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Title: Classic Robert Louis Stevenson Dramas Starring Laurence Olivier and Robert Donat, Volume 1

Author: Theatre Royal, Robert Louis Stevenson

Narrator: Laurence Olivier, Robert Donat

Format: Original Recording

Length: 1 hr

Language: English

Release date: 04-22-11

Publisher: Heritage Media Ltd

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Fully restored and remastered, Heritage Media presents the greatest of vintage artists in classic dramas from Robert Louis Stevenson. Here is the legendary Laurence Olivier starring in Markheim and 'Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' adapted from the original tales by Robert Louis Stevenson and the legendary Robert Donat, starring in 'Sire de Maltroit's Door' adapted from the original tale by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Theatre Royal is a unique series of classic radio dramas produced in the 1950s by the late Harry Alan Towers. Starring the leading theatre artists of the day it is the only series of radio dramas in which Laurence Olivier ever appeared. He was joined by Ralph Richardson, John Gielgud, Orson Welles, Robert Morley, John Mills, Michael Redgrave, Trevor Howard, Robert Donut, Alec Guinness and Margaret Lockwood.

Over the Years, Theatre Royal has received a glittering array of accolades, including: vivid, tense, and compressed.( Classic radio)

Craft, like character, ages well.(Daily Telegraph)

Great fun to listen to and, as radio history, they are unsurpassed. (Sunday Telegraph)

Voices like these justify the Golden Days tag. We won't hear their like again. (Sunday Times)

A must for archive fans. The excitement of vintage radio drama with strong storylines. (Radio Times.)

Editorial Reviews:

Great actors. Great writer. Great radio dramas.

Sir Laurence Olivier, one of the English stages greatest voices, and the legendary Robert Donat, lead an extraordinary company in sterling performances in works adapted from Robert Louis Stevenson. These fully restored and remastered Theatre Royal 1950s radio dramas showcase Lord Oliviers range and brilliance in Stevensons tales of good and evil "Markheim", and "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" - while Donat shines in "Sire de Maltroits Door", with its choice between marriage and death.

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Title: Classic English and Scottish Dramas Starring Ralph Richardson and John Mills, Volume 1

Author: Theatre Royal, W. Somerset Maugham, J. M. Barrie

Narrator: Ralph Richardson

Format: Original Recording

Length: 40 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-22-11

Publisher: Heritage Media Ltd

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Fully restored and remastered, Heritage Media presents the greatest of vintage artists in classic dramas from English and Scottish Literature. Here is the legendary Ralph Richardson starring in The Colonel's Daughter, adapted from the original tale by Somerset Maugham and Ralph Richardson starring in 'Half an Hour' adapted from the original tale by J. M. Barrie.

Theatre Royal is a unique series of classic radio dramas produced in the 1950s by the late Harry Alan Towers. Starring the leading theatre artists of the day it is the only series of radio dramas in which Laurence Olivier ever appeared. He was joined by Ralph Richardson, John Gielgud, Orson Welles, Robert Morley, John Mills, Michael Redgrave, Trevor Howard, Robert Donut, Alec Guinness and Margaret Lockwood.

Over the Years, Theatre Royal has received a glittering array of accolades, including: vivid, tense, and compressed.( Classic radio)

Craft, like character, ages well.(Daily Telegraph)

Great fun to listen to and, as radio history, they are unsurpassed. (Sunday Telegraph)

Voices like these justify the Golden Days tag. We won't hear their like again. (Sunday Times)

A must for archive fans. The excitement of vintage radio drama with strong storylines. (Radio Times.)

Editorial Reviews:

A treat for lovers of classic British drama, this volume of the Theatre Royal anthology series includes lion of the English stage and screen Ralph Richardson performing adaptations of "The Colonel's Lady" by Somerset Maugham and "Half an Hour" by J. M. Barrie. Both stories are moving portraits of marriages, each unhappy, and Richardson puts his versatility to great use playing the two husbands. His dramatic timing is unerring, and he creates a real sense of tension alongside the other classic actors. The inclusion of original music and announcements adds to the delightfully old-fashioned flavor.

