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Title: The Catcher in the Rye: A Reader's Guide to the J.D. Salinger Novel

Author: Robert Crayola

Narrator: Sean Lenhart

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 5 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-18-14

Publisher: Robert Crayola

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 73 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Few novels have affected readers (especially young people) like J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. With this new guide, you will have an even greater understanding of the book. Included in this guide: a biography of author J.D. Salinger, a look at the book's context, its literary elements, detailed chapter summaries, analysis, and suggestions for essays. This is the definitive guide to The Catcher in the Rye, concise, easy to understand, and guaranteed to add to your enjoyment of this classic story.

Members Reviews:

Listen to the book elsewhere. Audible should offer the book .

I was disappointed by this book. I am 66 years old and I read the book in school. I loved it then and still do. I see Holden as a bright kid with learning differences who also is suffering from the family tragedy of his brother's death. Who wouldn't be depressed and unable to concentrate on subjects that aren't easy? His father is a lawyer and one can imagine that Holden's strength in English is inherited. His observations are those of a sensitive person in a world that isn't prepared for him. He struggles but believes that he should be macho for his audience.

The author of this survey doesn't like Holden. He sees him as an unreliable narrator. I find this to be superficial, exactly the attitude that Salinger was railing against.

This book will serve as crib notes notes for a "C" student. But if you want an "A" go listen to Salinger tell the story, and learn to love The Catcher in the Rye" whose heart, I believe is in the right place.

Good review but disappointed

I wanted the actual book not just a review. My mistake I guess I read the title wrong. As far as reviews go it was very interesting and details well..

To those that have read this book

I really enjoyed the essay and questions at the end. Chapter 31-33. I recommend that you read the book and then listen to this audiobook.

I know the book is set in the old times but....

struggled with the narrative voice monotone and frigid . put me to sleep on more than one occasion

good read

helped me understand the deeper meanings behind the catcher in the rye. I would listen again.

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Title: The Call of the Wild

Author: Jack London

Narrator: Alan Munro

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 37 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-04-14

Publisher: Trout Lake Media

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 880 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Jack London's masterpiece, tells the gripping tale of a dog named Buck who is wrenched out of his life of ease and luxury to become a sled dog in Alaska. Drawing on his wolf heritage, Buck must fight for survival in an alien environment.

Members Reviews:

Great Introductory Literature; Lousy Production

I might have read 'Call of the Wild' in high school--I can't remember. If I did, surely I dismissed it as bothersome homework that wasn't as exciting as video games.

Two-plus decades later, I now find COTW way more exciting than video games. London's delivery is just great, following the trials of Buck and his indomitable spirit from California ranch dog to Alaskan free-range wolf. From the violent gold-rushers to the disciplined postal routes to the ignorant family and the love of John Thorton, every episode is a slice of the human condition--for better or worse--creatively told from the canine perspective.

The production of this title is very poor--the spliced recording has seams and the fidelity of the narrator has too much bass--but the narrator (Munro? Husmann? Artwork and metadata have conflicting information) does have moments of excellence: the scenes of Dave's death and the snowshoe rabbit rise to the top.

"There is an ecstasy that marks the summit of life, and beyond which life cannot rise. And such is the paradox of living, this ecstasy comes when one is most alive, and it comes as a complete forgetfulness that one is alive. This ecstasy, this forgetfulness of living, comes to the artist, caught up and out of himself in a sheet of flame; it comes to the soldier, war-mad on a stricken field and refusing quarter; and it came to Buck, leading the pack, sounding the old wolf-cry, straining after the food that was alive and that fled swiftly before him through the moonlight. He was sounding the deeps of his nature, and of the parts of his nature that were deeper than he, going back into the womb of Time. He was mastered by the sheer surging of life, the tidal wave of being, the perfect joy of each separate muscle, joint, and sinew in that it was everything that was not death, that it was aglow and rampant, expressing itself in movement, flying exultantly under the stars and over the face of dead matter that did not move." --Jack London, Call of the Wild

This book is a simple, terrific introduction to American literature and deserves a better recording. But hey, I found this on Audible for 50 cents--it was pocket change well spent.

Speak up!

unlistenable...the reader has a pleasant, deep voice but he whispers like he's trying to put a child to sleep. I was unable to fully understand what he was saying.

great story, but not the best narration

really liked this book. the narration was not the best, but for the price I'd listen to Richard Simmons read it.

