Showing results by narrator "Rob Penman" in All Categories

Henchard is a handsome farm labourer. When he gets drunk at a country fair, he sells his wife and child to a sailor. The next day, ashamed by what he has done, he lets people believe that his wife has died. Thus begins a chain of events which leads Henchard deep into dishonesty and betrayal. Repentant and determined to change his ways, Henchard works hard to improve his fortunes. He becomes rich and is elected mayor of Casterbridge - though his temper and his pride make him difficult to like.

"There is a whistling sound behind us. Shells pass overhead and explode in a sheet of flame a hundred meters away." When Paul Büumer and his classmates join the army, nothing has prepared them for the death and destruction they witness. Machine guns, huge artillery shells, and poison gas create a nightmare world for these young men and their older comrades. For months and years, attack is followed by counterattack.

Upon the ground around the body were the footprints of a gigantic hound!

When Sir Charles Baskerville is found dead, his face distorted with shock and horror, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are faced with a sinister and difficult puzzle.

A fearsome creature stalks the wild and barren hills of Dartmoor. Is it a demon from the spirit world? Will it defeat their skill and courage? Who is the tall, mysterious figure seen lurking on the moor at night?

In this retold classic for children, it seems that poor Cosette will never escape from the wicked Monsieur and Madame Thénardier. She is only eight years old, but they force her to work hard every day. Jean Valjean has promised her mother that he will rescue the little girl - but Inspector Javert is on his trail. Will the fierce Inspector arrest Jean Valjean? If he does, will Cosette ever be set free? Cosette is not the only person who desperately needs help. When Marius is badly wounded, will even Jean Valjean's courage and determination be enough to save the brave young student?

"You must hear my tale. You must hear my terrible, terrible tale." Committed to the deadly pursuit of the monster he created, Victor Frankenstein tells his chilling story. It all began with a desire to help mankind, but where will it end? Frankenstein leads us through vast mountainous landscapes and over frozen seas. Can he stop the fiend’s murderous course? Is he prepared to do what the monster demands? The reader will be shocked and surprised. Is the monster as evil as he seems?

"Abandon hope all ye who enter here." Dante, our young, naive hero, has woken from a deep sleep to find himself in a cold, dark wood. Before he can begin to work out where he is, his path is blocked by a leopard, a lion, and a she-wolf. Things get worse from there, and our pilgrim finds himself on a journey through the very depths of hell. Why is he there, and will he ever make it out alive?

"Today is Wednesday 2nd October. If I am back in this very room in the Reform Club on Saturday 21st December by eight forty-five in the evening, I win." Phileas Fogg bets £20,000 that he can go round the world in eighty days--a huge sum of money in 1872, worth more than a million pounds today. When he sets off on his amazing journey with his clever servant, Passepartout, they cannot afford the slightest delay.

The horsemen stopped close to where Ali Baba was hiding. He could scarcely breathe. As they dismounted, he counted them - there were 40 in all, and they were carrying bags of gold, silver and precious stones. When Ali Baba goes into the forest as usual to gather wood to sell, he can hardly imagine that it is the start of an amazing adventure that will change his life. After he discovers the secret of the treasure cave, his good fortune soon turns into terrible danger. Can he ever live safely again with his wife and family?

When Miss Mary Morstan is invited to meet a secretive stranger, she asks Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson to help her.

Captain Morstan has disappeared from his hotel without a trace. Should Miss Morstan dare to hope that her father is still alive?

What horrible scene awaits the famous detective and his friend when they break down the door to Bartholomew Sholto’s attic room? Who is the man with the wooden leg, and why is he so full of bitterness and hatred?

When Dr. Watson agrees to share lodgings with Sherlock Holmes, he soon finds himself involved in a shocking and mysterious murder case. What will Holmes discover when he examines the body? There are no marks on the dead man, so why is there so much blood at the scene of the crime? Inspector Lestrade and Inspector Gregson have asked Holmes to help them. But will they listen to his advice?

