Get the Most Popular Audiobooks in Classics, British Literature Top Rated

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Title: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

Author: James Joyce

Narrator: Flo Gibson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 1 min

Language: English

Release date: 11-05-13

Publisher: Audio Book Contractors

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

A forerunner of Ulysses, this autobiographical novel deals with Stephen Dedalus' childhood, adolescence and early manhood. His growing rebellion against Catholicism and his family background, his first love affairs and his interest in art, literature and aesthetics are explored in stream-of-consciousness sequences.

Members Reviews:

Moocow Meets Labyrinth-Maker

An excellent edition: great introduction, popular price, strong scholarly apparatus.

Only good.

Good. Dubliners and Ulysses are both great.

Beautifully written but not for me.

While I can understand why this boo is considered a classic, it was awfully long winded for me. Pages and pages of hell fire and damnation sermons, along with more pages and pages spent musing on religion and politics. It is a coming of age novel and perhaps I would have enjoyed it more when I was younger and more tormented. It is beautifully written, but wordy.

it truly is a wonderful book, and anyone who wants to fancy them ...

One of Joyce's classic publications, and slightly more readable than "Ulysses," for those just getting into his work. The language is floral, descriptive, and at times daunting. You may find yourself re-reading multiple pages (that all describe one scene), just to remind yourself of the plot line. However, it truly is a wonderful book, and anyone who wants to fancy them self a literary aficionado should have this in their library.

The 2008 reissue isn't changed from 2000

The last time I taught the Portrait I used Oxford's excellent 2000 edition. In 2008 this was reissued with a new Standard Book Number, but so far I've found no changes in the text. The bibliography hasn't been updated, for instance, and the typo on p. 134 of the 2000 printing (where the sentence "Once a priest always a priest" comes out "Once a priest ways a priest") is still there in 2008.

But there is a change in the cover design. In 2000 this included part of Gino Severini's "Self-Portrait," but in 2008 the picture has been cut further back and it's now misidentified as "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man."

This edition is still excellent, but if you have a chance to buy the 2000 printing there's no point in spending more on the 2008 printing.

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Title: The Christmas Stories of Charles Dickens

Author: Charles Dickens

Narrator: Michael Page

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 9 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-08-13

Publisher: Dreamscape Media, LLC

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Everybody knows A Christmas Carol, but the prolific Charles Dickens wrote several other holiday tales. Here, Dreamscape Media has compiled a collection of Dickens' classic Christmas stories.

Included within are: A Christmas Tree; What Christmas is as we Grow Older; The Poor Relation's Story; The Child's Story; The Schoolboy's Story; Nobody's Story.

Members Reviews:

Like the stories; the format, not so much

This is NOT a review of the Dickens stories. It's a review of the Kindle format. If you are purchasing this, you are probably already familiar with at least one of the stories, and the others, tnough none comes up to "A Christmas Carol", are satisfyingly Dickensian.

The format is the pits, though. The TOC is not interactive, which means that to get from one story to another, you must either page through or do a search. The TOC does not come up on the Go To menu, either. Since the stories are not arranged in a logical order ("The Chimes", Dickens' second Christmas story, comes before "A Christmas Carol") you probably won't want to read through in the order they are listed. Shorter Christmas stories are lumped together, so unless you already know the title to do a search, you have to page through.

If you lose your place, as sometimes happens on Kindle, it takes awhile to find it. The captions for the pictures are a little squirrely in terms of placement. There are blank pages between some sections. There are enough misspellings that it can frustrate a search: "Chritmas" instead of "Christmas" for example.

With titles this old and in the public domain, there is really no reason one should have to pay more than 99 cents to get a decently formatted text, but I guess one does.

What's Christmas without Dickens?

This is a nice illustrated paperback edition of Dickens' Christmas stories. I have had it by my "reading chair" for some time. If your experience of Dickens ends with a reformed Scrooge, you are cheating yourself out of some other classic stories that are engaging and entertaining and sometimes as warming as "a bowl of smoking bishop."

I have this both in hard copy and on my Kindle. Just order it and give yourself some time away from the mall or the computer during Advent and Christmas.

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Title: The Wind in the Willows

Subtitle: A Musical in Two Acts

Author: Daven Tillinghast, Andrew Gordon, Bruce Whitney

Narrator: full cast

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 58 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-08-13

Publisher: Open Road Productions

Ratings: 2 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

A new, full cast musical adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's tale of friendship, adventure, and finding your place in the world.

Toad is always keen to take on the latest fad, but his new obsession with motor-cars might lead to ruin. Can loyal Mole, clever Rat and stalwart Badger save Toad from himself, and take back Toad Hall from the weasels of the Wild Wood?

