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Stories by Heart  By  cover art

Stories by Heart

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

Go Behind the Scenes of Stories by Heart

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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.

About the Performer

John Lithgow’s celebrated career began on the stage. Weeks after he made his 1973 Broadway debut in David Storey’s The Changing Room, he won his first Tony Award. Since that promising beginning, he has performed on Broadway more than 20 times, with iconic roles in M. Butterfly, The Front Page, Sweet Smell of Success (for which he won his second Tony Award), and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. He’s been nominated for more than ten Emmy Awards and has won six, for unforgettable performances including his portrayals of Winston Churchill on The Crown, serial killer Arthur Mitchell on Dexter, and alien High Commander Dick Solomon on 3rd Rock from the Sun. Lithgow’s extensive television work has also won him two Golden Globes, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, an American Comedy Award, and a Critics' Choice Television Award. A two-time Academy Award nominee for Best Supporting Actor (The World According to Garp, Terms of Endearment), he is also an accomplished painter and the author of the memoir, Drama: An Actor’s Education, and several best-selling children’s books.

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What listeners say about Stories by Heart

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    5 out of 5 stars

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.

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31 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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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.

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14 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

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.

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

John Lithgow is a wonderful actor

But a horrible narrator. Way over the top. Very annoying to listen to. I was extremely disappointed.

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12 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • TJ
  • 07-08-18

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!

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

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..

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8 people found this helpful

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    1 out of 5 stars
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Sooooo Disappointed

How could such a great actor, so versatile at that trade, be such a lousy reader and story teller. Even Stephen King wasn't this bad at reading. Maybe he should try directing or dancing.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

terrific performance

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

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4 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

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.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Wow

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

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3 people found this helpful