Librivox Audiobooks

The Invisible Man (Version 1)

H. G. Wells (1866 - 1946)

The Invisible Man (1897) is one of the most famous science fiction novels of all time. Written by H.G. Wells (1866-1946), it tells the story of a scientist who discovers the secret of invisibility and uses it on himself. The story begins as the Invisible Man, with a bandaged face and a heavy coat and gloves, takes a train to lodge in a country inn whilst he tries to discover the antidote and make himself visible again. The book inspired several films and is notable for its vivid descriptions of the invisible man--no mean feat, given that you can't see him!

Genre(s): Science Fiction

Language: English

Keyword(s): literature , science fiction 

Hind Swaraj or Indian Home Rule

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869 - 1948)

First written in Gandhi's native language Gujarati, this booklet advocates for Indian non-violent self-rule during the struggle for Indian independence against the British Empire. It is written as a dialogue between two characters. In it, the "Reader" serves as a typical Indian countryman (the targeted audience for Hind Swaraj), who voices common beliefs and arguments of the time concerning Indian independence, while Gandhi, the "Editor," explains why those arguments are flawed and interjects his own valuable arguments of self-reliance, passive resistance and the Indian identity.
The Gujarati-language publication was banned from publication by the British in India, causing Gandhi to translate it to English himself to evade the British authorities, as well as rally support from English-speaking Indians and international supporters of independence. It is now considered the intellectual blueprint of India's independence movement. (Mary Kay and Wikipedia)

Genre(s): Political Science, Social Science (Culture & Anthropology)

Language: English

Keyword(s): war , politics , western , India , Law , government , peace , Independence , criticism , dialogue , British Empire , translation , social justice , pacifism , fight , travels , Values , gandhi , activism , pacifist , indian culture , home rule , rejection , self-rule , passive resistance , swaraj , banned book , gujarati , booklet

The Idiot (Part 03 and 04)

Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821 - 1881)
Translated by Eva M. Martin ( - fl.1915)

The extraordinary child-adult Prince Myshkin, confined for several years in a Swiss sanatorium suffering from severe epilepsy, returns to Russia to claim his inheritance and to find a place in healthy human society. The teeming St Petersburg community he enters is far from receptive to an innocent like himself, despite some early successes and relentless pursuit by grotesque fortune-hunters. His naive gaucheries give rise to extreme reactions among his new acquaintance, ranging from anguished protectiveness to mockery and contempt. But even before reaching the city, during the memorable train journey that opens the novel, he has encountered the demonic Rogozhin, the son of a wealthy merchant – who is in thrall to the equally doomed Nastasia Filippovna: beautiful, capricious and destructively neurotic, she joins with the two weirdly contrasted men in a spiraling dance of death… (Summary by Martin Geeson)

Genre(s): Literary Fiction

Language: English

Keyword(s): romance , Russian Literature , dostoyevsky , naivety

The Idiot , Vol 1(Part 01 and 02)

Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821 - 1881)
Translated by Eva M. Martin ( - fl.1915)

The extraordinary child-adult Prince Myshkin, confined for several years in a Swiss sanatorium suffering from severe epilepsy, returns to Russia to claim his inheritance and to find a place in healthy human society.
The teeming St Petersburg community he enters is far from receptive to an innocent like himself, despite some early successes and relentless pursuit by grotesque fortune-hunters. His naive gaucheries give rise to extreme reactions among his new acquaintance, ranging from anguished protectiveness to mockery and contempt.
But even before reaching the city, during the memorable train journey that opens the novel, he has encountered the demonic Rogozhin, the son of a wealthy merchant who is in thrall to the equally doomed Natasha Filippovna: beautiful, capricious and destructively neurotic, she joins with the two weirdly contrasted men in a spiralling dance of death... (Summary by Martin Geeson)

Genre(s): Published 1800 -1900

Language: English

Keyword(s): fiction , novel , dostoyevsky , idiot 

This project is Part 1 & 2 of the 4 part novel
Parts 3 & 4 of the novel

The Idiot (Part 01 and 02)

Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821 - 1881)
Translated by Eva M. Martin ( - fl.1915)

The extraordinary child-adult Prince Myshkin, confined for several years in a Swiss sanatorium suffering from severe epilepsy, returns to Russia to claim his inheritance and to find a place in healthy human society.
The teeming St Petersburg community he enters is far from receptive to an innocent like himself, despite some early successes and relentless pursuit by grotesque fortune-hunters. His naive gaucheries give rise to extreme reactions among his new acquaintance, ranging from anguished protectiveness to mockery and contempt.
But even before reaching the city, during the memorable train journey that opens the novel, he has encountered the demonic Rogozhin, the son of a wealthy merchant who is in thrall to the equally doomed Natasha Filippovna: beautiful, capricious and destructively neurotic, she joins with the two weirdly contrasted men in a spiralling dance of death... (Summary by Martin Geeson)

