Download Best Sellers Audiobooks in Classics, American Literature

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Title: Ten North Frederick

Author: John O'Hara, Jonathan Dee (introduction)

Narrator: Scott Aiello

Format: Unabridged

Length: 17 hrs and 48 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-02-14

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 22 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

The National Book Award-winning novel by the writer Fran Lebowitz called the real F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Joe Chapin led a storybook life. A successful small-town lawyer with a beautiful wife, two over-achieving children, and aspirations to be president, he seemed to have it all. But as his daughter looks back on his life, a different man emerges: one in conflict with his ambitious and shrewish wife, terrified that the misdeeds of his children will dash his political dreams, and in love with a model half his age. With black wit and penetrating insight, Ten North Frederick stands with Richard Yates' Revolutionary Road, Evan S. Connell's Mr. Bridge and Mrs. Bridge, the stories of John Cheever, and Mad Men as a brilliant portrait of the personal and political hypocrisy of mid-century America.

Members Reviews:

One of O'Hara's best works, if not The Best !

This is my second favorite John O'Hara story, Appointment in Samarra being the first. And I have read much of his work.

Opening with the funeral of Joe Chapin, we then are taken back in time to the young grandparents of Joe. From there we move chronologically through time tracing the family of Joe back up to his death. Along the way we learn what kind of man Joe was and what circumstances lead to his somewhat premature death. We learn much more however including that being born with a silver spoon in one's mouth is not what it is cracked up to be, and in many ways a curse. As the modern author to the introduction of 10 NF said 'He was born on 3rd base and thought he had hit a triple'. Following this baseball metaphor the author of the book, O'Hara, gave Joe Chapin an Epiphany of Epiphanies by throwing him three strikes at the plate in rapid succession and quickly retiring the batter Joe. Mighty Casey indeed strike out.

10 NF and Appointment have much in common. O'Hara must have liked to pull the wings off flies when a boy or burn ants with a magnifying glass for in both stories one can see this sadistic childhood trait used with precision on the upper class of Gibbsville, Pa. There is no class revolt in the stories but a vivid description of class and what it means to be at the top and how easily things can change.

Enjoy !

Brilliant writing by a giant of American lit

Great book by a fine writer that has not received the historical acclaim of many of his lesser contemporaties. Ten North Frederick is O'Hara at his best. I think it's even better than his more widely known debut, Appointment in Samara. With his keen ear for dialog and rich, layered story lines O'Hara's writing is similar to that of F. Scott Fitzgerald, only better. This family saga will be particularly of interest to those with an interest in the backroom politics of the day.

Great great American novel

This novel, which I just read, is one of the best American novels ever. O'hara describes people socially, sexually and politically so well you might think it was happening now.

The women are quietly amazing.

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Title: The Ghostly Rental

Author: Henry James

Narrator: Lee Ann Howlett

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 22 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-13-14

Publisher: Spoken Realms

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

A young theology student discovers an old house while on his daily walks. There appears to be no one living there but something about the house strikes the young man as strange. After observing an old man entering the house, the student eventually befriends the man in order to discover what he can about the old house besides the gossip in the town. The old man once owned the house but now only visits it briefly four times per year. He claims to have killed his daughter with harsh words and now she haunts the house but agrees to meet him four times per year so that she may pay him rent. In return, he is not to inhabit the house. This tale is as much a story of the psychology of people as it is of ghosts. How much do grief, ego, spite, and revenge play into our ideas of ghosts and being 'haunted'? This was an early Henry James story before he wrote "Turn of the Screw."

Members Reviews:

Compelling Ghost Story

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

Yes I would. The saying goes that guilt cannot change the past only clutter up the future, and this is certainly true in this story. Also, remorse is a very powerful emotion!

This is a fairly short story, written by the young Henry James before he wrote his famous "Turn of the Screw."

Wandering down a disused road, a young man, new to the area, spots an old house which has a certain air about it. With his interest sparked, he asks around locally for information, and what he hears leads him to want to know more about its owner Captain Diamond

He introduces himself, a friendship develops, and then he learns more about the things which have happened in the past, why the old man visits four times a year, and why he is sure that ghosts do really exist.

