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Erez

Erez Israel Member Since 2007
HELPFUL VOTES
329
ratings
REVIEWS
371
44
FOLLOWERS
FOLLOWING
39
0
  • "The Russian Dickens"

    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    "Dead Souls" is a wonderful book. It has all the wit and linguistic dexterity of Dickens, and still is utterly and completely Russian. The elusive "Russian spirit" is on every page. Truly a masterpiece, presented here in a very good translation. The reader does an excellent job, too; his voices do slip here and there, but never for more than a second or two.

    There is, however, one thing to note about this audiobook: Gogol intended this to be a three-volume work. In his lifetime, he only published the first volume. He apparently wrote some of the second part, but then burned it. Now, it seems that some fragments of this second part have survived, and these are included in the audiobook. Listening to that half of the audiobook isn't really enjoyable: every time you start to follow the plot, the narrator says "at this point there is a long hiatus in the original" and jumps off to a much later part of the story, complete with new and unfamiliar characters and full of references to events you have no knowledge of. I think the audiobook would have been better without this rather pointless second part, and would recommend stopping after the first.

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    Dead Souls

    • UNABRIDGED (12 hrs and 57 mins)
    • By Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol
    • Narrated By Tom Weiner
    Overall
    (66)
    Performance
    (35)
    Story
    (34)

    Chichikov, a mysterious stranger, arrives in a provincial town with a bizarre but seductive proposition for local landowners. He proposes to buy the names of their serfs who have died but who are still registered on the census, saving their owners from paying tax on them. But what collateral will Chichikov receive for these "souls"?

    Erez says: "The Russian Dickens"
  • "Amazing"

    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    First, a few technical notes:
    - The translation used in the audiobook is the one by Constance Garnett.
    - The actual length of the book is about 61 hours, since the last four hours (the epilogues) are repeated twice.

    The narrator (whose real name was David Case -- he passed away in 2005) seems to provoke extreme reactions: some people can't stand him, others can't get enough of him. I happen to belong to the second class, and I believe he is especially suited for this novel. However, if you find his voice as irritating as some of the other reviewers, you should probably go for another version.

    And now for the book itself. In "The Brothers Karamazov", Dostoyevsky writes: "Show a Russian schoolboy a map of the stars, which he knows nothing about, and he will give you back the map next day with corrections on it." Tolstoy is the ideal to which all such schoolboys aspire, and "War and Peace" is his greatest achievement. Not only is this immense work a novel, it is a place for Tolstoy to expound his views on the causes and persons of the Napoleonic wars, on the methods of historical research, on free will and (of course) the existence of God. I can't say that I found everything convincing or even interesting -- for example, he takes a lot of pains to demonstrate the Napoleon was not a military genius but a blundering fool -- but for the sheer complexity and ambition of this work I cannot help but award it five stars.

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    War and Peace

    • UNABRIDGED (60 hrs and 50 mins)
    • By Leo Tolstoy
    • Narrated By Frederick Davidson
    Overall
    (951)
    Performance
    (441)
    Story
    (434)

    Often called the greatest novel ever written, War and Peace is at once an epic of the Napoleonic wars, a philosophical study, and a celebration of the Russian spirit. Tolstoy's genius is clearly seen in the multitude of characters in this massive chronicle, all of them fully realized and equally memorable.

    James says: "Audible listens!"
  • "Highly recommended"

    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    First things first: the narrator, Neville Jason, is wonderful. With an extremely pleasant voice and impeccable diction, he takes care to give each character a clearly distinct voice and accent. So if you're looking for a reading of Candide and/or Zadig, this one is a great choice.

    As for the books -- enough has been written about them in the past 250 years, so I'll keep my review to the bottom line. Candide is a masterpiece. Like Gulliver's Travels with a punchline. Very very good. The ending is brilliant and still inspiring after all these years. Zadig is a little less to my taste, though still very well written. The central question in it seems to be "how can bad things happen to good people" and the answer given is "God works in mysterious ways". I personally like Candide's reply to this better.

