In the early 19th century, in the Hudson Valley of New York State, hundreds of square miles of land were still the feudal domains of large landowners known as patroons. Such families as the Van Rensselaers, Livingstons, and Schuylers owned the farms...

No one goes to hell by committing sin in the abstract, sin in general. Our character traits, talents and dispositions, our experiences — everything about us points out to us a particular road to hell — one of the seven that are called the capital...

A diverse collection of short stories selected and read in English by Librivox readers. This time, we delve into the works of Ernest Hemingway, O. Henry, Sewell Ford and Stephen Leacock and others to bring you tales of mystery, poignant romance, the...

LibriVox volunteers bring you 12 recordings of When I set out for Lyonnesse by Thomas Hardy. This was the Weekly Poetry project for August 22, 2021. ------ This Weekly poem is from the collection Satires of Circumstance by Thomas Hardy (1914)....

Though blind, deaf, and left-handed too, it seemed nothing could hold Helen Keller back. For her graduation from Radcliffe College in 1903, this 23 year old idealistic, charming, ever-striving, pampered young essayist wrote: "I find myself looking...

Published anonymously in 1894, “A Superfluous Woman” quickly became one of the most widely read of the “New Woman” novels that appeared at the end of the 19th century. At the opening of the story, we find Jessamine Halliday, a pampered young...

The Consolation of Philosophy was written about 524 A.D. and has been called one of the most popular and influential books ever written. The book is presented as a dialogue between Boethius, the author, and Lady Philosophy, his tutor. Through her...

A mysterious message on a record is found sealed in a cylinder. A heroine straight out of a fairy-tale is kept secluded by a guardian with questionable motives. Add a murder, a gallant and fearless hero to the rescue and you have all the ingredients...

During the last half of the second century B.C. Rome was undisputed mistress of the civilized western world. As the British historian, Augustus Henry Beesly writes, "a brilliant period of foreign conquest had succeeded the 300 years in which she had...

Simple and unpretentious as a statement by Francis d’Assisi, yet full of a gentle modern sophistication and humour, this little work will bring delight and refreshment to all who seek flight from the heavy-laden hour. It is, moreover, one of the...

Many of us find it challenging to speak to other people, for various reasons. Some of us are afraid of being called a bore. Others are worried that we will be accused of hogging attention. Many of us simply don't know what to talk about. This book...

T. Tembarom is a young man who grew up in New York City, scraping his way by blacking shoes and selling newspapers. On day, he gets notified that he has become heir to a large estate in England with a healthy income. Though this would the the...

Twenty short nonfiction works chosen by the readers. "Not one of us actually thinks for himself, or in any orderly and scientific manner. The pressure of environment, of mass ideas, of the socialized intelligence... is too enormous to be withstood."...

LibriVox volunteers bring you 13 recordings of The Empty Room by Katharine Lee Bates. This was the Fortnightly Poetry project for December 19, 2021. ------- Best known as the author of "America the Beautiful", American professor and poet Katharine...

LibriVox volunteers bring you 11 recordings of Ceremonies For Christmas by Robert Herrick. This was the Weekly Poetry project for December 06, 2020. ------ Robert Herrick was a 17th-century English lyric poet and cleric. He is best known for...

From The Argument: “Ephesus is the metropolis of Asia. It was dedicated to Diana, whom especially they worshipped there as their great goddess. Indeed so great was the superstition of her worshippers, that when her temple was burnt, they would not...

A study In the prevalence of war in Europe from 1400 to the present day. This small book summarises historical periods of peace compared to periods of war, as concluded by consultation with other historians, and seeks to answer the question as to if...

A short, semi-autobiographical work by American humorist Mark Twain. It explores the controversy over the authorship of the Shakespearean literary canon via satire, anecdote, and extensive quotation of contemporary authors on the subject. In the...

LibriVox volunteers bring you 14 recordings of The West, by Francis Borton. This was the Fortnightly Poetry project for May 30, 2021. ------ This fortnightly poem is from "The Call of California, and other poems of the West" by Francis Borton. It...

This drama, set in Ancient Greece, was written by a Victorian lawyer who was a close friend of Charles Dickens. When collected into book format, “The Pickwick Papers” was dedicated to him. As a Member of Parliament, Sir Thomas Noon Talfourd...