Hungary during the Ottoman wars: Turks attack Buda and set up a siege of Eger.
Gergely Bornemissza is a poor half-orphan who is about to become a national hero. "Eclipse of the Crescent Moon" follows Gergely's life from the age of eight until his early thirties. His life is a vivid combination of poverty, love, battles and dangers. He is on the front line when the Turks capture Buda and later when they approach Eger. His country is in danger and so is his family. The battle is one of life or death. Will he get out of it safe or will the country remember him as a hero who sacrificed himself in the name of Hungary? What will happen to his family? Géza Gárdonyi's historical novel holds the answers.
B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new life into classic stories. He masterfully plays with a wide array of voices and accents and has since then produced over 500 audiobooks. Now in collaboration with SAGA Egmont, his engaging narration of these famous classics is available to readers everywhere.
Géza Gárdonyi was a Hungarian writer who lived in the period 1863-1922. His writing career began it the mid-1880s when he started writing for magazines and newspapers. He gained success with a work about rural life called "Gre Gábor" but he remains best known today as a historical novelist. His most famous work "Eclipse of the Crescent Moon" was published in 1899 and was voted "the most popular novel of Hungary" in 2005.
Yakov Ivanov is a seventy-year-old coffin maker and fiddler who hates Jews. Rothschild is a poor Jewish flautist, who plays in the village orchestra. When Yakov's wife, Martha, becomes seriously ill he starts building her coffin in preparation for the worst. Unfortunately, the fiddler's fears become true when his wife dies and he sinks into a deep depression. Rothschild pays Yakov a friendly visit, but what happens is not pleasant at all for the poor Jew.
How is the violinist's life going to change after his wife's death? What will happen with Rothschild when he pays the visit to Yakov? What will actually happen with the old coffin maker at the end of this story?
This short story about poorness, hatred and grief was written and published in 1894.
After Olenka Plemyannikova's father dies, she marries Ivan Kukin - the owner of the local theater. She soon takes over some of his paperwork-related roles and becomes more involved in the business. Unfortunately, Kukin dies in Moscow during one of his work-related travels. Olenka's grief does not last too long and she soon gets married to a timber yard worker named Vasily Pustovalov. They live a happily and comfortable life together, until one day Pustovalov gets sick and dies a few days later.
What is the reason behind the death of Olenka's spouses? Does it have anything to do with her or it is nothing more than bad luck? Will she get married once again after Vasily's death? Or will she give up and live alone for the rest of her life?
You can find all the answers in Chekhov's short story "The Darling".
Lieutenant-General von Rabbek is a local aristocrat, who invites the officers of the Reserve Artillery Brigade to a cup of tea with brandy. Of all the guests, Ryabovitch is the most unpleasant one. While doing his best to avoid talking to people, Ryabovitch enters a dark room, where he an unknown woman surprises him by kissing him, then running away. The unexpected kiss awakes Ryabovitch's curiosity and passion, and the man spends the rest of the evening searching for the mysterious woman.
Why does nobody like Ryabovitch? Why is he avoiding the other guests? Who was the woman that kissed him? Will he be able to find her again and what will happen if he does?
You can find all the answers in Anton Chekhov's short story "The Kiss".
While hosting a party, a banker makes a bet with one of his guests, who is a lawyer. The topic of the bet is capital punishment and whether it is worse or better than a life sentence. The banker sees the capital punishment as more humane than life imprisonment, whilst the young lawyer completely disagrees. The bet is as follows: if the lawyer spends fifteen years in complete isolation, the banker will give him two million rubles. As the years pass, the banker realizes that he will go bankrupt if he loses the bet. That is why he decides to kill the lawyer, but the note he finds shocks him.
Was did they make such a bet? Is it worth it to spending fifteen years in isolation for two million rubles? Which of the two men is right? Will the banker really kill the lawyer, or will he change his mind? How is this bet going to end?
You can find all the answers in Anton Chekhov's short story "The Bet", first published in 1889.
A desperate man wanders around the streets of St. Petersburg. His life having lost its meaning, he is determined to kill himself. Nothing matters anymore and there is no point in making his existence even more painful than it already is. He figures it would be best to shoot himself. A poor little girl crosses his path and begs for some help, but the miserable man sends her away. He goes home and takes the revolver. Then a strange thought pops up in his mind. He feels guilt for not helping the girl. He spends some hours contemplating this and trying to put his conscience to sleep. Eventually, he falls asleep and a strange dream comes up in his mind. Will he wake up a new man or will he be even more determined to end his life? Find out the answers in "The Dream of a Ridiculous Man".
