Selected Shorts: A Touch of Magic
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Selected Shorts: Even More Laughs
- By: T. Coraghessan Boyle, Jonathan Lethem, Miranda July, and others
- Narrated by: Jerry Zaks, Alec Baldwin, Christine Baranski, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 6 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 59
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 39
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Story4 out of 5 stars 40
From silly chuckles to rueful ironic glee to deep cosmic laughter, this new volume of humorous tales samples the best of recent seasons of the popular public radio series Selected Shorts.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Even more laughs than what?
- By Michael on 08-30-12
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Selected Shorts: American Classics
- By: Amy Tan, Donald Barthelme, Eudora Welty, and others
- Narrated by: Freda Foh Shen, David Strathairn, Stockard Channing, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 45 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 80
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 66
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 64
A compilation of classic tales by great American writers performed by terrific actors, with a lineup including Pulitzer Prize winners, National Book Award winners, and PEN Award winners.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Classic classics
- By Michael on 08-30-12
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Selected Shorts: Funny Business
- By: Simon Rich, David Schickler, Joe Meno, and others
- Narrated by: Wyatt Cenac, Isiah Sheffer, Kirsten Vangsness, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 12 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 39
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 34
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Story4 out of 5 stars 33
From wild and wacky to knee-slapping, laugh-out-loud fun, these humorous tales represent some of the best of recent seasons of the hit public radio series Selected Shorts. Comedian Wyatt Cenac gives a killer performance of Simon Rich’s hilarious tale of woe from the point of view of a condom in a young man’s wallet. Alec Baldwin gives a delightful over-the-top performance of James Thurber’s wonderfully silly classic tale of the day everybody in a small Ohio town thought the dam broke.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Some very entertaining, some not
- By D. Littman on 11-22-14
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The Tea Shoppe
- By: Josie Adams
- Narrated by: Nicola Barber
- Length: 40 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 731
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 620
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 617
Eleanor, the charming manager of a cozy tea shop, enjoys the transportive ritual of making a cup of Masala Chai tea, reminisces about the tea's origins, and delights in the beauty of her quaint English village during the holidays. Bedtime stories are narrated by the world's most celebrated voices and written with no beginning, middle, or end so you don't stay up to hear what happens next. They're interesting enough to give your mind something to focus on, but delivered in a way that encourages sleep.
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3 out of 5 stars
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British perspective
- By Amazon Customer on 06-17-20
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Stories by Heart
- By: John Lithgow, Ring Lardner, P. G. Wodehouse, and others
- Narrated by: John Lithgow
- Length: 2 hrs and 6 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 403
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 359
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Story4 out of 5 stars 357
Tony, Emmy, and Golden Globe Award-winning actor John Lithgow (The Crown, Dexter, 3rd Rock from the Sun) brings his latest critically acclaimed Broadway performance to Audible. Stories by Heart celebrates the transcendent power of great literature and serves as a touching tribute to Lithgow’s late father, actor and director Arthur Lithgow.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Longing To See Him In Person
- By Stephen L Moskal Sr on 07-02-18
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Selected Shorts
- The William Hurt Collection
- By: Tobias Wolff, Ron Carlson, Richard Ford, and others
- Narrated by: William Hurt
- Length: 2 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 40
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 31
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 31
A collection of poignant, romantic and funny tales performed by Academy Award -winning actor William Hurt. This collection includes a bonus track of an exclusive interview with William Hurt. Hurt's readings are thoughtful, tender, romantic, and resonant. A treasure.
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5 out of 5 stars
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amazing voice for audio
- By Parola138 on 09-30-12
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Selected Shorts: Even More Laughs
- By: T. Coraghessan Boyle, Jonathan Lethem, Miranda July, and others
- Narrated by: Jerry Zaks, Alec Baldwin, Christine Baranski, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 6 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 59
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 39
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 40
From silly chuckles to rueful ironic glee to deep cosmic laughter, this new volume of humorous tales samples the best of recent seasons of the popular public radio series Selected Shorts.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Even more laughs than what?
