Discover the Libray of Best Audiobooks in Fiction, Literary

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Title: Heart of Darkness

Author: Joseph Conrad

Narrator: Ralph Cosham

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-20-02

Publisher: Findaway World

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 301 votes

Genres: Fiction, Literary

Publisher's Summary:

The story of the enigmatic Kurtz and his outpost in deepest Congo is superbly narrated by the gifted Ralph Cosham. Also included is The Lagoon, a story of courage and love in the South Pacific.

To supplement this reading of Heart of Darkness, listen to

.

©, (P)2002 Commuter's Library

Members Reviews:

Good Narrator

There seem to be three "unabridged" listings of this novel by Audible, presumably by different narrators. This one is very well narrated and the narrator captures that special atmosphere for which Conrad is noted in most of his fiction. I would rate this narration very high and a good representation of a novel I enjoyed reading years ago.

Heart of Darkness Revisited

For a number of years, especially during my working years in the Niger Delta in the early nineties, I took a pocket book copy of the book with me wherever I went.

This book is relatively little known but it provided the inspiration for the very well known movie 'Apocalypse Now'.

The message of the book can easily be summarised as 'the downfall of the White Man in Africa', because it describes in depth what happens to a well educated and civilised western man, set loose without limits in a kind of self-created kingdom. Gradually, all self-control wears of and civilisation becomes but a shadow of its former self.

To those who have spent time in Africa, to those who like the flowery style of the early 1900's, this is a must-read. And the way in which it is brought on audio is very good indeed. None of the richess of the language and story content of the book was lost, and it was a pleasure to listen to. Most recommendable.

A must read

I have read Heart of Darkness several times over the years, but never enjoyed it more than through this AudioBook. I can't compare this version to the others in Audible's collection, but I can say with certainty that this is one of the great short novels in the Western lexicon. It never fails to grip, yet as its title suggests, goes deeper and deeper in theme as it moves up the Congo. It is also surprising, and a little horrifying, how relevant it still is today. I found myself re-listening to several pages over and over, then playing them for my wife as well.

FULL MARKS

In a word: superb. Ten out of ten for style, characterisation, narration. An Audible must listen.

Fine Reading, Troubling Novel

This was the first time I have "read" this classic work, and it's something every literate and literary-minded person should read. But its imperialistic themes and colonial sentiments are hard to sympathize with nowadays, and I believe that it is often studied today more for the insights it gives us into late Victorian (1898) attitudes toward Africa than for the story itself. The listener should be forewarned that much of the language and imagery now seems quite racist. I greatly admire Ralph Cosham's narration, but it was hard for me to listen to him reading some of the passages in this novel, and I probably won't listen to it again. Having said that, it is indeed a classic and is worth experiencing for that reason.

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Title: Slow Waltz in Cedar Bend

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Robert James Waller

Narrator: Robert James Waller

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 6 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-16-99

Publisher: Phoenix Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 31 votes

Genres: Fiction, Literary

Publisher's Summary:

The minute Michael Tillman met Jellie Braden he knew he wanted her, and she felt it too. The problem is, Jellie is married to a professor colleague of Michael's, and she has a secret past which eventually leads to her disappearance. But Michael is a determined man, and knows he and Jellie will only find happiness if they are together. He sets off in search of her, journeying to the strange, exotic world of south India. There he embarks on a passionate mission to uncover Jellie's past and in the process discovers the barriers he must surmount before he can have her love. This novel, Robert James Waller's next after his best selling The Bridges of Madison County, is a passionate story of choices and loss and the intense power of instant attraction.

Copyright ©1993 by Robert James Waller; Copyright (P)1993 Dove Audio, Inc.

Members Reviews:

Great book - Great reader (the author)

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I read the book before but this audio brings it to life

What was one of the most memorable moments of Slow Waltz in Cedar Bend?

Too many to pick one

Which character as performed by Robert James Waller was your favorite?

The professor

If you could take any character from Slow Waltz in Cedar Bend out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Of course Jelli

Any additional comments?

no - just that this is the best Audio book ever.

My favotite book, ever!

What made the experience of listening to Slow Waltz in Cedar Bend the most enjoyable?

A great and memorable love story!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Slow Waltz in Cedar Bend?

The trip to India to follow his love interest there!

Have you listened to any of Robert James Wallers other performances before? How does this one compare?

No!

Who was the most memorable character of Slow Waltz in Cedar Bend and why?

The professor!

Any additional comments?

