Showing results by author "Booth Tarkington" in All Categories

The Ultimate Classics Collection: Volume Four is the fourth instalment of our wide-ranging classic collections. Volume Four features 12 timeless works that largely focuses on the greats of American and British literature, with novels from Charles Dickens, Edith Wharton, Thomas Hardy, Victor Hugo, and others. Read by a cast of incredible narrators including Miranda Raison, Pearl Mackie, Adam Sims, David Rintoul, and more, this is a chance to expand your listening with some of the greatest authors of all time.

Set in the Midwest in the early 20th century---the dawn of the automobile age--- The Magnificent Ambersons begins by introducing the Ambersons, the richest family in town. Exemplifying aristocratic excess, the Ambersons have everything money can buy - and more. But George Amberson Minafer, the spoiled grandson of the family patriarch, is unable to see that great societal changes are taking place.

Plucky and romantic Alice tries to rise above the crudities of her hopelessly shabby background in this Pulitzer Prize-winning classic about ambition and self-delusion. The lower-middle class Adams family faces a slow disintegration in a small Midwestern town. Alice, a social climber, is ashamed of her unsuccessful family and determined to distinguish herself.

In a lively Midwestern town, Laura and Cora Madison, along with their younger brother Hedrick, navigate the complex web of Cora’s array of discarded suitors. While Coras flirtatious antics exasperate the moody Hedrick, they intrigue the more reserved Laura. The unexpected return of a charming former resident and a chance encounter with a troubled young person spark a whirlwind of events that lead to an emotionally charged climax. Booth Tarkingtons writing shines with sensitivity and insight. A celebrated American novelist and playwright, Tarkington is best known for his Pulitzer ...

Bigger, newer, faster. Demolish and rebuild, then demolish and rebuild again. Smoke, soot, and noise are the badges of prosperity, and growth is for growth's sake.

Bigger, newer, faster. Demolish and rebuild, then demolish and rebuild again. Smoke, soot, and noise are the badges of prosperity, and growth is for growth's sake.

The second book in what would become known as Booth Tarkington's "growth trilogy" is about a small Midwestern town rapidly transforming into a modern industrial city. The Ambersons, once the town's most glamorous old-money family, is unable to adapt to the changing environment and is slowly declining toward oblivion, while Eugene Morgan and his newly invented motorcar are the future.

This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel focuses on materialism and the fortunes of a Midwestern family in the early 20th century. Horseless carriages were just appearing on the scene, the strata of society was in a constant state of flux, and the inherent values of the Amberson family were fast becoming a thing of the past.

Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author’s brain, their soul and heart. They can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere. The plains of the American Mid-West are home to some very fine exponents of the literary craft. Throughout this vast landscape stories seem to be everywhere offering their experiences as works just awaiting the final touches and flourishes of these famed authors. They deliver in very talented ways.

The Magnificent Ambersons chronicles the changing fortunes of three generations of an American dynasty. The family serves as a metaphor for the old society that crumbled after the Industrial Revolution, as a Midwestern town spreads and darkens into a city.

Like most children, Penrod gets caught up in his own elaborate lies with hilarious results. His friends and his dog accompany him on his many jaunts, from the stage as "the Child Sir Lancelot", to the playground, to school. They make names for themselves as "bad boys" who, fittingly, always have the most fun. This humorous, thoughtful story is a wonderful example of the real-life characterization and attention to detail for which Tarkington is celebrated.

Dive into Seventeen A Tale of Youth and Summer Time and the Baxter Family, Especially William, a witty exploration of first love through the eyes of the charmingly naïve 17-year-old, William Sylvanus Baxter. Set in a quaint Midwestern town just before the onset of World War I, this delightful novel by Booth Tarkington masterfully blends humor with a nostalgic look at youth. Originally published as a series of sketches in the Metropolitan Magazine in 1914 and later compiled into a bestselling novel in 1916, Seventeen remains a timeless reflection on the follies and joys of young romance. (...

Join the uproarious adventures of Penrod Schofield and his band of friends—Sam Williams, Herman, Verman, Georgie, Maurice, and the enchanting Marjorie Jones. Experience the laughter and mischief that define their youthful escapades! (Summary by Jonathan)

Join Penrod Schofield and his lovable dog Duke on a delightful and humorous adventure through turn-of-the-century Indianapolis. Follow Penrod as he navigates life, love, and the endless mischief that seems to find him at every turn. (Summary by Jonathan)

Meet Penrod Schofield—eleven years old, endlessly curious, and a magnet for scrapes. Set in a Midwestern town at the turn of the twentieth century, Penrod follows a boy whose imagination routinely collides with adult rules: backyard “shows” that spiral into chaos, school pageants gone spectacularly wrong, neighborhood rivalries, and the fierce loyalty between a boy and his dog, Duke. Booth Tarkington’s classic is laugh-out-loud funny and surprisingly tender, a snapshot of American childhood that still feels true.

Step into the charming world of early 20th Century Indiana with Gentle Julia, a delightful romantic comedy featuring the spirited Florence, the mischievous younger cousin of the enchanting Julia Atwater. This lively tale, reminiscent of Penrod, captures the essence of youth, family dynamics, and the whimsical adventures of growing up. (Summary by BellonaTimes)

Step into a heartwarming yet poignant tale reminiscent of Dickens, where a melodramatic folksy Christmas story unfolds. With echoes of Tiny Tim, this narrative weaves together themes of compassion and romance, all set against the backdrop of early 1900s American culture. While we are drawn to sympathize with the disabled child, the subtle oversights towards the black servants serve as a reflection of the era. Tarkingtons writing champions kindness and employs a gentler humor, distinguishing it from many contemporary authors. (Arnold Banner)

"The Magnificent Ambersons" is the 1918 novel by Booth Tarkington which won the 1919 Pulitzer Prize. It is the second novel in "The Growth Trilogy," which includes "The Turmoil"(1915) and "The Midlander" (1923). In 1942, Orson Welles directed a film version of it, also titled "The Magnificent Ambersons" and starring Joseph Cotten, Dolores Costello, and Anne Baxter. The novel and trilogy traces the growth of the United States through the declining fortunes of three generations of the aristocratic Amberson family.

In this American classic, 17-year-old William is in the throes of first love. Lola Pratt, the object of his affection, is visiting her cousin in William's town for the summer. William finds obstacles at every turn in winning her affections, in the form of other suitors, a pesky little sister, and the necessity of the "perfect outfit". With the pomposity of Frasier Crane and the soul of a poet, William attempts to win Miss Pratt's heart and to be the sole recipient of her charming "baby talk".

Penrod, Booth Tarkington's classic and hilarious tale of one 11-year-old boy's unceasing series of misadventures in an early 20th-century Midwestern town, has fallen into disrepute in some quarters for ethnic descriptions and dialogue that many today find offensive. Lasso Books has taken the bold step of abridging the original text and removing questionable passages and rewriting select portions so that children and adults may now read this delightful novel without the insensitivities of the past that many found objectionable.