Essays & Short Works
Showing 1–50 of 117 results
1891 Collection
A look at the year 1891 through literature and non-fiction essays first published that year, including works by Mary E Wilkins, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sara Orne Jewett, and Oscar Wilde. (Summary by BellonaTimes)
1912: Short Works Collection
This is a collection of public domain works either published in 1912, or written in 1912 and published before 1923. The accent is on non-fiction but I will include short stories, poems, one-act plays, as well. (Summary by Bellona Times) Read and compiled by Bellona Times. Proof-listeners were Betsie Bush and Tricia G.
A Selection of Australian Poetry and Prose
A collection of Australian writing from the public domain.
Alarms and Discursions
Gilbert Keith Chesterton was an influential English writer of the early 20th century. His prolific and diverse output included journalism, philosophy, poetry, biography, Christian apologetics, fantasy, and detective fiction. Chesterton has been called the “prince of paradox.” He wrote in an off-hand, whimsical prose studded with startling formulations. Chesterton wrote about 4000 essays on various subjects, and “Alarms and Discursions is one of his collections. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Karen Merline.)
American Notes
In American Notes, Rudyard Kipling, the Nobel Prize-winning author of the Jungle Book, visits the USA. As the travel-diary of an Anglo-Indian Imperialist visiting the USA, these American Notes offer an interesting view of America in the 1880s. Kipling affects a wide-eyed innocence, and expresses astonishment at features of American life that differ from his own, not least the freedom (and attraction) of American women. However, he scorns the political machines that made a mockery of American democracy, and while exhibiting the racist attitudes that made him controversial in the 20th century concludes ?It is not good to be a negro in the land of the free and the home of the brave.? G. A. England of Harvard University (letter to The New York Times 10/11/1902) wrote: ?To the American temperament, the gentleman who throws stones while himself living in a glass house cannot fail to be amusing; the more so if, as in Mr Kipling?s case, he appears to be in a state of maiden innocence regarding the structure of his own domicile.? (Summary by Tim Bulkeley with Quotations from the Gutenberg edition of American Notes and the online version of The New York Times of October 11th 1902.)
American Philosophy Collection Vol. 2
This recording is the second in an ongoing series of collections highlighting foundational articles in early 20th Century American philosophy. Volume 2 focuses on the debates surrounding the emergence of the so-called ‘New Realism.’ Inspired by the early works of the American pragmatists, the new realists opposed idealistic and transcendental metaphysics, and advocated for various forms of empirical and scientific naturalism. (summary by P. J. Taylor) Track List: 01 – The Program and Platform of the Six Realists by Edwin B. Holt, Walter T. Marvin, W. P. Montague, Ralph Barton Perry, Walter B.Pitkin and Edward Gleason Spaulding 02 – The Egocentric Predicament by R. B. Perry 03 – Brief Studies in Realism I by John Dewey 04 – Brief Studies in Realism II by John Dewey 05 – The Inadequacy of ?Natural? Realism by Durant Drake 06 – Reflections of a Temporalist on the New Realism by A. O. Lovejoy 07 – Report of the Committee on Definitions of the American Philosophical Association by F. J. E. Woodbridge, Frank Thilly, Dickinson S. Miller, Arthur O. Lovejoy, W. P. Montague, and E. G. Spaulding 08 – The Relation of Consciousness to Object in Sense Perception by E. B. McGilvary 09 – The Relation of Consciousness to Object in Sense Perception by Frank Thilly 10 – Consciousness and Object by W. J. E. Woodbridge 11 – The New Realism by Morris Raphael Cohen
Americans and Others
A collection of sometimes biting, always clever commentaries on some of life’s foibles — as apt today as when Ms. Repplier wrote them in 1912. Though less know to modern readers, Repplier was in her prime ranked among the likes of Willa Cather. Note: Section 13 contains the word niggards. I put it in print here so that it will not be mistaken for a racial epithet when heard. (written by Mary Schneider)
An Interpretation of Keats’s Endymion
Endymion is the largest work by John Keats and was composed between April and November 1817. When it was published in April 1818 the critical reception was almost universally hostile. Since that time, many readers have found the poem dense and inaccessible, and have preferred to focus on the occasional gems of poetic commentary for which it has become famous. Feeling that the poem was both undervalued and misunderstood, in 1919 Professor Clement Notcutt published a lengthy essay, which could be considered a ?user?s guide? to Endymion. He sums up his intent in the introduction: A careful study of Endymion made some ten years ago led to the conclusion that there was more of allegorical significance in the poem than had hitherto been recognised, but the effort to trace that significance was only partially successful. Further study since that time has gradually opened up the way to the interpretation that is worked out in the following pages. It is probable that there are details in the story the meaning of which still lies hidden, but it may at least be hoped that enough has been discovered to win for the poem its rightful place among the not very numerous examples in English poetry of well-wrought allegory. In 1921 Notcutt published a further essay entitled: The Story of Glaucus in Keat?s Endymion. – Summary by Algy Pug