Have you listened to any of Lee Ann Howletts other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the first narration I have heard from the talented Lee Ann Howlett. Through her wonderful storytelling, the characters come to life and we step back in time to an era long past, and discover that things are not always what they seem

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No I did not have an extreme reaction but it was very good.

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Title: Good Wives

Author: Louisa May Alcott

Narrator: Lorelei King

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 14 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-23-14

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Good Wives continues the story of the Little Women, the March sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, as they approach womanhood. Meg longs to begin her new life with John Brook, though they can never be rich; Jo returns to devote herself to literature, and to Beth, whose illness has left her weak but whose serenity shines through the household; and Amy has gone to Aunt March, bribed with the offer of drawing lessons. Laurie remains irrepressible, with his high spirits and sense of fun, though his pursuit of Jos affections seems unlikely to succeed....

Members Reviews:

A look Down Memory Lane

I have good memories of my time as a teen. It has been over 60 years since I discovered this book. It showed the strengths and weaknesses of a family.

I recommend this to a teenage girl. Old language may be difficult but one could understand most of it.

I admired the character Jo. She knew herself and was Abe to make hard decisions that benefited her later in life.

This is my all time favorite book. I bought this as a Christmas present ...

This is my all time favorite book. I bought this as a Christmas present for a special little girl. She said she can't wait to read it. I told her let me know how she liked it. I'm hoping she loves it as much as I do.

A timeless classic.

I have reread this book several times. I own a hard copy, but got the download so I can carry it with me more easily. It's great for reading on a plane, or just lying in the hammock. I don't have to worry about messing up my precious book.

I never tire of the story or the characters. They are continually fresh and charming to me. I read this book first when I was in high school, 40 years ago, and have read it every couple years since. I also enjoy the movies. The more recent one is my favorite.

Good Lessons and Representation of various Personalities

I really enjoyed this book and the personalities represented. The only thing I didn't completely enjoy was the impression that I got that works are the way to heaven and the careful wording in regards to Biblical concepts, but I understand why an author may do so to keep from turning people off from the good lessons that can be drawn from this book.

Best book <3

Best book ever! LITTLE WOMEN is a classic I revisit so often I have parts of the text memorized. I loved the way it was set in the past (Civil War era) but the relationships and problems felt real, and that I could relate to them despite living in the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, etc. Jo March is a spunky girl with a good heart who doesn't always do the right thing and I think many women and men can relate to that. The writing is good enough, and never really drags but I do wish some parts had slowed downâdespite thisâa very serious favorite of mine.

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Title: Tom Sawyer, Detective

Author: Mark Twain

Narrator: Matt Armstrong

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 6 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-21-14

Publisher: Open Book Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn are saved from a crippling bout of spring fever when Aunt Sally writes and asks them to come to visit the family in Arkansas. As they set out on the steamboat downriver, though, Tom and Huck find themselves in yet another whirlwind adventure tracking down criminals and stolen diamonds, all to save the life of their beloved Uncle Silas.

The final Tom and Huck novella that Mark Twain completed before his death, Tom Sawyer, Detective is a fast-paced mystery, full of the wry humor and wit for which Twain is noted.

Members Reviews:

Great story, classic Twain

Helpful if you know the characters as there isn't much character development in the beginning.

The reader does a great job with different voices & accents.

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Title: The Old Man and the Sea (Dramatized) [Russian Edition]

Author: Ernest Hemingway

Narrator: Gennady Michurin

Format: Abridged

Length: 56 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-08-14

Publisher: IDDK

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

"Starik i more" - povest' Ernesta Hemingujeja, vyshedshaja v 1952 godu. Rasskazyvaet istoriju starika Sant'jago, kubinskogo rybaka, i ego bor'bu s gigantskoj ryboj, kotoraja stala samoj bol'shoj dobychej v ego zhizni. V 1953 godu Ernest Hemingujej poluchil Pulitcerovskuju premiju za svojo proizvedenie, v 1954 godu - Nobelevskuju premiju po literature.

Please note: This audiobook is in Russian.