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Title: Classic English and Irish Dramas Starring Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud, Volume 4

Author: Theatre Royal, Graham Greene, Max Beerbohm

Narrator: Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud

Format: Original Recording

Length: 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-22-11

Publisher: Heritage Media Ltd

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Fully restored and remastered, Heritage Media presents the greatest of vintage artists in classic dramas from English and Irish Literature. Here is the legendary Laurence Olivier starring in When Greek Meets Greek, adapted from the original tale by Graham Greene and John Gielgud starring in 'The Happy Hypocrite' adapted from the original tale by Max Beerbohm.

Theatre Royal is a unique series of classic radio dramas produced in the 1950s by the late Harry Alan Towers. Starring the leading theatre artists of the day it is the only series of radio dramas in which Laurence Olivier ever appeared. He was joined by Ralph Richardson, John Gielgud, Orson Welles, Robert Morley, John Mills, Michael Redgrave, Trevor Howard, Robert Donut, Alec Guinness and Margaret Lockwood.

Over the Years, Theatre Royal has received a glittering array of accolades, including: vivid, tense, and compressed.( Classic radio)

Craft, like character, ages well.(Daily Telegraph)

Great fun to listen to and, as radio history, they are unsurpassed. (Sunday Telegraph)

Voices like these justify the Golden Days tag. We won't hear their like again. (Sunday Times)

A must for archive fans. The excitement of vintage radio drama with strong storylines. (Radio Times.)

Editorial Reviews:

The Theatre Royal series compiles classic radio programs from the 1950s, and this volume showcases work by such luminaries as Oscar Wilde and Graham Greene. The quality of text is matched by the caliber of performer, as legendary actors Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud lend their golden pipes and interpretive talent to give these stories a living, breathing vividness. It is rare for there to be such a perfect marriage between a work and its performers, and this collection is a thrilling example of the golden age of radio.

Members Reviews:

Awful sound

I had to stop listening because of the blaring sound. It made my ears hurt :-(

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Title: Wuthering Heights

Author: Emily Bronte

Narrator: Hannah Gordon

Format: Abridged

Length: 2 hrs and 23 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-01-11

Publisher: The Copyright Group

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

The year in 1801. In this section, all the principal characters are introduced. Mr Lockwood, the new tenant of Thrushcross Grange, arrives at Wuthering Height to meet his landlord, Heathcliff. The next day, he encounters Hareton, the orphaned son of Hindley Earnshaw, and Heathcliffs daughter-in-law, Cathy Linton. During the night, Lockwood is disturbed by the vexed ghost of Cathys mother, Catherine - the storys heroine- at the window. Lockwoods cries of terror alert Heathcliff and the section ends with a distraught Heathcliff begging his beloved Catherine to return to him.

Members Reviews:

narrator makes a difference

I struggled through 3 or 4 other narrated versions of the book before settling on this one. This narrator was very readily understood and though a bit melodramatic at times, was quite enjoyable to hear and easily followed. The story was unrepentantly grim and the human associations a bit hard to keep up with in my mind. It would probably help to have a hard copy for reference. It's hard to hear a tale with so little happiness, but not all of life is pleasant and some lives are less so in general than others. I do much prefer the old English language and phraseology over today's unintelligent monosyllabic pedancy. It's hard not to feel more intelligent after putting one's mind to harder fare. I would definitely recommend.

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Title: The Forsyte Chronicles: Part Two: A Modern Comedy (Dramatised)

Author: John Galsworthy

Narrator: Amanda Redman, Gary Bond, Belinda Lang

Format: Original Recording

Length: 6 hrs and 39 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-09-11

Publisher: BBC Worldwide Limited

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

A Radio 4 dramatisation of John Galsworthys second absorbing trilogy about the lives and loves of the Forsytes, with a star cast including Amanda Redman, Gary Bond, and Belinda Lang.

