3dAudioBooks

This poem celebrates Christmas by exploring the mystery of Christ's mission on earth: his death, resurrection, and second coming as judge of all human souls. Sir Gawain is cast in the role of Everyman. At the feast of the New Year, an unarmed green giant rides his green horse into the banqueting hall of King Arthur and challenges any member of the assembled company to behead him with a huge axe an...

Mark Twain illustrator Dan Beard recalled discussing McAllister’s book with Twain. “It was before Webster & Company failed that Ward McAllister’s book (Society as I have Found It) appeared, and when he (Twain) sauntered into my studio one day, I said: ‘Mr. Clemens, have you read Ward McAllister’s book?’ ‘Yes; have you?’ he replied. ‘Indeed, I have. I have read it through several times, and int...

This publication, by English utopian socialist Edward Carpenter, describes civilisation as a sort of disease with which humanity is afflicted. Alongside this influential publication (originally published in 1889), are compiled other essays: Modern Science: A Criticism; The Science of the Future: A Forecast; Defence of Criminals: A Criticism of Morality; Exfoliation: Lamarck versus Darwin; Custom;...

Mechanical engineer Steve Cornell lives in a world where ESP and telepathy are normal, and a spreading plague called Mekstrom’s Disease turns its victims into supermen. In the search for his missing fiancée, Steve must discover who controls the disease and what they want with him.  Genre(s): Science Fiction George O. Smith (1911 - 1981)

Tree with a Bird in it: a symposium of contemporary American poets on being shown a pear-tree on which sat a grackle is a collection of poems based on a bird in a tree. The author parodies various contemporary poets in 1922 with their versions of a poem based on the aforementioned topic.  Genre(s): Single author Margaret Widdemer (1884 - 1978)

Written over a century and a half ago, Madame Bovary is still an extraordinarily fresh, exciting and shockingly frank novel, at once an acute psychological study of a woman drawn into adultery through circumstances we can partly understand, and a sharply-observed comedy that offers a fascinating glimpse of the social and cultural divisions running through French provincial society in the mid ninet...

This is the 16th edition of the Shakespeare Monologues Collection, in which Librivox volunteers bring you their favorite characters' monologues. All topics and emotions are covered, from love to hate, drawn from Shakespeare's comedies and tragedies, world-famous and lesser known lines.  Genre(s): Plays Language: Multilingual

This was originally titled "The Wild" and is a lecture given by Thoreau in 1851 at the Concord lyceum. "Walking" is an essay that explores the relationship between man and nature, trying to find a balance between society and our raw animal nature. Genre(s): Essays & Short Works, Nature Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862)

This drama was written in 1848 for the great French tragedienne, Rachel, by Eugene Scribe and his writing partner, Ernest Legouve. Scribe is remembered for devising the compositional technique now known as the “well-made play” that dominated play-writing for most of the 19th century. This plot is loosely based on events in the life of the actress, Adrienne Lecouvreur of the Comédie-Française and t...

The Cambridge Modern History is a universal history covering the period from 1450 to 1910. It was published in 14 volumes between 1902 and 1912. The series was planned by Lord Acton, who intended it to be a monument of objective, collaborative scholarship, and edited by A.W. Ward, G. W. Prothero and Stanley Leathes. From the preface: "The present volume, as its title imports, relates a complicated...

The Castle of Otranto is regarded as the first Gothic novel, a genre appealing to a taste for terror and set in a remote past when prodigies and magic can be imagined to have existed, with violent contrasts between purity and ungoverned passions. The author represents the tale as having been translated from a black letter Italian volume of the 15th century but describing much earlier events. This...

The Martian, by George du Maurier, is a largely autobiographical novel published in 1898 and the author's third. It describes the life of Barty Josselin as told by his close friend Robert Maurice, starting from their school days in Paris in the 1850s. Written in long descriptive passages with very little dialogue and many digressions, the book had considerably less success in its time than its pre...

