Svenska Ljud Classica

Drowning was the best thing that ever happened to Tom. Before, he was just another poor orphan, employed by the evil chimney-sweep, Grimes, who beat and overworked him. But now, he has escaped that life and become a water baby. From the river to the ocean, "The Water Babies" follows Tom's fun and moving adventures as he meets all sorts of unique, aquatic creatures. A wonder of Victorian fantasy, Charles Kingsley's imaginative 1863 classic has been a mainstay of British children's literature for decades. A huge hit in its time, it lead to reforms that relieved the suffering of young chimney-sweeps like Tom.-

Anne of Green Gables is a children's classic by Canadian author L. M. Montgomery and recently adapted by Netflix in the hit series Anne with an E. 11-year-old Anne is mistakenly sent away from her orphanage to live on Prince Edward Island with brother and sister Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert who need help on their farm. Wild and imaginative Anne learns to find her place in the little town of Avonlea, makes friends, and strives to be the best in school. A children and adults' favourite Anne's tale of is one of love, individuality, and (mis)adventures. -

The roaming vigilante Solomon Kane comes upon a bleeding girl. As she lay dying in his arms, he vows to avenge her death and destroy the evil Le Loup. This gothic classic from Robert E. Howard is filled with suspense, horror and memorable monsters and villains. The action-packed "Red Shadows" is the first Solomon Kane story ever published. The 2009 film "Solomon Kane", starring James Purefoy and Max von Sydow, is based on Howard's famous hero.-

"To-morrow I will begin, thought Katy." Twelve-year-old Katy Carr desperately wants to be good. But being a wild and hot-headed tomboy, it seems so much easier to start being good tomorrow than it does today. Even when her kind and patient invalid cousin comes to visit, Katy's resolution to change only lasts a few hours. But soon she will have much more in common with her cousin than she wished and it will confine her to her room perhaps forever. Will it make her finally able to uphold her promise? Author Susan Coolidge's 'What Katy did' (1872) was published by the same publisher as 'Little Women' by Louisa May Alcott, and speaks to the same audience of people who enjoy well-written girl characters. The most recent film adaptation saw Alison Pill, Michael Cera and Megan Follows ('Anne of Green Gables'), and the book has made its mark on popular culture too, lending its name to a The Libertines song and two episodes of the hit show 'Lost'.-

Told in the form of a series of letters 'Frankenstein' follows a young and charismatic Victor Frankenstein as he attempts to make his mark on the world of science. Taking a number of body parts from various corpses, he brings a monstrous creation to life which instead of being his crowning glory, terrifies him. The nameless monster escapes from his lab, taking many innocent lives before Frankenstein can track it down again. Shelley took inspiration from her trips through Germany and the legends of Castle Frankenstein, where an allusive alchemist engaged in dark experiments two centuries before. It is a thrilling novel that has inspired a whole genre of horror, as well as countless films adaptations, most recently 'Victor Frankenstein' starring James McAvoy and Daniel Radcliffe.-

The first thing the American family see when they step into their new British mansion is the bloodstain in the sitting room. As it turns out, they have moved into an already occupied house, and their new roommate is a proud ghost determined to terrify them to death. But things do not go as planned for the poor ghost. The more he tries to scare the Otis family, the more they make fun of and ignore him. Clever from start to finish, Oscar Wilde's 'The Canterville Ghost' (1887) is charming and engaging. It has been adapted to the screen many times, and 1996 saw Patrick Stewart as the ghost Sir Simon de Canterville.-

Five thousand dollars is offered in reward to whomever finds the six-year-old heiress, Gwendolen Ocumpaugh, who has disappeared mysteriously from her home. Mr. Trevitt, a private detective, is on the case and when he discovers two lost shoes in the surrounding are – both for the same foot! – he suspects a conspiracy is at play. 'The Millionaire Baby' (1905) is a story by American crime writer Anna Katharine Green; a delightful mystery with fascinating characters and twist after twist after twist.-

