Bartleby, the Scrivener

By: Herman Melville

Narrated by: B.J. Harrison

The life of a scrivener can be a dull one. After all, your entire occupation has to do with the handwritten copying of law documents. But when Bartleby arrives, he turns the office upside down with the enigmatic phrase: “I prefer not to.”

Public Domain (P)2008 B.J. Harrison

good story

Very well spoken, a very good story. A good example of gothic office fiction. yay!

Iconic Character, Still Funny Over a Century Later

What a great character. So iconic. Dark comedic storytelling it super on point, even over a century later. I love this one. Narrator is good, though sometimes he glazes over some of the subtler sections. [AUDIBLE]

A funny, sad, and powerful tale of humanity in the modern workplace

I feel a sense of connection to this short, touching, and at times hilarious tragedy of life (and the frequent lack thereof) in the society of the backroom of a professional office. I appreciate the story so much, I own two different Audible versions! Probably similar to others who, like me, have found themselves in such places,
I identify with, at times, not only with the well-intentioned yet exasperated narrator, but also with the self-alienated Bartley and even the hopelessly comic fellow clerks. I think it’s what a 19th century an episode of “The Office” might have looked like.

great literature and wonderful narrator

This story should be a prologue to Moby Dick as it captures the humorous and dramatic tones as well as the main themes prevalent in Melville's masterpiece. the narrator's performance is also very entertaining and conveys, with great attention, the tone of the characters and story.

a must listen!

So Melville doesn't just write about the sea.

This was a very interesting tale about humanity and our responsibility to our fellow man.