Download the Best Full Audiobooks in Classics, American Literature

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Title: The Red Badge of Courage

Author: Stephen Crane

Narrator: Anthony Heald

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-27-08

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 606 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Although the exact battle is never identified, Crane based this story of a soldier's experiences during the American Civil War on the 1863 Battle of Chancellorsville. Many veterans, both Union and Confederate, praised the book's accurate representation of war, and critics consider its stylistic strength the mark of a literary classic.

Critic Reviews:

"A classic work of American literature." (The New York Times)

Members Reviews:

A Powerful, Moving Classic

I had read The Red Badge of Courage on the page twice before. It's an extraordinarily powerful novel. Crane packs more psychological truth and insight into this short work than most writers do in novels four times its length.

I was, however, unprepared for the new power that Anthony Heald's performance brought to the book. It is an incredibly rich performance, nuanced, taught, full of raw emotion where appropriate. It truly felt as if I was reading the book for the first time.

The Wounded have a Red Badge of Courage

The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane, is the tale of a single union soldiers thoughts as he chooses to go to war, his mind upon entering the service, his fears before his first battle, his hubris and then panic before engagement with the enemy, his discombobulation during the first and latter battles, his cowardice, his rehabilitation (to some extent), his maturation thereupon and his achievements in latter and final battles. We go through all these sequential mental states listening to the mind of our young soldier, Henry Fleming, the youth, as told through a third party describing for us the youths mental thinking's. The analysis is nothing less than extraordinary.

The book is often set reading in middle school teachings. It provides insightful understanding of the difficulty of marching onto a battlefield. The book may be very true to life. What is peculiar though is that the author is reported to have said the following concerning the fact that he was never in battle and was born six years after the Civil War ended: "Of course, I have never been in a battle, but I believe that I got my sense of the rage of conflict on the football field, or else fighting is a hereditary instinct, and I wrote intuitively; for the Cranes were a family of fighters in the old days". Wikipedia, last visited August 15, 2015, at n. 23 therein.

Notwithstanding Cranes situation in life, the study is magnificent, and representative of a very likely mental process shared by many before entering battle. The Red Badge of Courage should not be overlooked as an essential read.

Final Corners filled with Teeth and Claws

It was not well to drive men into final corners; at those moments they could all develop teeth and claws.

Stephen Crane, The Red Badge of Courage

Probably 3.5 stars. Bonus points for the fact that Crane elevated war novels to a more modern level, but doesn't quite measure up quite to Conrad, Tolstoy or Remarque. Maybe 4 stars as a novel and 3 stars as a war novel.

Historical fiction and learning entertainment only...

Great story to hear the thoughts of people in battle. The good, the bad, and the indifferent.

But, for me, a struggle to get through, even though I enjoy historical fiction...

Classic

I have been trying to read this story since it was assigned to me for a book report over 30 years ago.

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Title: The Age of Innocence

Author: Edith Wharton

Narrator: David Horovitch

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-29-08

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 698 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Exclusively from Audible

Countess Ellen Olenska, separated from her European husband, returns to old New York society. She bears with her an independence and an awareness of life which stirs the educated sensitivity of the charming Newland Archer, engaged to be married to her cousin, May Welland. Though he accepts the society's standards and rules he is acutely aware of their limitations. He knows May will assure him a conventional future but Ellen, scandalously separated from her husband, forces Archer to question his values and beliefs. With their love intensifying where does Archer's ultimate loyalty lie?

Wharton's audiobook is a love story that accurately portrays upper-class New York society in the late 19th century due to her insider's view of America's privileged classes. Having grown up in upper-class society, Wharton ended up becoming one of its most shrewd critics. Her depiction of the snobbery and hypocrisy of the wealthy elite, combined with her subtle use of dramatic irony, propelled The Age of Innocence to the position of an instant classic, winning the Pulitzer Prize in 1921 and making Wharton the first woman to win the prize.