Genre(s): Published 1800 -1900

Language: English

Keyword(s): fiction , novel , dostoyevsky , idiot 

This project is Part 1 & 2 of the 4 part novel
Parts 3 & 4 of the novel

Ὕμνοι ἤτοι προοίμια (Homeric Hymns)

Homer (c. 8th cen - c. 8th cen)

Οἱ Ὁμηρικοὶ Ὕμνοι ἐντάσσονται στὰ πλαίσια τῶν ἐργασιῶν πού ξεκίνησα ἐδῶ καὶ μερικὰ χρόνια στὴν ἰστοσελίδα μου Projet Homere (Σχέδιο Ὁμήρου (γιὰ τὴν ἑλληνικὴ γλῶσσα στὸ σύνολό της)) - http://www.projethomere.com
Ὅπως ἦταν φυσικό, ξεκίνησα τὴν προσπάθεια μου μὲ τὴν ἠχογράφηση τῆς Ὁμηρικῆς ποιήσεως διότι πιστεύω ὅτι βρίσκεται στὴν κορυφὴ τῆς ἑλληνικῆς καὶ τῆς δυτικῆς λογοτεχνίας ἀφοῦ πρόκειται γιὰ τὰ πρῶτα λογοτεχνικὰ ἔργα - Ἐπίσης θεωρῶ ὅτι αὐτὰ τὰ σπουδαῖα ἀρχαῖα ἑλληνικὰ λογοτεχνικὰ ἔργα πρέπει νὰ ἠχογραφηθοῦν ἀπὸ ἑλληνικὲς φωνὲς .
The Homeric Hymns are part of the work that I started a few years ago on my website, Projet Homere (Homer Project (For the Greek language as a whole)) - http://www.projethomere.com
As I naturally started my effort with the recording of Homeric poetry because I believe it is at the top of Greek and Western literature Since they are the first literary works. Ι also believe that these great ancient Greek literary works must be recorded by Greek voices.
Les Hymnes Homériques font partis des travaux que j'ai commencés il y a quelques années sur mon site Projet Homère( sur la langue grecque dans sa globalité) : http://www.projethomere.com
Comme il était naturel , j'ai débuté les enregistrements avec la poésie homérique qui est au somment de la littérature grecque et occidentale puisqu'il s'agit des premières œuvres littéraires. Je suis persuadée qu'il est important que les anciennes œuvres littéraires grecques soient enregistrées par des voix grecques.
Summary by Ἑλένη Κεμικτσή.

Genre(s): Classics (Greek & Latin Antiquity), Elegies & Odes

Language: Ancient Greek

Keyword(s): homer, homeric hymns

Herodotus' Histories Vol 1

Herodotus (c.484 BCE - 425 BCE)
Translated by A. D. Godley (1856 - 1925)

The Histories of Herodotus of Halicarnassus is considered the first work of history in Western literature. Written about 440 BC, the Histories tell the story of the war between the Persian Empire and the Greek city-states in the 5th century BC. Herodotus traveled extensively around the ancient world, conducting interviews and collecting stories for his book. The rise of the Persian Empire is chronicled, and the causes for the conflict with Greece. Herodotus treats the conflict as an ideological one, frequently contrasting the absolute power of the Persian king with the democratic government of the Greeks. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia.)

Genre(s): Antiquity

Language: English

Keyword(s): history , classics , Europe , greece , ancient history ), greek history 

Henry V

William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)

