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Subtle humour is one of the key elements in Chekhov's imaginative stories. But as an artist, Chekhov is more complicated. He paints life with all its nuances and shades of grey. His stories are full of characters who give us invaluable insight into universal wisdom of everyday life - civilised professionals, enlightened misfits, philanthropic gentry, rich landowners and impoverished royalty holding candles for reason, justice and passion.

This volume offers a contrasting selection of stories and tales from the master of psychology Fyodor Dostoyevsky and heartwarming storyteller Beatrix Potter. The collection includes 'An Honest Thief' and 'The Peasant Marey' by Fyodor Dostoyevsky; and 'The Tale of Peter Rabbit', 'The Tale of Benjamin Bunny' and 'The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies' by Beatrix Potter. Read in English, unabridged.

A collection of short stories by Anton Chekhov, featuring "A Tragic Actor", "In a Strange Land", "Oh the Public", "The Looking Glass", "Her Husband", and "Overdoing It".

These stories are small masterpieces. The scene is set quickly, and within a few sentences the storyline is underway. But all seem to contain elements of the unexpected.

Fairy tales are rarely written exclusively for children. They offer a variety of strong characters, themes and challenges as well as an insight into the mystery of the soul. These tales often contain profound truths that survived many hundreds of years and a universal appeal that makes them both enjoyable and enlightening. Modern concepts of mindfulness can often be found as original themes among these tales.

Family dynamic, psychological insight into relationships and romance are the central themes in this collection of Chekhov stories. These stories, full of insight into lives of seemingly ordinary people, offer a rare opportunity to experience defining moments of lives. Unhappy in his marriage, a Moscow banker, Dmitri Gurov, is vacationing in Yalta, Crimea, where he sees a young lady walking along the seafront with her small dog.

In the same neighbourhood as Peter Rabbit live an old cat called Mrs. Tabitha Twitchit and her kittens, Moppet, Mittens and Tom, who was always up for some mischief. Learn how Tom nearly ended up being cooked inside a dumpling and why he does not like rats. Meet another friendly neighbour pussycat, Ribby, who likes inviting friends to tea and offering them delicious pie dishes.

The first major writing by Turgenev that gained him recognition. The stories in this collection were written based on Turgenev’s own observations while hunting at his mothers’ estate. This work exposed many injustices of serfdom and led to Turgenev’s house arrest and eventual abolishment of serfdom in Russia. A fine example of realist tradition in Russian literature. Read in English

In this collection of beautifully written modern fairy tales, Oscar Wilde does not fail to both entertain with humorous characters and witty dialogue and at the same time deliver a subtle yet very potent message about some of the most human qualities, such as true friendship, true happiness, selfishness, ignorance, playfulness and love. Some of the most famous epigrams of Oscar Wilde come from the characters in these tales.

An intriguing confession of doctor’s romantic involvement with a beautiful, 20-year-old patient. Followed by Turgenev’s exquisite, often meditative descriptions of the Russian countryside and mysterious herbalist Kassyan, infatuated with Gamayane, a prophetic bird of Russian folklore, a symbol of wisdom and knowledge. Read in English.

It's the most wonderful time of the year! The happiest season of them all. This volume offers selected sorties dedicated to Christmas and winder seasons from some of the best storytellers such as Fyodor Dostoyevsky, William Shakespeare, L. Frank Baum, Anton Chekhov. There'll be tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago. And hearts will be glowing. The collection opens with 'The Heavenly Christmas Tree' by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, followed by 'At Christmas Time' from Anton Chekhov. In the second part we have 'A Kidnapped Santa Claus' by L. Frank Baum, followed by The Winter's Tale from William Shakespeare.

Red Riding Hood is walking through the woods, taking a lovely meal to her ailing grandmother. She has been warned about the big bad wolf, but when she meets a shaggy stranger, he insists he is the big good wolf. Should she trust him?

'I never saw a book without wanting to read it,' said a cerebral friend to us the other day. This expresses the interest every person of this type has in the printed page. 'I never see a library without wishing I had time to go there and stay till I had read everything in it'. The most essential thing in the world to any individual is to understand himself. The next is to understand the other fellow. From this course you are going to learn which of the five types you are and how to get the best out of it.

RocketShip is a sci-fi adventure featuring a little red rocket ship called Red. Red, along with his best friends Rex and Holli, travel the universe in search of people to save and help. Together, the team known as the "Rocket Rangers" journey into many adventures, and Red learns what it is to be a true hero and a friend.

We continue to explore the world of our feral friends and learn about some of their darker secrets, some of the naughty episodes of their hidden lives, and some of the most revealing confessions of what cats think about their human masters. It may come as a surprise, but cats often do watch humans and attempt to imitate their behaviour, albeit not always very successfully. And in the second half of this collection we meet humans who don't seem to know how to handle their pets without embarrassment and even those humans who try to be a bit too close to nature for their own good.

The theme of romance continues in this volume and begins with iconic 'The Lady with the Dog' by Anton Chekhov. Set in Yalta, Crimea, appears at first as a holiday romance. Gurov is a married man but he holidays on his own and has a history of holiday affairs. He meets the lady of the story’s title with her Pomeranian dog. But Chekhov’s love stories are not romantic accounts of unrequited love or of love at first sight. Or, even of tortured love that is amplified by the agony of being unfulfilled. No, these are Chekhovian tales that surprise and intrigue our imagination. The second of this collection continues with King Lear.

This selection of stories and tales is perfect for that cold winter night to cosy up around fireplace and enter magical world of far away lands or kingdoms of the past. This volume opens with two tales from Beatrix Potter: 'The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse' and 'The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin', followed by 'Puss in Boots' by Charles Perrault. And in the second half we have Anton Chekhov's story, 'A Gentleman Friend', followed by William Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night'. Read in English, unabridged.

The tune of this traditional Christmas carol is also known by its Latin name, 'Adeste Fideles'. John Francis Wade was one of the first to include it within his publications, but it is quite possible that the lyrics and tune date from earlier times. Arrangements of this tune also exist in compositions of Franz Liszt. This recording offers reading of the English-language lyrics followed by magical harp music based on original Christmas carol melody.

This traditional Christmas carol was written by John Henry Hopkins, an American clergyman. He wrote the carol as part of a production he organised for his students at The General Theological Seminary in New York City, where he held the post of musical director. This recording offers reading of the English-language lyrics followed by magical harp music based on original Christmas carol melody.

Every individual owes it to himself to find the right work and the right mate, because these are fundamental needs of every human being. Lacking them, life is a failure; possessing but one of them, life is half a failure. To obtain and apply the very fullest knowledge toward the attainment of these two great requisites should be the aim of every person. Only those men and women whose natures automatically encourage each other in the doing of the things each likes to do, in the way each likes to do them, can be happy together.

Every individual should find a vocation furnishing one of the three kinds of work for which he has the greatest ability. Then he should go into the particular branch of that vocation which is best adapted to his personality, training, education, environment and experience. To be a success, you must produce something out of the ordinary for the world. To know what this is, classify the kinds of activities you take to naturally. You can be a star in some line that calls for those activities.