Father Goriot by Honoré de BALZAC (1799 - 1850) Genre(s): Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction Read by: James E. Carson in English Chapters: 00:00:00 - 08 - 08 - Section 08 01:02:18 - 09 - 09 - Section 09 02:02:19 - 10 - 10 - Section 10 03:03:53 - 11 - 11 - Section 11 04:06:56 - 12 - 12 - Section 12 One of Balzac's most popular works, set around 1815 during the re-ascendancy of the Bourbon kings following the defeat of Napoleon. Said to have been an inspiration to Charles Dickens and Henry James as well as others, the novel seeks to portray the realism of scenes and people. It is also a commentary upon the changing social strata and mores of the day. (Summary by JCarson) More information: http://librivox.org/father-goriot-by-honore-balzac/ LibriVox - free public domain audiobooks (https://librivox.org/)

Coningsby, or The New Generation by Benjamin DISRAELI (1804 - 1881) Genre(s): Literary Fiction, Romance Read by: Nicholas Clifford in English Chapters: 00:00:00 - 01 - Pref. material 00:08:22 - 02 - Bk I, chaps. 1-2 00:36:32 - 03 - Bk. 1, chaps. 3-5 01:13:35 - 04 - Bk. I, chaps. 6-8 01:40:01 - 05 - Bk. I, chaps. 9-10 02:08:51 - 06 - Bk. I, chap. 11 02:23:40 - 07 - Bk. II, chap. 1 03:07:16 - 08 - Bk. II, chaps. 2-4 03:42:55 - 09 - Bk. II, chaps. 5-7 04:07:16 - 10 - Bk. III, chaps. 1-2 04:51:18 - 11 - Bk. III, chaps. 3-4 05:27:43 - 12 - Bk. III chap. 5; Bk. IV, chaps. 1-2 05:57:35 - 13 - Bk. IV chaps. 3-4 06:31:27 - 14 - Bk. IV, chaps. 5-6 06:59:58 - 15 - Bk. IV, chaps. 7-8 Coningsby is the first of trilogy of political novels that Disraeli published in the 1840s, and gives an insight into his views of the political turmoil following the passage of the Great Reform Bill by the Whigs in 1832 (a second Reform Bill was passed in 1867 under Disraeli's Tory leadership as prime minister). While Coningsby looks primarily at political questions, its successor -- Sybil, or the Two Nations -- was concerned with the 'condition of England' question and the growing social and economic imbalance between rich and poor that in tje writer's view was hastened (though not begun) by the industrial revolution. Granted that Disraeli was not Dickens or Trollope or Eliot or one of the other giants of British letters in the nineteenth century, it's a bit unfair to suggest (as some have) that the plots are thin and only there to provide the writer with a podium for setting forth his political and social views. It's true that Boy Meets Girl, Boy Loses Girl, Boy Gets Girl, but much else happens as well, particularly thanks to the role played by the mysterious figure of the Jewish Sidonia, who in addition to enormous wealth and widespread international connections embodies a kind of wisdom that transcends the mere knowledge acquired by even the best educated Englishmen. Coningsby, himself a product of both Eton and Cambridge, is fortunate enough to be taken under his wing, and intelligent enough to accept his guidance. (Nicholas Clifford) More information: http://librivox.org/coningsby-or-the-new-generation-by-benjamin-disraeli/ LibriVox - free public domain audiobooks (https://librivox.org/)