After the turmoil and uncertainty of Henry IV a new era appears to dawn for England with the accession of the eponymous Henry V. In this sunny pageant Chorus guides us along Henry's glittering carpet ride of success as the new king completes his transformation from rebellious wastrel to a truly regal potentate. Of course, there is an underlying feeling that the good times won't last, and this is all the more reason to enjoy the Indian summer before the protracted and bitter fall of the house of Lancaster. (Introduction by Algy Pug)
Cast:
Alice: Caroline Sophie
Archbishop of Canterbury: Sean Randall
Bardolph: John Fricker
Bates: David Lawrence
Bishop of Ely: Algy Pug
Boy: Aldor
Chorus: Elizabeth Klett
Constable of France: Lars Rolander
Court: Dale Burgess
Duke of Bedford: Dale Burgess
Duke of Bourbon: Algy Pug
Duke of Burgundy: Algy Pug
Duke of Exeter: David Goldfarb
Duke of Gloucester: Tadhg Hynes
Duke of Orleans: Ric F
Duke of York: Algy Pug
Earl of Cambridge: Algy Pug
Earl of Salisbury: Algy Pug
Earl of Warwick: Algy Pug
Earl of Westmoreland: Timothy Ferguson
First Ambassador: Dale Burgess
Fluellen: Martin Geeson
French soldier: Nadine Eckert-Boulet
Governor of Harfleur: Dale Burgess
Gower: Bruce Pirie
Grandpre: Dale Burgess
Henry V: Arielle Lipshaw
Herald: Maria Therese
Hostess Quickly: Elizabeth Klett
Jamy: lennich
Katharine: ezwa
King of France: Paul Adams
Lewis the Dauphin: Nadine Eckert-Boulet
Lord Scroop: Bruce Pirie
Macmorris: Tadhg Hynes
Messenger: Elizabeth Klett
Montjoy: Amy Gramour
Nym: Sandra G
Pistol: Algy Pug
Queen Isabel: Kalynda
Rambures: Elizabeth Klett
Sir Thomas Erpingham: Dale Burgess
Sir Thomas Grey: Dale Burgess
Williams: Ty Unglebower
Narrator: Elizabeth Klett
Audio edited by: Elizabeth Klett

Genre(s): Plays

Language: English

Keyword(s): history , historical play

Hamlet

William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)

Hamlet is commonly regarded as one of the greatest plays ever written. Drawing on Danish chronicles and the Elizabethan vogue for revenge tragedy, Shakespeare created a play that is at once a philosophic treatise, a family drama, and a supernatural thriller. In the wake of his father's death, Prince Hamlet finds that his Uncle Claudius has swiftly taken the throne and married his mother, Queen Gertrude. The ghost of the dead king then appears and charges Claudius with 'murder most foul.' Hamlet is called to revenge his father's death: but will he be able to act before it is too late?
Cast:
Claudius, King of Denmark - Michael Sirois
Gertrude, Queen of Denmark, and Mother of Hamlet - Elizabeth Klett
Ghost Of Hamlet, the Late King of Denmark - dolohov
Hamlet, Son to the former, and Nephew to the present King - John Gonzalez
Polonius, Lord Chamberlain - Andy Minter
Laertes, Son to Polonius - Denny Sayers
Ophelia, Daughter to Polonius - Kristin Hughes
Reynaldo, Servant to Polonius - Thomas Wells
Horatio, Friend to Hamlet - David Nicol
Rosencrantz, Courtier - Kara Shallenberg
Guildenstern, Courtier - Karen Savage
Francisco, a Soldier - Andrew Lebrun
Bernardo, Officer - David O’Connell
Marcellus, Officer - Jordan Mueller
Voltimand, Courtier - Thomas Wells
Osric, Courtier - allex
A Gentleman, Courtier - David Jaquay
Another Gentleman - mb
Clown One, Grave-digger - Brennan Holtzclaw
Clown Two, Grave-digger - Christie Nowak
A Priest - Kevin O’Coin
Fortinbras, Prince of Norway - mb
A Captain & his Army - Andrew Lebrun
English Ambassador - Andrew Lebrun
First Player - Rosalind Wills
Player King - Denny Sayers
Player Queen - Kirsten Ferreri
Player Lucianus - allex
Group Of Danes - David O'Connell
Lord - LaurenT
Servant - Christie Nowak
Stage Direction - Rosalind Wills
Editors - mb & Jc Guan
Dedicated Proof-Listeners - Elizabeth Klett & mb
Book Coordinators - J.C., Scott Sherris, Jc Guan, Elizabeth Klett & mb

Genre(s): Plays, Drama, Tragedy

Language: English

A Guide to Modern Cookery (Le Guide Culinaire) Part I: Fundamental Elements

Auguste Escoffier (1846 - 1935)
Translated by James B. Herndon

Le Guide Culinaire can be regarded as the ‘Bible’ of modern cooking. It was Escoffier's attempt to codify and streamline the French restaurant food of the day. The original text was printed for the use of professional chefs and kitchen staff; Escoffier's introduction to the first edition explains his intention that the book be used toward the education of the younger generation of cooks. This usage of the book still holds today; many culinary schools still use it as their core textbook. The book overall is 900 pages long and contains over 2500 recipes. Part 1 is 120 pages long and describes the basic principles and techniques required for the chef, including descriptions of more than 250 recipes and preparations. (Summary by Chris Cartwright adapted from Wikipedia)

Genre(s): *Non-fiction, Cooking

Language: English

Keyword(s): cooking , food , recipes , kitchen , cookery , recipe , cuisine , chef , gastronomy