Classics Audiobooks | Literature

"Brought to you by Penguin. The Mermaid Collection Originally published in 1951 from the author of beloved holiday classic The Feast comes a glorious coming-of-age tale about a heroine whose wedding day does not go entirely to plan . . . With a foreword by Lucy Mangan ‘People seem to get over things, don’t they? I don’t know how, but they do – ordinary people. I’m very ordinary, so I expect I shall do what they do.’ Lucy Carmichael is jilted at the altar. But no matter. Her loving and kind family never liked her explorer fiancé anyway. Instead of moping or falling into her supportive family’s arms, however, Lucy abandons their suburban home. Heading for the country, she takes up a teaching position in the industrial town of Ravonsbridge. There, she finds solace in her work, in her new (rather gossipy) colleagues – and rediscovers her sensible young self. But if Lucy has, despite everything, kept her head – where lies her heart? Praise for Margaret Kennedy: 'She is not only a romantic but an anarchist, and she knows the ways of men and women very well indeed' Anita Brookner 'Kennedy was immensely popular in her heyday' Washington Post 'Margaret Kennedy's poised style, cool wit and skilful characterization kept her novels welcome for three decades' Cambridge Guide to Literature in English © Margaret Kennedy 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Margaret Kennedy (Author), TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

Down Among the Women

"Brought to you by Penguin. The Mermaid Collection A classic from beloved national treasure Fay Weldon sees four women break the shackles of patriarchy and domesticity in 1950s London, from the author of The Lives and Loves of a She-Devil With a foreword by Jenny Colgan ‘Down among the women. What a place to be!’ So says Wanda, a former radical who left her husband and raised her daughter Scarlet to be as liberated as she. But twenty-year-old Scarlet, with an abortion already behind her, is about to discover real liberation – as a single mother in Fifties’ London. Yet Scarlet’s not alone. Meet her friends: Sylvia, the born victim; respectable Jocelyn, willingly trapped in a dull, bourgeois marriage; Audrey, bristling to break free of her conventional life; and Helen, beautiful, vibrant – and very doomed. Over the course of twenty years, from the Fifties to the Seventies, Scarlet, Wanda and their friends will wonder if they can ever become the women they always dreamed of being. Praise for Fay Weldon: 'A national treasure' Literary Review 'Wickedly stylish. Bursting with intelligence and fire' Daily Telegraph 'Prolific and provocative, Weldon shines brightest in the league table of British women novelists' Time Out 'A queen of words' Caitlin Moran © Fay Weldon 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Fay Weldon (Author), Charlotte Davey, Tamryn Payne (Narrator)

Audiobook

Lies and Sorcery

"Brought to you by Penguin. The first unabridged English translation of the electrifying novel of secrets and delusions, from one of the greatest Italian writers of the twentieth century. Elisa – orphaned as a child, raised by a ‘fallen woman’, fed by fairy tales – has lived in an outlandish imaginary world for years. When her guardian dies, she feels compelled to confront her family’s tortured and dramatic past, weaving the tale of her mother and grandmother through a history of intrigue, treachery, deception and desire. But as her saga of three generations of Sicilian women proceeds, it becomes something else entirely, taking in a whole legacy of oppression and injustice. By turns flamboyant and intense, raging and funny, Lies and Sorcery is a celebration of the female imagination, and the power of storytelling itself. First published in 1948, Elsa Morante’s debut novel won the Viareggio Prize and earned her the lasting admiration of generations of writers from Italo Calvino and Natalia Ginzburg to Elena Ferrante. Translated by Jenny McPhee 'Thrillingly addictive, magnificent, luxurious . . . as staggering and absorbing as a great 19th-century novel' Telegraph 'I loved it and it had been a long time since I had read anything that gave me such life and joy' Natalia Ginzburg WINNER OF THE ALTA 2024 ITALIAN PROSE IN TRANSLATION AWARD WINNER OF THE JOHN FLORIO PRIZE LONGLISTED FOR THE OXFORD-WEIDENFELD PRIZE 2024 © Elsa Morante 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Elsa Morante (Author), TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

