Anthologies

Fans of quality literature can expand their experience of the short story form with this exciting collection of unabridged works. Authors include important talents past and present and cover a bracing range of genres, from ghost stories and domestic dramas to mysteries and character studies. Ruth Rendell, Barry Unsworth, A. S. Byatt, Angela Huth, Frederic Raphael, Haruki Murakami, Alan Sillitoe, Fay Weldon, and Patrick O'Brian are among the talents represented here. Readers include such notables as Janet McTeer, Rosalind Ayres, and Walter Lewis.

Short The Thoroughly Modern Collection - carefully selected from our catalogue of over 300 short stories. This stunning and original collection features a famous array of literary talent and quality performance. A unique and utterly collectable edition, with stories spanning many themes and incidents, it is also a varied and accessible way into spoken word for newcomers. MOTHERS AND FATHERS by Angela Huth read by Janet McTeer SHARED CREDIT by Frederic Raphael read by Martin Jarvis THE YEAR'S MIDNIGHT by Helen Simpson read by Harriet Walter A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING by Barry Unsworth read by Janet McTeer THE GHOST OF THE RAIN FOREST by Barry Unsworth read by Rosalind Ayres A FEELING FOR BIRDS by Lisa St. Aubin de Teran read by Janet McTeer BATTLEFIELDS by Alan Sillitoe read by Janet McTeer WHO? by Fay Weldon read by Julie Christie MRS ALCOTT DANCES NAKED IN THE RAIN by Rosie Thomas read by Janet McTeer PRESTO BARBARO by Ronal Frame read by Janet McTeer SEA LION by Douglas Hurd read by Martin Jarvis THE SONS OF UPLAND FARM by George Mackay Brown read by Martin Jarvis DRESSING UP by Angela Huth read by Rosalind Ayres TWENTY YEARS by Doris Lessing read by Rosalind Ayres HUMPHREY'S MOTHER by Penelope Mortimer read by Martin Jarvis THE HERO by Joanna Trollope read by Martin Jarvis SHREDS AND SLIVERS by Ruth Rendell read by Martin Jarvis BRUT MILLESIME by Ludovic Kennedy read by Rosalind Ayres ON SEEING THE 100% PERFECT GIRL ONE BEAUTIFUL APRIL MORNING by Haruki Murakami read by Walter Lewis BAGLADY by A.S. Byatt read by Rosalind Ayres HOTEL DES VOYAGEURS by William Boyd read by Martin Jarvis TOY BOY by Edwina Currie read by Rosalind Ayres SIMON by Patrick O'Brien read by MartinJarvis

Exceptionally popular during their time, the spectacular American action film serials of the 1910s featured exciting stunts, film tricks, and effects set against the background of modern technology, often starring resourceful female heroines who displayed traditionally male qualities such as endurance, strength, and authority. The most renowned of these "serial queens" was Pearl White, whose career as the adventurous character Pauline developed during a transitional phase in the medium's evolving production strategies, distribution and advertising patterns, and fan culture. In this volume, an international group of scholars explores how American serials starring Pearl White and other female stars impacted the emerging cinemas in the United States and abroad. Contributors investigate the serial genre and its narrative patterns, marketing, and cultural reception, and historiographic importance, with essays on Pearl White's life on and off the screen as well as the "serial queen" genre in Western and Eastern Europe, India, and China.   Contributors are Weihong Bao, Rudmer Canjels, Marina Dahlquist, Monica Dall'Asta, Kevin B. Johnson, Christina Petersen, and Rosie Thomas.