Atlantic Classics
The Atlantic was a popular periodical with a wide range of essays and stories. In an effort to remain current, many strong and valid submissions ended up being pushed aside. The Atlantic Classic was an experimental publication, drawing on some sixteen of these good but rejected essays. – Summary by Lynne Thompson
Christmas Short Works Collection 2013
A selection of poems, short stories and other prose for the Christmas season in English, Finnish and German.
Christmas Short Works Collection 2015
This year’s Christmas collection of short stories, poems and non-fiction features readings in English, French, German and Romanian – Summary by Ruth Golding.
Christmas Short Works Collection 2018
A delightful collection of stories and poems, with several interesting selections discussing various Christmas and holiday traditions, and a lovely Christmas play, featuring a full cast. All selections have been chosen and narrated by LibriVox volunteers to commemorate Christmas 2018. Cast of Ola, or A Christmas Present for Mother: Alta Good: Devorah Allen Henry Good: TJ Burns Leon Good: Tomas Peter Mrs. Good: Foon Ola: Jasmin Salma Narrator: Maria Kasper
Coffee Break Collection 002 – Faith
This is a collection of short (15 minute or less readings) works in English suitable for a coffee break at work or a short commuter ride. The theme for this collection is Multi-Faith in various genres.(Summary by BellonaTimes)
Coffee Break Collection 003 – Nature
This is a collection of short (15 minute or less readings) works in English suitable for a coffee break at work or a short commuter ride. The theme for this collection is Nature in various genres — fiction and non-fiction. Botany, geology, biology, astronomy; flowers, (meteor) showers, bugs, slugs, frogs, dogs, cats, bats — you name it, as long as it’s public domain and between 3 and 15 minutes long.(Summary by BellonaTimes)
Coffee Break Collection 004 – Hodge Podge
This is a collection of short (15 minute or less readings) fiction or non-fiction works in English suitable for a coffee break at work or a short commuter ride. The theme for this collection is Hodge Podge: humor, romance, science, long poems, biography, inspirational — you name it, as long as it’s public domain and between 3 and 15 minutes long.(Summary by BellonaTimes)
Coffee Break Collection 006 – Food and Drink
This is the sixth collection of our “coffee break” series, involving public domain works that are between 3 and 15 minutes in length. These are great for work/study breaks, commutes, workouts, or any time you’d like to hear a whole story and only have a few minutes to devote to listening. The theme for Collection 006 is “Food and Drink”! [Summary by Rosie]
Coffee Break Collection 016 – Crime
This is the sixteenth collection of our “coffee break” series, involving public domain works that are between about 3 and 15 minutes in length. These are great for study breaks, commutes, workouts, or any time you’d like to hear a whole story and only have a few minutes to devote to listening. The theme for this collection is “Crime”, where crime or criminals are significant. Librivox readers have chosen a combination of social commentaries, newspaper reports of true crimes and criminals, letters, fictional accounts of the life of the criminal and short ‘whodunnit’ mysteries. – Summary by Lynne Thompson
Coffee Break Collection 017 – Health and Fitness
This is the seventeenth Coffee Break Collection, in which Librivox readers select English language public domain works of about 15 minutes or less in duration — perfect to listen to during commutes, workouts or coffee breaks. The topic for this collection is health and fitness… views on these, including physical activity, nutrition and sport, have changed drastically over the years. Readers have chosen selections on subjects ranging from judo and walking to advice for the nutrition and education of children, Summary by Lynne Thompson
Coffee Break Collection 019 – Plants and Flowers
The Librivox Coffee Break Collections are themed anthologies, selected and read by Librivox readers. Each short piece is fifteen minutes long, or less — perfect for coffee breaks, commutes and work outs. Essays, prose, fiction, non-fiction, poetry — who knows what gems will be uncovered? Spring is the time we see plants and flowers, dormant over the cold winter months, burst into life; and they make their appearance here. – Summary by Lynne Thompson
Coffee Break Collection 021 – Fairy Tales, Tall Stories and Scams
This is the twenty-first Coffee Break Collection, in which Librivox readers select English language public domain works of about 15 minutes or less in duration — perfect to listen to during commutes, workouts or coffee breaks. The topic for this collection is fairy tales… traditional children’s tales, tall stories and notorious scams and the authors of thm may be uncovered! Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, prose, essays… all are welcome here.
