Le Monde has called Life and Fate “the greatÂest RussÂian novÂel of the twenÂtiÂeth cenÂtuÂry,” and MarÂtin Amis once described its author, VasiÂly GrossÂman, as “the TolÂstoy of the USSR.” Now, if you haven’t read the novÂel, you can begin to underÂstand the reaÂson for all of the high praise.
StartÂing this week, the BBC will air an eight-hour dramaÂtiÂzaÂtion of the masÂterÂpiece that offered a sweepÂing account of the siege of StalÂinÂgrad, one of the bloodÂiÂest batÂtles of World War II. Although origÂiÂnalÂly writÂten in 1959, the book was offiÂcialÂly cenÂsored in the SoviÂet Union until 1988 because, in the estiÂmaÂtion of the appaÂratchiks, it threatÂened to do more harm to the USSR than PasterÂnak’s DocÂtor ZhivaÂgo.
With Labor Day behind us, it’s offiÂcialÂly time to head back to school. That applies not just to kids, but to you. No matÂter what your age, no matÂter where you live, no matÂter what your priÂor levÂel of eduÂcaÂtion, you can conÂtinÂue deepÂenÂing your knowlÂedge in areas old and new. And it has nevÂer been easÂiÂer. All you need is a comÂputÂer or smart phone, an interÂnet conÂnecÂtion, some free time, and our free eduÂcaÂtionÂal media colÂlecÂtions. They’re availÂable 24/7 and conÂstantÂly updatÂed:
Free Online CoursÂes: Right now, you can downÂload free coursÂes (some in video, some in audio) creÂatÂed by some of the world’s leadÂing uniÂverÂsiÂties — StanÂford, Oxford, Yale, HarÂvard, UC BerkeÂley, MIT and othÂers. The coursÂes covÂer pretÂty much every subÂject — from phiÂlosÂoÂphy, litÂerÂaÂture and hisÂtoÂry, to physics, comÂputÂer sciÂence, engiÂneerÂing and psyÂcholÂoÂgy. The colÂlecÂtion feaÂtures about 400 coursÂes in total. And while you can’t take these coursÂes for credÂit, the amount of perÂsonÂal enrichÂment offered by these lecÂtures is endÂless.
Free TextÂbooks: AnothÂer tool for the lifeÂlong learnÂer. This colÂlecÂtion brings togethÂer roughÂly 150 free textÂbooks authored by proÂfesÂsors (and some high school teachÂers) across the globe. The colÂlecÂtion will parÂticÂuÂlarÂly benÂeÂfit those interÂestÂed in deepÂenÂing their knowlÂedge in ecoÂnomÂics, comÂputÂer sciÂence, mathÂeÂmatÂics, physics and biolÂoÂgy.
Free LanÂguage Lessons: Ours is an increasÂingÂly globÂalÂized world, and it cerÂtainÂly pays to know more than one lanÂguage. With the free audio lessons listÂed here, you can learn the basics of SpanÂish, French and ItalÂian (the lanÂguages traÂdiÂtionÂalÂly taught in AmerÂiÂcan schools). Or you can start bonÂing up on ManÂdarin, BrazilÂian PorÂtuguese and othÂer lanÂguages spoÂken by the new world powÂers. TakÂen togethÂer, you can Learn 40 LanÂguages for Free.
Free Audio Books: This free colÂlecÂtion gives you the abilÂiÂty to downÂload audio verÂsions of imporÂtant litÂerÂary works. DurÂing your downÂtime, you can lisÂten to short stoÂries by Isaac AsiÂmov, RayÂmond CarvÂer, Jorge Luis Borges, and Philip K. Dick. Or you can setÂtle into longer works by Jane Austen, F. Scott FitzgerÂald, Friedrich NietÂzsche and James Joyce.
Free eBooks: Once again, it’s free litÂerÂary works. But this time you can downÂload e‑texts to your comÂputÂer or digÂiÂtal readÂer. Franz KafÂka, George Orwell, Gertrude Stein, Edgar Allan Poe, MarÂcel Proust and Kurt VonÂnegut. They’re all on the list. And so too are The HarÂvard ClasÂsics, a 51 volÂume series of endurÂing works.
Great SciÂence Videos: This list pulls togethÂer some of our favorite sciÂence videos on the web. It feaÂtures about 125 videos, covÂerÂing astronÂoÂmy & space travÂel, physics, psyÂcholÂoÂgy and neuÂroÂscience, reliÂgion, techÂnolÂoÂgy and beyond.
IntelÂliÂgent YouTube Sites: Have you ever wantÂed to sepÂaÂrate the wheat from the chaff on YouTube? This list will give you a start. It feaÂtures over 100 YouTube chanÂnels that delivÂer high qualÂiÂty eduÂcaÂtionÂal conÂtent. Along simÂiÂlar lines, you may want to visÂit our colÂlecÂtion of IntelÂliÂgent Video Sites. Same conÂcept but applied to sites on the web.
CulÂturÂal Icons: If you’ve ever wantÂed to see great thinkers, artists and writÂers speakÂing on video in their own words, this list is for you. It has Borges and Bowie, Coltrane and CopÂpoÂla, Ayn Rand and Noam ChomÂsky, TolÂstoy and Thomas EdiÂson, among othÂers. 275 culÂturÂal icons in total.
