Product Description
Regal and beautiful, Mary gambled away her throne for love, and only the deadly game of power she played and eventually lost to her own cousin could contain her. 4 cassettes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

THE QUEEN WHO RULED WITH HER HEART AND LOST HER HEAD...
This audio book is available only in an abridged version. While I normally do not care to bother with abridged audio books, I am a big fan of Mary Stuart, the hapless Queen of Scots, as well as a Julie Christie fan, so I was game to try it.

This audio book was better than I thought it would be, given that it is abridged. This is in large part due to Julie Christie's rousing reading. Ms. Christie reads with great spirit and verve, her diction crystal clear. She seamlessly transitions between Scottish and English accents, infusing the characters with distinct personalities and creating a sense of atmosphere. Ms. Christie simply does a beautiful job reading this book.

This book by Alexandre Dumas is very good, though literary license is evidently taken. It encompasses Mary's early childhood, her sojourn in France, her return to Scotland as Queen, the intrusion of fire and brimstone religious reformer, John Knox, into the political arena, the perfidy of James, her illegitimate half-brother, the unhappy marriage to Lord Darnley and his murder, her alliance with Lord Bothwell, abdication, exile in England, and execution.

The time spent focusing on Mary's last will and testament, however, is inordinately long and somewhat puzzling. It would probably have been better spent focusing more on her alliance with Lord Bothwell or on the political perfidy of her power hungry, illegitimate half-brother, James. Both would play a large part in Mary's downfall and ultimate loss of the throne of Scotland.

Still, for those who are fans of Mary Stuart and for those who would like a brief and breezy overview of her life, this abridged audio book might just be the ticket. The book is contained on four cassettes, which provide six hours of reading pleasure.

Truly remarkable story
Alexandre Dumas is a real master teller. He is so knowledgeable of the history that you can never tell between that fact and the fiction. You almost feel like living in the 16th century. You can sense it.

The abridged version is to the damage of the story. It has not been very carefully selected which parts to leave out or which parts to shorten. Sometimes it takes a while to realize that the story jumped forward in time and some parts are being given an unnecessary extend (the decription of Mary's will, for exemple). Also the part describing her execution is a bit too morbide.

But in any case, this is a great piece of work. It has both its entertaining and historical value.

The performance of the reader - Julie Christie - is excellent. She switches from English to Scottish to French accent to support the atmosphere and her voice is clear and easy to follow. I can highly recommend to buy it. ... Read more

Product Description
"Far From the Madding Crowd" is perhaps the best-known of Hardy's works. The story centres around the beautiful and wilful Bathsheba Everdene, mistress of Weatherbury Upper Farm, and the three men who love her. Hardy combines outstanding description of West Country rural life with a deep sense of romantic passion. ... Read more

Product Description
Sparkling with wit and irony, Sense and Sensibility is more than a simple contrast between heart and head; it is a critical exploration of the society that demands of individuals both honesty and duplicity.

When two sisters, Elinor and Marianne, and their mother are left to the financial mercies of John Dashwood and his wife, they find themselves in drastically reduced circumstances.

Unable to find a new home in Sussex, they move to Devon, leaving behind Elinor's admirer Edward Ferrars. Though Elinor is sorrowful, she conceals her feelings of attachment from prying society. Marianne, impulsive and open in her emotions, falls passionately in love with the dashing, roguish John Willoughby. Although they differ widely in temperament, both sisters must face great sorrows in their affairs of the heart - and use their own strengths to overcome them.

Read by Julie Christie ... Read more

Product Description
Marianne Dashwood wears her heart on her sleeve, and when she falls in love with the dashing but unsuitable John Willoughby she ignores her sister Elinor's warning that her impulsive behavior leaves her open to gossip and innuendo. Meanwhile Elinor, always sensitive to social convention, is struggling to conceal her own romantic disappointment, even from those closest to her. Through their parallel experience of love - and its threatened loss - the sisters learn that sense must mix with sensibility if they are to find personal happiness in a society where status and money govern the rules of love. ... Read more

Product Description
The story of Quasimoto, as originally written by Victor Hugo.The "monster" in the abbey abhorred and trapped alone for years is the subject of this classic.What we learn about people is more important than how.Performed by Julie Christie, Hunchback is endearing and heartwrenching in its simplicity. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from National Catholic Reporter, published by Thomson Gale on June 8, 2007. The length of the article is 1076 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Dignity and deception: Christie shines in 'Away from Her'; 'Valet' is energetic farce.(MOVIES/COLUMN)(Movie review)
Author: Joseph Cunneen
Publication: National Catholic Reporter (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 8, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 43Issue: 29Page: 19(1)

Article Type: Movie review

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
The Secret Garden, where a little girl has to look through a keyhole to see it.Where entering it is trouble, where a dark secret is behind it.The Secret Garden is a classic book of love and mystery combined.Julie Christie performs this classic with style and grace.A treat for any listener of any age. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Winnipeg Free Press, published by Thomson Gale on May 5, 2007. The length of the article is 899 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Minding her manners; Julie Christie captures the polite decline of a wife with Alzheimer's in Away From Her.(Movies - Articles)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: Winnipeg Free Press (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 5, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: c1

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
Contains "Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion" and "Pride and Prejudice". 10 cassettes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (37)

Thanks Able
I had the book in my cart with 3 stories in one for $17 til I read Able Baker's post - I went and bought the one with 8 books.Thanks!

