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Audiobooks Narrated by Simon Hester
Browse audiobooks narrated by Simon Hester, listen to samples and when you're ready head over to Audiobooks.com where you can get 3 FREE audiobooks on us
"Delight in the whimsical world of childhood through the writing of some of the most beloved poets in English literature. Selected Poems for Children brings together works by Robert Louis Stevenson, Lewis Carroll, Edward Lear, Hilaire Belloc, and Robert Browning—poems that brim with imagination, humour, and unforgettable characters.
In this charming collection, Simon Hester's warm, engaging narration and evocative music bring to life timeless classics such as Stevenson's A Child's Garden of Verse, Lear's eccentric Nonsense Poems, Carroll's fantastical Jabberwocky, and the misadventures of The Hunting of the Snark. You’ll also enjoy Belloc's somewhat macabre Cautionary Tales and the tragic story of The Pied Piper of Hamelin—all narrated with the perfect blend of joy and intrigue that children (and the young at heart) will treasure."
"First published in 1895, Lilith stands as one of George MacDonald’s most enigmatic and haunting works, a blend of fantasy, theology, and metaphysical speculation. Revered by literary giants such as C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, MacDonald’s fiction does not merely tell stories—it beckons readers into a deeper reality where moral and spiritual truths are woven into the very fabric of narrative.
Lilith is not a conventional fantasy. Instead, it is a dreamlike descent into questions of life, death, identity, and salvation. The protagonist, Mr. Vane, a reserved scholar, stumbles into a surreal realm beyond the physical world, where he encounters spectral beings, timeless landscapes, and the mysterious figure of Lilith—a being of both terrible beauty and tragic consequence. The novel explores the path from self-will to self-surrender, drawing heavily on Christian mysticism, Platonism, and a deep reverence for divine grace."
"The text you are about to read, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, is an enduring testament to the transformative power of faith and the boundless mercy of divine grace. Written by John Bunyan during his imprisonment in the 1660s, this spiritual autobiography captures the profound struggles and ultimate redemption of a man whose journey from sin to salvation continues to inspire readers centuries later.
John Bunyan, born in 1628 in Elstow, England, was a tinker by trade and a preacher by divine calling. His early life was marked by moral conflict and spiritual turmoil, which he vividly recounts in this work. Despite his initial resistance and numerous temptations, Bunyan’s fervent quest for truth led him to an unshakeable faith in Jesus Christ. Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners offers an intimate glimpse into Bunyan’s soul, revealing the intense spiritual battles he faced and the profound peace he eventually found.
Head Stories Audio presents Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, by John Bunyan, narrated by Simon Hester. With original music."
"E. Nesbit’s beautiful story of The Railway Children has faired well in many excellent and faithful adaptations on stage and screen. It is always refreshing however to return to the original book. The story has a charm and a depth which raises it, like all the best children’s literature, to something which can be appreciated by all ages.
Bobbie, Phyllis and Peter, through their adventures on the railway begin to come of age as they face thrilling adventures and meet new friends. Nothing is sugar coated by Nesbit; there is real danger, there are real human conflicts to be navigated and over it all hangs the dark cloud of their missing father.
Head Stories Audio presents The Railway Children narrated by Simon Hester. With original music."
"It may be that we are too sophisticated in this day and age for as simple a morality tale as Carlo Collodi’s “Pinocchio”. It is certainly true that the original tale is much darker in its tone than the later versions which smooth out some of sharper edges of the narrative.
Pinocchio himself is at first a very unlikeable character; he feels only for himself, and his apparent remorse is only self-pity. His creator, Geppetto, is initially a reluctant father figure to the self-centred marionette, and the lessons that Pinocchio must endure in order to gain boyhood are often harsh.
In this classic tale, Pinocchio, through his many adventures, learns that the virtues of hard work and study, obedience to one’s parents, politeness and generosity are the only true path to becoming a real boy.
Narrated by Simon Hester. Original music by Simon Hester."
"The World has always yearned for creation stories. We cannot hope to know where we are going if we do not know from where we came.
Rudyard Kipling’s whimsical tales of the origins of, amongst others, the tides, the Elephant’s trunk, the Leopard’s spots and the Cat’s stubborn independance still give as much satisfaction as when he first told them to his young daughter Josephine, using the childish pronunciations and words that she insisted upon being “just so”.
Narrated by Simon Hester. With original music."
"To return to the Jungle Book in its literary form after encountering it in the popular culture of the last 50 years is to be bathed in the fresh, cold, bracing water of a jungle waterfall such as Mowgli himself would have enjoyed.
Head Stories audio presents this compelling telling of the classic Rudyard Kipling book which goes well beyond the confines of the Indian Jungle! Simon Hester narrates and has composed incidental music to the stories.
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"It is all to easy to be familiar with Oscar Wilde the aesthete. The limpid sophisticate ever ready with a witty epigram designed to both shock and stimulate.
However, here in this set of short stories Wilde, at least partly, lays aside his barbs and is careful to not let cynicism cloud the parable like innocence of these tales.
There is an undeniable purity in these tales which Wilde’s simple lyrical style beautifully enhances. For all the hypocrisy of the Remarkable Rocket and the Miller we find the self-sacrifice of the Nightingale and the Swallow, the true repentance of the Giant and the heart-breaking compassion of the once Happy Prince deeply moving.
Narrated by Simon Hester. With original music."
"Although accepted to be a classic of children's literature, Kenneth Grahame's tale of Mole, Ratty, Badger and Toad is layered with the universal themes of nature, longing, belonging, awe and friendship; all woven around the exciting adventures of the incorrigible Mr Toad and his faithful companion's attempts to tame his wayward spirit."
"Once again Alice enters into an imaginary world full of nonsense, colour and paradox. This time she enters through a mirror and, as one might expect, everything becomes back to front. She is on a quest to become a Queen in a fantastical game of chess meeting both help and hinderance in a cast of unforgettable characters such as Humpty Dumpty and the White Knight."
"Perhaps the most famous and most accessible of Dickens' stories which can be enjoyed every year afresh at Christmas time, as we never tire of the inspirational story of Scrooge's redemption and transformation. Here performed with warmth and compelling narrative skill by Simon Hester"
