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Jefferson
Jefferson Fukuoka, Japan Member Since 2010

I love listening to or reading books--especially fantasy, science fiction, children's, classics, & historical.

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1
  • Brave New World

    "“Oh, Ford, Ford Ford, I Wish I Had ..."

    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    Brave New World is a bitterly funny and humorously tragic dystopian novel in which Aldous Huxley satirizes modern civilization’s obsession with consumerism, sensual pleasure, popular culture entertainment, mass production, and eugenics. His far future world limits individual freedom in exchange for communal happiness via mass culture arts like “feelies” (movies with sensual immersion), the state-produced feel-good drug soma, sex-hormone gum, popular sports like “obstacle golf,” and the assembly line chemical manipulation of ova and fetuses so as to decant from their bottles babies perfectly suited for their destined castes and jobs, babies who are then mentally conditioned to become satisfied workers and consumers who believe that everyone belongs to everyone. In a way it’s more horrible than the more obviously brutal and violent repression of individuals by totalitarian systems in dystopias like George Orwell’s 1984, because Huxley’s novel implies that people are happy being mindless cogs in the wheels of economic production as long as they get their entertainments and new goods.

    Michael York does a great job reading the novel, his voice oozing satire for the long opening tour of the Hatchery and Conditioning Centre, and then modifying in timbre and dialect for the various characters, among them the self-centered brooder Bernard Marx, the budding intellectual poet Helmholtz Howard, the sexy, sensitive, and increasingly confused Lenina Crowne, the spookily understanding Resident World Controller of Western Europe Mustapha Mond, and especially the good-natured, sad, and conflicted Shakespearean quoting “savage” John.

    I had never read this classic of dystopian science fiction, so I’m glad to have listened to this excellent audiobook, because it is entertaining and devastating in its depiction of human nature and modern civilization, especially timely in our own brave new Facebook world.

    More

    Brave New World

    • UNABRIDGED (8 hrs and 5 mins)
    • By Aldous Huxley
    • Narrated By Michael York
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (1577)
    Performance
    (952)
    Story
    (952)

    When Lenina and Bernard visit a savage reservation, we experience how Utopia can destroy humanity.

    Cloning, feel-good drugs, anti-aging programs, and total social control through politics, programming, and media: has Aldous Huxley accurately predicted our future? With a storyteller's genius, he weaves these ethical controversies in a compelling narrative that dawns in the year 632 A.F. (After Ford, the deity). When Lenina and Bernard visit a savage reservation, we experience how Utopia can destroy humanity.

    Jefferson says: "“Oh, Ford, Ford Ford, I Wish I Had My Soma!”"
  • Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus

    "What's a Lonely Creature to Do?"

    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    The three readers are well-suited to their roles. Simon Templeman is sensitive and vigorous as the frame-narrator, the idealistic and lonely explorer Walton, Anthony Heald is fragile and feverish as the self-pitying, obsessed, and played-out Frankenstein, and Stefan Rudnicki is baritone and bare as the rational, wronged, and vengeful Creature.

    And what a fascinating, nightmarish, sublime, melodramatic, elegant, and surprising novel it is! Told by letters and interviews and by narratives inside narratives, glossing over the science and diving into the morality of the creation of artificial life, exploring the glories and dangers of the heroic (and tragic) quests for knowledge and discovery, expressing the best and worst of human nature, laying bare the sadness of loss and alienation. If, at times, I feel like slapping Frankenstein out of his self-centered wallows in guilty misery, the Creature's autobiography is compelling, and the scenes on the Arctic ice are terrific. And Mary Shelley often effectively builds up and then thwarts or shocks reader expectations. The novel has little in common with most movie adaptations of it, but it is well worth listening to so as to experience the source of so much popular culture Frankenstein material, as well as a representative example of the Romantic era.

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    Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus

    • UNABRIDGED (8 hrs and 42 mins)
    • By Mary Shelley
    • Narrated By Simon Templeman, Anthony Heald, Stefan Rudnicki
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (147)
    Performance
    (69)
    Story
    (70)

    Dr. Victor Frankenstein, an ambitious young scientist, is consumed by a fanatic desire to create a living being. He fashions an eight-foot-tall creature and succeeds in animating him, but, horrified by his visage, perceives his creation to be a monster and frightens him away. The monster, wandering in search of human companionship, is spurned and repulsed by all he approaches and learns to hate and to kill.

    Jefferson says: "What's a Lonely Creature to Do?"
  • The Story of the Volsungs: The Volsunga Saga

    "Passionate, Poetic, Bloody, Heroic,..."

    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    The Story of the Volsungs is a classic Icelandic saga, written in the 13th century from much older oral fragments of songs. Eirikr Magnusson and William Morris’ 1888 translation of the saga is fast-paced, coherent, heroic, tragic, and darkly beautiful. It is mostly prose, but includes many passages of poetry or songs. It influenced H. Rider Haggard’s The Saga of Eric Brighteyes, J. R. R. Tolkien’s oeuvre (especially the Silmarillion), and Poul Anderson’s The Broken Sword. If you like such tragic fantastic adventure fiction, if you are interested in Norsemen (Vikings!), or if you enjoy reading epics for their insights into human nature and their windows into different cultures, you should listen to this audiobook.

    It begins with a useful 48-minute introduction by H. Halliday Sparling about the historical, religious, political, and cultural context of the Norsemen and of their sagas, which is followed by an 8-minute preface by Magnusson and Morris about their translation.

