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Title: Oroonoko

Author: Aphra Behn

Narrator: Clare Wille

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 3 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-23-17

Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

A vivid love story and adventure tale, Oroonoko is a heroic slave narrative about a royal prince and his fight for freedom. The eponymous hero, Oroonoko, deemed royalty in one world and slave in another, is torn from his noble status and betrayed into slavery in Surinam, where he is reduced to chains, fetters, and shackles. But his high spirit and admirable character will not be suppressed.

The book was groundbreaking at the time of its publication and is considered to be one of the first novels written in English. Its condemnation of slavery and Europeans and striking portrayal of sexuality and violence shrouded Behn's name in controversy for years after it was published.

Members Reviews:

amazing!

she really helped me to finish this book. Clear and easy to follow. recommended for sure!

Amazing to think this was written in the 1680s

Hadn't heard of Aphra Behn until she featured on 'In Our Time'. Definitely worth a listen.

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Title: Vanity Fair

Author: William Makepeace Thackeray

Narrator: Philippe Duquenoy

Format: Unabridged

Length: 27 hrs and 50 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-11-17

Publisher: A.R.N. Publications

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 11 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Set in Regency England, Vanity Fair follows the lives of two young women from drastically different backgrounds. Becky Sharp is the daughter of a lowly art teacher while Amelia Sedley is the daughter of a wealthy investor. Although the two women are worlds apart in personality and background, Becky and Amelia become friends while in finishing school. When Amelia invites Becky to her family home, events are set in motion that result in both tragedy and fortune.

Vanity Fair takes the listener into a male-dominated society driven by materialism and greed. It is a world where a woman's position is determined by how well she marries. Becky will settle for nothing less than the best, while Amelia is satisfied with the life she has always known. Thackeray is known for his satirical works targeting British society, and Vanity Fair does just that.

Members Reviews:

A good book spoiled by an unsatisfactory narrator.

This a good classic by one of my favorite authors. I started listening but was very disappointed by the flat and tedious tones of the narrator.

I have already asked to return this book but it is still in my library. If the return of this version of the book can be accepted I will search Audible for an alternative version.

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Title: Black Beauty

Subtitle: An Audible Original Drama

Author: Anna Sewell, R. D. Carstairs - adaptation

Narrator: Samuel West, Samantha Bond, Tamzin Outhwaite, Paul Thornley, Matt Stokoe

Format: Original Recording

Length: 4 hrs and 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-20-17

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 57 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Framed as a first-person narrative from the eponymous horse, this much-loved family classic follows Black Beauty's journey from a well-born colt to a painfully overworked cab horse. Brimming with vivid detail and relatable characters, each chapter of Black Beauty's long and varied life communicates an important message about kindness, sympathy and understanding.

Following the success of the double Audie award-winning Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book: The Mowgli Stories, Audible Originals UK are excited to announce this reimagination of Sewell's unique concept as an animal-based audio drama for all the family.

Black Beauty features lead performances from Samuel West (BAFTA nominated; Mr Selfridge, Howards End), Samantha Bond (SAG nominated; Downton Abbey, James Bond), Paul Thornley (Harry Potter & the Cursed Child, Les Misérables) and Tamzin Outhwaite (EastEnders, Great Expectations, Foyle's War) as well as the original theme music 'Galloping Home' by Denis King.

Critic Reviews:

"Get ready to laugh, cry and sigh with nostalgia as everyone's favourite fictional horse makes a comeback." (Horse & Countryside)

"Perfect for the whole family to listen to together." (The Week)

Members Reviews:

Childhood memories.

beautiful story like how I remembered from when I was a child. great cast and wonderful sound effects.

Loved it

Made me cry i love how it felt like i was watching a movie !! Both in my head, and in audio form :)

Excellent.

Really ally loved this radio drama... The book is really brought to life in thia stunning pw performance.

Loved the various voices

Would you consider the audio edition of Black Beauty to be better than the print version?

