Download the Best Full Audiobooks in Fiction, Literary

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Title: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

Author: James Joyce

Narrator: Jim Norton

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-29-05

Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 371 votes

Genres: Fiction, Literary

Publisher's Summary:

This fictionalized portrait of Joyce's youth is one of the most vivid accounts of the growth from childhood to adulthood. Dublin at the turn of the century provides the backdrop as Stephen Dedalus moves from town and society, towards the irrevocable decision to leave. It was the decision made by Joyce himself which resulted in the mature novels of Ulysses and Finnegans Wake.

Critic Reviews:

"A masterpiece of subjectivity, a fictionalized memoir, a coming-of-age prose-poem, this brilliant novella introduces Joyce's alter ego, Stephen Daedelus, the hero of Ulysses, and begins the narrative experimentation that would help change the concept of literary narrative forever." (AudioFile)

Members Reviews:

The Soul Struggling to Fly Free

I???d only ever read Joyce???s short story ???Araby,??? having been intimidated by the difficult reputation of his work (especially Ulysses and Finnegan???s Wake), so I was unprepared for how wonderful A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is???and how accessible.

It must partly be due to Jim Norton???s marvelous reading, so sensitive to and enhancing of the novel???s poetic rhythms and sounds, beautiful images, savory characters, and mix of comedy and tragedy. Norton, reading the base narration in an appealing and neutral English accent (to my American ear) and the dialogue in an impressively and appropriately varied range of Irish accents and personalities, helps to bring alive the cultural, personal, dramatic, and thematic meanings of every word in the novel. Many scenes have been imprinted on my mind: Stephen unfairly having his hands flogged in class and then screwing up his courage to visit the Rector about it; Stephen listening to a priest giving intense sermons on the physical and mental horrors of hell (Norton-priest had atheist me shaking my head and chuckling at the sadistic-masochistic Catholic imagination one moment and tremblingly thinking that I???d better go to confession the next); Stephen raptly watching a girl wading with her dress hiked up; Stephen talking with his friend Cranly about mothers and Catholicism???. And many more.

After finishing the audiobook, I didn???t want it to end, so started listening to it again??? I also visited a website with the text of the novel and read parts of that, realizing that Jim Norton had me understanding it just as well if not better than I would have had I read it myself.

This audiobook version of Joyce???s novel is filled with beauty, humor, sadness, love, lust, guilt, transcendence, and life. Next up: Dubliners and Ulysses read by Jim Norton!

Excellent audio book

Not only is this a great and intensly memorable book, it is also wonderfully narrated with strong and distinct characterization. The narrator really brings the characters alive in this movingly personal portrait of the artist as a young man. Absorbing and strongly recommended!

Excellent Narration

Not only is this book one of the greatest in the English language, or at least of the 20th Century, it's worth listening to for the narration alone. Fantastic storytelling.

An incredible reading of a spectacular work

This was my first encounter with a work of James Joyce. Jim Norton's reading brings the book to life in a way I never could have imagined myself.

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Title: Lunar Park

Author: Bret Easton Ellis

Narrator: James Van Der Beek

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-12-05

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 379 votes

Genres: Fiction, Literary

Publisher's Summary:

Then imagine having a second chance 10 years later, as the Bret Easton Ellis of this remarkable novel is given, with a wife, children, and suburban sobriety, only to watch this new life shatter beyond recognition in a matter of days. At a fateful Halloween party he glimpses a disturbing (fictional) character driving a car identical to his late father's, his stepdaughter's doll violently "malfunctions", and their house undergoes bizarre transformations both within and without. Connecting these aberrations to graver events, a series of grotesque murders that no longer seem random and the epidemic disappearance of boys his son's age, Ellis struggles to defend his family against this escalating menace even as his wife, their therapists, and the police insist that his apprehensions are rooted instead in substance abuse and egomania.

Lunar Park confounds one expectation after another, passing through comedy and mounting horror, both psychological and supernatural, toward an astonishing resolution, about love and loss, fathers and sons, in what is surely the most powerfully original and deeply moving novel of an extraordinary career.

Bonus Feature: Includes an interview with the author.