    The saga depicts the interrelated fates of two great Norse families, the Volsungs and the Guikings. From the opening sequence, in which Sigi, grandfather of Volsung, kills a thrall who outperforms him in hunting and then hides his body in a snowdrift, the people in the saga are prey to overwhelming ambition, pride, envy, love, and hate. So there are plenty of battles, with kings killing kings and heroes dealing death till their arms are “red with blood, even to the shoulders,” and murders, brothers killing brothers, sons fathers, and mothers children, with poison, sword, or fire. The Norns have already decided the people’s dooms.

    There are also fantastic elements aplenty: men change into wolves, nightmares reveal disastrous futures, magic potions make men forget, magical swords are re-forged, Odin interferes with advice, boon, or doom, and so on. There are many great scenes, like Sigurd talking with a dragon about its cursed treasure or finding the sleep-spelled shield-maiden, Brynhild, “clad in a byrny as closely set on her as though it had grown to her flesh.” The characters are compelling because they’re so heroic and flawed. Any character might be loathsome one moment and admirable the next, or vice versa.

    The saga is not an easy listen, because many characters’ names sound similar and because of the archaic Malory-esque language used by Morris to evoke a timeless and heroic age (so the free online text might be helpful). But there is a dark, spare, grand, and beautiful poetry in his translation, and reader Antony Ferguson treats the text with restraint and fluency, subtly highlighting its terse turns and beautiful flights and rich alliteration, as in the following excerpt:

    "So Regin makes a sword, and gives it into Sigurd’s hands. He took the sword, and said—'Behold thy smithying, Regin!' and therewith smote it into the anvil, and the sword brake; so he cast down the brand, and bade him forge a better."

    I am very glad to have listened to this saga.

    More

    The Story of the Volsungs: The Volsunga Saga

    • UNABRIDGED (4 hrs and 34 mins)
    • By Anonymous
    • Narrated By Antony Ferguson
    Overall
    (16)
    Performance
    (14)
    Story
    (14)

    Originally written in Icelandic in the 13th century AD by an anonymous author, The Story of The Volsungs is a legendary saga based on Norse mythology. The epic describes the legendary history and heroic feats of several generations of mythic Viking families and derives from many sources, including preexisting Edda, or heroic poems, Norse legends, historical events, and orally transmitted folklore. The saga is imbued throughout with themes of power, jealousy, love, vengeance, and fear.

    Ingwe says: "Wonderful Journey"
  1. Brave New World
  2. Frankenstein, or The Mode...
  3. The Story of the Volsungs...
    4. .

A Peek at Melinda's Bookshelf

Helpful
Votes
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Melinda
UT 152 REVIEWS / 450 ratings Member Since 2009 1180 Followers / Following 7
 
Melinda's greatest hits:
  • Dracula [Audible Edition]
    Dracula [Audible Edition]

    "The Curtain Falls...Applause, Applause, Bravo"

    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    Hearing the final words, "Audible hopes you enjoyed.." it's hard to resist vigorously clapping your hands together and jumping to your feet to whoop out a "Bravo!" While it looks like some reviewers are more familiar with the particulars of each narrator, I must be less fussy; I thought it was a perfect cast that produced a dark gothic atmosphere that Stoker would call worthy of this masterpiece.

    The story is longer than I thought it would be, the flowery speech style of the Victorian era no doubt adding to the length of the journals/diaries of each articulate character, that comprise the tale -- a style that, if you are unprepared for, may be too verbose to your liking (but authentic to the time--think Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, Oscar Wilde, William Butler Yeats). Where one during that period might say:
    "Dear Madam, by God, your neck! May perhaps I suggest more wreaths of the garlic flowers to be festooned around your lovely neck to prohibit a further attack from this most vile blood-sucking fiendish creature of the night which has befallen upon you most unfairly, dear sweet lady?"
    We today, 100 years later, might say:
    "Huh, vampire bite. Want some garlic (was he sparkly)?"
    You can see how this could take up some pages. But the profuse Victorian vernacular combined with the fine reading puts you in the necessary frame of mind -- where a dark red-eyed character in a cape could creep around a deteriorating castle, summon wolves from the fog, and morph into a bat flapping against a pane of glass. (It was a little amusing listening to the breathy and fragile Lucy and Mina...considering the time frame in which this was written. While Stoker had them helplessly swooning away, across the pond, Susan B. Anthony was gathering her own minions.)
    Bram Stoker truly affected history with this book -- Audible's production was a great homage to a literary icon as well as a fun engaging production, well worth the purchase.

  • The Woman in White
    The Woman in White

    "Logical approach to a riveting mystery"

    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    An intricate knot tied with precision, and untangled with logic and grace. To begin with there is a mystery, and Collins lays it out with attention to every twist as the story continues to be told by the various narrators. The characters are as vivid as those created by other 19th century writers: Dickens, the Bronte sisters, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Edgar Allan Poe--Frederick Fairlie with his imagined maladies is good comedy, and Sir Percival and Count Fosco, in comparison make Heathcliff almost look respectable.

    Victorian in description, dialogue, and politics--the strong female character doesn't escape punishment for her straying from the social constricts of the time...she pays for her female resourcefulness and failure to swoon, by being endowed, by the author, with masculine features, including a mustache. Today's editors would likely trim the 25 hours to 12, but in spite of the length and the diversity of plots, the story stays on track and doesn't drag; it's worth the Effort. The narration is a theatrical treat. Fear not the classic; dig in and enjoy.

