Classic Audiobook Collection

Latest Episodes:

The Charterhouse of Parma by Stendhal ~ Full Audiobook [drama] Apr 21, 2025

Show notes

The Charterhouse of Parma by Stendhal audiobook.

Genre: drama

In early 19th-century Europe, amid shifting borders and fading empires, young Italian nobleman Fabrice del Dongo burns with romantic dreams of glory. Restless under the watchful rule of his family, he impulsively throws himself toward the turbulent aftermath of Napoleon's era and returns to a homeland where politics is a deadly game played in salons, courts, and prisons. In the small but treacherous Duchy of Parma, Fabrice is drawn into the orbit of the brilliant and formidable Gina, Duchess Sanseverina, whose devotion to him is matched only by her shrewd understanding of power. Together with the calculating yet charismatic Count Mosca, Gina maneuvers through intrigue, rivalries, and the whims of a ruler who fears anyone with talent or popularity. As Fabrice seeks purpose, love, and a life worthy of legend, his private desires collide with public danger, and a single misstep can mean ruin. Vividly observed and darkly witty, The Charterhouse of Parma blends adventure, psychological insight, and political satire into a story about ambition, illusion, and the price of passion in a world ruled by appearances.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 01

(00:55:22) Chapter 02

(01:37:27) Chapter 03

(02:13:51) Chapter 04

(02:28:44) Chapter 05

(02:32:21) Chapter 06

(03:03:56) Chapter 07

(03:49:31) Chapter 08

(04:22:51) Chapter 09

(05:02:23) Chapter 10

(05:48:44) Chapter 11

(06:31:47) Chapter 12

(07:16:01) Chapter 13

(07:58:34) Chapter 14

(08:33:05) Chapter 15

(08:52:49) Chapter 16

(09:08:01) Chapter 17

(09:57:14) Chapter 18

(10:28:24) Chapter 19

(11:22:15) Chapter 20

(12:05:43) Chapter 21

(12:42:19) Chapter 22

(13:17:54) Chapter 23

(13:48:14) Chapter 24

(14:29:52) Chapter 25

(15:06:58) Chapter 26

(15:59:24) Chapter 27

(16:43:28) Chapter 28

(17:22:51) Chapter 29

(18:10:34) Chapter 30

(18:51:14) Chapter 31

(19:32:49) Chapter 32

(20:08:50) Chapter 33

(20:41:08) Chapter 34

(21:17:51) Chapter 35

(21:25:38) Chapter 36

(21:38:43) Chapter 37

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The Defense of Poesy by Sir Philip Sidney ~ Full Audiobook [philosophy] Apr 21, 2025

Show notes

The Defense of Poesy by Sir Philip Sidney audiobook.

Genre: philosophy

Written in the heat of the English Renaissance, Sir Philip Sidney's The Defense of Poesy is a spirited argument for why imaginative literature matters - and why it deserves honor rather than suspicion. Framed as a reply to critics who call poetry idle, deceptive, or morally dangerous, Sidney guides listeners through a lively tour of what poetry is, what it can do, and why it speaks to the deepest parts of human judgment and desire. He sets poetry alongside history and philosophy, praising its unique power to delight while also teaching, and he draws on classical examples, biblical echoes, and the emerging ambitions of English letters. With wit and urgency, Sidney challenges his audience to look past narrow definitions of truth and utility and to recognize the shaping force of stories, images, and language on civic virtue. More than a literary manifesto, this short work becomes a window into a culture wrestling with art, morality, education, and national identity - and into a writer determined to defend the value of invention itself.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 01

(00:22:03) Chapter 02

(00:51:39) Chapter 03

(01:38:24) Chapter 04

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A First Year in Canterbury Settlement by Samuel Butler ~ Full Audiobook [history] Apr 21, 2025

Show notes

A First Year in Canterbury Settlement by Samuel Butler audiobook.