"Det var med en känsla av vild glädje jag återvände till Nordbanans station, sedan jag där avlämnat min lilla hustru, vilken skulle fara till vårt barn, som insjuknat i fjärran land. Fullbordat var alltså offret av mitt hjärta! En aning sade mig att det var för alltid vi nu hade skilts ..." "Inferno" är en självbiografisk roman av August Strindberg som skildrar Strindbergs vistelse i Paris och Österrike under åren 1894-1896. Fokus ligger på den psykiska kris som författaren genomlevde och boken är baserad på Strindbergs dagbok "Ockulta dagboken". -

"Enter, sir; you are the first to arrive..." When young traveller Hugh Austen, hungry and weather-beaten, seeks refuge in a lonely mansion, he finds himself entwined in the gruesome business of an appalling family. Mistaken for a relative himself, he soon learns that the will of a dead man is about the be read, an inheritance about to be divided. But only between the family members who are present at the appointed hour. With 'The House in the Mist' (1905), detective writer Anna Katharine Green departs from the genre that made her famous and tells a surprising and deliciously horrific story full of twists and revenge, which is bound to satisfy.-

When his wife cheats on him, Golden Walter leaves his mundane life to start a new one at sea. Horrific news forces him to turn around, however, but before he can reach home, a storm carries his ship to a faraway country. A country inhabited by people he has seen before. In a vison. With novels like 'The Wood Beyond the World' (1894) William Morris has gone down in history as the forerunner for much of the modern-day fantasy genre. C.S. Lewis, who wrote 'The Chronicles of Narnia', cited Morris as one of his favourite authors, and J.R.R. Tolkien was influenced by Morris' fantasies in writing 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy.-

Anna, a German mill-owner's daughter, marries a French aristocrat and moves to France. She discovers that her husband killed his previous wife and that he is trying to kill her as well. Quick, intriguing, and with an extremely interesting plot, 'The Grey Woman' (1861) is a short story by Elizabeth Gaskell for anyone who enjoys a good gothic shudder. Incredibly progressive for its time, it is about the survival of the ill-treated woman who has decided that enough is enough.-

The humour in 'Cranford' (1853) is so sly it is can be difficult to believe it was written over 150 years ago. Originally published in instalments and edited by Charles Dickens, the novel follows a delightful group of women in a small town who are united by all being single, poor, and proud. Written with acute observation, 'Cranford' is in equal parts affectionate, moving and darkly satirical. 'Cranford' has been adapted for television by BBC three times, and the latest version from 2007 featured Dame Judy Dench and Dame Eileen Atkins.-

When Huckleberry Finn (Huck) runs away from his abusive father with his companion, the runaway slave Jim, he begins a long and frequently interrupted expedition down the Mississippi River on a raft. During the journey Huck encounters a variety of characters through whom the book outstandingly portrays almost every social class living on or along the river. As a result of these experiences, Huck overcomes conventional racial prejudices and learns to respect and love Jim. The book is dotted throughout with idyllic descriptions of the river and the surrounding forests, and Huck's good nature and unconscious humour shines through the pages. Through adventure after adventure runs a thread of human cruelty, which shows itself both in the acts of individuals and in their unthinking acceptance of such institutions as slavery. The natural goodness of Huck is continually contrasted with the effects of a corrupt society.Mark Twain was greatly inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's writings and Tom and Huck's relationship is by many compared to that of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884) is the second book in the series of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876), The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), Tom Sawyer Abroad (1894) and Tom Sawyer, Detective (1896).-

Gerard is a downright legend. At least in his own mind. Old and retired, the French brigadier muses over past adventures serving in the Napoleonic wars, and while he certainly should not be called a liar... uuh... he does have a tendency to put his best foot forward. 'The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard' (1896) is not a complicated book, yet it will make you reconsider the meaning of hubris and loyalty. Sherlock Holmes author Arthur Conan Doyle writes with sophisticated humour and this book is sure to pick you up if you are down. 'The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard was turned into a movie in 1970 starring Peter McEnery.-