The world's greatest classics retold for children. Rachel opened the box and lifted out the diamond. She held it up in a ray of sunlight that poured through the window and cried out in amazement. When Rachel Verinder inherits the Moonstone from her uncle on her 18th birthday, the wonderful jewel is intended to make her rich and happy. So why is her mother so worried about this valuable gift? Rachel seems very fond of her cousin Franklin Blake. When trouble strikes, why does she refuse his help? What has he done to offend her?

Young, attractive and impetuous, Bathsheba has inherited a farm and is determined to be as independent as possible. Her natural beauty is a magnet for men; how will she choose between them? Gabriel Oak is a young farmer, just set up in business with his own flock of sheep. He meets Bathsheba and falls in love with her, but she turns him down. He has to stand by and watch while the woman he loves is courted by others, first by William Boldwood, much older than Bathsheba; then by Sergeant Troy, young, handsome and reckless.

Shakespeare's celebrated tragedy made accessible as drama for younger listeners whilst remaining true to the Bard's verse and vocabulary. What could be worse than falling in love with your enemy? Romeo Montague thinks he's in love until he meets Juliet Capulet. With her, he discovers what true love really feels like. But their two families are bitter rivals, and no one must know about their secret passion. When Romeo kills Juliet's cousin in a brawl, their hopes of happiness seem doomed.

When Jonathan Harker travels to Transylvania to sell a house, he little expects the horrors that await. As the guest and prisoner of the sinister Count Dracula, Jonathan is plunged into a terrifying world of ancient evil and unbearable fear. Back in England Jonathan’s wife, Mina, is concerned about her friend, Lucy, who is mysteriously ill and growing weaker by the day. Can Lucy’s friends save her from the worst horror of all, or are they all doomed to a similar fate?

A great roaring came from the mouth of the cave, and to our horror we saw an enormous giant striding towards us. His skin was a sickly green, and his eyes burned red like fiery coals. Sindbad makes an enormous fortune from his voyages, but he cannot resist joining further dangerous expeditions to far off lands. Will anything persuade him to remain at home in Baghdad? When Sindbad finds himself in the valley of huge serpents, there seems no way out. What clever plan does he use to escape?

As soon as Aladdin started cleaning the lamp there was a sound like a clap of thunder. A swirling cloud of smoke filled the room, changing until it formed the outline of a huge green figure. Aladdin and his mother live a poor and humble life. Then one day Aladdin meets his long-lost uncle and his life is changed for ever. Can his new friend be trusted? When Aladdin persuades the sultan to let him marry the beautiful Princess Badroulbadour, he thinks his happiness is complete.

No one would have believed that planet Earth was being watched by creatures more intelligent than humankind. But planet Earth was not only being watched--soon it would be invaded by monstrous creatures from Mars who strode about the land in great mechanical tripods, bringing death and destruction with them. What could possibly stop an invading army equipped with heat rays and poisonous black gas, intent on wiping out the human race?

"On this machine, I intend to explore time..." The time traveller has invented a time machine. Its capabilities are beyond even his fertile imagination. Hundreds of thousand of years in the future, the beautiful Eloi people live in a Garden of Eden. But why are they so fearful of the dark? What horrors lurk beneath the surface of their world? What will the time traveller learn about the future? Will he survive the evil he encounters? Even if he can find his stolen machine, will it return him safely home?

"It wouldn’t be pleasant sharing my flat with a dead body, but there was nothing else I could do."

Richard Hannay is bored with life in London. Then he discovers a horrible crime and finds himself in the middle of a clever and frightening plot. Can he find the proof he needs to save his country from disaster? When Hannay hides out on the wild Scottish moors, will he escape from the dangerous gang that wants to silence him forever? Who can he trust on his journey?

"It seems pretty clear to me that sooner or later we’ll be at war with Germany, whether we like it or not."

Carruthers is looking forward to a relaxing holiday when he sets off for the Baltic Sea. Instead he finds himself at the centre of a complicated and deadly plot. Will Carruthers and his friend, Arthur Davies, discover why the sinister and mysterious Herr Dollman is so interested in their little yacht, the Dulcibella? What does Clara Dollman know about her father’s plans?