Showing results by narrator "Philippe Duquenoy" in All Categories

Those who live in this futuristic city are always taken care of but they lack creativity and individuality. This all changes when a mathematician named D-503 discovers that he has a soul that is separate from the OneState. He and the citizens of OneState live out their lives deprived of passion and creativity. Their names have been taken away and replaced with numbers, their daily routines are dictated by the “Time Tablet” which tells them what they should do, and when they should do it, hour after hour. 

Edgar Allan Poe was one of the most prolific authors of his time, eventually gaining recognition for his tales of horror and his uncanny ability to paint a macabre picture with words. The Complete Works Collection of Edgar Allan Poe contains over 150 stories and poems, separated into individual chapters, including all of Poe's most notorious works such as The Raven, Annabel Lee, A Dream Within a Dream, Lenore, The Tell-Tale Heart, and many more.

Ishmael, a sailor looking for his next adventure, and his friend who happens to be a former prince, sign up to join a whaling ship in Nantucket. The morning before they set sail on their voyage, many ominous signs of what the pair's fate may be are seen and heard through sermon and prophecy as the two friends ignore the warnings and make their way to the docks. Soon into the trip, the one-legged Captain Ahab announces that the whaling adventure is really a hunt for one very specific large, white sperm whale.

The Pilgrim's Progress is written as a dream by author John Bunyan, a strict religious man with Puritan beliefs who began writing the book while imprisoned for his religious convictions. The dream is of a man named Christian who is tormented by spiritual anguish. A spirit guide appears to him and explains to him the path he must take to salvation.

Faust has long been considered one of the most important works of European literature ever published. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe began writing Faust in the 1770s while still a young man, spending most of his adult life on the project. Faust was finally finished almost 50 years later, near the end of his life. Faust is a philosophical drama full of humor, satire, and tragedy. The demon Mephistopheles makes a bet with God that he can lure Faust from the path of good.

After an escaped prisoner bullies him into freeing him using stolen tools, seven-year-old orphan Pip is made to pay regular visits to the mysterious spinster Miss Havisham, who lives in the wedding dress she wore when jilted at the altar and keeps every clock in her crumbling mansion frozen at the same time. While there, he meets and instantly falls in love with her beautiful but aloof ward Estella

First published in the 19th century, On the Origin of Species is one of the most important and controversial books ever written on human origins. Darwin's work is the cornerstone of the theory of evolution and is as important today as it was when it was released nearly 160 years ago.

John Harmon, the heir to the Harmon estate discovers that his father's will requires him to marry Bella Wilfer, a woman whom he's never met, in order to claim his inheritance. But, when the body of a young man is found in the River Thames, his papers identify him as the heir to the Harmon estate, and Bella's hopes to marry into riches are diminished, and she's then pursued by a mysterious John Rokesmith.

The story takes place in the 18th century, where fashion was very much a la mode, with silks, stains, and powdered wigs. Philip Jettan, a handsome and sturdy youth, is rejected by the lady of his dreams, Cleone Charteris, because he is not foppish enough. Encouraged by his uncle, Philip decides to go to Paris in order to learn the ways of a stylish gentleman. On his return, however, Philip wonders whether Cleone prefers him as he is - or as he was. Cleone in her turn, wonders whether Philip has really changed or whether he is putting on a front. 

When it comes to 19th-century French literature, few can compare to Victor Hugo. In 1831, Victor Hugo wrote one of the most memorial gothic stories of all time, Notre Dame de Paris, later changed to The Hunchback of Notre Dame in 1833. This amazing story is set in medieval Paris and is centered on the famed Notre Dame cathedral as well as the three main characters: Esmeralda (the gypsy dancer); Quasimodo (the hunchback); and the priest, Claude Frollo.

Ulysses takes us on the journey of two men, Leopold Bloom and Stephen Dedalus, through an hour-by-hour account of their lives for one day. These men cross paths in a series of coincidental events and listeners learn how interconnected they are even though they are not friends.

The Tao Te Ching is perfect for those who would like to delve deeper into the intriguing nature of the Tao and to gain a deeper understanding of life and the nature of reality. This series of meditations is also a great way to gain a better understanding of ancient Chinese beliefs. In ancient China, Tao, also known as the Way, is believed to be the guiding light of the soul and the very source of existence. For generations, the Tao Te Ching had drawn scholars from around the world, including those who sought understand human existence.

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins begins with Mr. John Herncastle stealing a mysterious yellow diamond from the statue of a sacred Indian god while fighting with the British army in India. The diamond makes it way to back England after John Herncastle returns from his tour with the British army. The sacred diamond is bestowed to a young woman, Rachel Verinder, a relative of John Herncastle, on her 18th birthday.

Set in Regency England, Vanity Fair follows the lives of two young women from drastically different backgrounds. Becky Sharp is the daughter of a lowly art teacher while Amelia Sedley is the daughter of a wealthy investor. Although the two women are worlds apart in personality and background, Becky and Amelia become friends while in finishing school. When Amelia invites Becky to her family home, events are set in motion that result in both tragedy and fortune.

A Treatise of Human Nature is the first work ever published by David Hume, a man who revolutionized our understanding of philosophy. Hume was an advocate of the skeptical school of philosophy and a key figure in the Scottish Enlightenment. He looks at the nature of human experience and cognition, showing that philosophy and reason can only be reflections of our nature.

Daniel Deronda is a clever and generous young man who has yet to find his true direction in life, much to the dismay of Sir Hugo, who has helped raise him. While in Germany, Daniel meets the attractive and headstrong Gwendolen, who's lost a fortune at the roulette table that her family cannot afford to lose, before returning to England. Back in London, Daniel rescues a singer Mirah from drowning herself, then begins to find purpose in helping her search for her family.

The Antichrist was aptly named. It is not so much aimed at the expression of any new perspective or in support of the expansion of knowledge but rather represents an effort to undo the religious interference Nietzsche believed worked against the advancement of culture and knowledge. In many ways he was the mouthpiece for the most unfavorable logical conclusions that rose to the fore in the meeting of the scientific and Christian perspective.

Arrowsmith is the story of a brilliant man named Martin Arrowsmith, who has a passion for science and medicine, but with a weakness for women, money, and glory. As a child, Martin would spend his free time reading through the medical books in the local doctor’s practice. This interest leads him to medical school, and eventually Martin starts his own private practice in medicine, while getting married to Leora Tozer. 

The Painted Veil is the story of Kitty Garstin, a young woman living a high social life, who marries Walter Fane, a man that’s declared his love for Kitty, just to avoid being upstaged by her younger and less attractive sister getting married first. Shortly after the marriage, they depart England and head to China where Walter, a bacteriologist and physician, is stationed. 

 When Adela, a British school teacher, and her companion travel to India, they set out on an adventure of a lifetime. While in the company of the charming Dr. Aziz, Adela decides to explore the mysterious Marabar Caves. What begins as a stunning journey into the real India, a misunderstanding ruins the entire trip and threatens to destroy the honorable reputation of Dr. Aziz. A Passage to India is a tale as timeless as love itself and just as exciting.