Risultati letto da "B. J. Harrison" in Tutte le categorie

"The Lost Phoebe" is a short story by Theodore Dreiser. Henry is so devastated by the death of his wife that cannot find peace, he finds himself constantly searching for her. He slowly yet inevitably descends into madness. Dreiser’s vivid descriptions of the couple’s happy days offer a sharp contrast to Henry's gloomy present. Set on a dilapidated Midwestern farm during the Big Depression, it as story about love, death, sanity and social inequality. B. J.

"The Burned House" is a ghost short story by Vincent O’Sullivan in which a benighted traveler stumbles upon a deserted house right in the middle of nowhere. Soon, strange things begin to happen and becomes involved in a series of supernatural events. A tale of vivid imagination, terrors, and mystery, "The Burned House" includes elements from the science fiction genre as well as classic horror elements such as murder, suicide, and violence, making a chilling yet engaging read. B. J.

It is Thanksgiving day. Stuffy Pete has just come out from an unexpected feast but he is now waiting for his companion, "The Old Gentleman". They only ever meet on this one day of the year, and although they do not know that much of each other, they always spend the holiday together. Stuffy Pete follows the tradition although he is so full that he cannot think of eating more food. The Old Gentleman shows up and they head out to a fancy restaurant for a delicious meal. When Stuffy Pete walks out of the restaurant, he collapses on the sidewalk.

A man visits his friend, a Scandinavian artist who lives in an old Italian villa. They go out on the balcony, enjoying the calm and beautiful night. Then the guest suddenly sees a strange mound of earth with a body next to it. The artist knows the story and it goes way back in time. Angelo and Cristina were a couple in love who did not get the chance to be together. Cristina was killed by two robbers. Since then a strange body appears in the moonlight.

It is Christmas and a little boy receives a gift - a velveteen rabbit. Although the other toys look down on him, the rabbit is happy to be with the boy. They are constant companions and it seems like nothing can worsen their days. But then the boy gets sick and the doctor insists that all the toys get burned because they may be infected. The rabbit as well. Is this the end of their friendship? Or will the rabbit’s dearest wish finally come true? B. J.

"The Dream Woman" is a novella by Wilkie Collins, telling the story of Francis Raven, a young man who dreams that a strange woman is trying to kill him. Eventually, he marries a woman who looks exactly like the one from his dream. This novella is a cosy mystery that leaves readers with more questions than answers. A lot of guesswork is needed, and the reader is often disturbed by the occurrences, not knowing what or how it came to this.

"The Man Who Knew Too Much" tells the story of Horne Fisher and the burden he had to carry throughout his whole life. He knew too much about politicians and aristocracy, about corruption and covered crimes. The prime minister of England was a friend of his father, the foreign minister married his sister. Without even intending to, he found out many things about the private life of politicians, which is very different from what is presented to the people. The question is, what is Fisher going to do with all this information? B. J.

A small group of friends decide to attend a seance at a local art studio. While some of them are very sceptical about the whole thing, others believe in the medium’s abilities. The group starts a discussion about a new painting of a mythical creature, when a Frenchman joins and claims that he sees a unicorn in it. Shortly after the seance begins, a strange light fills the room and the medium starts speaking in a different voice. The voice is that of a person no longer within the living.

An Adjutant-crane, a jackal and a giant crocodile are talking by the river, under a newly built railway bridge. The crocodile remembers the good old days, when he used to catch and devour the villagers as they tried to pass through a ford. He also remembers a boat sailing down the river, on which was a white child whom the crocodile tried to catch, but got shot with a revolver instead. Soon the reptile falls asleep, when two men with riffles cross the bridge.

Nicholas Nickleby is a young boy left without a father. Nicholas has to take care of his mother and sister and is forced by his uncle to work as an assistant to the schoolmaster Wackford Squeers. Squeers’ intentions are however not good and his only goal is to make Nicholas’ life miserable. At the same time Squeers’ wife convinces herself that Nicholas loves her and this gets the young boy in even greater trouble. Nicholas’ uncle is colluding with the schoolmaster and it seems like everybody is against him.

