Audiobooks by Eliza Haywood

"'Her design was once more to engage him, to hear him sigh, to see him languish, to feel the strenuous pressures of his eager arms, to be compelled, to be sweetly forc'd to what she wished with equal ardour.' Originally published in 1725, and daringly exploring themes such as identity, class and female desire, Fantomina: Love in a Maze is comprehended as one of the finest – yet underappreciated – novellas of the eighteenth-century. A beautiful young woman becomes intrigued with a charming, but severely shallow, young man at the theatre: Beauplaisir. Witnessing his treatment of some of the ladies there, she disguises herself as 'Fantomina', to determine whether his behaviour would change towards her. After a short fling, Beauplaisir tires of her and leaves, much to her outrage. Fantomina then takes on a series of alternative personas in a bid to re-capture his attention. A scathing commentary on men's treatment of women in society, Fantomina: Love in a Maze is a remarkable work which would have scandalised its readers at the time of publication. This audiobook is brought to life by the brilliant Helen Keeley. Eliza Haywood (1693 – 1756) was an English writer, actress and publisher. In her lifetime, she penned over seventy works, including novels, poetry, plays and periodicals. A proto-feminist, she was famed for her romance writing, which mirrored contemporary scandals in eighteenth century society."

Eliza Haywood (Author), Helen Keeley (Narrator)

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Wonder Of Women - Love Stories

"Let’s be clear. We are all equal under the law. However, even in these more modern times that is not an absolute and still remains a distant ambition for many. In the days when Britain ruled the waves and bestrode the world as its policeman and plunderer in chief it also subjugated half of its own people to second class status. Women were chattel and property. There were some exceptions based on wealth and birthright but for the overwhelming majority your lot was to fall in with the rules and do as you were told. Many did.But whilst male society sought to place obstacles in the path to equality, it could not deny their literary talents, which many times they circumvented by using male pseudonyms. However, the soaring sales of magazines and periodicals during the Victorian Age meant they had voracious appetites for literature, whatever the sex of its gender.Dozens of authors appeared to fill the need. Narratives had new ideas. Characters were emboldened by societal changes and the female voice taking responsibility.The women included here are talents that dazzle. Put them up against anyone and they rise to the top. Whether they remain with an avid readership today or faded to obscurity with the passing of the times their quality remains undimmed. 1 - Women of Wonder - Love - An Introduction2 - Life of Ma Parker by Katherine Mansfield3 - Uncle Abraham's Romance by Edith Nesbit4 - Here We Are by Dorothy Parker5 - Some Ways of Love by Charlotte Mew6 - The Muse's Tragedy by Edith Wharton7 - The Sexton's Hero by Elizabeth Gaskell8 - A Middle Sized Artist by Charlotte Perkins Gilman9 - The Mortal Immortal by Mary Shelley10 - A Spirit Elopement by Clotilde Graves11 - A Story of a Wedding Tour by Margaret Oliphant12 - The Locket by Kate Chopin13 - On the Gull's Road by Willa Cather14 - The Canary by Katherine Mansfield15 - May Afternoon by Catherine Wells16 - The Night Before Thanksgiving by Sarah Orne Jewett17 - The Oculist by Catherine Wells18 - The Dream by Mary Shelley19 - The Dance by Zona Gale20 - The Dark Cottage by Mary Cholmondeley21 - The Way the World Is by Zona Gale22 - Psychology by Katherine Mansfield23 - The Shape of Fear by Elia W Peattie24 - Those Who Wait by Ethel Dell25 - An Unexpected Fare by Mary Tuttiett writing as Maxwell Gray26 - A New England Nun by Mary E Wilkins Freeman27 - White Magic by Ella D'Arcy28 - A Symphony in Lavender by Mary Wilkins E Freeman29 - The Mass for the Dead by Edith Nesbit30 - Fantomina or, Love in a Maze - Part 1 by Eliza Haywood31 - Fantomina or, Love in a Maze - Part 2 by Eliza Haywood"

Catherine Wells, Charlotte Mew, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Clotilde Graves, Dorothy Parker, Edith Nesbit, Edith Wharton, Elia W Peattie, Eliza Haywood, Elizabeth Gaskell, Ella D'Arcy, Ethel Dell, Kate Chopin, Katherine Mansfield, Margaret Oliphant, Mary Cholmondeley, Mary E Wilkins Freeman, Mary Tuttiett writing as Maxwell Gray, Mary Wilkins E Freeman, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Sarah Orne Jewett, Willa Cather, Zona Gale (Author), Eve Karpf, Laurel Lefkow, Lisa Bowerman (Narrator)

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Love & Choices - Short Stories

"Love. Perhaps the one word solution for everything. An emotion, a state of mind that we strive for, search for. A wondrous force that binds, inspires, and a force that can spin out of control; unbalanced and fragile. Love reflects, changes and embraces us all. In this series we explore the many facets of love through literary talents that span both time and country. There are times when love is not a revelation and a calling from one soul to another but a carefully navigated path, or maybe a badly chosen path that decimates happiness. Which way will our literary leviathans take us? Inevitably it will be more than one.1 - Love and Choices - Short Stories - An Introduction2 - Eveline by James Joyce3 - The Ice Palace by F Scott Fitzgerald4 - St Johns Eve by Nikolai Gogol5 - The Informer by Joseph Conrad6 - A Wicked Woman by Jack London7 - The Dream by Mary Shelley8 - The Skylight Room by O Henry9 - The Converts by Israel Zangwill10 - An Awakening by Sherwood Anderson11 - Two Offers by Frances Watkins Harper12 - The Kiss by Kate Chopin13 - A New England Nun by Mary E Wilkins Freeman14 - Spurs by Tod Robbins15 - The Lady, or the Tiger by Frank Stockton16 - Fantomina or, Love in a Maze - Part 1 by Eliza Haywood 17 - Fantomina or, Love in a Maze - Part 2 by Eliza Haywood"

