Download New Releases Full Audiobooks in Classics, British Literature

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Pickwick Papers

Author: Charles Dickens

Narrator: David Timson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 32 hrs and 12 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-24-12

Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 170 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

The Pickwick Papers, Dickens's first novel, is a delightful romp through the pre-Reform Bill England of 1827. Samuel Pickwick and the rest of the Pickwickians are some of the most memorable of all Dickens's creations, and it is a joy to hear of their adventures in search of "interesting scenes and characters", and the repeated efforts of the quick-witted Sam Weller to rescue them all from disaster.

Members Reviews:

Watch Dickens Emerge from a Literary Chrysalis

This book morphed a couple times in my brain. It started off a bit uneven, filled with vignettes and sketches that seemed to anticipate the later genius of Dickens and even presented several shadows of future books and stories. After 100 pages I figured I would have another 700 pages of various Pickwick club digressions. There would be interesting characters (Sam Weller, Alfred Jingle, etc).

The narrative started to bog down, however, during the next couple hundred pages. The book had little velocity and the digressions seemed to have stalled, but then something happened. Dickens absolutely found his genius. It is interesting to behold a great author find his voice. I'm not just talking about any author or any voice. It is amazing to see Dickens find that genius balance between characters, plot, social commentary/satire, and humor. It was like watching a bird hatch, a butterfly emerge from its chrysalis. More than the story, which ended very well, the book is worth the effort for what it shows about Dickens. This isn't the first Dickens I'd read, but after you've read a bunch of Dickens, I'd definitely read this just to soak in Dickens growth and his views on friendship, marriage, lawyers, and debt.

Fledgling Dickens Flaps His Wings of Future Genius

The entertaining central conceit of Charles Dickens first novel, The Pickwick Papers (1836), is that that "immortal gentleman," Mr. Pickwick, an "extraordinary," "colossally minded," "truly great" "man of genius," is in fact a chubby, balding, bespectacled, pleasure-loving, middle-aged man whose good nature and naivete land him in a series of comical scrapes from which not even his streetwise and philosophic servant Sam Weller is always able to extract him unharmed. As a wealthy retired businessman, Mr. Pickwick's only occupation is traveling around England eating and drinking and investigating human nature with his three absurd friends and followers (the ersatz sportsman Mr. Winkle, the so-called poet Mr. Snodgrass, and the aged, rotund wannabe ladies man Mr. Tupman), ostensibly reporting their doings to the Pickwick Club in London, of which Mr. Pickwick is founder and president.

As Mr. Pickwick indulges in his hobby of studying the drama of life in different (at first ideally comfortable) settings and guises, as he falls into embarrassing fixes, and as he hears stories from the people with whom he converses, Dickens satirizes sports, reform religion, the legal system, political parties, stock brokers, dismal debtor's prisons, contentious husbands and wives, pretentious literary circles, foolish scholarly associations, and grotesque social pretensions. He also celebrates liberal, big-hearted, good-natured people like Pickwick and his countryside gentleman friend Mr. Wardle, romantic marriages, rustic and hospitable coach inns and simple and solid coachmen, and pleasurable festivals like Christmas.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Author: Charles Dickens

Narrator: David Timson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-22-12

Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 49 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Left unfinished after Dickens died in 1870, The Mystery of Edwin Drood centers on Edwin Drood's uncle, John Jasper, and his love for Rosa Bud, Edwin's fiancee. Set in the dark, fictional cathedral city of Cloisterham, the novel is awash with guilt, disguise, and mystery. It contains some fine writing, and just before his death, Dickens left an indication of where the plot was going, which is included.

Members Reviews:

An Unfinished Potential Dark Classic

The first chapter of The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1870) begins with a nightmarish opium-vision involving a cathedral spike on which an impaled body ought to be writhing, until the spike seems to resolve itself into the rusty post of an old bed, on which a man is "shaking from head to foot" as he lies next to the drug-stupored bodies of "a Chinaman" and "a Lascar," while the mistress of the den, "a haggard woman," offers him another lit pipe. Later that same day, the man dons his white robe and joins the choir of a Cathedral for the vesper service. Yikes, this is vintage Charles Dickens, but perhaps a Dickens with a darker urgency than in his earlier novels.

