Showing results by narrator "Peter Coates" in All Categories

George Orwell (1903-50) is known around the world for his satirical novella Animal Farm and his dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, but he was arguably at his best in the essay form. Below, we've selected and introduced ten of Orwell's best essays for the interested newcomer to his non-fiction, but there are many more we could have added.

The Republic is a classic work by an ancient Greek philosopher Plato. There is one of the most famous dialogues of Plato about the arrangement of the state structure and the essence of the state (contemporary for Plato, of course, but also important nowadays because the whole modern so called "European civilisation" is based, first of all, on ancient schemes). The structure of Plato's dialogue is similar to others. Socrates and Glaucon are coming back to Athens from Piraeus. They are stopped by Polemarchus who invites them to visit him and talk.

What teachers say to students—when they praise or discipline, give directions or ask questions, and introduce concepts or share stories—affects student learning and behavior. A slight change in intonation can also dramatically change how language feels for students. In What We Say and How We Say It Matter, Mike Anderson digs into the nuances of language in the classroom. This audiobook's many examples will help teachers examine their language habits and intentionally improve their classroom practice so their language matches and supports their goals.

Lot No. 249 is a Gothic horror short story by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle, first published in Harper's Magazine in 1892. The story tells of a University of Oxford athlete named Abercrombie Smith who notices a strange series of events surrounding Edward Bellingham, an Egyptology student who owns many ancient Egyptian artefacts, including a mummy. After seeing his mummy disappear and reappear, and two instances of Bellingham's enemies getting attacked, Smith concludes that Bellingham is reanimating his mummy. Smith confronts Bellingham, who denies this is the case; the next day, Smith is attacked by the mummy and escapes.

The Richest Man in Babylon is a 1926 book by George S. Clason that dispenses financial advice through a collection of parables set 4,000 years ago in ancient Babylon. The book remains in print almost a century after the parables were originally published, and is regarded as a classic of personal financial advice. The parables are told by a fictional Babylonian character called Arkad, a poor scribe who became the "richest man in Babylon". Included in Arkad's advice are the "Seven Cures" (or how to generate money and wealth), and the "Five Laws of Gold" (or how to protect and invest wealth).

The Big Book of Christmas: Classic Stories and Poems is a grand compilation that assembles a treasure trove of holiday tales and poems from a remarkable array of authors. This extensive collection includes 100 classic works, each thoughtfully illustrated, to immerse readers in the magic and wonder of the Christmas season. This anthology spans a rich tapestry of Christmas literature, including timeless favorites such as "The Gift of the Magi," "The Red Room," "A Letter from Santa Claus," "The Fir Tree," "Song of the Holly," and many more.

The Valley of Fear is the fourth and final Sherlock Holmes novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It is loosely based on the Molly Maguires and Pinkerton agent James McParland. The story was first published in the Strand Magazine between September 1914 and May 1915. The novel starts with Sherlock Holmes receiving a cipher message from Fred Porlock, a pseudonymous agent of Professor Moriarty. After Porlock sends the message, however, he changes his mind for fear of Moriarty's discovering that he is a traitor. He decides not to send the key to the cipher, but he sends Holmes a note telling of this decision.

Necronomicon: The Best Weird Tales of H.P. Lovecraft: Commemorative Edition is a select collection of horror short stories, novellas and novels written by H. P. Lovecraft. This collection includes stories by H. P. Lovecraft: Dagon ; Herbert West – Reanimator ; The Lurking Fear ; The Rats in the Walls ; The Whisperer in the Darkness ; Cool Air ; In the Vault ; The Call of Cthulu ; The Color Out of Space ; The Horror at Red Hook ; The Music of Erich Zann ; The Shadow Out of Time ; The Dunwich Horror ; The Haunter of the Dark ; The Outsider ; The Shunned House ; The Unnameable ; The Thing on the Doorstep ; Under the Pyramids.

In The Great God Pan, Arthur Machen invites you to step into a shadowy world where the boundaries between science and the supernatural blur—and where unlocking forbidden knowledge may come at a terrifying cost. Celebrated as one of the most chilling tales ever written, this novella is a symphony of unease, weaving themes of ancient paganism, hidden horrors, and the fragility of human understanding. Prepare to be haunted by whispers of an enigmatic experiment, a shadowy woman, and the presence of an unseen, primal force that lingers just beyond perception.

Enchanting, tragic, and hilarious fairy tales for adults and children grace these pages. An initial glance might lead you to assume that these are satirical versions of classic Christmas ghost stories. However, beneath the humorous stories involving ghosts, repentant sinners, miracles, and good peasants who find well-deserved happiness, lies a psychological undercurrent that sharpens the sense of intrigue and plot movement. Often this is aided by the unrelenting social exposure of the authors who always understood how intangible the "bourgeois paradise" truly was.

