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Title: Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Subtitle: Selected Poems

Author: Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Narrator: Nadia May

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 11 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-16-99

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Classics, Poetry

Publisher's Summary:

This collection contains poems Elizabeth Browning wrote in her early days as well as the last poems she wrote before her death at 55: ballads, religious, social-reforming, and political verse. Included are: "The Dream," "The Image of God," "A Sea-Side Meditation," "The Tempest," "Night and the Merry Man," "The Romaunt of Margret," "The Romance of the Ganges," "The Lost Bower," "Rime of the Duchess May," "Catarina to Camoens," "The Romance of the Swan's Nest," "A Man's Requirements," "A Woman's Shortcomings," "A Curse Before a Nation," "Christmas Gifts," "My Heart and I," "A Musical Instrument," and several others, all of which demonstrate Browning's astonishing versatility and mastery of the English language.

(P)1995 by Blackstone Audiobooks

Members Reviews:

Wonderful book...

This is an excellent biography, very well written. It flows easily and is never confusing, with one notable exception -- the use of pet names in Elizabeth's family. The employment of nicknames is a peculiarity which biographers are not required to adopt, much less slavishly adhere to, but they do it anyway.

Elizabeth's intellectual brilliance even in her early teens was noteworthy, but it was after the family's move from the countryside to London that her poetical gift came into public notice. Unfortunately the move to London also coincided with the breakdown in her health and with the increasing domination of her father over his children.

A highly effective aspect of this book is the frequent use of brief quotations from letters written by Elizabeth and other people. Sometimes it is just a phrase but it is useful in establishing place, time, color, opinion, and every other particular of interest to the reader.

I highly recommend this wonderful, very thorough history of an exceptional woman.

Good read for a biography.

This is the book to read if you want to know about her amazing life and death as a poet mother and wife

Some of the best love poetry ever written

Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poetry, especially the "Sonnets from the Portuguese," is beautiful, intelligent, and honest love poetry. Anyone who has experienced the doubts, fears, and transformation of love will recognize the truth of the poet's struggle to trust and to love.

One great and memorable poem justifies a life - work

Reading through this volume I find it difficult to become deeply engaged. Something in the archaic, quaint language of much of the poetry deters.

Yet there is a poem, the poem of all the anthologies that is a great and memorable one, one that justifies a life- work.

" How do I love thee , Let me count the ways" is one of the most beautiful and inspiring love- poems ever written.

Five Stars

good

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Title: Stepping Stones

Author: Seamus Heaney

Narrator: Seamus Heaney

Format: Abridged

Length: 2 hrs

Language: English

Release date: 12-16-99

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 53 votes

Genres: Classics, Poetry

Publisher's Summary:

This selection of Seamus Heaney's poems is drawn from nine collections, including The Spirit Level, and provides a perfect introduction to the full breadth of Heaney's poetic concerns. It is a unique record of interpretation; Heaney reads with all the intimacy and authenticity that only the poet himself can bring to his work.

(P) and ©1990 Penguin Audiobooks

Critic Reviews:

Winner of Publishers Weekly Listen Up Award: Best Audio of 1996, Poetry.

"More than any poet since Wordsworth he can make us understand that the outside world is not outside, but what we are made of." (John Carey, Sunday Times)

Members Reviews:

A gentle, gracious and personal performance

Forget the machinations of celebrity. This poet speaks to you as a friend. He shares the poems and he shares a few details of his experience in writing them,, with minimal jargon. He is talking to a reader, not to someone merely trying to pass an examination. No wonder he is very popular. I like his work even more after hearing these through his own voice.

Last of the Irish Renaissance poets

Seamus Heaney represents the end of an era, the last of a direct line back to W.B. Yeats and Lady Gregory to 1870. Although regarded as a poet in the tradition of the Irish Renaissance, he is not an Irish Romantic. Heaney is a nostalgic realist.

AUDIBLE 20 REVIEW SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY

It's Seamus Heaney

Would anything I said really make it even more Seamus Heaney? Those who buy this book do so because their mind and heart have formed a lovers' conspiracy and in their subterfuge they compel the body--possesed by this desire for the authentic. Their tryst is in the listening of it.

Bad Audio quality makes this unlistenable

What disappointed you about Stepping Stones?

I could not return this book. This is the first book from audible i'm unhappy with, and it's not Seamus Heaney's fault. It's just that it sounds like it was recorded from a cassette.. badly

Why is it not eligible for return?