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    Candide and Zadig

    • UNABRIDGED (7 hrs and 7 mins)
    • By Voltaire
    • Narrated By Neville Jason
    Overall
    (60)
    Performance
    (41)
    Story
    (40)

    Voltaire's razor-sharp satire on philosophical optimism, Candide, is coupled here with another of the author's most celebrated works, Zadig. Both challenge the moral and philosophical orthodoxies of the day with humor and sly wit, while parodying the clichéd formulas of so many contemporary novels.

    Erez says: "Highly recommended"
  1. Dead Souls
  2. War and Peace
  3. Candide and Zadig
  4. .

A Peek at T.'s Bookshelf

Helpful
Votes
97
 
Taiji-cho, Japan 21 REVIEWS / 207 ratings Member Since 2010 20 Followers / Following 1
 
T.'s greatest hits:
  • The Complete Stories of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 1

    "a list of what you'll find in Volume 1"

    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    A Study in Scarlet (novel; 1887)

    The Sign of the Four (novel; 1890)

    The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (short stories, published in The Strand between July, 1891 and December, 1892):

    A Scandal in Bohemia
    The Red-Headed League
    A Case of Identity
    The Boscombe Valley Mystery
    The Five Orange Pips
    The Man with the Twisted Lip
    The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle
    The Adventure of the Speckled Band
    The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb
    The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor
    The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet
    The Adventure of the Copper Beeches

    From what I can tell from a quick internet search, Volume 1 of this audiobook covers the Holmes cannon faithfully from the first. I'm eager to start Volume 2 to see if the coverage will be as comprehensive.

    I liked Charlton Griffin's Sherlock and Dr. Watson, but I didn't like his portrayal of any of the female characters (they sounded so wimpy and foolish, even when they were written otherwise).

    I read several of the short stories, out of order, years ago. Listening to this audiobook to "read" the cannon from start to finish is great because I can follow the character development of Homles and Watson, and their relationship.

  • Cranford

    "Quietly, subtly sweet and heartwarming"

    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    If you don't listen closely, you may miss the subtle sweetness of this heartwarming tale. There were times, mostly in the beginning, when my mind wandered and I became impatient with the seemingly trivial accounts of this Cranford lady or that. But I'm SO glad I kept listening, and had the opportunity to get to know and love Miss Mattie! What an example of the embodiment humility, kindness, and justice she is! The only other Elizabeth Gaskell novel I've read is "North and South." I loved it, and was expecting something similar from "Cranford." The novels couldn't be more dissimilar when it comes to plot and pace, but when it comes to highlighting the beauty of human decency, both do an excellent job.

  • Crime and Punishment (Recorded Books Edition)

    "Great narrator for a great, intense tale"

    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    This story is so intense, and George Guidall's narration is perfect because he conveys the intensity without causing the listener to become overwhelmed. The voices of the different characters are subtly different, which makes for a smooth listen, and that's certainly appreciated when reading such a heavy tale.

  • The Warden

    "Heartbreakingly Good"

    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    This novel was painful to read, as the injustice of it all is so clear, and so is the inevitability. But, like all such narratives, it is also comforting to be reminded that we are not the only ones to encounter injustice, and the model that the warden offers, as far as dealing with a moral question with honor is concerned, is a treasure to behold. Simon Vance is, as usual, a jewel of a narrator. I can't believe I haven't read Trollope until now. I'll certainly be reading more of his works in the future.

ESK

ESK Moscow, Russia 12-26-12 Member Since 2011

There are books of the same chemical composition as dynamite. The only difference is that a piece of dynamite explodes once, whereas a book explodes a thousand times. ― Yevgeny Zamyatin

HELPFUL VOTES
81
ratings
REVIEWS
304
56
FOLLOWERS
FOLLOWING
8
1
  • "The Anthology of 'Music-Makers'"

