Twilight Sleep-Edith Wharton

Once on a Time (version 2 Dramatic Reading) by A. A. Milne.When the King of Barodia receives a pair of seven-league boots as a birthday present, his habit of flying over the King of Euralia's castle during breakfast provokes a series of incidents which escalate into war. While the King of Euralia is away, his daughter Hyacinth tries to rule in his stead and counter the machiavellian ambitions of the king's favourite, the Countess Belvane. Ostensibly a typical fairytale, it tells the story of the war between the kingdoms of Euralia and Barodia and the political shenanigans which take place in Euralia in the king's absence. The book introduces us to a princess who is far from helpless; a prince who, whilst handsome, is also pompous and vain; an enchantment which is almost entirely humorous; a villain who is not entirely villainous and receives no real comeuppance; a good king who isn't always good; an evil king who isn't always evil, and so on.Featured on Magic Mountain (Volume One).Public-domain recording courtesy of LibriVox (librivox.org).This episode includes AI-generated content.

Tales of Wonder by Lord Dunsany.The Last Book of Wonder, originally published as Tales of Wonder, is the tenth book and sixth original short story collection of Irish fantasy writer Lord Dunsany, considered a major influence on the work of J. R. R. Tolkien, H. P. Lovecraft, Ursula K. Le Guin and others. The first edition, in hardcover, was published in London by Elkin Mathews in October 1916 as Tales of Wonder, followed by a Boston hardcover publication in November 1916, by John W. Luce & Co.. The title of the American edition, The Last Book of Wonder, was Dunsany's own preferred title. The British and American editions also differ in that they arrange the material slightly differently.Featured on Magic Mountain (Volume One).Public-domain recording courtesy of LibriVox (librivox.org).This episode includes AI-generated content.

Crock of Gold by James Stephens.His first novel, The Charwoman's Daughter (1911), humorously examines the life and fantasies of a poor Dublin mother and daughter. His second, The Crock of Gold (1913), again showcases his unique writing style, quirky thoughts, grasp of irony and cleverness of phrase. No conformity here, lots of head-scratching twists and turns that reveal odd bits of wisdom too! The main characters are an extremely pedantic Philosopher, his revengeful wife, their sweet innocent children lured down leprechaun holes, a teenage girl seduced by Pan (the god of lust and carefree living) then saved by Angus Og (the Irish god of youth, love and beauty), culminating in a giant parade of Irish gods.Featured on Magic Mountain (Volume One).Public-domain recording courtesy of LibriVox (librivox.org).This episode includes AI-generated content.

Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy by Laurence Sterne.After the bizarre textual antics of "Tristram Shandy", this book would seem to require a literary health warning. Sure enough, it opens in mid-conversation upon a subject never explained; meanders after a fashion through a hundred pages, then fizzles out in mid-sentence - so, a plotless novel lacking a beginning, a middle or an end. Let us say: an exercise in the infinitely comic. "There is not a secret so aiding to the progress of sociality, as to get master of this short hand, and to be quick in rendering the several turns of looks and limbs with all their inflections and delineations, into plain words." Sterne calls his fine sensitivity to body language (as we now term it) "translation". Much of the pleasure to be had from this wonderfully engaging book comes from his unmatched ability to extract random details from the chaos of experience to create comic turns imbued with Feeling.Featured on Magic Mountain (Volume One).Public-domain recording courtesy of LibriVox (librivox.org).This episode includes AI-generated content.

Twilight Sleep by Edith Wharton.Wharton miraculously finds it possible to satirize the very rich while simultaneously showing compassion and even grudging admiration for some of her victims. Every character she introduces is vividly depicted, no matter how minor. Yet for all the clarity of these depictions, the lives these people live, though busy, are empty and meaningless. The novel is a brilliant description of evasion and inauthenticity.Featured on Magic Mountain (Volume One).Public-domain recording courtesy of LibriVox (librivox.org).This episode includes AI-generated content.

Witch of the Demon Seas by Poul William Anderson."Guide a black galleon to the lost, fear-hauntedCitadel of the Xanthi wizards—into the very jaws of Doom? Corun, condemned pirate of Conahur, laughed. Aye, he'd do it, and gladly.It would mean a reprieve from the headsman's axe—a few more precious moments of life and love ... though his lover be a witch!"Featured on Magic Mountain (Volume One).Public-domain recording courtesy of LibriVox (librivox.org).This episode includes AI-generated content.

"Magic Mountain (Volume One) Part 1" by Thomas Mann invites listeners into a profound exploration of time, illness, and the human condition set against the backdrop of a Swiss sanatorium. This enduring work delves into themes of existentialism and the nature of life and death, reflecting the complexities of human experience that continue to resonate today. Mann's intricate narrative challenges us to contemplate the meaning of existence and the passage of time, highlighting the tension between the mundane and the extraordinary. As characters grapple with their own mortality and the societal forces at play, the novel serves as a poignant reminder of the fragility of life and the importance of introspection. With its rich philosophical underpinnings, "Magic Mountain" remains a timeless reflection on the human spirit's quest for understanding in an ever-changing world.This episode includes AI-generated content.

Mortal Coils by Aldous Huxley.Aldous Huxley is best known as a philosopher and novelist – notably as the author of Brave New World. He also wrote poetry, short stories and critical essays. Most of his work is somewhat dark and mildly sardonic, partly because he came of age just after World War I, when all of Europe was in a state of cultural, political and social confusion. His novel, Crome Yellow, is a prime example. Mortal Coils includes four short stories and a play, including one of the author’s most famous short works: "The Gioconda Smile."Featured on Magic Mountain (Volume One).Public-domain recording courtesy of LibriVox (librivox.org).This episode includes AI-generated content.

Woman of the Wood by Abraham Merritt.Here is a story utterly different from any you have ever read before—a tale of a forest of trees in actual warfare against their human foes—utterly weird, utterly fascinating, utterly thrilling, written by the author of “The Moon Pool,” “The Metal Monster,” “The Ship of Ishtar,” and other gripping books. It is a tale of vivid beauty and eery thrills. For four centuries a family of French peasants had lived on the edge of this forest in the Vosges Mountains; and now, when the last of the race attacked the trees with fire and ax, the forest struck back.Featured on Magic Mountain (Volume One).Public-domain recording courtesy of LibriVox (librivox.org).This episode includes AI-generated content.

Overlooked by Maurice Baring.At a summer resort, a blind man, who has never written a thing, is prodded to pen a novel by his friend who insists that there is one novel inside every person. As he encounters residents of the area, he contemplates them looking for fodder for his tale. One is a novelist, actually. But, is there a novel inside of our man? Perhaps he or another guest are merely the novelist’s inspiration for one.Featured on Magic Mountain (Volume One).Public-domain recording courtesy of LibriVox (librivox.org).This episode includes AI-generated content.