Queen Lucia by E. F. BENSON (1867 - 1940) Genre(s): Published 1900 onward Read by: Martin Clifton in English Chapters: 00:00:00 - 01 - Chapter 01 00:35:44 - 02 - Chapter 02 01:07:45 - 03 - Chapter 03 01:33:45 - 04 - Chapter 04 02:07:44 - 05 - Chapter 05 02:34:49 - 06 - Chapter 06 03:17:08 - 07 - Chapter 07 03:57:41 - 08 - Chapter 08 04:37:46 - 09 - Chapter 09 05:01:32 - 10 - Chapter 10 05:31:19 - 11 - Chapter 11 06:08:48 - 12 - Chapter 12 06:53:06 - 13 - Chapter 13 07:30:50 - 14 - Chapter 14 08:03:50 - 15 - Chapter 15 08:35:20 - 16 - Chapter 16 E. F. Benson was born at Wellington College in Berkshire, where his father, who later went on to become the Archbishop of Canterbury, was the first Headmaster. He wrote 105 books in all.Queen Lucia (first published in 1920) was the first of Benson's ‘Mapp and Lucia' novels of which there were six. This first book is a comedy of manners based in the provincial village of Riseholme, where Emmeline Lucas (the Queen Lucia of the title) presides over the social and artistic universe of the gullible residents. Her aide-de-camp in these matters is the somewhat effete Georgie Pillson and the chief competitor for her ‘crown' is Daisy Quantock. The scandal of the Guru, the psychical goings on with Princess Popoffski and the arrival into the sleepy village of a famous Prima Donna all conspire to threaten her supremacy… (summary by Martin Clifton) More information: http://librivox.org/queen-lucia-by-edward-frederic-benson/

Against The Grain, or Against Nature by Joris-Karl HUYSMANS (1848 - 1907), translated by John HOWARD ( - ) Genre(s): General Fiction Read by: Martin Geeson in English Chapters: 00:00:00 - 01 - Chapter 1 00:22:56 - 02 - Chapter 2 00:43:17 - 03 - Chapter 3 01:05:56 - 04 - Chapter 4 01:43:33 - 05 - Chapter 5 02:11:51 - 06 - Chapter 6 02:53:47 - 07 - Chapter 7 03:27:53 - 08 - Chapter 8 04:01:34 - 09 - Chapter 9 04:26:50 - 10 - Chapter 10 05:00:54 - 11 - Chapter 11 05:41:44 - 12 - Chapter 12, part one 06:11:02 - 13 - Chapter 12, part two 06:46:20 - 14 - Chapter 13 'THE BOOK THAT DORIAN GRAY LOVED AND THAT INSPIRED OSCAR WILDE'. Such is the enticing epigraph of one early translation of Huysmans' cult novel of 1884, which is also routinely called the Bible of Decadence. Accurate descriptions, both, of this bizarre masterpiece which has reverberated ever since through high and popular culture.'Against Nature' (or in this version 'Against The Grain') explores to the furthest limit the life of the world-rejecting aesthete living a reclusive existence devoted entirely to artificial paradises of his own devising. This is no solemn tract, however: the book's anti-hero Duc Jean Floressas Des Esseintes spectacularly fails to achieve his life's work, as all his attempts to create worlds of perverse experience through synaesthesia and interior decoration prove ludicrously unsatisfying and injurious to health. An innocent tortoise also falls casualty to his theories, in the wonderful fifth chapter.This is probably a novel best savoured one chapter at a time, and not only because John Howard's clunky translation makes indigestible listening. Those who can skip whole chunks without guilt would do well to avoid chapters 4, 7, 12 and 14. Revel, however, in the wonders of 5, 8, 9 and 11. Encounter the jewel-encrusted chelonian, the butch lady acrobat, the nightmarish orchids that cause the hero to exclaim 'All is Syphilis'…Alas, this translation lacks a chapter, and two brief incidents are also suppressed on account of their sexual perversity. Enjoy what remains. (Summary by Martin Geeson) More information: http://librivox.org/against-the-grain-or-against-nature-by-joris-karl-huysmans/

More William (version 2) by Richmal CROMPTON (1890 - 1969) Genre(s): Children's Fiction, General Fiction, Short Stories Read by: Tim Bulkeley, Barbara Bulkeley in English Chapters: 00:00:00 - 01 - A Busy Day 00:25:40 - 02 - Rice-Mould 00:47:23 - 03 - William's Burglar 01:07:59 - 04 - The Knight at Arms 01:20:34 - 05 - William's Hobby 01:34:17 - 06 - The Rivals 01:58:41 - 07 - The Ghost 02:15:36 - 08 - The May King 02:39:05 - 09 - The Revenge 02:56:03 - 10 - The Helper 03:15:42 - 11 - William and the Smuggler 03:44:26 - 12 - The Reform of William 04:03:18 - 13 - William and the Ancient Souls 04:20:09 - 14 - William's Christmas Eve More William is the second William collection in the much acclaimed Just William series by Richmal Crompton. It is a sequel to the book Just William. The book was first published in 1922, (Summary by Wikipedia) More information: http://librivox.org/more-william-by-richmal-crompton-2/

Through Magic Glasses and Other Lectures by Arabella B. BUCKLEY (1840 - 1929) Genre(s): Science Read by: J. M. Smallheer in English Chapters: 00:00:00 - 01 - The Magician's Chamber by Moonlight 00:30:29 - 02 - Magic Glasses and how to use them. Part 1 00:46:21 - 03 - Magic Glasses and how to use them, Part 2 01:07:47 - 04 - Fairy Rings and how they are made 01:33:57 - 05 - The Life-History of Lichens and Mosses 02:01:52 - 06 - The History of a Lava Stream 02:29:55 - 07 - An Hour with the Sun, Part 1 02:52:51 - 08 - An Hour with the Sun, Part 2 03:05:15 - 09 - An Evening among the Stars, Part 1 03:31:17 - 10 - An Evening among the Stars, Part 2 03:41:27 - 11 - Little Beings from a Miniature Ocean 04:12:20 - 12 - The Dartmoor Ponies 04:30:01 - 13 - The Magician's Dream of Ancient Days 'The present volume is chiefly intended for those of my young friends who have read, and been interested in, The Fairyland of Science. It travels over a wide field, pointing out a few of the marvellous facts which can be studied and enjoyed by the help of optical instruments. It will be seen at a glance that any one of the subjects dealt with might be made the study of a lifetime, and that the little information given in each lecture is only enough to make the reader long for more.In these days, when moderate-priced instruments and good books and lectures are so easily accessible, I hope some eager minds may be thus led to take up one of the branches of science opened out to us by magic glasses; while those who go no further will at least understand something of the hitherto unseen world which is now being studied by their help.The two last lectures wander away from this path, and yet form a natural conclusion to the Magician's lectures to his young Devonshire lads.' Arabella B. Buckley More information: http://librivox.org/through-magic-glasses-and-other-lectures-by-arabella-b-buckley/ LibriVox - free public domain audiobooks (https://librivox.org/)