A Modern Comedy is a gripping dramatisation of Galsworthys three classic books following the fortunes of the Forsytes throughout the Roaring Twenties.

The White Monkey starts with Fleur married to Michael Mont and playing the role of society wife but dissatisfied and unfulfilled. Her attempts to find happiness lead to trouble and she must turn to Soames for help....

The Silver Spoon centres around a controversial libel action that sees Fleur pitted against spiteful socialite Marjorie Ferrar. Soon her husband, Michael, and father Soames are also dragged into the damaging court case.

Swan Song sees lost loves reunited as Fleur and Jon meet after seven years apart. Their passion is reignited but Jon is married and his wife, Anne, will not give up without a fight. Meanwhile, disaster strikes as Soames tries to save his beloved paintings from a fire.

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Title: The Forsyte Chronicles: Part Three: The End of the Chapter (Dramatised)

Author: John Galsworthy

Narrator: Dorothy Tutin, Sophie Thompson, John Moffatt

Format: Original Recording

Length: 6 hrs and 40 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-09-11

Publisher: BBC Worldwide Limited

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

A Radio 4 dramatisation of John Galsworthys gripping trilogy that concludes the Forsyte Saga, featuring a star cast including Sophie Thompson, Dorothy Tutin, John Moffatt, and Miranda Foster.

The End of the Chapter is an adaptation of Galsworthys three novels chronicling the lives of the Cherrells, cousins of the Forsytes.

Maid in Waiting starts in 1928, with the Cherrell family facing turmoil. Captain Ferse has returned from a mental institution but is he truly recovered? Meanwhile, Dinny Cherrell is fighting to save her brother Hubert from a murder charge that could see him extradited to Bolivia and she has matters of the heart to preoccupy her too.

Flowering Wilderness sees Dinny, the onetime maid in waiting, deeply in love with an old family friend. But soon she and Wilfred start to feel the pressure on their relationship. Will Wilfred stand and fight?

In One More River, newly elected MP Mr Dornford is smitten with Dinny Cherrell, and a society divorce scandal shocks the whole family. The outcome is to leave Dinny in a quandary. Can she finally find the happiness she deserves?

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Title: Utopia

Author: Sir Thomas More, Gilbert Burnet (translator)

Narrator: Simon Prebble

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 11 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-08-11

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 55 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

The details of More's utopian society, such as the permissibility of euthanasia and comments on chastity in the priesthood combine with proposals for the coexistence of varied religions to put forth a work that incorporates the totality of More's religious, sociological, and philosophical talents. This version of Utopia is the translation by Bishop Gilbert Burnet.

Members Reviews:

Good re-enacment of a Classic!

This Classic is vividly communicated by Prebble. The work is a philosophico-political treatise and so weighted with ideas, terminologies, and interpretations of its given context. Prebble, nonetheless, makes it bearable.

An Historical Curiosity

This is an incredibly difficult book to review.

On it's own merits, it's not great, but it does make you think, given the comparison and contrast between the ills of society as presented in book 1 and the society of the Utopians as presented in book 2. It's a classic discourse of Humanist argument, contrasting the points of view that would have been prominent at the time. As a comparison with our modern society, it's interesting in and of itself, made somewhat ironic in that the Utopians live in the "New World" that had only recently been discovered.

Taking into account the historical time and place, the new and potentially bright reign of Henry VIII (years before Anne Boleyn entered the picture), and the fact that England was just entering the Renaissance after the rest of the Europe had developed it for 100 years (give or take a decade or two), this book becomes an historical curiosity. This is compounded by the personality, service, and devotion of Thomas More, both to his king and to the Church. History does not record why More wrote the book, and many of the ideas in it are not only alien to Medieval/Renaissance Europe and England, they are in complete contrast with everything we know of More himself. In my eyes, this kicks the book's interest level up a notch. The more you know of the history and the personalities of the age, the more of an anomaly this book becomes, made even more ironic by the infamous events leading to More's execution and the Reformation that swept Europe. The level of how much seriousness vs. how much satire is involved is a topic of debate that continues to this day amongst scholars, and it's easy to see why. The more of an enthusiast or scholar you are for this sort of thing will certainly determine how much you get out of it.

