Here are 12 specially selected tales by one of the masters of this miniature art, Saki (H.H Munro). They range from the comic deception of "The Schartz Metterklume Method" to "The Cobweb", a subtle meditation on life, change and death. Also included is Munro's short essay "Birds on the Western Front", a poignant description of some of Nature's response to the devastation of war: written in the very place where Munro would tragically lose his life to a sniper's bullet in 1916.Beauti...

Rudolf Rassendyll, a carefree young man, doing all he can to avoid settling down in life, suddenly finds himself in the centre of royal intrigue in which he must play a role that will test all of his bravery and resolve. However his biggest test comes when the choice is between true love and duty.The classic romantic adventure, much imitated but never bettered, beautifully narrated with verve and imagination by Simon Hester

“It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete till it is expressed…”C.S LewisThe Book of Psalms is at the heart of the Christian Bible. The Psalmist cries out to God at times of despair, in supplication, in frustration and penitence but ultimately, in Praise.Half of the Psalms were likely written by the Shepherd-King, David, a man described in the Bible as “a man after God’s own heart”...

One of the greatest adventure stories ever written, The Odyssey follows the long and perilous journey of Odysseus as he struggles to return home after the Trojan War. Along the way he faces monsters, storms, enchantresses, and the wrath of the gods, while his faithful wife Penelope and son Telemachus endure trials of their own in Ithaca.Samuel Butler's celebrated translation presents Homer's epic in clear, natural English, making this timeless tale accessible to modern rea...

Lewis Carroll's timeless tale of fantasy, nonsense and beautiful absurdity, narrated by Simon Hester.

Although accepted to be a classic of children's literature, Kenneth Grahame's tale of Mole, Ratty, Badger and Toad is layered with the universal themes of nature, longing, belonging, awe and friendship; all woven around the exciting adventures of the incorrigible Mr Toad and his faithful companion's attempts to tame his wayward spirit.

Dostoevsky's novella " Notes from the Underground" is part embittered monologue and part brief descriptions of anecdotes from the anonymous writer's life. As the author himself states:"The author of the diary and the diary itself are, of course, imaginary. Nevertheless it is clear that such persons as the writer of these notes not only may, but positively must, exist in our society, when we consider the circumstances in the midst of which our society is formed."The Russia o...

Edgar Wallace was one of the most prolific British authors of the 20th Century and yet his work is now little known, apart from perhaps his work on the story of King Kong in 1933.“The Ringer” is a wonderful example of his work. Set in a 1920s London where the fog cloaked streets echo to the rumours that a ruthless and fiendishly clever assassin has returned to reek vengeance on his enemies. He is a man who takes on ever changing personas, so much so that some suspect he may even in...

Who better to travel to Italy with than Charles Dickens? From the travails of 19th century travel to the wonder of discovering the great art of western civilization, all are brought to life with the characteristic humour, wryness, sentimentality, fervour and love that are poured into the best of the author’s fiction.Modern readers will recognise many of Italy’s historical treasures that millions have enjoyed since Dickens described them over 150 years ago; ...

In The Green Fairy Book, Andrew Lang continues his celebrated work of gathering fairy tales from many nations into one collection, preserving stories that have delighted generations and offering them anew to young readers—and to all who value the enduring charm of folklore. This volume, the third in Lang’s famous “Coloured” Fairy Book series, draws its tales from an especially wide array of sources: French, German, Russian, Italian, Scottish, and even oral traditions from tribal c...

Far from its popular image, the story of Frankenstein as told by Mary Shelley is not a tale that finds horror in a hideous "monster" or a "crazed" scientist. The darkness in the narrative is found in the profound loneliness of both Creator and Created as they seek one another in a tragic cycle of unfulfilled longing and revenge.This powerful novel, first published in 1818, still surprises and shocks us with the fundamental questions about the moral boundaries of human discovery and...

Perhaps the most famous and most accessible of Dickens' stories which can be enjoyed every year afresh at Christmas time, as we never tire of the inspirational story of Scrooge's redemption and transformation. Here performed with warmth and compelling narrative skill by Simon Hester