  • The Kiss and The Duel and Other Stories
    The Kiss and The Duel and Other Stories

    "Brilliant"

    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    With simple words and and simple storylines there is such magnificence and brilliance; there is magic in Chekhov's writing. Where Tolstoy was complex and so serious--Chekhov is lighter and even humorous, pointing out the foibles in our characters, our human tendencies to manipulate morality to fit our desires. Short stories that are easy to get through and so very worth any reader's time.

  • The Zahir
    The Zahir

    "Divertissement"

    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    Only if you are looking for some heady philosophical writing by a remarkable Spanish writer and poet. Worth the $1.95 just for 20 min. of listening to the language used so creatively and beautifully (read by the ever fabtastick Guidall). A Zahir is an object or person that has the ability to create obsession in the person who sees it. In this case, a coin that sends the storyteller tripping into train of thought ramblings, obsessive dreams, and madness. I've been wanting to read Borges and have bought several of the short stories offered by Audio for those in-between-book moments, and detox reads. Maybe one day I'll understand their weighty existential meaning.

Chris Reich
Chris Reich Northern, CA 07-27-09 Member Since 2005

Business Physicist and Astronomer

HELPFUL VOTES
420
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246
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0
  • Ulysses

    "Should be classified as art...."

    36 of 36 helpful votes

    This is probably as close to perfection as an audio book can be. The narration is excellent. The music tracks are perfect. The production values outstanding.

    This is no easy piece of writing to grasp. It takes some background study---read Dubliners and Portrait of an Artist and the Odyssey first. Study them. Then pick up a couple good commentaries on this book---forget the quick notes.

    A lot of work? Sure. Enjoyable? It's an experience more than a listen. The writing is beyond masterful. There are passages and chapters that will touch your core---some will leave a scar. It's that good.

    This audio book isn't for everyone. But again, it could not be better.

    Chris Reich

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    Ulysses

    • UNABRIDGED (27 hrs and 21 mins)
    • By James Joyce
    • Narrated By Jim Norton
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (463)
    Performance
    (221)
    Story
    (217)

    Ulysses is regarded by many as the single most important novel of the 20th century. It tells the story of one day in Dublin, June 16th 1904, largely through the eyes of Stephen Dedalus (Joyce's alter ego from Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man) and Leopold Bloom, an advertising salesman. Both begin a normal day, and both set off on a journey around the streets of Dublin, which eventually brings them into contact with one another.

    Peter says: "Ulysses (Unabridged)"

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  • 4.8 (1122 ratings)
    The Two Towers: Book Two in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy
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    The Two Towers: Book Two in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy

    • UNABRIDGED (16 hrs and 40 mins)
    • By J. R. R. Tolkien
    • Narrated By Rob Inglis
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (1122)
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    (992)
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    The Two Towers is the second volume of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic saga, The Lord of the Rings. The Fellowship has been forced to split up. Frodo and Sam must continue alone towards Mount Doom, where the One Ring must be destroyed. Meanwhile, at Helm’s Deep and Isengard, the first great battles of the War of the Ring take shape. In this splendid, unabridged audio production of Tolkien’s great work, all the inhabitants of a magical universe - hobbits, elves, and wizards - spring to life. Rob Inglis’ narration has been praised as a masterpiece of audio.

    Anna says: "Thank you, Audible! Tolkien at long last!"
  • 4.8 (995 ratings)
    The Return of the King: Book Three in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy
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    The Return of the King: Book Three in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy

    • UNABRIDGED (18 hrs and 18 mins)
    • By J. R. R. Tolkien
    • Narrated By Rob Inglis
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
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    (995)
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    The Return of the King is the towering climax to J. R. R. Tolkien’s trilogy that tells the saga of the hobbits of Middle-earth and the great War of the Rings. In this concluding volume, Frodo and Sam make a terrible journey to the heart of the Land of the Shadow in a final reckoning with the power of Sauron. In addition to narrating the prose passages, Rob Inglis sings the trilogy’s songs and poems a capella, using melodies composed by Inglis and Claudia Howard, the Recorded Books studio director.

    Natalie says: "Finally!"
  • 4.8 (136 ratings)
    The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Volume 1: The War of the Ring
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    The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Volume 1: The War of the Ring
    UNABRIDGED
    • J.R.R. Tolkien

    The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Volume 1: The War of the Ring

    • UNABRIDGED (7 hrs and 28 mins)
    • By J.R.R. Tolkien
    • Narrated By Rob Inglis
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    The Companions of the Ring have become involved in separate adventures as the quest continues. Aragon, revealed as the hidden heir of the ancient Kings of the West, joined with the Riders of Rohan against the forces of Isengard, and took part in the desperate victory of the Hornburg. Merry and Pippin, captured by orcs, escaped into Fangorn Forest and there encountered the Ents. And all the time the armies of the Dark Lord are massing.

    Catherine says: "Inglis sounds like Tolkien!"
  • 4.8 (131 ratings)
    The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Volume 1: The Treason of Isengard
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    • J.R.R. Tolkien

    The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Volume 1: The Treason of Isengard

    • UNABRIDGED (9 hrs and 23 mins)
    • By J.R.R. Tolkien
    • Narrated By Rob Inglis
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    Frodo and the Companions of the Ring have been beset by danger during their quest to prevent the Ruling Ring from falling into the hands of the Dark Lord by destroying it in the Cracks of Doom. Now they continue their journey alone down the great River Anduin, alone, that is, save for the mysterious creeping figure that follows wherever they go.