Clearly written by a man.

I'm no women's liberationist but the some of the ideas in this book are so ridiculous I cannot understand how it has survived the centuries and remains popular enough to be cited in popular media (like movies).

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Title: The Aspern Papers (BBC Radio 4: Book at Bedtime)

Author: Henry James

Narrator: Samuel West

Format: Original Recording

Length: 1 hr and 36 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-01-11

Publisher: BBC Worldwide Limited

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

A BBC Radio 4 Book at Bedtime recording of Samuel West reading from the novella The Aspern Papers by Henry James, set against the decaying grandeur of Venice. Originally broadcast 26 April - 4 May 2010.

Henry James took as inspiration for this tale the story of a mistress of Byron's who outlived the poet into lonely old age. He transposed the setting to Venice and cast the city he loved as a character in a taut narrative of literary theft and deception.

The lure of previously unseen papers relating to the long-dead poet, Jeffrey Aspern, brings one of his literary editors to Venice in the grip of an obsession. He broaches the palazzo of Aspern's ancient and discarded lover, Miss Juliana Bordereau, and deceives her fluttering middle-aged niece, Miss Tina, into believing he wants to lodge with them in order to cultivate the garden - all in his quest to secure the elusive letters and papers.

Read by Samuel West. Abridged and produced by Christine Hall.

Members Reviews:

Little Known but Great Novella

There is no doubt that Henry James's reputation as a master is well-deserved. This novella is a little masterpiece of mood, characterization, and atmosphere. Venice is described beautifully in just a few paragraphs scattered throughout. And the characters are wonderful. For those who want an introduction to James, this and perhaps also "Washington Square" are the stories to read. His precise language and knowledge of human beings is very nearly unsurpassed.

A Wonderful, Terrible Tale

The two previous reviewers have superbly praised the quality of this spoken word production -- it is flawless. The story itself is perhaps my all-time favourite tale by Henry James -- although I am also partial to THE SACRED FOUNT. I love when James is strange -- and this tale of obsession is very weird. It effects different people in a diversity of ways. Sheldon M. Novick, in his fascinating if eccentric two-volume biography of James, writes rather stuffily of the story thus:

"The story was a cruel joke, and it concerned people who were still living; but the story was a great success. The atmosphere of Venice is beautifully evoked, much of the action occurs in an improbably garden, and narrator's evil deception is at home in the atmosphere of mingled innocence and corruption."

I recently purchased, from Amazon, the excellent DVD of James's tales, AFFAIRS OF THE HEART, and "The Aspern Papers" was one of the tales featured. This televised production shewed the real tragedy of the tale, the fate of poor Miss Tita, to whom was waved a phantom promise of romance, merely to have the spectral promise sink from view, like the clothes of Constance that James tried to drown after her unspeakable suicide (if such her death may be proclaimed). This magnificent story is so much more than a "cruel joke," as Novick unimaginatively complains. It is human drama of a rare kind, deeply felt and superbly expressed by a Master of his Art. The dramatic reading of the story here offered is a fine representation of a classic of its kind.

An entertaining novella from James.

This is one of Henry James' more readable books and it is set in Venice which adds to the enjoyment of it. He actually wrote this book in a Venetian house which still exists and can be seen and the house is described in the book (as another person's house).

