Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, Part 1 (Chapters 1-10)—the beginning of Wilde's only novel about a beautiful young man who sells his soul to preserve his youth while his portrait ages and reflects his moral corruption. Narrated by Bob Neufeld with full subtitles and background music.

📖 About This Part

This first part introduces Dorian Gray, a strikingly beautiful young man who becomes the subject of a portrait by artist Basil Hallward. When Dorian meets Lord Henry Wotton, Basil's cynical friend, he becomes captivated by Lord Henry's philosophy of new hedonism—that beauty and sensory fulfillment are life's only worthy pursuits. Influenced by this worldview, Dorian wishes his portrait would age instead of him. When his wish is mysteriously granted, his descent into moral corruption begins, with the portrait bearing the marks of each sin while Dorian remains eternally youthful.

📖 About the Work

The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890, revised 1891) is Oscar Wilde's only published novel, a work of gothic fiction with strong Faustian themes. The story explores beauty, morality, hedonism, and the consequences of living without ethical constraints. Wilde's philosophical wit and provocative ideas about art and life made the novel controversial upon publication, yet it has become a classic of English literature and a profound meditation on vanity, corruption, and the soul.

✍️ About Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) was an Irish poet, playwright, and novelist known for his wit, flamboyant style, and advocacy of aestheticism. His works—including The Importance of Being Earnest, Lady Windermere's Fan, and numerous essays—made him one of the most celebrated literary figures of late Victorian England. The Picture of Dorian Gray remains his most famous prose work and a defining text of the Aesthetic Movement.

🎙️ Narration

Bob Neufeld brings engaging narration to Wilde's philosophical gothic tale, with full on-screen subtitles and background music—perfect for Wilde enthusiasts, fans of gothic literature, and those interested in Victorian decadence and moral philosophy.

🎥 Complete Novel on YouTube:
Watch Part 2 (Chapters 11-20) and experience the full novel: youtube.com/c/Chillbooks

📘 At Chillbooks, we present fully subtitled audiobooks of classic literature, philosophy, and historical texts.

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Niccolò Machiavelli's The Art of War—a comprehensive military treatise on warfare, tactics, and the role of the citizen-soldier. The only book Machiavelli published during his lifetime, presenting strategic wisdom through dialogue. Translated by Henry Neville, narrated by Clive Catterall with full subtitles and background music.

📖 About the Work

The Art of War (1521) was the only book Machiavelli published during his lifetime and one he considered among his finest achievements. Structured as dialogues between the fictional military leader Lord Fabrizio Colonna and others in Florence's Orti Oricellari gardens, the work develops themes from The Prince and Discourses. Machiavelli explores military organization, tactics, the dangers of standing armies, limited warfare as an extension of politics, and psychological warfare. His central aim: "To honor and reward virtue, not to have contempt for poverty, to esteem military discipline, to constrain citizens to love one another, to live without factions, to esteem less the private than the public good." This Henry Neville translation (1675) was published when The Art of War remained a practical military manual and standard text for three hundred years.

✍️ About Niccolò Machiavelli

Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527) was an Italian Renaissance political philosopher, historian, and diplomat best known for The Prince. His works on politics, warfare, and statecraft profoundly influenced Western political thought. Though The Prince made him infamous for advocating pragmatic (sometimes ruthless) political action, The Art of War reveals his broader vision of civic virtue, military discipline, and republican values.

🎙️ Narration & Translation

Clive Catterall brings clear narration to Henry Neville's 1675 translation, with full on-screen subtitles and background music—perfect for students of military history, political science, Renaissance thought, and strategic studies.

📚 Timestamps

• 00:00 – The Art of War by Niccolò Machiavelli
• 00:04 – Preface
• 04:49 – Book 1
• 1:15:35 – Book 2
• 2:39:54 – Book 3
• 3:38:22 – Book 4
• 4:15:05 – Book 5
• 4:55:58 – Book 6
• 6:00:14 – Book 7

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📘 At Chillbooks, we present fully subtitled audiobooks of classic literature, philosophy, and historical texts.

