty". And in abandoning his responsibilities, Jim is always on the run from his past, which affects all his relationships. Only in a faraway culture and settlement - a small island in Malay Peninsula - does he find respect and marriage.

The Wow O’ Rivven is a great example of George McDonald's wonderful storytelling. Rivven is Ruthven, Aberdeenshire, and The "Wow o Rivven" refers to the local church bell. The hero of the story is the old "fool", also known as "colonel" who is buried near to the old bell.

"Forsaken" is one of Lewis Grassic Gibbon's most famous short stories. Grassic Gibbon is well-known for his empathetic and strong character depiction, particularly of women. Lyrical and powerful, "Forsaken" is performed by Scottish actress Eileen McCallum.