Discover Best Audiobooks in Classics, American Literature Most Popular

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Title: The Premature Burial

Author: Edgar Allan Poe

Narrator: David Ely

Format: Unabridged

Length: 36 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-21-08

Publisher: Jimcin Recordings

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 21 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

In The Premature Burial, the first-person unnamed narrator describes his struggle with "attacks of the singular disorder which physicians have agreed to term catalepsy," a condition where he randomly falls into a death-like trance. This leads to his fear of being buried alive ("The true wretchedness," he says, is "to be buried while alive."). He awakens one morning to find his worst fears realized!

Editorial Reviews:

A pioneer of the horror genre, Edgar Allan Poe was a chilling explorer of humankinds most primal fears. In "The Premature Burial", Poe delves into one such commonly held terror.

An unnamed narrator describes his struggle with "catalepsy", which causes him to fall into a deep sleep. This condition leads to his fear of being buried alive. As the story progresses, the narrator obsesses over anecdotes from others who were buried alive.

David Ely makes this story of dread believable (and infinitely scarier) with his rich voice and matter-of-fact tone.

Members Reviews:

Not like the movie.

I was hoping this was gonna be a takeoff of the movie with Ray Milland, IT WAS NOT! This was a pricey book for $8.00 and was only 32 pages long. Was not a good purchase.

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Title: The Body Snatcher

Author: Robert Louis Stevenson

Narrator: John L Chatty

Format: Unabridged

Length: 46 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-20-08

Publisher: Jimcin Recordings

Ratings: 2.5 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

The Body Snatcher (1884) was first published in the Pall Mall Christmas Extra in December 1884. It is a horrifying story of students paid to "snatch" bodies for a medical school. Strange things begin to happen and the story builds to an exraordinary and startling conclusion. A movie version of the story was made in 1945. It was directed by Robert Wise and starred Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff.

©1884 Pall Mall Gazette; (P)1985 Jimcin Recordings

Members Reviews:

Pointless Product

Any additional comments?

Audible.com good idea however it is not executed well. Only after you make your purchase does it inform you that you need to install a program to use the products. Also it does not warn you that it only works on certain kindle devices, if it is on the kindle store, and it does not work on my kindle, why are you trying to sell it to me??????

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Title: The Princess and the Puma

Author: O. Henry

Narrator: Cindy Hardin Killavey, Walter Zimmerman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-20-08

Publisher: Jimcin Recordings

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

"O. Henry" is the pen name of American writer William Sydney Porter whose short stories are known for their wit, warm characterization and clever, unexpected endings. The Princess and the Puma is one of porter's best, and most anthologized stories.

(P)1978 Jimcin Recordings

Members Reviews:

poor quality

I have always loved O. Henry's stories and the twist at the end, and this is a GREAT one. Sadly, the narration on this is just sad. It is really poor quality work. At times it almost sounds like it's computer generated. Save your money on this one.

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Title: The Red Badge of Courage

Author: Stephen Crane

Narrator: Steve Corona

Format: Abridged

Length: 1 hr and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-11-08

Publisher: Listener's Digest Inc.

Ratings: 1 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Noted as one of the highest literary achievements of the modern age, this impressionistic novel moves with boldness and pathos into the motivation and experience of a young soldier during the Civil War.

©2007 Listener's Digest Inc; (P)2007 Listener's Digest Inc

Members Reviews:

I felt like I was at war

How would I behave and feel if thrust into battle? Easy to declare that one is patriotic and in agreement with a cause, to get in line and sign up, but how about the day in and day out part of battle? The waiting, the social intercourse with fellow fighters, the gear, following without question a commander, could I do that? How does the average 19-23 year old feel in those situations? This book conjures up thoughts, feelings, emotions that put you on the front line. Well written and a good story, the killer combo.

A Reflection Upon Man's Emotions During Battle

This is not a book about a specific person, or about a specific battle. Our protagonist isn't even given a name, age or home, save during his musings back to when he quit seminary school (indicating probably about 18 years old, and from the Northeast), and bade farewell to his mother, who called him Henry. We meet "the youth", as he's called throughout, while he's waiting to be sent to battle for the first time. The youth must have been a Northern soldier, and the battle must have been in Virginia; other than that, this book is more generic with regard to events, and about emotions, changes in soldiers, and their reactions to events.

Halfway through this book: "The youth took note of a remarkable change in his comrade since those days of camp life upon the river bank. He seemed no more to be continually regarding the proportions of his personal prowess. He was not furious at small words that pricked his conceits. He was no more a loud young soldier. There was about him now a fine reliance...."

Toward the end of the battle: "...The lieutenant, also, was unscathed in his position at the rear. He had continued to curse, but it was not with the air of a man who was using his last box of oaths..."

At the end of the book: "A specter of reproach came to him. There loomed the dogging memory of the tattered soldier - he who, gored by bullets and faint for blood, had fretted concerning an imagined wound in another; he who had loaned his last of strength and intellect for the tall soldier; he who, blind with weariness and pain, had been deserted in the field..."