The novel is mostly set in Cloisterham, a moribund Cathedral town peopled by or visited by plenty of "Dickensian" characters, ranging from the grotesque and comic to the malevolent and innocent, most equipped with idiosyncrasies. There are Edwin Drood and Rosa Bud, a pair of orphans engaged to be married from when they were infants by their fathers' wills; Neville and Helena Landless, mysterious orphan twins from Ceylon; Hiram Grewgious, the kind-hearted and "particularly angular" lawyer; Thomas Sapsea, the egotistical auctioneer/mayor; "Stony" Durdle, the alcoholic stonemason; Deputy, the demonic-cherubic stone-throwing urchin; Dick Datchery, the stranger with an unbelievably thick shock of white hair; Rev. Septimus Cripsarkle, the physically and spiritually fit minor canon; and the conflicted choirmaster John Jasper, uncle of Edwin and music teacher of Rosa. Dickens sets their fates in motion in a melodramatic murder mystery plot for which we can guess the identity of the villain early on but are left wondering about his psychology and fate, until we reach the end of Chapter Twenty-Three, at which point Dickens died, leaving his last novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1870), tantalizingly half-finished.

Dickens was a genius and a pro, so most of what he wrote has much of interest in it, and his last book is no different. Plenty of funny, original, and apt descriptions of his grotesque characters. "Miss Twinkleton, in her scholastic state of existence, "is as ignorant [of matters of the heart] as a granite pillar." The philanthropy of the great philanthropist Honeythunder "was of that gunpowderous sort that the difference between it and animosity was hard to determine." And Mrs. Billickin "came languishing out of her own exclusive back parlour, with the air of having been expressly brought-to for the purpose, from an accumulation of several swoons."

Dickens of course also writes plenty of evocative descriptions of places, as in moonlight and sunlight scenes of the cathedral.

"They enter, locking themselves in, descend the rugged steps, and are down in the Crypt.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Legends of King Arthur and His Knights

Author: James Knowles

Narrator: Eric Brooks

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-07-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 192 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

King Arthur was a legendary British leader of the late fifth and early sixth century who, according to the medieval histories and romances, led the defense of the Romano-Celtic British against the Saxon invaders in the early sixth century. This book gives an account of the life of this great legend of all times.

Editorial Reviews:

Many authors, from Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century through the romantics and up to current times, have interpreted the King Arthur story, mixing mythologies and legends with history, religion, and magic. Here is Sir James Knowles 1860 take on Arthur. Knowles, living during the Victorian revival of Arthur, gives a story of nobility and gallantry. Arthur appears in his classic adventures and battles emphasizing the concept of Arthur as an English origin myth. Not, perhaps, the most remarkably written entry in the world of Arthur, this volume makes up for lack of style with action and heroism. Eric Brooks has fun with his performance in this audiobook, creating colorful characterizations and exaggerating the drama almost to the point of playful caricature.

Members Reviews:

This was painful!

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

Changing the narrator could have improved this book.

Would you recommend The Legends of King Arthur and His Knights to your friends? Why or why not?

Not the audiobook.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

His voice was not my taste for a good listen. He was sometimes hard to understand, and his voice did not flow.

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

Not really.

Heavy attention required for Arthurian Legend

Language and terms are tough to follow at times and require a dictionary at hand while reading. The legend is one that should be well known and read because classics are cherished by many avid readers.

Best version of King Arthur I have ever heard

Loved it Chapter 1 really let me know who King Arthur was. Breaking down heroes into chapter allows easier study of each one.

Man, sooo Boring

Any additional comments?

I'm going to be charitable and give this 2 stars. These stories may have been entertaining 400 years ago, but literature has greatly advanced, and societally has advanced from being mostly illiterate to highly literate.

These stories may be fun to read one a night to your kids, but when done rapidly they wear on one, the characters have no personality and the action consists of sentence after sentence of who smote who with their sword, and then at the end a helm gets cleaved in two, rinse repeat every ten pages.

Don't waste your time.

This book wasnt for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

I'm sure the knights back in the day, just went around looking for a fight, but they all started sounding the same. Maybe if you have a lot of time on your hands or are way into the whole Knight thing you'd like it.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The reader was so slow, it made it drag on as well.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Bleak House

Author: Charles Dickens

Narrator: Sean Barrett, Teresa Gallagher

Format: Unabridged

Length: 35 hrs and 18 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-22-11

Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 714 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

A complex plot of love and inheritance is set against the English legal system of the mid-19th century. As the case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce drags on, it becomes an obsession to everyone involved. And the issue on an inheritance ultimately becomes a question of murder.