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Johan Bojer's The Last of the Vikings—a Norwegian novel about the Myran family of fishermen facing the dangers of winter fishing in Lofoten, exploring tensions between tradition and progress, coastal life and inland safety. Translated by Jessie Muir, narrated by Katherine Engan with full subtitles and Norse-themed background music.

📖 About the Work

The Last of the Vikings follows the Myran family living in a small village on Norway's northern coast. The father, a fisherman revered by his eldest son as godlike on the sea, risks his life each winter in the treacherous Lofoten fishing grounds. The mother lives in constant fear of losing loved ones to storms and waves, longing to move inland away from the coast's dangers. The novel explores tensions between coastal and inland life, poverty and wealth, and tradition versus progress, while depicting the dramatic highs and lows of a winter fishing season. Bojer's vivid portrayal captures the harsh realities and enduring spirit of Norwegian fishing communities.

✍️ About Johan Bojer

Johan Bojer (1872–1959) was a popular Norwegian novelist and dramatist who wrote principally about the lives of poor farmers and fishermen in Norway and among Norwegian immigrants in the United States. His realistic depictions of working-class life earned him five nominations for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Bojer's works celebrate the resilience and dignity of ordinary people facing extraordinary hardships.

🎙️ Narration & Translation

Katherine Engan brings authentic narration to Jessie Muir's translation, with full on-screen subtitles and Norse-themed background music—perfect for fans of Norwegian literature, Scandinavian culture, maritime fiction, and stories about resilience and family bonds.

🎥 Watch on YouTube:
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📘 At Chillbooks, we present fully subtitled audiobooks of classic literature, philosophy, and historical texts.

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E.T.A. Hoffmann's The Nutcracker and the Mouse King—the original 1816 dark fantasy tale that inspired Tchaikovsky's famous ballet. A Christmas story of magic, battle, and transformation. Narrated by Sandra Cullum with Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite performed by Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra.

📖 About the Work

The Nutcracker and the Mouse King (1816) is E.T.A. Hoffmann's original story that later inspired Tchaikovsky's beloved ballet. Far darker and stranger than most adaptations, Hoffmann's tale follows young Marie Stahlbaum, who receives a nutcracker doll on Christmas Eve. When the clock strikes midnight, toys come alive and the Nutcracker leads an army against the villainous Mouse King. The story weaves between reality and fantasy, including the elaborate "Tale of the Hard Nut" that explains the Nutcracker's curse. Hoffmann, a master of weird and horror fiction, creates an enchanting yet unsettling Christmas fantasy that explores themes of loyalty, transformation, and the power of belief.

✍️ About E.T.A. Hoffmann

Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann (1776–1822) was a German Romantic author, composer, and artist known for his fantastical tales blending the supernatural with psychological insight. His stories influenced the development of fantasy literature and inspired works including Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker ballet, Offenbach's opera The Tales of Hoffmann, and numerous other adaptations. Hoffmann excelled at creating unsettling, magical narratives that blur the boundaries between dream and reality.

🎙️ Narration & Music

Sandra Cullum brings engaging narration to Hoffmann's original tale, accompanied by Tchaikovsky's iconic Nutcracker Suite performed by Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra—perfect for Christmas enthusiasts, ballet lovers, fantasy literature fans, and those seeking the darker original story behind the famous ballet.

