2019年7月24日水曜日

Billy Budd

Billy Budd

     1797 - the Mediterranean. Britain and France are at war. British warships are fighting French warships.

     Young Billy Budd arrives on the British warship, Indomitable. Billy is strong and handsome. Most of the sailors on the ship like billy. But he has an enemy - John Claggart, the master-at-arms.

     Claggart hates Billy. And he has a plan. He will make trouble for the young sailor.

The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn

The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn

     1846 - the Mississippi River, North America.

     Huck Finn is fourteen years old. He lives in the town of St Pertersburg. He lives in Mrs Douglas' house. She is a kind woman. But Huck is not happy there. Everything in his life is boring. He does not want to go to school. He does not want to wear clean clothes. He does not want to sleep in a soft bed every night.

     Then, one day, Huck's father comes back to the town. he wants Huck's money. He has been drinking whisky. He is very drunk. He hits Huck.

     'He will kill me soon,' Huck thinks. 'I must escape. I must leave St Petersburg.'

The House in the Picture and Abbot Thomas' Treasure

The House in the Picture and Abbot Thomas' Treasure

     Two nineteenth - century ghost stories.

The House in the Picture
     Mr Williams ha an old picture of a house. It is not a very good picture. It is not very interesting picture. Then the picture tells Mr Williams a terrible story.

Abbot Thomas' Treasure
     An archeologist finds some gold in an old church. It has been hidden for three hundred years. But the guardian of the gold returns, and the guardian of the treasure is angry.

The Man in the Iron Mask

The Man in the Iron Mask

     1661 - France.

     Louis XIV is the King of France He is young, clever and powerful. His Chief Minister of Finance, Nicolas Fouquet, has built a beautiful house near Vaux. Fouquet ha invited the king and six thousand guests to the house for a great feast.

     Aramis, the Bishop of Vannes, will be a guest at the feast. The bishop's old friend, Porthos and D'Artagnan, are also going to Vaux. The Musketeers will be together again. But first, Aramis visits the terrible Bastille prison. Why?

     This is the story of the last adventure of the Musketeers.

The Phantom of the Opera

The Phantom of the Opera

     The singers and dancers at the Opera House are frightened.

     They have seen a stranger behind the stage - a man in a mask. There have been accidents. People have been hurt. People have disappeared. 

     Raoul is in love with Christine - a beautiful young opera singer.
     But she is quiet and afraid. Does she know the stranger?

A Tale of Two Cities

A Tale of Two Cities

     1775. Two cities - London and Paris.

     The prisoner from 105 North Tower of the Bastille Prison is free.
     But why was he in prison in Paris for eighteen years?

     He leaves France and travels to England. Will he and his family be safe from their enemies?

Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre

     The nineteenth century. The north of England.

     Jane Eyre has no parents and no money. She goes to live at Lowood School. The pupils at Lowood are cold and hungry. Many pupils become sick and die.

     After eight years, Jane goes to work for Mr Rochester. She is a teacher in his house, Thornfield Hall. Jane hears someone laughing. At night, someone walks along the dark corridors of the house.

The Last Leaf and Other Stories

The Last Leaf and Other Stories

     North America - 1898 to 1910

     Five stories with unusual endings. They are about: criminals and their crimes, detectives and their investigations, lovers and their hopes.

     The Good Burglar
     The Last Leaf
     A Lesson in Love
     The Jeweller's Wife
     The Car is Waiting

The Three Musketeers

The Three Musketeers

     D'Artagnan wants to become a king's musketeer. But first he must show that he is a strong and brave fighter. Can he protect the Queen from the Cardinal's evil plans? And can he find Constance, the woman he loves?

The Trumpet-Major

The Trumpet-Major

     1804 - the south of England. Britain and France are at war. The people of the south of England are frightened. Will the French army cross the English Channel?

     John Loveday is a soldier in the Britain army. He is a trumpet-major. His brother, Robert, is a sailor. They both love Anne Garland. But a third man loves Anne too.

     Who will she marry?

Washington Square

Washington Square

     Catherine Sloper lives with her father and her aunt in Washing Square. She is plain and uninteresting. But one day she will be rich.

     Catherine falls in love with a handsome young man. But does Morris Townsend want Catherine? Or does he want her money?

Hawk-eye, the pathfinder

Hawk-eye, the pathfinder

     A second adventure with the scout, Hawk-eye, and his friend, Chingachgook.
     
     Mabel Dunham arrives at the Englishfort. Three men fall in love with her - an English officer, the captain of a ship and Hawk-eye.

     Then Mabel hears the terrible news. There are spies in the fort. The French army and their Indian fighters are coming.

Billy Budd

Billy Budd      1797 - the Mediterranean. Britain and France are at war. British warships are fighting French warships.      Youn...