No!

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Title: The Ninth Hour

Author: Alice McDermott

Narrator: Ash Rizi

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 46 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-07-17

Publisher: Audible Studios for Bloomsbury

Ratings: 1 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Fiction, Literary

Publisher's Summary:

On a dim winter afternoon, a young Irish immigrant opens the gas taps in his Brooklyn tenement. He is determined to prove - to the subway bosses who have recently fired him, to his badgering, pregnant wife - 'that the hours of his life belong to himself alone'. In the aftermath of the fire that follows, Sister St. Savior, an aging nun, a Little Sister of the Sick Poor, appears, unbidden, to direct the way forward for his widow and his unborn child.

In Catholic Brooklyn, in the early part of the 20th century, decorum, superstition, and shame collude to erase the man's brief existence, and yet his suicide, although never spoken of, reverberates through many lives - testing the limits and the demands of love and sacrifice, of forgiveness and forgetfulness, even through multiple generations. Rendered with remarkable lucidity and intelligence, Alice McDermott's The Ninth Hour is a crowning achievement of one of the finest American writers at work today.

Members Reviews:

Could not finish

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Found the narration too irritating- jerky cadence meant some words were swallowed and others hit hard and it gave a 'stop go' rhythm to the narration. Because of this I could not get a 'smooth' run at the story to find out what it was about.

How could the performance have been better?

Smoother narration.

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Title: Gensyn i Provence

Author: Ole Clifford

Narrator: Fjord Trier Hansen

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-12-17

Publisher: Lindhardt og Ringhof

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Fiction, Literary

Publisher's Summary:

P en storvildtjagt i Kenya drber mangemillionren Viktor Jonsen en afrikansk jagtguide Med et vdeskud. Selvom der bliver gjort alt for at dkke over drabet, varer det ikke lnge, fr der dukker afpresningsbreve op.

Da Viktor Jonsen sger fred p sit landsted i Provence, forvilder den nyudklkkede jurist Thomas Lundvig sig ind p hans ejendom. I en konfrontation mellem de to mnd sres Thomas Lundvig. Men Viktor Jonsens datter, Elise, griber ind og srger for, at Thomas kommer under lgebehandling.

For Thomas og Elise er det dramatiske mde optakten til den store erotiske krlighed. P en rejse tvrs gennem Frankrig oplever de den sansebevidste passion, det tjleslse begr, og de knytter flelsesmssige bnd, der aldrig kan brydes. Men Viktor Jonsen srger for, at deres veje m skilles.

Da de mdes fyrre r senere, forsger de at forst, hvorfor skbnen formrkede deres passion. Krligheden sttes p den svreste prve af alle - sygdom og dd. Og sandheden om Viktor Jonsen kommer endelig frem i lyset.

"Gensyn i Provence" er en historie om penge, magt og mord sat over for tidls krlighed, tilvrelsens hjdepunkter og de dramatiske afveje, der kan fre helt andre steder hen, end man i sin vildeste fantasi havde forestillet sig.

©2017 Lindhardt og Ringhof (P)2017 Lindhardt og Ringhof

Critic Reviews:

Historien rundes af med afdkning af fortidens hemmeligheder p en mde, der havde vret en Ib Henrik Cavling vrdig blandet med lidt Wilbur Smith. Strukturen i fortllingen er upklageligt skruet sammen, og krydsklippene mellem 1962 og 2002 er lagt, s de filmiske effekter fungerer.

-- Lektrudtalelsen

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Title: The Forgotten Daughter

Author: Renita D'Silva

Narrator: Justine Eyre

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-10-15

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 19 votes

Genres: Fiction, Literary

Publisher's Summary:

"You were adopted." These three simple words, in a letter accompanying her parents' will, tear Nisha's carefully ordered world apart. Raised in England by her caring but emotionally reserved parents, Nisha has never been one to take risks. Now, with the scrawled address of an Indian convent, she begins a search for the mother and family she never knew and the awakening of long forgotten childhood memories. The secrets, culture, and people that Nisha discover will change her life forever. And, as her eyes are opened to a side of herself she didn't know existed, Nisha realizes that she must also seek answers to the hardest question of all-why?

Weaving together the stories of Nisha, Shilpa, and Devi, The Forgotten Daughter explores powerfully and poignantly the emotional themes of motherhood, loss, and identity - ultimately asking the question, what would you do out of love for your children?

Members Reviews:

somewhat confusing

What did you like best about The Forgotten Daughter? What did you like least?