Yes, because of the voices.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Black Beauty because I could hear the emotions in his voice of kindness, exhaustion, happiness and sometimes disgust at the ignorance of people and lack of thought for an animal. I also loved Ginger. Her voice showed so much emotion too.

Have you listened to any of the narratorss other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to any of the narrator's prior performances. I am new to Audible.

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

It brought me to tears several times when life became hard for the horses. I love horses and own one. I hate when they are mistreated.

Any additional comments?

I read Black Beauty as a child, but would recommend this audio book to anyone. It also teaches a lot.

Very Wonderful

I'm grateful to the Audible customer service representative who recommended this book to me 'cause it's a really wonderful book. It is also sad in some parts, but it has a happy end.

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Título: Notas sobre el nacionalismo [Notes on Nationalism]

Autor: George Orwell

Narrador: Juan Antonio Bernal

Formato: Unabridged

Duración: 59 mins

Idioma: Español

Fecha de publicación: 03-02-17

Editor: Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial

Calificaciones: 4.5 de 5 de 11 votos

Categorías: Classics, British Literature

Resumen del editor:

George Orwell ofrece una de las reflexiones más lúcidas sobre los nacionalismos. En tiempos como los que estamos viviendo, los nacionalismos y los extremismos en todas sus formas resurgen con fuerza. En este extraordinario ensayo, publicado en mayo de 1945, en los estertores de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, George Orwell establece una definición del nacionalismo que vas más allá del vínculo con un lugar geográfico, como un pernicioso estado de rigidez mental en el que no tiene cabida ni el debate ni la reflexión.

Please note: This audiobook is in Spanish.

Opiniones de los miembros:

me encanto

cuanto para pensar, mas ahora en esta fase que vivimos donde las emociones y el cuidado de lo propio nos lleva a pensar que es lo verdadero

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Title: Moll Flanders

Author: Daniel Defoe

Narrator: Georgina Sutton

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 24 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-03-17

Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 17 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

"The fortunes and misfortunes of the famous Moll Flanders, who was born in Newgate, and during a life of continue'd variety for three-score years, besides her childhood, was twelve year a whore, five times a wife (whereof once to her own brother), twelve year a thief, eight year a transported felon in Virginia at last grew rich, liv'd honest, and died a penitent."

So begins Moll Flanders, Daniel Defoe's honest portrayal of one woman's struggle for economic survival in an unsympathetic world. Told with uncompromising directness and an extraordinary empathy, it is, as Virginia Woolf once claimed, "one of the few English novels we can call indisputably great".

Members Reviews:

Lively and convincing

Moll Flanders is a wicked creature but a lively narrator; and Georgina Sutton is a delightful reader. After a lifetime of sexual indulgence and theft, Moll ends up happy and repentant on the Eastern Shore, managing a plantation with her husband and reunited with her son - the product of another marriage to a man who turned out to be her brother.

It's a sparkling tale that shows off Defoe's skill with characters and dialogue. It's written in the first person, as if Moll (not her real name, she assures us) is writing her own memoirs. I found Defoe's impersonation of a female narrator convincing. (I should note that when I mentioned this over breakfast one morning, my daughter said: "How would YOU know?" Point taken. All I really know is that I found myself returning to the audiobook with pleasure many times during the day.)

Pure joy.

What a delight to travel back three hundred years and make new acquaintances. Highly recommended.

Interesting artifact

What a difference a few decades can make! I seem to remember having a lot more sympathy for the heroine the first time I read this. This time, Moll began to grate. As many times as she bemoaned her fate with a cry of - and I, without a friend in the world - you'd think she'd try to cultivate a few before she got into another pickle. She doesn't. You get very little sense that she cares about anything outside her own small orbit. Ye gods, after having and abandoning so many children I lost count, she claims her son in the colonies is her only child!

But I quibble. It's still fascinating to read/listen to this for what it is: a very early example of the English language novel. It's not at all explicit, but it's frank, and I have to think it's a pretty good depiction of how difficult life could be for a poor woman in 17th century England.

Georgina Sutton is excellent as the narrator.

