Showing results by narrator "John Chatty" in All Categories

Young David Balfour is cheated out of his inheritance by his uncle, who then has him kidnapped and forced into servitude on a sailing ship bound for a long voyage. What follows is one of the most spellbinding stories ever written.

Jack London gained his first and most lasting fame as the author of tales of the Klondike gold rush. This, his first collection of stories, draws on his experience in the Yukon. The stories tell of gambles won and lost, of endurance and sacrifice, and often turn on the qualities of exceptional women and on the relations between the white adventurers and the native tribes. Stories included are: "The white Silence," "The Son of the Wolf," "The Men of Forty Mile," "In a Far Country," "To the Man on Trail," "The Priestly Perogative," "The Wisdom of the Trail," "The Wife of the King.""An Odyssey of the North."

Here is one of London's famous stories of the Klondike, where men had to battle the elements, and often each other, to survive.

The revenge-minded Montresor convinces Fortunato to join him deep in the catacombs, ostensibly to sample some rare wine. The conclusion to this suspenseful story is memorable, to say the least.

Here is one of London's famous stories of the Klondike, where men had to battle the elements, and often each other, to survive.

The Purloined Letter is one of Edgar Allan Poe's detective stories. It is the third of the three stories featuring the detective C. Auguste Dupin, the other two being The Murders in the Rue Morgue and The Mystery of Marie Roget. These stories are considered important forerunners of the modern detective story. The Method Poes detective, Dupin, uses to solve the crime was quite innovative. He tried to identify with the criminal and to "think like he would."

The Body Snatcher (1884) was first published in the Pall Mall Christmas Extra in Dec 1884. It is a horrifying story of students paid to "snatch" bodies for a medical school. Strange things begin to happen and the story builds to an exraordinary and startling conclusion. A movie version of the story was made in 1945. It was directed by Robert Wise and starred Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff.

When it comes to short stories, Edgar Allan Poe is considered by many to be the master of terror and the macabre. This is one of his most famous stories. It is set during the torturous times of the Spanish inquisition and is a first-person account of a terrifying psychological ordeal. It a masterpiece of suspense and fear, with just a hint of the supernatural.

Hester Prynne commits adultery in a Puritan settlement and, as a result, is "branded" for the rest of her life by having to wear a scarlet letter "A" on her breast. Throughout the story, a complex relationship develops between Hester, her lover, her husband, and her daughter.

The Damnation of Theron Ware is widely considered to be one of the top 100 greatest books of all time. The novel reveals much about turn-of-the-century provincial America, religious life, and the depressed state of intellectual and artistic culture in small towns. The story deals with the life of a Methodist pastor named Theron Ware who recently moved to small town in upstate New York. Theron has a number of experiences that cause him to begin to question the Methodist religion, his role as a priest and even the very existence of God.

Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" is of the best "macabre" tales ever written. It is presented here in its entirety along with eight other incredible tales.

Typee is an idyll of four months among primitive South Sea islanders. However, the books also shocked its original audience with a truthful account of Polynesian tribal life, including their very liberal sexual practices. Typee won Melville great fame during his life and remains a favorite today.

Like a sweet box of assorted Holiday candy, this set has something to appeal to all tastes from the littlest listeners to grown-ups and those in between. Enjoy these tales as a family on car trips to Auntie's house or over the river and through the woods to Grandma's. The stories will add to the spirit of the season whether you are feeling like Santa or Scrooge.