Showing results by narrator "Aisling Gray" in All Categories

A merchant of Syracuse has twin sons and buys twin servants for them. His wife, with one twin and one servant, is soon separated from him by a shipwreck, and comes to live in Ephesus. When grown, the other son and his slave start out to find their brothers, and the father, some years later, starts out in turn to find them. Once in Ephesus, an amusing series of errors begins.

Although his work has somewhat fallen into obscurity, Alexander Ostrovsky (1823-1886) is considered to be one of the greatest of Russian dramatists. He was one of the pioneers of a realistic style, which later found exponents in celebrated European dramatists like Ibsen and Strindberg. Of Ostrovsky's 47 plays, one of the best known is The Storm, the portrait of an idealistic young woman trapped in a world of crushing and venal orthodoxy. The Storm formed the basis of Janacek's opera, Katya Kabanova.

The saga of the Lodore family whose fates and fortunes take irregular paths from English aristocracy to the "new world" of Illinois and back again facing struggles of death, poverty, scandal and of course love (true, ill-fated, and star-crossed) along the way. A majestic sweeping Gothic novel - written by the brilliant author of Frankenstein, Mary Shelley - where themes of social justice; female education; spiritual, moral, and intellectual satisfaction are all addressed with thoughtful care and often from several characters points of view.

Two star-crossed lovers, whose families fought and killed each other during a civil war in France, try to find their way to forgiveness and reconciliation. The heroine's plan? Sleeping on St Catherine's Couch - a terrifying ledge above the Loire where the faithful may dream of Heaven's advice. Despite the advice from King Henry and the Countess Villeneuve's faithful servant, the lovers leave their fate up to the dream.

“He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad … “So begins this historical tale of romantic adventure. Andre-Louis Moreau is an orphan and cousin of the beloved Aline. He is raised by his godfather, the Lord of Gavrillac, and matures into an educated lawyer—while Aline sets her mind on marrying the rich but dishonorable Marquis de la Tour d’Azyr. But when Moreau’s closest friend is killed by the Marquis in a duel, Moreau vows vengeance. After publicly denouncing the aristocracy and stirring up the crowds, Moreau is forced to go into hiding.