Your audiobook is waiting…
A Life of Johnson
People who bought this also bought...
-
The Shadow in the Garden
- A Biographer's Tale
- By: James Atlas
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 13 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 4
-
Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 4
-
Story3.5 out of 5 stars 3
The biographer - so often in the shadows, kibitzing, casting doubt, proving facts - comes to the stage in this funny, poignant, endearing tale of how writers' lives get documented. James Atlas, the celebrated chronicler of Saul Bellow and Delmore Schwartz, takes us back to his own childhood in suburban Chicago, where he fell in love with literature and, early on, found in himself the impulse to study writers' lives.
-
Angela's Ashes
- By: Frank McCourt, Jeannette Walls - introduction
- Narrated by: Frank McCourt, Jeannette Walls - introduction
- Length: 15 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 7,077
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 5,472
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 5,477
Why we think it’s a great listen: There’s no gentle way to put this – Frank McCourt’s performance of Angela’s Ashes is just better than the Pulitzer Prize-winning book. Frank McCourt shares his sometimes heartwarming, sometimes heartbreaking story of growing up poor, Irish, and Catholic in the Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir Angela's Ashes.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A classic book *and* a classic audiobook
- By Karen on 01-30-03
-
Team of Rivals
- The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
- By: Doris Kearns Goodwin
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 41 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 6,572
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 5,848
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 5,868
On May 18, 1860, William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, Edward Bates, and Abraham Lincoln waited in their hometowns for the results from the Republican National Convention in Chicago. When Lincoln emerged as the victor, his rivals were dismayed and angry. Throughout the turbulent 1850s, each had energetically sought the presidency as the conflict over slavery was leading inexorably to secession and civil war.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Beautiful, Heartbreaking, and Informative
- By JJ on 09-10-12
-
Robinson Crusoe
- By: Daniel Defoe
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 994
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 872
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 875
Widely regarded as the first English novel, Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe is one of the most popular and influential adventure stories of all time. This classic tale of shipwreck and survival on an uninhabited island was an instant success when first published in 1719, and it has inspired countless imitations.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fantastic Story and Excellent Narration
- By William on 03-02-11
-
Frankenstein
- By: Mary Shelley
- Narrated by: Dan Stevens
- Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,476
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 5,127
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 5,115
Narrator Dan Stevens ( Downton Abbey) presents an uncanny performance of Mary Shelley's timeless gothic novel, an epic battle between man and monster at its greatest literary pitch. In trying to create life, the young student Victor Frankenstein unleashes forces beyond his control, setting into motion a long and tragic chain of events that brings Victor to the very brink of madness. How he tries to destroy his creation, as it destroys everything Victor loves, is a powerful story of love, friendship, scientific hubris, and horror.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The Modern Prometheus
- By Anon on 07-23-18
-
The Life of Samuel Johnson
- By: James Boswell
- Narrated by: David Timson
- Length: 51 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 34
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 32
Charming, vibrant, witty and edifying, The Life of Samuel Johnson is a work of great obsession and boundless reverence. The literary critic Samuel Johnson was 54 when he first encountered Boswell; the friendship that developed spawned one of the greatest biographies in the history of world literature. The book is full of humorous anecdote and rich characterization, and paints a vivid picture of 18th-century London, peopled by prominent personalities of the time.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Wonderful!
- By Tad Davis on 02-02-18
-
The Shadow in the Garden
- A Biographer's Tale
- By: James Atlas
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 13 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 4
-
Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 4
-
Story3.5 out of 5 stars 3
The biographer - so often in the shadows, kibitzing, casting doubt, proving facts - comes to the stage in this funny, poignant, endearing tale of how writers' lives get documented. James Atlas, the celebrated chronicler of Saul Bellow and Delmore Schwartz, takes us back to his own childhood in suburban Chicago, where he fell in love with literature and, early on, found in himself the impulse to study writers' lives.