B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new life into classic stories. He masterfully plays with a wide array of voices and accents and has since then produced over 500 audiobooks. Now in collaboration with SAGA Egmont, his engaging narration of these famous classics is available to readers everywhere.
Fyodor Dostoevsky was a Russian author who lived in the period 1821-1881. His literary legacy consists of many short stories, novels and essays. He used his works to depict the problems of his time. He discussed the human psychology and therefore he is considered to be the greatest psychologist in the history of literature. Dostoevsky criticized the society and the political situation of 19th-century Russia. He fearlessly wrote about Russia's revolutionaries. Through his works, he gave voice to many of his thoughts about domination and self-destruction. "Notes from the Underground", "Crime and Punishment" and "The Idiot" are but a small part of Dostoevsky's enormous literary legacy.
The narrator is under the spell of Ellis - a female vampire - who takes him on series of flights to different places, such as Paris, St. Petersburg and the Isle of Wight. At these places, he becomes a witness to various incidents and becomes involves in different situations.
Why was the narrator cursed by Ellis? Why did she take him to those places and what did she wanted to show him? What will the narrator learn from their journey? How will the story end?
Find all the answers in Turgenev's story "Phantoms" from 1863.
B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new life into classic stories. He masterfully plays with a wide array of voices and accents and has since then produced over 500 audiobooks. Now in collaboration with SAGA Egmont, his engaging narration of these famous classics is available to readers everywhere.
Ivan Turgenev (1818 -1883) is universally acknowledged as one of the towering literary presences in Russian literature. A writer of novels and short stories, his oeuvre depicts realistic, sympathetic, and often melancholic portrayals of the Russian serfdom and the aristocracy. He was also known for his popularization of Russian realism, exquisite musical quality of his prose, and memorable characters. His best-known works include the novels "Fathers and Sons" and "On the Eve", as well as the short-story collection "A Sportsman Sketches".
B.J. Harrison reads the classic by Russian writer Leo Tolstoy. Martin Avdeitch is a devoted shoemaker, who works in his basement and meets sorrow in life. His family has died, except for one son. When he faces a crisis, he turns to God to look for an answer to his hardships and find meaning in his life again. The short story "Where Love Is, God Is" from the late 19th century has been adapted to television, including the award-winning television film Winter Thaw (2016) starring John Rhys-Davies.
B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new life into classic stories. He masterfully plays with a wide array of voices and accents and has since then produced over 500 audiobooks. Now in collaboration with SAGA Egmont, his engaging narration of these famous classics is available to readers everywhere.
Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy (1828-1910), known in English as Leo Tolstoy, was a Russian writer of novels, short stories, plays and philosophical essays. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature several times. His most famous novels include the realist fiction classics "Anna Karenina" and "War and Peace." Tolstoy's works convey the Russian society of his time through diverse and often tragic characters and complex social and political issues. His works have been captured in arts throughout the decades. Film adaptations include the 2012 Anna Karenina featuring Keira Knightley, based on Tolstoy's novel.
Man against nature, Leiningen against ants. Leiningen, an owner of a plantation, gets one day warned that an army of ants is approaching his fields and that it would be smartest to leave. Leiningen is however not going to give up on his land without a fight. The ants arrive and a long and exhausting battle follows. The technology and the power of the human brain are on Leiningen's side. However the ants have a numerical superiority. Who will win this prolonged fight? Will Leiningen save his plantation or will nature be undefeated?
Find out the answers in "Leiningen vs. the Ants" by Carl Stephenson.
B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new life into classic stories. He masterfully plays with a wide array of voices and accents and has since then produced over 500 audiobooks. Now in collaboration with SAGA Egmont, his engaging narration of these famous classics is available to readers everywhere.
Carl Stephenson was a German publisher and short story writer who lived in the period 1893 - 1960. Some of his works are published under the pseudonym Stefan Sorel, but the novel for which he is still best known ´was published under his real name. "Leiningen Versus the Ants" is a story that was first published in 1938 and it was so well accepted by the public, that it was first adapted to a radio play and then later made into a Hollywood film.
Bambi is a poor little roe deer who loses his mother and suddenly has to face obstacles, which he finds hard to overcome. In the forest, dangers hides behind every tree and Bambi has to learn fast if he wants to survive. The other males in the forest harass him and human hunters lurk behind his back. Bambi will have to grow stronger and fast. Where will his adventures lead him to? Find out in the all-time-favorite "Bambi" by Felix Salten.