Any additional comments?

I may not renew audible sub based on this experience of their return policy.. turns out none of the books in my library are returnable..

Not 2 hours, poor sound quality

What does Seamus Heaney bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

It's always a joy to hear a poet read his own work, especially a poet as talented as Seamus Heaney. However, the sound quality on this brief recording is very poor. Heaney's powerful reading sounds muffled. Also, the book is marked as "2 hrs" but the recording is only 1 hour and 13 minutes. That's a lot closer to 1 hr than 2 hrs.

Any additional comments?

Heaney is an excellent poet, worth exploring in any medium!

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Title: Dubliners

Author: James Joyce

Narrator: Donal Donnelly

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-16-99

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 37 votes

Genres: Classics, World Literature

Publisher's Summary:

These vivid portraits of the author's native city weave a tapestry of Dublin and its people, yet also poignantly mourn the decline of Irish culture and civilization. Published in 1914, the collection was decried by some as obscene, but Joyce saw the work as "a chapter in the moral history" of Ireland. The stories present a vision of Dublin's claustrophobia and psychological paralysis, but the work's heaviness is balanced by an eccentric assortment of characters and the author's dry, often unexpected humor. Donal Donnelly narrates all 15 masterful stories, including "The Dead", "Araby", "The Boarding House", and "Eveline."

Editorial Reviews:

Narrator Donal Donnelly seems to slip on his tweed coat and walk into the Irish mist, so spot-on is his delivery of Joyce's homage to his hometown. Donnelly shifts from character to character with ease and brings a playful attitude to all the stories. An overarching claustrophobic tone, appropriate to the works, is offset by Donnelly's portrayals of the colorful characters. As the stories unfold, Donnelly uses his ample narration techniques to become a pleasing guide for this journey of exploration.

Members Reviews:

great book, dull performance

Joyce's tales are filled with vibrant and deep characters that fall flat in this reading.

Good reading, but muffled sound

Donal Donnelly gives a spirited reading of "Ulysses" (unfortunately not available on Audible as of this writing), and I was looking forward to this one; but the sound is muffled, as if the reader were speaking through a blanket. I've noticed that on a number of older recordings, even in type 4 versions. If the recording were more clear, it would probably rate a 5.

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Title: The Greatest American Poetry

Author: Walt Whitman, Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, Carl Sandburg

Narrator: Bill Pullman, Meryl Streep, Elliott Gould, Burt Reynolds

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 59 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-16-99

Publisher: Phoenix Books

Ratings: 2 of 5 out of 15 votes

Genres: Classics, Poetry

Publisher's Summary:

Elliott Gould, Burt Reynolds, Meryl Streep, and a host of other celebrities read over 100 poems by four of America's greatest poets. Walt Whitman celebrates the brash and rugged individualism of his country in exuberant language. The spare, precise language of Emily Dickinson conveys her penetrating vision of the natural world and an acute understanding of the most profound human truths. Robert Frost draws his inspiration from everyday incidents, common situations, and rural imagery. Pulitzer Prize winner Carl Sandburg's poetry embodies a love of and compassion for the common man that earned him the nickname "poet of the people".

Members Reviews:

Painful

It is like someone found a beautiful and ancient persian rug, and, feeling that it wasn't quite enough on its own, decided to paint racing stripes on it. Narration - great. Quality - terrific Poems - wonderful (of coarse). All spoiled by that obnoxious music playing in the background. Seriously, who in their right minds, takes a lyrical art, an art that is demanding enough on the listener, and says lets put some loud complex violin music in the background!

A good gift, but poorly wrapped

I enjoyed the material and readers on this audiobook, but continually wished that the titles of individual poems were given more consistently and that a listing of the poems was available somewhere through audible or elsewhere. I wanted to study the material further in print, but was frustrated in identifying poem titles for that purpose.

Like Listening to a Ransom Note

Excruicating. Haphazard. It was the audible equivalent of a ransom note. Bits and pieces in different styles and sizes stuck together, sharp and torn corners, with glue squeezing out the corners.

horrible

I am sure the poetry is fine, but this did not translate well into electronic form. The quality is poor and the readings are not that entertaining or engaging. One of the few electronic books I gave up on.

Wow, wonderful poetry reading!!!