Narrator Biography

Having studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, David Horovitch has had a television career spanning over 40 years. One of his most notable roles was in 1984 as Detective Inspector Slack in the first BBC Miss Marple adaptation The Body in the Library. Due to the success of his character, he returned for four Christmas specials. He has had roles in other shows such as Just William (1994), Foyle's War (2002) and Wire in the Blood (2005) as well as film appearances in The Young Victoria (2009), 102 Dalmatians (2000) The Infiltrator (2016) and Mike Leigh's Mr Turner (2014). A long time star of the stage, in 2015 he played the role of George Frideric Handel in All the Angels by Nick Drake at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. As well as narrating numerous audiobooks, David Horovitch also appeared in Audible's multicast drama The Oedipus Plays.

Members Reviews:

Narrated to Perfection

Newland Archer, one of Old New York society's crowned princes (so to speak) is overjoyed about his recent engagement to the perfect May Welland. She too has a perfect pedigree, is a pretty young rose just starting to come into bloom, is innocent and beyond reproach in every way, well trained to be the ideal dutiful wife. But when he gets better acquainted with May's spirited and independent-minded cousin Ellen Olenska, just recently returned from Europe and scandalizing all of New York with her revealing dresses and foreign way of expressing herself and behaving, Newland is at first shocked and then completely taken over with passionate love. So much so that he is in fact determined to drop May and marry the countess Olenska instead. What he forgets to take into account is that his desire to embrace a life of freedom and equality will not be tolerated by his peers. A wonderful look at New York's upper crust in the 1870s, whose lives revolve around being seen at the opera and inviting the right people to dinner parties. Wharton exposes a world she knew firsthand from the distance of the 1920s, and what she shows us is just how regulated life was among the elite in a New York which was cosmopolitan, but prided itself on it's rigid and old fashioned conventions.

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Title: Oil!

Author: Upton Sinclair

Narrator: Grover Gardner

Format: Unabridged

Length: 19 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-27-08

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 531 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Enraged by the oil scandals of the Harding administration in the 1920s, Sinclair tells a gripping tale of avarice, corruption, and class warfare, featuring a cavalcade of characters, including senators, oil magnates, Hollywood film starlets, and a crusading evangelist. Sinclair's glorious 1927 epic endures as one of our most powerful American novels of social injustice.

Critic Reviews:

"Sinclair's 1927 novel did for California's oil industry what The Jungle did for Chicago's meat-packing factories." (Library Journal)

Members Reviews:

an outstanding book

this book, long out-of-print, has suddenly appeared back in print due to the critical popularity of the movie "there will be blood" -- that this book "needed" a loosely adapted screenplay to re-enter the american consciousness is an irony of Sinclarian proportions... this is a majestic book, filled with the type of realism that makes Sinclair's best works so effective; what in a lesser author's hands would have resulted in didactic diatribe, Sinclair never loses -- and never lets the reader lose -- sympathy with his characters, both positive and negative, due to the realism with which their inner and outer lives are portrayed... the narration is excellent, bringing unobtrusively to the fore, Sinclair's sense of humor, irony, and insightful social criticism... "Oil!" is that rarity amongst books -- a book that is itself a highly satisfying work, but one which -- like Samuel Butler's "Edward Pontifex, or The Way of All Flesh" -- leaves the reader wishing that the book were longer, so well drawn are the book's characters and situations... as a life-long devoted reader of Upton Sinclair, who had not previously had the opportunity to read "Oil!", i would unhesitatingly rank it as amongst Sinclair's very best works, which like so many of Sinclair's novels, leave the reader hungry for more...

Now I get it!

I saw the movie "There Will Be Blood" with much excitement....and then wondered if I was completely stupid when I was left with the feeling ..."I don't get it". After listening to Oil!, I get it now. The movie left out the whole story. It's a shame too, because this book was as riveting, if not more so, than The Jungle; and if a movie was to really be based off this book it would have to be on the scale of The Godfather, very, very, long. Too bad we lack the cultural attention span for that. Anyway, I read it had been out of print, so I'm glad it's back and I had a chance to "read" it.