Inspector T.B. Smith of Scotland Yard has got a lot on his plate. Two men are found shot to death outside the door of a millionaire, who happens to live just a few doors down from Smith himself. And a terrifying blackmailer, who runs a crude gossip rag, continues to elude the police. Inspector Smith is on the case, which eventually leads him to a secret, strange house, that sems to have a life of its own... "The Secret House" is a complex and exciting mystery from the "King of Thrillers" Edgar Wallace.-

What seems at first sight to be just another murder mystery is quickly revealed to be of international importance. Bio-terrorists threaten the release of an agent that will destroy the world's corn crops, but an intrepid detective and a damsel in distress struggle to thwart their plans. A good old-fashioned page-turner, "The Green Rust" is an exciting thriller from Edgar Wallace.-

When Harvey, the spoiled fifteen-year-old son of a railroad tycoon, falls overboards, he is saved by a fishing boat. The gruff and hearty crew teach him about fishing and life on the boat. A fun, thrilling adventure on the sea, "Captains Courageous" from 1897 is Kipling's only novel set entirely in America. -

"Can Such Things Be?" is a thrillingly creepy collection of short stories from one of the 19th century's masters of horror. Sit yourself by a campfire or candlelight and enjoy these 24 eerie stories, told in Bierce's witty, clear prose, filled with ghosts, apparitions, doppelgängers, grave robbers, death omens and other strange, inexplicable occurrences. The story of "The Damned Thing" has appeared in the tv show "Masters of Horror", while "Haïta the Shepherd" and "An Inhabitant of Carcosa" have reverberated in the history of supernatural fiction from Robert W. Chambers' "The King in Yellow" to HBO's "True Detective" starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson.-

A despot king, a dragon and a weird, completely enclosed city. Conan the Barbarian meets his equal in the form of the pirate Valeria. A captain of the Red Brotherhood, she is a true swashbuckler. This pulp classic, from the father of swords and sorcery, is a pulse-pounding tale of a dwindling and trapped civilization. "Red Nails" is the last of Robert E. Howard's stories about Conan the Barbarian and a true fan-favorite. -

Tales of the White Mountains. An engaging and satisfying collection of four short stories by Nathaniel Hawthorne, revolving around the mountains of New Hampshire, from 1850 when the Old Man of the Mountain still stood. Contains the following stories: "The Great Stone Face", "The Ambitious Guest", "The Great Carbuncle", and "Sketches From Memory".-

When Sir Charles Baskerville dies suddenly from a heart attack, a rumour of a deadly, supernatural giant dog, who may have been persecuted for generations, begins to circulate in the village. When Sir Henry Baskerville arrives from Canada for the legacy of the Baskerville manor in England, the skeptical Sherlock Holmes is called to help with the case. Was the death of Sir Charles Baskerville really a heart attack or maybe an animal lurking in deserted moors? Will Baskerville's new owner become the next victim of the dog?The Hound of the Baskervilles is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's third Sherlock Holmes novel. The Hound of the Baskervilles is one of Doyle's most famous works and has been adapted for the big screen more than 20 times.-

In the late 1800s, best friends Helen Denis and Kate Lancaster spend a summer in the little seaside village of Deephaven, getting to know its residents. Her much acclaimed powers of description at their peak, Sarah Orne Jewett's classic "Deephaven" is a slow-paced gem, where everyday events become remarkable. The quirky people of the small community come alive in all their specificity through Jewett's characterization, and are guaranteed to stay with the reader for a long time after the book is over.-

Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn attempts to solve a mysterious murder which takes them onboard a steamboat back to Arkansas, gets them tangled up with diamond thieves and the ghost of a missing burglar. In this burlesque of the immensely popular detective novels of the time Tom and Huck find themselves with Uncle Silas and his family again (see "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn"). Like the two preceding novels, the story is told using the first person narrative voice of Huck Finn. Mark Twain was greatly inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's writings and Tom and Huck's relationship is by many compared to that of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.Tom Sawyer, Detective is an 1896 novel by Mark Twain. It is the fourth books in the series of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876), Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), and Tom Sawyer Abroad (1894).-