Genre: history

In A First Year in Canterbury Settlement, Samuel Butler turns his sharp eye and wry humor on the practical realities of starting over at the edge of the British Empire. Newly arrived in New Zealand, Butler sets out for the Canterbury plains of the South Island with big hopes, limited experience, and the uneasy conviction that respectable plans rarely survive first contact with weather, distance, and human nature. Part travel narrative, part working diary, the book follows his early attempts to find his footing among fellow settlers, organize supplies and labor, and learn the daily rhythm of frontier life - from makeshift housing and uncertain routes to the relentless demands of livestock and land. Along the way, Butler paints vivid portraits of the landscape and the small, improvised society forming within it, capturing both the exhilaration of open space and the loneliness that can settle in after the excitement fades. With an eye for irony and a talent for observation, he explores ambition, self-reliance, and the gap between idealized settlement and the hard, often comic work of making a place livable.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 01

(00:09:50) Chapter 02

(00:35:03) Chapter 03

(00:51:13) Chapter 04

(01:03:09) Chapter 05

(01:43:04) Chapter 06

(01:59:22) Chapter 07

(02:21:59) Chapter 08

(03:01:47) Chapter 09

(03:25:21) Chapter 10

(03:44:19) Chapter 11

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Henry VIII by William Shakespeare ~ Full Audiobook [history] Apr 20, 2025

Show notes

Henry VIII by William Shakespeare audiobook.

Genre: history

In Henry VIII, Shakespeare stages the Tudor court as a place where ceremony and ambition collide, and where a single royal decision can remake lives overnight. England's formidable king, Henry VIII, moves through a glittering world of banquets, trials, and pageantry, while the people closest to him struggle to read the shifting winds of favor. Queen Katherine of Aragon fights to defend her marriage and her dignity as the king's attention turns elsewhere, and the rise of Anne Boleyn signals a new and uncertain future. Meanwhile, the powerful Cardinal Wolsey navigates intrigue at the highest level, only to discover how quickly influence can curdle into suspicion. Nobles such as Buckingham feel the dangers of rumor and rivalry, and the principled Archbishop Cranmer becomes a focal point for conflicts over conscience, authority, and reform. Part political thriller, part courtroom drama, and part meditation on reputation, Henry VIII asks what remains of truth when power controls the story and history is written in public spectacle.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 0

(00:04:13) Chapter 1

(00:42:01) Chapter 2

(01:20:31) Chapter 3

(01:59:36) Chapter 4

(02:19:28) Chapter 5

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Summa Contra Gentiles Vol 2 by Saint Thomas Aquinas ~ Full Audiobook [religion] Apr 19, 2025

Show notes

Summa Contra Gentiles Vol 2 by Saint Thomas Aquinas audiobook.

Genre: religion

In Summa Contra Gentiles, Saint Thomas Aquinas sets out to explain and defend core truths of the Christian faith in a way that can be followed even by readers who do not accept the authority of Scripture. Volume 2 corresponds to Book II, where Aquinas turns from what reason can know about God in himself to what reason can infer about God as the source of all that exists. Step by step, he examines how the world depends on a first cause, what it means to say that God creates, and how divine wisdom and goodness are reflected in the order of nature. Along the way he engages major philosophical questions: the relationship between Creator and creatures, the origins and hierarchy of spiritual beings, the nature of the human soul and its powers, and how providence can be affirmed without denying genuine causality within the created world. Written in Aquinas' clear, disputational style, these chapters offer a rigorous bridge between philosophy and theology, inviting the listener into a sustained argument about creation, intelligibility, and the place of human beings within a universe grounded in God.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 001