Enter the Wild

Jack London's incredible story of Buck and his adventures in the Alaskan wilderness a classic for very good read. This should be required reading for anyone who loves dogs, or just animals in general as you'll definitely look at nature differently afterwards. I really can't recommend this highly enough.

That said, this audio performance leaves a lot to be desired. Alan Munro rarely strays from a dull monotone and has a naturally raspy voice. That, coupled with a poorly edited recording makes parts of this very hard to follow. Do yourself a favor and read this instead listening to it.

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Title: Through the Looking Glass

Author: Lewis Carroll

Narrator: B.J. Harrison

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 5 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-22-14

Publisher: B.J. Harrison

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 334 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Alice sees the other side of the Looking Glass, and enters another world of whimsical enchantment. She encounters argumentative chessmen, Jabberwocky monsters, Tweedledum and Tweedledee, and some very insolent flowers. Carroll continues the development of his Wonderland in this second, and many feel richer, adventure of Alice.

Members Reviews:

Through the Looking Glass

I enjoyed the theatrical reading of this story. As well as the footnotes explaining certain phrases or words we no longer use in today or American English.

My only complaint is that there was a part missing from Chapter 8; "It's My Own Invention". The audiobook cut off right before the Knights recitation of his song, and jumped tot he beginning of Chapter 9; "Queen Alice".

Not sure if it's my physical text or what caused the miscommunication, but just a heads up.

Not like Alice as a child? Listen again,glad I did

Bj Harrison is excellent narrator and I have listened to books I never would have had they not been listed on his page. He brings Alice to life. I found a new appreciation for Alice through audible books. I think she was meant to be read aloud, or more listened to while someone reads to you.

Alice in wonderland has become one of my favorites. This world is so serious at times, everyone needs a little nonsense. Lewis Carroll brings it perfectly, and in educated doses.

Cute and crazy

I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would. Her adventure in wonderland I could have done without and figured this would be just as obnoxious and dull... Instead it was more fun and entertaining (as far as from an adults point of view this review is) than I thought I'd be willing to give it credit.

It's hard to live up to the original

I listened to this back to back with Scarlett Johansson's reading of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. This put Through the Looking Glass at a huge disadvantage. For one, there's a reason the first book is so popular -- almost everything about it is better. And two: Johansson did such a remarkable job that it's almost unfair to compare anyone else to her. B.J. Harrison did a fine job though. Not fantastic, but fine. I wouldn't mind hearing him again but I doubt I'll seek him out.

A favorite classic

I have been a life long Lewis Carroll fan. This story is fun and creative. The performance of this book is fantastic, the only reason I gave the over all a 3 star is because at the end of chapter 8 there is about a page missing. It makes for a jarring moment when listening to the story.

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Title: Fahrenheit 451

Author: Ray Bradbury

Narrator: Tim Robbins

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 1 min

Language: English

Release date: 10-21-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 8912 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Earphones Award Winner (AudioFile Magazine)

Ray Bradbury's internationally acclaimed novel Fahrenheit 451 is a masterwork of 20th-century literature set in a bleak, dystopian future, narrated here by Academy Award-winning actor Tim Robbins.

Guy Montag is a fireman. In his world, where television rules and literature is on the brink of extinction, firemen start fires rather than put them out. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the printed book, along with the houses in which they are hidden. Montag never questions the destruction and ruin his actions produce, returning each day to his bland life and wife, Mildred, who spends all day with her television "family". But then he meets an eccentric young neighbor, Clarisse, who introduces him to a past where people didnt live in fear and to a present where one sees the world through the ideas in books instead of the mindless chatter of television. When Mildred attempts suicide and Clarisse suddenly disappears, Montag begins to question everything he has ever known. He starts hiding books in his home, and when his pilfering is discovered, the fireman has to run for his life.

Editorial Reviews:

Editors Select, October 2014 - I credit Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 as one of the books that sparked my love of reading, and now that I'm an avid listener, I'm excited to be able to experience the story anew with Academy Award-winner Tim Robbins (The Shawshank Redemption) narrating. Robbins' tone expertly mirrors the story's narrative shifting effortlessly from somber and contemplative to suspenseful and terrifying. Each character, from the rebellious protagonist Guy Montag, to the enigmatic Clarisse McClellan, to the gruff Captain Beatty is distinct and realistic, making this frightening future seem all the more possible. Whether you enjoyed the book in a high school English class or never quite got around to it, every book lover should experience this poignant version of a dystopian classic.