Explore the profound depths of human psychology and morality with The Fyodor Dostoyevsky Collection: Signature Classics. This beautifully illustrated anthology brings together some of Dostoyevsky's most iconic works, offering timeless reflections on the complexities of the human condition. Included in this collection are masterpieces such as Notes from the Underground, a gripping exploration of alienation, free will, and existential despair, and The Dream of a Ridiculous Man, a powerful allegory of redemption and the transformative power of love.

Konstantin Paustovsky was a Russian writer nominated for the Nobel Prize for literature in 1965, 1966,1967,1968. Paustovsky began writing while still in Gymnasium. His first works were imitative poetry but he restricted his writing to prose after Ivan Bunin wrote in a letter to him: "I think that your sphere, your real poetry, is prose. It is here, if you are determined enough, that I am sure you can achieve something significant."

A simple writing style coupled with almost prophetic content characterize George Orwell's works. Orwell's most famous pieces include the satirical novel Animal Farm and dystopian masterpiece 1984. His colorful autobiographical novel Down and Out in Paris and London is also an unforgettable read. Throughout his writings, Orwell accurately and scathingly criticized totalitarianism while supporting democratic socialism.

In Episode of the Dog McIntosh, P.G. Wodehouse serves up his signature concoction of wit, chaos, and human folly, guided by the unflappable Jeeves and the charmingly hapless Bertie Wooster. Expect improbable schemes, spirited misadventures, and moments so absurd they could only exist in Wodehouse's London. Whether you're a lifelong fan or a newcomer to the Wooster universe, prepare for a thoroughly enjoyable romp through social entanglements, culinary exploits, and canine capers—where the stakes are high, the dogs are spirited, and the humor is, of course, priceless.

You were one of the lucky ones. You found a partner or friend with whom you shared a deeply profound connection. But now that your partner has died, what felt like luck may have turned to wretched despair. How do you go on? How do you live without your champion and other half? The answer is that you mourn as you loved: heroically, grandly, and fully. In this compassionate guide, you’ll find empathetic affirmation and advice intermingled with real-life stories from other halved soulmates. Learn to honor your loved one and your grief even as you find a path to a renewed life of purpose and joy.

The Constitution of the Athenians, also called the Athenian Constitution (Greek: Ἀθηναίων πολιτεία, Athenaion Politeia; Latin: Atheniensium Respublica), is a work by Aristotle or one of his students. The work describes the constitution of Athens. It is preserved on a papyrus roll from Hermopolis, published in 1891 and now in the British Library. A small part of the work also survives on two leaves of a papyrus codex, discovered in the Fayum in 1879 and now in the papyrus collection of the Ägyptisches Museum in Berlin.

"The Call of Cthulhu" by Howard Phillips H. P. Lovecraft is one of the classic horror works, so called "Lovecraft horrors". American author of horror, fantasy, and science fiction, Lovecraft's major inspiration and invention was cosmic horror; the idea that life is incomprehensible to human minds and that the universe is fundamentally alien. Those who genuinely reason, like his protagonists, gamble with sanity.

In this delightfully entangled tale by P. G. Wodehouse, Bertram Wooster once again finds himself navigating circumstances of a distinctly precarious nature, involving youthful unpredictability, romantic expectations, and the ever-present risk of social catastrophe. A situation that begins with the best of intentions soon develops into something considerably more athletic, as obligations multiply, explanations falter, and one's personal dignity is placed under increasing strain. Fortunately, where Bertie flounders, Jeeves observes.

In this sparkling episode from the incomparable world of P. G. Wodehouse, even the most innocent brush with art may lead to complications of the gravest kind. When Bertram Wooster finds himself immortalised on canvas—and entangled with an artist of distinctly alarming charm—events begin to unfold with the quiet inevitability of a well-aimed custard pie. There are rival suitors (some horizontal), formidable relatives (all vertical), and a butler whose calm intelligence suggests that destiny itself might be taking dictation.

In this sparkling episode from the Jeeves canon, reputations wobble, affections falter, and the mildest of melodies proves capable of causing seismic disturbance in polite society. Bertie does his level best to behave nobly. The results, as ever, are mixed. Fortunately, Jeeves is at hand — serene, omniscient, and several moves ahead of the field. Light, elegant, and gloriously mischievous, Jeeves and the Song of Songs showcases Wodehouse at his most effervescent.