Stories by Heart

By: John Lithgow, Ring Lardner, W. W. Jacobs, P. G. Wodehouse

Narrated by: John Lithgow

Length: 2 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's Summary

What if a world-famous actor came to your home to read you a bedtime story?

In the case of John Lithgow, he’d be reading you selections from his own cherished childhood volume of Tellers of Tales, a famous collection of 100 short stories from all over the world. In the Lithgow household, bedtime stories from this anthology were read aloud to John and his siblings by their father, Arthur Lithgow. It is only fitting then that towards the end of his father’s life, Lithgow read these same stories back to his father, tapping into the power of art to comfort, heal, and transcend.

These stories and remembrances form the basis of Lithgow’s most recent Broadway production, Stories by Heart, with each act anchored by dramatic readings of The Haircut by Ring Lardner and Uncle Fred Flits By by P. G. Wodehouse. In this Audible Original, you will also hear Lithgow narrate a third tale from the anthology, The Monkey’s Paw by W. W. Jacobs. Stories by Heart is a stunning tribute to a father from a son, performed by a Tony, Emmy, and Golden Globe award-winning actor, and now it is available to you, only from Audible.

Please note: "Haircut" by Ring Lardner is included by kind permission of the Estate of Ring Lardner. "Uncle Fred Flits" By by P. G. Wodehouse is included by kind permission of the Estate of P. G. Wodehouse and taken from his collection of short stories, Young Men in Spats (1936). 

©2018 John Lithgow (P)2018 AO Media, LLC.

Critic Reviews

“Stories by Heart is delightful: illuminating the stories, uplifting us.” (The New York Times)  

“Rarely have I spent so entertaining a night at the theater - or witnessed so touching a tribute to a departed parent.” (The Wall Street Journal)  

“John Lithgow is the most personal of performers, and his chatty solo piece John Lithgow: Stories by Heart finds him in a mellow mood, sharing loving memories of his family and of the stories they used to read to one another.” (Variety) 

Longing To See Him In Person

First, I rarely write reviews. John Lithgow deserves all the praise you can give him for bringing his presence and stagecraft to this production. There is no fault in the production, from the pitch-perfect rendering of the stories; to his uncanny skill in voicing the characters. After listening, I was longing for more, much more. He's not bringing his one-man show to our town any time soon, if ever. If I had the chance, I travel far to see and hear the man on stage. He's that good.

Superb story telling of lost stories

Thoroughly enjoyed the diverse stories during a long road trip across the country. Hearing how they tied to the Lithgow family made listening a richer experience. More please!

I would pay to see this man perform live!!👍

John Lithgow is a gifted actor worthy of legendary status. I closed my eyes and listened to his performances, in this audio gem. I highly recommend this to anyone who is able to appreciate it.

Wow

The stories were old, but the performance is fantastic. I wish John Lithgow could narrate every book!

A Lovely Treat

All three stories are classics. It has been over five decades since I’ve read them. They all were like meeting up with old friends.
John Lithgow’s performances were superb. I could listen to him read Webster’s Dictionary and walk away smiling.

Worth the price I paid

I love John Lithgow and accordingly really wanted to love this audiobook. Unfortunately, I couldn't. The performance/narration was reasonably entertaining. However, as other reviewers have noted, it did seem over the top at times. Perhaps Mr. Lithgow was overcompensating for what is lost from a performance without the visual element. Regardless, it was a bit too much for my tastes.

The Lardner story was engaging and thought-provoking. I actually liked Mr. Lithgow's "in character" telling of it. In honesty, I ended up skipping most of the Wodehouse story, as the narration/acting in that was more than I could stand. The Jacobs story, however, was worth the price of entrance as was his reading of it. Fascinating.

I was able to get this audiobook during a sale, so I felt like it was worth the price I paid. I would not have wanted to spend a full credit on it, even for the magnificent reading of the Jacobs story.

terrific performance

Great set of short stories, 3, interspersed with fascinating personal recollections. Needless to say, the quality & force of the narration is unparalleled.

Hyper

The introductions were interesting, but the actual story narration was over the top, the aural equivalent of.flailing.limbs. This surprised me, since Mr Lithgow is such a fine actor, and in interviews, a marvelous raconteur..

Extremely Disappointing

Being an admirer of John Lithgow, I was eager to listen to the recording. Alas, Lithgow very much overacts in telling these two stories. Neither of the stories, to me, were all that compelling. This was hugely disappointing.

First book I have ever returned. Would like a credit in place of the book

There was nothing I liked about this book too long. Too loud like to return it for another creditfirst book I have ever returned

Excellent stories

This was a rivetting story telling told in a funny way.Entertaining and exciting, it is worrh yourth your time.

Stories By Heart

Must say I was disappointed as I am a huge fan of John Lithgow. The material was not particularly interesting.