Critic Reviews:

"Bradbury's iconic novel about the dangers of complacency and the value of curiosity gains a solid new voice with this audio performance. Tim Robbins puts his acting prowess to use here, creating superb dialogue and striding confidently through powerful speeches that celebrate books and warn against the lure of technology. Protagonist Montag burns with all the earnestness of a man eager for change; Faber's aged scholar simmers with cautious hope; Mildred's vacuous presence echoes emptily. Robbins provides the theatrical with the expected confidence, but he also makes good use of quiet in this production. He makes Bradbury's words even more powerful by remembering to pause at opportune moments to let them sink in." (AudioFile)

Members Reviews:

I'm Burnin', I'm Burnin' for You

When I see a new release on audio of a classic book read by a great actor or actress, I'm in. Sometimes it doesn't work. Here, Tim Robbins' rhapsody perfectly pitches this futuro de fuego novel that for most of us was required reading in school.

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Title: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Author: Washington Irving

Narrator: Tom Mison

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 15 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-09-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 4811 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Tom Mison, star of the hit Fox series Sleepy Hollow, narrates the classic Washington Irving short story.

In the secluded Dutch territory of Sleepy Hollow, nebbish schoolmaster Ichabod Crane competes with the town hero for the hand of Katrina Van Tassel, the 18-year-old daughter and sole child of a wealthy farmer. As Crane leaves a party at the Van Tassel's farm one autumn evening, he is pursued by the Headless Horseman, an apparition said to be the ghost of a Hessian trooper snuffed out by a stray cannonball during the Revolutionary War.

Critic Reviews:

"Tom Mison's voice is delicious. His precise British diction allows listeners to savor Irving's sumptuous descriptions and sly humor. There are many pleasures to be found in Mison's rendition of the brief classic story, though a few instances of Irving's casual racism grate on modern ears. Listen for yourself and discover why it has so captured our collective imagination. (Mison himself stars in Sleepy Hollow, the current TV incarnation.) Whether you're familiar with the original story of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman or not, Mison's reading is a gratifying way to experience it." (AudioFile)

Members Reviews:

American History

The main reason to read this is for the American History. This gives a good look at what life was like for Teachers in early America. The horror itself is not so much, more of a fun prank that scared our main character.

Treasures Of Jolly Autumn

A free fun Halloween listen from Audible of a famous short story about ghosts and the greedy Ichabod. First published in 1820 the story is brought vibrantly to life by this excellent narration. Tom Mison makes this a complete winner. Really well done!

Hollow bones

Because I had never read the story before but seen countless sleepy hollow versions I wasn't sure what to expect. Tom mason does an excellent narrative and my stomach was a flutter thinking of the headless horseman. I wish this was a longer book.

A New Retelling of an Old Favorite

America's first native fairy tale / ghost story is once again retold, and it's a great way to jumpstart the Halloween season as far as I'm concerned. This version is narrated by Tom Mison, who plays Ichabod Crane on TV's Sleepy Hollow. That version has virtually nothing in common with its source material apart from some names. The classic version has a decidedly much better writer, but I'm biased as this has always been one of my favorites growing up. Mison is an excellent narrator for this, capturing the old world feel of the tale perfectly.

For those new to the story, the thing to remember is that this is an old ghost story, and all that implies. It's all about setting the mood and leaving you with questions. It's not "complete" by modern standards, but by the standards when it was written, it's just about perfect.

Enthralling Narration

I was enthralled by the narration by Tom Mison. I felt like I was in a period movie and a gentlemen was gracing me by reading a story. With Halloween approaching it was fun to read the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, although is a lot less scary now that I'm all grown up.

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Title: The Fault in Our Stars

Subtitle: A Reader's Guide to the John Green Novel

Author: Robert Crayola

Narrator: Christa Lewis

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 2 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-13-14

Publisher: Robert Crayola

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Few novels have affected audiences (especially young people) like John Green's The Fault in Our Stars. With this new guide, you will have an even greater understanding of the book. Included in this guide: a biography of author John Green, a look at the book's context, its literary elements, detailed chapter summaries, analysis, and suggestions for essays.