AUDIBLE 20 REVIEW SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY

Moll Flanders

loved the book, very funny in places and will recommend it to my friends.... Thank you !!!

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Title: The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde

Subtitle: BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation

Author: Robert Louis Stevenson

Narrator: full cast, John Dougall, Stuart McQuarrie

Format: Original Recording

Length: 1 hr and 26 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-01-16

Publisher: BBC Digital Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

A brand-new BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of the classic novel by Robert Louis Stevenson.

At its heart is an enigma: what is the strange connection between the apparently unrelated Dr Henry Jekyll and Mr Edward Hyde? A battle between good and evil is played out in Victorian London, and its origins are stranger than anyone could imagine.

Members Reviews:

Not bad...but more inspired by than an adaption

What disappointed you about The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde?

it was told from others view points, and not really an adaption of the original tale

Has The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde put you off other books in this genre?

no

Who might you have cast as narrator instead of the narrators?

the cast were fine.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

boredom

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Title: He Knew He Was Right

Author: Anthony Trollope

Narrator: Nigel Patterson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 30 hrs and 32 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-14-16

Publisher: Spoken Realms

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 47 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

When Louis Trevelyan's young wife meets an old family acquaintance, his unreasonable jealousy of their friendship sparks a quarrel that leads to a brutal and tragic estrangement.

Often considered to be his masterpiece, Anthony Trollope's 1869 novel explores the themes of marriage, love, and the rights of women in 19th-century England.

With a cast of independent, forceful characters and lively subplots, Trollope creates a penetrating and often comic dissection of the mores of Victorian society.

Members Reviews:

Nigel Patterson as the narrator is great

The first time I encountered Anthony Trollopes most popular work, He Knew He Was Right, was in a BBC production. My teen aged children and I enjoyed it. I had not read the book that the mini-series was based on. When I was offered the opportunity to review the book narrated by Nigel Patterson, I was happy to finally get a chance at the source.

He Knew He Was Right was written in 1869. It is very important that the listener keep that in mind. It was a very different world, especially for women. The book follows Louis Trevelyan, a wealthy gentleman, who while traveling in one of the Empires colonies (it is a fictitious colony)

meets the girl of his dreams, Emily Rowley. Although Emily has been raised outside of England, she does come from a good family as her father is the governor of the colony. Emily and her family travel back to England for the wedding. The first two years of marriage are wonderful complete with a baby boy. Then Louis begins to take exception to an old family friend, a man her fathers age, visiting Emily. He demands she no longer see the man because he suspects infidelity. Emily digs her heels in and refuses to end her harmless friendship. Louis takes it as proof that he wife is not faithful.

There are several subplots to this book, which is over 300 pages in print and 30 hours in audio. The subplots involve other couples including Emilys sister, Nora. Each couple has their own challenges to overcome, several involving social standing or economic position. While the subplots are interesting, it is Louis and Emilys story that is the main attraction.

I did have to keep reminding myself of the 1869 publication date because I had a persistent and overwhelming need to slap Louis. Emily never, in deed or word, gives him cause to doubt her but he is so insecure he cannot trust her. It is a combination of Emilys stubbornness and Louiss insecurity that cause this to blow up into a major disaster involving both families and dividing friends. That being said, it really is a great book and worth the impulse to slap Louis.

Mr. Patterson does a great job narrating this book. He captures the characters and their emotions. He also handles the language well. Sometimes narrators can allow the more formal language of the 19th century to sound stilted but Mr. Patterson does not. He makes the language flow naturally. I have not had a disappointing listen from Mr. Patterson yet. If you are going to invest in He Knew He Was Right as an audiobook, get the right one with Nigel Patterson as the narrator.

Trollope Forever

I only wish he were still living and writing! anachronistic, yes, but frankly who cares?

Interesting story, great narrator

Interesting story about a man who becomes convinced, wrongly, that his wife has been unfaithful to him. Nigel Patterson is a terrific narrator.

