Sample
  • 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 (11,586 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Their Eyes Were Watching God

By: Zora Neale Hurston
Narrated by: Ruby Dee
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $24.29

Buy for $24.29

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

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: Who's the best? Rediscover the greatest, most notable American writers of all time


To curate a list of famous American writers who are also considered among the best American authors, a few things count: current ratings for their works, their particular time periods in history, critical reception, their prevalence in the 21st century, and yes, the awards they won. Many of these authors are taught in school today. From Hemingway to Harper Lee, these famous American authors are all worthy of enduring recognition—and a fresh listen!

What listeners say about Their Eyes Were Watching God

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    8,833
  • 4 Stars
    1,945
  • 3 Stars
    562
  • 2 Stars
    123
  • 1 Stars
    123
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    8,748
  • 4 Stars
    855
  • 3 Stars
    233
  • 2 Stars
    61
  • 1 Stars
    64
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    7,448
  • 4 Stars
    1,734
  • 3 Stars
    547
  • 2 Stars
    119
  • 1 Stars
    89

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazed

i am not sure if it was b/c The story captured my attention immediately or if it was b,/c Ruby Dee voice grabbed me as if to say sit down & listen.i was so amazed how even from 1937 women have been dealing with the same decisions about men,career&love. She described &painted a story I felt I could see them acting it out in My head as if i was there. It began&ended with clarity I was locked in all the way thru.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Sweet story

I was listening to fall asleep, the story was so well written and narrated I listened all night until now. wonderful book. Going to take a nap😇

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Ruby Dee the legend lives on!

Ruby Dee really made this story come alive. It’s been years since I read it, so to revisit this story with such talent to make it come alive was fantastic. Zora Neal Hurston’s work should be experienced by all and this audio version is a great medium for that.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

THE American novel.

TRULY one of the most beautiful novels ever written… Brought to life with absolute PERFECTION!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Janie is my shreo

I liked the pace of the storytelling and Ruby Dee's perfection of delivering the cast of characters had me wanting for more.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

What it means to really love someone, and they love you back.

What I enjoyed the most was the story was about life. When an individual finds love, they must trust in the person they love and put their faith in the person and God to help them understand and work through life issues. Including possibly willing to die for the love of the person. I really enjoyed this book. It’s a keeper.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

All of it together — a seamless wonder!

This was an amazing immersion into another world. The narration invited me to sit back & absorb the intricate dance of words & dialect.

Once I passed through the until portal, I was hooked.

Dint miss this opportunity! One if the best.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Story and great narrator!

This was such a beautiful story. definitely found myself laughing and crying at some part. Ruby Dee really made this story come alive! I wanna listen to ANYTHING she narrates!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Love story

Great love story, life story. Neal- Hurston is an excellent writer, author and storyteller. A must read Amazing book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent reading of classic work

The narration and voice acting is exceptional and really adds to the story. I am a high school English teacher and I am excited to listen to scenes from this audiobook as part of our classroom novel study. I usually prefer that my students just read the books in my class, but I highly recommend this performance to students who have been assigned Their Eyes Were Watching God in school.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!