Critic Reviews:

"The book is mesmerizing, easily his best since Less than Zero." (Publishers Weekly)

"Addictive. . . . Sublime. . . . Exquisite. . . . Stirringly executed. . . . A phantasmagoria of love and loss, a fusion of hallucination and wisdom." (The New York Times)

"The sense of creeping dread is excellent, and the beasts confronted by the Ellis character are genuinely frightening." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

Addicting....haunting........disturbing.

I have always been a fan of the way Mr. Ellis writes and describes every detail with the total truth of what his mind is thinking, without apology. This book continued on with that honest depiction of a man who some would say they would hate, because they would be ashamed to admit they like. Someone they would enjoy sitting back and having conversations with, someone to "party" with. This story was disturbing and I was addicted to it. I wanted to read it all in one sitting. I couldn't wait to get back to it and spent every free time in two days going back to it. I came out wanting to re-read the authors previous books and then finish with re-reading this. Mr. Ellis' long awaited novel was well worth the wait. Again those who don't want to acknowledge the "gritty, dirty, filthy, plain truth about some human behavior" should not expect to be heart warmed by this story. But his honesty makes you believe in what is happening and that is frightening.

Best Ellis Since Less Than Zero

I loved this book! Very well narrated, spooky thriller with bits of Frankenstein, Macbeth, American Psycho and Stephen King. This is Ellis' best work since his debut -- well told, smart story with lots of interesting twists and turns.

I really enjoyed the confusion between biography and story as the book evolves.

More Than Creepy

I couldn't stop listening. The author twists elements of his own life and experience into a bizarre and disturbing phycological horror story. Through most of the book, one is not sure if the "monsters" are real or just in the mind of a very messed up character.

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Title: The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana

Author: Umberto Eco

Narrator: George Guidall

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 49 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-01-05

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 182 votes

Genres: Fiction, Literary

Publisher's Summary:

When book dealer Yambo suffers amnesia, he loses all sense of who he is, but retains memories of all the books, poems, songs, and movies he has ever experienced. To reclaim his identity, he retreats to the family home and rummages through old letters, photographs, and mementos stored in the attic. Yambo's mind swirls with thoughts, and he struggles to retrieve the one memory that may be most sacred, that of Lila Saba, his first love.

Steeped in nostalgia and filled with vivid, sometimes wondrous imagery, The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana is a magnificent addition to Eco's literary legacy.

Critic Reviews:

"Compelling storytelling and greatly sympathetic characters." (Booklist)

"An absorbing exploration of how that most fundamental master-narrative, our memory, is pieced together from a bricolage of pop culture." (Publishers Weekly)

"A head-spinning tour through the corridors of history and popular culture, and one of this sly entertainer's liveliest yet." (Kirkus Reviews)

Members Reviews:

TOTTALLY ENGROSSING

I LOVE Umberto Eco. I have read nearly everything he's ever written that has been translated into English. This is not an easy book. The writing is very dense. But the details of the atmosphere are rich. And the Eco's books are packed with historical acuracies that teach you about a period of our past.

I am always smarter for having read Umberto Eco.

DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES CONSIDER THE ABRIDGED VERSION. Trust me. You will be missing the brilliance of this writer.

This book is an amazing journey into a man's discovery of who he might have possibly been. It's not your typical american story. So sit back and enjoy and don't worry about figuring out how it all is going to work out.

I have also fallen in in love with the narrator and have purchased several other books just because he narrates.

Entrancing and Philosophical

Eco is so great at creating a sense of mystery and wonder as a man tries to reassemble his life after a stroke that turns him into an amnesiac. He really lets one think about what it is about me that I identify with. He had to rediscover all his preferences and re-question all his values as his entire life and even bodily functions are completely strange and new. Do our memories make us what we are, or our preferences? Are we responsible for sins that we don't even remember making?

Why is there a lead-in which shouts "Audible Kids"? This is an adult book but someone at Audible has mislabeled it.

A great read

For being by Umberto Eco this book is an easy read. As a reader, you really get to travel throughout the mind and memories of this old gentleman. Although I have not yet reached the age of this literary figure, I quite enjoyed the journey. Also the book was well read and easy to follow and understand (even the Italian references).

Mysterious, rambling and intriguing

After a recent diet of rather good thrillers and mysteries, I decided to try the most recent Umberto Eco, for a change of pace. A change it most definitely was! The pace of Queen Loana is decidedly slow (occasionally practically coming to a standstill), the tale intriguing, the atmosphere foggy and the concepts challenging. George Guidall (who I will always associate with Crime and Punishment) narrates this work in exactly the right manner.