    7 of 7 helpful votes

    Poetic delight. Lyric ecstasy. Personally, it's the best collection of poems ever. Should you have any doubts about that, look at the list of poems and the narrators.
    (Part I/Disc I)
    1. Autumn from 4 Seasons/Capella Istropiltana - Stephen Gunzenhauser (conductor)
    2. Shakespeare, Seven Ages from As You Like It, Act II Scene VII - Sir Ian McKellen
    3. A Fancy - The Rose Consort Of Viols
    4. Shakespeare, From All the world's a stage: Infant (excerpt) - Sir Ian McKellen
    5. Thom Gunn, Baby Song - Catherine McCormack
    6. Ann Stevenson, The Victory - Richard Jackson
    7. Emily Dickinson, Surgeons - Gayle Hunnicutt
    8. Shakespeare, Fancy from Merchant of Venice, Act III Scene 2 - Mark Rylance
    9. Ogden Nash, Guppy - Prunella Scales
    10. Edward Lear, Quangle Wangle's Hat - Connie Booth
    11. Thomas Hood, I Remember, I Remember - Ralph Fiennes
    12. William Allingham, The Fairies - Juliet Stevenson
    13. Thomas Hood, A Parental Ode - Ralph Fiennes
    14. Robert L. Stevenson, My Shadow - Stella Gonet
    15. Edward Lear, The Owl and the Pussy Cat - John Cleese
    16. A. A. Milne, Sneezles - Andrew Sachs
    17. Lewis Carroll, The Walrus and the Carpenter - Joss Ackland w/ Peter Bayliss
    18. Ted Hughes, Jellyfish - Leo Sayer
    19. G.K. Chesterton, The Donkey - Emma Fielding
    20. Anonymous (or Christopher Isherwood?), The Common Cormorant - Andrew Sachs
    21. R.L. Stevenson, Where Go the Boats - Stella Gonet
    22. Ted Hughes, Crab - Leo Sayer
    23. A.A. Milne, The End - Catherine McCormack
    24. Midsummer Nights Dream (Uphill Down Dale) - Barry Wordsworth (conductor)
    25. Shakespeare, From All the world's a stage: School - Sir Ian McKellen
    26. R.L. Stevenson, To Any Reader - John Sessions
    27. Dylan Thomas, Under Milk Wood - Ioan Gruffudd
    28. Vernon Watkins, The Collier - Ioan Gruffudd
    29. Shel Silverstein, Sick - Catherine McCormack
    30. John Whitworth, Boring - John Cleese
    31. John Whittier, From The Barefoot Boy - Jenny Agutter
    32. Full Fathom Five from Tempest, Act I Scene 2 - Dame Glenda Jackson
    33. Oscar Wilde, Rosa Mystica - Michael Williams
    34. Rudyard Kipling, A Smuggler's Song - Michael Caine
    35 C. Day Lewis, Walking Away - Timothy West
    36 Hilaire Belloc, Tarantella - Terence Stamp
    37 T.S. Eliot, Macavity - David Suchet
    38 Rudyard Kipling, If - Michael Caine
    39 Shakespeare, From Hamlet: This Above All - Michael Maloney
    40. M. George Whitehead and His Almand - performed by Rose Consort Of Viols
    41. Shakespeare, From All the World's a Stage: Lover - Sir Ian McKellen
    42. W.B. Yeats, The Arrow - Art Malisk
    43. H.W. Longfellow, The Arrow and the Song - HRH The Duchess Of Kent
    44. Rabindranath Tagore, They Who Are Near to Me - Art Malik
    45. Christina Rossetti, The First Day - Felicity Kendal
    46. T.L. Beddoes, From The Song of Torrismond - Janet Suzman
    47. R.S. Bridges, My Delight and Thy Delight - Ralph Fiennes
    48. E.B. Browning, Sonnet 43 - Hannah Gordon
    49. R. Kipling, The Virginity - Terence Stamp
    50. P.B. Shelley, The Longest Journey - Samuel West
    51. Anonymous, We Have Known Treasure - Charles Dance
    52. Shakespeare, Sonnet 138 - Robert Lindsay
    53. C. Rossetti, Echo - Dame Glenda Jackson
    54. R. Tagore, Delusions I Did Cherish - Art Malik
    55. Shakespeare, Sonnet 18 - Dame Glenda Jackson
    56. A. E. Housman, When I Was One-And-Twenty - Pete Postlethwaite
    57. W. B. Yeats, The Mermaid - Juliet Stevenson
    58. Robert Herrick, Upon the Nipples of Julia's Breast - Terence Stamp
    59. Robert Burns, My Love Is Like a Red, Red Rose - John Sessions
    60. Shakespeare, Sonnet 116 - Robert Lindsay
    61. D. H. Lawrence, New Year's Eve - Michael Maloney
    62. D. H. Lawrence, Green - Michael Maloney
    63. John Keats, A Thing of Beauty Is a Joy Forever - Mark Rylance