B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new life into classic stories. He masterfully plays with a wide array of voices and accents and has since then produced over 500 audiobooks. Now in collaboration with SAGA Egmont, his engaging narration of these famous classics is available to readers everywhere.
Felix Salten was an Austrian author who lived in the period 1869-1945. He is best known as a novelist and writer of children's books. His most popular work is the children's classic "Bambi" which was first published in 1923. The book gained Salten wide popularity and it was later adapted to films, ballets and stage productions. Felix Salten's best remembered literary legacy was so well received by the public because it was written for both children and adults alike.
Gregor Samsa is a travelling salesman who wakes up one morning to realize that he been transformed from a human being to a "monstrous vermin". He reflects back on his life, his work, his relationship with his family and his employer, and he realizes that each relationship he has been a part of has been fake. He feels responsible for his family but he does not receive any gratitude from them. The alienation is unbearable and irreversible. His life will either have to change drastically or he will stay victim of his own existential anxiety.
"The Metamorphosis" is a novel about the constant battle between the society's evil powers and every person's will to fight back.
B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new life into classic stories. He masterfully plays with a wide array of voices and accents and has since then produced over 500 audiobooks. Now in collaboration with SAGA Egmont, his engaging narration of these famous classics is available to readers everywhere.
Franz Kafka was a Czech-Austrian author who lived in the period 1883-1924. His literary legacy consists of many short stories and novels. His style is characterized by a fusion between realism, fiction and fantastic elements. The surrealistic moments in his works are used to interpret themes like existential anxiety and guilt - topics that were often discussed during his time. He depicted the problems of his time in an unusual way, which in turn made him one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. Some of his best known works are "The Metamorphosis", "The Trial" and "The Castle"; they are however but a small part of Kafka's large literary legacy.
William and Elizabeth are aboard a ship, together with their four sons, when a storm breaks out. William prays for their salvation, but this does not seem to be enough and the ship gets wrecked. The six-member family survive by finding their way to an isolated tropical island, but now they are alone and abandoned and can only survive if they stick together. They build a camp, but one of the sons is sent off to find a more permanent shelter. During his expedition, he meets a young girl named Jenny Montrose.
What was the family doing on the ship? Where were they heading to? Will they find a permanent shelter? Who is Jenny and what is she doing on the island? Is she to be the family's salvation?
Find all the answers in Johann Wyss' book "The Swiss Family Robinson" from 1812.
B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new life into classic stories. He masterfully plays with a wide array of voices and accents and has since then produced over 500 audiobooks. Now in collaboration with SAGA Egmont, his engaging narration of these famous classics is available to readers everywhere.
Johann David Wyss (1743 - 1818) was a Swiss author. He was inspired by Daniel Defoe's notorious character of Robinson Crusoe, whose adventures were of great interest to Wyss' four sons. His most popular book is "The Swiss Family Robinson", with which he wanted to teach his children an important lesson. The book was later edited by his son Johann Rudolf Wyss, who also wrote the Swiss national anthem.
After their father's death, the two brothers, Nur al-Din and Shams al-Din, agree to marry two sisters on the same day. The main idea is that Nur wants to have a son, while Shams wants to have a daughter. And so it happens. Shams al-Din has a daughter and Nur al-Din has a son - Badr al-Din. Right before he dies, Nur tells his young boy about his uncle Shams, who is still in Cairo. After the death of his father, Badr al-Din loses the approval of the sultan and must flee away.
Why did Nur and Shams come up with this plan to marry two sisters on the same day? What will the young Badr al-Din do after he finds out about his uncle? Will he try to find him? What obstacles awaits the boy?
Find all the answers in this magical and adventurous story.
Ali Baba and Cassim are two Persian brothers. Ali Baba barely manages to put food on the table for his family, while his brother lives an easy life thanks to his rich wife. One day, while chopping wood in the forest, Ali Baba sees a band of thieves laden with treasures approaching. They stop in front of a rock and the captain shouts "Open Sesame!". What happens next is pure magic. The giant rock moves to the sides and opens a portal which the thieves enter. After a few minutes they come out with empty hands, making it clear to Ali Baba that they have left their loot inside the mountain.
Who are those thieves? How is it possible for them to move a giant rock with only two words? What are they going to do with all the wealth they have hidden away? Will Ali Baba manage to steal a little bit of their gold to provide a better life for his family?
