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In Dubious Battle
- Narrated by: Tom Stechschulte
- Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Release date: 04-13-11
- Language: English
- Publisher: Penguin Audio
Regular price: $28.00
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5 out of 5 stars
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Book's as good as I remembered.
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Raised on a ranch in northern California, Jody is well-schooled in the hard work and demands of a rancher's life. He is used to the way of horses, too; but nothing has prepared him for the special connection he will forge with Gabilan, the hot-tempered pony his father gives him. With Billy Buck, the hired hand, Jody tends and trains his horse, restlessly anticipating the moment he will sit high upon Gabilan's saddle. But when Gabilan falls ill, Jody discovers there are still lessons he must learn about the ways of nature and, particularly, the ways of man.
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Cup of Gold
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From the mid-1650s through the 1660s, Henry Morgan, a pirate and outlaw of legendary viciousness, ruled the Spanish Main. He ravaged the coasts of Cuba and America, striking terror wherever he went. Morgan was obsessive. He had two driving ambitions: to possess the beautiful woman called La Santa Roja and to conquer Panama, the "cup of gold".
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In this short book illuminated by a deep understanding and love of humanity, John Steinbeck retells an old Mexican folk tale: the story of the great pearl, how it was found, and how it was lost. For the diver Kino, finding a magnificent pearl means the promise of a better life for his impoverished family. His dream blinds him to the greed and suspicions the pearl arouses in him and his neighbors, and even his loving wife cannot temper his obsession or stem the events leading to the tragedy. For Steinbeck, Kino and his wife illustrate the fall from innocence of people who believe that wealth erases all problems.
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Extremely poignant; incredible listen.
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He is a man capable of abandoning two sailors in an open boat, yet he is an avid and thoughtful reader of the moral philosophers. He is Wolf Larsen, captain of the seal-hunting Ghost and the unforgettable protagonist of one of the world's great sea novels. Tormented by his own convictions, Larsen is an enigma both fascinating and repellent to his reluctant crewman, Humphrey Van Weyden. Throughout their long and perilous voyage together, the captain's ruthless belief in the survival of the fittest is pitted against Van Weyden's "civilization".
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Excellent rite of passage
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Publisher's Summary
This 1936 novel—set in the California apple country—portrays a strike by migrant workers that metamorphoses from principled defiance into blind fanaticism.
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- Inventing Mostly
- 03-07-15
The best story - ever ! Awesome narrator !!!!!!!!!
Would you listen to In Dubious Battle again? Why?
Yes, great story of the ever present struggle of Little Man and Big Man and how Group Man must be smarter than Small Men are dumb.
What did you like best about this story?
The narrator is fantastic - changes sound to capture all the characters (voices, personalities, etc). Steinbeck is the Yoda of exposing and exploring the nature of men. He brings in thru the back door and into the living room without telling you which house you are in
Which character – as performed by Tom Stechschulte – was your favorite?
London
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Didn't want to "put it down", but it is pretty heady stuff, so you might need a break in the middle.
Any additional comments?
This is better than reading it and better than a movie
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Only Living Boy In
- New York, NY
- 04-08-15
Gripping and relevant
I'd call this a political thriller. Was amazed at how relevant it still is. Steinbeck's command of story and character is excellent, as is the narrator's performance. Highly recommended, even for a first timer to Steinbeck.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- José Arcadio Buendía
- CLE
- 12-12-16
Seemed to drag on
Any additional comments?
I'm new to audiobooks and Steinbeck, listened to Of Mice and Men and absolutely loved it. I do like how Steinbeck writes and describes everything. In Dubious Battle comes and goes with me. At times I really like the story then at times I feel like the story just keeps going and going and doesn't get anymore interesting. I have about 3-hrs left but doubt my opinion will vary much upon completion. However, I plan on listening to East of Eden and would like to listen to more Steinbeck. I would just think that there are better Steinbeck's out there. The narration is very good though.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Christine Pietzsch
- 11-10-15
amazing<br />
loved it! it was another awesome story from John steinbeck. from an Era that he does so well! highly recommend if you love john steinbeck do not miss this book!
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- jaye
- GREENWICH, CT, United States
- 10-24-12
selfless attempts to get decent wages for working.
If you could sum up In Dubious Battle in three words, what would they be?
fighting the good fight
What was one of the most memorable moments of In Dubious Battle?
memorable is not the word. but i found these men had high values and they were selfless. they were fighting for every wage earner that was not being paid fairly for their work.
What about Tom Stechschulte’s performance did you like?
wonderful. and the reader brings a lot to the book. five star reader!
If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
swimming upstream
Any additional comments?
this was not one of my favorite steinbeck books, but still i rated the story a 4. i think steinbeck could write a good book in his sleep. he just can't go wrong. he had so much talent!
4 of 5 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Thomas Neutron
- 05-30-17
Into the heart
What an Incredibly realistic Journey into the Heart of a different American dream. This was, by far, the easiest book I've ever listened to, and I am now thoroughly addicted to John Steinbeck. What an insightful author. Rave reviews for the gentleman that read this as well. Bravo!
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Francis Lundy
- 06-30-16
The best. absolutely loved this one.
such a great story, great performance by Tom stechsulte. made it seem like there was more than one person reading the story.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Leslie
- 07-28-18
That's the end?
I personally hate when authors end the book prematurely. In this case, it was even before the climax of the story.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 04-10-16
good read
even though it was a school assignment it was very entertaining and a very good read.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Sam
- BUTLER, PA, United States
- 07-18-13
Narration was okay. Not Steinbeck's best book.
Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
Certainly. The novel is a good one, but perhaps a little pedantic in its unsubtle social commentary. Just not Steinbeck's best novel, really.
Did Tom Stechschulte do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?
Sure. He did fine.
If this book were a movie would you go see it?
Probably. I imagine that, if well cast, this could make a charming motion picture.
0 of 5 people found this review helpful