    (Part II/Disc II)
    1. Stravinsky: A Soldier's Tale - Nicholas Ward (conductor)
    2. Shakespeare, From All the world's a stage: Soldier - Sir Ian McKellen
    3. Shakespeare, Prologue from King Henry 5 - Mark Rylance
    4. Julian Grenfell, Into Battle - Juliet Stevenson
    5. W. B. Yeats, An Irish Airman Foresees His Death - William Houston
    6. James Russell Lowell, Once to Every Man and Nation - Dame Judi Dench
    7. Seamus Heaney, Whatever You Say, Say Nothing - William Houston
    8. John McCrea, In Flanders Fields - Robert Powell
    9. Vera Brittain, Perhaps - Dame Judi Dench
    10. Wilfred Owen, Anthem for Doomed Youth - Robert Powell
    11. Wilfred Owen, Dulce at Decorum Est / Lord Owen
    12. Eva Dobell, Pluck - Felicity Kendal
    13. W. H. Auden, From In Memory of W.B. Yeats - Art Malik
    14. John Jarmain, At a War Grave - Michael Malony
    15. John Jarmain, El Alamein - Michael Malony
    16. Ruth Fainlight, Handbag - Prunella Scales
    17. Elsie Cawser , Salvage Song - Michael Maloney
    18. Rudyard Kipling, England - Michael Caine
    19. Matthew Arnold, Dover Beach - Michael Williams
    20. Dan Pagis, Written With a Pencil in a Sealed Wagon - Janet Suzman
    21. John Donne, No Man Is an Island - Ed Bishop
    22. Luis de Narvaez: Fantasia - Shirley Rumsey
    23. Shakespeare, From All the World's a Stage: Wisdom - Sir Ian McKellen
    24. Shakespeare, The Quality of Mercy from Merchant of Venice, Act IV Scene 1 - Ralph Fiennes
    25. John Boyle O’Reilly , What Is Good - Dame Judi Dench
    26. Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass - Art Malik
    27. Anonymous, Addendum to the Ten Commandments - Michael Caine
    28. Geoffrey Chaucer, From The Canterbury Tales: A Student - Emma Fielding
    29. James Leigh Hunt, Abou Ben Adhem - Robert Powell
    30. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Song of Hiawatha (excerpt) - Clarke Peters
    31. William Wordsworth, My Heart Leaps Up - Robert Hardy
    32. William Blake, Auguries of Innocence - Timothy West
    33. William Blake, The Tyger - Timothy West
    34. Emily Dickinson, Of All Souls That Stand Create - Gayle Hunnicutt
    35. Percy Bysshe Shelley, Chorus of Spirits - Prunella Scales
    36. Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Kubla Khan - Pete Postlethwaite
    37. Robert Burns, A Man's a Man for A' That - John Sessions
    38. Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken - John Cleese
    39. Anonymous, The Bleed'n' Sparrer - Michael Caine
    40. The King of Denmark's Galiard performed by the Rose Consort of Viols
    41. Shakespeare, From All the World's a Stage: Sixth Age - Sir Ian McKellen
    42. W. B. Yeats, Politics - Michael Caine
    43. Ogden Nash, Peekaboo, I Almost See You - David Suchet
    44. Ogden Nash, Samson Agonistes - David Suchet
    45. John Masefield , Sea Fever - Terence Stamp
    46. Emily Dickinson, Exultation - Gayle Hunnicutt
    47. Morris Bishop, We Have Been Here Before - Charles Dance
    48. Alfred, Lord Tennyson From The Brook - Janet Suzman
    49. William Wordsworth, Upon Westminster Bridge - Robert Hardy
    50. J. Wilmot, Earl of Rochester, A Song of a Young Lady to Her Ancient Lover - Janet Suzman
    51. Robert Burns, John Anderson, My Jo - Stella Gonet
    52. Stanley J. Sharples, In Praise of Cocoa, Cupid's Nightcap - Emma Fielding
    53. Rudyard Kipling, The Way Through the Woods - Art Malik
    54. Christina Rossetti, From Uphill - HRH The Duchess Of Kent
    55. Shakespeare, From All the World's a Stage: Last Scene - Sir Ian McKellen
    56. Dylan Thomas, Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night - Ioan Gruffudd
    57. Christina Rossetti, Song - Jenny Agutter
    58. Leo Marks, Code Poem for the French Resistance - Ralph Fiennes
    59. Emily Dickinson, This World Is Not Conclusion - Gayle Hunnicutt
    60. Robert Louis Stevenson, Requiem - John Sessions
    61. Christina Rossetti, Sleeping at Last - Dame Judi Dench
    62. Shakespeare, Fear No More from Cymbeline, Act IV Scene 2 - Sir Ian McKellen
    63. John Banister Tabb, Evolution/Autumn from Four Seasons (Reprise) - Mark Rylance