This a typical Christmas story but with a classic Leacock ironic twist and a zest of humour. "The Errors of Santa Claus" is a charming tale of gift-giving and kindness. It is Christmas time and parents are getting their children’s gifts ready.

Winter Wedderburn is an amateur collector of orchids, spending his days peacefully with his housekeeper. One day he invites more adventure into his life and buys an unknown species of orchids brought from the Andaman Islands. Little does he know that purchasing this unusual plant will bring him more adventure than he could ever have dreamt of. "The Flowering of the Strange Orchid" is a short horror story by H.G. Wells from the late 19th century, providing the reader with a most unusual enemy.

"A Chapter in the History of the Tyrone Family" is a Gothic short story by Sheridan Le Fanu focusing on a young woman who marries a Scottish landowner with a dark past. A short story whose haunting and semi-supernatural elements might have influenced Charlotte Bronts "Jane Eyre", Le Fanus tale combines a lot of elements horror, romance, thriller, and drama to create a compelling and sophisticated world from which there is no easy escape.

Can you imagine that a big white elephant could disappeared into thin air? It may sound impossible or ridiculous but it actually happened. An elephant got sent to Great Britain as a gift to the Queen but it was lost on the way and nobody seems to have a clue how it came to happen. Can chief inspector Blunt solve the case? Find out in Mark Twain’s short story "The Stolen White Elephant". B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new life into classic stories.

Dmitri Gurov is a nearly forty-year-old man, who is married and has three children. He is unhappy with his marriage and regrets this big mistake every single day. While on a vacation, Dmitri meets Anna Sergeyevna - a young lady, who just like him is unhappily married. Very soon a love affair enfolds between the two and they start secretly meeting at different places. Unfortunately, Anna must go back to Moscow because her husband is having some health issues.

Have you ever wondered what hides inside the big chimney which Santa Claus goes through every Christmas Eve? Jem is about to find out. Inside the chimney, she notices a magnificent white brick, but this brick is special; it lets Jem into a magical world full of toys. Do you want to join Jem’s journey to Santa Claus’ wonderland? Grab "Behind the White Brick" and come along. B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new life into classic stories.

"The Tragedy of Coriolanus" falls into the category of Shakespeares' political tragedies. It tells of the story of the legendary Roman hero Caius Marcius Coriolanus. Coriolanus' military success helps him get forward in Rome's political life, and he soon starts dreaming of a leadership position. Unfortunately, too much power inevitably leads to corruption, and Coriolanus’ fate is no exception.

B.J. Harrison visits Edgar Allan Poe's grim horror story, "The Cask of Amontillado". Montresor is a man who has been insulted, and he does not take this lightly. Seeking revenge on the person who slighted him, Fortunato, he sets out on a terrible mission to even the score. Yet what follows is far from fair, and Fortunato is far from prepared. "The Cask of Amontillado" is a dark short story by Edgar Allan Poe dating back to the 19th century.

Jane Austen’s fourth and funniest novel introduces us to many different characters. We learn about their relationships and love life. Emma Woodhouse is a twenty-year-old girl, whose governess, Miss Tylor, has recently married a Mr Weston. Emma takes credit for their marriage and decides that she is naturally gifted in conjuring love matches. This becomes her new hobby and she starts arranging dates for her acquaintances.

If you want to start a study of the classical world, this is the right book to begin with. Written by one of the greatest biographers of all time, "Plutarch’s Lives" tells us the brilliant history of the ancient world. In this first volume, you will find a detailed profiles and comparisons of Romulus and Theseus, Fabius and Pericles, along with many other of the greatest figures of ancient Greece, Rome, Macedonia, Sparta, Persia and Egypt. Thanks to Plutarch work and B. J.