    Catherine says: "third book of the series"
  •  
  • 4.8 (81 ratings)
    SmartPass Plus Audio Education Study Guide to Hamlet (Dramatised, Commentary Options)
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    • William Shakespeare , Simon Potter

    SmartPass Plus Audio Education Study Guide to Hamlet (Dramatised, Commentary Options)

    • UNABRIDGED (12 hrs and 9 mins)
    • By William Shakespeare, Simon Potter
    • Narrated By Joan Walker, Stephen Elder, Paul Clayton
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    (81)
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    (52)
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    (52)

    The multi award-winning SmartPass study guide with and without commentary options. This is a full-cast, unabridged performance with comprehensive commentary and analysis for any student to fully understand and appreciate the play. Universally accepted as Shakespeare's finest play, we peel back the layers of Hamlet to discover how and why it deserves such a place of honour in world literature.

    Jane says: "Great introduction to Hamlet"
  • 4.8 (54 ratings)
    SmartPass Plus Audio Education Study Guide to Macbeth (Unabridged, Dramatised, Commentary Options)
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    SmartPass Plus Audio Education Study Guide to Macbeth (Unabridged, Dramatised, Commentary Options)
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    • William Shakespeare , Simon Potter

    SmartPass Plus Audio Education Study Guide to Macbeth (Unabridged, Dramatised, Commentary Options)

    • UNABRIDGED (7 hrs and 7 mins)
    • By William Shakespeare, Simon Potter
    • Narrated By Full-Cast featuring Joan Walker, Nick Murchie, Coralyn Sheldon
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    (54)
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    (27)
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    (27)

    Combined for great value! The multi-award-winning SmartPass study guide with and without commentary options. Full-cast, unabridged performance with comprehensive commentary and analysis for any student to fully understand and appreciate the play.

    "And nothing is, but what is not." Macbeth may be mystified by the Weird Sisters' words but this intense performance with incisive commentary cuts to the heart of Shakespeare's complex psychological tragedy.

    Philip says: "Shakespeare made easy to understand!"
  • 4.8 (32 ratings)
    SmartPass Plus Audio Education Study Guide to Romeo and Juliet (Unabridged, Dramatised, Commentary Options)
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    SmartPass Plus Audio Education Study Guide to Romeo and Juliet (Unabridged, Dramatised, Commentary Options)
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    • William Shakespeare , Simon Potter

    SmartPass Plus Audio Education Study Guide to Romeo and Juliet (Unabridged, Dramatised, Commentary Options)

    • UNABRIDGED (7 hrs and 51 mins)
    • By William Shakespeare, Simon Potter
    • Narrated By Full-Cast featuring Joan Walker, Chris Kelham, Sara Bowes
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    (32)
    Performance
    (15)
    Story
    (15)

    Combined for great value! The multi-award-winning SmartPass study guide with and without commentary options. Full-cast, unabridged performance with comprehensive commentary and analysis for any student to fully understand and appreciate the play. The poetry of Shakespeare's star crossed lovers is poignantly performed and expertly explained in this unique production: "Passion lends them power."

    Cheryl says: "Very Helpful"
  • 4.8 (30 ratings)
    A Christmas Carol
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    A Christmas Carol
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    • Charles Dickens

    A Christmas Carol

    • UNABRIDGED (2 hrs and 54 mins)
    • By Charles Dickens
    • Narrated By Simon Vance
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    (30)
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    (26)
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    A Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens first published by Chapman and Hall and first released on 19 December 1843. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visitations of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Yet to Come.

    Tad Davis says: "One of the best"
  •  
  • 4.9 (13 ratings)
    Master i Margarita [The Master and Margarita]
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    Master i Margarita [The Master and Margarita]
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    • Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov

    Master i Margarita [The Master and Margarita]

    • UNABRIDGED (16 hrs and 40 mins)
    • By Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov
    • Narrated By Vladimir Ivanovich Samoylov
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    Master i Margarita - "posledniy zakatnyy" roman M.A. Bulgakova, roman zaveshchanie, voskresshiy iz pepla unichtozhennoy avtorom pervoy redaktsii. V Mastere i Margarite fantastika natalkivaetsya na realizm, mif na istoricheskuyu dostovernost, teosofiya na demonizm, romantika na klounadu.

  • 4.8 (12 ratings)
    Tales from Shakespeare: The Lambs' Tales
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    • Charles Lamb , Mary Lamb , William Shakespeare

    Tales from Shakespeare: The Lambs' Tales

    • UNABRIDGED (3 hrs and 54 mins)
    • By Charles Lamb, Mary Lamb, William Shakespeare
    • Narrated By Alan Cumming, Nigel Davenport, Andrew Sachs, and others
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    A perfect introduction for all ages to the breadth and beauty of Shakespeare's work, Tales from Shakespearehas become a classic work in its own right. The tales bring vividly alive the power of Hamlet and Macbeth, the fun of A Midsummer Night's Dream, and the drama of The Tempest. Blending detailed narrative with original dialogue and poetic language, they fully convey the wit, wisdom, and imagination of Shakespeare's magnificent plays.

