Faust

By: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Narrated by: Auriol Smith, Gunnar Cauthery, Stephen Critchlow, Hugh Dickson, Anne-Marie Piazza, Sean Barrett

Length: 3 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

Faust is one of the pillars of Western literature. This classic drama presents the story of the scholar Faust, tempted into a contract with the Devil in return for a life of sensuality and power. Enjoyment rules, until Faust’s emotions are stirred by a meeting with Gretchen, and the tragic outcome brings Part 1 to an end. Part 2, written much later in Goethe’s life, places his eponymous hero in a variety of unexpected circumstances, causing him to reflect on humanity and its attitudes to life and death.

Narrated by:

• Auriol Smith
• Hugh Dickson
• Stephen Critchlow
• Anne-Marie Piazza
• Gunnar Cauthery
• Sean Barrett
• Emily Raymond
• Derek Jacobi
• Samuel West
• Daniel Mair

Download the accompanying reference guide.

Public Domain (P)2011 Naxos Audiobooks

Critic reviews

Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award

"If it’s been a while since you tackled Goethe’s Faust - like, forever - don’t wait a moment longer. John R. Williams’s sparkling English translation is delightful, full of wit and delicious rhymes, and would be reason enough to fling yourself at it, but this full-cast production more than doubles the pleasure.... The performances are marvelous, and the sound effects clever and often gorgeous (the choir!).... What a great theatrical experience." (AudioFile)

“Listen straight through and you get a vivid experience of the Faust drama in ways you would not get in any other form. The English translation is mellifluous and not stilted, and the recitation is terrific. Anyone who has appreciated the various settings of Faust by Gounod, Berlioz, Schumann, etc., will revel in the full drama enacted in the spirit Goethe intended.... Highly recommended.” (Grego Applegate Edwards, Gapplegate Classical-Modern Music Review)

Amazing

The narration and sound effects truly lead for an amazing experience. I had of course heard of Faust but didn't know much about it before listening to this version. As a previous review mentioned if you don't know anything about the story it's a good idea to get a basic run through before starting so you won't get lost.

Overall an excellent narration and the story itself is timeless

a headline?

yeah, in 15 words review Faust. If you're interested in this just read it already

Incredible performance that achieves a great appreciation

This is what Audible can do to enrich one's appreciation of a great work of literature. Even though this is abridged, it is a collaborated, enacted Audible performance by BBC actors who put mere narrators of this work to shame. It is a delight to hear this work performed in this quality. This was my first exposure to Faust, but used my usual strategy of listening while reading simultaneously. It was tricky since the performance was abridged, but I was able to keep up. Now I can return and read the entire work whole with a better sense of how to approach the reading of this wonderful work.

Poor sound quality

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No -very muddled recording with needless background noise

Any additional comments?

Introduction and better sound quality would have helped

A Great Classic

I'm giving it five stars with reservations, those being that I do not totally understand it yet. I am working on it though. It is a great morality play and a bit of a cautionary tail, and I like that a lot. But there is also a ton of symbolism in it, which I also like, but which I do not fully understand. With the aid of critical analyses, I am learning, though, and will probably reread and re-listen to the story when I get most of that into my head.

The story of Faust is one of a tired and disillusioned old man who, in his deepest darkest thoughts, feels like his life has been such a failure that, when he gets the chance, he sells his soul to the devil in exchange for youth, success, fortune and romance. There is always a dear price tag attached, however, as Faust learns to his horrific consternation.

Sad that we English speakers have to read a translation, but even with that, it is obviously expertly written. I guess foreign speakers feel the same way about Shakespeare, and I hope for their sakes that they have quality translations. Being unable to be anything but ignorant on the subject, I feel that this translation is superior. The beauty of the poetry is breathtaking, and can't help but be favorably compared to Shakespeare. The subject matter is earthy and less than beautiful, yet so relevant, mainly because it is human beings that read this story, and we human types are less than perfect, and often less than beautiful. Our base desires are often selfish, try as we might to rationalize them with "good" motives.

All in all, this is a story I am not finished with yet, and it will probably never be finished with me. At least, not on this earth.

The narrators in this drama are top notch. It was a joy to listen to from that angle.

This should be made a movie

Loved IT! They should get John Hurt to play a major part as well as Jeremy Irons to play Faust.

I adore it

I absolutely LOVE Samuel West and Toby Jones. Their voices were MADE Afro productions like this. From creaky doors to lightening to flipping pages, the sounds make this top tier. I haven’t heard audiobooks like this since I was a little kid listening to cassette books. I’m nearly blind so to have something this rich in sound and great voices make it so much more powerful. I hope to hear more.

Excellent performance of classic work!

What did you love best about Faust?

The wonderful reading, next would be the great sound effects that didn't sound corny at all.

Would you be willing to try another book from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe? Why or why not?

I don't know quite what to think of Faust. Part 1 was excellent and very thought provoking, but part two is confusing and almost makes the reader think he has switched to a book by a different author, or at least skipped the middle book in a trilogy.

Which scene was your favorite?

The satanic poodle.... :)

An absolutely amazing production of a difficult classic!

The troupe and production are absolutely amazing, and bring a difficult 500 year old work to life in the listener’s mind today! Bravo!

It is a very fine production,

Liked the narration and overall quality of the production is excellent, have heard the entire book couple of times, was always entertaining.