Free Movies Online: What betÂter way to get a culÂturÂal eduÂcaÂtion than to watch some free cinÂeÂmatÂic masÂterÂpieces, includÂing 15 films with CharÂlie ChapÂlin, 22 earÂly films by Alfred HitchÂcock, 25 WestÂerns with John Wayne, and a numÂber of SoviÂet clasÂsics by Andrei Tarkovsky. The list of 400+ films goes on. And so does your culÂturÂal eduÂcaÂtion.…
Get more culÂturÂal nuggets daiÂly by folÂlowÂing us on FaceÂbook and TwitÂter.
Six years before he pubÂlished his breakÂthrough novÂel, Naked Lunch (1959), William S. BurÂroughs broke into the litÂerÂary scene with Junky (someÂtimes also called Junkie), a canÂdid, semi-autoÂbiÂoÂgraphÂiÂcal account of an “unreÂdeemed drug addict.” It’s safe to say that the book wouldÂn’t have seen the light of day if Allen GinsÂberg hadÂn’t takÂen BurÂroughs under his wing and editÂed the manÂuÂscript. The book, origÂiÂnalÂly pubÂlished under the pseuÂdoÂnym “William Lee,” was disÂtribÂuted by Ace Books, a pubÂlishÂing house that tarÂgetÂed New York City subÂway ridÂers. You can lisÂten to BurÂroughs, the famous beat writer, readÂing a three-hour abridged verÂsion of the text over at UBUWeb. Also see the playlist on YouTube.
All of these readÂings, plus many more, are catÂaÂlogued in our colÂlecÂtion of Free Audio Books. And there they will remain. Thanks to Stephen for the heads up on the new Guardian podÂcast…
David Sedaris’ new colÂlecÂtion of comÂic stoÂries, SquirÂrel Seeks ChipÂmunk: A ModÂest BesÂtiary, was recentÂly released with an accomÂpaÂnyÂing video that feaÂtures the voice of Sedaris and the artÂwork of Ian FalÂconÂer.
Or, as regÂuÂlar readÂers know, you can snag a free audio copy of SquirÂrel Seeks ChipÂmunk – Sedaris does some of the narÂraÂtion! – if you regÂisÂter for a 14-day free triÂal of Audible.com. Once the triÂal is over, you can conÂtinÂue your AudiÂble subÂscripÂtion (as I did), or canÂcel it, and still keep the free book. The choice is entireÂly yours.
PubÂlished first in 1921, then again in 1944, VirÂginia Woolf’s short stoÂry, “A HauntÂed House,” runs a mere 692 words – which makes it a HalÂloween treat that is short and sweet. We give you an approÂpriÂateÂly somber readÂing of Woolf’s stoÂry above, with the accomÂpaÂnyÂing text here. Or you can find an mp3 verÂsion in our colÂlecÂtion of Free Audio Books. H/T to Mike, and enjoy the day.
SquirÂrel Seeks ChipÂmunk: A ModÂest BesÂtiary, the new book by David Sedaris has hit the stands last week. And now thanks to The Guardian we get Sedaris himÂself readÂing a story/chapter from the colÂlecÂtion, “The Mouse and the Snake.” It runs nearÂly 10 minÂutes. Start playÂing below…
WritÂing in The Guardian in years past, ChristoÂpher Hitchens revisÂitÂed AniÂmal Farm, George Orwell’s “dystopiÂan alleÂgorÂiÂcal novelÂla” that took aim at the corÂrupÂtion of the SoviÂet Union and its totalÂiÂtarÂiÂan rule. PubÂlished in 1945, the short book appears on the ModÂern Library’s list of the 100 Best NovÂels of the 20th cenÂtuÂry, and Time MagÂaÂzine’s own honÂors list. But, as Hitchens reminds us, AniÂmal Farm was almost nevÂer pubÂlished. The manÂuÂscript bareÂly surÂvived the Nazi bombÂing of LonÂdon durÂing World War II, and then iniÂtialÂly TS Eliot (an imporÂtant ediÂtor at Faber & Faber) and othÂer pubÂlishÂers rejectÂed the book. It evenÂtuÂalÂly came to see the light of day, but, 65 years latÂer, AniÂmal Farm still can’t be legalÂly read in ChiÂna, BurÂma and North Korea, or across large parts of the IslamÂic world. But, no matÂter where you come from, you can lisÂten to AniÂmal Farm for free. That’s right, I said it – free. The InterÂnet Archive offers free access to audio verÂsions of AniÂmal Farm and Orwell’s othÂer major clasÂsic, 1984. Both texts appear in our colÂlecÂtion of Free Audio Books, and you can downÂload them directÂly from the InterÂnet Archive here (AniÂmal Farm) and here (1984), or stream them below:
AniÂmal Farm
1984
The text verÂsions of these clasÂsics also appear in our colÂlecÂtion of Free eBooks.
FinalÂly, if you’re interÂestÂed in downÂloadÂing a free audio book from Audible.com (pretÂty much any book you want), you can get more details here.
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