Find all the answers in this magical adventure story.
Sinbad is a poor man who works as a carrier under the regime of Harun al-Rashid. Every day, obediently, the man carries the heavy load on his head. One day he feels that fatigue taking over him, and he decides to sit and rest for a few minutes. While Sinbad rests, he sees a store full of fascinating luxuries and he thanks Allah for the beautiful sight. When the owner of the shop sees the poor man, he decides to invite him inside. When the two men gets to know each other, it turns out that the storekeeper is a former sailor like Sinbad.
Why is Sinbad so fascinated by the store he sees? What does he truly desire? How did the shop owner come to acquire such wealth and what can the poor man learn from him? Can Sinbad also become rich?
You can find all the answers in this exciting and adventurous story.
B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new life into classic stories. He masterfully plays with a wide array of voices and accents and has since then produced over 500 audiobooks. Now in collaboration with SAGA Egmont, his engaging narration of these famous classics is available to readers everywhere.
Aladdin is a boy, who lives in poverty with his mother. One day, while he is playing outside, an African magician approaches him and claims that he is Aladdin's uncle. The mysterious man tricks the boy to work for him by promising him wealthy rewards. Aladdin agrees after having gotten his mother's permission. The African man instructs the boy to enter a dark cave and fetch him an oil lamp and Aladdin jumps into the cave to finds it. However, the boy refuses to pass it to the magician before he is helped out of the cave and back into daylight. In his rage, the magician traps Aladdin inside the cave.
Who is the magician that visits Aladdin and are his intentions good? Why does he want Aladdin particularly to bring him the oil lamp? In fact, what is this lamp? Does it have any magical abilities? How is Aladdin going to escape from the trap in which he has been caught?
Do not hesitate to embark on this journey to find the answers to these exciting questions.
One day a poor fisherman finds a large and heavy chest. Caliph Harun al-Rashid buys the chest, thinking that it encloses a treasure. Instead, he finds out that it contains a woman's corpse sliced into pieces. Following this discovery, the caliph orders his vizier Ja'far, to find the murderer within three years, otherwise he will be executed. Unfortunately, due to the lack of evidence, the vizier is not able to make a proper investigation and the fatal day looms closer. But Ja'far gets lucky: right before his execution two men arrive and claim to have committed the murder.
Who is the woman in the chest? Why was she murdered in such a brutal way? Does the fisherman have anything in common with the woman? Did the two men commit the murder? If not, then who? What will happen with Ja'far and will the mystery be solved?
You can find all the answers of these question in "The Three Apples".
Edmond Dantes is falsely accused of treason on the day of his marriage. He is directly imprisoned in the fortress of If without any investigations being conducted. Edmond does not give up and he is determined to find his way out. The endpoint is the Isle of Monte Cristo which hides a great fortune. Will Dantes free himself from the imprisonment? Will he find his way back to his fiancée? Will he prove his innocence or will he die trying?
Find out the answers in one of the most famous adventure novels by Alexandre Dumas "The Count of Monte Cristo", a story inspired by a real figure.
The story of "The Three Musketeers" continues in "The Man in the Iron Mask" but the plot is even more intricate. D'Artagnan, Athos, Porthos and Aramis return to the scene but this time each of them is fighting for completely different things. D'Artagnan remains in the service of the corrupt King Louis XIV while his "brothers" try to remove him from the throne. Will the four stay loyal to each other or will the friendship be destroyed? Who is the man in the iron mask and what is his role in the story? Where is he hiding and from whom? Will all those questions be answered or will a part of the story stay shrouded in mystery?
"The physiognomy of this old woman had struck me more than once: her little green eyes, long, thin nose, the immense bouquets of flowers on her shawl, which must have been at least a hundred years old..."
Soon after Christian settles in Nuremberg, he becomes aware of some strange events occuring in the city. People keep hanging themselves from the sign of a public house after having all stayed in the same room of that very house. Determined to find out why, Christian decides to stay in the room, too. It faces a house on the opposite side of the street, in the window of which sits an eerie-looking woman. Could she have anything to do with the deaths?
Creepy and mysterious, 'The Invisible Eye' is a brilliant short story for anyone in the mood to be spooked. Hanns Heinz Ewers' equally excellent 'The Spider' (1908) was based on this Erckmann-Chatrian tale.