Members Reviews:

Ordinary Lives; Extraordinary Circumstances

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

Absolutely. This book was first written as a monthly serial over 20 months. Twenty episodes for 20 days perhaps. Or, if you are like me, you'll forgo sleep and listen to all. Then listen again, several times over, to catch the parts missed whilst dozing the first few times. Dickens writing is meant to be spoken. Hilarious characters beautifully exaggerated - or are they - abound here. The most decent of characters. And the most vile. My greatest reason for recommending this book is that the two readers really demonstrate Dickens intent when he gave Bleak House two narrators, the unknown onlooker telling in the present tense; and Esther, around whom all of the stories are woven. Poverty, wealth, class systems, skullduggery, robbery and murder are all given centre stage. Personalities galore.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Lady Dedlock is perhaps the most intriguing to me. I don't understand her loyalty to her awful husband, Sir Leicester Dedlock. Perhaps it's gratitude that he married her despite her past, though he knows nothing of it. She's awful. She's snooty. She's breakable. She's smart. She's discerning. She's drawn to beauty. She's conceited. Her husband is quite a bit older and very wealthy. Her deceit is so complete that she believes it herself. Most of the time. An occasional sensitivity is revealed.

Which character as performed by Sean Barrett and Teresa Gallagher was your favorite?

Narrator Sean Barrett is witness to the events that run almost parallel to Esther's own memoir. Both readers were called upon to animate, and maintain, the voices of a huge variety of characters. Sometimes the voices are whining and irritating. Sometimes, seductive and warm. As are the characters. I particularly enjoyed Teresa Gallagher's interactions between Esther and Charley, the thirteen year old orphan girl who leaves her six year old brother Tom to take care of their baby sister while she goes to work as a laundress and is later employed by Mr Jarndyce to be Esther's maid. Her portrayal of Esther's voice throughout is easy and confident, warm and chatty at times. Formal at other times. Thoroughly enjoyable. Sean Barrett's dialogues between Lady Dedlock and Mr Tulkinghorn, given the opposing attitudes of the adversaries and the undercurrent of intent, are excellent spoken civilly in a respectably soft volume. But it is Sean Barrett's own voice as the narrator that is most commanding.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Take your chances in the Court of Chancery

Any additional comments?

Many hours of thoroughly enjoyable listening.

WONDERFUL NARRATIONS!

I am delighted to now be enjoying the narrations from the talented multi voiced Sean Barrett and sweetly nuanced Teresa Gallagher for a wonderful book from Charles Dickens.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Tess of the d'Urbervilles

Author: Thomas Hardy

Narrator: Davina Porter

Format: Unabridged

Length: 17 hrs and 11 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-08-11

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 1147 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Tess Durbeyfield, a peasant girl and cast-off descendant of English aristocracy, has become one of the most famous female protagonists in 19th-century British literature. Betrayed by the two men in her life - Alec DUrberville, her seducer/rapist and father of her fated child; and Angel, her intellectual and pious husband - Tess takes justice, and her own destiny, into her delicate hands. In telling her desperate and passionate story, Hardy brings Tess to life with an extraordinary vividness that makes her live in the heart of the reader long after the novel is concluded.

Editorial Reviews:

Thomas Hardy's exquisite story stars one of the most famous female protagonists in English literature. With natural intonation, Davina Porter's artistic voice sweeps listeners into the charm of the English countryside and into the life of this extraordinary character. Thomas Hardy would enjoy this rendition of his Tess, the pure and simple peasant girl, the beauty, the child, the woman. We are provoked by the society that binds her with social and gender constraints. And even when she rightfully defies the men who betray her, atonement is not at hand. This memorable character will stay with listeners long after this vivid rendition of the novel ends.

Members Reviews:

Davina Porter Does It Again!

Highly recommend! I read this book years ago, then had listened to another version of audiobook read by another narrator, and then found this Davina Porter version and couldn't resist listening again. I'm glad I did. By far the best experience out if the three.

Narration is entertaining. Story is infuriating.

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

Yes. Narration-wise, it was very entertaining; Porter sings, whispers, chants, and uses a myriad of different accents to really bring the characters to life. Story-wise, Tess will stick with you a long time after you read it, and Hardy's language is beautiful.

What did you like best about this story?

Hardy's language. I wrote down about fifteen different quotes from the book that I enjoyed as I was listening to it. Truly beautiful at points.

Which scene was your favorite?