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Title: The Innocence of Father Brown

Author: G.K. Chesterton

Narrator: Alastair Cameron

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-14-16

Publisher: A.R.N. Publications

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 34 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Father Brown was a character created by G.K. Chesterton and draws inspiration from Arthur Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. While Sherlock Holmes' detective career relies on his logic and deduction, Father Brown relies on sympathy and intuition to solve mysteries and crime. The Innocence of Father Brown is a collection of 12 stories that have Father Brown doing what he does best; being a detective. From tracking down thieves in Paris, to robbers and murderers, this is a book that detective story lovers will truly enjoy.

Members Reviews:

A Wonderful Narration

Father Brown is a short, stumpy Catholic priest that has a unique insight into human evil. With his baggy clothes and trusty umbrella, he solves mysteries as an amateur detective. This is a collection of his stories, and fans of the Sherlock Holmes stories and of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle will also be fans of Father Brown, as there are many similarities between the two Holmes and Brown: both are extremely intelligent, have a knack for noticing small details that others dont, and are adept at solving intellectual puzzles.

While those who are great fans of mystery and detective stories will love following Father Browns adventures, at times, the stories can become quite repetitive. Chesterton emphasizes many of the same Christian themes in his stories, and many of the plotlines are the same. Chesterton does a lot in his stories to emphasize the practicality of Christianity in his stories, which fits for the period that they were written in.

The complex crimes and equally complex solutions will have readers continuing to return to Father Browns universe; and even though you may expect that a twist is coming, Chesterton is somehow always able to manage to surprise his readers, in one way or another. And last but not least the wonderful voice of Alastair Cameron was a perfect fit to this novel. His perfectly modulated voice makes a good novel a great listen!

Good mystery

I enjoyed the short mystery stories in the book.

I took some breaks and was happy to return.

critique

narrator just ruins it. Can't bear to listen to him even though the story is so good

I don't enjoy this narrator's style.

I love father brown but this narrator's is a barrier to my enjoying the stories. He's just not to my style.

annoying narration

I listened to the singsong narration for about 15 minutes before giving up and returning this book for a different recording. Personally I couldn't imagine listening to this voice for 8 and a half hours.

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Title: E.F. Benson's Ghost Stories

Subtitle: read by Mark Gatiss

Author: E. F. Benson

Narrator: Mark Gatiss

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 17 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-06-16

Publisher: Random House Audiobooks

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 51 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Mark Gatiss (Sherlock, Doctor Who, Game of Thrones) reads chilling tales by the unsung master of the classic ghost story: E. F. Benson.

There's nothing sinister about a London bus. Nothing supernatural could occur on a busy train platform. There's nothing terrifying about a little caterpillar. And a telephone, what could be scary about that?

Don't be frightened of the dark corners of your room. Don't be alarmed by a sudden inexplicable chill. There's no need for a ticking clock, a limping footstep, or a knock at the door to start you trembling. There's nothing to be scared of. Nothing at all.

Members Reviews:

Gatiss and Benson, a superb combination

I have been a fan of E.F. Benson's ghost stories for many years, and I am also a huge fan of Mark Gatiss, so to run across the combination was a true Christmas treat for me! Benson wrote some wonderful classic ghost stories and this is an excellent selection of some of his best, though of course I wish there were more here. He wrote a huge selection, and it would be lovely to have another volume read by this reader.

Gatiss is a superb reader. I wish we could have a collection of him reading M. R. James (the best ghost story writer to ever live, in my opinion) as I know Gatiss is a fan of James also and I feel sure he would read them splendidly. I also wish that Audible would provide us with Mr. Gatiss reading his own books. I know he has provided audio recordings of at least one of his works, how about getting them for us, Audible? Please?

E.F. Benson Classics Excellently Read by Gatiss

Nine E.F. Benson stories read by Mr. Gatiss. I was pleasantly surprised by his performance - he has a great voice and did some enjoyable character acting. I thought his voice for Mrs. Amworth was more like a creepy old man and a bit out of place, but still entertaining. The stories in this audiobook are:

- Spinach

- In the Tube

- The Room in the Tower

- And No Bird Sings

- Negotium Perambulans

- The Man Who Went Too Far

- Mrs Amworth

- Caterpillars

- The Bus-Conductor

Highly recommended to classic horror fans!