One night at Christmas, Ebenezer Scrooge, a mean and greedy man, gets a visit from the ghost of his dead business partner. The ghost warns him about the awful punishment that awaits if he continues to live his life selfishly. The next three nights, Scrooge is visited by three separate spirits who confront him with Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet to Come. Will the horrors and the joy Scrooge sees make him change his ways? Adapted for film and television more times than any other Charles Dickens story, A Christmas Carol (1843) is one of the most famous Christmas stories ever told. In the popular 2009 animated film, Jim Carrey voices the grouchy main character alongside Gary Oldman and Colin Firth. Warm, empathetic, and socially aware, this classic novella is bound to put any listener in the proper Christmas mood.-

Bernice is turned into a proper society girl by her more desirable cousin, who feels Bernice is a drag on her social life. But when Bernice starts to win over all the boys in town, the girls turn viciously against each other. Based on letters F. Scott Fitzgerald originally sent to his little sister advising her on how to be more attractive to men, 'Bernice Bobs Her Hair' is one of eight vivid stories in Fitzgerald's first short story collection. In another, 'The Off-Shore Pirate', a girl gets captured by pirates and falls in love with the captain. It was adapted into a romantic comedy and starred silent movie actress Viola Dana. 'Flappers and Philosophers' (1920) are tales about young dreamers whose dreams get broken, tales which perfectly encompass the zeitgeist of the 1920s.-

"I think Silas Marner holds a higher place than any of the author's works," said Henry James of this classic George Eliot novel. When a little girl wanders into a random house one cold night, the lives of two different men are about to change dramatically. The house is owned by the town outsider, Silas Marner, and upon finding the girl's mother dead in the snow, he decides to adopt her. Little does he know that the girl's biological father is the rich Godfrey Cass, who now considers himself off the hook and free to marry the girl he loves. Published in 1862, Silas Marner is a simple and subtle story that explores the relationship between the individual and the community.-

'Rupert of Hentzau' (1898) picks up three years after 'The Prisoner of Zenda' ended with Rudolf Rassendyll sadly leaving behind his love, Queen Flavia. Now unhappily married, Flavia writes Rassendyll to reconcile, but the letter is stolen and before long, Rassendyll once again finds himself forced to impersonate the king. Only this time, the ploy promises to leave behind several fatalities.A decidedly darker sequel, this novel once again asks the question, Duty or love? And the answer might surprise you. The dashing villain, Rupert of Hentzau, has been portrayed on screen by many popular Hollywood actors throughout the years, among these Ramon Novarro (1922), Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. (1937) and James Mason (1952).-

Once again, Alice finds herself in a peculiar place. In this sequel to 'Alice Adventures in Wonderland', Alice has climbed through a mirror and arrived in a world in which everything is reversed, like a reflection – including logic. It makes for another absurdly funny story full of wonder and snark that, like the first book, never talks down to its young audience. The popular Tim Burton movie, 'Alice in Wonderland' (2010), starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, and Anne Hathaway, to name is few, is loosely based on both this and the previous novel. In some ways, 'Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There' (1871) has had an even bigger impact on today's popular culture than the first book.-

This follow-up to 'Tarzan of the Apes' begins where the first novel ended, with Tarzan's beloved Jane set to marry his cousin. Disappointed in love, Tarzan leaves for Europe, and after a bit of trouble, becomes a spy for the French government. Soon, he finds himself back in the same jungle, in which he grew up, and coincidentally, so does Jane. Duals, attempted murders, espionage, suicide, ancient treasure, a shipwreck, lion attacks and numerous escapes, 'The Return of Tarzan' (1915) does not lack for anything, and for people left wanting more after the first novel, this is it.-

A racoon awakes from his winter nap to find his tree being chopped down. An old frog decides that now is the time to see more of the world. A mouse gets upset because his tail is short – and because an owl wants to eat him for dinner. With his love and respect for nature and animals at his fingertips, Thornton W. Burgess' created some of the world's best children's stories with his first collection, 'Old Mother West Wind' (1910). Each story has relatable characters and a subtle moral that is not at all preachy. This collection introduces some of Burgess' famous characters that would pop up in his later books, like Peter Rabbit and Bobby Raccoon.-