Showing results by publisher "Real Reads" in All Categories

One of a series of retellings of classic world literature from publisher Real Reads. True to the original plot, characters and theme, Real Reads also reflect the original author's style. A brilliant introduction to Bronte's compelling story.Jane Eyre is poor, parentless and plain. her future looks bleak.Jane's aunt and cousin detest her. Life at Lowood School is cruel and dangerous. What inner strength can young Jane find?

No one would have believed that planet Earth was being watched by creatures more intelligent than humankind. But planet Earth was not only being watched--soon it would be invaded by monstrous creatures from Mars who strode about the land in great mechanical tripods, bringing death and destruction with them. What could possibly stop an invading army equipped with heat rays and poisonous black gas, intent on wiping out the human race?

"On this machine, I intend to explore time..." The time traveller has invented a time machine. Its capabilities are beyond even his fertile imagination. Hundreds of thousand of years in the future, the beautiful Eloi people live in a Garden of Eden. But why are they so fearful of the dark? What horrors lurk beneath the surface of their world? What will the time traveller learn about the future? Will he survive the evil he encounters? Even if he can find his stolen machine, will it return him safely home?

When Miss Mary Morstan is invited to meet a secretive stranger, she asks Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson to help her.

Captain Morstan has disappeared from his hotel without a trace. Should Miss Morstan dare to hope that her father is still alive?

What horrible scene awaits the famous detective and his friend when they break down the door to Bartholomew Sholto’s attic room? Who is the man with the wooden leg, and why is he so full of bitterness and hatred?

Huckleberry Finn is one of a series of retellings of classic literature by publisher Real Reads. True to the original plot, characters, and themes, Real Reads also imitate the original author's style. An intelligent, lively and enjoyable retelling of this classic tale.

Henry Fleming leaves his widowed mother behind and marches off to join a war that is tearing his country apart. His regiment has yet to be tested in the fire of battle. Together the soldiers wait while distant guns rumble and the lights of enemy campfires flicker on the hills beyond a darkened river. The young man recalls his childhood dreams of valiant combat. Will he pass the test and return home to tell others of his triumphs on the battlefield? Or will he flee at the first sign of real danger?

Written in play form using Shakespeare's iambic pentameter and imitating much of his style and language, these little plays are an excellent introduction to the bard. Hamlet’s father, the king of Denmark, has died suddenly. But instead of grieving, his mother, Gertrude, has married the dead king’s brother, Claudius. One dark night Hamlet sees a ghost. It is his dead father, who claims he was murdered by Claudius, the new king. But did Hamlet really see a ghost, or did he just imagine it?

"‘Breach your last to the sun, Moby Dick!’ cried Ahab. ‘Thy hour and thy harpoon are at hand!’" Why does Captain Ahab look like a man who’s being crucified? How did he come by that hideous scar and the false leg made of a whale’s bone? And why is he obsessed with Moby Dick, the great white whale?Ishmael, the new recruit, has other strange shipmates. There’s Queequeg, for instance, covered in weird tattoos and selling shrunken human heads.

A frightful horde of men and women, armed with scythes, pikes, billhooks, and rusty swords, advance towards the massive front doors of Notre Dame Cathedral. For many years Quasimodo the bellringer has lived peacefully in the cathedral with his master, Archdeacon Claude Frollo. But the arrival of Esmeralda, the young and dazzlingly beautiful gypsy dancer, changes everything. Esmeralda has fallen in love with the brave and handsome Captain Phoebus.

Running away to sea brings adventure and wealth, but then come shipwreck and a desperate struggle for survival. Defying his parents, Robinson Crusoe goes to sea. He is captured by pirates but escapes to Brazil. He makes a fortune using slave labour to grow tobacco and sugar. He sails to Africa to bring back more slaves but is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island. Everyone else is drowned. For more than twenty years, he lives alone. He learns to hunt and fish and make shelter.

Why is this feeling of regret so familiar to her? Why must she always wish she had done something different? Maggie Tulliver and her brother, Tom, grow up in the mill on the River Floss. Although Maggie adores Tom, she often finds him cruel and cold. All she wants is for life to be full and warm.The Tulliver family’s traditional way of living is threatened by changes beyond their control. Will the educated world of lawyers and lawsuits destroy what generations have enjoyed?

Following a series of misfortunes, Tess Durbeyfield leaves her impoverished family to seek work with her rich relations. Her new employer, Alec d’Urberville, seems charming and kind. Tess has a mind of her own, but she is vulnerable and alone among strangers. Can she trust Alec? A year later Tess meets Angel Clare, and they fall in love. If Angel discovers the truth about Tess’ past, will he still love her?

It is the ninth year of the Greeks' siege of Troy. Will the fighting go on forever? Achilles, the greatest of Greek heroes, is angered by Agamemnon and decides to withdraw from the battle. What is the reason for his wrath? Is there anything that will make him change his mind and return to the battlefield? Both armies have suffered tremendous losses, and the long war seems to be heading towards a stalemate.

"It wouldn’t be pleasant sharing my flat with a dead body, but there was nothing else I could do."

Richard Hannay is bored with life in London. Then he discovers a horrible crime and finds himself in the middle of a clever and frightening plot. Can he find the proof he needs to save his country from disaster? When Hannay hides out on the wild Scottish moors, will he escape from the dangerous gang that wants to silence him forever? Who can he trust on his journey?

When Dr. Watson agrees to share lodgings with Sherlock Holmes, he soon finds himself involved in a shocking and mysterious murder case. What will Holmes discover when he examines the body? There are no marks on the dead man, so why is there so much blood at the scene of the crime? Inspector Lestrade and Inspector Gregson have asked Holmes to help them. But will they listen to his advice?

Hard Times is one of a series of retellings of classic literature by publisher Real Reads. True to the original plot, characters and themes, Real Reads also imitate the original author's style. An intelligent, lively and enjoyable retelling of this classic tale. Louisa Gradgrind is the practical daughter of a powerful industrialist. Sissy is the imaginative daughter of a clown. What will happen when two such different lives collide? A disappearing father, an unhappy marriage, a handsome suitor and a bank robbery all bring challenges to Louisa's life.

Great Expectations is one of a series of retellings of classic literature by publisher Real Reads. True to the original plot, characters and themes, Real Reads also imitate the the original author's style. An intelligent, lively and enjoyable introduction to this classic tale.An escaped convict threatens to eat young Pip's heart for breakfast. The ghostly Miss Havisham invites Pip to her eerie home.

Mansfield Park is one of a series ofretellings of classic literature by publisher Real Reads. True to the original plot, characters and themes, Real Reads also imitate the original author's style. An intelligent, lively and enjoyable introduction to this classic tale."Your little cousin cannot help being dull and stupid."At the tender age of ten, Fanny Price moves from her poor family home to live with her wealthy cousins at mansfield park. Settling into this proud family is only the first of many challenges she will have to face.

A captivating retelling of Mark Twain's classic adventure story. True to the original in plot, character, themes and style, this is an excellent way for any listener to meet Tom Sawyer for the first time. Tom Sawyer is a respectable boy in a little Mississippi River town. Huck Finn is a freedom-loving, neglected outcast. What better playmate could Tom want?One night, innocent games of pirates and Robin Hood turn serious when the boys witness a murder in the graveyard.

Can one lonely little boy show the strength and determination to survive the dangers that lie ahead? Travelling along the rocky road from boyhood to manhood, how can David learn who to trust and who to love? Will David's friends bring him happiness or heartache? In this inspiring tale of trust, betrayal and courage, Dickens presents a world of colourful characters to amuse us, astonish us, disgust us and move us to tears.