Coffee Break Collection 022 – Days Gone By
This is the twenty-second Coffee Break Collection, in which Librivox readers select English language public domain works of about 15 minutes or less in duration — perfect to listen to during commutes, workouts or coffee breaks. The topic for this collection is Days Gone By. All pieces were of a historical nature at the time written (i.e. not enough that they are historical now!). Ancient Rome, Greece or Egypt, medieval Europe, the early days of the American colonies.
Coffee Break Collection 023 – Mysteries, Riddles and Conundrums
This is the twenty-third Coffee Break Collection, in which Librivox readers select English language public domain works of about 15 minutes or less in duration — perfect to listen to during commutes, workouts or coffee breaks. The topic for this collection is Mysteries, Riddles and Conundrums. Short mystery fiction, puzzles that have baffled generations, whether solved or unsolved and anything our forefathers have struggled to explain. Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, prose, essays…who knows what you will discover?
Coffee Break Collection 024 – Ghosts, Ghouls and Spooky Things
This is the twenty-fourth Coffee Break Collection, in which Librivox readers select English language public domain works of about 15 minutes or less in duration — perfect to listen to during commutes, workouts or coffee breaks. The topic for this collection is Ghosts, Ghouls and Spooky Things in honor of Halloween. Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, prose, essays… all chill and perplex.
Coffee Break Collection 025 – Water
This is the twenty-fifth Coffee Break Collection, in which Librivox readers select English language public domain works of about 15 minutes or less in duration — perfect to listen to during commutes, workouts or coffee breaks. The topic for this collection is water, a subject that has attracted Archimedes, Shelley and Masefield, to name but a few.
Coffee Break Collection 027 – Sports
This is the 27th Coffee Break Collection, in which Librivox readers select and read poems, fiction and non-fiction pieces of fifteen minutes’ duration or less. In honor of the Super Bowl, the subject for this collection is “Sports”.
Coffee Break Collection 028 – Hobbies
This is the 28th Coffee Break Collection, in which Librivox readers select and read stories or poems, fiction or non-fiction pieces of fifteen minutes’ duration or less, suitable for short commutes and coffee breaks. The subject for this collection is “HOBBIES”… and the collection is full after 20 pieces have been submitted.
Coffee Break Collection 029 – Dogs
This is the 29th Coffee Break Collection, in which Librivox readers select and read stories or poems, fiction or non-fiction pieces of fifteen minutes’ duration or less, suitable for short commutes and coffee breaks. The subject for this collection is “DOGS”… and the collection is full after 20 pieces have been submitted. – Summary by ~ Michele Fry
Coffee Break Collection 032 – Wilderness
This is the 32nd Coffee Break Collection, in which Librivox readers select and read stories or poems, fiction or non-fiction pieces of fifteen minutes’ duration or less, suitable for short commutes and coffee breaks. The subject for this collection is WILDERNESS. The collection is full after 20 pieces have been submitted.
Coffee Break Collection 033 – Gardening
This is the 33rd Coffee Break Collection, in which Librivox readers select and read Public Domain stories or poems, fiction or non-fiction pieces of fifteen minutes’ duration or less, suitable for short commutes and coffee breaks. The subject for this collection is “GARDENING”.