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Título: Cuentos de Edgar Allan Poe 2 [Stories of Edgar Allen Poe 2]

Autor: Edgar Allan Poe

Narrador: Aldo Lumbía, Jorge Mansilla, Juan Santiago, Leonel Arial, Ary Dutari, Nelson González, Franco Patiño

Formato: Abridged

Duración: 1 hr and 14 mins

Idioma: Español

Fecha de publicación: 02-17-14

Editor: Audiolibros Colección

Calificaciones: 4 de 5 de 1 votos

Categorías: Classics, American Literature

Resumen del editor:

En esta trama argumental se mezclan otros subtemas típicos en Poe como las obsesiones (enfermedad mental de Roderick, temor a ser enterrada viva de Madeline), la superstición (Roderick cree firmemente en una maldición familiar), la perversión (Roderick es consciente que ha enterrado a su hermana viva), o el horror de narrador y lector cuando Madeline, a quien se creía muerta, hace su aparición para arrastrar a su hermano y a la casa al fin último.

Please note: This audiobook is in Spanish.

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Title: Clotel

Subtitle: Or, The President's Daughter

Author: William Wells Brown

Narrator: J. D. Jackson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-28-14

Publisher: Dreamscape Media, LLC

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 13 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

First published in 1853 amidst rumors that Thomas Jefferson fathered children with one of his slaves, Clotel is a fictional chronicle of one such child. After Jefferson's death, his mistress and her two daughters are auctioned. One daughter, Clotel, is purchased by a white man from Virginia who impregnates her. Despite the promise of marriage, Clotel is instead sold to another man and separated from her daughter. After escaping from the slave dealer, Clotel returnss to Virginia to reunite with her daughter - now a slave in her father's house.

Members Reviews:

Five Stars

Excellent written book with very good story

It was so sad but an eye opener

It is so interesting to read what someone experienced during that time period of American History, something not taught in the classroom. It was so sad but an eye opener.

A daughter

Very well written Kept my attention and learned more history lessons about the shame of slavery. A good book to teach our children.

Just Okay

The book was not enough about the president's daughter as one might have expected. But it did have some interesting facts about history.

Great story of courage

This story of Clotel is a good read i would recommend if your one who wants to cheer for someone who has due to no fault of her own been separated from her child and does all she can to get her back.

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Title: Roughing It

Author: Mark Twain

Narrator: Richard Henzel

Format: Unabridged

Length: 19 hrs and 13 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-28-14

Publisher: Richard Henzel

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

There are adventures galore on the way to that climactic episode in the mining camps of northern California, as young Sam Clemens sets off on the Overland Stage line, recording the fauna, flora, and humanity of The Wild West. He tastes condemned army bacon, "slumgullion," and Mormon "Valley Tan." He buys a genuine Mexican plug. He hazards death from freezing in a blizzard, drowning in a desert, dissolving in an alkali lake, and roasting in a forest fire.

A vivid and entertaining account of this brilliant writer's journey through this fascinating era of American history, characterized by marked extremes of lawlessness, heroism, cowardice, greed, hope, and desperation, and with rough characters, stunning landscapes, and close encounters with Indians. Narrator Richard Henzel has been performing and interpreting Mark Twain since 1967, and has narrated more than a score of Mark Twain titles.

Members Reviews:

It's Mark Twain so of course there will be great writing with humour

It's Mark Twain so of course there will be great writing with humour. I loved the stagecoach ride from Missouri to Nevada, not so much his failed mining experiences in Nevada, San Francisco was interesting and Hawaii was fabulous. As this was all written first hand in around 1870, it is of course historically fascinating and great to be observed by such a master, but it did drag in the middle mining chapters that went on far too long.

Very Good, Very Long

As usuall, Twain's writing is so entertaining that it makes this very long book worth reading. But you do have to be a fan .

Moved On to a Better Book

Expected much more. Seemed to drag on in parts. Funny in parts. Chapters on Mormonism and Brigham Young was interesting and funny. He said the Book of Mormon was like chloroform in writing. This book is better but not significantly. Got about 2/3 through. May finish one day if I get terribly bored and have nothing else to read (except the Book of Mormon).

Mark Twain's travel from Missouri to Nevada, San Francisco, and Hawaii.

This is a book of odds and ends that Mark Twain put together. His description of crossing the country from Missouri to Nevada in a stagecoach is the first I have read, and he also described the riders of the short-lived Pony Express. He tries out different writing styles varying from the rough language of the Nevada Silver mines to the more sophisticated speech of the San Franciscans in California.