    Heidi says: "My daughter's absolute favorite!"
  • 4.8 (10 ratings)
    Captains Courageous
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    Captains Courageous
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    • Rudyard Kipling

    Captains Courageous

    • UNABRIDGED (5 hrs and 57 mins)
    • By Rudyard Kipling
    • Narrated By George Guidall
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    Captains Courageous is Rudyard Kipling’s classic fable of a boy’s initiation into the fellowship of men, played out on the high seas of the late 1800s. When he falls overboard from a luxury liner, Harvey Cheyne, the spoiled son of an American millionaire, is rescued by a small New England fishing schooner. To earn his keep, Harvey must prove his worth in the only way the skipper and his hardy crew will accept: through the grueling mastery of a fisherman’s skills.

    Walt Robertson says: "A case where a good movie ruined a great book"
  • 4.5 (4654 ratings)
    The Hobbit
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    The Hobbit
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    The Hobbit

    • UNABRIDGED (11 hrs and 8 mins)
    • By J. R. R. Tolkien
    • Narrated By Rob Inglis
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    Like every other hobbit, Bilbo Baggins likes nothing better than a quiet evening in his snug hole in the ground, dining on a sumptuous dinner in front of a fire. But when a wandering wizard captivates him with tales of the unknown, Bilbo becomes restless. Soon he joins the wizard’s band of homeless dwarves in search of giant spiders, savage wolves, and other dangers. Bilbo quickly tires of the quest for adventure and longs for the security of his familiar home. But before he can return to his life of comfort, he must face the greatest threat of all.

    Darwin8u says: "Victory after all, I suppose!"

Best Sellers

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  • The Great Gatsby
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    The Great Gatsby
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    • F. Scott Fitzgerald

    The Great Gatsby

    • UNABRIDGED (4 hrs and 52 mins)
    • By F. Scott Fitzgerald
    • Narrated By Jake Gyllenhaal
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    F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic American novel of the Roaring Twenties is beloved by generations of readers and stands as his crowning work. This new audio edition, authorized by the Fitzgerald estate, is narrated by Oscar-nominated actor Jake Gyllenhaal (Brokeback Mountain). Gyllenhaal's performance is a faithful delivery in the voice of Nick Carraway, the Midwesterner turned New York bond salesman, who rents a small house next door to the mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby....

    Darwin8u says: "Simple, Beautiful, and Exquisitely Textured"
  • Heart of Darkness: A Signature Performance by Kenneth Branagh
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    Heart of Darkness: A Signature Performance by Kenneth Branagh
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    • Joseph Conrad

    Heart of Darkness: A Signature Performance by Kenneth Branagh

    • UNABRIDGED (3 hrs and 51 mins)
    • By Joseph Conrad
    • Narrated By Kenneth Branagh
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (776)
    Performance
    (580)
    Story
    (580)

    A Signature Performance: Kenneth Branagh plays this like a campfire ghost story, told by a haunted, slightly insane Marlow.

    Darwin8u says: "Conrad's Brilliant & Wild Novella"
  • The Hobbit
    Play The Hobbit
    The Hobbit
    UNABRIDGED

    The Hobbit

    • UNABRIDGED (11 hrs and 8 mins)
    • By J. R. R. Tolkien
    • Narrated By Rob Inglis
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (4654)
    Performance
    (4159)
    Story
    (4208)

    Like every other hobbit, Bilbo Baggins likes nothing better than a quiet evening in his snug hole in the ground, dining on a sumptuous dinner in front of a fire. But when a wandering wizard captivates him with tales of the unknown, Bilbo becomes restless. Soon he joins the wizard’s band of homeless dwarves in search of giant spiders, savage wolves, and other dangers. Bilbo quickly tires of the quest for adventure and longs for the security of his familiar home. But before he can return to his life of comfort, he must face the greatest threat of all.

    Darwin8u says: "Victory after all, I suppose!"
  • The Great Gatsby
    Play The Great Gatsby
    The Great Gatsby
    UNABRIDGED
    • F. Scott Fitzgerald

    The Great Gatsby

    • UNABRIDGED (5 hrs and 44 mins)
    • By F. Scott Fitzgerald
    • Narrated By Tim Robbins
    Overall
    (1086)
    Performance
    (542)
    Story
    (542)

    The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald's portrait of the Jazz Age in all its decadence and excess, is, as editor Maxwell Perkins praised it in 1924, "a wonder". It remains one of the most widely read, translated, admired, imitated, and studied 20th-century works of American fiction.

    Erin says: "Something you won't fall asleep to..."
  •  
  • The Fellowship of the Ring: Book One in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
    Play The Fellowship of the Ring: Book One in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
    The Fellowship of the Ring: Book One in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
    UNABRIDGED

    The Fellowship of the Ring: Book One in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

    • UNABRIDGED (19 hrs and 11 mins)
    • By J. R. R. Tolkien
    • Narrated By Rob Inglis
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (1903)
    Performance
    (1671)
    Story
    (1705)

    The Fellowship of the Ring, the first volume in the trilogy, tells of the fateful power of the One Ring. It begins a magnificent tale of adventure that will plunge the members of the Fellowship of the Ring into a perilous quest and set the stage for the ultimate clash between the powers of good and evil.