Confessions of a Book-Lover
“I am of the company of book men who read simply for the love of it,” confesses E. Walter Walters, in this gently written tome. Walters documents his habit of “book fishing–” seeking and finding quality volumes in the discount binds at his booksellers, and as a connoisseur of wine might match varieties with courses, he matches his books with the contexts in which he reads them–in the garden, in the bedroom, with friends. He also provides a list of his favorite authors (mostly 19th century United Kingdom) and favorite books, as well as favorite characters from the books he has read, not in a way to impose his choices on other readers, but to share his own personal experiences. (summary by Dr. P. Gould)
Coniston Tales
A selection of poems and short prose pieces grounded in the landscape, history and legends of Coniston in the English Lake District. W. G. Collingwood gave up a promising academic career as a young Oxford graduate to become John Ruskin’s personal secretary, living at first in his home, Brantwood, at Coniston. In the spirit of self-sufficiency that typified their community, Collingwood first published these pieces in ‘Nothing Much’, a faimily magazine edited by his young children and circulated to friends by private subscription. – Summary by Phil Benson
Essays on Prohibition
A collection of essays regarding the pros and cons of prohibition of alcoholic beverages, principally in the United States. – Summary by KevinS
Exotics and Retrospectives
Lafcadio Hearn, born 1850 in Greece, went to Japan when he was 40 years old and became a Japanese citizen only 6 years later. His writings about Japan from the beginning of the Meiji era, when the country was just opening to the West, remain among the most important explanations of Japanese culture. This book contains in the first part, “Exotics”, his observations of and personal insights into Japan. For example, Fuji no Yama tells about him climbing the highest mountain in Japan; and A Question in the Zen Texts, Literature of the Dead, and Of Moon Desire try to explain Buddhist teachings. In the second part, “Retrospectives”, Hearn leaves both Japan and his vantage point as impartial observer behind and delves into personal experiences and musings that occurred to him in the numerous countries he visited. The main topic of these very personal pieces is beauty in all its forms. (Summary by Availle)
Faces and Places
Faces and Places is a collection of articles on nineteenth century travel, events and personalities by the British journalist Henry Lucy, who wrote for the Daily News, a London newspaper. His open letter To Those About to Become Journalists rings as true today as when it was written. The first article, “Fred” Burnaby, includes a lively account of a balloon trip, while Night and Day on the Cars in Canada and Easter on Les Avants relate Lucy’s experiences of rail travel at that time. Other travel tales (A Night on a Mountain, Mosquitoes and Monaco, and Oysters and Arcachon) provide an insight into the Victorian Englishman’s attitude to Europe. Three of the pieces, With Peggotty and Ham, A Cinque Port and Christmas Eve at Watts’s, concern the county of Kent, where Lucy had a country house. Christmas Eve at Watts’s contains an interesting expos? of Dickens’ short story The Seven Poor Travellers. Other articles are of historical interest: A Wreck in the North Sea is an account of the wreck of the ship “Deutschland” in 1875; A Historic Crowd describes the massive popular interest in the 1871 trial of the Tichborne Claimant; The Battle of Merthyr contains an eye-witness account of the Merthyr Riots of 1831; The Prince of Wales paints a portrait of the future King Edward VII. Lucy, who also wrote as “Toby, M.P.” for the satirical magazine Punch, loved to poke gentle fun, particularly at the establishment, and this is especially evident in A Peep at an Old House of Commons and Some Preachers I Have Known. This eclectic collection, mostly affectionately humorous, but with moments of great pathos, was originally published in 1892 in The Whitefriars Library of Wit & Humour.(Summary by Ruth Golding)
Fancies Versus Fads
A Collection of 31 essays from G.K. Chesterton. ?I have strung these things together on a slight enough thread; but as the things themselves are slight, it is possible that the thread (and the metaphor) may manage to hang together. These notes range over very variegated topics and in many cases were made at very different times. They concern all sorts of things from lady barristers to cave-men, and from psycho-analysis to free verse. Yet they have this amount of unity in their wandering, that they all imply that it is only a more traditional spirit that is truly able to wander.? (From the Introduction)