It's a good story, however their are a lot of metaphors and similes layered one after another. So that the thread of the story slows incredibly and on an audiobook, it's very easy to get lost. Combined with the three different perspectives, I think this could be better in written form.

Good story, but to long.

The story is interesting and well told, but the author spends an inordinate amount of time describing everything around the characters the entire book. Sights and smells are described in great detail, making the book unnecessarily much longer.

drawn out

Hard to follow for several chapters...some parts too drawn out....I did struggle to finish,.

Brilliant!

Brilliant book, full of emotion. I loved it! Be ready to shed a tear or two.

Big On Description

Good enough story subject reasonably narrated. I found the endless,endless descriptions of everything tedious and boring especially toward the end of the book. Nesha's sudden ability to remember everything that she had forgotten prior to adoption (with vivid accuracy) was a bit unrealistic, I was also wondering who was funding the hospital bed if ma was so poverty stricken. The recipes are good I tried a couple.

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Title: That Deadman Dance

Author: Kim Scott

Narrator: Humphrey Bower

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 1 min

Language: English

Release date: 12-12-17

Publisher: Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Fiction, Literary

Publisher's Summary:

Big-hearted, moving and richly rewarding, That Deadman Dance is set in the first decades of the 19th century in the area around what is now Albany, Western Australia. In playful, musical prose, the book explores the early contact between the Aboriginal Noongar people and the first European settlers.

The novel's hero is a young Noongar man named Bobby Wabalanginy. Clever, resourceful and eager to please, Bobby befriends the new arrivals, joining them hunting whales, tilling the land, exploring the hinterland and establishing the fledgling colony. He is even welcomed into a prosperous local white family where he falls for the daughter, Christine, a beautiful young woman who sees no harm in a liaison with a native. But slowly - by design and by accident - things begin to change.

Not everyone is happy with how the colony is developing. Stock mysteriously start to disappear; crops are destroyed; there are 'accidents' and injuries on both sides. As the Europeans impose ever stricter rules and regulations in order to keep the peace, Bobby's Elders decide they must respond in kind.

A friend to everyone, Bobby is forced to take sides: he must choose between the old world and the new, his ancestors and his new friends. Inexorably, he is drawn into a series of events that will forever change not just the colony but the future of Australia....

Members Reviews:

Rhythmic Reading

It took a while to get into this book but soon I was drawn in by the tale of settlers and local people and how their lives ebbed and flowed in those early days. While the story covered the not uncommon themes of early settlement (land claiming, excessive whale hunting etc) it was not a story of execssive violence or hatred. Rather, it started as an unusually hopefull possibilty that both parties could get along and while tensions did simmer, the overall story was a more peaceful one. Not from Australia myslef, I was intrigued and reminded of the Aboriginal people's capacity to live off the land in such complete harmony. In contrast, I was appauled by the unknowing blundering of the settlers and their ability to quickly wipe out all chance of living off the land. And in this Aboriginal's tale, more than anything, I was aware of a rhythmic nature to the prose, like a poem or song, running along like a stream over rocks. It also highlights how, by example, local people could share one whale carcass for weeks in comparison to one settler's whale boat slaughtering tens of whales and processing and discarding them in mere days. The continual contrasts of this nature did not go unnoticed.

The book took me to a place of undulating beauty, gave me a keen sense of the seasons and what it means to live intiutiviely and in tune with nature ... and I wished that too could re-kindle that sense.

A thoroughly interesting and enjoyable read.

A piece of Australian literature that has great historical value...

That Deadman Dance by Kim Scott is the book that many readers (and Australians in particular) have been waiting for, perhaps without even realising it. Many authors have attempted to describe early settlement in Australia, but their efforts remain primarily from the European perspective. Scott, on the other hand, as the son of an Aboriginal father and English mother, was able to authentically deliver from both perspectives.

Kim Scott is no stranger to fame.

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Title: The Robber Bride

Author: Margaret Atwood

Narrator: Bernadette Dunne

Format: Unabridged

Length: 20 hrs and 13 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-11-17

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Fiction, Literary

Publisher's Summary:

Margaret Atwood's The Robber Bride is inspired by "The Robber Bridegroom", a wonderfully grisly tale from the Brothers Grimm in which an evil groom lures three maidens into his lair and devours them one by one. But in her version, Atwood brilliantly recasts the monster as Zenia, a villainess of demonic proportions, and sets her loose in the lives of three friends: Tony, Charis, and Roz. All three have lost men, spirit, money, and time to their old college acquaintance, Zenia. At various times, and in various emotional disguises, Zenia has insinuated her way into their lives and practically demolished them.