Absolutely Engrossing and topical

A fabulous listen from start to finish. Although the excellent film, "There Will Be Blood" was based on this book it only used a tiny portion of the plot which seems to have a special resonance with the current economic climate. I always liked reading Upton Sinclair but listening was even better. Possibly not a good read for anyone with far right politics though.

Will Things Ever Change?

Upton Sinclair's fictionalization of the Teapot Dome scandal is timely and engrossing. Here are the sleezy beginnings of big oil interests which have only become more powerful with the decades.

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Title: The Great Poets: Emily Dickinson

Author: Emily Dickinson

Narrator: Teresa Gallagher

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 16 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-25-08

Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 50 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Here are some of the finest poems by Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), a unique voice in American poetry. She is known for her short poems, full of acute observations, and deft use of language. This careful but imaginative selection shows the remarkable variety she produced, despite the miniature nature of her medium.

Editorial Reviews:

Teresa Gallagher has an agile voice and the delicate articulation necessary for interpreting the finely crafted poems of Emily Dickinson. Gallagher performs the poems with a simplicity and clarity that allow their beauty to flourish. However, Dickinson did not title her poems, so Gallagher does not have that convention as a way to mark the beginning of each work. The 99 poems selected from Dickinson's canon of over one thousand are a choice presentation highlighted by Gallagher's skillful performance. This production is a pleasurable retreat into Dickinson's imaginary world.

Members Reviews:

Beautiful and fragile poetry

Personally, that was a perfect narration of E. Dickinsons delicate poems. T. Gallagher did a brilliant job. The poems that appear on the audio were meant to be read in alphabetical order.

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Title: The House of the Seven Gables

Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne

Narrator: Anthony Heald

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-11-08

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 203 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

The greed and haughty pride of the Pyncheon family through the generations is mirrored in the gloomy decay of their seven-gabled mansion, where the family's enfeebled and impoverished relations now live. Mysterious deaths threaten the living. Musty documents nestle behind hidden panels carrying the secret of the family's salvation - or its downfall.

A brilliant intertwining of the popular, the symbolic, and the historical, Hawthorne's Gothic romance is a powerful exploration of personal and national guilt, a work that Henry James declared "the closest approach we are likely to have to the Great American Novel".

Members Reviews:

A Classic Thriller

It seems I've learned this lesson many times, and each time I think I've finally "got it," but then find myself learning it again:: Classics don't have to be "hard," and old authors of classics are not (necessarily) dry and long winded and stodgy. I was a little nervous about approaching a book written by the author of "The Scarlett Letter," but I needn't have been, as "The House of Seven Gables" was as unlike its sister novel as I am unlike my siblings. Whatever similarities are merely due to the author's linguistic environment; If written in the 21st centry the main difference in this telling of The House of Seven Gables and today's would be a few coloquialisms. Enough of that: the plot is interesting, the characters fascinating, the telling of the tale witty and believable and sympathetic. The narrator also does a great job conveying the various characters and their motivations. I found I loved this book and would definitely choose it again.

A Skillful Narration

Anthony Heald is an excellent narrator. His characterizations are distinct and never overdone. I very much enjoyed his consistently good work with this novel of one of my favorite authors.

They just dont write 'em like they used ta

Great story. Great writing. Great narrator. Finished it, very appropriately on Thanksgiving Day. Thanks Mr. Hawthorne, and thanks also to Mr Heald for an excellent reading.

Excellent Classic

Intriguing story;a mystery with a touch of horror.But perhaps what makes it timeless is it's study of human character.I had read the book in the past and liked it at the time.What made the story so much more interesting that the hard copy was the excellent narration.The narrator's tone and faultless rendition transported the listener with him to the century , watching and feeling with the characters so completely that the experience was more like viewing an excellent stage production.Recommend this audiobook to those who enjoy the classics and also to those who have found reading classical works dry and tedious and to all who enjoy studies of human psychology.

