Seven Dead is an atmospheric crime novel by J Jefferson Farjeon first published in 1939, and now republished as part of the British Library Crime Classic Series. Seven Dead Book Synopsis With an Introduction by Martin Edwards Ted Lyte, amateur thief, has…
A graphic novel adaptation of Madeleine L’Engle’s ground-breaking science fiction and fantasy classic A Wrinkle in Time, soon to be a major motion picture. A Wrinkle in Time, The Graphic Novel Synopsis : The world already knows Meg and Charles Wallace Murry,…
An Ideal Husband in audiobook… a classic play by Oscar Wilde performed by LA Theatre Works An Ideal Husband Synopsis: A tender love story, a serpentine villainess, a glittering setting in London society, and a showering of Wildean witticism are only…
Amy Witting’s classic novel I for Isobel initially had me enthralled, the inner workings of a 9yr old mind held charm, as did Witting’s original turn of phrase. I for Isobel Synopsis ‘This was life: no sooner had you built yourself…
Under the Net, Iris Murdoch’s first novel, features Jake Donaghue and sidekicks getting into predicaments, barbed banter and deception. Under the Net Synopsis: Iris Murdoch’s first novel is set in a part of London where struggling writers rub shoulders with successful…
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James Summary The narrator is a young governess, sent off to a country house to take charge of two orphaned children. She finds a pleasant house and a comfortable housekeeper, while the children are…
The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s children’s classic (for all ages) is about our responsibility to live good lives. The Little Prince Book Synopsis Few stories are as widely read and as universally cherished by children and adults alike as The…
Evelyn Waugh’s second novel, Vile Bodies is his tribute to London’s smart set. It introduces us to society as it used to be but that now is gone forever, and probably for good. Vile Bodies Synopsis: The Bright Young Things of…
Farabeuf by Salvador Elizondo, or, ‘The Chronicle of an Instant’ is intensely absorbing but also deeply disturbing. A literary classic now available in English. Farabeuf or, The Chronicle of an Instant Synopsis: A ’60s Mexican cult masterpiece, Farabeuf is an enigmatic vision of…
Review Summary: In The Canterville Ghost, with modern prose and themes, and characters like caricatures, Oscar Wilde lampoons traditional ghost stories. The Canterville Ghost Short Synopsis: A terrifying ghost is haunting the ancient mansion of Canterville Chase, complete with creaking floorboards, clanking…
Lady Windermere’s Fan Synopsis: Oscar Wilde’s first play confronts the hypocrisy of public “morality” compared with genuine, private kindness. When it opened in 1892, Lady Windermere’s Fan was an instant success and now, more than a century later, it continues to…
Review Summary: In The Importance of Being Earnest Oscar Wilde turns the absurd and farcical into sheer brilliance. Highly recommended in audio. The Importance of Being Earnest Synopsis: This final play from the pen of Oscar Wilde is a stylish send-up…
A Room with a View by E M Forster is a satiric comedy of manners with a refreshing current of irreverence that contemporary readers will enjoy. Read on for our review and quotes from this classic novel. A Room with…
Decline and Fall, Evelyn Waugh’s first and many say funniest novel immediately caught the ear of the public with his account of an ingénu abroad in the decadent confusion of 1920s high society. Decline and Fall Synopsis Subtitled “A Novel of…
Rand’s Anthem is a short but moving exploration of the power of the words ‘we’ and ‘I’. It shows how taken to the extreme on mass each of these words can evoke singlemindness leading to oppression that could prove disastrous to mankind.
Santiago’s search for hidden treasure is presented as a metaphor for life.
Coelho introduces the concept of one’s Personal Legend, or destiny. Appealingly though, this destiny is not presented as something that will simply fall into one’s lap, but something one needs to strive for. Too often in this inspirational genre readers are given the impression that if we simply wish for something long enough with the purest of intentions, then that wish will come into being. This simple tale reminds us that anything worth having must be worked for and that one does not gain in life without first risking loss. We are also reminded that treasures can come in the form of both material objects and experiences.