So many different all star voices reading there favorite poems from their favorite author's. I liked best The Road less Traveled by Frost, But I can not say who read it just that I loved it. There are many many that I loved as well, but MS brain won't let me remember the titles or names here. Just that I loved them and I will listen to this again and again.

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Title: Duino Elegies and The Sonnets to Orpheus

Author: Rainer Maria Rilke (translated by Stephen Mitchell)

Narrator: Stephen Mitchell

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-15-99

Publisher: Phoenix Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 42 votes

Genres: Classics, Poetry

Publisher's Summary:

The poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke addresses the issues of God, death, and "destructive time." Rilke tries to transform these problems into an inner world, what he calls "a whole inner world as if an angel, comprehending all space, were blind and looking into himself." Eminent author and translator Stephen Mitchell brings these ideas vividly to life in this new translation of Rilke's most transcendent works.

Recording (P)1997 by Audio Literature; Copyright ©1995 by Stephen Mitchell

Critic Reviews:

"Rilke has at last found, in Mitchell's version, the ideal English poetics and the perfect translator." (William Arrowsmith, co-author of The Craft and Context of Translation)

Members Reviews:

warning: listen before buying

I wish I had! The narrator gives a simpering, anemic reading of one of the most vital, compelling works in all of literature, as if trying to be the very apotheosis of an effete sensitive Victorian poet. Maybe Rilke intended his work to be read in this way, but I doubt it. Its more like a parody, and an unlistenable one at that. What a waste!

Remarkable poetry read by its best translator

This is a brilliant collection of poetry read by Stephen Mitchell, by far the preeminent translator of Rilke. It is a nice combination, with clear audio and a very credible reading.

Missing material

Mitchell's translations are haunting and evocative, and while the recording quality leaves something to be desired, the sound is not as poor here as it is on some other Mitchell recordings.

My main complaint is that this audiobook omits the author's Foreword (where much of Mitchell's contributions are) and one of the Sonnets to Orpheus (XVI of the First Part). While some readers might care to hear only the poems themselves without any of the biographical context or notes on translation method on the Foreword, it seems that anyone who ordered this book would want to hear all of the poems in their entirety. Here's hoping it is rerecorded and rereleased in greater fullness.

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Titre: Hamlet

Auteur: William Shakespeare

Narrateur: Armand Maistre, Vibert, Suzanne Bing

Format: Original Recording

Durée: 54 mins

Langue: Français

Date de publication: 08-31-10

Éditeur: Editions Eponymes

Genres: Classics, Poetry

Résumé de l'éditeur:

Hamlet est le fils du Roi de Danemark, mais c'est un prince tourmenté qui regarde avec méfiance son oncle Claudius, devenu roi à son tour et époux de la reine veuve, Gertrude.

Avec :

(P) et © Editions Eponymes

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Title: The Beautiful and Damned

Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald

Narrator: E. Tavano

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-24-17

Publisher: Lindhardt og Ringhof

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Classics, World Literature

Publisher's Summary:

"The Beautiful and Damned", first published by Scribner's in 1922, is F. Scott Fitzgerald's second novel. The novel provides a portrait of the Eastern elite during the Jazz Age, exploring New York Café Society. As with his other novels, Fitzgerald's characters are complex, especially in their marriage and intimacy, much like how he treats intimacy in "Tender Is the Night".

The book is believed to be largely based on Fitzgerald's relationship and marriage with Zelda Fitzgerald. It tells the story of Anthony Patch (a 1920s socialite and presumptive heir to a tycoon's fortune), his relationship with his wife Gloria, his service in the army, and alcoholism.

©2017 SAGA Egmont (P)2017 SAGA Egmont

Members Reviews:

Lordy. Two people, who have no business getting married, end up falling in love with each other

Lordy. Two people, who have no business getting married, end up falling in love with each other. Anthony is a dull intellectual and Gloria is a capricious flapper, and they somehow manage to fool each other and themselves that they are meant to be. And naturally, their worse instincts make it into a nightmare marriage. (To be fair, I don't want to say whose fault it is...but it's definitely a lot more Anthony's fault).

And that's not even considering the wide assortment of friends, 1920's young aristocrats meandering away their lives until they're 29 and looking in the mirror, and finally notice that they aren't immortal.