Fenimore Cooper’s Literary Offences (Version 2)
This is Mark Twain’s vicious and amusing review of Fenimore Cooper’s literary art. It is still read widely in academic circles. Twain’s essay, Fenimore Cooper’s Literary Offenses (often spelled “Offences”) (1895), particularly criticized The Deerslayer and The Pathfinder. Twain wrote at the beginning of the essay: ‘In one place in Deerslayer, and in the restricted space of two-thirds of a page, Cooper has scored 114 offenses against literary art out of a possible 115. It breaks the record.’ Twain listed 19 rules ‘governing literary art in domain of romantic fiction’, 18 of which Cooper violates in The Deerslayer. (Introduction by Wikipedia and John Greenman)
Frauds, Forgeries, and Fake News Collection
This collection showcases fabricated documents and stories throughout history, and the diversity of purposes and contexts they were deployed in. The “Awful Disclosures of the Hotel Dieu Nunnery of Montreal” is a fabricated anti-Catholic eye-witness account, published in 1836 and purporting to reveal the horrors of life in a convent. The Donation of Constantine is a forged imperial decree, supposedly enacting a perpetual transfer of authority over the western part of the Roman Empire from the emperor to the Pope. George Psalmanazar, who passed himself off as a native of Formosa (Taiwan), wrote a fanciful book about the island, which made a splash in 18th-century London. The Great Moon Hoax was a series of fantastical descriptions of the moon, published in the 1830s by the New York newspaper The Sun, and falsely attributed to the famous astronomer Sir John Herschel. Bram Stoker tells the legend of Sebastian of Portugal, the “Hidden King”, and the story of Franz Mesmer, the purveyor of “animal magnetism” from whose name the word “mesmerize” is derived. “An Architectural Monograph on a New England Village” is a painstakingly documented and illustrated description of a village that never existed. James Macpherson presented the Poems of Ossian as a traditional epic cycle translated from Scottish Gaelic, but modern scholars believe that he largely wrote the poems himself. E. G. Redmond tells of a hoax involving postage stamps, the first of which was conceived by a stamp collector in Germany. “Sketch of the Mosquito Shore” was a glowing but false account of the Central American coast, in which one could buy land from the author.
Historical Newspaper Articles, Volume 2
This collection of 20 public domain newspaper articles comprises volume 2 of Historic Newspaper Articles in the LibriVox collection. Both U.S. and U.K. newspapers are represented here. The articles span from 1848 to 1920. Topics covered (e.g., the Triangle Shirt Waist Factory Fire, the troubles of ?Typhoid Mary?, how to dress for the seashore) vary in length and tone. Although the writers display a range of diverse styles, their words give today’s readers a sense of the tenor of the times. (summary by Lee Ann Howlett)
Insomnia Collection Vol. 002
Soporific dullness is in the ear of the listener, and what’s tedium incarnate to one person will be another person’s passion and delight. However, it is hoped that at least one from the range of topics here presented will lull the busy mind to a state of sweet sleep. Introduction by Cori Samuel.
Insomnia Collection Vol. 003
Soporific dullness is in the ear of the listener, and what’s tedium incarnate to one person will be another person’s passion and delight. However, it is hoped that at least one from the range of topics here presented will lull the busy mind to a state of sweet sleep. Introduction by Cori Samuel.
Insomnia Collection Vol. 004
Soporific dullness is in the ear of the listener, and what’s tedium incarnate to one person will be another person’s passion and delight. However, it is hoped that at least one from the range of topics here presented will lull the busy mind to a state of sweet sleep. Introduction by Cori Samuel
Insomnia Collection Vol. 005
Soporific dullness is in the ear of the listener, and what’s tedium incarnate to one person will be another person’s passion and delight. However, it is hoped that at least one from the range of topics here presented will lull the busy mind to a state of sweet sleep. Introduction by Cori Samuel.