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Title: The Short Stories of Anton Chekhov, Volume 1

Author: Anton Chekhov

Narrator: Charlton Griffin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 59 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-28-05

Publisher: Audio Connoisseur

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 109 votes

Genres: Fiction, Literary

Publisher's Summary:

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, (1860-1904), was born in Russia at Taganrog on the Sea of Azov. His name has become synonymous with a certain literary style much admired and widely copied since his death. Typically, a Chekhov story is a "mood", a state of mind, usually with regard to relations between one person and another. Under the influence of the constant, infinitesimal, and unforeseen pinpricks of life, there occurs a gradual transformation of that state of mind. His writing is at once fluid and precise. Most of his stories end on a minor note, instead of the dramatic flourish. Today, Chekhov is regarded as Russia's greatest writer, and his narrative works continue to attract an ever wider circle of readers worldwide.

This volume includes the following unabridged works with music and sound effects:

Finally, "An Essay On The Life of Chekhov", by Dimitri Mirsky, takes us on a tour of Chekhov's life and career. This critically acclaimed work of scholarship is clearly and concisely written to bring into perspective the life of one of Russia's greatest literary figures.

Critic Reviews:

"Richly done, with lifelike sound effects and a delicate musical score woven skillfully into Charlton Griffin's impeccable narration. Griffin creates both fine characterizations and the intimate tone of the master storyteller. His reading is languid and cosmopolitan, filled with the fin-de-siecle ennui that is so characteristically Chekhov, while at the same time deeply evocative." (AudioFile)

Members Reviews:

Wonderful stories.

I had been waiting a long-time to catch up on the famed short stories of Anton Chekhov. Finally, I found the best volume with an awesome narrator and a subtle music score. I love Chekhovs wonderful, unpretentious narrative with a hearty dose of irony and candor. I really hoped that they had done a Volume 2 also. My favorites were The Lady with the Dog and Kiss. These two stories are absolutely stunning in their realism and frankness. These stories are still very valid in our present time. A must listen!

A Box of Chocolates

This is a box of chocolates. Smooth, rich, and deeply satisfing. I savored each and every piece and went looking for more.

Griffin is excellent

Narrator Griffen really brings these stories alive. His interpretation seems to fit the the story's character and theme. I only wish that there could have been more stories included in this volume. It is a little scant in the number it offers, but what is offered is golden.

great intro to Chekhov

These Short stories by Chekhov narrated beautifully, sometimes with a beautiful background music, are a great introduction to this great Russian writer.

Nearly unlistenable

Stories: 4.5/5

Narration: 1/5

I've never been exposed to Chekhov, and was naturally a bit apprehensive, but was quite happy to discover that the stories were not only very accessible but refreshing and still quite original and thought-provoking. The prose itself naturally feels slightly dated and often heavy-handed, but the themes and characters are the thing here and each of these tiny little morsels becomes more flavorful after it's over and you've had time to turn it over in your thoughts.

The problem is the narrator.

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Title: Treasure Island

Author: Robert Louis Stevenson

Narrator: Frederick Davidson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 50 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-19-05

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 68 votes

Genres: Fiction, Literary

Publisher's Summary:

For plain and pure imaginative delight, Treasure Island is unsurpassed. From the moment narrator Jim Hawkins meets the blind pirate Pew at the Admiral Benbow Inn until the spirited battle for hidden treasure on a tropic island, the novel spawns unforgettable scenes and characters that have thrilled readers young and old since its original publication in 1883. A story that centers around the battle between good and evil, Treasure Island is, in the words of G.K. Chesterton, "the realizaton of an ideal, that which is promised in its provocative and beckoning map; a vision not only of white skeletons but also green palm trees and sapphire seas."

(P)1997 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic Reviews:

"Climb aboard for the swashbuckling adventure of a lifetime. Treasure Island has enthralled (and caused slight sea-sickness) for decades. The names Long John Silver and Jim Hawkins are destined to remain pieces of folklore for as long as children want to read Robert Louis Stevenson's most famous book. With it's dastardly plot and motley crew of rogues and villains, it seems unlikely that children will ever say no to this timeless classic." (Amazon.com)

Members Reviews:

All the ingredients, but this book does not work for me

Treasure, adventure, suspense, deceit, a charismatic bad guy, good guys on the run, history coming to life, threats everywhere, games of deadly hide-and-seek -- this book has everything!

