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1For the Term of His Natural Life

By Marcus Clarke

For the Term of his Natural Life, written by Marcus Clarke, was published in the Australian Journal between 1870 and 1872 (as His Natural Life), appearing as a novel in 1874. It is the best known novelisation of life as a convict in early Australian history. Described as a "ripping yarn", and at times relying on seemingly implausible coincidences, the story follows the fortunes of Rufus Dawes, a young man transported for a murder which he did not commit. The harsh and inhumane treatment meted out to the convicts, some of whom were transported for relatively minor crimes, is clearly conveyed. The conditions experienced by the convicts are graphically described. The novel was based on research by the author as well as a visit to the penal settlement of Port Arthur, Tasmania. (summary from Wikipedia)

This story is from Mary Cowden Clarke's multi-volume work The Girlhood of Shakespeare's Heroines, in which she imagined the early lives of characters from Portia to Beatrice to Lady Macbeth. In her revision of Ophelia from Hamlet, she creates a backstory for Shakespeare's tragic heroine, from her infancy to just before the action of Hamlet begins.(Summary by Elizabeth Klett)

3Cana

By James Freeman Clarke

LibriVox volunteers bring you 9 recordings of Cana by James Freeman Clarke, from The World's Best Poetry, edited by Bliss Carman. This was the Weekly Poetry project for November 14th, 2010.<br><br>Trivia: After hearing the song "John Brown's Body", Clarke suggested that Mrs. Julia Ward Howe write new lyrics; the result was "The Battle Hymn of the Republic". He published but few verses, but at heart was a poet. (summary by Wikipedia)

4Little Prudy

By Rebecca Sophia Clarke

I am going to tell you something about a little girl who was always saying and doing funny things, and very often getting into trouble. Her name was Prudy Parlin, and she and her sister Susy, three years older, lived in Portland, in the State of Maine, though every summer they went to Willowbrook, to visit their grandmother. (From chapter 1 )

5Bernard Treves's Boots; A Novel Of The Secret Service

By Laurence Clarke

What has Manton gotten himself into? His impersonation has broader implications -- and more dangerous ones -- than he had imagined. (Summary by David Wales)

6Three Essays by James Freeman Clarke

By James Freeman Clarke

Three diverse essays on souls in animals, a comparison of Buddhism and Christianity, and individualism in religion. Born in Hanover, New Hampshire, James Freeman Clarke attended the Boston Latin School, graduated from Harvard College in 1829, and Harvard Divinity School in 1833. Ordained into the Unitarian church he… soon threw himself into the national movement for the abolition of slavery. In 1839 he returned to Boston where he and his friends established (1841) the Church of the Disciples which brought together a body of people to apply the Christian religion to social problems of the day…. Many of Clarke's earlier published writings were addressed to the immediate need of establishing a larger theory of religion than that espoused by people who were still under the influence of Calvinism…. Clarke was an advocate of human rights…. Tempered and moderate in his views of life, he was a reformer and a conciliator.... James Freeman Clarke was one of the very first Americans to explore and write about Eastern religions. These three essays are taken from his book Nineteenth Century Questions (1897). (Wikipedia and david wales)

7Aces Up

By Covington Clarke

A crack American flying troop has been sent to France, where they await further instructions. They are concerned that their extensive talents will not be put to good use in the war. Major Cowan introduces Lt. McGee as the British instructor for the crew. It turns out the Brit is actually an American, born in the U.S., even though his parents were British. McGee and Larkin are flying partners. Out on a mission, McGee spots a small enemy plane in a searchlight, probably intent on dropping flares to mark targets for bombers. He drives in for the attack successfully, as the enemy plane zooms earthward in flames. During another flight to Epernay, a fellow pilot, Siddons, fades back to a previous stop. McGee and Larkin suspect Siddons of aiding the enemy. Von Herzmann is preparing German pilots to fight Americans. Larkin and McGee defeat the enemy and force a retreat. In another battle, McGee must crash-land, where he passes out due to injuries. He spends weeks recovering in a hospital. When he is discharged, he cannot find his squadron. After diligent searching, he shows up at his old base. At the end, it is revealed that Siddons is not at all what he was suspected of being--in fact, the opposite. (Bill Boerst)

8Village Life in America

By Caroline Cowles Richards Clarke

A diary of a young school girl in Canandaigua, New York during the Civil War. (Summary by MaryElizabeth)

9Little Prudy's Sister Susy

By Rebecca Sophia Clarke

Little Prudy’s Sister Suzy is the second book in the Little Prudy series. It follows three sisters, aged 3 to 8, through the Christmas break and the following months as they get into all kinds of situations. - Summary by TeeLee

LibriVox volunteers bring you 12 recordings of The Wail of the Waiter by Marcus Clarke.<br> This was the Fortnightly Poetry project for May 16, 2020. <br> ------<br> A little something in anticipation of the day when things return to normal and folks everywhere, particularly in the hospitality industry, are back at work. - Summary by SonOfTheExiles

LibriVox volunteers bring you 17 recordings of In A Lady's Album by Marcus Clarke.<br> This was the Weekly Poetry project for June 7, 2020. <br> ------<br> Opinion is divided as to whether this poem by a notorious bohemian was sincere or whether he was trying to burnish his credentials as a lady’s man. How you find it might well determine how you read it... - Summary by SonOfTheExiles

LibriVox volunteers bring you 17 recordings of The Mind's Eye by Marcus Clarke.<br> This was the Fortnightly Poetry project for June 28, 2020. <br> ------<br> This Fortnightly Poem is taken from The Australian Edition of the Selected Works of Marcus Clarke (pub 1890)

13Guide to Mythology

By Helen Clarke

My aim in this book on Mythology for young readers has been to give them solid knowledge on the subject, as far as it is advisable to go with immature minds, based upon the most recent investigations of scholars, and to select the myths used in illustration of the plan, with a view to giving them interesting stories to read, which will, almost unconsciously to themselves, lay a firm foundation for the fascinating study of Comparative Mythology, should they wish to go more deeply into it in the future. <br><br> There is much talk nowadays as to the authenticity of the records of savage myths. Much of this talk seems to me futile, for a myth is not a fixed entity. Each successive narrator is almost sure to vary and embellish somewhat the material that comes to him, according to his own inventive fancy. If, therefore, a savage myth recorded by a white man retains the chief characteristics of the savage myth, in spite of some fanciful turns given it by him, to the degree, say, that a story of Ovid’s retains those of a Greek myth, it is to all intents and purposes a savage myth, and the embellishments may be disregarded, as Ovid’s are when we are considering Greek Mythology. I have, therefore, included in this volume those versions of the myths that seemed most readable and attractive, provided the primitive attitude of mind and customs were fully emphasized. - Summary by the author from the book

This 18th-century Latin textbook presents 202 Aesop's fables in Latin, "with an English translation more literal than any yet extant, designed for the readier instruction of beginners in the Latin tongue." There are fables here from the classical tradition, along with fables from the Renaissance author Abstemius and other neo-Latin sources. The book has the Latin and English texts in facing columns, with italic font being used to help students connect the Latin words in the left column with the English words in the right column. This LibriVox recording has been made with the Latin fables and English fables in separate files so that you can listen to the fables in Latin and/or in English as preferred. The fables in the book are numbered from 1 to 202, which will help those who want to look at the fable text while listening to the recording. The book was popular and went through many printings in both England and in the United States; this recording was done from an 1787 edition printed in Boston. - Summary by Laura Gibbs