-
Angela's Ashes
- By: Frank McCourt, Jeannette Walls - introduction
- Narrated by: Frank McCourt, Jeannette Walls - introduction
- Length: 15 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 7,077
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 5,472
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 5,477
Why we think it’s a great listen: There’s no gentle way to put this – Frank McCourt’s performance of Angela’s Ashes is just better than the Pulitzer Prize-winning book. Frank McCourt shares his sometimes heartwarming, sometimes heartbreaking story of growing up poor, Irish, and Catholic in the Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir Angela's Ashes.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A classic book *and* a classic audiobook
- By Karen on 01-30-03
-
Team of Rivals
- The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
- By: Doris Kearns Goodwin
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 41 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 6,572
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 5,848
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 5,868
On May 18, 1860, William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, Edward Bates, and Abraham Lincoln waited in their hometowns for the results from the Republican National Convention in Chicago. When Lincoln emerged as the victor, his rivals were dismayed and angry. Throughout the turbulent 1850s, each had energetically sought the presidency as the conflict over slavery was leading inexorably to secession and civil war.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Beautiful, Heartbreaking, and Informative
- By JJ on 09-10-12
-
Robinson Crusoe
- By: Daniel Defoe
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 994
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 872
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 875
Widely regarded as the first English novel, Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe is one of the most popular and influential adventure stories of all time. This classic tale of shipwreck and survival on an uninhabited island was an instant success when first published in 1719, and it has inspired countless imitations.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fantastic Story and Excellent Narration
- By William on 03-02-11
-
Frankenstein
- By: Mary Shelley
- Narrated by: Dan Stevens
- Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,476
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 5,127
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 5,115
Narrator Dan Stevens ( Downton Abbey) presents an uncanny performance of Mary Shelley's timeless gothic novel, an epic battle between man and monster at its greatest literary pitch. In trying to create life, the young student Victor Frankenstein unleashes forces beyond his control, setting into motion a long and tragic chain of events that brings Victor to the very brink of madness. How he tries to destroy his creation, as it destroys everything Victor loves, is a powerful story of love, friendship, scientific hubris, and horror.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The Modern Prometheus
- By Anon on 07-23-18
-
The Life of Samuel Johnson
- By: James Boswell
- Narrated by: David Timson
- Length: 51 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 34
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 32
Charming, vibrant, witty and edifying, The Life of Samuel Johnson is a work of great obsession and boundless reverence. The literary critic Samuel Johnson was 54 when he first encountered Boswell; the friendship that developed spawned one of the greatest biographies in the history of world literature. The book is full of humorous anecdote and rich characterization, and paints a vivid picture of 18th-century London, peopled by prominent personalities of the time.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Wonderful!
- By Tad Davis on 02-02-18
Editorial Reviews
Scottish Actor, Billy H
Scottish Actor, Billy Hartman brings a genuine authenticity to what has been called one of the greatest biographies in the English language. A Life of Johnson, written by James Boswell, is the intimate and complex look at Samuel Johnson, one of the more important contributors to English literature. With a gravelly vigor, Billy Hartman animates this biography, invoking all the humor and anxiety with which Johnson's life was filled. Along with the detailed look at this beloved writer's life, listeners will enjoy a rich look at 18th-century London life.
artman brings a genuine authenticity to what has been called one of the greatest biographies in the English language. A Life of Johnson, written by James Boswell, is the intimate and complex look at Samuel Johnson, one of the more important contributors to English literature. With a gravelly vigor, Billy Hartman animates this biography, invoking all the humor and anxiety with which Johnson's life was filled. Along with the detailed look at this beloved writer's life, listeners will enjoy a rich look at 18th century London life.Publisher's Summary
Boswell's biography of his friend and hero Samuel Johnson is an acknowledged classic, full of humorous anecdote and rich characterization. Johnson's complex humanity (his depression, fear of death, intellectual brilliance and rough humor) is set within a vivid picture of 18th century London peopled by personalities of the time such as Sir Joshua Reynolds, John Wilkes, Oliver Goldsmith, and David Garrick.
More from the same
What members say
Average Customer Ratings
Overall
-
3.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars3
-
4 Stars6
-
3 Stars6
-
2 Stars1
-
1 Stars1
Performance
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars2
-
4 Stars3
-
3 Stars1
-
2 Stars0
-
1 Stars0
Story
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars1
-
4 Stars4
-
3 Stars1
-
2 Stars0
-
1 Stars0
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Elizabeth Erickson
- 02-05-19
Familiar Aphorisms
Doubtless through my own carelessness, I did not know this was an abridged version. However, the content was adequate. The strong accents of the narrator made understanding difficult sometimes, but also enlivened the account of this brilliant but difficult man.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Robert
- 08-14-10
Boswell and Johnson incarnate!
The only criticism of this version is that it is abridged. Hartman (a Scot) is massively convincing as both Boswell and Johnson - if ever I get enough money I will sponsor him to do the full version! You will grow to love Johnson as Boswell did and want to read his essays and criticism - if not his drama. Naxos - get him back - I know several other who will be buyers...
3 of 3 people found this review helpful