I don't know why, though, but the book just left me feeling flat. I've read and enjoyed other classic kids and YA books such as "The Three Musketeers" and "Little Women", but this one was like a ride on a roller-coaster ... on a day when I'd rather be at the planetarium.

Treasure island

Fun story although very different from the movie I remember watching as a child. I did have to read some things twice as this was not a book I could read with distractions due to the dialogue. Overall. It was good an I am glad I read it.

Brush up on your Pirate speak and grab ye map, matey.

Treasure Island: loaded with lots of gun play and swashbuckling action; just what every boy needs in his life. This is guaranteed to exercise the imagination of young and old alike. Themed around the hunting of treasure, I think the story is more a study in character, morels and integrity. Oh, and donât forget the cool geographic descriptions of Skeleton Island; be sure to read the second half of the book with a treasure map handy if at all possible.

My kids loved it

They. Ant really sit through listening to it being read to them seeing that it doesn't have pictures; but being able to read it and relate the story to them was a satisfying experience for us. Thank you Kindle

Not a good audio experience

Ordered as an audio book but had to listen to with the text to audio version which is mechanical and therefore difficult to listen to. If I did something wrong then I apologize for being technically inept. The book itself is a classic and I enjoyed the story very much, but it was painful to listen to without the correct tones and inflections.

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Title: Gimpel the Fool and Other Stories

Author: Isaac Bashevis Singer

Narrator: Theodore Bikel

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 37 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-16-99

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 37 votes

Genres: Fiction, Literary

Publisher's Summary:

These 4 stories are infused with the wit and imagination, the humor and wisdom, that characterizes all of Isaac Bashevis Singer's work. Theodore Bikel reads these wise and funny tales in classic Yiddish storyteller cadence, injecting special warmth and resonance. The tales include "Gimpel the Fool," "Esther Kreindel the Second," "The Spinoza of Market Street," and "The Black Wedding."

(P)1986 by The Audio Partners Publishing Corp.

Critic Reviews:

"Singer...celebrates the dignity, mystery, and unexpected joy of living with more art and fervor than any other writer alive." (Peter Prescott, Newsweek)

Members Reviews:

Wonderful example of the best storytelling ever

What did you love best about Gimpel the Fool and Other Stories?

The human characterizations connected with me and carried me through the stories.

What about Theodore Bikels performance did you like?

His voice is so soothing and yet full of the essence of the characters. Beautiful performance.

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Title: Sabbath's Theater

Author: Philip Roth

Narrator: David Dukes

Format: Unabridged

Length: 16 hrs and 56 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-16-99

Publisher: Phoenix Books

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 192 votes

Genres: Fiction, Literary

Publisher's Summary:

National Book Award, Fiction, 1995

Critic Reviews:

"This splendidly wicked book . . . is among the most remarkable novels in recent years. . . . The energy of the book is amazing.... Roth is hilariously serious about life and death." (

The New York Review of Books)

"Roth's extraordinary new novel is an astonishment and a scourge, and one of the strangest achievements of fictional prose that I have ever read. . . . It is very exquisite." (

New Republic)

Members Reviews:

A great book by a great writer

Those with fragile sensibilities should look elsewhere, but make no mistake: this is Roth's masterpiece. Exhilarating, challenging, lyrical. Wonderfully performed as well.

Train Rex

Some of Roth's best writing, but almost impossible to get through because of Mickey Sabbath's determination to live life as frivolously and libidinously as humanly possible. In fact,the sheer inventiveness of Sabbath's (and Roth's) debauchery is almost superhuman or perhaps inhuman, as if he were the embodiment of a force of nature, a Pan or a Puck. Oddly, I found the book extremely depressing when reading to myself and hilarious when I read portions out loud to a friend. Overall, I'm glad I read it, but getting inside the head of Mickey Sabbath was an uncomfortable experience.