Excellent Ghost Stories!

Have you listened to any of Mark Gatisss other performances before? How does this one compare?

Mark Gatiss is an excellent narrator and does an tremendous job with these tales.

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

Listened to the entire series of stories on one sitting while working on a knitting project. Kept me thoroughly entertained and engaged.

Any additional comments?

Good creepy fun, especially for those who enjoy old-fashioned ghost stories.

Captures the age

It's a nice change from Gothic castles and Victorian weirs but certainly just as creepy.

The airy atmosphere created by the stories & performance makes the eerie parts cut just that bit deeper.

SATURATED with SUPERB SHUDDERS

This little tome is saturated with superb shudders... the old fashioned way of giving you little fingers of dread

running up your spine and over your shoulder... Deliciously subtle...

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Title: Tess of the D'Urbervilles

Author: Thomas Hardy

Narrator: Kate Petrie

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-29-16

Publisher: A.R.N. Publications

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 33 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

The story of Tess, daughter of a poor peddler, is one of heartbreak and sorrow, deception and indecency. When sent to live with a wealthy family, the D'Urbervilles, who are not who they appear to be, Tess endures many hardships and abuse, while trying to make a fortune with the family to whom she believes she is related to. The abuse leads to her getting pregnant by a man named Alec. Upon this discovery Tess returns home to her family, but more misfortune is set to befall her after the birth of her illegitimate child.

Back home, she is able to find work and happiness as a milkmaid, and even discovers her true love, but her secrets come back to haunt her; and Angel, her lover, cannot forgive her past. Even though they have been married, he leaves for Brazil warning her not to come after him. Her past comes back to haunt Tess after her husband leaves, and more trouble befalls her family, forcing her back into the arms of her abuser.

Angel finally returns, ready to forgive Tess, who is wrapped up in an affair she fears she will never get out of. She finally is able to do the unthinkable, but will Angel forgive her sins again? The story will take the listener on a rollercoaster of emotions and plot twists as Tess's fate is determined.

Members Reviews:

Tragic Tess

This is one of the great English novels, probably among the first five in distinction among the novels of the late 19th century. It is certainly Hardy's most accomplished novel. "Tess" is set in Hardy's version of the Wessex region of England, where, for example, the city of Dorchester becomes Casterbridge. This is the story of Tess Durbeyfield. The Durbeyfields used to be known as the d'Urberviiles, centuries before, when they were rich and powerful. As with almost all of Hardy's novels, the evocation of the boggy hill country of southern England is so closely intertwined with nature, that one begins to smell the heady aromas of the countryside. Coincidentally, Roman Polanski's finest film is "Tess", Nastassia Kinski is the perfect Tess, Polanski shows us

the innocence of the girl, how its purity is the reason for her downfall. The scene in which she bites into a strawberry is the ultimate seduction scene for PG audiences.

Eye-opening, tragic story told in an engaging style. No wonder it's a classic!

This is the first Thomas Hardy novel I've read and I think I'm hooked. Will definitely read his others. Excellent writing which really draws you into the story. Loved it. The entire time you're reading it, you feel compelled to rescue Tess from her situation and to scream to the whole hypocritical Victorian world, "It's not her fault!" Near the end of the book, Hardy builds up to such suspense that I found myself holding my breath and praying that things turn out well for Tess. Hardy gives the reader a view of England in 1800's that, in my opinion, is probably a lot more accurate than we would like to believe. And I also think his style is easier to read than Charles Dickens. I highly recommend this book. I have ordered the 1998 DVD from Amazon as it had rave reviews as being true to the book. Can't wait to watch it.

Tragic classic!

Thomas Hardy is a contemporary of Charles Dickens, and his writing is similar. The themes are quite modern for that time, as the protagonist is an atheist or at least agnostic.