Free Air - audiobook Sinclair LEWIS (1885 - 1951) This road trip novel is set in the early twentieth century and follows the experiences of an aristocratic New Englander and her father as they travel by automobile from Minneapolis to Seattle. She is wooed and won by a noble but simple commoner she meets along the way. Lewis is at his usual wryly humorous self, poking fun at the upper class and treating the common people only slightly better. Summary by Hollis Hanover. Genre(s): Action & Adventure Read more [...]
The Jumping Frog - audiobook Mark TWAIN (1835 - 1910) "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" is an 1865 short story by Mark Twain. It was also published as "The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" and "Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog." In it, the narrator retells a story he heard from a bartender, Simon Wheeler, at the Angels Hotel in Angels Camp, California, about the gambler Jim Smiley. Upon discovering a French translation of this story, Twain re-translated the story, word Read more [...]
Who Was Who: 5000 BC - 1914 Biographical Dictionary of the Famous and Those Who Wanted to Be - audiobook Irwin Leslie GORDON (1888 - 1954) A short, humorous biography of famous people from 5000 BC to 1914. -- S. McGaughey From the Introduction, "The editor begs leave to inform the public that only persons who can produce proper evidence of their demise will be admitted to Who Was Who. Press Agent notices or complimentary comments are absolutely excluded, and those offering to pay for the insertion Read more [...]
The Good-Natured Man - audiobook Oliver GOLDSMITH (1730 - 1774) By the playwright of the more popular She Stoops to Conquer, The Good-Natured Man is the comedic story of misguided philanthropy, mistaken identity, and secret romance. Will Honeywell, The Good-Natured Man, see through the lies and trickery surrounding his generosity? Will Leontine and Olivia's true relationship be found out? And just what is that Lofty guy up to...? (Summary by Amanda Friday) Cast: Narrator: Katy Fossil Sir William Read more [...]
The Chronicles of Clovis - audiobook SAKI (1870 - 1916) This is the third collection of short stories by Saki, following on from "Reginald" and "Reginald in Russia". Although some of the stories have characters that do not appear elsewhere in the collection, many of them are loosely centred round the young Clovis Sangrail (effectively a reincarnation of Reginald). (Summary by Graham Redman). Genre(s): Humorous Fiction Language: English (FULL Audiobook)   Read more [...]
Arms and the Man audiobook George Bernard SHAW (1856 - 1950) Arms and the Man is a comedy by George Bernard Shaw that takes place in 1885, during the Serbo-Bulgarian War. Raina Petkoff is engaged to the gallant Sergius Saranoff, hero of the recent Bulgarian victory over the Serbs. But she is distracted by the abrupt arrival of Captain Bluntschli, a Swiss mercenary who fought for the Serbian army. He takes refuge in her bedroom after the battle and although he is initially threatening, reveals that Read more [...]
A Man of Means audiobook P. G. WODEHOUSE (1881 - 1975) and C. H. BOVILL (1878 - ?) A Man of Means is a collection of six short stories written in collaboration by P. G. Wodehouse and C. H. Bovill. The stories all star Roland Bleke, a nondescript young man to whom financial success comes through a series of "lucky" chances, the first from a win in a sweepstake he had forgotten entering. Roland, like many a timid young man seeks love and marriage. In this pursuit his wealth is regularly a mixed blessing. Read more [...]
The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg and Other Stories audiobook Mark TWAIN (1835 - 1910) The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg" is a piece of short fiction by Mark Twain. It first appeared in Harper's Monthly in December 1899, and was subsequently published by Harper Collins in the collection The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg and Other Stories and Sketches (1900). This recording contains all the stories and sketches from the 1900 Harper Collins publication. (Summary from wikipedia and John) Genre(s): Read more [...]
Mike: A Public School Story audiobook P. G. WODEHOUSE (1881 - 1975) This novel introduces the characters Mike Jackson and Psmith, who are featured in several of Wodehouse's later works. It shows how the two characters first met each other as teenagers at boarding school. As Psmith doesn't appear until about halfway through this book, it was later released as two separate books, Mike at Wrykyn and Mike and Psmith. There's lots of cricket, but you don't need to understand the game to enjoy the antics Read more [...]