Great narrator, but not such a wonderful book

I didn't like Hawthorne in high school, but decided to give him another try, almost 20 years later. Sadly, although the narrator does a fantastic job, he just can't save this book. The individual scenes are beautiful, but they don't add up to much -- just about everything important in the story happens off-stage.

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Title: The Fountainhead

Author: Ayn Rand

Narrator: Christopher Hurt

Format: Unabridged

Length: 32 hrs and 1 min

Language: English

Release date: 11-07-07

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 7181 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

One of the 20th century's most challenging novels of ideas, The Fountainhead champions the cause of individualism through the story of a gifted young architect who defies the tyranny of conventional public opinion. The struggle for personal integrity in a world that values conformity above creativity is powerfully illustrated through three characters: Howard Roarke, the genius who is resented because he creates purely for the delight of his own work and on no other terms; Gail Wynand, the newspaper mogul and self-made millionaire whose power was bought by sacrificing his ideals to the lowest common denominator of public taste; and Dominique Francon, the devastating beauty whose desperate search for meaning has been twisted, through despair, into a quest to destroy the single object of her desire: Howard Roarke. Dramatic, poetic, and demanding, The Fountainhead remains one of the towering books on the contemporary intellectual scene.

©1943 The Bobbs-Merrill Company; ©1968 Ayn Rand; Afterword ©1993 Leonard Peikoff; (P)1994 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic Reviews:

"Ayn Rand is a writer of great power. She has a subtle and ingenious mind and the capacity of writing brilliantly, beautifully, bitterly." (New York Times Book Review)

Members Reviews:

The Fountainhead

This was my first brush against anything Ayn Rand ever did, and it was fantastic. Much of the enjoyment came not only from the elements of the story itself, but from the narrator; he is no Christopher Lee, but the particular voicing of so many various characters was brilliant. Whether it was the slyly pompous Ellsworth Toohey, the ever-stoic Howard Roark, the sad Dominique, or the brash Gail Wynand, hearing their dialogue spoken with such talent was the extra treat to the what they represented within the story itself. If you're looking for a story that transcends mere political philosophy with a philosophy of humanity, one that makes one think and enjoy at the same time, then I highly recommend this particular audio book.

Go for the unabridged

My 19 year old son is a great Ayn Rand fan and has read all her books, and I could tell he was influenced by her thinking and wanted to discuss it. I was never going to get the time to read the books. So I tested the waters with Anthem- a good, quick listen, and knew I wanted more. The Unabridged version of The Fountainhead seemed so daunting, but I took the chance and 32 hours later am glad I did! I echo the other reviewers in the riveting interest in the book and would encourage anyone interested in modern thought to go for the whole thing! Today I download Atlas Shrugged... Unabridged!

One of the Best

One of the best narration's, if not the best that I've heard. Apparently, Christopher Hurt is very familiar with the book and captures the tone and attitude of the characters perfectly.

On top of that, Ayn Rand presents her philosophy incredibly effectively in the story. This makes for much better comprehension when you have the characters to exemplify the spectrum of attitudes towards life that exist around us. I personally saw pieces of myself in most of the characters and it has helped me recognize when I am thinking independently and truthfully, and conversely, when collective thought dominates my mind.

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Title: White Fang

Author: Jack London

Narrator: John Lee

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 53 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-26-07

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 1523 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

In the desolate, frozen northwest of Canada, a lone wolf fights a heroic daily fight for life in the wild. But after he is captured and cruelly abused by men, he becomes a force of pure rage. Only one man sees inside the killer to his intelligence and nobility. But can his kindness touch White Fang?

(P)2006 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Members Reviews:

Not just for my Kids or my Youth

I absolutely love the prose of Jack London. I wonder exactly how many people have died, pulled North to the Wild by the romantic pen of Jack London. I finished a while back (Dietz's version) and was crying as I listened to it with my kids.

I've recently become interested in listening to several classics by different readers. London was one of the first I've done this with, but it worked well so he won't be the last.