    Ellen says: "At last - The Definitive Recording!"
  • Jane Eyre [Brilliance Edition]
    Play Jane Eyre [Brilliance Edition]
    Jane Eyre [Brilliance Edition]
    UNABRIDGED
    • Charlotte Bronte

    Jane Eyre [Brilliance Edition]

    • UNABRIDGED (17 hrs and 21 mins)
    • By Charlotte Bronte
    • Narrated By Susan Ericksen
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (654)
    Performance
    (398)
    Story
    (405)

    After a sad and neglected childhood as an orphan, Jane Eyre was hired by Edward Rochester as governess for his ward. Jane was pleased with the quiet country life at Thornfield, with the beautiful old manor house and gardens, with the book-filled library, and with her own comfortable room. But there were stories of a strange tenant, a woman who laughed like a maniac, and who stayed in rooms on the third floor.

    Elizabeth says: "a book that can be heard/read again and again"
  • The Two Towers: Book Two in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy
    Play The Two Towers: Book Two in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy
    The Two Towers: Book Two in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy
    UNABRIDGED

    The Two Towers: Book Two in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy

    • UNABRIDGED (16 hrs and 40 mins)
    • By J. R. R. Tolkien
    • Narrated By Rob Inglis
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (1122)
    Performance
    (992)
    Story
    (1015)

    The Two Towers is the second volume of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic saga, The Lord of the Rings. The Fellowship has been forced to split up. Frodo and Sam must continue alone towards Mount Doom, where the One Ring must be destroyed. Meanwhile, at Helm’s Deep and Isengard, the first great battles of the War of the Ring take shape. In this splendid, unabridged audio production of Tolkien’s great work, all the inhabitants of a magical universe - hobbits, elves, and wizards - spring to life. Rob Inglis’ narration has been praised as a masterpiece of audio.

    Anna says: "Thank you, Audible! Tolkien at long last!"
  • Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: A Signature Performance by Elijah Wood
    Play Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: A Signature Performance by Elijah Wood
    Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: A Signature Performance by Elijah Wood
    UNABRIDGED

    Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: A Signature Performance by Elijah Wood

    • UNABRIDGED (10 hrs and 12 mins)
    • By Mark Twain
    • Narrated By Elijah Wood
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (1542)
    Performance
    (1105)
    Story
    (1081)

    A Signature Performance: Elijah Wood becomes the first narrator to bring a youthful voice and energy to the story, perhaps making it the closest interpretation to Twain’s original intent.

    James says: "Worthy "signature" premiere"
  •  
  • Gulliver's Travels: A Signature Performance by David Hyde Pierce
    Play Gulliver's Travels: A Signature Performance by David Hyde Pierce
    Gulliver's Travels: A Signature Performance by David Hyde Pierce
    UNABRIDGED
    • Jonathan Swift

    Gulliver's Travels: A Signature Performance by David Hyde Pierce

    • UNABRIDGED (9 hrs and 52 mins)
    • By Jonathan Swift
    • Narrated By David Hyde Pierce
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (399)
    Performance
    (241)
    Story
    (247)

    A Signature Performance: Four-time Emmy Award winner David Hyde Pierce delivers an air of lovable self-importance in his rendition of the classic social satire that remains as fresh today as the day it was published.

    Lara says: "Timeless Humor"
  • The Return of the King: Book Three in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy
    Play The Return of the King: Book Three in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy
    The Return of the King: Book Three in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy
    UNABRIDGED

    The Return of the King: Book Three in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy

    • UNABRIDGED (18 hrs and 18 mins)
    • By J. R. R. Tolkien
    • Narrated By Rob Inglis
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (995)
    Performance
    (867)
    Story
    (888)

    The Return of the King is the towering climax to J. R. R. Tolkien’s trilogy that tells the saga of the hobbits of Middle-earth and the great War of the Rings. In this concluding volume, Frodo and Sam make a terrible journey to the heart of the Land of the Shadow in a final reckoning with the power of Sauron. In addition to narrating the prose passages, Rob Inglis sings the trilogy’s songs and poems a capella, using melodies composed by Inglis and Claudia Howard, the Recorded Books studio director.

    Natalie says: "Finally!"
  • Atlas Shrugged
    Play Atlas Shrugged
    Atlas Shrugged
    UNABRIDGED
    • Ayn Rand

    Atlas Shrugged

    • UNABRIDGED (63 hrs)
    • By Ayn Rand
    • Narrated By Scott Brick
    Overall
    (3996)
    Performance
    (2031)
    Story
    (2026)

    In a scrap heap within an abandoned factory, the greatest invention in history lies dormant and unused. By what fatal error of judgment has its value gone unrecognized, its brilliant inventor punished rather than rewarded for his efforts? In defense of those greatest of human qualities that have made civilization possible, one man sets out to show what would happen to the world if all the heroes of innovation and industry went on strike.

    Riyad Mammadov says: "Propaganda"
  • Meditations
    Play Meditations
    Meditations
    UNABRIDGED
    • Marcus Aurelius

    Meditations

    • UNABRIDGED (5 hrs and 11 mins)
    • By Marcus Aurelius
    • Narrated By Duncan Steen
    Overall
    (104)
    Performance
    (84)
    Story
    (85)

    One of the most significant books ever written by a head of State, the Meditations are a collection of philosophical thoughts by the Emperor Marcus Aurelius (121 - 180 ce). Covering issues such as duty, forgiveness, brotherhood, strength in adversity and the best way to approach life and death, the Meditations have inspired thinkers, poets and politicians since their first publication more than 500 years ago. Today, the book stands as one of the great guides and companions - a cornerstone of Western thought.