Hard to say. Tess' life doesn't have many starry moments. I do believe I was happiest for her when she was dancing with her friends at the very beginning of the novel, before she met Alec or Angel.

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

There were moments when I didn't want to stop listening, and moments when I wished things would move along just a little bit faster (in particular when Tess was deciding whether or not to tell Angel about her past; I found her back-and-forth too repetitive). I don't think I could have made it through the entire thing in one sitting.

Any additional comments?

The narration is entertaining, but the story is just as tragic as the other comments say. Expect to hate the world a little bit when you've finished. You'll be infuriated for and at Tess all at once.

A parable

Story of a woman who gave heart and soul to "her man" - and got bitten, not once but twice.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Collector

Author: John Fowles

Narrator: James Wilby

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 1 min

Language: English

Release date: 07-05-11

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 250 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Withdrawn, uneducated, and unloved, Frederick collects butterflies and takes photographs. He is obsessed with a beautiful stranger, the art student Miranda.

When he wins the pools, he buys a remote Sussex house and calmly abducts Miranda, believing she will grow to love him in time. Alone and desperate, Miranda must struggle to overcome her own prejudices and contempt if she is understand her captor, and so gain her freedom.

Members Reviews:

Masterful narration

It's a powerful story of obsession and delusion. The perpetrator seem to see himself as the victim. I suppose he was the victim of a delusional mind. Hats off to James Wilby for his wonderful narration.

Perfect Performance

What did you love best about The Collector?

This is a masterpiece of a first novel.

What did you like best about this story?

Bizarre and powerful. A compelling portrait of intriguing self-delusion.

Which character as performed by James Wilby was your favorite?

Wilby slips into the role so effortlessly that one easily forgets that it isn't actually Ferdinand Clegg telling the story. Wilby should be nominated for an award.

Slightly Disappointed

This book is made up of the parts, first and last is through Ferdinand's perspective and the second is told by Miranda. I enjoyed the first section; however, having to listen to Miranda drone on and on and on was quite monotonous.

Regarding the narration. Again, I enjoyed Ferdinand's character, Miranda was a bit whiny...and when there were two male characters at once, I really couldn't keep up with who was speaking.

Overall, our was a just okay read for me.

Creepy!

The story starts out creepy & stays that way right until the end. John Fowles has done a brilliant job of creating these characters, particularly Frederick, who seems as though he ought to be as harmless as the butterflies he collects - but who is anything but.

"Gripping" would be a good adjective for this one. It is a remarkably well written story, my favourite so far of the Fowles books available on the Audible book store. It's compelling from beginning to end.

Fantastic first person book, amazing narration

Any additional comments?

The Collector is one of the best first person books I've listened to. The narration is fantastic. The main character is painted with such clairty, creepy, chilling, fantastic book.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Making of a Marchioness

Author: Frances Hodgson-Burnett

Narrator: Lucy Scott

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-01-11

Publisher: Persephone

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 235 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Frances Hodgson Burnett published The Making of a Marchioness in 1901. She had written Little Lord Fauntleroy 15 years before and would write The Secret Garden in 10 years' time; it is these two books for which she is best known. Yet Marchioness was one of Nancy Mitford's favourite books, was considered 'the best novel Mrs Hodgson Burnett wrote' by Marghanita Laski, and is taught on a university course in America together with novels such as Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, and Daisy Miller.

Members Reviews:

A Sweet Romantic Tale

This is a romance in the Victorian style. The characters are rather stylized and in the case of the protagonist, idealized.

Nevertheless it is a sweet tale that drew me in and made me care about the two main characters. The goodness of the heroine might put off some listeners, but if you allow yourself to be pulled in and love her, the rest of the story will keep you in suspense and entertain you.

A Sweet, Old-Fashioned Story

I really enjoyed this story. You are drawn into it almost instantly. It is a sweet romance with the merest hint of thriller in it. While it is rather predictable, it can be forgiven if you remember that you are reading it for light entertainment and not for the pursuit of intellect. It is very wholesome and sweet, and I liked the characters.

A Girl Rags-to-Riches story

What did you like best about this story?

I enjoyed this story. It is Horatio Algeristic (Is that a word?) in it's approach. A young woman, who is not petite and beautiful, always works hard for those that hire her to do their shopping and secretarial work. She gets to know some of the leading citizens of her era. She gets invited to a huge week + long party at a very wealthy lady's country place. She is there to work and she does so willingly. Her hard work makes her invulnerable to all the snide remarks that come her way and also makes her much loved by most. This is a fun story that takes place in England in the 1800s. I like the history and the story. You know everything comes out all right in the end, but it is still an enthralling listen. I will listen to this again with the children.