(00:04:03) Chapter 002

(00:09:17) Chapter 003

(00:14:25) Chapter 004

(00:18:32) Chapter 005

(00:19:31) Chapter 006

(00:23:53) Chapter 007

(00:26:33) Chapter 008

(00:29:18) Chapter 009

(00:31:37) Chapter 010

(00:34:03) Chapter 011

(00:36:31) Chapter 012

(00:40:21) Chapter 013

(00:43:27) Chapter 014

(00:45:00) Chapter 015

(00:53:34) Chapter 016

(01:05:11) Chapter 017

(01:08:39) Chapter 018

(01:11:26) Chapter 019

(01:17:16) Chapter 020

(01:22:38) Chapter 021

(01:33:29) Chapter 022

(01:41:31) Chapter 023

(01:50:06) Chapter 024

(01:54:39) Chapter 025

(02:04:37) Chapter 026

(02:09:51) Chapter 027

(02:11:27) Chapter 028

(02:19:55) Chapter 029

(02:26:21) Chapter 030

(02:43:17) Chapter 031

(02:49:26) Chapter 032

(02:59:22) Chapter 033

(03:07:01) Chapter 034

(03:12:23) Chapter 035

(03:23:15) Chapter 036

(03:29:23) Chapter 037

(03:36:23) Chapter 038

(03:44:02) Chapter 039

(03:51:01) Chapter 040

(03:56:26) Chapter 041

(04:07:15) Chapter 042

(04:16:01) Chapter 043

(04:23:24) Chapter 044

(04:36:56) Chapter 045

(04:44:22) Chapter 046

(04:51:49) Chapter 047

(04:58:13) Chapter 048

(05:04:21) Chapter 049

(05:11:07) Chapter 050

(05:17:28) Chapter 051

(05:20:18) Chapter 052

(05:28:19) Chapter 053

(05:31:47) Chapter 054

(05:36:40) Chapter 055

(05:53:28) Chapter 056

(06:04:20) Chapter 057

(06:15:36) Chapter 058

(06:27:47) Chapter 059

(06:40:12) Chapter 060

(07:02:56) Chapter 061

(07:07:20) Chapter 062

(07:17:10) Chapter 063

(07:20:45) Chapter 064

(07:23:34) Chapter 065

(07:28:10) Chapter 066

(07:31:20) Chapter 067

(07:34:01) Chapter 068

(07:42:48) Chapter 069

(07:49:22) Chapter 070

(07:54:42) Chapter 071

(07:57:19) Chapter 072

(08:02:59) Chapter 073

(08:33:19) Chapter 074

(08:45:15) Chapter 075

(09:04:04) Chapter 076

(09:21:22) Chapter 077

(09:29:16) Chapter 078

(09:43:17) Chapter 079

(09:55:11) Chapter 080

(10:02:00) Chapter 081

(10:15:11) Chapter 082

(10:29:47) Chapter 083

(11:01:14) Chapter 084

(11:07:20) Chapter 085

(11:14:44) Chapter 086

(11:22:35) Chapter 087

(11:28:25) Chapter 088

(11:37:42) Chapter 089

Max Character Limit reached

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The Hungry Tiger of Oz by Ruth Plumly Thompson ~ Full Audiobook [fantasy] Apr 18, 2025

Show notes

The Hungry Tiger of Oz by Ruth Plumly Thompson audiobook.

Genre: fantasy

When trouble brews beyond the borders of Oz, the gentle-hearted Hungry Tiger is blamed for having a fiercer nature than he truly possesses. In the tiny kingdom of Rash, the bullying Pasha Irasha the Rough is desperate for a terrifying beast to solve his overflowing prison problem, and his crafty Vizier schemes to lure Oz's most famous tiger across the desert. But the Hungry Tiger, for all his rumbling appetite, is too kind to become anyone's monster. At the same time, adventurous Betsy Bobbin and Carter Green the Vegetable Man are swept off course by odd magic and unlucky turns, only to land in Rash and be tossed into the same crowded jail. There they meet Prince Evered, called Reddy, the rightful heir with a dangerous secret and a slim chance of reclaiming his throne. Escape leads to a whirlwind quest for the three Rash Rubies, with traps, kidnappers, and strange lands in their path - including encounters with gnomes and the towering Big Wigs. Back in the Emerald City, even Princess Ozma faces an unnerving threat from Atmos Fere, a curious being from the upper air. Loyalties are tested as courage and compassion become the only true magic worth trusting.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 01

