Showing results by narrator "Adriel Brandt" in All Categories

Animal Farm is an allegorical novella by George Orwell, first published in the UK in 1945. It is the tale of farm animals that rebel against the farmer, intending to establish a society where the animals can be equal, free, and happy. With stirring slogans, they set out to create utopia. However, the rebellion is betrayed and the farm ends up in a state worse than it was before, under the dictatorship of a pig named Napoleon. This is the setting for one of the most revealing satiric fables of all time.

The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of fantasy novels by the English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic C. S. Lewis. Set in the fictional realm of Narnia, the series takes place in a fantasy world of magic, myth, and talking animals. It deals with the adventures of various children who play a part in the unfolding history of Narnia. The books cover the entire history of Narnia, from its creation in The Magician's Nephew to its eventual destruction in The Last Battle.

1984 is a novel by the British author George Orwell in 1949. The narrative unfolds in an imagined future when most of the world has fallen prey to omnipresent government surveillance, propaganda, and endless war. Great Britain has become a province of the super state Oceania, which is ruled by the Party, whose leader is called Big Brother. The Party employs the Thought Police to persecute individuality and independent thinking. Winston Smith, the protagonist, is an ordinary worker who secretly despises the Party and dreams of rebellion. 

Set in 2540 CE, Brave New World is a dystopian novel by Aldous Huxley that was published in 1932. The novel takes place in a futuristic society called The World State, where life revolves around science and efficiency. Emotions and individuality are conditioned out of children, and citizens are socially engineered into an intelligence-based hierarchy. People are kept in a passive state through their consumption of a soothing drug called soma, and trouble-makers are exiled to various islands.  

George Orwell was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic, best known for the allegorical novella Animal Farm (1945) and the dystopian novel 1984 (1949). Animal Farm is Orwell's classic satire of the Russian Revolution. The farm animals rise up against Farmer Jones and transform the Manor Farm into Animal Farm, an egalitarian society built on the credo that All Animals Are Created Equal. In 1984, the protagonist, Winston Smith ,wrestles with oppression in Oceania, a state where the Party scrutinizes every human action with Big Brother.

The Stranger, also titled The Outsider, is an acclaimed novella by the French author, journalist, and philosopher Albert Camus (1913-1960). Published in 1946, the book tells of a disaffected young man, Meursault, getting involved in petty crime which leads to murder and a trial. The themes include alienation, the fear of anonymity, and the lack of meaning. 

This collection includes A Journey to the Center of the Earth, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Around the World in 80 Days, The Mysterious Island, The Master of the World, and In the Year 2889.

The Greater Key of Solomon is a compilation of Solomonic magic drawn from various manuscripts of the 15th to 17th centuries. The Lesser Key of Solomon includes step- by-step guides for invocation, evocations in the Enochian language as well as definitions and explanations for the ancient terms used in the work. The Testament of Solomon is a pseudoepigraphical work in a first-person narrative, which tells the story of the creation of the magical ring of King Solomon that he used to bind and control various demons. 

Jules Verne’s masterpiece, The Mysterious Island, is a fascinating story of five men and a dog who escape the American Civil War in a hot air balloon. A storm takes them far away and they land on an unknown island. One adventure follows another as they cope with pirate attacks and active volcanoes. After receiving a message in a bottle, they rescue another castaway on Tabor Island. In crisis situations, they are assisted by an unseen helper who once supplies medicine and another time beats back the pirates.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis is a fantasy novel for children, first published in 1950. It is the best known of the seven novels that comprise The Chronicles of Narnia (1950-1956). Most of the story is set in Narnia, a land of talking animals and mythical creatures ruled by the wicked White Witch. The narrative starts with four English siblings being relocated to a large country house following a wartime evacuation. They visit Narnia through a wardrobe and become involved in its affairs and its history. 

Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis is the fourth book in the series The Chronicles of Narnia. The old Narnia is gone, and the land is ruled by the tyrant Miraz. The Pevensie children become involved with the fate of a young man known as Prince Caspian, who is fleeing from his uncle, the evil Miraz. Wild adventure follow while a host of new characters appear, like the mouse Reepicheep. With the assistance and guidance of the lion Aslan, Narnia is saved from the clutches of Miraz.

Distinguished author of Mortal Questions and The View from Nowhere sets forth the central problems of philosophical inquiry for the beginning student. Arguing that the best way to learn about philosophy is to think about its questions directly, Thomas Nagel considers possible solutions to nine problems - knowledge of the world beyond our minds, knowledge of other minds, the mind-body problem, free will, the basis of morality, right and wrong, the nature of death, the meaning of life, and the meaning of words.  

Parzival is a romantic poem written by Wolfram von Eschenbach in Middle High German. Regarded as one of the masterpieces of the Middle Ages, the romance was the most popular vernacular verse narrative in medieval Germany. Dated to the first quarter of the 13th century, the poem tells the story of the Arthurian hero Parzival and his quest for the Holy Grail. The most notable elements of the work are an emphasis on the importance of humility, compassion, and sympathy. Richard Wagner based his famous opera Parsifal on Parzival.

To Have or to Be? is one of the seminal books of the second half of the 20th century. Fromm's thesis is that two modes of existence struggle for the spirit of humankind: the having mode, which concentrates on material possessions, power, and aggression, and is the basis of the universal evils of greed, envy, and violence; and the being mode, which is based on love, the pleasure of sharing, and in productive activity.

Faust is a tragic play in two parts that reworks the late medieval myth of a brilliant but disillusioned scholar who makes a deal with the devil. Faust is considered by many to be Goethe's masterpiece and the greatest work of German literature. Part I sets out Faust’s despair, his pact with Mephistopheles, and his love for Gretchen. Part II deals with Faust’s life at court, the wooing and winning of Helen of Troy, and his purification and redemption. 

The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis is a fantasy children's novel by C. S. Lewis, and the sixth published of seven novels in The Chronicles of Narnia, to which it serves as a prequel. Set in England, the narrative’s frame story features two children involved in experimental travel through a wood between the worlds which gives access to a multiverse.

 Discourse on the Origin and Basis of Inequality Among Men by the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau was originally written for an essay competition run by the Dijon Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1754. The question was, "What is the origin of inequality among men, and is it authorized by the natural law?" Rousseau's text is divided into four main parts: a dedication, preface, an extended inquiry into the nature of the individual, and another inquiry into the evolution of the human species within society.  

Parzival is a medieval epic poem written by the knight-poet Wolfram von Eschenbach. It is divided into 16 books, each composed of several 30-line stanzas of rhyming couplets. Regarded as one of the literary masterpieces of the Middle Ages, the romantic poem commonly dated to the early part of the 13th century. The verse narrative focuses on the Arthurian hero Parzival and his long quest for the Holy Grail after his initial failure to achieve it. 

The incomparable romance and adventure of this classic Arthurian adventure is brought to vivid life in this audio release of a rare, accurate translation. William Allan Neilson's translation of the Middle English epic poem loses none of the magic and morality of the original in its beautiful prose, keeping the poet's expressive alliteration alongside its rich imagery and clear action. Wonder with King Arthur's court at the mysterious green guest, wince at the splattering blood, and lose yourself in the Wide Country as Sir Gawain accepts and seeks to fulfill a fatal agreement.

Prince Lorn of Jior is what’s left of an evil empire. King Kullorn was the epitome of evil. Together, they led demon hordes reaping death and destruction. Kullorn is killed, leaving Lorn alone to wallow in the desolation of defeat. Years later, Lorn is accused of following in his father’s footsteps and kidnapping Princess Lililaira. Risking capture, imprisonment, and death Lorn attempts to learn who is using his name to start another war. During a rescue of the Princess, Lorn is badly wounded, and they must fight to remain together as he is healed by her, body, heart and soul.