John Stuart Mill; His Life and Works
This biography is actually a series of essays by prominent personalities of the time that shed light on John Stuart Mill’s life and areas of endeavor. Those areas include his experiences in India House, his moral character, certain botanical explorations, how effective he was as a critic, studies in morals and the law, and discoveries concerning political economy. They also explore ideas concerning his influence on institutions of higher learning, accomplishments as a politician, and fame as a philosopher. (Summary by Bill Boerst)
Lavender Lit 101 – International LGB Literature up to 1923
International LGB Literature up to 1923 This is a collection of 30 American and European gay, lesbian, & bisexual writers from the 16th thru early 20th Centuries. Heavy on poetry — including a rousing WWI anthem from 1915 — with a few short stories and essays. Non-English works should be read where possible in their original language. – Summary by BellonaTimes
LibriVox 10th Anniversary Collection
This year is the 10th anniversary of our beloved LibriVox and to celebrate, readers have found and recorded 100 items with a connection to the number ten… … dix… zehn… diez…dez… ??????… There are short stories, poems, excerpts from books, bible readings and non-fiction articles. The items are mostly in English, but this year we have eighteen contributions in other languages: French, German, Russian, Spanish and Yiddish.
LibriVox 11th Anniversary Collection
“LibriVox is a hope, an experiment, and a question: can the net harness a bunch of volunteers to bring books in the public domain to life…” Hugh McGuire, LibriVox’s founder, August 9, 2005 This year is the 11th anniversary of our beloved LibriVox. The readings in this collection celebrate that “bunch of volunteers” who make up the worldwide LibriVox community. The readings are held together by their connection to the number “eleven.” The collection is multilingual. The selections, which are chosen by the readers, include fiction, nonfiction, poems, short stories, and articles.
LibriVox 15th Anniversary Collection
This year is the 15th anniversary of our beloved LibriVox. The readings in this collection celebrate that “bunch of volunteers” who make up the worldwide LibriVox community. The readings are held together by their connection to the number “15.” The collection is multilingual. Readings can be in any language. The selections, which are chosen by the readers, include fiction, nonfiction, poems, short stories, and articles. – Summary by KevinS
LibriVox 16th Anniversary Collection
“LibriVox is a hope, an experiment, and a question: can the net harness a bunch of volunteers to bring books in the public domain to life…” Hugh McGuire, LibriVox’s founder, August 9, 2005 In celebration of LibriVox’s sixteenth anniversary, here is collection of short works of various kinds and from varied authors which include in their title the words ‘sixteen’ or ‘sixteenth’ or the number ’16.’ Each piece is selected and read by a LibriVox volunteer.
LibriVox 8th Anniversary Collection
For the past few years we have celebrated the anniversary of LibriVox with a collection loosely themed on the number of the anniversary year. This year is no exception. Readers have contributed 88 recordings in Dutch, English, French, German, Japanese, Polish and Yiddish, and this feast of fiction, poetry, essays, articles and musical items ranges from lectures to love letters, science to songs, travel to taxes, and politics to pirates, spiced with a dash of humour. It has, as always, been enormous fun for the readers and singers, and we hope that you, the listener, will gain just as much enjoyment as we have had producing it. (Introduction by Ruth Golding) Some additional notes: Section 5, Extract from The Eight-oared Victors, Chapter 35, was written by Howard Garis under his pseudonym Lester Chadwick. Section 37, Love Letters of Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn by Henry VIII also includes letters to Henry from Anne Boleyn (1501-1536). Section 53, Letters I to VIII of Political and Social Letters of a Lady of the 18th Century was edited by Emily Fanny Dorothy Osborn McDonnell (1851-1925). Section 54 Eight Little Letters Make Three Little Words: Words by Bert Kalmar (1884-1947); Music by Ted Snyder (1881-1965). Section 55, Koenig Heinrich der Achte ? Prologue was translated into the German by Wolf Graf Baudissin (1789-1878). Section 65, The Eight Immortals of the Wine Cup was translated into English by Shigeyoshi Obata. Section 77, In The Year 2889 was jointly written by Jules Verne (1828-1905) and Michel Verne (1861-1925). Section 79, Eight-day Clocks was written by Mary Mapes Dodge under her pseudonym Joel Stacy. Section 82, Que ne suis je la foug?re Bergerette du 18i?me si?cle. Words: Riboutt? (1770-1834); Music: Pergolesi (1710-1736).