📚 Timestamps

• 00:00 – Happy Holidays!
• 00:17 – Chapter 1: Christmas Eve
• 06:44 – Chapter 2: The Gifts
• 15:49 – Chapter 3: The Favorite
• 24:39 – Chapter 4: Wonders Upon Wonders
• 43:26 – Chapter 5: The Battle
• 53:20 – Chapter 6: The Sickness
• 1:03:28 – Chapter 7: The Story of the Hard Nut
• 1:17:50 – Chapter 8: The Story of the Hard Nut Continued
• 1:29:02 – Chapter 9: Conclusion of the Story of the Hard Nut
• 1:46:33 – Chapter 10: The Uncle and Nephew
• 1:54:00 – Chapter 11: The Victory
• 2:10:24 – Chapter 12: The Puppet Kingdom
• 2:20:36 – Chapter 13: The Capital
• 2:37:25 – Chapter 14: The Conclusion

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📘 At Chillbooks, we present fully subtitled audiobooks of classic literature, philosophy, and historical texts.

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📘 Enjoy this Chillbooks edition of The Tempest, abridged in 20 minutes from "Tales from Shakespeare" by Chris and Mary Lamb - audiobook with relaxing music, narrated by Karen Savage.

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Tales form Shakespeare

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The following Tales are meant to be submitted to the young reader as an introduction to the study of Shakespeare, for which purpose his words are used whenever it seemed possible to bring them in; and in whatever has been added to give them the regular form of a connected story, diligent care has been taken to select such words as might least interrupt the effect of the beautiful English tongue in which he wrote: therefore, words introduced into our language since his time have been as far as possible avoided. (from the Author's Preface)

📘 Narrated by Karen Savage

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- Librivox book page: https://librivox.org/tales-from-shakespeare-by-charles-and-mary-lamb/

- Librivox reader page: https://librivox.org/reader/103

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📘 Chapter List

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0:00:00 Tales from Shakespeare by Chris and Mary Lamb

0:00:11 The Tempest

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Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (1818 original edition)—the groundbreaking Gothic novel about scientist Victor Frankenstein who creates life, with tragic consequences. Written when Shelley was 18, this is the first edition text. Narrated by Cori Samuel with full subtitles and background music.

📖 About the Work

Frankenstein (1818) is a novel by Mary Shelley about Victor Frankenstein, a scientist who learns to create life and fashions a being larger and more powerful than an average human. The creature, abandoned by its creator and shunned by society, becomes increasingly bitter and vengeful. Often considered the first science fiction novel, Frankenstein blends Gothic horror with Romantic philosophy while warning against the dangers of unchecked scientific ambition—the "over-reaching" of modern humanity alluded to in its subtitle referencing Prometheus. The story explores themes of creation, responsibility, isolation, and what it means to be human, raising ethical questions still relevant today.

✍️ About Mary Shelley

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1797–1851) was a British novelist who wrote Frankenstein at age 18 during the summer of 1816 while staying with Lord Byron in Switzerland. The daughter of philosopher William Godwin and feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, Shelley created a work that would spawn an entire genre of horror and science fiction. First published anonymously in 1818, the novel has profoundly influenced literature, film, and popular culture for over two centuries.

🎙️ Narration

Cori Samuel brings compelling narration to the original 1818 edition, with full on-screen subtitles and background music—perfect for Gothic literature fans, science fiction enthusiasts, and those exploring the origins of horror and sci-fi genres.

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📘 At Chillbooks, we present fully subtitled audiobooks of classic literature, philosophy, and historical texts.

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Albert Einstein's Sidelights on Relativity—two lectures explaining aspects of Einstein's revolutionary theories of relativity in accessible language. "Ether and Relativity" and "Geometry and Experience" offer insight into 20th-century physics' most profound shift. Narrated by Paul Adams with full subtitles and background music.

📖 About the Work

Sidelights on Relativity contains two landmark addresses by Albert Einstein outlining aspects of his revolutionary theories. "Ether and Relativity" (1920), delivered at the University of Leyden, discusses the properties demanded of the ether of space by the theory of relativity. "Geometry and Experience" (1921), given at the Prussian Academy of Sciences, describes the limits of Euclidean geometry in connection with the concept of a finite universe. Both lectures express elegant ideas in simple prose without complicated equations or abstruse terminology, offering scientists and laypeople unparalleled insight into Einstein's seminal thinking that transformed our understanding of space, time, and gravity.

