• Otto of the Silver Hand

  • By: Howard Pyle
  • Narrated by: Geoffrey Howard
  • Length: 2 hrs and 39 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (228 ratings)

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Otto of the Silver Hand

By: Howard Pyle
Narrated by: Geoffrey Howard
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Publisher's summary

"This tale that I am about to tell is of a little boy who lived and suffered in those dark middle ages; of how he saw both the good and the bad of men, and of how, by gentleness and love and not by strife and hatred, he came at last to stand above other men and to be looked up to by all." - from the book

Young Otto is born into a warring household in a lawless age. Having no mother, he is sent by his father, a valiant robber baron, to be safely raised by the monks until the age of 12. But when he returns, gentle Otto can no longer escape the bitter blood feud between his father and the rival house of Trutz-Drachen. He is kidnapped by the rival family and his hand is cut off, to be replaced forever by a silver one. Can his brave father and his captor's kind daughter, Pauline, help him escape?

Public Domain (P)2001 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Otto of the Silver Hand has audience appeal for fans of the Arthurian legends....Geoffrey Howard's crisp diction and nuanced characterizations enhance this classic story....a worthy addition to any audiobook collection seeking lesser-known classics in children's literature." ( School Library Journal)
"Otto of the Silver Hand is marvelously read by Geoffrey Howard....well worth the listen." (Largeprintreviews.com)

What listeners say about Otto of the Silver Hand

Average customer ratings
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    4 out of 5 stars

Really enjoyable shorter listen

This was a great, shorter, listen for my kids and me while learning about the Middle Ages. Enjoyable narration, good life lessons in there, and an overall good use of time and money.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Timeless

So so very many books being written today that will pass away into the oblivion they deserve, but real storytelling will outlive the centuries because it is founded on true human values that include the spiritual laws which move and govern the soul of a Christian civilization.

The narration was superb.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

19th century children's tale

Howard Pyle's Otto of the Silver Hand is a 19th century children's tale of medieval Europe. Otto is the son of a robber baron whose mother dies during childbirth. He spends his youth (until 12) living a pastoral / spiritual life in a monastery. He is kidnapped by a rival of his father and lives for a while imprisoned where one of his hands is amputated. His father stages a daring rescue and eventually sacrifices himself to save his son. Throughout his ordeals, he remains somewhat innocent and pure which in the end aligns with the new emperor and is rewarded with land and riches.

Specifically targeted to children, the story attempts to relate a bit of the gruesome lifestyle of medieval Europe. At the same time, Otto is never the conquering hero, but remains innocent and pure throughout and wins over both allies and enemies in a sort of youthful Job-like tale.

The narration is well done with good character distinction. While the story moves quickly, the ending is rather abrupt.

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2 people found this helpful

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Good story and moral

My favorite book I've read by Howard Pyle so far! The story of a young boy who chooses kindness over harshness is simple but touching. It gives you a realistic feel of the kinder side of the Dark Age.

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interesting

after living in federal republic of germany many of the names are familiar.i did enjoy this indeed

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

OK but not great

We are studying the Middle Ages with our 4th grader this year, and Otto of the Silver Hand was on our list of recommended reading. We opted for the audiobook so we could listen in the car. I found Geoffrey Howard's narration to be hard to adjust to, although I will admit my ears are not attuned to the British accent. I found his voice to be quite monotonous. If this were the only problem, I would wish that I had just read it aloud myself; however, I was not delighted by the story either.

Otto of the Silver Hand is set in Germany in the Middle Ages. Otto is the son of a robber baron. His mother dies and his hard-hearted father takes Otto to a monastery to be raised until the age of 12, at which point he comes to retrieve him. The baron is always at war with another baronial family, and Otto is kidnapped and maimed. Then he is rescued. He grows up to marry the daughter of the enemy family and becomes a wise and peaceful ruler of his house. There is a lot of action, but we totally failed to connect with Otto as a character.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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Not for me.

This book was written in the late 1800s and definitely for a young audience. I felt the action scenes were fairly well-written. The book gives a good look at the harsh realities of medieval society. The author sets two contrasting worlds for what ends up being a moralistic tale. The castle is set as the rough, lawless world where robber barons rule with cruelty and without any checks other than other robber barons. The monastery is set as the calm, organized world where literacy, morality, and innocence is valued. These two worlds are set up within view of each other. Otto must exist in both worlds and is impacted by both worlds. I found it interesting that the two main focuses of suffering were on the inhabitants of the castle once Otto's father ceases his career as a robber baron and on Otto when he returns to his father's world. It felt more like individuals were doomed to suffering when they tried to reform their lives. That is unless you were always living a good life at the monastery. Maybe I am dissatisfied because this was more aimed at a young audience, but I have read a lot of children's books that resonated much more with me than this.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent story!

Wonderful- read this with your children! The main character is a child and has a unique relationship with his father. The story brings us good vs evil and family.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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A Classic - Well Read

I did a book report on this in elementary school in the 70's. hadn't read it since. This was a wonderful revisit. Mr. Howard did an excellent job.

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Great sorry read very well

read very well and a good story! love how the reader changed the sound of his voice

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