Aphorisms audiobook Oscar WILDE (1854 - 1900) and David P. ABBOTT (1863 - 1934) In 1894, Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900) published two collections of aphorisms: "A Few Maxims For The Instruction Of The Over-Educated", in the Saturday Review newspaper, and Phrases and Philosophies for the Use of the Young", in the Oxford student magazine The Chameleon. By turns witty, intellectual, counter-intuitive and obtruse, the collections came to be seen by many as emblematic of Wilde's style, and countless collections Read more [...]
Extracts from Adam's Diary audiobook Mark TWAIN (1835 - 1910) Get the true story of Adam and Eve, straight from the source. This humorous text is a day-to-day account of Adam's life from happiness in the "GARDEN-OF-EDEN" to their fall from grace and the events thereafter. Learn how Eve caught the infant Cain, and Adam takes some time to learn exactly what it is. Genre(s): Humorous Fiction, Short Stories Language: English (FULL Audiobook)   Read more [...]
The Foolish Dictionary audiobook Charles Wayland TOWNE (1875 - 1965) "The Foolish Dictionary" was written by "Gideon Wurdz" (the pen name for Charles Wayland Towne) and was published in 1904. According to the beginning of the book, it is "An exhausting work of reference to un-certain English words, their origin, meaning, legitimate and illegitimate use..." This a a short but amusing dictionary which "redefines" words in some interesting ways. Funny and sometimes bizarre observations are sprinkled Read more [...]
A Tramp Abroad audiobook Mark TWAIN (1835 - 1910) A Tramp Abroad is a work of non-fiction travel literature by American author Mark Twain, published in 1880. The book details a journey by the author, with his friend Harris (a character created for the book, and based on his closest friend, Joseph Twichell), through central and southern Europe. While the stated goal of the journey is to walk most of the way, the men find themselves using other forms of transport as they traverse the continent. The Read more [...]
Frenzied Fiction audiobook Stephen LEACOCK (1869 - 1944) From the cave man to Santa Claus; spies, know-it-alls, and journalists: all are fair game for Leacock's special brand of humor. He touches on the changes time has brought about in the city, education, and work habits. Among the other topics in this work are nature, fishing, gardening, success, and spirits--both of the departed and of the variety Prohibition prohibited. Each chapter of this book is a standalone story and if you love a good Read more [...]
Three Men and a Maid audiobook P. G. WODEHOUSE (1881 - 1975) This book with two titles, Three Men and a Maid in the USA and The Girl on the Boat in the UK is a typical PG Wodehouse romantic comedy, involving, at various times: a disastrous talent quest, a lawyer with a revolver, a bulldog with a mind of his own and a suit of armour! The maid, or marriageable young woman, of the American title is red-haired, dog-loving Wilhelmina "Billie" Bennet. The three men are Bream Mortimer, a long-time Read more [...]
Brain Twister audiobook Laurence M. JANIFER (1933 - 2002) and Randall GARRETT (1927 - 1987) "Mark Phillips" is, or are, two writers: Randall Garrett and Laurence M. Janifer. Their joint pen-name, derived from their middle names (Philip and Mark), was coined soon after their original meeting, at a science-fiction convention. Both men were drunk at the time, which explains a good deal, and only one has ever sobered up. A matter for constant contention between the collaborators is which one. Originally Read more [...]
A Wodehouse Miscellany audiobook P. G. WODEHOUSE (1881 - 1975) Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse was an English comic writer who enjoyed enormous popular success for more than seventy years. Best known today for the Jeeves and Blanding Castle novels and short stories, Wodehouse was also a talented playwright and lyricist who was part author and writer of fifteen plays and of 250 lyrics for some thirty musical comedies. (excerpts from Wikipedia) Genre(s): Humorous Fiction Language: English (FULL Read more [...]
Reginald audiobook SAKI (1870 - 1916) Saki (December 18, 1870 - November 14, 1916) was the pen name of the British author Hector Hugh Munro. His witty, biting and occasionally odd short stories satirised Edwardian culture. Saki is considered a master of the short story and has been compared to O. Henry and Dorothy Parker as well as Noel Coward and Oscar Wilde (who clearly influenced Saki.) His first collection of short stories, Reginald, was published by Methuen Press in 1904 though these stories Read more [...]