📖 About Einstein's Theories

In 1905, Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity revolutionized physics by discarding absolute motion in favor of relative motion within a four-dimensional space-time continuum. Around 1915, his General Theory of Relativity offered a new solution to gravitation, postulating the non-Euclidean character of space-time. Together, these theories solved unresolved difficulties of classical mechanics and paved the way for 20th-century physics advances.

✍️ About Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein (1879–1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of relativity, one of the two pillars of modern physics (alongside quantum mechanics). His work fundamentally changed our understanding of space, time, gravity, and the universe. Einstein received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics and remains one of history's most influential scientists.

🎙️ Narration

Paul Adams brings clear narration to Einstein's accessible lectures, with full on-screen subtitles and background music—perfect for physics enthusiasts, students of relativity, science history buffs, and anyone interested in understanding Einstein's revolutionary ideas.

📚 Timestamps

• 00:00 – Part 1: Ether and the Theory of Relativity
• 26:25 – Part 2: Geometry and Experience

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📘 At Chillbooks, we present fully subtitled audiobooks of classic literature, philosophy, and historical texts.

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📘 Enjoy this Chillbooks edition of The Prince" by Niccolo Machiavelli, Full Audiobook with relaxing chillhop lofi hip hop music, narrated by Bob Neufeld.

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- Special thanks to Bob Neufeld: Librivox: https://librivox.org/reader/3912

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The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli

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The Prince (Italian: Il Principe) is a political treatise by the Italian diplomat, historian and political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli. From correspondence a version appears to have been distributed in 1513, using a Latin title, De Principatibus (About Principalities). But the printed version was not published until 1532, five years after Machiavelli's death. This was done with the permission of the Medici pope Clement VII, but "long before then, in fact since the first appearance of the Prince in manuscript, controversy had swirled about his writings". (Summary by Wikipedia)

Genre(s): Philosophy, Political Science

Language: English

⚖️ License information:

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- All footage featured in this video is licensed through Envato and Pexels.

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- Librivox recordings are in the public domain

📘 Thanks to Librivox:

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Librivox: Acoustical liberation of books in the public domain.

Support them here: https://librivox.org

~ Do you like lofi hip hop audiobooks? let me know in the comments!

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William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet—the timeless tragedy of two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths reconcile their feuding families. One of Shakespeare's most performed plays and the archetypal story of romantic love. Narrated by Sam Stinson with full subtitles and background music.

📖 About the Work

Romeo and Juliet is Shakespeare's early tragedy about two teenagers from feuding Verona families—the Montagues and Capulets—who fall deeply in love despite their families' bitter hatred. Their secret marriage and desperate attempts to be together lead to a series of misunderstandings and tragic deaths that ultimately unite the warring households. Written in the 1590s, the play has been highly praised for its language, dramatic structure, and emotional power. It remains one of Shakespeare's most frequently performed works and has profoundly influenced depictions of romantic love in literature, theater, and film for over four centuries.

✍️ About William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was an English playwright and poet widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language. His works—including tragedies like Hamlet, Othello, and Macbeth; comedies like A Midsummer Night's Dream; and histories—have shaped world literature. Romeo and Juliet, along with Hamlet, remains one of his most popular and frequently performed plays.

🎙️ Narration

Sam Stinson brings engaging narration to Shakespeare's classic tragedy, with full on-screen subtitles and background music—perfect for Shakespeare enthusiasts, students of English literature, theater lovers, and anyone drawn to the ultimate story of tragic romance.

📚 Timestamps

• 00:00 – Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
• 00:11 – Preface
• 01:07 – Act I
• 44:27 – Act II
• 1:28:03 – Act III
• 2:20:03 – Act IV
• 2:47:06 – Act V

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📘 At Chillbooks, we present fully subtitled audiobooks of classic literature, philosophy, and historical texts.

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