Eliza Haywood, Jack London (Author), Jim Norton, Laurel Lefkow (Narrator)

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The Female Short Story - A Chronological History - Volume 1

"A wise man once said ‘The safest place for a child is in the arms of his mother’s voice’. This is a perfect place to start our anthology of female short stories.Some of our earliest memories are of our mothers telling us bedtime stories. This is not to demote the value of fathers but more to promote the often-overshadowed talents of the gentler sex.Perhaps ‘gentler’ is a word that we should re-evaluate. In the course of literary history it is men who dominated by opportunity and with their stranglehold on the resources, both financial and technological, who brought their words to a wider audience. Men often placed women on a pedestal from where their talented words would not threaten their own. In these stories we begin with the original disrupter and renegade author Aphra Behn. A peek at her c.v. shows an astounding capacity and leaves us wondering at just how she did all that.In those less modern days to be a woman, even ennobled, was to be seen as second class. You literally were chattel and had almost no rights in marriage. As Charlotte Smith famously said your role as wife was little more than ‘legal prostitute’. From such a despicable place these authors have used their talents and ideas and helped redress that situation. Slowly at first. Privately printed, often anonymously or under the cloak of a male pseudonym their words spread. Their stories admired and, usually, their role still obscured from rightful acknowledgement.Aided by more advanced technology, the 1700’s began to see a steady stream of female writers until by the 1900’s mass market publishing saw short stories by female authors from all the strata of society being avidly read by everyone. Their names are a rollcall of talent and ‘can do’ spirit and society is richer for their works. In literature at least women are now acknowledged as equals, true behind the scenes little has changed but if (and to mis-quote Jane Austen) there is one universal truth, it is that ideas change society. These women’s most certainly did and will continue to do so as they easily write across genres, from horror and ghost stories to tender tales of love and making your way in society’s often grueling rut. They will not be silenced, their ideas and passion move emotions, thoughts and perhaps more importantly our ingrained view of what every individual human being is capable of. It is because of their desire to speak out, their desire to add their talents to the bias around them that we perhaps live in more enlightened, almost equal, times. Within these stories you will also find very occasional examples of historical prejudice. A few words here and there which in today’s world some may find inappropriate or even offensive. It is not our intention to make anyone uncomfortable but to show that the world in order to change must reconcile itself to the actual truth rather than put it out of sight. Context is everything, both to understand and to illuminate the path forward. The author’s words are set, our reaction to them encourages our change.01 - The Female Short Story. A Chronological History - An Introduction - Volume 102 - The Unfortunate Bride or The Blind Lady a Beauty by Aphra Behn03 - Fantomina or, Love in a Maze by Eliza Haywood - Part 104 - Fantomina or, Love in a Maze by Eliza Haywood - Part 205 - The Story of Sir Bertrand by Anna Laetitia Barbauld06 - Betty Brown, the St Giles Orange Girl by Hannah More07 - The Changeling by Mary Lamb08 - The White Pigeon by Maria Edgeworth09 - Cousin Mary by Mary Russell Mitford13 - The Mourner by Mary Shelley11 - The Prediction by Mary Diana Dods writing as David Lyndsey12 - The Quadroons by Lydia Maria Child05 - The Indian Orphan. A Tale by Letitia Elizabeth Landon14 - The First Evening by Catherine Crowe15 - The Sexton's Hero by Elizabeth Gaskell"

Aphra Behn, Eliza Haywood (Author), Eve Karpf, Janet Fullerlove (Narrator)

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The Fortunate Foundlings

"'The Fortunate Foundlings' is a picaresque novel from 1744 featuring twins Horatio and Louisa, whose journey in the world differs because of their gender. They were both abandoned in infancy and adopted, but soon leave their carer to go off on their one. Whilst Louisa must fight to preserve her virtue in a man’s world, her brother joins the army. This is an eighteenth century rollercoaster - action packed, passionate, melodramatic, and at times unashamedly sentimental. - Eliza Haywood (1693– 1756), née Elizabeth Fowler, was a British author, actress and publisher, who was rediscovered in the 1980s. Little is known about the author, who herself left conflicting information about her life, and was extremely secretive about her personal life. She was a prolific author of romances and other novel’s focusing on women’s point of views, status, and rights. Among her most famous works are 'Love in Excess; Or, The Fatal Enquiry' (1720), 'Fantomina; Or Love in a Maze' (1725) and 'The Anti-Pamela; Or Feign’d Innocence Detected' (1741). Haywood is an important figure of 18th century literature."

Eliza Haywood (Author), Helen Taylor (Narrator)

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The History of Miss Betsy Thoughtless, Vol. 2

Eliza Haywood (Author), Michele Eaton (Narrator)

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The History of Miss Betsy Thoughtless, Vol. 1

"The flirtations of a rich young maiden, Miss Betsy Thoughtless with several suitors, as she alienates the right man by refusing to take the issue of marriage seriously. Because of this her guardian commits her to marriage to the wrong man, a situation over which she has little control. As the heroine describes her fate, this text exposes the institution of marriage, the powerlessness of women and the double standards held during that time.(Introduction by Joyce Martin)"

Eliza Haywood (Author), LibriVox Volunteers (Narrator)

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