    Guilherme says: "Stoic Wisdom at it's best"

New Releases

(More Classics New Releases) All Classics New Releases
  • The Sphinx Without a Secret
    Play The Sphinx Without a Secret
    The Sphinx Without a Secret
    UNABRIDGED
    • Oscar Wilde

    The Sphinx Without a Secret

    • UNABRIDGED (13 mins)
    • By Oscar Wilde
    • Narrated By Cathy Dobson
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    When Lord Muchison catches sight of a mysterious and beautiful lady in a carriage on London's Bond Street, he is captivated and spends the next few days on the lookout for her again. A week later, by chance he finds himself at a dinner party where Lady Alroy is present, who he immediately recognizes as the lady from Bond Street. But her mysterious behaviour and insistence on secrecy puzzles him greatly.

  • Edgar Allan Poe Audiobook Collection 1: The Pit and the Pendulum/The Black Cat
    Play Edgar Allan Poe Audiobook Collection 1: The Pit and the Pendulum/The Black Cat
    Edgar Allan Poe Audiobook Collection 1: The Pit and the Pendulum/The Black Cat
    UNABRIDGED
    • Edgar Allan Poe , Christopher Aruffo

    Edgar Allan Poe Audiobook Collection 1: The Pit and the Pendulum/The Black Cat

    • UNABRIDGED (1 hr and 8 mins)
    • By Edgar Allan Poe, Christopher Aruffo
    • Narrated By Christopher Aruffo
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    This audiobook is a collection of two short stories by author, Edgar Allan Poe. It includes: The Pit and the Pendulum: Imprisoned and subjected to extraordinary torments at the hands of the Spanish Inquisition, one man struggles to keep his sanity... and his life. The Black Cat: A man overcome by alcohol sinks into wild depravity, goaded by the haunting spectre of a murdered pet.

  • Short Story Classics: From the Great Storywriters of the World
    Play Short Story Classics: From the Great Storywriters of the World
    Short Story Classics: From the Great Storywriters of the World
    UNABRIDGED
    • Edgar Allan Poe , George Eliot , Kate Chopin , Mark Twain , Robert Louis Stevenson , Oscar Wilde , O. Henry

    Short Story Classics: From the Great Storywriters of the World

    • UNABRIDGED (10 hrs and 7 mins)
    • By Edgar Allan Poe, George Eliot, Kate Chopin, and others
    • Narrated By Cathy Dobson
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    A vintage collection of some of the greatest short stories ever written: "The Purloined Letter", by Edgar Allan Poe; "The Nose", by Nikolai Gogol; "The Story of an Hour", by Kate Chopin; "The Gift of the Magi", by O. Henry; "The Apparition of Mrs. Veal", by Daniel Defoe; "The Lifted Veil", by George Eliot; "Life of Ma Parker", by Katherine Mansfield; "The Baron", by Katherine Mansfield; "The Cask of Amontillado", by Edgar Allan Poe; "The Seventh Pullet", by Saki; and more.

  • Edgar Allan Poe Audiobook Collection 2: William Wilson / The Masque of the Red Death
    Play Edgar Allan Poe Audiobook Collection 2: William Wilson / The Masque of the Red Death
    Edgar Allan Poe Audiobook Collection 2: William Wilson / The Masque of the Red Death
    UNABRIDGED
    • Edgar Allan Poe , Christopher Aruffo

    Edgar Allan Poe Audiobook Collection 2: William Wilson / The Masque of the Red Death

    • UNABRIDGED (1 hr and 7 mins)
    • By Edgar Allan Poe, Christopher Aruffo
    • Narrated By Christopher Aruffo
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    William Wilson is drawn into a desperate struggle against a mysterious doppleganger intent on his destruction. The Masque of the Red Death: As his kingdom dies of a hideous plague, the Prince revels in his palace, sealed away from a gruesome fate. But is he as safe as he believes....?

  •  
  • The Wings of the Dove (Dramatised)
    Play The Wings of the Dove (Dramatised)
    The Wings of the Dove (Dramatised)
    ORIGINAL
    • Henry James , Linda Marshall Griff (dramatisation)

    The Wings of the Dove (Dramatised)

    • ORIGINAL (2 hrs and 50 mins)
    • By Henry James, Linda Marshall Griff (dramatisation)
    • Narrated By Lyndsey Marshal
    Overall
    (1)
    Performance
    (1)
    Story
    (1)

    Kate and Merton need money. Milly needs love. How far will they go to get what they want? Kate Croy is in love with Merton Densher; a poor writer. Her rich aunt Maud disapproves. Maud has offered Kate a wealthy existence but if Kate chooses to marry Merton she risks losing it all. When American Heiress Milly Theale steps into her London society, Kate sees a way out. Milly confides in Kate that she believes herself to be gravely ill and Kate begins to see a way for her and Merton to have a future. When Merton returns to London, Kate sets out to bring her lover and her friend together.

  • Gargantua & Pantagruel (Classic Serial)
    Play Gargantua & Pantagruel (Classic Serial)
    Gargantua & Pantagruel (Classic Serial)
    ORIGINAL
    • Francois Rabelais , Lavinia Murray (dramatisation)

    Gargantua & Pantagruel (Classic Serial)

    • ORIGINAL (1 hr and 53 mins)
    • By Francois Rabelais, Lavinia Murray (dramatisation)
    • Narrated By David Troughton, full cast
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    Gargantua and Pantagruel by Francois Rabelais. Dramatised by Lavinia Murray. Episode 1: Gargantua. The bawdy, exuburant adventures of medieval giants. A dizzying blend of fantasy, comedy, philosophy and scatological humour. The world's a messy place. The first episode depicts the young life of the giant Gargantua, who is reduced to laughable insanity by an education at the hands of paternal ignorance, old crones and syphilitic professors. Episode 2: - Pantagruel. Concluding the bawdy and scatological adventures of Medieval giants.