This is the definitive guide to The Fault in Our Stars, concise, easy to understand, and guaranteed to add to your enjoyment of this modern classic, now a major motion picture.

Members Reviews:

Great book

This book analyses John Green's the fault in our stars, which is perfect for anyone looking to go deeper or anyone analysing the book for a literature review.

Five Stars

Excellent read.

Every teacher's dream.

This will go hand in hand in my classroom. It leads discussions and has an unique approach to the subject.

Used for adult book group

Personally, I would have preferred more discussion questions. The summary is very good.

Makes you stop and think

very well written made me cry. My granddaughter recommended to me and I was glad I read it. I really liked it, thank you

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Title: Mutiny on the Bounty

Author: Charles Nordhoff, James Norman Hall

Narrator: Charlton Griffin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 2 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-18-14

Publisher: Audio Connoisseur

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 117 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

In 1789 HMS Bounty under the command of Lieutenant William Bligh sailed off on a voyage to Tahiti in the South Pacific to obtain breadfruit trees for transplanting in the Caribbean. After a long, difficult voyage, in which a passage of Cape Horn had to be abandoned, the ship finally reached its destination. Within a few months, the Bounty was loaded with breadfruit plants and fresh provisions. But the return voyage never materialized.

In this most successful retelling of the famous saga of the Bounty mutiny, Nordhoff and Hall recreate the excitement, peril, fear, and tension that envelope the crew members. Made into films in 1935, 1962, and 1994, it is a story that continues to enthrall new generations. In a realist style, the novel brings the listener into the private world of William Bligh, Fletcher Christian, Roger Byum, and all the other crew members. It is a story you will want to hear more than once.

Critic Reviews:

"This vigorous, artistic narrative remains incontestably the finest account of the Bounty story, and since many others have tried to write of this famous ship and its misadventures, the accomplishment of Nordhoff and Hall was not trivial. A grand book." (James A. Michener)

Members Reviews:

Excellent narration of a classic sea adventure!

This is an excellent audio version of Mutiny on the Bounty! I read the book several years ago, and loved it. I needed to reread it so it was fresh in my mind for a book discussion group, and decided to make more efficient use of my time by listening to part of it. That is why I purchased this audible version. Well, I am so glad that I did! I ended up listening to most of the book. The narrator was wonderful, and he made the story come alive.

great book

great book.

i love books about 1700's & 1800's naval exploration.

it's incredible how far these guys sailed with only a compass and a sextant.

MUST READ True Adventure

I read Nordhoff & Hall's "Bounty Trilogy" when I was 20 years old. Forty years later, the books are still among my favorites of all time. In my opinion, the music, and British accented narration, bring the story more life than a hard-copy reading. I would recommend this book to men, women, and readers in their teens. I certainly hope that this first book in the trilogy will be followed by "Men Against the Sea" and "Pitcairn Island" in the near future.

Well read, true narrative, classic seafaring tale!

Having always loved this story, I eagerly looked forward to listening to it and was not disappointed. The reader captures the essence of the Islanders language which is key to this story.

Excellent Presentation

Where does Mutiny on the Bounty rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

One of the best historical novels

What about Charlton Griffins performance did you like?

Appropriately British, but not overboard. Good differentiation of character voices.

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

One more time

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Title: To Kill a Mockingbird

Author: Harper Lee

Narrator: Sissy Spacek

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-08-14

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 21031 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Harper Lees Pulitzer prize-winning masterwork of honor and injustice in the deep south - and the heroism of one man in the face of blind and violent hatred, available now for the first time as a digital audiobook.

One of the best-loved stories of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird has been translated into more than 40 languages, sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, served as the basis for an enormously popular motion picture, and was voted one of the best novels of the 20th century by librarians across the country. A gripping, heart-wrenching, and wholly remarkable tale of coming-of-age in a South poisoned by virulent prejudice, it views a world of great beauty and savage inequities through the eyes of a young girl, as her father - a crusading local lawyer - risks everything to defend a black man unjustly accused of a terrible crime.

Members Reviews:

A gift to be treasured

The perfect book and the perfect narrator come together here to create an American treasure. I don't have the vocabulary to speak highly enough of how special this book is on Audible.