    More

    Seven Ages: An Anthology of Poetry with Music (Unabridged Selections)

    • ORIGINAL (2 hrs and 35 mins)
    • By William Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, Ted Hughes
    • Narrated By Ralph Fiennes, Dame Judi Dench
    Overall
    (44)
    Performance
    (26)
    Story
    (26)

    This highly entertaining anthology of verse is the comic, tragic, tender, and telling story of life's seven ages, from childhood to old age. Within the framework of Shakespeare's speech, "The Seven Ages of Man," performed by Sir Ian McKellen, are 150 great poems from all ages, from Chaucer to Emily Dickinson to Walt Whitman and many others. The poem are presented by the finest cast ever assembled on one recording and includes Ralph Fiennes, Dame Judi Dench, John Cleese, Michael Caine, and more.

    Crystal says: "Wonderful Readings"

What's Trending in Classics:

  • 4.8 (1278 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
    (1278)
    Performance
    (1127)
    Story
    (1152)

    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 (1130 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
    Overall
    (1130)
    Performance
    (987)
    Story
    (1009)

    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 (137 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 (7 hrs and 28 mins)
    • By J.R.R. Tolkien
    • Narrated By Rob Inglis
    Overall
    (137)
    Performance
    (63)
    Story
    (64)

    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 (133 ratings)
    The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Volume 1: The Treason of Isengard
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    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
    Overall
    (133)
    Performance
    (68)
    Story
    (68)

    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 (83 ratings)
    SmartPass Plus Audio Education Study Guide to Hamlet (Dramatised, Commentary Options)
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    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
    Overall
    (83)
    Performance
    (54)
    Story
    (54)

    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 (55 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)

    • UNABRIDGED (7 hrs and 7 mins)
    • By William Shakespeare, Simon Potter
    • Narrated By Full-Cast featuring Joan Walker, Nick Murchie, Coralyn Sheldon
    Overall
    (55)
    Performance
    (28)
    Story
    (28)

    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 (33 ratings)
    A Christmas Carol
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    A Christmas Carol

    • UNABRIDGED (2 hrs and 54 mins)
    • By Charles Dickens
    • Narrated By Simon Vance
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (33)
    Performance
    (29)
    Story
    (29)

    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"
  • 4.8 (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)

    • UNABRIDGED (7 hrs and 51 mins)
    • By William Shakespeare, Simon Potter
    • Narrated By Full-Cast featuring Joan Walker, Chris Kelham, Sara Bowes
    Overall
    (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"
  •  
  • 4.9 (13 ratings)
    Master i Margarita [The Master and Margarita]
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    Master i Margarita [The Master and Margarita]

    • UNABRIDGED (16 hrs and 40 mins)
    • By Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov
    • Narrated By Vladimir Ivanovich Samoylov
    Overall
    (13)
    Performance
    (10)
    Story
    (10)

    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.