My Search for Warren Harding

"Brought to you by Penguin. Perfect for fans of A Confederacy of Dunces, this is Robert Plunket’s comic masterpiece: a breakneck, unhinged romp through 1980’s LA Eliot Weiner – snob, shameless opportunist, Morris dancing-obsessive – is on a mission. He has got wind of a trunk of bawdy love letters by Warren Harding, ‘the shallowest President in history’, now guarded by his octogenarian mistress on her crumbling Hollywood Hills estate. They could reignite his failing academic career – and there’s no depth to which he won’t stoop, no preposterous scheme he won’t undertake, to get at them. With an Introduction by Danzy Senna ‘One of the most original comic novels of the past half century’ The New Yorker ‘Will leave you so giddy you’ll go and kick sand in somebody’s face’ Houston Post ‘The author pulled me in so deftly, that after a hundred pages, I seemed to have turned over the keys, so to speak, of my nervous system’ Frank Conroy, Washington Post ‘A riotous debut: The Aspern Papers performed by the Brothers Marx’ Time ‘Nothing this funny is being written today’ Jacobin © Robert Plunket 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Robert Plunket (Author), TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

Vilhelm's Room

"Brought to you by Penguin. I want to write a book about Vilhelm’s room and the events which took place in it, or arose from it; those that led to Lise’s death, which I have survived only so that I might write down the story of her and Vilhelm... The ripples from a breakup radiate outwards from the room where a married couple once loved each other, and a bizarre Lonely Hearts advert sets off a train of tragicomic events that lead to an inevitable conclusion. Tove Ditlevsen’s final novel – published a year before her suicide in 1976 – is a masterful conclusion to a great work of writing: a blackly funny and devastating tour-de-force that pulses with life even as it journeys towards death. © Tove Ditlevsen 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Tove Ditlevsen (Author), Helen Bang (Narrator)

Audiobook

Zorba the Greek & The Last Temptation: Two BBC Radio Full-Cast Dramatisations

"Nikos Kazantzakis’ two most popular novels, adapted for BBC Radio Nikos Kazantzakis is widely regarded as the greatest Greek writer and philosopher of the 20th century. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature 14 times, and his works have been translated into over 50 languages. Included here are dramatisations of his two most famous and influential novels, both of which were adapted as hit films and became cultural phenomena. Zorba the Greek – When writer Nikos meets the irrepressible Zorba, his life is transformed. A grizzled, gregarious Greek hero, Zorba embraces every experience and adventure that life has to offer. As he befriends the young, intellectual Nikos, he introduces him to the real meaning of a life well lived… A moving coming-of-age tale and a classic story of heart vs head, this atmospheric adaptation stars Robert Stephens, Michael Maloney and Mary Wimbush. The Last Temptation – Starring John Hurt and Dame Judi Dench, this 1973 archive drama is based on Kazantzakis' controversial 1955 novel, banned by the Vatican but hailed by critics as a masterpiece. A powerful, passionate account of the days preceding Christ’s death, it explores his humanity, his divinity and the roles of Mary Magdalene and Judas Iscariot in fulfilling his destiny. Zorba the Greek © Nikos Kazantzakis 1952, © Helen Kazantzakis 1958 The Last Temptation © 1961 Helen N Kazantzakis Production credits Written by Nikos Kazantzakis Zorba the Greek Zorba – Robert Stephens Nikos – Michael Maloney Hortense – Mary Wimbush Mavrondoni – Terry Molloy Mimiko – Dominic Taylor Anagnosti/Zacharias – Roger Hume Andonis – Peter Meakin Mad Woman/Mourner – Hedli Niklaus Villa Girl/Girl – Judy Bennett Zacharias – Roger Hume Father Demetrios – Paul Webster Widow – Marian Kemmer Dramatised by Nick McCarty Produced by Phillip Martin First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12-19 December 1993 The Last Temptation Narrator – Gabriel Woolf Rabbi Simeon – John Ruddock Jesus – John Hurt Mary – Diana Bishop Centurion – Vernon Joyner Judas – David Buck Peter – Walter Hall Mary Magdalene – Judi Dench Barabbas – John Rowe Guestmaster – Timothy Bateson Saul – Peter Williams Melchizadek – Rolf Lefebvre Simon of Cyrene/Monk – William Sleigh Abbot – Clive Swift Andrew – Peter Craze Zebedee/Man in the crowd – Brian Haines The Baptist/Man in the crowd – Haydn Jones The Tempter – Heron Carvic Women in the crowd – Julie Hallam & Betty Huntley-Wright Man in the crowd – David Timson Translated and adapted by Andreas Stavrou and Hallam Tennyson Music specially composed by Elizabeth Poston and conducted by Peter Marchbank Additional singers: Veronica Lucas, Colin Appleton, Richard Bourne, Sandra Clark, Hilda Schroder, William Eedle, Fraser Kerr, David Sinclair Produced by Richard Wortley First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 16-23 September 1973 © 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Nikos Kazanthzakis (Author), Clive Swift, David Buck, Full Cast, John Hurt, Judi Dench, Mary Wimbush, Michael Maloney, Robert Stephens (Narrator)