A powerful reflection upon the changing of a man during the course of a battle. It's slow reading, because it does warrant reflection.

An absolute, all-time classic - a haunting, harrowing ...

An absolute, all-time classic - a haunting, harrowing account of war, by a writer who never served in the military, never heard a shot fired in anger. The simplicity and clarity of Crane's plot and writing style make this one of the most mesmerizing, haunting accounts of war imaginable. There is a reason this book is still read more than a century after it was written, a century and a half since the war was fought that is its subject. I devoured this in 2 sittings.

A Universal Classic, not just American

This is a classic I missed in my youth that I am glad I finally read.

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Title: The Eclipse

Author: James Fennimore Cooper

Narrator: Ken Eaken

Format: Unabridged

Length: 28 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-05-08

Publisher: Listener's Digest Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

"Never have I beheld any spectacle which so forcibly taught the lesson of humility to man as a total eclipse of the sun." So said the author in this sensitive story of death and rebirth when humans come face to face with nature.

©2007 Listener's Digest Inc; (P)2007 Listener's Digest Inc

Members Reviews:

Nice introduction

to Cooper's lyrical prose. A wonderful description of natural phenomenon.

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Title: Afterward

Author: Edith Wharton

Narrator: Katrina Rosati Kross

Format: Abridged

Length: 1 hr and 5 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-24-08

Publisher: Listener's Digest Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

When the man of the house disappears, it can't be because of a ghost - or can it? Leave it to Wharton to create the extraordinary out of the ordinary as she laces intrigue with doubt over fear and common sense.

Members Reviews:

Great Story, Appallingly Inept Abridgment

I love this wonderfully atmospheric ghost story by Edith Wharton. It's a good thing I was familiar with it before listening to this production, because the clumsy abridgment would make for a good deal of confusion to a listener new to the story. As far as I can tell, the abridgment (amputation, really) consists in the heavy-handed chopping out of an entire section of the story which, although perhaps not dramatically critical, provides the building of tension and necessary transition. There is no effort to help the reader understand how the protagonist goes from the beginnings of anxiety one afternoon to being in the middle of a publicized mystery a week later.

In case you still want to check out this great short story (Wharton is so good, she manages to survive this mutilation without too much ill effect), it won't spoil anything for me to tell you that during the omitted week there is increasing official involvement and publicity about the story's central enigma, together with some revelations about one of the main character's history. These revelations are explored later, so you don't really miss too much there, but the story may be a bit harder to follow

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Title: The Wizard of Oz

Author: L Frank Baum

Narrator: Kerry Shale

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 42 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-06-08

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Dorothy thinks she is lost forever when a terrifying tornado crashes through Kansas and whisks her and her dog, Toto, far away to the magical land of Oz. To get home, Dorothy must follow the yellow brick road to Emerald City and find the wonderfully mysterious Wizard of Oz. Together with her companions, the Tin Woodman, the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion, whom she meets on the way, Dorothy embarks on a strange and enchanting adventure.

©1998 Penguin Books Ltd; (P)1998 Penguin Books Ltd

Members Reviews:

Childhood classic

What a wonderful classic book for all ages. Wonderfully read. I have listened to it many times. Well worth it.

Bobbi-jo

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Title: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

Author: Mark Twain

Narrator: Walter Zimmerman, Jack Benson

Format: Abridged

Length: 4 hrs and 18 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-15-05

Publisher: Jimcin Recordings

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

The hit on the head that sends Hank Morgan back through 13 centuries does not affect his natural resourcefulness. Using his knowledge of an upcoming eclipse, Hank escapes a death sentence, and secures an important position at court. Gradually, he introduces 19th century technology and soon has an easy life. He becomes "The Boss" of the Kingdom, second only to the King. That does not stop him from making a disparaging remark which touches off an incredible series of events. Twain weaves many of the well-known Arthurian characters into his story, and includes a pitched battle between Morgan's men and the nobility. This is Mark Twain at his best.

©1979 Jimcin Recordings

Editorial Reviews:

Mark Twains captivating tale of time travelling pragmatist Hank Morgan strikes a humorous contrast, pitting its fish out of water Machine Age protagonist amidst the mythical landscape of King Arthurs England. As Morgan acclimates himself to his unfamiliar surroundings, he manages to improve his situation, elevating his status from that of a hapless and confused prisoner to become the eventual "Boss" of King Arthurs Court. With glowing warmth and vitality, veteran performers Walter Zimmerman and Jack Benson capture the paradoxical predicaments and wry asides for which Twain is famous.

Members Reviews:

Modern man challenging ancient culture.

There were some interesting adventures undertaken by the Yankee in medieval times. His interaction with the superstitious, unchangeable population relates to our situation today. Society gets stuck in a rut and requires a major push to get out.

Some of the descriptions are a little drawn out but otherwise an interesting story.

Interesting but flawed

I feel like Mark Twain wrote this book so that he could explain through a nineteenth century American man's eyes what is wrong with the systems of monarchy and established religion. And criticize aspects of his own culture while he was at it. There is a lot of focus on the protagonist's brooding about all that. I would say he did this pretty well if the local characters weren't played so two dimensionally. It seems as if they are all just pretty stupid, "savage" as he calls them, not often learning from their mistakes, or from the technologies that the yankee introduces to them.