(00:15:28) Chapter 02

(00:31:14) Chapter 03

(00:46:47) Chapter 04

(01:03:17) Chapter 05

(01:15:14) Chapter 06

(01:34:27) Chapter 07

(01:43:04) Chapter 08

(01:57:24) Chapter 09

(02:13:29) Chapter 10

(02:30:03) Chapter 11

(02:42:30) Chapter 12

(02:54:01) Chapter 13

(03:02:17) Chapter 14

(03:16:24) Chapter 15

(03:29:07) Chapter 16

(03:44:59) Chapter 17

(03:57:38) Chapter 18

(04:11:04) Chapter 19

(04:23:24) Chapter 20

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The Gardener and The Burden by Rudyard Kipling ~ Full Audiobook [drama] Apr 17, 2025

Show notes

The Gardener and The Burden by Rudyard Kipling audiobook.

Genre: drama

In this paired short story and poem by Rudyard Kipling, a respectable Englishwoman, Helen Turrell, tries to live quietly and honorably while carrying a private truth she cannot share. When she becomes guardian to a boy, Michael, she builds a life around duty, discretion, and a carefully managed story the village is willing to believe. citeturn0search0 Years later, the Great War reaches into that sheltered world, and Helen is drawn into the vast, impersonal landscape of military loss and remembrance, traveling among graves and records where individual lives risk becoming numbers and names on stone. citeturn0search2 Along the way she meets other women with their own versions of waiting, shame, fear, and devotion, each searching for something that can never be fully restored. citeturn0search4 Framing and echoing the story is Kipling's poem 'The Burden,' which invokes Mary Magdalene at the tomb and meditates on the daily weight of grief, secrecy, and dread, and on the possibility of mercy strong enough to lift what human help cannot. citeturn0search2turn0search5 Together, the pieces explore how love endures inside social rules, how war reshapes private lives, and how compassion can appear in the most unexpected places. citeturn0search1

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 01

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The Arrow of Fire by Roy J. Snell ~ Full Audiobook [mystery] Apr 16, 2025

Show notes

The Arrow of Fire by Roy J. Snell audiobook.

Genre: mystery

Fresh from three years of wilderness roaming with a bow and a quiver, Johnny Thompson steps off a Great Lakes freighter into the midnight glare of Chicago and discovers that the city can be as dangerous as any far-off frontier. Within a day his pocket is picked, and the chase that follows throws him together with Drew Lane, a sharp young city detective who lives an oddly double life and answers the new radio-driven squad calls that send police cars racing through the streets. What begins as a simple arrest turns personal when Johnny is ambushed, shadowed by underworld figures, and drawn into a baffling case marked by violence, vanished clues, and a criminal with a mask-like face. As Lane teams up with seasoned Sergeant Herman McCarthey and crosses paths with the determined Joyce Mills, the investigation opens onto hidden rooms, secret passwords, and a city network of fear. Then a strange sign begins to appear: a flaming red arrow, flashing out of darkness with a message that sounds like a threat and a promise - 'Justice is an arrow of fire.' To clear his name and stop the next strike, Johnny must decide how far he is willing to follow the arrow into Chicago's shadows.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 01

(00:14:54) Chapter 02

(00:31:35) Chapter 03

(00:44:52) Chapter 04

(00:53:33) Chapter 05

(01:03:39) Chapter 06

(01:09:41) Chapter 07

(01:17:41) Chapter 08

(01:27:42) Chapter 09

(01:36:17) Chapter 10

(01:44:10) Chapter 11

(01:54:40) Chapter 12

(02:07:18) Chapter 13

(02:17:07) Chapter 14

(02:27:46) Chapter 15

(02:39:21) Chapter 16

(02:48:33) Chapter 17

(02:59:54) Chapter 18

(03:11:35) Chapter 19

(03:22:09) Chapter 20

(03:34:11) Chapter 21

(03:43:53) Chapter 22

(03:49:51) Chapter 23

(03:57:06) Chapter 24

(04:06:24) Chapter 25

(04:15:27) Chapter 26

(04:26:47) Chapter 27

(04:35:45) Chapter 28

(04:43:46) Chapter 29

(04:48:55) Chapter 30

(04:57:40) Chapter 31

(05:03:33) Chapter 32

(05:11:14) Chapter 33

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The King of the Snakes and Other Folklore Stories from Uganda by Rosetta Baskerville ~ Full Audiobook [folklore] Apr 15, 2025

Show notes

The King of the Snakes and Other Folklore Stories from Uganda by Rosetta Baskerville audiobook.

