• Their Eyes Were Watching God

  • By: Zora Neale Hurston
  • Narrated by: Ruby Dee
  • Length: 6 hrs and 44 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (11,464 ratings)

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Their Eyes Were Watching God  By  cover art

Their Eyes Were Watching God

By: Zora Neale Hurston
Narrated by: Ruby Dee
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Publisher's summary

Their Eyes Were Watching God, an American classic, is the luminous and haunting novel about Janie Crawford, a Southern Black woman in the 1930s, whose journey from a free-spirited girl to a woman of independence and substance has inspired writers and readers for close to 70 years.

This poetic, graceful love story, rooted in Black folk traditions and steeped in mythic realism, celebrates boldly and brilliantly African-American culture and heritage. And in a powerful, mesmerizing narrative, it pays quiet tribute to a Black woman who, though constricted by the times, still demanded to be heard.

Originally published in 1937 and long out of print, the book was reissued in 1975 and nearly three decades later Their Eyes Were Watching God is considered a seminal novel in American fiction.

©1937 Zora Neale Hurston, Renewed 1965 John C. Hurston and Joel Hurston (P)1997, 2000, 2004 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"For readers who know Hurston's work, this program will be a joy; for those who are lucky and wise enough to discover her here, it will be an exceptional experience." (AudioFile)

Featured Article: Classic Literature from Black Writers, Performed by Black Narrators


Despite the many great works of literature by great Black writers, Black voices have had a hard time entering "the canon." Worse, there have been times when Black words were miscast and read by narrators who didn't connect with the spirit of the authors. To help rectify this, we offer our careful selection of classics by Black authors performed by gifted Black actors that truly deserve to be recognized, celebrated, and savored.

What listeners say about Their Eyes Were Watching God

Average customer ratings
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Narration Champ

Mr sister had been telling me to listen to this for a while now. Why the hell did I wait so long? I've heard some great narrators but no one beats Ruby Dee.

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Thoroughly enjoyed

I really enjoyed this book. However, I’m not sure if it was the story I loved or the fact that Ruby Dee performed this book like she was going to win an Oscar! She definitely set the bar high for other narrators!!

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Great story

Terrific story. First Zora Neal Hurston read, did not disappoint.

Narration was great overall. But the combination of voice acting (particularly the high-pitched, dramatic portions) and the form of colloquial speech used in the book made it difficult to make out dialogue at critical points in the story.

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I was pulled in!

A story that took me by surprise! The use of language is a joy and the characters sat right next to me. The narrator did a fine job!

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Magnificent

A beautiful story of love and life lived. Wonderfully read. This is a story that can drawn you in until it touches your inner self. I loved it.

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I absolutely love this book.

I don't know why it rook me so long to read it. Love is a beautiful and powerful thing. Every woman should read!

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Not just an audiobook

I didn't just listen to an audiobook...I just experienced greatness from the exquisite prose to Ruby Dee's narration.

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Worth it

The way that Ruby Dee told this story brought it to life. I absolutely enjoyed it.

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Storytelling nirvana

I can’t say enough good things about this story. I’d heard the title for years and wondered what it was about. It’s simply the best audio book I’ve ever listened to. The narration is superb and beautiful and the whole story is told so well. I will listen to this one again and again. The way it is written is like poetry and the narrator’s voice is like molasses in her rich thick accents and characters.

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Skrywer

I absolutely loved hearing Ruby Dee narrate this amazing piece of art. I anticipated each paragraph, and it did not disappoint.

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