The book is just shy of being a great book. But the first half is thunderously slow-paced, a little too on-the-nose about how much Anthony and Gloria putter around. And the second half...there's a lot to unpack there, but I'm not sure if the conclusion is executed well enough to earn the ending. But it's clear that Fitzgerald was well on his way of refining his style and themes of empty decadence and tragic romance.

...And it's also clear that Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda had issues. Write what you know, I guess.

Great Fitzgerald as always, The Audio book read by William Dufris makes it even better

This is by far one of my favorite books of all times, and having listened to the Audio Book read by William Dufris, I enjoyed it even more. His voice talents are amazing and he really immerses the reader/listener into the book.

The Sad tale of being the spoilt brat of life, is beautifully portrayed and complemented by Fitzgerald's writing style. I'll definitely re-read this book again in a few years times

Absolutely touched

The beautiful part of this book with the short stories is amazing. I loved every story R.M Drake wrote. Each spoke to me in a different way, as if I could relate it to my own life. I felt moved and touched by each and every short story. Some reviews complain they didn't like the stories at all, but in my opinion, I couldn't have enjoyed any other just like these. I will never forget these stories I have read and I hope he makes another book similar. I rather read them than his quotes/poetry any day. Hands down, one of his best books I've read this far.

This book is a real disappointment. The novel must be in the public domain ...

This book is a real disappointment. The novel must be in the public domain because this volume is soul-less, lacks any publication history, except that of the Seller. Even the cover illustration is inappropriate.

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Titre: Correspondance

Sous-titre: Sigmund Freud - Stephan Zweig

Auteur: Sigmund Freud, Stephan Zweig

Narrateur: Marc-Henri Boisse, Jean-François Maurel

Format: Unabridged

Durée: 1 hr and 48 mins

Langue: Français

Date de publication: 05-06-13

Éditeur: Brumes de mars

Genres: Classics, World Literature

Résumé de l'éditeur:

Zweig est vraiment le fils que Freud aurait aimé avoir : Il apprécie en lui sa "modestie intérieure" tout en étant séduit par l'écrivain, si proche à bien des égards d'Arthur Schnitzler qu'il considérait comme son "frère jumeau" (Roland Jaccard).

Pendant trente ans, Freud et Zweig vont échanger des lettres dans lesquelles percent l'admiration, et même une certaine affection, qu'ils ont l'un pour l'autre. Freud considère très vite Zweig comme un écrivain visionnaire, et Zweig est un des premiers à entrevoir le génie de son ainé.

L'auteur

est né à Freiberg (Moravie) en 1856, de nationalité autrichienne et meurt à Londres en 1939. Médecin neurologue, il est le fondateur de la science psychanalytique et l'auteur d'une oeuvre incontournable qui influence l'ensemble des sciences humaines: médecine, psychologie, sociologie, philosophie, linguistique...

Le narrateur

, comédien, animateur principal de la compagnie L'arbre Théâtre.

© Editions Payot & Rivages (P) Brumes de mars

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Titre: Magellan

Auteur: Stefan Zweig

Narrateur: Marc Hamon

Format: Unabridged

Durée: 8 hrs and 29 mins

Langue: Français

Date de publication: 03-11-16

Éditeur: Le Livre qui parle

Evaluation: 5 sur 5 sur 8 votes

Genres: Classics, World Literature

Résumé de l'éditeur:

"Il ne savait ni sourire, ni plaire, ni se rendre agréable ; il était en outre incapable d'exposer ses idées avec éloquence".

Peu loquace, renfermé, retranché dans son isolement, cet éternel solitaire créait autour de lui une glaciale atmosphère de gêne et de méfiance. Il montera pourtant une expédition avec cinq navires et 250 hommes, sous l'égide du roi Carlos 1er (Charles Quint).

Le récit tant du montage de l'expédition que du périple en lui-même est haut en couleurs, plein de rebondissements, passionnant. On le dévore comme le meilleur des romans d'aventures. On est là, à bord du bateau amiral, déplorant les altercations avec les trois capitaines Espagnols ; on vibre au rythme des flots, des grains, des tempêtes.