Genre: folklore

Step into a fireside world where animals speak, spirits bargain, and everyday choices ripple outward into legend. In The King of the Snakes and Other Folklore Stories from Uganda, Rosetta Baskerville gathers a vibrant set of traditional tales shaped by oral storytelling, each one carrying the beat of a spoken performance: swift openings, unforgettable characters, and lessons delivered with wit and wonder. Across these stories, clever creatures outmaneuver the strong, ordinary people stumble into the realm of the uncanny, and proud rulers - human and not - discover that power has a price. Some tales feel like origin stories, offering imaginative answers to the way the natural world behaves; others unfold as trickster contests of hunger, pride, and patience. Threaded throughout is a deep respect for communal knowledge, where proverbs and hard-won wisdom act as both warning and guide. Whether the conflict is a test of courage, a battle of cunning, or a confrontation with something monstrous in the dark, each story invites listeners to lean closer and ask: what would I do, if the King of the Snakes were listening?

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 00

(00:01:12) Chapter 01

(00:06:02) Chapter 02

(00:12:26) Chapter 03

(00:19:00) Chapter 04

(00:24:42) Chapter 05

(00:28:47) Chapter 06

(00:31:57) Chapter 07

(00:37:14) Chapter 08

(00:40:15) Chapter 09

(00:41:23) Chapter 10

(00:45:57) Chapter 11

(00:52:45) Chapter 12

(01:00:17) Chapter 13

(01:01:11) Chapter 14

(01:04:31) Chapter 15

(01:08:01) Chapter 16

(01:11:01) Chapter 17

(01:15:15) Chapter 18

(01:19:12) Chapter 19

(01:21:57) Chapter 20

(01:26:49) Chapter 21

(01:35:03) Chapter 22

(01:40:32) Chapter 23

(01:47:42) Chapter 24

(01:53:26) Chapter 25

(01:55:56) Chapter 26

(01:56:51) Chapter 27

(02:06:57) Chapter 28

(02:16:01) Chapter 29

(02:17:02) Chapter 30

(02:23:07) Chapter 31

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A Ticket to Adventure by Roy J. Snell ~ Full Audiobook [mystery] Apr 14, 2025

Show notes

A Ticket to Adventure by Roy J. Snell audiobook.

Genre: mystery

Mary Hughes has come to Anchorage, Alaska, with one goal: to trade the familiar for a pioneer life in the Matanuska Valley. Her cousin Florence is just as determined, and together with their small party of homesteaders they step into a landscape of hard labor, sudden weather, and wide-open possibility. But Alaska does not offer simplicity. A strange encounter on the docks with an unsettling little man in black, an ominous warning from a Native girl, and the sharp hostility of an unknown stranger hint that more is at stake than building a cabin and turning raw land into a home. As the girls settle in, everyday survival mixes with escalating riddles: rumors that refuse to die, messages that do not quite add up, and the sense that someone is watching their every move. Soon Mary and Florence find themselves caught up in a frontier chain of suspense - vanished property, dangerous trails, a high-stakes dash by dog team, and flights into the wilderness that promise answers but raise new questions. In a place where courage is as necessary as food, the cousins must decide what they are willing to risk for family, for justice, and for the true meaning of their ticket to adventure.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 1

(00:10:31) Chapter 2

(00:34:35) Chapter 3

(01:05:01) Chapter 4

(01:16:01) Chapter 5

(01:27:03) Chapter 6

(01:42:34) Chapter 7

(02:00:33) Chapter 8

(02:15:16) Chapter 9

(02:26:52) Chapter 10