  • The Great Gatsby
    Play The Great Gatsby
    The Great Gatsby
    UNABRIDGED
    • F. Scott Fitzgerald

    The Great Gatsby

    • UNABRIDGED (5 hrs and 10 mins)
    • By F. Scott Fitzgerald
    • Narrated By Dan Russell
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    The Great Gatsby, first Published in 1925 and probably F. Scott Fitzgerald's finest novel, is set on Long Island's North shore, where Nick Carraway begins a new life in New York in the "roaring 20's".

    Carraway is invited to join his new neighbour Jay Gatsby's social circle, including the self-made millionaire's legendary parties, and bears witness to Gatsby's rekindled love affair with the unhappily married Daisy, which ends in tragedy. Today the novel is widely regarded as a paragon of the Great American Novel and a literary classic.

  • Edgar Allan Poe Audiobook Collection 3: The Fall of the House of Usher/The Imp of the Perverse
    Play Edgar Allan Poe Audiobook Collection 3: The Fall of the House of Usher/The Imp of the Perverse
    Edgar Allan Poe Audiobook Collection 3: The Fall of the House of Usher/The Imp of the Perverse
    UNABRIDGED
    • Edgar Allan Poe , Christopher Aruffo

    Edgar Allan Poe Audiobook Collection 3: The Fall of the House of Usher/The Imp of the Perverse

    • UNABRIDGED (1 hr and 2 mins)
    • By Edgar Allan Poe, Christopher Aruffo
    • Narrated By Christopher Aruffo
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    This audiobook is a collection of two short stories by author, Edgar Allan Poe. The Fall of the House of Usher: At his friend's dire pleading, a man braves a living tomb now beset by madness and unknowable disease. The Imp of the Perverse: Blinded by the promise of wealth, a man commits the perfect murder... but how will he keep his secret when his own soul turns against him?

  •  
  • The Ambassadors (Dramatised)
    Play The Ambassadors (Dramatised)
    The Ambassadors (Dramatised)
    ORIGINAL
    • Henry James , Graham White (dramatisation)

    The Ambassadors (Dramatised)

    • ORIGINAL (1 hr and 53 mins)
    • By Henry James, Graham White (dramatisation)
    • Narrated By Henry Goodman, full cast
    Overall
    (1)
    Performance
    (1)
    Story
    (1)

    Adapted by Graham White from the Henry James novel that centres on the predicament of Lambert Strether, a 50-something New Englander lately arrived in Paris. Henry Goodman stars as the hapless protagonist in a novel many critics find James' finest.

  • The Best War Stories Ever Told: Best Stories Ever Told
    Play The Best War Stories Ever Told: Best Stories Ever Told
    The Best War Stories Ever Told: Best Stories Ever Told
    UNABRIDGED
    • UNKNOWN

    The Best War Stories Ever Told: Best Stories Ever Told

    • UNABRIDGED (29 hrs and 25 mins)
    • By UNKNOWN
    • Narrated By Narrated by Bob Hennessey
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    From Julius Caesar to the King James Bible, from modern masters like Theodore Roosevelt and Stephen Crane, this thought-provoking and compelling collection captures the variety and depth of feeling inspired by war, from the devastating to the uplifting.

  • The Black Soul
    Play The Black Soul
    The Black Soul
    UNABRIDGED
    • Liam O'Flaherty

    The Black Soul

    • UNABRIDGED (5 hrs and 25 mins)
    • By Liam O'Flaherty
    • Narrated By John Lee
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    Intense, compelling, beautifully descriptive - as Wuthering Heights is to the Yorkshire moors, so The Black Soul is to the Aran Islands. The sea roars dismally round the shores of Inverara. A stranger takes a room on the island. Here lives a couple whose married years have been joyless, until the presence of the stranger unleashes their passions.... For as spring softens the wild beauty of Inverara, the stranger becomes conscious of the dark-haired Mary - how summer makes her shiver with life. He is the first man she has ever loved, and she thrills with sexual awakening.

  • El Arte de la Guerra [The Art of War] (Spanish Edition)
    Play El Arte de la Guerra [The Art of War] (Spanish Edition)
    El Arte de la Guerra [The Art of War] (Spanish Edition)
    UNABRIDGED
    • Sun Tzu

    El Arte de la Guerra [The Art of War] (Spanish Edition)

    • UNABRIDGED (1 hr and 7 mins)
    • By Sun Tzu
    • Narrated By Caroline Simone, Luis Fernando Hernandez
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    Esta obra es importante no porque sus reflexiones sean una invitacion a practicar la guerra, sino porque para Sun Tzu la guerra es algo mas que la simple fuerza bruta y la irracionalidad de la destruccion. Se trata del arte de evitar los conflictos; requiere de una sabiduria mayor, pero sobre todo, exige de nuestra parte una gran sensibilidad para detectar cuales son las exigencias que nos demanda la armonia universal. Please Note: This audiobook is in Spanish.