Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street

By: Herman Melville

Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki

Herman Melville’s tale of corporate discontent, Bartleby, the Scrivener, tells the story of a quiet, hardworking legal copyist who works in an office in the Wall Street area of New York City. The business where he works handles the official financial paperwork of wealthy men. One day, Bartleby’s employer requests he proofread one of the documents he has copied. Bartleby declines the assignment with the inscrutable “I would prefer not,” the first of what will become many refusals. The utterance of this remark sets off a confounding set of actions and behavior, making the unsettling character of Bartleby one of Melville’s most enigmatic and unforgettable creations.

Public Domain (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Herman Melville is one of American literature’s greatest figures.” ( The Cambridge Guide to Literature in English)

My Review

"Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street" is... On second thought, I would prefer not to say.

The enigmatic Bartleby

One of Melville’s finest (and funniest) strange tales. One you keep returning to bc you never get to the bottom of it. Fine reading performance. I listened at 1.1x, which was a good tempo.

The narration is perfect.

The narrator is perfect for this story. He really does a great job of conveying both the seriousness of the characters and the absurdity of the way they act.

A Classic

This short story is filled with language not commonly used today. Pleasant reader who never understated nor overstated Melville's
intent. Highly enjoyable.

Tragic, Funny, and Thought Provoking

Bartleby the Scrivener is short story, which explores the society and humanity on Wall Street in the late 19th century. I completely enjoyed the narrator character and the other office workers. Melville’s prose are excellent and he was able to write a parable that is at once thought provoking, tragic, and quite funny. The narration is spot on, delivering the funny lines as dead pan as they were intended to be.

What a strange man

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I wish there was more background on Bartleby. Perhaps a followup that would include how he became such a strange person.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Sad, sorry, sorrowful, reflective on my own life's experiences.

What does Stefan Rudnicki bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Stefan was an excellent choice of reader, he provided voice characterizations that were of period and were interesting.

Could you see Bartleby, the Scrivener being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

No, too much would be lost in the story. It would not be nearly as intellectual and entertaining.

Listened to at 1.3, I found the reading a revelation.

Having read Bartleby during my student years and gotten little if anything from it, I was amazed to find how this brilliant reading (and working in a law firm for several decades in the meantime) transformed this work into a joyous experience. I laughed out loud and saw the faces of several fellow workers over the years. Thank you for this long lost treasure.

a gripping read

Just as the narrator cannot seem to tear himself away from his relationship with Bartleby, readers of this story will feel similarly engaged by this mysterious and pitiful character. With the rise of anxiety and depression among young people today, this story is eerily contemporary. The narrator's unfailing kindness and charity are a fitting model for those who who suffer with and try to help friends or family members struggling with mental illness. In addition, the story is a rare glimpse at the business world from the employer's perspective . There is much familiar to any owner or manager in the colorful characters the narrator employs. But even read simply as literature, Melville is a master storyteller who can be witty, then serious, then humorous, then deeply philosophical. His grasp of the language makes it clear why he is such a giant of American literature. Since most of us will never read Moby Dick, this story will serve to demonstrate Melville's genius. Truly one of the great short stories.

Outstanding narration!!!

As a Bartelby connaisseur, this version of Melville’s short masterpiece of psychological character study is my favorite!

Take time to read this

If you missed reading this in school while growing up, then take time to read it. The audible narrator is excellent.