John Lee gives a very solid reading of this classic. I think this is probably the superior audio of White Fang. While I like Dietz (and haven't done anything but sampled Thomley), Lee's reading is straight forward and easily managed at hyper-audio speeds (2.5x or faster). The only downside of a narration by Lee, is it is sort of like watching a movie with Kevin Bacon. They guy is everywhere and it is weird to hear his voice in so many places.

Who's the animal: Man or Wolf?

This story is considered a classic for good reasons. Published over a century ago, the story remains timeless. It also offers glimpse into the past, as Jack London's descriptions of northern life, and in particular the life of First Nations people at the time, is fairly accurate from all accounts.

It refreshing to see how a masterful author can handle cruelty and violence without resulting to the usual graphic descriptions of today. Make no mistake, this is a story about a wolf cub at a time when society was much less predisposed to kindness. It stands to reason this story doesn't follow a Disney like pattern.

What the story does so well, however, is to illustrate the cruelty of certain men. This cruelty stands side by side in comparison to the supposed cruelty of the wolf, which is judged negatively at every turn by "civilized man". It does provide good food for thought.

John Lee did an excellent job. Even if you've read the book, it's worth listening to the audio book just for the performance. If you're not familiar with the story, then I can only mention that this really is a "must read" novel. You won't be disappointed.

Top-rate story and storytelling

Would you consider the audio edition of White Fang to be better than the print version?

I would consider it so, yes. the narrator really brings the words to life, in a way I didn't think possible.

What other book might you compare White Fang to and why?

The Call of the Wild. the stories, and the point of view from which they are told, is unique and fascinating.

Which scene was your favorite?

The first meeting between White Fang and the "Love Master" - no spoilers here, though

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

I did.

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Title: On the Road

Subtitle: 50th Anniversary Edition

Author: Jack Kerouac

Narrator: Will Patton

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-18-07

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 2034 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Based on Kerouac's adventures with Neal Cassady, On the Road tells the story of two friends whose four cross-country road trips are a quest for meaning and true experience. Written with a mixture of sad-eyed naïveté and wild abandon, and imbued with Kerouac's love of America, his compassion for humanity, and his sense of language as jazz, On the Road is the quintessential American vision of freedom and hope, a book that changed American literature and changed anyone who has ever picked it up.

Members Reviews:

My Favorite Narration and a Wonderful Book

I estimate I've listened to over a hundred audio books so far. When I try to convince people that they should check out audio books, I always pick this "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac narrated by Will Patton as the first thing they should hear.

There are many books that I am so glad to have heard (the Hyperion series, the Enders Game series, even Atlas Shrugged and of course Armor).

But I don't think I could hear in my head any book as well from paper as Will Patton reads this one out loud. He's poetical, exhuberant, exciting, and makes this whismical and joyous appreciation of life become contagious.

On the road reminds me that there's so much to appreciate in every little thing, and Will Patton is that extra boost to make this great book the best.

Remarkable Characterization

This text has obviously stood the test of time, ushering in the groovy mindset of the 60's. Mr. Kerouac certainly sets the tone for a decade. A fine book.

However, my main praise is reserved for the narrator, Will Patton. He gives a voice, and a whole 3 dimensional characterization of the unstoppable, wild, yet lovable Dean Moriarity. An unforgettable job. Worth a listen just to admire Will do his job with this "rat".

A bible!

I have some friends who have decleared this book their bible, and I can see why. It really changes your view of the world.

Will Patton as a narrator is perfect for this novel. He reads it incredibly fast though, so strap up. But that is how this novel needs to be read, because the story takes place is such a pace.

A must-read and a definite five star book!

Not What I Expected

For me, Will Patton's performance was the saving grace for this audiobook, this was not what I expected. I'd never read On The Road, but had preconceptions that the book would be filled with Beat-philosophy (whatever that would be), and romanticism of the open road. Maybe that's what I got, but I just didn't like what it all turned out to be?

Now, who am I to say what's good and what's bad from a literary point of view? This was my first exposure to Kerouac, and I found his writing style to be an energetic randomness of pointless wandering. For me, there were moments of greatness, but they were few and far between, and the entire story felt like the original "[story] about nothing".

