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Title: Edgar Allan Poe Audiobook Collection 2

Subtitle: William Wilson / The Masque of the Red Death

Author: Christopher Aruffo, Edgar Allan Poe

Narrator: Christopher Aruffo

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 7 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-20-13

Publisher: Acoustic Learning Inc.

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

William Wilson is drawn into a desperate struggle against a mysterious doppleganger intent on his destruction.

The Masque of the Red Death: As his kingdom dies of a hideous plague, the Prince revels in his palace, sealed away from a gruesome fate. But is he as safe as he believes...?

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Title: The Oblong Box

Author: Edgar Allan Poe

Narrator: David Ian Davies

Format: Unabridged

Length: 27 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-10-13

Publisher: One Voice Recordings

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Edgar Allan Poe uses three elements, which make the mystifying atmosphere in the "Oblong Box". He uses nature, mystery, and a deep romantic love.

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Title: The Gold Bug

Author: Edgar Allan Poe

Narrator: Mark F. Smith

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 36 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-19-13

Publisher: Spoken Realms

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

A breathtaking piece of luck, coupled with an unlikely coincidence, secured by a piercing intellect and curious nature, lead three friends to believe they might possibly uncover pirate gold! With all the insight and reasoning of a Sherlock Holmes, Poe's William Legrand plucks faint clues seemingly from mid-air and carefully arrives at a conclusion of exactly where in the world to dig.Has he reasoned - and guessed - correctly? Or, will the only gold he sees be the color of his eponymous beetle?

Members Reviews:

The Gold-Bug and Other Tales

With Edgar Allen Poe, the subjects of death and decay are never long for which to wait; not particularly pleasant topics.

And yet, no one else (in my opinion), handles these topics so deliciously! The title of this collection is The Gold-Bug and Other Tales, and it's the 'other tales' which are my favorites.

I've always viewed Masque of the Red Death as prescient of the Ebola virus; however what this story is truly about is the futile attempt of an unnamed noble, and his entourage to escape the inevitability of death. They hole themselves up in the noble's castle, surrounding themselves with their opulence, rich food and wine and other amusements. Their attempt is to shut themselves off from a plague which is ravaging the countryside. Ironically, Poe was critiqued in his early writings of not demonstrating a cognizance of what was happening in society and the politics of the time. Yet here is Poe, recognizing the futility of the upper classes, (of which he was a member), in trying to escape the horrors of life with which people of the lower classes (such as slaves of his time), had to cope. Held to have been a racist and pro-slavery, he clearly seems to have recognized the plague sweeping the US,(slavery),and the inevitable impact it would have on the white upper classes. Whether one chooses to view this story as a metaphor for slave uprisings and the threat to the white upper class, or as a spark of conscience illustrating the retribution due a society, when those in power attempt to separate themselves from, and propagate the sufferings of those who are subjugated, the story is an entertaining and haunting read.

The subject of conscience for misdeeds is further explored in The Tell Tale Heart, in which the narrator can't escape the 'lub-dub' of the beating heart which the narrator hid under the floor boards, after a committed murder.

In Cask of Amontillado, it is the jingling of the bells on the hat of the hapless wine trader as he is buried behind a wall. The description of guilt and its total consumption of the guilty has never been so aptly described!

I would recommend this collection to anyone who is interested in descriptive writing, Literature classes, and those who love gothic macabre.

Great book at a great price

Great book at a great price! I am passing through Charleston, SC soon and remembered that one of my childhood favorites "The Gold Bug" takes place on nearby Sullivan's Island. I thought it would be neat to reread this story and visit Sullivan's Island, which has become somewhat of a monument to Edgar Allan Poe. I look forward to checking out Poe's Cafe.

Awesome for a little book

Ok ok I will say the N word is used in this book making it a little cringe worthy, however one must remember the era in which it was written. Fabulous story. I had never read a Poe story thinking they were lame.

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Title: The Stolen White Elephant

Author: Mark Twain

Narrator: Cathy Dobson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 45 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-18-13

Publisher: Red Door Audiobooks

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Calamity strikes when the precious gift of a white elephant from the King of Siam to the Queen of England is stolen in America. But it is the hilarious antics of the detectives trying to track down the beast which occupies us. As the rampaging elephant heads east, or maybe west, or possibly north or south, it leaves a trail of death and destruction.

But it seems that not even the finest detectives in the land and offers of ever greater rewards can pinpoint the animal's whereabouts. Until finally it turns up in the least likely place of all...

Members Reviews:

Another Mark Twain Masterpiece!