Audiobook

Fenny

"Brought to you by Penguin. The Mermaid Collection A gorgeously rich coming of age novel that sees young English governess Ellen fall head over heels for Tuscany after taking a job as a governess in 1933, even in the face of unrequited love and political tension. With a foreword by Jennie Godfrey ‘The strange city through which they drove was the scenery of a dream . . .’ Yorkshire teacher Ellen Fenwick has never been abroad. But when her mother dies, this young woman finds herself taking a position as governess to an English girl in Florence in the summer of 1933. Little does Ellen realise how this girl, Juliet, and her family will claim her. For as the summer passes, Ellen falls so in love with Italy and her new home that she cannot bear to leave – even when her own hopes of love are cruelly thwarted. Even when the shadow of war falls across the country, she doesn’t flee but clings on – for her friends, for those she loves more than herself. Ellen – selfless, big-hearted, accepting – cannot know what is coming. Yet, she will not face it alone . . . Praise for Lettice Cooper: ‘A writer of quiet but strong, deep and varied gifts’ Sunday Telegraph ‘A storyteller of adventures of the heart’ Jilly Cooper © Lettice Cooper 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Lettice Cooper (Author), TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

Through A Glass, Darkly

"Brought to you by Penguin. The Mermaid Collection The jewel in the crown of the beloved Dr Basil Willing mysteries - when unassuming art teacher Faustina Crayle loses her second job in quick succession, only Basil can help, and it goes from bad to worse for Faustina when a body is found . . . With a foreword by Gillian McAllister ‘They watch me all the time. In and out of the classroom, their eyes are always following me . . .’ Quiet, gentle, young Faustina Crayle is dismissed from her teaching position at Brereton School for Girls after just a few weeks. She is given no explanation, but it’s clear certain staff and pupils fear her. Her friend and fellow teacher Gisela contacts psychologist and sleuth Dr Basil Willing who offers to investigate these outlandish claims. But this only confirms two damning facts – first, that this happened at a previous school and, second, people believe there are two sides to enigmatic Faustina. When a body is found at the school and Faustina is implicated in the death, it is clear that darkness swirls around this young woman. But is she the perpetrator or victim? Praise for Helen McCloy: 'McCloy has always resembled the best writers of the Sayers-Blake-Allingham school' New York Times ‘In the very top rank’ Sunday Times © Helen McCloy 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Helen McCloy (Author), Charlotte Davey, Jill Winternitz (Narrator)

Audiobook

Something Wicked This Way Comes: A Novel

"One of Ray Bradbury's best-known and most popular novels, Something Wicked This Way Comes, now in a new recording narrated by Paul Giamatti! For those who still dream and remember, for those yet to experience the hypnotic power of its dark poetry, step inside. The show is about to begin. Cooger & Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show has come to Green Town, Illinois, to destroy every life touched by its strange and sinister mystery. The carnival rolls in sometime after midnight, ushering in Halloween a week early. A calliope's shrill siren song beckons to all with a seductive promise of dreams and youth regained. Two boys will discover the secret of its smoke, mazes, and mirrors; two friends who will soon know all too well the heavy cost of wishes…and the stuff of nightmares. Few novels have endured in the heart and memory as has Ray Bradbury's unparalleled literary masterpiece Something Wicked This Way Comes. Scary and suspenseful, it is a timeless classic in the American canon."