- By Michael on 08-30-12
-
Selected Shorts: American Classics
- By: Amy Tan, Donald Barthelme, Eudora Welty, and others
- Narrated by: Freda Foh Shen, David Strathairn, Stockard Channing, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 45 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 80
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 66
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 64
A compilation of classic tales by great American writers performed by terrific actors, with a lineup including Pulitzer Prize winners, National Book Award winners, and PEN Award winners.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Classic classics
- By Michael on 08-30-12
-
Selected Shorts: Funny Business
- By: Simon Rich, David Schickler, Joe Meno, and others
- Narrated by: Wyatt Cenac, Isiah Sheffer, Kirsten Vangsness, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 12 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 39
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 34
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 33
From wild and wacky to knee-slapping, laugh-out-loud fun, these humorous tales represent some of the best of recent seasons of the hit public radio series Selected Shorts. Comedian Wyatt Cenac gives a killer performance of Simon Rich’s hilarious tale of woe from the point of view of a condom in a young man’s wallet. Alec Baldwin gives a delightful over-the-top performance of James Thurber’s wonderfully silly classic tale of the day everybody in a small Ohio town thought the dam broke.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Some very entertaining, some not
- By D. Littman on 11-22-14
-
The Tea Shoppe
- By: Josie Adams
- Narrated by: Nicola Barber
- Length: 40 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 731
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 620
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 617
Eleanor, the charming manager of a cozy tea shop, enjoys the transportive ritual of making a cup of Masala Chai tea, reminisces about the tea's origins, and delights in the beauty of her quaint English village during the holidays. Bedtime stories are narrated by the world's most celebrated voices and written with no beginning, middle, or end so you don't stay up to hear what happens next. They're interesting enough to give your mind something to focus on, but delivered in a way that encourages sleep.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
British perspective
- By Amazon Customer on 06-17-20
-
Stories by Heart
- By: John Lithgow, Ring Lardner, P. G. Wodehouse, and others
- Narrated by: John Lithgow
- Length: 2 hrs and 6 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 403
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 359
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 357
Tony, Emmy, and Golden Globe Award-winning actor John Lithgow (The Crown, Dexter, 3rd Rock from the Sun) brings his latest critically acclaimed Broadway performance to Audible. Stories by Heart celebrates the transcendent power of great literature and serves as a touching tribute to Lithgow’s late father, actor and director Arthur Lithgow.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Longing To See Him In Person
- By Stephen L Moskal Sr on 07-02-18
-
Selected Shorts
- The William Hurt Collection
- By: Tobias Wolff, Ron Carlson, Richard Ford, and others
- Narrated by: William Hurt
- Length: 2 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 40
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 31
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 31
A collection of poignant, romantic and funny tales performed by Academy Award -winning actor William Hurt. This collection includes a bonus track of an exclusive interview with William Hurt. Hurt's readings are thoughtful, tender, romantic, and resonant. A treasure.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
amazing voice for audio
- By Parola138 on 09-30-12
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The Best American Short Stories 2019
- The Best American Series ®
- By: Anthony Doerr - editor, Heidi Pitlor - editor
- Narrated by: Scott Shepherd, Gabra Zackman, Ali Ahn, and others
- Length: 16 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 21
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 14
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Story4 out of 5 stars 15
Number-one New York Times best-selling, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Anthony Doerr brings his “stunning sense of physical detail and gorgeous metaphors” (San Francisco Chronicle) to selecting The Best American Short Stories 2019.
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3 out of 5 stars
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many of these left me feeling stupid
- By Keith Hopper on 05-21-20
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After the Quake
- Stories
- By: Haruki Murakami
- Narrated by: Rupert Degas, Teresa Gallagher, Adam Sims
- Length: 4 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 122
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 105
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 106
The six stories in Haruki Murakami’s mesmerizing collection are set at the time of the catastrophic 1995 Kobe earthquake, when Japan became brutally aware of the fragility of its daily existence. But the upheavals that afflict Murakami’s characters are even deeper and more mysterious, emanating from a place where the human meets the inhuman.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Good
- By Danielle Davis on 04-30-19
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Selected Shorts
- Readers & Writers
- By: Evelyn Waugh, Molly Giles, Ray Bradbury, and others
- Narrated by: Tony Roberts, John Shea, Leonard Nimoy, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 63
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 35
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 35
A boon for booklovers, this audio set features funny, fantastical and poignant stories about people with unique and passionate connections to the written word.