ENJOYED IT

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

Outstanding narrator. Curious story with a very well-drawn heroine. Interest in the heroine kept me reading.

What about Lucy Scotts performance did you like?

Lucy Scott has a wonderful voice and uses it to full effect.

o.k. story

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I like Frances Hodgson-Burnett stories from my childhood, but her sentiments towards people of color can be viewed as racist in today's world. This book is quite obvious about the Englishman's fear and distrust of the Indian of dark skin. However, the author is most likely truthfully portraying what the British ladies were saying about Indians at that time.

The narrator did a great job reading the story except when it came to the voice of the main character. She made the character so silly sounding that it was hard to like the character much.

Overall, I am glad I listened to the story. It was not long and did not stress the grey matter while I washed dishes and cooked.

Would you be willing to try another book from Frances Hodgson-Burnett? Why or why not?

yes.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Villette

Author: Charlotte Brontë

Narrator: Davina Porter

Format: Unabridged

Length: 22 hrs and 39 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-20-11

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 269 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Hailed as Charlotte Brontës finest novel by Virginia Woolf, Villette is the timeless semi-autobiographical tale of Lucy Snowe. Left with no family and no money, Lucy goes against her own timid nature and travels to the small city of Villette, France, where she becomes a school teacher in Madame Becks school for girls. During her stay, she falls in lovetwiceand discovers an independent, inner strength rarely seen in women of her time.

Editorial Reviews:

Charlotte Brontë's Villette follows protagonist Lucy Snowe as she bounces from one career to another. First a servant, then a teacher, the hapless Snowe is besotted by family tragedy and doomed romance. Eloquent performer Davina Porter imbues the hard-working Snowe with solemnity tinged by optimism. Indeed, as an unwed, working woman in 19th-century Europe, Snowe must struggle to define herself against the prevailing gender codes of her day. Porter, known for her painstaking attention to historical detail, captures the mannerisms and conventions of Brontë's characters, lending context and veracity to this striking case study of a Victorian womans prospects for love, happiness, and independence.

Members Reviews:

You need to be a Bronte fan to enjoy this story

Is there anything you would change about this book?

While I actually enjoyed this book, it is quite long. I also think you will have to be a Bronte fan to enjoy this story. There is quite a few conversations in French, and for those of us who do not speak the language that is quite a challenge.

Would you recommend Villette to your friends? Why or why not?

This is a book for audible listeners who enjoy long classical stories.

What does Davina Porter bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

Davina Porter is a perfect narrator for this story. Without her excellent interpretation of the characters, it would be quite a challenge to get through the whole book.

Too much french

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

This was a good book, however there's a lot of french in it. I can read french, but it was quite annoying to miss major plot points because they were read in french, Would have been useful, if not true to the book, to translate.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Clearly our main character- I like how she took her destiny in her own hands and went for what she wanted.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Davina Porter?

Noone- she's always great

great narration !

What does Davina Porter bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

She has fantastic french. She has specific voices for each character. She uses several different accents and pulls them off very well. She puts feeling and interest into her reading. I enjoyed Davina as a narrator.

The Divine Ms. Porter delivers as always

A beautiful performance of Charlotte Bronte's highly under-appreciated (but best, in my opinion) work. Not just a reader who is good with dialects, Davina Porter is an *actress* who performs each book with passion, emotion, and full commitment.

enjoyable relaxing story, fantastic narration

I enjoyed listening to this on my commute. A story about people nad their relationships and perceptions and growth. Simple without major drama, it was a perfect companion for driving in daily Los Angeles traffic for my commute.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Dombey and Son

Author: Charles Dickens

Narrator: David Timson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 39 hrs and 11 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-06-11

Publisher: Naxos Audiobooks

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 313 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Dombey and Son is vintage Dickens and explores the classic themes of betrayal, cruelty and deceit. Dombey's dysfunctional relationships are painted against a backdrop of social unrest in industrialized London, which is populated by a host of fascinating and memorable secondary characters. The complete and unabridged novel is brought spectacularly to life by veteran reader David Timson.

Members Reviews:

Utterly incredible!

