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God Sees the Truth, But Waits, by Leo Tolstoy

Thu, 22 Jun 2023 06:51:45 GMT

God Sees the Truth, But Waits, by Leo Tolstoy
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Classic Tales Audiobooks · Sample of God Sees the Truth But Waits, by Leo Tolstoy

In his parable of Institutional Justice vs. Divine Judgement, we follow Aksionov through his journey of accusation and imprisonment for a murder he does not commit. After 26 years in a Siberian prison camp, he finally meets the man who put him there, and the choice of a lifetime is made.

Touching on themes of faith, family, and devotion along the way, Tolstoy elegantly examines the balance of compassion and justice.

Running Time: 22 minutes

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Désirée's Baby, by Kate Chopin

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 06:21:35 GMT

Désirée's Baby, by Kate Chopin
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Classic Tales Audiobooks · Sample of Désirée's Baby, by Kate Chopin

Désirée and Armand’s marriage was passionate and loving. But everything changes when their baby is born, who appears to be of mixed race.

Set before the Civil War in Louisiana, and originally published on January 14, 1893, Kate Chopin shines a light on the antebellum culture, which rendered some of the most vulnerable absolutely powerless.

Running Time: 14 minutes

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Ball-of-Fat, by Guy de Maupassant

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 06:01:16 GMT

Ball-of-Fat, by Guy de Maupassant
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Classic Tales Audiobooks · Ball-of-Fat Sample

A stagecoach containing a microcosm of French society seek to escape to Le Havre during the Prussian war. Stopping at an inn along the way, they soon realize they have blundered into Prussian occupied territory.

The travelers are not allowed to leave until one woman, a prostitute known as Boule de Suif, (literally suet dumpling, or ball of fat), sleeps with the commanding officer. This turn of events is met with universal indignation by the travelers. But as the days stretch out, everyone’s true colors are revealed.

Perhaps his most famous story, Guy de Maupassant’s masterful style, craft, and ability are all on full display. Adaptations of the story have made it to film, radio, and even opera, notably the 1939 John Ford film, Stagecoach.

Running time: 1 hour, 39 minutes

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After Twenty Years, and Mammon and the Archer, two stories by O. Henry

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 05:28:24 GMT

After Twenty Years, and Mammon and the Archer, two stories by O. Henry
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Classic Tales Audiobooks · After Twenty Years And Mammon And The Archer sample, by O. Henry

When two friends reunite after a twenty-year absence, the limits of friendship become evident. Painting two distinct portraits of people who have grown apart, O. Henry explores themes of friendship, loyalty and trust.

In Mammon and the Archer, the pursuit of love, and the love of money go head-to-head for dominance in a timely engagement.

Famous for his unexpected plot twists, O. Henry was not only a master at the craft of writing the short story, but explored deep themes that still resonate today.

Running Time: 23 minutes

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The Bridge of San Luis Rey, by Thornton Wilder

Fri, 3 Feb 2023 08:36:38 GMT

The Bridge of San Luis Rey, by Thornton Wilder
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Classic Tales Audiobooks · BridgeofSanLuisRey_sample

Five people fall to their deaths when a bridge collapses over a river in Peru. Can Brother Juniper discover the reason that these five individuals had to die?

Exploring themes of love, goodness, and predestination, Wilder exposes the nature of his characters by examining their relationships. The bonds of parents and children, siblings, and surrogate parents are all examined with elegant skill, leading us to ask the hard questions that point to the inevitable river below.

The Bridge of San Luis Rey won the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel in 1928.

Running time: 3 hours, 47 minutes

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Malachi's Cove, by Anthony Trollope

Thu, 2 Feb 2023 07:29:27 GMT

Malachi's Cove, by Anthony Trollope
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Classic Tales Audiobooks · MalachisCove_sample

When tragedy strikes the thieving farm boy that Mally recently cursed, will she be proclaimed a murderess?

Anthony Trollope was a British writer of the Victorian period. He was very prolific, writing 47 novels, 42 short stories and five travel books. He is primarily known for his “Chronicles of Barsetshire” series of novels, including the books “The Warden” and “Barchester Towers”. It is held that his satiric novel, “The Way We Live Now” is his masterpiece.

Malachi’s Cove takes place in Cornwall, and is based around a spot of beach that is an actual place.

Running time: 52 minutes

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A Meeting, by Guy de Maupassant

Mon, 4 Apr 2022 06:15:15 GMT

A Meeting, by Guy de Maupassant
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Classic Tales Audiobooks · A Meeting, by Guy de Maupassant (Sample)

A wife’s indiscretion is answered with cruel estrangement. Yet when the couple meets again six years later in a train car, as two strangers traveling together, the Baron discovers the magnitude of his loss.

Guy de Maupassant was a master of the short story, using every literary device and turn of phrase with masterful effect. A Meeting is an elegant tale that explores the consequences of unbridled, and bridled, passion.

Running Time: 19 minutes

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Dalyrimple Goes Wrong, by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Mon, 4 Apr 2022 06:09:12 GMT

Dalyrimple Goes Wrong, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
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Classic Tales Audiobooks · Dalyrimple Goes Wrong (Sample)

Bryan Dalyrimple returns to his hometown as a war hero after World War I. But after the ticker tape parades and back-slapping handshakes, and he finds himself stuck in a dead-end job with little room for advancement, frustration begins to mount. He decides to turn to the only option left for him – crime.

Originally published in the 1920 short story collection Flappers and Philosophers, Fitzgerald shines a light on the sentiment toward the returning doughboys of World War I, and the dwindling opportunities awaiting them upon their return.

Running Time: 48 minutes

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A Death in the Desert, by Willa Cather

Mon, 4 Apr 2022 06:02:50 GMT

A Death in the Desert, by Willa Cather
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Classic Tales Audiobooks · A Death in the Desert (Sample)

Everett’s brother rocked the world with his incredible musical talent. And Everett is… fine. But he’s okay with that. He’s a member of “a certain lovable class of men who never accomplish anything in particular”.

But when traveling in the West, Everett meets a remarkable woman who is dying, and discovers that she has a history her brother, he gives her the greatest gift of all during her final days – the gift of understanding.

Running Time: 61 minutes

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A Christmas Tree and a Wedding, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Mon, 4 Apr 2022 05:55:52 GMT

A Christmas Tree and a Wedding, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
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Classic Tales Audiobooks · A Christmas Tree and a Wedding (Sample)

A Christmas ball sets the plans in motion for the wealthy Julian Mastakovich. For an immensely wealthy business man has just announced that his daughter has a dowry of 300,000 rubles.

First published in 1848, and adapted into a motion picture in 2000, Dostoyevsky shines a light on the business end of well-moneyed marriage. It begins when an 11-year-old girl gets an extravagant doll at a Christmas ball.

Running Time: 21 minutes

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