"'Please, Sir, I want some more.'
Uttered politely by a young malnourished boy who never had anything, and the ensuing consequences set us up for Dickens' classic tale of an orphan boy. Oliver's treatment and experience from every side of society from Mr. Bumble to Fagin, to benevolent Rose. How can a boy with no connections to anyone hope to survive in Victorian England? With vivid characters, biting social criticism, and moments of humor and hope, Charles Dickens exposes the cruelty of a society that punishes the poor while the wealthy are sometimes blissfully ignorant, at other times complicit in their oppression. Oliver Twist is both a gripping adventure and a powerful moral tale, championing kindness and resilience in the face of corruption, and reminding readers that even in the darkest streets, goodness can survive and be found there.
This edition is part of Benny Fife Audio Junior Classics Series and features his commentary on Oliver Twist and how it applies to twenty-first century life."
"It has been called 'The Greatest War Novel of All Time.'
All Quiet on the Western Front stands also as one of the greatest condemnations of war of all time.
Follow a firsthand account of German enlisted man, Paul Baumer as he recounts details mundane and profound. His account moves and tears at our hearts with the horrors of war and the stark realities of humanity. All while somehow skirting around the question: Why?
I bite into my pillow. I grasp the iron rods of my bed with my fists. I ought never to have come here. Out there I ws indifferent and often hopeless--I will never be able to be so again. I was a soldier, and now I am nothing but an agony for myself, for my mother, for everything that is so comfortless and without end.
I ought never to have come on leave.
This edition also features commentary by audiobook narrator and classic literature enthusiast Benjamin Fife."
"War looms in a small forgotten eastern European country. But war is nothing new to Samavia. The once idyllic land has been in continual struggle since the last young rightful leader was smuggled across borders to prevent his death in a violent coupe centuries before. This lost prince, or his heirs, are possibly the only thing that can restore order and peace to a once vibrant land and people. But where have they disappeared to?
Two young boys are entrusted with a vital and dangerous task with the hopes of restoring the rightful ruler to the small country of Samavia. Will they be able to reach the war torn country and raise the support needed to reinstall the lost prince, should he be found?
The Lost Prince, originally published in 1915, is a superb work of action and intrigue for young and old alike. Marco Loristan and his companion Jem, 'The Rat' Ratcliffe must travel across Europe amid unknown dangers, and learn much about what it means to be dedicated to a cause worth fighting for.
This edition includes commentary by audiobook narrator Benjamin Fife including:
- The Lost Prince, War and Refugees
- In Praise of 'The Rat'
- Superheroes Before There Were Superheroes
And is part of the ongoing Benny Fife Audio Junior Classics series."
"Catherine Morland comes from a big family of modest means and has never had any aspirations to landing a Darcy or a Colonel Brandon as you might find in Austen's other novels. Catherine's family seems to be fairly unremarkable. She truly is the least likely of Austen's heroines to be in that role. She is naive as to what might actually happen when she's invited on a trip to Bath with a family friend. But others are more conniving. John and Isabella Thorpe have their own ideas and assumptions about Miss Morland and her expectations.
Meanwhile, Catherine just wants a friend and fancies that she might like to have some element of romance come her way. Presumptions and assumptions don't enter her mind.
The posturing and conniving of John Thorpe first assumes that he has a claim to Catherine and his assumptions about her supposed inheritance motivates him to attempt to secure her good fortune for his own. Thorpe's assumptions lead on to a retired General's assumptions and plans for securing his and his son's legacy. The grand comedy of errors is set up for an eventual collapse when the truth of Catherine's actual background is made plain.
This edition features prominent Jane Austen Variation narrator Benjamin Fife's reflections on the work from a 21st century perspective and is part of his ongoing presentation of Benny Fife Audio Classics."
"When a newly orphaned boy with a violin shows up in a small town, his unnique perspective transforms everyone.
When David comes on the scene, The Holly family, and much of the town, have done things for so long they don't even realize they are in a rut. David's innocence and naivete bring with it his own set of assumptions, opinions, and expectations. Because of the care his father had taken to keep him from the 'bad' – or painful – things in life, there is so much he can't even begin to fathom at first. The collision of these two worlds is what drives this story onward. David had never experienced poverty or wealth as most would think of it.
Join David as he discovers the world.
Originally published in 1916
This edition includes thoughts and questions from professional storyteller Benjamin Fife.
From Benny Fife Audio Classics."
"When John Harmon Returns to England to claim his inheritance - and his intended bride - only to be found murdered, the fortune passes to the most unlikely of people. A satirical romp in humanity by the master novelist, Charles Dickens. In classic Dickens style, he explores what truly makes one wealthy, and how we view our fellow creatures.
This edition also includes written by audiobook narrator Benjamin Fife:
- Why the Dickens? Commentary on how Dickens is just as relevant in the 21st century as he was nearly two hundred years ago
- A collection of vocabulary and their usage in Our Mutual Friend
- An Exploration of Dickens and the Juxtaposition of different characters for contrast
- Exploring the macro and microscopes Dickens uses to show the absurdity of Classism
Our Mutual Friend was the last complete novel Dickens wrote. With a cast of dozens, Dickens takes you on a romp of assumed identities, intrigue, conspirators, and loveable heroes. He explores the inadequacies of Britain's Poor Law, and just what some characters are willing to do for a bit of money.
- Our Mutual Friend marks a happy return to the earlier manner of Dickens at the end of Dickens’s life. - G.K. Chesterton"
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