I'm glad I "read" it, and Patton's performance was probably the BEST of any audiobook, but I feel like it's something I've checked off a list. Done and done.

Classic

What made the experience of listening to On the Road the most enjoyable?

This book is of course a classic. I read it once a long time ago and then recently went through the audiobook version. In parts where I struggled to stay completely engaged years back, the narrator keep you fully in the story here.

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Title: My Antonia

Author: Willa Cather

Narrator: Jeff Cummings, Ken Burns (introduction)

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-02-07

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1821 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Widely recognized as Willa Cather's finest book and one of the outstanding novels of American literature, My Antonia details of the life of early American pioneers in Nebraska.

Through Jim Burden's endearing, smitten voice, we revisit the remarkable vicissitudes of immigrant life in the Nebraska heartland, with all its insistent bonds. Guiding the way are some of literature's most beguiling characters: the Russian brothers plagued by memories of a fateful sleigh ride, Antonia's desperately homesick father and self-indulgent mother, and the coy Lena Lingard. Holding the pastoral society's heart, of course, is the bewitching, free-spirited Antonia.

Infused with a gracious passion for the land, My Antonia is a deeply moving portrait of an entire community and its way of life.

Bonus: In partnership with Audible and Playtone, the television and film producer behind the award-winning series Band of Brothers, John Adams, and The Pacific, this audiobook includes an original introduction, written and read by acclaimed documentarian Ken Burns. For more from Audible and Playtone, click

.

Critic Reviews:

"No romantic novel ever written in America, by man or woman, is one half so beautiful as

My Antonia." (H. L. Mencken)

Members Reviews:

Uplifting In So Many Ways

This story would be an absolute pleasure to read in the pages of a book and having the narration that it did only enhanced my infatuation with it. It's the language of Cather's, that masters the landscape and captures the essence of those people closest to Jim, that lets the narrator effortlessly tell this story and the listener feel like he's the one looking back.

applause for a classic

This is a must read/listen for anyone interested in pioneers of the Great Plains area of Canada and the US. Cather's descriptions are extremely well-written giving a great sense of place without excess wordiness. Her characters as well are developed through their deeds, actions and words without volumes of text to support them.As a result, the characters become 'real' humans, filled with loyalites,contradictions and dilemmas of everyday life. Finally, this book recalls a time when the influence of a natural landscape was most profound. Fans of prairie and pioneer history will truly enjoy this classic.

Good book

"My Antonia" (emphasis on the "i") has been on my "to-read" list for a very long time. Oddly, I ended up with three versions of this book: Physical book, Kindle edition, and audio. I read all of them simultaneously. (I love doing that!) It is beautifully written by the great Willa Cather, and I understand it is very much autobiographical. Basically, it is the story of the Great Melting Pot, how foreign born families immigrated to the United States, specifically the Great Plains, and did their best to fit in, make a living, and give their children an opportunity that could not be had anywhere else in the world. It was not an easy life. These families left everything they knew, even their native languages, to come to the great unknown, with the promise of a better life. My own great-grandparents left Denmark in the late 1800s, in a similar time frame and reason as the people in this book, and brought their three young sons with them, boys who would never know their native land, or ever see it again. That takes guts, and these were gutsy people.

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Title: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Author: Ken Kesey

Narrator: Ken Kesey

Format: Abridged

Length: 3 hrs and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-29-07

Publisher: HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 427 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

On one side is Big Nurse, who rules her ward with iron discipline. On the other is Randle Patrick McMurphy, a lustful, brawling, life-loving new inmate who refuses to knuckle under to Big Nurse's soul-destroying methods. In the end, McMurphy pays the ultimate price for his defiance, but not before the rebellious spirit has shown Chief Bromden the way to reclaim his future.

Critic Reviews:

"A glittering parable of good and evil." (The New York Times Book Review)

"A roar of protest against middlebrow society's Rules and the Rulers who enforce them." (Time)

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