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Title: South Riding (Dramatised)

Author: Winifred Holtby

Narrator: Sarah Lancashire, Philip Glenister, Carole Boyd

Format: Original Recording

Length: 3 hrs and 26 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-19-11

Publisher: BBC Worldwide Limited

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

In this rich and memorable evocation of the fictional South Riding of Yorkshire are the lives, loves and sorrows of the central characters. There is Sarah Burton, fiery young headmistress; Robert Carne of Maythorpe Hall, a councillor tormented by his own disastrous marriage; Jo Astell, a socialist fighting poverty and his own illness; and Mrs Beddows, the first woman Alderman of the district (like Winifreds own mother). They are the people who work together in the council chambers and backrooms of local politics. Alongside them, however, are the people affected by their decisions.

Members Reviews:

Great to hear

I throughly enjoyed listening to a superb cast, Sarah Lancashire, Philip Glenister, Carole Boyd and others transported me to be there, my imagination ran overtime, I have listened to it twice, and will keep it to listen a third time, when i want too, so well written, ironically it it shows how women were treated like second class dimwits, in the centenary of the suffragettes.

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Title: The Prisoner of Zenda

Author: Anthony Hope

Narrator: Andrew Pugsley

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 27 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-18-10

Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

The ultimate escapist adventure story, The Prisoner of Zenda transports the listener into a bygone era, awash with swashbuckling heroism, cunning plots, and courtly love. The popularity of Hopes tale of intrigue was such that it spawned an entirely new genre known as the "Ruritanian romance".

When the King of Ruritania is kidnapped, the onus falls on a British tourist, who bears an uncanny resemblance to the king, to stand in for him and to avert disaster by coming to his rescue. The frequent replays of the film with Ronald Colman and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. testify to the continuing popularity of this evergreen adventure. Andrew Pugsleys reading captures the excitement and the momentum.

Editorial Reviews:

The biggest problem for Andrew Pugsley in his narration is nothing he can control: His fine interpretation of Hope's novel must compete, for some of us, with the 1937 film version, one of the greatest of all adventure movies. This is the classic story of the man who attempts to rescue the king of Ruritania, who has been abducted. However, he's undermined by his love for the king's fiancée. The story is full of swordplay (and a little gunplay), barely repressed passion, political maneuvering, and severely tested personal honor. And Pugsley meets the challenge with all the voices and with his portrayal of Rassendyll's evolution from wastrel to man of action and honor.

Members Reviews:

A grand adventure

Where the Prince and the Pauper appeals to younger readers, this is a dashing adventure story for adults, with a similar (though believable) similarity of appearance / features.

What starts as two strangers, amazed to discover they look as alike as twins, evolves into one stepping up when the other is incapacitated, and from there things really get interesting.

A quick read, written a little more than 100 years ago, the English is easy and familiar, as opposed to reading a work in medieval English,or from a literary period where characters names were M. D______

Ultimately it is the challenges, and difficult decisions out hero Rudolf faces, and how he handles them, that made this a wonderful read. The lead character proved himself a hero, in a variety of ways.

Prisoner to Good Reading

"Rubert of Hentzau", the sequel to "The Prisoner of Zenda", is actually the more exciting story of the two, and should rightly be called "The Queens Letter", though that would make a confusion with "The Queen's Necklace" by Dumas. Although the ending becomes clear well before the end, because its Victorian, it's masterfully done in its characters, action and development. And because it's slightly stilted Victorian writing, it takes a bit of getting used to. Don't let that put you off. Read though as a continuous novel, both stories are a rewarding read.

Swashbuckler of a romance...

Anthony Hope's swashbuckling romance "The Prisoner of Zenda" makes the dramatic leap to graphic novel, courtesy of Campfire Classics, adapter Lloyd Wagner, and illustrator Lalit Sharma. This classic adventure story has mistaken identities, kidnappings, deception, midnight missions, castles, swordfights and a lovely princess, all in just 72 colorful pages.

The hero of the story is Rudolf Rassendyll, a red-headed Englishman and former soldier, who journeys to the Kingdom of Ruritania in Eastern Europe, to see his distant cousin Prince Rudolf become king.