Showing results by narrator "Jim Killavey" in All Categories

In 1899 Freud wrote a revolutionary work in the new field of Psychoanalysis called, The Interpretation of Dreams. The book was so full of technical details and involved case studies, however, that ordinary people had great difficulty understanding it. Twenty-one years later, he published this shorter version.

Saladin Foster and his wife, Electra, are jolted out of their tranquility by the stunning news that a distant relative has left them $30,000. The one condition is that the couple must be able to prove "that they had taken no notice of the gift by spoken word or by letter, had made no inquiries concerning the [ship] Moribund's progress toward the everlasting tropics, and had not attended the funeral." This condition leads to some major difficulties.

After a 10 year absence, John Carter returns to Mars and seeks to be reunited with his wife, the princess Dejah Thoris. Along the way, he both befriends, and often combats, a fantastic array of alien creatures and humanoids, while discovering the true nature of the Martian religions.

A collection of "bedtime stories" filled with whimsy and life lessons. This charming collection includes stories about talking animals, flowers, fairies, why things are the way they are ("pour qua" stories), and morality tales. Gentle stories for bedtime or anytime listening.

Bram Stoker created an incredible novel in Dracula. The success of the vampire novel unfortunately overshadowed most of his other writings. This volume contains nine of his best short stories, including the one in which the character of Dracula first appeared.

Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American philosopher, lecturer, essayist, and poet, who is best remembered for leading the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. He was a a champion of individualism and wrote dozens of essays. Most criics consider "Self-Reliance" his best. It has the most thorough statement of one of Emerson's repeating themes, the need for each individual to avoid conformity and false consistency.

Martin Eden, Jack London's semiautobiographical novel about a struggling young writer, is considered by many to be the author's most mature work. Personifying London's own dreams of education and literary fame as a young man in San Francisco, Martin Eden's impassioned but ultimately ineffective battle to overcome his bleak circumstances makes him one of the most memorable and poignant characters Jack London ever created.

Still wildly popular today, this collection of ghost stories was first published in 1919. A few of the stories reflect the prejudices and language of the era and would not be considered "politically correct" now but are nonetheless excellent stories. Arthur B. Reeves, an American writer who also wrote screenplays compiled this anthology. His introduction is considered by many to be the definitive explanation of the popularity and diversity of this genre. Turn off the lights and prepare to be thrilled and chilled by this unique assemblage of spooky tales.

Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions is an 1884 science fiction novel. As a satire, Flatland offered pointed observations on the social hierarchy of Victorian culture. However, the book's more enduring contribution is its examination of dimensions. In a foreword to one of the many publications of the book, noted science fiction author Isaac Asimov described Flatland as “The best introduction one can find into the manner of perceiving dimensions.”

This collecton features some of Twain's best known stories as well as some lesser-known gems, such as "A Mysterious Visit", "The Facts Concerning the Recent Carnival of Crime in Connecticut", and "The Loves Of Alonzo Fitz-Clarence and Rosannah Ethelton".

This mystery is part of the famous "Had-I-But-Known School" of mysteries founded by Mary Roberts Rinehart with the 1908 publication of her first work, The Circular Staircase. The story deals with civic corruption, a popular theme of early American mysteries. Stories like this anticipate the hard-boiled school to come. So does Rinehart's realistic style, which does not gloss over life's problems.

"The Lady, or the Tiger?" (1882) is about a man sentenced to an unusual punishment for having a romance with a king's beloved daughter. Taken to the public arena, he is faced with two doors, behind one of which is a hungry tiger that will devour him. Behind the other is a beautiful lady-in-waiting, whom he will have to marry, if he finds her.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (original French title, Notre-Dame de Paris) is set in 1482 in Paris, in and around the cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris. It tells the story of a poor Gypsy girl (La Esmeralda) and a misshapen bell-ringer (Quasimodo), one of the most colorful characters in literature, who falls in love with her. They are both victimized by a corrupt priest (Claude Frollo) and begin an adventure filled with great peril and great heroism.

New England author H. P. Lovecraft was one of the key founders of modern horror. He has had a major influence on many prominent authors, including Stephen King. "The Dunwich Horror" is one of his most famous stories. It is a perfect example of one of Lovecraft's major inspirations and inventions - cosmic horror.

The author describes his intent in writing this book in these words, "It is generally agreed that there are certain 'tricks' which make for mental efficiency, consisting of methods of apperceiving facts, methods of review, devices for arranging work. Some are the fruits of psychological experimentation; others are derived from experience. Many of them can be imparted by instruction, and it is for the purpose of systematizing these and making them available for students that this book is prepared.”

Walden or, "Life in the Woods", is, primarily, a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings. Henry David Thoreau kept a journal during his stay in a cabin beside Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts, for two years, two months, and two days, from July 1845 to Sept 1847. The book is based on that journal.

Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" is of the best "macabre" tales ever written. It is presented here in its entirety along with eight other incredible tales.

Oscar Wilde was one of the most versatile writers who ever lived. He wrote classic plays, including The Importance of Being Ernest; one wildly popular and influential novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray; and a number of inventive and moving stories in The Happy Prince and Other Tales.

Stories included in this volume are: "The Nightingale and the Rose", "The Devoted Friend", "The Happy Prince", "The Remarkable Rocket", and "The Selfish Giant".

Fascinated by vampires? Then this book - the first of a series - is for you. Early writers of vampire stories did not see them quite as they are presented to us today. These "classic" vampires were looking for blood - not love. These shivery reads will capture your imagination and introduce you to the first fiends - male AND female - that spawned today's kinder gentler vampire.

This is an entertaining and inspiring story about one man's "journey into fat"and how he was able to reverse that course and get back to his ideal weight. Written many years ago, it's fascinating to hear that people had the same struggles then as now with weight control and that there were just as many commercial diets and exercise plans vying for their attention - and cash. While he makes no claims about anyone else losing weight with his system, you just might.