Adapted by Kenneth Grahame's story by Andrew Gordon. With original songs and music by Bruce Whitney. Original lyrics by Daven Tillinghast, Andrew Gordon and Bruce Whitney.

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Title: The Pickwick Papers: Dickens on Dickens

Author: Charles Dickens

Narrator: Gerald Dickens

Format: Unabridged

Length: 31 hrs and 48 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-13-13

Publisher: Create Digital Publishing

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Charles Dickens' first novel, The Pickwick Papers, is here performed by his great, great grandson Gerald Dickens.

The members of the Pickwick Club travel throughout the English countryside by coach and report back on their findings to the other members. The novel includes many memorable characters involved in numerous comical misadventures.

Members Reviews:

Love this Baggy Monster of a Novel

This was the first Dickens novel I read back some decades back. Even as a young boy, I fell in love with the absurd Pickwick Club members and fell in love with it again as a middle aged man as an audiobook. What makes this book a truly special listen is the totally over the top performance by Gerald Dickens (the author's great great grandson). Especially delightful is his rendition of Sam Weller (Pickwick's manservant) and his father. Be warned though, because this was Dickens' first novel, and like the others a serialized one, this one is a baggier monster than many of his others. There are a lot of chapters which are little more than just experiments in absurd story telling from one character to another and do nothing to advance the plot, but the plot, and its advancement, are really of little consequence in this book. This is just a master learning his craft, and doing his absolute utmost to wring laughs from his reader. You will laugh and even when you groan over the long Dickensian wordplay (meant to earn more money since the pay was by the word) at times, you will find yourself grinning foolishly more often than not.

This is not the best Dickens novel by any measure. It is a loose comic construction and its main virtue is that it is just a hell of a lot of fun. But sometimes, because that is what novels can do better than any other entertainment form, that is more than enough. I have Gerald Dickens' other readings of his ancestor's work. I hope he does them all eventually.

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Title: My Head! My Head!

Author: Robert Graves

Narrator: Gordon Griffin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 58 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-30-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Written in 1925, My Head! My Head! was Robert Graves's first novel - a retelling of the story of Elisha and the Shunamite woman. Graves amplifies the brief Old Testament story into a series of dramatic encounters between the wandering prophet and his inquisitive, quick-witted hostess, who, by skilful questioning, prizes from Elisha the secret religious history of ancient Israel and the true story of the patriarch Moses. Graves uses the extended dialogue of Elisha and Jochebed to elaborate his own unorthodox theory of the origins of primitive Judaism and the role of Moses in the eventual triumph of the cult of Jahweh over the other desert religions of the time.

Robert von Ranke Graves (24 July 1895 - 7 December 1985) was an English poet and novelist, scholar, translator and writer of antiquity, specialising in Classical Greece and Rome. During his long life he produced more than 140 works. Graves's translations and innovative analysis and interpretations of the Greek myths, the memoir of his early life, Good-bye to All That, and his speculative study of poetic inspiration, The White Goddess, have never been out of print. Graves earned his living by writing popular historical novels, including I, Claudius (for which he was awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize), King Jesus, The Golden Fleece and Count Belisarius. He was elected Professor of Poetry at Oxford in 1961 and made an honorary fellow of St Johns College, Oxford, in 1971.

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Title: The Way of Peace

Author: Bram Stoker

Narrator: James Langton

Format: Unabridged

Length: 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-11-13

Publisher: Harmonic Wave

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

The Way Of Peace recounts the tale of how a young bachelor learns of the secret to a happy, successful marriage from an old couple just celebrating their 50th anniversary. Told in the charming Irish accent of the old couple, the story takes on the feel of a delightful advice manual.

Bram Stoker (1847-1912) was an Irish writer of novels and short stories, most famous for his Gothic horror novel Dracula. Although he wrote throughout his life while working as a personal assistant and theatre manager, he did not achieve much literary fame until after his death.

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Title: Elders and Betters

Author: Ivy Compton-Burnett

Narrator: Teresa DeBerry

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-10-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

The Donne familys move to the country is inspired by a wish to be close to their cousins, who are to be their nearest neighbours. It proves too close for comfort, however. For a secret switching of wills causes the most genteel pursuit of self-interest to threaten good relations and even good manners....

Ivy Compton-Burnett employs her sharp ear for comedy and celebrated powers of dialogue to spectacular effect. She reveals a devastating microcosm of human society, in which the elders are by no means always the betters, in which no character is totally scrupulous, but none without their appeal.