B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new life into classic stories. He masterfully plays with a wide array of voices and accents and has since then produced over 500 audiobooks. Now in collaboration with SAGA Egmont, his engaging narration of these famous classics is available to readers everywhere.
Emile Erckmann (1822-1899) and Alexandre Chatrian (1826-1890) began their writing partnership in the 1840s and wrote together for nearly fifty years. At their most popular, they were known as "The Twins".
Poor little Christine's father dies and she is left to be raised by a protective angel in the Paris Opera House. After some time she begins hearing a voice who teaches her how to sing. Christine grows to be a magnificent singer with a beautiful voice. One day her childhood friend visits the Opera and he falls in love with her. The phantom who taught Christine to sing and who was imperceptibly by her side, gets jealous and things go out of control. What will happen to Christine and her friend? Who is this phantom and what does he want from the girl? Find out in Gaston Leroux's "The Phantom of the Opera".
B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new life into classic stories. He masterfully plays with a wide array of voices and accents and has since then produced over 500 audiobooks. Now in collaboration with SAGA Egmont, his engaging narration of these famous classics is available to readers everywhere.
Gaston Leroux was a French writer who lived in the period 1868-1927. He was a journalist and author of detective fiction, but he is known to have written some mysteries as well. His first novel was "The Mystery of the Yellow Room" from 1907, which was well accepted by the critics, but didn't gain him wide popularity. His most famous work is "The Phantom of the Opera" which was published in 1910, which became very famous after it was made into a silent film in 1925.
Three young men are caught by a storm and are offered shelter by a strange man. Something about him is very disturbing and they are about to find out what it is. Their host claims that he has made a pact with the Devil and can't get himself out of the deal. Is he going crazy or he is telling the truth? If it is the truth, can the three visitors help the poor man? Find out in Leroux's "In Letters of Fire".
B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new life into classic stories. He masterfully plays with a wide array of voices and accents and has since then produced over 500 audiobooks. Now in collaboration with SAGA Egmont, his engaging narration of these famous classics is available to readers everywhere.
Gaston Leroux was a French writer who lived in the period 1868-1927. He was a journalist and author of detective fiction, but he is known to have written some mysteries as well. His first novel was "The Mystery of the Yellow Room" from 1907, which was well accepted by the critics, but didn't gain him wide popularity. His most famous work is "The Phantom of the Opera" which was published in 1910, which became very famous after it was made into a silent film in 1925.
The Baron d'Etraille witnesses a disturbing scene at a party between his own wife and another young man. D'Etraille decides that they have to separate, so he leaves the baroness and heads out on a long journey. He spends almost six years wandering around from one place to another, not knowing what is happening with his wife. Eventually, he returns to Paris but a month later he catches such a bad cough that he is sent to Nice for the rest of the winter. The Baron d'Etraille gets on the train to Nice and there he sees a gorgeous young woman who takes his breath away.
B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new life into classic stories. He masterfully plays with a wide array of voices and accents and has since then produced over 500 audiobooks. Now in collaboration with SAGA Egmont, his engaging narration of these famous classics is available to readers everywhere.
Guy de Maupassant was a French author who lived in the period 1850-1893. He is best known for his short stories but he also wrote novels, travel books and poems. His work depicts human lives and social conditions, but often through a pessimistic point of view. His first publication "The Dumpling" (1880) is considered to be one of his masterpieces. Other works by Guy de Maupassant include "Mother Savage", "Bel-Ami" and "The Tellier House". He wrote over 300 short stories during lifetime and as such is called "the father of the modern short story".
A man's beloved woman suddenly dies of pneumonia. He cannot cope with the loss and spends a whole night wandering around the cemetery searching for her. However, what he finds and sees there is far from what he expected.
Would you feel fear after reading "Was It A Dream?"? Then it may be interesting for you to find out what the characters in Maupassant's short story "Fear" have to say about it as well.
B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new life into classic stories. He masterfully plays with a wide array of voices and accents and has since then produced over 500 audiobooks. Now in collaboration with SAGA Egmont, his engaging narration of these famous classics is available to readers everywhere.
Guy de Maupassant was a French author who lived in the period 1850-1893. He is best known for his short stories but he also wrote novels, travel books and poems. His work depicts human lives and social conditions, but often through a pessimistic point of view. His first publication "The Dumpling" (1880) is considered to be one of his masterpieces. Other works by Guy de Maupassant include "Mother Savage", "Bel-Ami" and "The Tellier House". He wrote over 300 short stories during lifetime and as such is called "the father of the modern short story".
