Dora Thorne - by Charlotte M. Brame

Free US/UK Kindle Classic

Dora Thorne is a novel published about 1870 by the English romance writer Charlotte M. Brame, also known in America as Bertha M. Clay. (US Edition)  (UK Edition) 

From the beginning of the novel:

"We know what it means," he said, "when boys of nineteen talk about love. Believe me, Ronald, if I were to consent to your request, you would be the first in after years to reproach me for weak compliance with your youthful folly." 

"You would not call it folly," retorted Ronald, his face flushing hotly, "if Dora were an heiress, or the daughter of some—"

"Spare me a long discourse," again interrupted Lord Earle. "You are quite right; if the young girl in question belonged to your own station, or even if she were near it, that would be quite a different matter. I am not annoyed that you have, as you think, fallen in love, or that you wish to marry, although you are young. I am annoyed that you should dream of wishing to marry a simple rustic, the daughter of my lodge keeper. It is so supremely ridiculous that I can hardly treat the matter seriously."

Brame (also Breame) may have been a romance writer, but she did not have a romantic life.  Her husband was a drunk.  Her popular books were pirated in the US, so she didn't make a lot of money.  After she died at 48 in 1884, owing debts, her children went into guardianship. Not a happy life - so she probably put what she wanted into her books . 

This blog is a guide to the best free and inexpensive classic literature for the US & UK Kindle. If you enjoy my suggestions, please tell your friends who read to give my blog a try. 

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For a nominal fee of 99 cents/pence, you can subscribe to this blog and have it automatically download on your Kindle. This gives you the convenience of being able to download the books directly to your Kindle, instead of downloading them to your computer and then transferring them to your Kindle. It also helps support my blog.

UK readers may go to this Amazon link to subscribe.  (Slightly more than half my readers are from the UK)

US readers may go to this Amazon link

Thank to all my readers, whether you subscribe on your Kindle or whether you read it online.  I love to get good reviews!  Who wouldn't?  Should you care to leave a review, follow these links for UK readers or US readers

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Grimm's Fairy Tales - by the Brothers Grimm

Free US/UK Kindle Classic

Grimm's Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm is a well known book of children's  stories not really for children.  (US Edition)  (UK Edition)  The German brother published the collection in 1812 and followed it up with subsequent collections, some more bowdlerized than others.  This collection has a story from the 1812 collection, so I assume that is what this is.

From "The Blue Light:"

. . . he summoned the little black manikin and said: 'I have served the king faithfully, but he has dismissed me, and left me to hunger, and now I want to take my revenge.' 'What am I to do?' asked the little man. 'Late at night, when the king's daughter is in bed, bring her here in her sleep, she shall do servant's work for me.' The manikin said: 'That is an easy thing for me to do, but a very dangerous thing for you, for if it is discovered, you will fare ill.'

Does he?  I couldn't put the story down until I found out.

Other stories are more familiar, although told perhaps in a bolder style that those I read to elementary aged children.

and the children heard their mother saying at night to their father: 'Everything is eaten again, we have one half loaf left, and that is the end. The children must go, we will take them farther into the wood, so that they will not find their way out again; there is no other means of saving ourselves!' The man's heart was heavy, and he thought: 'It would be better for you to share the last mouthful with your children.' The woman, however, would listen to nothing that he had to say, but scolded and reproached him.

Here is a one star Amazon Reader review that sums it up despite the negative review:

"Ordered this out of curiosity. You can see the origins of many of the Disney movies. But..... wow. Some of these stories were very twisted and weird."

This blog is a guide to the best free and inexpensive classic literature for the US & UK Kindle. If you enjoy my suggestions, please tell your friends who read to give my blog a try. 

Join me on Twitter, FaceBook, or Pinterest.

-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

For a nominal fee of 99 cents/pence, you can subscribe to this blog and have it automatically download on your Kindle. This gives you the convenience of being able to download the books directly to your Kindle, instead of downloading them to your computer and then transferring them to your Kindle. It also helps support my blog.

UK readers may go to this Amazon link to subscribe.  (Slightly more than half my readers are from the UK)

US readers may go to this Amazon link

Thank to all my readers, whether you subscribe on your Kindle or whether you read it online.  I love to get good reviews!  Who wouldn't?  Should you care to leave a review, follow these links for UK readers or US readers.