Why anybody would need to read a review for a free download of a book is beyond me, but here it goes! I thought that I had read all of Mark Twain's books, but it looks as if I might have overlooked this book.

This fictional story of a stolen elephant is truly a joy to read. Many parts of this ridiculous and incredibly detailed story of an idiotic bureaucracy are just as true today as they were 150 years ago. This is another masterpiece reflecting Mark Twain's imagination and wry sense of humor. I think there was a sentence or two in which the original text was somehow scanned incorrectly, but it didn't raise my hackles enough to warrant the purchase of an original (OMG paper) version of this book! Reading any Mark Twain book in an E-Book form has many advantages over the paper version. In nearly every chapter, Mark Twain used an obscure word that I could not recall the definition of. In an E-Reader (I use a Nook Fire) you can highlight the unfamiliar word, and immediately get the definition of that word. If you like Mark Twain, you will want to read "The Stolen White Elephant".

I was a little disappointed that there was only one line

I read it mainly because I heard that my hometown of Monroe, Michigan was mentioned. I was a little disappointed that there was only one line. I had hoped it would be featured more prominently. But it was good. How can you say no to Mark Twain. LOL

Five Stars

Love the book.

Not worth buying free

There seems to be problems with transcribing some parts of books such as this. Throughout, the major turning points of the stories, which are quotes from either letters or newspaper articles, are completely missing. I am guessing that the missing sections appear in italics or some variant form.

This not the only book in which I have seen this -- makes the entire thing useless. The whole development of the story involves newspaper ads -- all of which are missing.

Missing bits, but still appreciable

This is not a well done copy of The Stolen White Elephant. As other reviewers have noted, bits are missing throughout the story. Mostly newspaper clippings are missing, but frequently the article bits that do make it in have their formatting a bit butchered. The story is still very good and worth reading in this format, just know that if you really love it here then it is worth rereading in a printing that has the whole thing.

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Title: Cannibalism in the Cars

Author: Mark Twain

Narrator: Cathy Dobson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 22 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-14-13

Publisher: Red Door Audiobooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Mark Twain's brilliant tale of a train stuck on the prairie in a snowdrift, where the starving passengers resort to a daily ballot to select which fellow traveller will be sacrificed to provide the next meal. Will it be the succulent Mr. Harris of St. Louis, the juicy Mr. Messick of Colorado or the scraggy, tough Mr. Davis of Oregon?

Twain's gentle gallows humour shines through the story and we find ourselves laughing out loud at the most grisly of details. Masterly!

Members Reviews:

Good if you're into too-standard English

This book is good as long as you're into too-standard, Shakespearian-like English where the humor is cloaked behind the carefully knitted, grammatically-intended sentences, a book suitable for an English teacher who desires rough words humor.

Quite good to teach for a special class of students but not my idea of some before bed time laughter or fun. Nevertheless I must say that I exceptionally admired the sketch about Adam & Eve, a marvellous adorble one!

Please forgive my review if you're a great fan of Mark Twain.

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Title: The One Million Pound Bank Note

Author: Mark Twain

Narrator: Cathy Dobson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 48 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-07-13

Publisher: Red Door Audiobooks

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

When the young American Henry Adam accidentally finds himself alone and penniless in London, he unwittingly becomes the subject of an astounding bet between two brothers. He is presented with a bank note for one million pounds, to use as he pleases for a month. One brother believes the note will prove useless to him. The other believes that, even though nobody will be able to offer him change, the Americans mere possession of the bank note will mean that plenty of people will offer him credit, believing him to be wealthy.

But as Adam begins his strange adventures in London society, the tale takes an amazing twist....

Members Reviews:

Clever tale

Always reading the original "Mark Twain" sans editing (because the searing humor is intact), this tale is a good one, but not at the humor level of other works such as "Innocents Abroad". It's also a relatively brief story, but will keep the reader intrigued and it has a couple of surprise twists to catch the unwary.

Bad formatting makes it nearly illegible

This appears to be a hastily-done OCR scan of a print book. It's full of garbage characters and unexpected linebreaks that make it difficult to read.

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Title: Hop Frog

Author: Edgar Allan Poe

Narrator: Robert Gworek, Cherry Lorenzana, Michael Summers, Kevin Yancy, Gary Zupkas, K. Anderson Yancy

Format: Unabridged

Length: 34 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-03-13

Publisher: SonicMovie.net, ChicagoWood Media, Wollcott & Sheridan

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Hop-Frog, a crippled court jester, endures indignities at the hands of a temperamental king and his ministers. But when the king brutalizes Hop-Frog's love, Tripetta, the jester plots revenge.