©1938 Grasset (P)2015 Le Livre Qui Parle

Avis des membres:

Zewig and Magellan

Magellan was a Portuguese explorer who led the first expedition to sail from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. He is the one who named the Pacific Ocean (âpeaceful seaâ) for the calmness of its water and the lack of wind. Although he wasn't alive to complete the entire journey himself after he was killed in a rather unnecessary battle with a local king in the Philippines, the expedition that he once led resulted in the first circumnavigation of the earth. Needless to say, the journey wasn't smooth and clear skies all along otherwise there would hardly be a reason to write a full book about this expedition. Magellan had to overcome the Portuguese king who tried to sabotage this voyage, the mutiny of his crew, hunger, thirst and very harsh weather. Oh, yeah, he also lost his life.

Zweig and his stirring prose style seem well suited for the task of writing about this dramatic expedition. Just consider this, for example: âHis native country left him in the lurch; his ties with office and duty had been severed. So much the better, now he was free. As so often when a man seems to be at the mercy of the winds, he is in reality being blown back upon his own self.â

In his novels, Zweig tends to focus in the psychological aspects of his characters. What drove them and why they acted the way they did. This shows in his biography of Magellan. He portrays him as a quiet introvert and as a very calculated man who rarely made any decision without considering the long term; he was also fairly harsh (at least according to our standards today), but yet very fair.

Zweig doesn't dwell too much into to the details of each and every small thing that happened. Along with his dramatic and enjoyable prose style, "Magellan" reads more like one of Zweigâs novels.

If you can, read his work in German. He has a great way to keep you curious and in suspense .

Outstanding biography written by an excellent author. Sad that he had to leave Austria like so many other German intelectuals during the Nazi regime into emigration. I Love all of his biographies. He gave his life away fare too early.

Masterpiece

Brilliant narrative of the beginning of the modern era. By encircling the Earth, humans later came to erroneously believe they owned it.

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Title: Around the World in Eighty Days

Author: Jules Verne

Narrator: William Martin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 56 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-31-17

Publisher: Audioliterature

Genres: Classics, World Literature

Publisher's Summary:

"Around the World in Eighty Days" by Jules Verne is an adventure classic. The main character is Phileas Fogg, a rich British gentleman living in solitude. Despite his wealth, Fogg lives a modest life with habits carried out with mathematical precision. Very little can be said about his social life other than that he is a member of the Reform Club. Having dismissed his former valet, James Forster, for bringing him shaving water at 84 F (29 C) instead of 86 F (30 C), Fogg hires a Frenchman, Jean Passepartout as a replacement.

At the Reform Club, Fogg gets involved in an argument over an article in The Daily Telegraph stating that with the opening of a new railway section in India, it is now possible to travel around the world in 80 days. He accepts a wager for 20,000 (equal to about 1.6 million in 2015) from his fellow club members to complete such a journey within this time period. Jules Verne (1828-1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright best known for his adventure novels and his profound influence on the literary genre of science fiction.

©2017 Audioliterature (P)2017 Audioliterature

Members Reviews:

Around the World in 80 Days

Everyone knows the basic story, but reading the book was quite painful and not enjoyable for a middle schooler who chose it from the summer reading list. It's written in a stuffy, 19th century style, which is great if one enjoys such writing. As an adult, I love the stuff, but it really was hard to wade through the formal prose and starchy descriptions. I don't recommend modernizing it, although that would introduce it to a generation that will otherwise not make an effort.

Accompanies the Video Trip

Having seen this television series of Michael Palin's trip, this is a nice way to refresh the memory. I understand that the book follows the video series very closely. I intend to read it at some time. I got it for my late husband and he did enjoy reading it. Mr. Palin's observations of the world were very interesting.

David Niven was a perfect choice.

Wonderful book. It evoked my memories of the original movie I watched in younger days. It is also quite a lesson in changing perceptions AND realities. It was, after all, written 143 years ago, and the world has changed a bit. Now you can circumnavigate the globe without even an engine (solar airplane), but between Homeland Security, customs officials everywhere, infrastructure maintenance failures and other modern inconveniences, Mr. Fogg's record might beat yours if you attempted the same route. I wonder if TripAdvisor could set me up . . .

Good translation and nice themes

One of the more simple works of Verne in my opinion. Good translation and nice themes. The characters themselves didn't attract me a great deal. Fine quality book and a fairly easy read.

I Always Love This One

I give it five stars. It's always a favorite. I read it with my eleven year old in our homeschool. She said, "It's not my favorite book, but it's okay." I, on the other hand, love the beauty behind the message of Mr. Fogg's journey. It would seem as though there really are some things in life that mean more than glory and riches. ;)