Tony Roberts reads a hilarious Walter R. Brooks story about how Ed - a talking horse - became a voracious reader of adventure tales and mysteries. In a story by Italo Calvino, read by John Shea, a man tries to make the most of his beach holiday by reading and making love at the same time.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Truly Enjoyable!
- By Mazz on 01-07-16
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Selected Shorts: Behaving Badly
- By: Neil Gaiman, Nathan Englander, Stephen King, and others
- Narrated by: Neil Gaiman, Jefferson Mays, Michael Imperioli, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 3 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 61
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 54
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Story4 out of 5 stars 54
The award winning series of classic and contemporary fiction returns with a collection of darkly funny short stories by the likes of Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Aimee Bender, A.M. Homes, Nathan Englander, Kim, Addonizio, and George Saunders. Readers include Anjelica Huston, Neil Gaiman, Michael Imperioli, Harris Yulin, Christina Pickles, Jefferson Mays, and Christine Ebersole.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Come close to me, and I'll eat your life.
- By Cynthia on 02-28-16
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Selected Shorts
- Wondrous Women
- By: Teolinda Gersao, Kim Edwards, Allan Gurganus, and others
- Narrated by: Kathleen Chalfant, Holly Hunter, Marian Seldes, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 5 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 10
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 5
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Story4 out of 5 stars 6
Strong female protagonists grace this collection of passionate stories dedicated to mothers, daughters, wives, and lovers. A woman splurges on an irresistible coat that becomes her; a feisty teenager who has grown up as her activist mother¿s poster-child realizes the strength of her own convictions; and a young peasant woman saved from drowning is suddenly drawn to her rescuer and hopeful about her life.
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Selected Shorts: New American Stories
- By: Aleksandar Hemon, Jhumpa Lahiri, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and others
- Narrated by: Boyd Gaines, Rita Wolf, Condola Rashad, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 59 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 98
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 83
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 83
New American Stories presents diverse stories of contemporary American life and dreams lost and found, by four of the best young contemporary writers - Jhumpa Lahiri, Sherman Alexie, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and Aleksandar Hemon - as performed by terrific stage and screen actors. All four writers have a unique perspective on the American experience, which is reflected in their work.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Riveting stories so well told!
- By Grace L. Miller on 09-09-12
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Men Without Women
- Stories
- By: Haruki Murakami, Philip Gabriel - translator, Ted Goossen - translator
- Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
- Length: 7 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 717
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 648
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Story4 out of 5 stars 648
Across seven tales, Haruki Murakami brings his powers of observation to bear on the lives of men who, in their own ways, find themselves alone. Here are vanishing cats and smoky bars, lonely hearts and mysterious women, baseball and the Beatles, woven together to tell stories that speak to us all. Marked by the same wry humor that has defined his entire body of work, in this collection Murakami has crafted another contemporary classic.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Not a place to start with Murakami
- By sgonk on 06-20-17
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Selected Shorts
- Whodunit?
- By: C. S. Montanye, Dashiell Hammett, Ed McBain, and others
- Narrated by: Fionnula Flanagan, John Shea, Isaiah Sheffer, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 28
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 20
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Story4 out of 5 stars 18
Selected Shorts is an award-winning, one-hour program featuring readings of classic and new short fiction, recorded live at New York's Symphony Space. One of the most popular series on the airwaves, this unique show is hosted by Isaiah Sheffer and produced for radio by Symphony Space and WNYC Radio.
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5 out of 5 stars
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This is My Kinda Fiction Buster...
- By HIYBRID on 03-18-12
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The Poets' Corner
- The One-and-Only Poetry Book for the Whole Family
- By: John Lithgow
- Narrated by: Morgan Freeman, Susan Sarandon, Helen Mirren, and others
- Length: 6 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 863
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 757
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 732
John Lithgow has compiled an outstanding collection of memorable poems and has gathered his famous friends to read them. The wide variety of carefully selected poetry in this audiobook provides the perfect introduction to reel in those who are new to poetry, and for poetry lovers to experience beloved verses in a fresh, vivid way. Lithgow offers insightful and sometimes poignant commentary to accompany each poem. His essential criterion is that "each poem's light shines more brightly when read aloud".