Sissy Spacek's narration of this story is genius. She goes beyond even the great narrators like Patton, Hill, and Hurt. Her performance is not just technically perfect, it's illuminating. She's so smooth between characters. I can't even detect how she changes her voice and tone between Jim and Scout, but she does, just ever so slightly. It's hard to explain how amazing it is. I can see the dirt road, I can smell the dirty kid next to Scout in her class, I can feel the summer breeze on the back porch where they sleep. Yes, it's Harper Lee that creates that amazing imagery, but Spacek makes it an intimate experience that I felt honored to be a part of.

The book and story of course are above being "reviewed." It's a beautifully crafted story where every word is so intentional. The writing is dense with meaning while flowing perfectly.

It's a shame that Harper Lee only had one book published. Or maybe Mockingbird is such a gift that maybe it needs to stand alone.

Stunning

To Kill A Mockingbird isn't in my top 10 list. It isn't in my top 5 list. It's in my top 1 list. Other reviewers have called it the perfect book. It is. One reviewer said that Sissy Spacek knocked it out of the park. She did. For some reason I find it hard to review this book. Superlatives are just words that we've all heard. This is a book that you must immerse yourself in to understand just how stunning this work is. Ok, I know I'm gushing and this is all over the top, but Harper Lee's novel has layer upon layer upon layer. It has many moments that just clutch at your throat. One is at the close of the trial, as another reviewer mentioned. Another that stands out for me is when the innocence of youth dispels the anger of the mob on the jailhouse steps, forcing them to face their humanity. I could go on and on.

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Title: Great American Authors Read from Their Works, Volume 1

Subtitle: James Baldwin Reading from Giovanni's Room

Author: Calliope Author Readings, James Baldwin

Narrator: James Baldwin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-04-14

Publisher: Calliope Author Readings

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

James Baldwin gives an electrifying reading about a young gay American in Paris recalling a dramatic and transforming incident from his boyhood, as he struggles to accept his sexual identity.

Critic Reviews:

Baldwins powerful reading is part of the newly re-released series (Boston Globe)

The unmistakable stamp of personal passion, (Chicago Daily News )

"A great reading Saturday Review, (John Ciardi)

Members Reviews:

Heart-achingly beautiful

This text alone and this reading show so clearly the inhumanity, the destructiveness of our general, casual homophobia. I am moved to the core of my being and I wish I heard more.

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Title: The Curse of Lono

Author: Hunter S. Thompson

Narrator: Malcolm Hillgartner

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 7 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-28-14

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 121 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

This enormously eccentric book takes listeners on a crazy journey with renowned gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson.

The Curse of Lono is to Hawaii what Fear and Loathing was to Las Vegas: the crazy tales of a journalist's "coverage" of a news event that ends up being a wild ride to the dark side of Americana. Originally published in 1983, The Curse of Lono features all of the zany, hallucinogenic wordplay for which Hunter S.Thompson became known and loved. This curious book, considered an oddity among Hunter's oeuvre, is a widely sought-after treasure.

Members Reviews:

"okay" HST

A typically HST winding story, absurdist behavior, sometimes macho or misogynist, yet terribly enjoyable. the lengths Thompson goes to tell an immediately gratifying and harsh story. too immersive to think about where any of it is going.

the reading is very good.

Hunter S Thompson is my hero!

Another gem from one of my top 3 favorite authors. Fluid, funny, and pure HST! For those unfamiliar with his non- political writings this us an excellent choice. It's got every bit of his 'journey is everything; destination not so much' madness I love about his writing. This one isn't as drug saturated as say Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas but they are still there. Lotsa booze too but HST wouldn't be HST without them. God, I miss him!

Amazing

What did you love best about The Curse of Lono?

great book about hunter and ralph on another wild adventure

What other book might you compare The Curse of Lono to and why?

fear and loathing in las vegas

Have you listened to any of Malcolm Hillgartners other performances before? How does this one compare?

no, but i will now

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

yep

Hunter at his best

this was a wonderful reading. I am in awe. Hunter has a way with his words that can only be described as gonzo.

Ah, Must be getting od

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

My 20 year old son would like this because of his mind set

Would you ever listen to anything by Hunter S. Thompson again?

Not really

Would you be willing to try another one of Malcolm Hillgartners performances?

Yes

Could you see The Curse of Lono being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

no

Any additional comments?

Love it when i was 30 years old...now i'm 50 and was bored