Modern Masterpiece by a Spectacular Writer

First, I am a fan of Roth, have read a number of his books and look forward to reading more. Roth was denied the Nobel again in 2014. While reading/listening to this book I felt I better understood why he will likely never win. Nobel's will provides that the prize be given for outstanding work in "an ideal direction". Brilliant as Roth is, there is nothing "ideal" about his work in general or about Sabbath's Theatre in particular. Roth is anti ideal. The antithesis of idealism. He will not uplift your spirit or get you to feel better about what it is to be human. His gaze is unflinchingly honest and his eloquence unsurpassed. Sabbath's Theatre is a high water mark of a great writer in full flight. It is dark. It is challenging. It is graphically sexual (many will find it pornographic). It is depressing. It is also laugh out loud, set the book down, hilarious. It is quite a strong stew. What is Sabbath's Theatre about? It is about loss, how integral to life loss is, and the spiritual consequences of loss. David Dukes narration is pitch perfect.

Suicidal Puppeteer; Master MANipulator of Women

Fair warning: Swaths of this 1995 National Book Award winner pulsate with the prurient, the pornographic ponderings of Philip Roth, who vaunts his venery as a sextagenarian, plunging into the piercing tale of Mickey Sabbath, a 64-year-old primal puppeteer (-retired) with a penchant for prostitutes and loose women, bawdy bopping, and, generally, close encounters of the lewd kind.

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Title: Green on Blue

Author: Elliot Ackerman

Narrator: Piter Marek

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-17-15

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 39 votes

Genres: Fiction, Literary

Publisher's Summary:

From a decorated veteran of the Iraq and Afghan Wars and White House fellow, a stirring debut novel about a young Afghan orphan and the harrowing, intractable nature of war.

Aziz and his older brother, Ali, are coming of age in a village amid the pine forests and endless mountains of Eastern Afghanistan. There is no school, but their mother teaches them to read and write and once a month sends the boys on a two-day journey to the bazaar. They are poor, but inside their mud-walled home, the family has stability, love, and routine.

When a convoy of armed men arrives in their village one day, their world crumbles. The boys survive and make their way to a small city, where they sleep among other orphans. They learn to beg, and eventually they earn work and trust from the local shopkeepers. Ali saves their money and sends Aziz to school at the madrassa, but when U.S. forces invade the country, militants strike back. A bomb explodes in the market, and Ali is brutally injured.

In the hospital Aziz meets an Afghan wearing an American uniform. To save his brother, Aziz must join the Special Lashkar, a U.S.-funded militia. No longer a boy but not yet a man, he departs for the untamed border. Trapped in a conflict both savage and entirely contrived, Aziz struggles to understand his place. Will he embrace the brutality of war or leave it behind,and risk placing his brother - and a young woman he comes to love - in jeopardy?

A former Marine and CIA officer, Elliot Ackerman has written a gripping, morally complex debut novel, an astounding act of empathy and imagination about the duplicitous nature of war.

Members Reviews:

A Young Man. An Old War.

War is never simple. Allegiances are never static. This is a revealing look at our involvement in the Middle East from an Afghan perspective.

The choices we make

Any additional comments?

Everything has its price! Does it? How much does a human life cost and who determines what is it? What would you do, if both of your parents were killed, your house destroyed, and your brother handicapped because of an explosion carried out by someone you dont even know?! Would you seek vengeance on an unknown enemy for the death and maiming of the loved ones by joining the war? An eye for an eye.. A vicious circle Where does it end? or does it go forever until we are all blind? Are you a believer in an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth? Or, do you forgive and forget?

Green on Blue is a wonderfully emotional, inspiring and eye-opening story about a young man, named Aziz, who becomes a victim of the circumstances. A victim of the horrors of modern day war in Afghanistan, he learns that the enemy that he fights is an invented" enemy; one created by the higher powers to support the war effort. Vividly written and beautifully narrated, the story takes us to a different world, a world of a foreign soldier who has to make difficult choices to survive. If you are interested in getting another perspective about the events you often learn about from the news, Green on Blue is a great choice.

Reminded me of Things Fall Apart

This book reminded me, in its tone and structure, of Things Fall Apart. The reason I say this is because, for the most part, it is a pretty conventionally-told, straightforward story of one mans life. Granted, the settings are completely different, but the attention to the details of everyday is similar, and the way the characters sort of succumb to their lot in life.

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Title: How It All Began

Author: Penelope Lively

Narrator: Katherine Kellgren

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 38 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-05-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 361 votes

Genres: Fiction, Literary

Publisher's Summary:

A vibrant new novel from Penelope Lively - a wry, wise story about the surprising ways lives intersect.

