The 17th through 20th centuries were the most important stages in the development of world civilization. It’s no accident that historians begin the reckoning of the modern era precisely from the start of the seventeenth century. The complexity and contradictions of this rich, eventful epoch of great achievements are reflected fully—in literature and art, and in the people who became leaders, creators, and ideologues of that time: the rulers of public thoughts and aspirations—writers, poets, and philosophers.
The stories in the audio version presented in this collection belong to precisely such writers.
Honoré de Balzac “The Elixir of Longevity”
Alexandre Dumas “The Adventures of Captain Morion”
Prosper Mérimée “A Double Mistake”
Mark Twain “The Dog’s Story”
Henryk Sienkiewicz “The Old Servant”
Arthur Conan Doyle “The Stolen Tract of the Laird”
O. Henry “Rheumatism”
Irving Cobb “The Sours with a Bell”
Stefan Zweig “A Fantastic Night”