It is difficult to state that this is my favorite Dickens because I enjoy them all. I can state though that David Timson is my favorite narrator. I also enjoy Sean Barrett, but Timson's distinctive variety of voices gives him the edge. I just listened to Dombey and Son and Barnaby Rudge - both novels are so full of life (and death), so much color and true Dickensian stories - right overcomes wrong and justice over evil in the end. I also read many of Dickens' novels, but I now believe that Dickens is to be listened to and not read. Although this book has two males (father and son) in the title, the most powerful and endearing character is Florence, Dombey's neglected daughter. Further, Dickens may have created one of the most obnoxious and evil characters in English literature in the person of Mr Dombey's manager, James Carker. Fortunately, and in true Dickens style, Carker gets his just desserts in the end.

A Hidden Dickens Gem

Would you consider the audio edition of Dombey and Son to be better than the print version?

I have never read the print version of Dombey and Son and had never even heard of it until I did a Dickens search in Audible.

What does David Timson bring to the story that you wouldn???t experience if you just read the book?

I thought that David Timson did a fanctastic job of bringing Dicken's characters to life. One benefit (and sometimes drawback) of listening to a book, is that you can be pulled into a character's life by the narrators voice. David Timson did an excellent job of differentiating one character from another. He has a very pleasant voice to listen to. Dickens has tendency to go on and on about a subject, but in David Timson's voice, it was not only pleasant but helped me understand the beauty of Dicken's narrative.

Standout Narration

Dombey and Son is a book that contains a lot of touching moments alongside of great comical passages. Somehow, David Timson is able to read and bring to life all of Dickens' characters and hit all the punchlines while also being able to perfectly set the mood for the emotional situations. This was a really, really well done narration!

Great performance!

David Timson did an excellent job. Each character is instantly recognizable by its voice as read by Timson.

Great narrator for undeservedly forgotten Dickens

I love all things Dickens, so it's no wonder I enjoyed this. This narrator is just gorgeous. He absolutely brought this book to life. Captain Cuttle became a most beloved and alive human with Timson's voice. Wonderful, wonderful job.

About the book itself. This is a very underrated Dickens novel that probably deserves some modern eyes to see & modern ears to hear. Of course, as is characteristic of Dickens, this book rounds itself out and works all the bits and pieces to a satisfactory ending, but not always in the way we thought we wanted or in the timeframe we expected.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Sense and Sensibility

Author: Jane Austen

Narrator: Victoria McGee

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 29 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-12-11

Publisher: Trout Lake Media

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 228 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

This is Austen's first published novel, from 1851, which she wrote under the pseudonym "A Lady". The story is about Elinor and Marianne, two daughters of Mr. Dashwood by his second wife. They have a younger sister, Margaret, and an older half-brother named John. When their father dies, the family estate passes to John, and the Dashwood women are left in reduced circumstances.

The novel follows the Dashwood sisters to their new home, a cottage on a distant relative's property, where they experience both romance and heartbreak. The contrast between the sister's characters is eventually resolved as they each find love and lasting happiness. Through the events in the novel, Elinor and Marianne encounter the sense and sensibility of life and love.

Members Reviews:

Its aggravating

To hear words, holidays, even names repeatedly mispronounced is an unhappy distraction from such a wonderful and beloved story.

I'm glad it was free of charge

Terrible narration and several parts were missing. I had to get the kindle book as well to get the whole story.

Boring

A classic it may be, but wow, save it for bedtime.

I would not recommend this book to anyone.

The worst narrator so far

What disappointed you about Sense and Sensibility?

I wish I had read the previous reviewer's comments before purchasing. This is hands down the worse book I've gotten on Audible so far. The narrator is terrible! I'm a few hours in, and I'm not even going to finish it. I'm ordering the same book with a different narrator. This narrator sounds robotic, bored, and tired. She sounds like an alien attempting to fit in with earthlings by tackling classic lit. It's truly terrible. There are gaps between some sentences and at the end of each chapter that yawn for so long that I routinely check to make sure the Audible AP on my phone didn't close without warning. There is very little distinction in her tone between characters, if any, and often the same character speaks with a different tone within the same paragraph. It's very confusing--and I've read the book several times on my own, so it's not the subject matter that's causing my issues. Trust me, the under $3 price tag does not make this more tolerable.

What did you like best about this story?

With this narration, nothing at all!

Would you be willing to try another one of Victoria McGees performances?

NO WAY!

Terrible Narrator, slow classic

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

This book was slow and quietly done. I generally like that but it stayed that way to the end. It's just almost boring. The narrator is the worst. She almost sounds like a computer. It ruined the book for me.