When Charlotte Rainsford, a retired schoolteacher, is accosted by a petty thief on a London street, the consequences ripple across the lives of acquaintances and strangers alike. A marriage unravels after an illicit love affair is revealed through an errant cell phone message; a posh yet financially strapped interior designer meets a business partner who might prove too good to be true; an old-guard historian tries to recapture his youthful vigor with an ill-conceived idea for a TV miniseries; and a middle-aged central European immigrant learns to speak English and reinvents his life with the assistance of some new friends.

Through a richly conceived and colorful cast of characters, Penelope Lively explores the powerful role of chance in people's lives and deftly illustrates how our paths can be altered irrevocably by someone we will never even meet. Brought to life in her hallmark graceful prose and full of keen insights into human nature, How It All Began is an engaging, contemporary tale that is sure to strike a chord with her legion of loyal fans as well as new readers. A writer of rare wisdom, elegance, and humor, Lively is a consummate storyteller whose gifts are on full display in this masterful work.

Critic Reviews:

Katherine Kellgren is an agile, appealing narrator who navigates the many characters with ease. Whether voicing a native Londoner or an English-language learner from the Continent, Kellgren exudes effusive and consistent energyThis is a well-paced, fun recording of an entertaining novel. (AudioFile)

Members Reviews:

Wonderful and beautifully written

This was such a great surprise. I loved all the characters to the point of missing them when the novel was over and the story is compelling. I wouldn't miss this one if you want to have a good literary romp.

Wanted to like it more than I did

I had thought that this would be one of those six-degrees-of-separation deals, where the effects of the mugging ripple directly outward. Instead, it felt more as though the affected were a closed circle, some of whose members I did not care for much. Kellgren's accents were good, especially the mugging victim Charlotte, and Czech immigrant Anton. However, at other times, she spoke in a "plummy" voice which I found a bit irritating. Others' mileage may vary on this one, but my experience was that it filled time, and not much else.

highly recommended!

Any additional comments?

This was full of both humor and insight. Wonderful characters, great plot, great fun. The book is rathah British in its outlook but still quite relevant for American listeners and readers.

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Title: Shylock Is My Name

Author: Howard Jacobson

Narrator: Michael Kitchen

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-09-16

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 39 votes

Genres: Fiction, Literary

Publisher's Summary:

Man Booker Prize winner Howard Jacobson brings his singular brilliance to this modern reimagining of one of Shakespeare's most unforgettable characters: Shylock.

Winter, a cemetery, Shylock. In this provocative and profound interpretation of The Merchant of Venice, Shylock is juxtaposed against his present-day counterpart in the character of art dealer and conflicted father Simon Strulovitch. With characteristic irony, Jacobson presents Shylock as a man of incisive wit and passion, concerned still with questions of identity, parenthood, anti-Semitism, and revenge. While Strulovich struggles to reconcile himself to his daughter Beatrice's "betrayal" of her family and heritage - as she is carried away by the excitement of Manchester high society and into the arms of a footballer notorious for giving a Nazi salute on the field - Shylock alternates grief for his beloved wife with rage against his own daughter's rejection of her Jewish upbringing.

Culminating in a shocking twist on Shylock's demand for the infamous pound of flesh, Jacobson's insightful retelling examines contemporary, acutely relevant questions of Jewish identity while maintaining a poignant sympathy for its characters and a genuine spiritual kinship with its antecedent - a drama that Jacobson himself considers to be "the most troubling of Shakespeare's plays for anyone, but, for an English novelist who happens to be Jewish, also the most challenging".

Members Reviews:

Far beyond expectations

Based on the initial Amazon reviews of the book, I would not have purchased this if it had been narrated by anyone other than Michael Kitchen. I am so glad I did. It is a brilliant exploration of whether non-Jews have indeed moved on in our opinions of Jews since Shakesepeare's time. It was written as a modern retelling of The Merchant of Venice so some of the plot points are quite contrived, but, if you forget about trying to make the connections and allow the book to stand on its own, it will reel you in and leave you thinking about it long after it has ended.

Wonderful narration

Would you consider the audio edition of Shylock Is My Name to be better than the print version?

I didn't read the print version.

Have you listened to any of Michael Kitchens other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have listened to all available Michael Kitchen performances and this is up to his usual high standard.