  • 4.9 (11 ratings)
    Beowulf
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    Beowulf

    • UNABRIDGED (4 hrs and 8 mins)
    • By Seamus Heaney (translator)
    • Narrated By George Guidall
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (11)
    Performance
    (10)
    Story
    (11)

    Written a thousand years ago, this long poem is the very first surviving piece of English literature. Join Beowulf, a young warrior, as he achieves glory by fighting and killing three fantastic monsters. This new translation, by the Nobel laureate poet Seamus Heaney, offers modern listeners an accessible, intensely dramatic text. It amply demonstrates why this epic has spread its influence over more than a millennium of literature.

    Tad Davis says: "Almost perfect"
  • 4.8 (10 ratings)
    David Copperfield (Dramatised)
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    David Copperfield (Dramatised)

    • ORIGINAL (9 hrs and 3 mins)
    • By Charles Dickens
    • Narrated By Miriam Margolyes, Timothy Spall, Phil Daniels, and others
    Overall
    (10)
    Performance
    (10)
    Story
    (9)

    David Copperfield is the story of a boy growing to maturity in the affairs of the world and of the heart, surrounded by some of Dickens' most memorable characters: David's eccentric great-aunt, Miss Betsey Trotwood; the ever-optimistic Mr Micawber; jolly Peggotty and her willing husband Barkis; the charming Steerforth; the ever so 'umble Uriah Heep; and the foolishly innocent Dora. But will David finally find happiness with the faithful Agnes Wickfield, whom he has known since childhood?

    lynley says: "Brilliant actors and great story"
  • 4.5 (4985 ratings)
    The Hobbit
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    The Hobbit

    • UNABRIDGED (11 hrs and 8 mins)
    • By J. R. R. Tolkien
    • Narrated By Rob Inglis
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (4985)
    Performance
    (4457)
    Story
    (4509)

    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
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    The Great Gatsby

    • UNABRIDGED (4 hrs and 52 mins)
    • By F. Scott Fitzgerald
    • Narrated By Jake Gyllenhaal
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (901)
    Performance
    (827)
    Story
    (833)

    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"
  • The End of the Affair
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    The End of the Affair

    • UNABRIDGED (6 hrs and 28 mins)
    • By Graham Greene
    • Narrated By Colin Firth
    Overall
    (1275)
    Performance
    (1167)
    Story
    (1151)

    Graham Greene’s evocative analysis of the love of self, the love of another, and the love of God is an English classic that has been translated for the stage, the screen, and even the opera house. Academy Award-winning actor Colin Firth (The King’s Speech, A Single Man) turns in an authentic and stirring performance for this distinguished audio release.

    Emily - Audible says: "Colin Firth Kills It"
  • 1984: New Classic Edition
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    1984: New Classic Edition

    • UNABRIDGED (11 hrs and 26 mins)
    • By George Orwell
    • Narrated By Simon Prebble
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (2525)
    Performance
    (1201)
    Story
    (1211)

    George Orwell depicts a gray, totalitarian world dominated by Big Brother and its vast network of agents, including the Thought Police - a world in which news is manufactured according to the authorities' will and people live tepid lives by rote. Winston Smith, a hero with no heroic qualities, longs only for truth and decency. But living in a social system in which privacy does not exist and where those with unorthodox ideas are brainwashed or put to death, he knows there is no hope for him.

    Kate says: "Come one, Come all into 1984!"
  • Gulliver's Travels: A Signature Performance by David Hyde Pierce
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    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
    (412)
    Performance
    (253)
    Story
    (260)

    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 Hobbit
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    The Hobbit

    • UNABRIDGED (11 hrs and 8 mins)
    • By J. R. R. Tolkien
    • Narrated By Rob Inglis
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (4985)
    Performance
    (4457)
    Story
    (4509)

    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!"
  • Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: A Signature Performance by Elijah Wood
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    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
    (1588)
    Performance
    (1146)
    Story
    (1119)

    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"
  • 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
    (1278)
    Performance
    (1127)
    Story
    (1152)

    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!"
  • The Fellowship of the Ring: Book One in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
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    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
    (2101)
    Performance
    (1845)
    Story
    (1881)

    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]
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    Jane Eyre [Brilliance Edition]

    • UNABRIDGED (17 hrs and 21 mins)
    • By Charlotte Bronte
    • Narrated By Susan Ericksen
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (689)
    Performance
    (427)
    Story
    (438)

    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 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
    Overall
    (1130)
    Performance
    (987)
    Story
    (1009)

    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!"
  • Heart of Darkness: A Signature Performance by Kenneth Branagh
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    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
    (823)
    Performance
    (624)
    Story
    (625)

    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"
  • Atlas Shrugged
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    Atlas Shrugged

    • UNABRIDGED (63 hrs)
    • By Ayn Rand
    • Narrated By Scott Brick
    Overall
    (4100)
    Performance
    (2134)
    Story
    (2127)

    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.

