The Way of All Flesh Audiobook By Samuel Butler cover art

The Way of All Flesh

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The Way of All Flesh

By: Samuel Butler
Narrated by: Frederick Davidson
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This brilliant satirical novel, tracing the life and loves of Ernest Pontifex, has continued in popularity since its original publication in 1903. Every generation finds in The Way of All Flesh a reaffirmation of youth's rightful struggle against the tyranny of harsh parents and its admirable will for freedom of personal expression.

This is one of the most fascinating character studies you will ever read, the story of a young man who survives the baleful influence of a hateful, hypocritical father, a doting mother, and a debauched wife, to emerge as a decent, happy human being. It is also a stinging satire of Victorian gentry, their pomposity, sentimentality, pseudo-respectability, and refined cruelty, a satire still capable of delivering death-blows to the same traits that exist in our present world.

(P)2000 Blackstone Audiobooks Classics Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Witty Comedy Funny
Masterful Character Development • Entertaining Story • Perfect Voice Acting • Satirical Writing • Philosophical Themes

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I found this laugh-out-loud funny in places. I read the novel in the 80s and it was even better as an audiobook. My prof for a course in 19th century novel said about it, "No one born in this century can enjoy this humour." I disagreed with her then, and still do --as would the other reviewers! Like good wine, it got better with age.

This novel would appeal to fans of Anthony Trollope, with satire a bit more savage and prose less meandering than the Postmaster's.

The prose is at times dense, so it's perhaps not a novel for listeners new to audiobooks if they want to grasp all the satire which is often conveyed quickly and/or through understatement.

Davidson is one of my favourite narrators, but this is not a sample of his best work --with, for example, the audible breathing as mentioned by another reviewer.

classic satire- would make Jon Stewart laugh

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One of the best novels I've read or heard.

Simply Phenomenal

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When I originally attempted to listen to this book, I was completely offended by the narrator. After bearing through it for some time (and adjusting the equalizer to drown out his slurping and breathing) I was treated to a wonderful story about morals, morality, and moralism. The difference is subtle, but striking, and Butler conveys it masterfully with fine character development, plot, and not too little psychological and philosophical anlysis. It is even better than I expected too because the narrator turns out to be an amazing actor and he is really able to draw the audience in with his diverse voice. The book is truly a masterpiece and it is a wonder how it was written before the 20th century (so many of its themes became mainstays in the literature of the last century). Listen and enjoy.

A masterpiece&the narrator isn't so bad after all

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I love this book. It follows a young boy with a cold, overbearing father and loving but profoundly misguided mother on his journey from youth to adulthood. The story is told from the point of view of an old family friend, and the events are therefore filtered through the perceptions and prejudices of this iconoclastic and opinionated character, who fills the text with biting, hilarious asides about the other characters and the society in which they live. He's my favorite part about the whole book, and there are many other very well-drawn characters too. But the story is also interesting on a plot level and on the level of a social critique, which is nearly as applicable today as I imagine it was when this book was written. I highly recommend this book to people who enjoy classic novels. If you don't enjoy stories told at a leisurely pace in an old fashioned (but always elegant) style then this won't be your cup of tea.

Also, the narration in this audio edition is spot on. Frederick Davidson does an excellent job enacting the sneering, condescending but utterly likable narrator.

A surprisingly funny coming of age story

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There are a few really interesting ways of assessing life in this book. Those gems were worth every minute of wandering.

What a read!!

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A long hesitated to purchase this seemingly obscure novel. What a joy it was to finally listen to it. The narrator's tone perfectly suits the word which made me both laugh and think. As other reviewers have said, this novel is far from outdated. I highly recommend it.

A world of wisdom and wit

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Part satire, part primer for living and part scrapbook of gleanings from philosophy and religion during the early Victorian era in England, this novel would have shocked many when first published in 1903.

The author had conpleted it years earlier but it was not published until after his death. Perhaps he decided it would be sensible to avoid the storm of moral humbug that would come his way from many readers. Now its attacks on the stupidity and cruelty of what we would call the patriarchy and its scorn for religion in general - and the Anglican Church in particular - seem unremarkable. Not so then.

Not outstanding, but an entertaining audio book with a well chosen reader who conveys the book's slightly sardonic, mocking tone very well.

The first loyalty?

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This is a novel you see in all the shops but no-one ever seems to have read. It's written in the classic, tongue-in-cheek pompous ironic Victorian style, rather similar to Trollope. The plot is nothing much: I think the novel is autobiographical. Beneath the humour there's a lot of bitterness. There are also lots of witty philosophical asides and digressions, a la Tom Jones.
I thoroughly enjoyed both the book and he reader. The reader's default voice is a little on the posh side, but that's appropriate; and he differentiates between the characters well. If you like Fielding, Thackeray, and Trollope, you'll probably enjoy this.

Entertaining like Trollope

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Any additional comments?

I thought this was a very well written book. It reminded me of Dickens. I laughed out loud a few times (similar to Dickens) at the turn of phrase Butler uses. There's no high drama here -- just a very solid story of a family that is dealing with generational concerns over class, religion, and family relationships. The narrator was very good.

Commentary on Family, class, and religion

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Frederick Davidson does a great job as the droll, sarcastic narrator of this story. It is still funny, even a century later. The plot does get bogged down in philosophical thoughts and bits of Christian theology, and the first part of the book is better than the second, but I enjoyed the reading and marveled at how much the truth of how we are treated as youth matters as to what kind of adults we become.
After reading this book, it is fascinating to look up history on the life of Samuel Butler and see how thinly this novel is a disguised autobiography. He is really a tremendously talented writer.

sardonic wit

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