Uncle Tom's Cabin

By: Harriet Beecher Stowe

Narrated by: Richard Allen

Length: 20 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

Uncle Tom's Cabin opens with a Kentucky farmer named Arthur Shelby facing the loss of his farm because of debts. Even though he and his wife, Emily Shelby, believe that they have a benevolent relationship with their slaves, Shelby decides to raise the needed funds by selling two of them - Uncle Tom, a middle-aged man with a wife and children, and Harry, the son of Emily Shelby's maid Eliza - to a slave trader. Emily Shelby hates the idea of doing this because she had promised her maid that her child would never be sold; Emily's son, George Shelby, hates to see Tom go because he sees the old man as his friend and mentor.

When Uncle Tom's Cabin was published in 1852, it became an international blockbuster, selling more than 300,000 copies in the United States alone in its first year. Progressive for her time, Harriet Beecher Stowe was one of the earliest writers to offer a shockingly realistic depiction of slavery. Her stirring indictment and portrait of human dignity in the most inhumane circumstances enlightened hundreds of thousands of people by revealing the human costs of slavery, which had until then been cloaked and justified by the racist misperceptions of the time.

Public Domain (P)2008 Tantor

Critic reviews

"It is a compelling adventure story with richly drawn stories & has earned a place in both literary & American history. " ( Barnes & Noble)

Spectacular reading - get this version!

As the "book that changed a nation," Uncle Tom's Cabin is a must-read and a fantastic piece of literature and history. The story is compelling and Stowe's writing style is unlike any author I have read. But this narrator.... he does an absolutely incredible job of portraying these characters and bringing them to life. His voices and singing of the hymns make this book come alive in a way that reading it myself would never have done. Get this version!

Great literature for its time!

A tale of both the triumph and the tragedy of the human spirit. The proselytizing was constant and was sometimes annoying, but it was a powerful weapon against the evils of slavery. In history, Uncle Tony gets an incredibly bad rap.

performance was wonderful

I have always wanted to read this book but never had the chance. Listening was a much preferred option. The narrator was wonderful. Such a beautiful singing voice too. His passion for the story was inspiring. I had no idea how many stories were intertwined into this book and how powerful it would be.

An Enduring Classic!

This novel stood in firm defiance of the time and culture in which it was written.

While it seeks to fairly portray all sides and viewpoints of its central issue, it nevertheless harshly critiques not only those who openly committed these atrocities, but those who knowingly turned a blind eye or sought to offer up justification.
Furthermore, within this timeless tale of Man’s steadfast spirit in the face of oppression and God’s unending Grace in the midst of heartbreak, there are many lessons which are still well-served to be learned and applied in today’s equally turbulent society.

I heartily recommend this book to one and all!

Enlightening, Powerful and Captivating

Such an important message for our times. Controversial because of stereotypes, no doubt, but those portrayals were necessary to portray the truth as the author witnessed it. The narrator drew us into this early 1800s world credibly portaying slave owners, slaves, unionists, men, women and children as he embedded us in their world. His passionate portrayal of each character was credible and captivating as he presented the author's version of each of their roles of the story.

A must read

First time reading this book I have heard about this book since I was very young but never took the time to read it what a mistake I made.

Incredible book and narration

I’ve never written a review of an audiobook before, but I feel like I need to express how truly incredible the narrator was here. His voice tells this story in a way I don’t think anyone else’s could. He brings life to the characters, delivers their feelings with genuine storytelling, and does this important boom justice. I cannot recommend this enough, it was just phenomenal, powerful, and moving.

Every American should read this book!

I really can't say enough good things about this book. I picked this one up because of its historical significance. Published after the fugitive slave act of 1850 was enacted but before the civil war started, it provides a very interesting look into the thoughts and attitudes of the time, but more than that, it was an excellent story. I found myself laughing out loud at times and fighting back tears at others. I was amazed that a story written over 170 years ago could still be so poignant today . The narrator absolutely made the audio book. What a fantastic performance! I have already recommended this one to all of my family members and most of my friends. Uncle Tom's Cabin is something every American and every Christian should read.

Easy to get sucked back in time every time I got in the car

I enjoyed the slower relaxed “southern” speaking style. The story was riveting. The narrator had a rich deep voice which sometimes made inflection difficult when speaking as a child.

wonderful rendition by narrator Richard Allen

excellent job. the language and sentimentality of the era of this book's authorship would have made this a difficult read for me, but the voice given to it by the narrator made an enjoyable and edifying experience.