All in all, very uneven, but at a decent price.

At times humorous, but it's a rambling collection of Twain's thoughts. Sometimes a fairly straight forward account of his travels in Nevada and California, but then something totally off the wall: maybe be 2 chapters of him poking fun of contemporary novels (the soaps of his day) or an essay on Chinese immigrants! All in all, very uneven, but at a decent price.

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Title: Eugénie Grandet

Author: Honoré de Balzac

Narrator: Jonathan Fried

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-24-13

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 22 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Hailed as the father of the naturalist novel, French author and playwright Honoré de Balzac left a legacy of treasured literary works that include Père Goriot and Cousin Bette. The daughter of a wealthy but miserly man, Eugénie Grandet falls in love with her penniless cousin, Charles. The two plan to marry, but at the behest of her father, Charles must first go overseas to make his fortune. Returning years later, Charles calls off the engagement, leaving Eugénie heartbroken and vengeful.

©2013 Honore de Balzac (P)2013 Recorded Books

Members Reviews:

Unpleasant people

Balzac's "Eugenie Grandet" is an early and short entry in his massive "Human Comedy" project. The comedy in Balzac's case is not funny: it's simply showing people "as they are" rather than how they wish they were.

And in this provincial town, how they are is mostly unpleasant. Eugenie's father is a sharp dealer in the business world, is astonishingly rich, and is a mean-spirited miser. He resents the money they have to spend on candles, and the family spends many evenings in the dark. Eugenie has a set of rare gold coins that are worth a fortune, and her father demands to see them on a regular basis - presumably to make sure she hasn't cashed them in.

Eugenie's cousin Charles shows up, and Monsieur Grandet has to break the news to him that his father, overwhelmed by financial ruin, has committed suicide. At one point Grandet and an ally go to Paris and in a series of complicated transactions, they bilk the creditors of Charles's father and skip town. I have to admit I couldn't follow the details of their scheme; it hinges on the legal differences between bankruptcy and liquidation.

Ultimately Eugenie, her father's sole heir, ends up rich and alone, her hopes for love with Charles having come to nothing. At one point Charles does seem to genuinely love her; she gives him her gold and he goes off on a business venture; but fooled by Grandet's meanness into thinking they're poor, he turns his romantic attentions elsewhere.

The novel's pace is uneven. There are many sharply etched scenes, gradually building toward an ugly confrontation; and then suddenly the narrative whips through the next decade in a couple of paragraphs.

Not many people to care about here. Everybody but Eugenie is, or becomes, corrupted by money. Still, it's a carefully observed novel of provincial life, and is definitely one of the shorter and more accessible novels of Balzac.

Unfortunately I didn't care much for the Recorded Books narrator, Jonathan Fried. His reading style is a bit too "external" for me, too much like an announcer and too little like a storyteller. The translation is relatively recent, though, and on balance I'd have to say it's worth a listen.

Jonathan Fried is a wonderful, wonderful narrator.

please narrate more novels by Balzac, Mr. Jonathan Fried. you are amazing. this novel, like all Balzac works, did not disappoint. I enjoyed every word, every second.

Inappropriate narrator

What a pity that this excellent story book is ruined by an inappropriate American narrator

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Title: Walt Whitman's Selected Poems

Author: Walt Whitman

Narrator: Brian Murray

Format: Abridged

Length: 59 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-03-13

Publisher: Dover Publications

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 13 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

This collection, narrated by distinguished Broadway actor Brian Murray, includes nine poems from Leaves of Grass - among them "I Hear America Singing", "O Captain! My Captain", and "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloomd", plus four other selections.

Members Reviews:

Lively Selection

Would you listen to Walt Whitman's Selected Poems again? Why?

Yes, Narration was meaty and kept my interest.

What does Brian Murray bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

Mr. Murphy did a nice job in the narration by keeping it a light move through each selection his timber fit Walt Whitman's appearance and what is known of him. I felt he represented the work very well.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, and did.

It's Good

I've enjoyed listening to Walt Whitman's selected poems narrated by Brian Murray. Recommended to all.