Ray Bradbury (Author), Paul Giamatti (Narrator)

Audiobook

[Spanish] - Las aventuras de Sherlock Holmes

"DOCE MISTERIOS, UN DETECTIVE LEGENDARIO... ¡LAS AVENTURAS MÁS EMOCIONANTES DE SHERLOCK HOLMES! Revive los orígenes del detective más famoso del mundo con 'Las aventuras de Sherlock Holmes'. En esta selección de doce relatos cortos, Arthur Conan Doyle nos presenta a un Holmes en su máximo esplendor, resolviendo misterios intrigantes y cautivando a lectores de todas las edades. Desde 'Escándalo en Bohemia' hasta 'La banda de lunares', cada caso es una prueba del ingenio y la astucia de Sherlock Holmes. ¡Prepárate para sumergirte en un mundo de misterio y suspense! Sobre Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Conan Doyle fue un famoso escritor y físico escocés nacido en 1859. Sus obras de crimen y ficción catapultaron su fama a nivel global, sus textos se encuentran traducidos en una inmensa variedad de idiomas y gracias a su trabajo, una variedad de películas y series han sido producidas al publico."

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Author), José Angel Peña (Narrator)

Audiobook

[Spanish] - Estudio en escarlata

"UN CRIMEN MACABRO, UN DETECTIVE BRILLANTE, UNA AMISTAD LEGENDARIA. Londres, finales del siglo XIX. Un asesinato macabro en la carretera de Brixton pone en alerta a Scotland Yard. Sherlock Holmes, un excéntrico detective consultor, se une a la investigación junto a su nuevo compañero, el Dr. Watson. Una palabra escrita con sangre en la pared, falsas pistas y un misterioso coche marcan el inicio de una búsqueda implacable. ¿Lograrán Holmes y Watson desentrañar la verdad tras el 'Estudio en escarlata' antes de que el asesino vuelva a atacar? Sumérgete en el primer caso de Sherlock Holmes y descubre el origen de su leyenda. Sherlock Holmes Acerca de la serie de Sherlock Holmes Adéntrate en el Londres victoriano de la mano del detective más brillante de todos los tiempos: Sherlock Holmes. Acompaña a Holmes y a su leal compañero, el Dr. Watson, en la resolución de crímenes inexplicables, enigmas intrincados y misterios que desafían la lógica. Desde las calles neblinosas de Whitechapel hasta las mansiones de la aristocracia, cada caso es una aventura que te mantendrá al borde del asiento. Descubre el ingenio deductivo de Holmes, su capacidad para observar los detalles más insignificantes y su peculiar forma de ver el mundo. Prepárate para ser sorprendido, intrigado y cautivado por el universo inigualable de Sherlock Holmes, donde la verdad siempre se revela, aunque a veces se esconda en los lugares más insospechados. Sobre Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Conan Doyle fue un famoso escritor y físico escocés nacido en 1859. Sus obras de crimen y ficción catapultaron su fama a nivel global, sus textos se encuentran traducidos en una inmensa variedad de idiomas y gracias a su trabajo, una variedad de películas y series han sido producidas al publico."

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Author), Jesús Manuel Rois Frey (Narrator)

Audiobook

[Spanish] - El archivo de Sherlock Holmes

"DOCE NUEVOS CASOS, DOCE ENIGMAS POR RESOLVER... ¡EL ARCHIVO SECRETO DE SHERLOCK HOLMES AL DESCUBIERTO! Prepárate para sumergirte en los misterios más intrincados y sorprendentes del famoso detective. Algunos incluso narrados por el mismísimo Watson! En 'El archivo de Sherlock Holmes', acompaña a Holmes y a Watson en doce nuevas aventuras llenas de ingenio, suspense y revelaciones inesperadas. Desde el robo de 'La piedra de Mazarino' hasta el enigma de 'El vampiro de Sussex', cada caso es un desafío para la mente brillante de Sherlock Holmes. ¿Estás listo para abrir este archivo secreto y desentrañar la verdad? Sobre Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Conan Doyle fue un famoso escritor y físico escocés nacido en 1859. Sus obras de crimen y ficción catapultaron su fama a nivel global, sus textos se encuentran traducidos en una inmensa variedad de idiomas y gracias a su trabajo, una variedad de películas y series han sido producidas al publico."

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Author), Chema Agulló (Narrator)

Audiobook

Classics Audiobooks in Literature