    Mica says: "Hurt version decidedly superior"
  • Twinkle and Chubbins
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    Twinkle and Chubbins

    • UNABRIDGED (3 hrs and 1 min)
    • By L. Frank Baum
    • Narrated By Tavia Gilbert
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    Twinkle and Chubbins is a collection of short children's stories written by L. Frank Baum, but published under the pen name Laura Bancroft. The stories included in the collection are: "Mr. Woodchuck", "Bandit Jim Crow", "Prairie-Dog Town", "Prince Mud-Turtle", "Twinkle's Enchantment", and "Sugar-Loaf Mountain".

  • A Daughter of the Snows
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    A Daughter of the Snows

    • UNABRIDGED (9 hrs and 37 mins)
    • By Jack London
    • Narrated By Dmitry Tairov
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    Roman Doch snegov - eto pervoe proizvedenie Dzheka Londona v zhanre romana, rasskazyvajushhee o zhizni i prikljuchenijah zolotoiskatelej vo vremja «zolotoj lihoradki» na Klondajke. Proizvedenie otnositsja k «severnoj» teme, odnoj iz samyh ljubimyh pisatelem, k kotoroj on ne raz vozvrashhalsja v svoem tvorchestve. Na pervom plane - sil'naja lichnost' i ee bor'ba s prirodoj, bor'ba, v kotoroj individual'nost' zakaljaetsja, terjaet svoju meshhanskuju ogranichennost', vozrozhdajas' fizicheski i duhovno.

  • Belyj Klyk [White Fang]
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    Belyj Klyk [White Fang]

    • UNABRIDGED (8 hrs and 51 mins)
    • By Jack London
    • Narrated By Ilya Bobylev
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    Povest' Belyj Klyk - jeto uvlekatel'noe povestvovanie o zhizni volka po klichke Belyj Klyk. Mnogo ispytanij vypalo na ego dolju prezhde, chem on vstretil nastojashhego druga, cheloveka, kotoryj spas emu zhizn'. I za dobro i zabotu serdce volka otvetilo predannoj ljubov'ju.

  • Udvalgte fortællinger [Featured Stories]
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    Udvalgte fortællinger [Featured Stories]

    • UNABRIDGED (6 hrs and 26 mins)
    • By Fjodor M. Dostojevskij
    • Narrated By Karsten Pharao
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    Udvalgte fortællinger omfatter fem mindre fortællinger fra forskellige perioder i Dostojevskijs forfatterskab. Samlingen indledes med En lille helt (1848), som Dostojevskij skrev i fængslet umiddelbart før sin 10 års forvisning til Sibirien. En smuk fortælling om en 11-årig drengs følelser, da han betages af og forelsker sig i den smukke og melankolske Madame M.

  •  
  • Shirley
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    Shirley

    • UNABRIDGED (21 hrs and 41 mins)
    • By Charlotte Bronte
    • Narrated By Silvia Cecchini
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    Shirley è un “romanzo sociale” del 1849 pubblicato dopo il primo fortunato romanzo della stessa autrice, Jane Eyre (che peraltro era stato pubblicato, come questo, sotto lo pseudonimo di Currer Bell). Il romanzo è ambientato nello Yorkshire negli anni 1811-1812 e tratta della depressine industriale dovuta alla guerra Napoleonica, con la conseguente reazione operaia sfociante nel luddismo.