The tales of Austen
Jane Austen. Her name is practically synonymous with classic, understated romance, as well as comedies of manners with a subtle, sly sense of humor -- and the boxed "Favorite Jane Austen Novels" brings together three of her most enduring novels (although admittedly the overall list is rather small) -- filled with lovably flawed heroines, beautiful formal prose, and some rather unconventional love stories.

"Sense and Sensibility" have very different interests when the Dashwood family is exiled from their longtime home, and are reduced to living in a tiny cottage near the widowed Mrs. Dashwood's cousin's house. The eldest daughter, sensible Elinor, has fallen in love with a shy scholarly man who will never be permitted to marry her, and the romantic Marianne has fallen for sexy bad-boy Willoughby. But a trip to London exposes the secrets of both men, and jeopardizes the romantic lives of both sisters.

"Pride and Prejudice" clash when Elizabeth Bennett encounters the handsome, aloof Mr. Darcy, a ridiculously wealthy man who matches her in verbal wit and intelligence. However, her prejudice against him builds up when she befriends the charming Wickham (who claims to have been terribly wronged by Darcy), and Darcy sabotages a love-match for Lizzie's sister. But she soon discovers that pride doesn't make him a bad person -- especially when a massive scandal hits her family, and Darcy may be the only one who can help.

"Persuasion" is a problem for Anne Elliott, who was once engaged to the handsome, intelligent and impoverished sailor Frederick Wentworth, but was persuaded to dump him. Now he's returned from the Napoleonic Wars rich and a hero -- and his relatives have rented Anne's family home, while her family relocates to Bath -- and her father's entailed heir starts paying attention to her. Anne is still in love with Frederick, but he may not be able to forget the past.

"Favorite Jane Austen Novels: Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion" displays the range and depth of Austen's writing skill beautifully; though each story is very unique they're laced together by common themes. Each story is a love story, tempered with some clever commentary on the society of Austen's day (example: entailment, which plays a part in each plot), and a biting, sharp-edged wit (the mockery of the toadying Mr. Collins and the obnoxious Elliott family).

And despite the formal stuffiness of the time, Austen painted her stories vividly -- the only one that has notable flaws is "Persuasion," which is a bit rough because it was finished shortly before Austen's death. Lots of powerful emotions and vivid splashes of prose ("The wind roared round the house, and the rain beat against the windows"), as well as deliciously witty dialogue ("I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine"). But she also weaves in some intensely romantic moments as well ("Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you").

Austen also had an interesting range of heroines -- quiet ones, melodramatic ones, sensible sharp-tongued ones, and mildly spoiled ones who think they know best. But each one has a major character flaw that must be overcome before she can find true love and happiness. And she has an equally fascinating range of love interests: the quiet and rather shy Colonel Brandon, the upstanding sailor Wentworth, and especially the haughty Mr. Darcy, who slowly melts into a strong, sexy hero after a heated argument with Lizzie.

"Favorite Jane Austen Novels" is accurately named -- it brings together three very unique stories that explore the mannered society of Austen's day, as well as the obstacle-filled love lives of her heroines.

A must have!
I have bought this lovely set for my friend's birthday, she is a fan of Jane Austen, and wanted to have the original unabridged version. It makes a great gift since it also comes in a presentable package. Something everyone should have on their shelves.

Good price and the expected quality
Although the type of paperback is too simple, the gift reached the target: my wife and daughter.

Classic Jane Novels
I love this set! I really like the selection of books and the case it comes in. These are classic Jane novels and a great addition to any book collection. My one gripe is that they aren't very pretty but I guess you shouldn't judge a book by its cover anyway! Happy reading! ... Read more

Product Description
6 CDs, 51/2 hours

... Read more

Product Description
Follows the philosophy and format of the first volume. Contains 112 demonstrations appropriate for any introductory chemical program. Offers clear, concise text that details each demonstration. Explains how to do it, what the reactions are, and how to prepare materials and solutions. Provides a cross listing of demonstrations and chemical topics, thus allowing you to quickly find the right demonstration to fit a specific topic. Will benefit both student and teacher. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good Resource
Well worth the money. I found some excellent demos to do in High School Chemistry. Fantastic! ... Read more