To Tony, who almost lost her husband and jeopardized her academic career, Zenia is "a lurking enemy commando". To Roz, who did lose her husband and almost her magazine, Zenia is "a cold and treacherous bitch". To Charis, who lost a boyfriend, quarts of vegetable juice, and some pet chickens, Zenia is a kind of zombie, maybe "soulless" (Lorrie Moore, New York Times Book Review). In love and war, illusion and deceit, Zenia's subterranean malevolence takes us deep into her enemies' pasts.

Critic Reviews:

"Moving amid these three women, touching up their portraits with one perfect detail after another, conjuring Zenia from their memories and tears, Atwood is in her glory. What a treasure she is, and what a fine new book she has written" (Newsweek)

Members Reviews:

Another amazing book by M. Atwood

If you love Atwood's quirky style, you'll love Robber Bride. Not as off-the-wall as Handmaid's Tale, yet full of quirks and surprises. Atwood has managed to give us three strong protagonists to appreciate and an anti-hero who makes us shudder, all wrapped up in enticing detail. There aren't many men in this story, and they're not at their shining best, but that helps carry the plot.

This book is a test of your patience

Not your patience with the material, which is quite readable, but with one or more characters. Sort of like the film "Neighbors" staring Belushi and Ackroyd. Very grating, but in a "turn grating into an art form" way. Superb.

A very complete book

Margaret Attwood writes such a beautifully constructed novel, colorful in ideas and language, of three ladies plus one, with the three joined in their disparity by a shared antagonism but perversely also love for the fourth. Myonly criticism of this book which I enjoyed enormously was that it might be considered a little too structured and possibly a little too predictable. But highly recommended.

It was nice to read something that required a little thought kept ...

Very intriguing the way the stories entwine. Usually I just read cozies and light little stories any more - old & tired :). It was nice to read something that required a little thought kept me reading.

Five Stars

a chiling and accurate portrait of a malignant narcissist and the damage they do

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Title: Thunderstruck & Other Stories

Author: Elizabeth McCracken

Narrator: Erin Yuen

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 26 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-25-14

Publisher: Dreamscape Media, LLC

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 20 votes

Genres: Fiction, Literary

Publisher's Summary:

From the author of the beloved novel The Giant's House comes a beautiful new story collection. In "Property", a young scholar, grieving the sudden death of his wife, decides to refurbish a rental house by removing his landlord's possessions. In "Peter Elroy: A Documentary by Ian Casey", the household of a successful filmmaker is visited years later by his famous first subject, whose trust he betrayed. In "The Lost & Found Department of Greater Boston", the manager of a grocery store becomes fixated on the famous case of a missing local woman. And in "Thunderstruck", a family makes a quixotic decision to flee to Paris for a summer, only to find their lives altered in an unimaginable way by their teenage daughter's risky behavior.

Critic Reviews:

Starred review. McCracken transforms lifes dead ends into transformational visions. - Publishers Weekly

Members Reviews:

Stories are ok but the last one is great

If you could sum up Thunderstruck & Other Stories in three words, what would they be?

interesting vignettes about sad people/ circumstances

What did you like best about this story?

I loved the detail and richness of the last story.

What about Erin Yuens performance did you like?

It was fine.

If you could take any character from Thunderstruck & Other Stories out to dinner, who would it be and why?

The Dad in the last story

Confusing

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

A point to the stories

What do you think your next listen will be?

JK Rowling

What didnt you like about Erin Yuens performance?

just ok, nothing grabbed me to pay attention and listen

You didnt love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Not even sure what the point to each of these stories was, they just ended, wouldn't recommend it, I should have asked for refund

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Título: Ciudades desiertas

Autor: José Agustín

Narrador: José Agustín

Formato: Unabridged

Duración: 5 hrs and 36 mins

Idioma: Español

Fecha de publicación: 06-20-14

Editor: Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial

Calificaciones: 4.5 de 5 de 16 votos

Categorías: Fiction, Literary

Resumen del editor:

Novela de amor de una intensidad sobrecogedora, aborda con su mordaz sentido del humor la distancia entre México y Estados Unidos, el amor, la ira y la complejidad de las relaciones de pareja y el antimachismo.