  • Malen'kaja hozjajka bol'shogo doma [The Little Lady of the Big House]
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    Malen'kaja hozjajka bol'shogo doma [The Little Lady of the Big House]

    • UNABRIDGED (12 hrs and 4 mins)
    • By Jack London
    • Narrated By Denis Nekrasov
    Overall
    (0)
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    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    Izdanie vydajushhegosja amerikanskogo pisatelja Dzheka Londona (1876-1916) vkljuchaet v sebja roman Malen'kaja hozjajka bol'shogo doma, odno iz samyh liricheskih proizvedenij pisatelja, v osnove sjuzheta kotorogo lezhit «ljubovnyj treugol'nik». Roman javljaetsja odnim iz samyh chitaemyh i ljubimyh proizvedenij Dzheka Londona.

  • Zheleznaja pjata [The Iron Heel]
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    Zheleznaja pjata [The Iron Heel]

    • UNABRIDGED (11 hrs and 4 mins)
    • By Jack London
    • Narrated By Anna Kozhevnikova
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    Roman-antiutopija Zheleznaja pjata (1908) vydajushhegosja amerikanskogo pisatelja Dzheka Londona s porazitel'noj tochnost'ju opisyvaet obshhestvo, pojavivsheesja vposledstvii v dvuh stranah Evropy, gde k vlasti prishli partii, nazyvavshie sebja rabochimi. On podvergaet unichtozhajushhej kritike amerikanskij imperializm, vlast' monopolij, izoblichaet sistemu belogo rabstva, ekspluataciju zhenshhin i detej, pokazyvaet uzhasajushhie uslovija sushhestvovanija bednjakov.

  • Mary Louise
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    Mary Louise

    • UNABRIDGED (5 hrs and 29 mins)
    • By L. Frank Baum
    • Narrated By Cassandra Campbell
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    Mary Louise is a young girl, very honest and wise beyond her years. This, at times put her at odds with her classmates at school, but she is mature enough to not be bothered by their attitudes for the most part. Mary Louise lived with her mother and grandfather, with whom she was very close. She is upset and then astounded to find out that her grandfather is running from the law. As the other children at school find out the circumstances surrounding her situation, they begin to relentlessly tease and trouble her.

  •  
  • White Fang
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    White Fang

    • UNABRIDGED (8 hrs)
    • By Jack London
    • Narrated By Peter Husmann
    Overall
    (0)
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    (0)
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    (0)

    Jack London's classic adventure story about the friendship developed between a Yukon gold hunter and the mixed dog-wolf he rescues from the hands of a man who mistreats him. White Fang is a companion novel and thematic mirror to London's best-known work, The Call of the Wild.

  • Merlin
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    Merlin

    • UNABRIDGED (2 hrs and 21 mins)
    • By Edwin Arlington Robinson
    • Narrated By Robert Bethune
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    In Merlin, Edwin Arlington Robinson delves into the minds and hearts of a gallery of characters from the story Camelot. He places the action at the moment when Guinevere and Lancelot have fled to Joyeux Gard, and Arthur, goaded on by Modred and Gawaine, is reluctantly preparing an army to make war on them. It is at this time that he needs the advice and support of his old mentor, Merlin, more than ever before in his reign and his life, but it is at just this crucial time that Merlin has found that the love of Vivian is more important to him than kings, knights, or Camelot itself.

  • Edgar Allan Poe Audiobook Collection 12: Hop-Frog, Metzengerstein
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    Edgar Allan Poe Audiobook Collection 12: Hop-Frog, Metzengerstein

    • UNABRIDGED (1 hr and 19 mins)
    • By Edgar Allan Poe, Christopher Aruffo
    • Narrated By Christopher Aruffo
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    Included in this collection are two classic short stories as well as two additional stories.

  • Edgar Allan Poe Audiobook Collection 10: Deus ex Machina
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    Edgar Allan Poe Audiobook Collection 10: Deus ex Machina

    • UNABRIDGED (4 hrs and 36 mins)
    • By Christopher Aruffo, Edgar Allan Poe
    • Narrated By Christopher Aruffo
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    From the spiritual to the mechanical, Deus Et Machina gathers many never-recorded stories and essays by Edgar Allan Poe. Included: The Facts In The Case Of M. Valdemar: By the power of a mesmeric spell, an invalid's soul is trapped at the exact moment of death. Von Kempelen and His Discovery: The legendary formula-- pursued by alchemists throughout the ages-- will finally be secret no more.