"Has there ever been a time when no stories were told? Has there ever been a people who did not care to listen? I think not." Thus begins a journey through the history of English literature, from the early middle ages to the Victorian era. The young person will experience the most well-loved characters of all time, from Beowulf, the warrior who dares to challenge a terrifying and bloodthirsty mons...

This week's poem is a narrative of a working girl and her situation in society. George A. Baker was a native of New York City. He was a journalist, lawyer and author of novels and poetry, His works include Bad Habits of a Good Society (1876).  Genre(s): Multi-version (Weekly and Fortnightly poetry) George A. Baker, Jr. (1849 - 1906)

At breakfast, Mr. Graham drops the bombshell that his niece -- Joan, Jane or Janet, he's not sure which, will be arriving from the west to live with his large family. The news is met with mixed emotions - horror from his wife, resentment from the eldest two daughters and amusement from the eldest son. What will this stranger be like? How will she fit in with her cousins? Genre(s): Family Marion Am...

"Guide a black galleon to the lost, fear-hauntedCitadel of the Xanthi wizards—into the very jaws of Doom? Corun, condemned pirate of Conahur, laughed. Aye, he'd do it, and gladly. It would mean a reprieve from the headsman's axe—a few more precious moments of life and love ... though his lover be a witch!"  Genre(s): Fantasy Fiction Poul William Anderson (1926 - 2001)

Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903) wrote eighty-eight Encyclicals during his twenty-five year pontificate (1878-1903). Fifty-six of those are included in this collection. Among the topics covered are the Rosary, socialism, Christian marriage, labour, freemasonry, Church and state, human liberty, dueling, the Holy Eucharist, and more.  Genre(s): Christianity - Other Pope Leo XIII (1810 - 1903)

The 12th edition of the Librivox Mystery and Suspense Collection delivers such gems as Father Brown in the Donnington Affair, Edgar Allen Poe and Guy de Maupassant amongst others. Prepare to by mystified and entertained. Each piece has been selected and read by Librivox readers. Genre(s): Anthologies

This novel is narrated in the first person and revolves around a character named Lil (somewhat autobiographical of the author) and the dynamics of a colorful cast of family members. She loves nature and, especially, birds, and thus the title. The story is set in Tennessee. The writing is very much a product of its place and time. Hammond was quite socially progressive but some of the language she...

The First Epistle to the Corinthians was written by the Apostle Paul, after having established the church in Corinth. In it, he responds to a letter written to him by the church, addressing some errors and controversies that have arisen in the church. Among the topics are divisions within the church; immorality; marriage; Christian liberty; and the doctrine of the resurrection.  Genre(s): You...

This is a wonderful selection of six of the greatest works from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, unquestionably one of the world's most celebrated poets. Despite its small size, the book covers a wide spectrum of the poet's thoughts and ideas, from those on patriotism, to the inherent uncertainty of the human condition, to hope for the future - and all with a strong faith in the ability of humanity to...

"The Rover: A weekly magazine of tales, poetry and engravings, original and selected" was a magazine started in 1843 by Seba Smith and Lawrence Labree. The editors aimed at a high quality standard in their selection of short stories and poetry. Every half-year, the 26 weekly issues were also published under a bound compilation. This is the 26th, and final issue of the first volume, with a varied c...

The Black Cat (1895-1922) was a monthly literary magazine, publishing original short stories, often about uncanny or fantastical topics. Many writers were largely unknown, but some famous authors also wrote original material for this magazine. This seventh issue of volume 2 presents the following five short stories: "The Peacock and the Copper Moon", by Frances Aymar Mathews: a sculptor's plan to...

This book was awarded the John Newbery Medal by the Children’s Librarians’ Section of the American Library Association, for the most distinguished contribution to American Children’s literature during the year 1925. it is a collection of stories from China for children.  Genre(s): Myths, Legends & Fairy Tales Language: English Arthur Bowie Chrisman (1889 - 1953)

A brief summary of the life of the opera king, Rossini. Genre(s): Biography & Autobiography Language: English W. Armine Bevan (1855 - 1909)