Members Reviews:

Four Stars

Little-known Poe, and interesting for that reason.

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Title: The Yellow Wallpaper

Author: Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Narrator: K. Anderson Yancy, Heather Wood

Format: Unabridged

Length: 42 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-27-12

Publisher: SonicMovie.net, ChicagoWood Media, Wollcott & Sheridan

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

A woman, struggling with mental illness, fights to maintain her sanity in her home, haunted by an apparition from behind her bedrooms yellow wallpaper.

Members Reviews:

Awful sound effects

High pitched shrieking noises are so loud you can't hear the reader. gives me a headache. Awful to listen to.

Good story

I loved the story

the sound effects took away from the story, they were too loud in some places and made it hard to hear the performance.

"Sonic Movie" -- not a straight reading

I use Audible books in tandem with Kindle primarily to regulate my reading speed and increase comprehension. If one were merely listening to this title, they would not notice where a few liberties are taken with the text -- some repetitions, additions (a passage from "My Love is a Red, Red Rose"), and some text is obscured by sound effects.

If one were using this title for school, as I am, it could lead to a misquote or erroneously pointing out literary devices author Gilman didn't use.

If listening to this title for pleasure, this version is fine. It would make an especially good Halloween listen. It was well-acted and the acting and sound/music heighten this creepy story. Just keep in mind that it is acted, rather than merely read like other Audible books. There isn't just a slight change of voice for characters, but actors, music, sound effects, creepy laughter, etc. I generally listen in the car, but this one has some surprise and loud sounds that might have startled me if I'd been driving.

All in all, a good performance, you should just know what you're getting into.

Not my favorite

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

I could not listen to the whole thing! The story seem to be about an unending description of the wall paper on the bedroom wall.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The attempt at sound effects to enhance the mood or experience of the story is so off the track and too loud at times you can barely hear the narrator.

The recording quality is like it was recorded in a tin can.

Any additional comments?

I wish I could ask for a return. Only consolation I have is I purchased it at a sale price.

Good story, Bad production

This book wasnt for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

The story was really good, but the sound effects were sometimes louder than the narrator. I had the listen to it with the book to make sure I was hearing it correctly. That being said, the main narrator was really good.

How could the performance have been better?

The narrator was awesome. Her voice was great and I wish I could have heard more of it through the sound effects.

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

Irritation from the loud distracting noises while the narrator was speaking.

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Title: To Build a Fire

Author: Jack London

Narrator: Jaime Andrade

Format: Unabridged

Length: 49 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-06-12

Publisher: Brook Forest Voices

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

The classic short story "To Build a Fire", by American author Jack London, is brought to life in ways he probably never imagined when it was first published in 1908. The subtle blending of narration and music create a vivid image of the "Man" and his "Wolf Dog" as they set out on foot along the Yukon in temperatures colder than negative 50 degrees F. With plans to meet his friends at a logging camp by 6:00pm, the Man finds himself pitted in a life-or-death struggle with nature. Whether or not youve read this great American classic, youll be riveted by this audio version with sound enhancements of the Mans harrowing adventure in the Gold Rush era, in Alaska.

Members Reviews:

Chilling

A great short story, you feel like you're with the character, trying to survive. Jack London does a fantastic job I bring life to the situation.

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Title: The Offshore Pirate

Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald

Narrator: Mike Vendetti

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 9 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-23-12

Publisher: Spoken Realms

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

This short story remains an enigma, as F. Scott Fitzgerald once again takes on the aristocracy. The heroine, Ardita, beautiful, rich, and spoiled rotten lounges on her uncle's yacht until she is carried away by an offshore pirate, Curtis Carlyle. Carlyle tells her of his upbringing as poor white trash in a Tennessee town, and his rise to become a successful musician - but one who has never been able to dance with the aristocracy. Until that is, the beautiful, spoiled-rotten Ardita falls in love with him, as much as she is capable of falling in love with anyone other than herself, on the deserted tropical island.

But is this just a dream or fantasy in Ardita's mind? You be the judge, as Fitzgerald's last line, "kissed him softly in the illustration", reveals that this is either a story or Arditas dream.

Members Reviews:

Narrator destroyed it

Would you try another book from F. Scott Fitzgerald and/or Mike Vendetti?

Yes.

Would you be willing to try another one of Mike Vendettis performances?

Absolutely NOT.

Any additional comments?

This narrator ruined a very good story. His performance was so bad I don't know how it made it to audiobook. Very disappointing.