Books published by publisher RNIB

Emma was Austen's fourth published novel, and the last to appear before her death. A comic novel, first published in December 1815, Emma tells of the perils of misconstrued romance. The main character Emma Woodhouse is a well-to-do young woman in a small English town who is a self-appointed matchmaker. The story explores the nature of these orchestrated matches coming to life through the hilarious characters including arguably Austen's two greatest comic creations - the eccentric Mr. Woodhouse and the quintessential bore, Miss Bates. English novelist Jane Austen (1775 - 1817) was author of satirical novels set among the English middle and upper classes. The novels are notable for their wit, social observation and insights into the lives of early 19th century women. Please note: This is a vintage recording. The audio quality may not be up to modern day standards.

Daisy Miller, is a novella by Henry James. Published in 1878, portrays the courtship of the beautiful American girl Daisy Miller by Frederick Winterbourne. Winterbourne's pursuit of her is hampered by her own flirtatiousness, which is frowned upon by the other expatriates they meet in Switzerland and Italy. The novel coments on the contrast between American and European society that is common to James's work. American-born English author Henry James (1843- 1916), was one of the founders and leaders of realism in fiction and is considered to be one of the great British novelists. Please note: This is a vintage recording. The audio quality may not be up to modern day standards.

Far from the Madding Crowd is Thomas Hardy's fourth novel and his first major literary success. Published in 1874, it tells the tale of Gabriel Oak, one of three suitors for the hand of the beautiful and spirited Bathsheba Everdene. He must compete with the dashing young soldier Sergeant Troy and the respectable, middle-aged Farmer Boldwood. And while their fates depend upon the choice Bathsheba makes, she discovers the terrible consequences of an inconstant heart. Thomas Hardy (1840 - 1928) was an English novelist and poet of the naturalist movement. Please note: This is a vintage recording. The audio quality may not be up to modern day standards.

Madame Bovary is the debut novel of French writer Gustave Flaubert, published in 1856. The story focuses on a doctor's wife, Emma Bovary, who has adulterous affairs and lives beyond her means in order to escape the banalities and emptiness of provincial life. When the novel was first serialized in La Revue de Paris between 1 October 1856 and 15 December 1856, public prosecutors attacked the novel for obscenity. The resulting trial in January 1857 made the story notorious. After Flaubert's acquittal on 7 February 1857, Madame Bovary became a bestseller in April 1857 when it was published as a single volume. A seminal work of literary realism, the novel is now considered Flaubert's masterpiece, and one of the most influential literary works in history. The British critic James Wood writes: "Flaubert established, for good or ill, what most readers think of as modern realist narration, and his influence is almost too familiar to be visible."

"Roderick Hudson" is the coming-of-age story of its title character, a young sculptor who falls under the patronage of Rowland Mallet. Rowland, who is about to depart for Europe, offers to pay for Roderick to come along so that he may study in Italy and improve his art. Originally published serially in "The Atlantic Monthly" during 1875, "Roderick Hudson" is Henry James' story of the development of an artist and the development of a man.

For the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont seduction is a game - the former lovers relish manipulating others to bring amusement to their jaded existences. While Valmont is determined to succeed in his conquest of a virtuous married woman, Merteuil challenges him to seduce an innocent convent girl who it to be married to her former lover. As their intrigues become increasingly duplicitous and they find their human pawns responding in ways they could not have predicted, the consequences prove to be more serious, and deadly, than the two conspirators could have guessed. Depicting decadence and moral corruption in pre-revolutionary France, "Dangerous Liaisons" (1782) is one of the most scandalous and controversial novels in European literature.

Silas Marner is a dramatic novel by great Victorian novelist George Eliot. First published in 1861 it tells the tale of the lonely weaver Silas Marner who, after suffering betrayal and rejection, leaves his community to become a recluse obsessed only with accumulating money. One day Silas's money is stolen by Dunstan Cass, a dissolute son of Squire Cass, the town's leading landowner. The loss of his gold drives Silas into a deep gloom, until one day a little golden-haired orphan girl wanders into his home to change his life forever. Set at the beginning of the industrial revolution, Eliot weaves a telling social commentary into an inspiring tale of love and redemption. English novelist George Eliot (1819-1880), real name Mary Ann (Marian) Evans was one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. Please note: This is a vintage recording. The audio quality may not be up to modern day standards.

Robinson Crusoe is Daniel Defoe's classic novel of shipwreck and survival, now nearly 300 years old. The story is a fictional autobiography of the title character, an English castaway who spends 28 years on a remote tropical island, encountering Native Americans, captives, and mutineers. This is the tale of an ordinary man struggling to survive in extraordinary circumstances. Robinson Crusoe wrestles with fate and the nature of God. Please note: This is a vintage recording. The audio quality may not be up to modern day standards.

Lord Jim is a novel by Joseph Conrad, originally published in Blackwood's Magazine from October 1899 to November 1900. Originally intended as a short story, the work grew to a full-length novel as Conrad explored in great depth the perplexing, ambiguous problem of lost honor and guilt, expiation, and heroism. The story tells of Jim, a young, good-looking, genial, and naive water-clerk on the Patna, a cargo ship plying Asian waters. One night, when the ship collides with an obstacle and begins to sink, acting on impulse, Jim jumps overboard and lands in a lifeboat, which happens to be bearing the unscrupulous captain and his cohorts away from the disaster. The Patna, however, manages to stay afloat. The foundering vessel is towed into port - and since the officers have strategically vanished, Jim is left to stand trial for abandoning the ship and its 800 passengers. Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, 1857 - 1924) was a Polish-born British novelist. He is considered as one of the greatest novelists in the English language. Please note: This is a vintage recording. The audio quality may not be up to modern day standards.

First published in 1883, Treasure Island remains one of Robert Louis Stevenson's best-known and best-loved works. A classic coming of age adventure, featuring buried treasure, treacherous pirates, and the eponymous Long John Silver, Treasure Island tells the enthralling story of Jim Hawkins, a young cabin boy, who sets sail on an 18th century voyage in search of a pirate's buried gold. Please note: This is a vintage recording. The audio quality may not be up to modern day standards.

Dracula is the seminal gothic horror novel of its time as Bram Stoker introduced the world to the legendary vampire Count Dracula. Published in 1897 and told through a series of diary entries and letters, the story journeys into the dark world of Count Dracula through the eyes of several different narrators. The novel explores many themes, the role of women in Victorian culture, conventional and conservative sexuality, immigration, colonialism, post colonialism and folklore. Irish author Abraham "Bram" Stoker (1847 - 1912) was writer of novels and short stories. He was also the personal assistant of the actor Henry Irving and the business manager of the Lyceum Theatre in London, which Irving owned. Please note: This is a vintage recording. The audio quality may not be up to modern day standards.

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes is a collection of Sherlock Holmes stories, originally published in 1894, by Arthur Conan Doyle. The 11 stories of the Memoirs are: Silver Blaze The Adventure of the Yellow Face The Stockbroker's Clerk The Gloria Scott The Musgrave Ritual The Adventure of the Reigate Squire The Adventure of the Crooked ManThe Resident Patient The Greek Interpreter The Naval Treaty The Final ProblemScottish-born author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. (1859 - 1930) was a major innovation in the field of crime fiction his other works include, science fiction stories, historical novels, plays and romances, poetry, and non-fiction.Please note: This is a vintage recording. The audio quality may not be up to modern day standards.