It's rather different than modern day time travel stories, I mean *spoiler* he does try to tear down the hierarchies, undermine the oppressors, and establish a republic. None of that nonsense about not changing the course of history or creating time paradoxes in here!

Anyway, it's a fun story most of the time, when it's not being too depressing- the protagonist's attitude reminded me a lot of Ash in Army of Darkness (except that Hank is considerably more compassionate). Even though it's lacking in some respects, Mark Twain is humorous and quotable as always.

Irrelevant to the story, but I sincerely hope that whoever did the graphic design on that cover wasn't paid for it.

Language is quite medievil at times - just as it should be.

All great a weel presented novel. I was facinated and could not put it down.

You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover!

Liked the story but the book itself was not what I expected. It does not include a title page, table of contents or page numbers. It appears the "book" was printed the day I ordered it.

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Title: Active Service

Author: Stephen Crane

Narrator: John Bolen

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 1 min

Language: English

Release date: 12-10-04

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

To thwart the marriage, the professor drags Marjory off with him and a group of students on a summer tour of Greece. Suddenly war erupts between Turkey and Greece! Will Rufus arrive in time to save the group? Will he redeem himself in the professor's eyes? Will the strife of war and trial of separation overcome the love between Rufus and Marjory?

Members Reviews:

save youself and your credit

I am a lover of classic books. This author, I figured, would not disappoint. Well, live and learn A surprising yawner. Hours passed before it got even moderately interesting. I am older now and should have cut my losses and just stopped reading it, but I pressed on. He was, after all, a great poet, I kept saying to myself. Well, I should have my time back. I am not a better person for having persevered. Skip this one.

Save your credit

I wanted to like this book because I am a lover of classics. But it dragged on for four unrelenting hours before it became moderately interesting. The narrator was ok--he pronounced several words differently than anyone I have ever heard use those words, though. Crane is fond of having his characters repeat. Thus, "I shall not go." Then again, "I shall not go." It got tiresome pretty quickly.

I remember Crane as a heck of a poet. Stay away from this fiction title, though, unless you are a mascochist.

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Title: The Sea Wolf

Author: Jack London

Narrator: Stuart Whitman

Format: Abridged

Length: 2 hrs and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-16-99

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Torn by a quirk of fate from his life as a dilettante and intellectual, Humphrey van Weydon finds himself at the whim of the ruthless Wolf Larsen. The 2 men - the one youthful, idealistic, and upper-class, the other ruthless, dangerous, self-taught, and self-determined - inevitably become adversaries. As he does in Call of the Wild and White Fang, Jack London dramatizes in this story the violent encounter between safe, genteel comfort and a brutal set of circumstances.

(P)1985 by The Audio Partners Publishing Corp.

Members Reviews:

Stay with it

After reading The Call of the Wild and White Fang, I dove into The Sea Wolf. Wait! This one is different..slogging through character development and philosophy that seemed to go nowhere, I almost gave up. Don't. Stick with Mr. London through the story and you'll be rewarded with a satisfying story, character insight and thought-provoking outcomes. True to form, his beautiful use of language and structure is challenging but delicious. Jack doesn't spare the drama in his depiction of life at sea. For literature fans who eschew pop novels, this one's a treat.

One great work of fiction

One great work of fiction, The Sea Wolf, tells and incredible tale based, I understand, partly on a character the London knew. The other, The Cruise of the Snark, gives London's account of his experience of having a boat built to sail around the world and his voyage from San Francisco to the Solomon Islands. I was glad to have previously read Melville's Typee, the book that inspired the cruise of the Snark, when I read about London's visit to the island.

Good Version by Flying Fish Publishers

Thought I'd go shopping for an alternative book of "Sea Wolf" with illustrations after having purchased the Xist version around the same time and found this one to be better. I always find illustrations help to bring the story more to life and was pleased with the purchase overall, tho I would have enjoyed it more were there more illustrations and less duplication. A good book of a well-crafted sea story!

so that it could be easily understood by a child

Buyer Beware! The Townsend Library Edition of The Sea Wolf is HEAVILY edited, or rather, paraphrased. Each paragraph has been rewritten using much simpler words and ideas, so that it could be easily understood by a child. If you want the experience of Jack London's wonderful writing, DO NOT buy this edition! It is worse than Sparknotes for just summing up what the book actually says. Even though there is a note from the publisher that the book has been "carefully edited," the extent to which the book is different from the original is not clearly conveyed.

An Excellent Read

Simply, an excellent read. Interesting story, quality writing, and deep character development. For me, this is one of those books [another is Old Man And the Sea, perhaps The Great Gatsby] I will read again and again over the decades. There are precious few books I would re-read, but re-reading this one and others is like listening to an old friend re-tell a story of his or her while we share a particularly pleasing libation and pick at some warmed cashews. Tangentially, as I read this, I could see Gregory Peck in the role of Wolf Larsen.