Con una prosa ágil y desenfadada, José Agustín traza el destino de Eligio y Susana en un mundo gris, superficial, aunque capaz de torcer el rumbo de cualquiera. El retrato de los personajes, a todas luces entrañables, y la manera como la prosa se extiende sobre la geografía y la relación amorosa, hacen de Ciudades desiertas una gran novela. Ambientada en el fantasmal pero no menos atractivo Estados Unidos, los protagonistas se encuentran para perderse y, más allá de la visión satírica de la sociedad estadounidense -respuesta a los tantos análisis superficiales sobre México escritos por intelectuales anglosajones-, encontramos una reflexión sobre el hecho amoroso, la renuncia y la aceptación.

Please note: This audiobook is in Spanish.

Opiniones de los miembros:

Para mí, lo mejor de José Agustín

Cuando leí De perfil de este autor creo fue el momento en que me enganché con el hábito de la lectura, ya que me la encontré a los 15 años y por supuesto me hice fan, sin embargo, otras lecturas del mismo José agustín ya no fueron tan buenas o no me emocionaron tanto como ese libro, hasta que encontré Ciudades desiertas, quizás -para mí- su mejor novela , ya que es joven, salvaje libre y al mismo tiempo muy rica, muy profunda y muy madura. de hecho, a pesar de que tiene bastante tiempo que la leí (hace como 15 años o más) aún tengo frescos muchos pasajes, y de hecho, es de las pocas que he vuelto a comprar en su versión electrónica para visitarla más seguido.

Four Stars

Es una buena historia, de lectura rápida.

Novela extraña con una prosa bien realizada

Reseñar esta novela se me hace complicado pues tengo sentimientos encontrados respecto a ella. La prosa y la narrativa son excelentes y te emociona y te enoja como si fueras un personaje más. El problema es que hace ver a los mexicanos y a los latinos en general como ignorantes pordioseros mientras engrandece la cultura norteamericana. Es algo fastidioso pues el autor es mexicano y enpequeñece los cerebros y los pensamiento latinoamericanos. Quizás nadie piense igual que yo pero esto no me dejó buen sabor de boca. Aún así la recomiendo y pronto veré la película.

¡Un libro de que no vaya a olvidar pronto!

Cuando empecé leyendo esta novela para nuestro club de lectura, lo encontré algo difícil de entender a causa del amplio uso de jerga y una falta de comillas en el diálogo. De vez en cuando, no estaba seguro de quién hablaba y eso me confundió.Me costó mucho tiempo al principio de comprender la trama y los diversos personajes. Claro que es un libro muy bien escrito con escenas graves y también muy divertidas. Por todo la novela, el lector se encuentra muchas situaciones salaz y el uso de palabrotas y insultos es frecuente. Cuidado: ésta no es una novela para mojigatos. Pero, se puede ahondar en un tipo de vida baja y peligrosa de lo que no está acostumbrada.

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Title: The Russian Debutantes Handbook

Author: Gary Shteyngart

Narrator: Adam Grupper

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 46 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-23-12

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 48 votes

Genres: Fiction, Literary

Publisher's Summary:

Best-selling author Gary Shteyngarts exquisite fiction is met with a level of critical acclaim reserved for the very best in the field. In this startlingly provocative work, Russian immigrant Vladimir Girshkin searches for love and self-identity while interacting with a quirky set of acquaintances.

Critic Reviews:

"Rowdy, ribald, funny...this superb debut [is] the real thing." (Esquire)

"As attuned to the exhilarating possibilities of the language as Martin Amis, as deadpan and funny as the young Evelyn Waugh." (Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times)

"In Vladimir Girshkin, the wisecracking, lovelorn, desperately self-reinventing protagonist, Shteyngart has given us a literary symbol for this new immigrant age, much as Saul Bellow or Henry Roth did in theirs..." (Chris Lehmann, The Washington Post)

Members Reviews:

Don't Let the Title Fool You

Attention fans of the bodice ripper -- this is NOT historical fiction. If you are looking for petticoats and princes this is not for you. It's also NOT a romance, although there is a lot of sex.

I know it's very stylish to adore this genre of fiction, gritty and surreal. I found the main character in turns boring and annoying. Clearly many people are quite enthralled with this author - who am I to quibble?

Still I would like a book to educate me, challenge me or entertain me. Like a good Russian novel, this one mostly depressed me.

Despite all that, there is much craft here; well-writen and very nicely performed by Adam Grupper. Before you buy, just know -- it's for an acquired kind of taste.