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4 out of 5 stars
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A Painless Crash Course in the Great Western Poets
- By Kindle Customer on 10-27-14
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Short Stories: The Vintage Collection
- By: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Saki, Thomas Hardy, and others
- Narrated by: Derek Jacobi, Martin Jarvis, Hugh Laurie, and others
- Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 103
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 76
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Story3.5 out of 5 stars 77
The fifth volume in CSA Word's massively popular complete and unabridged ‘Short Stories’ collection is bound to please. With something for everyone this collection of classic stories read by only the best-suited and most established readers will delight the ears as a vintage wine excites the gullet; The Vintage Collection is audible gold. Features eye-catching typographical series design.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Superb Collection and Production
- By andrew on 07-14-12
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Selected Shorts
- Edith Wharton
- By: Edith Wharton
- Narrated by: Kathleen Chalfant, Maria Tucci, Brenda Wehle, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 54 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 29
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 16
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Story5 out of 5 stars 17
Selected Shorts: A Celebration of the Short Story has toured to the Mount, the stately and elegant home of the great American writer Edith Wharton, for the last several summers, presenting Broadway and Hollywood actors reading stories by Wharton and other writers. Selected Shorts now presents a collection of four of Edith Wharton's short stories, recorded live at the Mount, and featuring acclaimed actresses Kathleen Chalfant, Christina Pickles, Maria Tucci, and Brenda Wehle.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Excellent readings, BUT...
- By Daniel on 05-08-10
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Selected Shorts
- Are We There Yet?
- By: Stuart Dybek, Martha Gellhorn, Edward P. Jones, and others
- Narrated by: Keith Szarabajka, Joanna Gleason, Sonia Manzano, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 7 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 26
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 13
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Story4 out of 5 stars 13
A lot can happen on the way from one place to another, especially when an overnight flight makes for an unexpected romantic encounter between strangers seated together; a trucker finds life beyond the ranch where he grew up; and a bored Midwestern housewife tries to escape Kansas City.
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2 out of 5 stars
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almost fell asleep at the wheel
- By Marci on 06-11-19
Publisher's Summary
By turns funny, moving, romantic and surreal, and filled with unexpected twists and turns, each of the tales on this lineup has a magical element.
- Andrew Lam's "The Palmist", performed by James Naughton. A chance encounter on a bus between a fortune-teller and a teenage boy.
- Ray Bradbury's "The Veldt", performed by Stephen Colbert. A room which can take you anywhere in the world - sometimes with dangerous consequences
- W. W. Jacobs' "The Monkey's Paw", performed by John Lithgow. A wonderful ghost story about a trinket with terrible powers.
- Saki's "The Occasional Garden", performed by Daniel Gerroll. If you can't grow a garden; poof! - you can rent one.
- Donald Barthelme's "The Balloon", performed by Maria Tucci. There's something suddenly in the sky in midtown Manhattan....
- Kevin Brockmeier's "The Year of Silence", performed by Anthony Rapp. What if everything went quiet?
- Jonathan Safran Foer's "The Sixth Borough", performed by Jerry Zaks. Yes, New York had a Sixth Borough, but it drifted away....
- Aimee Bender's "Drunken Mimi", performed by Bernadette Quigley. A romance between a mermaid and an imp.
- Haruki Murakami's "The Little Green Monster", performed by Dana Ivey. A piece of Murakami magic: Is this a monster I see before me?
- T. C. Boyle's "Swept Away", performed by René Auberjonois. This story's weather forecast: Very windy and very funny.
Critic Reviews
"In this latest collection from Symphony Space, there are, oddly enough, no magicians, but the art of illusion is broadly represented." (Publishers Weekly)
"As usual for 'Selected Shorts,' this is a high-quality, entertaining collection." (AudioFile)
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Diana
- 04-01-16
A brilliant final story
Worth the money just for that, it flies into ones ears effortlessly a true find
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