Members Reviews:

Horrifically bad performance destroys a very good

I don't know if Teresa DeBerry is English, but based on her performance reading this book I'm pretty sure she is a not particularly good American actress trying to do a posh English accent. In fact her accent is so bad and her reading so overdone and ridiculous it's impossible to get into the book. At one point I wondered whether she was either drunk or not a native English speaker--her delivery is so stilted and slow. Why oh why does she think she has to affect such an annoying, arch accent? I would like to return this if I could but not sure if I can. She has completely ruined what should have been a delightful book.

Dreadful reading

Would you try another book written by Ivy Compton-Burnett or narrated by Teresa DeBerry?

I would try another Compton-Burnett but I was driven demented by the dreadful reading. It was almost impossible to distinguish between the characters given the accents and characterisation.

I would definitely not listen to another narration by Teresa DeBerry. For a good example of how to do it, see Jill Balcon or Penelope Wilton.

Would you recommend Elders and Betters to your friends? Why or why not?

Not this narration.

Who might you have cast as narrator instead of Teresa DeBerry?

Penelope Wilton

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Elders and Betters?

Had to give up as I couldn't stand the narration

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Title: The Balliols

Author: Alec Waugh

Narrator: Paul Hodgson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 20 hrs and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-30-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

This audiobook tells the story of the Balliol family as they exist through the suffrage movement and the end of the Edwardian era to the Great War. The Balliol children are subject to the effects of the war - the harsh discipline and the subsequent laxness, the breakup of family loyalties, the post-war cynicism and, in the youngest child, the ultimate trend back to a sounder pattern of life.

The action of this audiobook, which is swift, continuous, and dramatic, develops side by side with the plot of its theme that "to build a sanctuary, you must destroy a sanctuary"; that the destruction to which these 30 years have been witness was an inevitable and necessary part of progress. Vigorously pursuing the fortunes of an English family during the most turbulently shifting period in history, The Balliols combines the feeling of Cavalcade with the powerful narrative flow of the Forsythe Saga.

Alec Waugh (1898-1981) was a British novelist born in London and educated at Sherborne Public School, Dorset. Waughs first novel, The Loom of Youth (1917), is a semi-autobiographical account of public-school life that caused some controversy at the time and led to his expulsion. Waugh was the only boy ever to be expelled from The Old Shirburnian Society.

Despite setting this record, Waugh went on to become the successful author of over 50 works, and lived in many exotic places throughout his life which later became the settings for some of his texts. He was also a noted wine connoisseur and campaigned to make the cocktail party a regular feature of 1920s social life.

Members Reviews:

Epic saga beautifully told

Where does The Balliols rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

I always thought Evelyn Waugh was the most famous brother for a reason, but this has more depth to it than anything Evelyn wrote. Slow start, but once the story really gets going you can't stop listening. The narrator does a fine job discriminating between the many, many upper class English characters using great characterisation. Lots of Cockney soldiers in Hugh's section, and an inspired decision to make the WWI novelist and Hugh's friend a northerner.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Balliols?

That would give too much of the story away.

Any additional comments?

I'll be reading more Alec Waugh from now on, and looking for more fiction read by this narrator.

narrator distracts from story

What did you like best about The Balliols? What did you like least?

I enjoyed the look at a changing culture, the ideas towards women/voting/marriage. It is too bad that the narrator, especially with his dialogue (think pompous pretentious voices for every character), distracts from the storytellling.

Any additional comments?

I'll read this one in print... couldn't read in audio...

lovely, downton abbey stuff

i could read this all day, lovely descriptive prose at each juncture. sad when it ended

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Title: Persuasion

Author: Jane Austen

Narrator: Flo Gibson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-10-13

Publisher: Audio Book Contractors

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Gentle, charming, sensitive Anne Elliott is persuaded to break her engagement to Captain Wentworth. Eight years later they meet again. Has their love survived?

Members Reviews:

It's One Heavy Book

So I just wanted to let others know that this collection is one giant book of all Austen novels combined. You can't tell from the picture, but I was actually expecting (and hoping for) individual books packed in one box like other book collections I have. So I was definitely a bit disappointed when I received this book. And while I am used to reading large books like David McCullough biographies, this compilation is by far the heaviest I have in my possession. I'm not sure I will be able to read this in bed or even hold it up in my arms for any long period of time. So beware. I would have chosen differently if had this information when I was contemplating purchase.

EMMA

A lot of water under the bridge since first reading this book many years ago. I do not know why I liked it so much them...possibly I was blinded by adolescents and want everyone to have a loving mate and played match maker myself thinking also I was above others..shame on me!! This book the second time around was so frustrating I could have screamed in parts. How dare Emma feel so superior in her small town and looked for others to make over in her image. How dare she play match maker with every eligible bachelor and made in the area thinking she knew best. Was she a true friend visiting all the families and offering her solicitations as if she were the queen and it being a big gift to shower her presence with others (all of whom she felt were inferior) on a regular basis.

Glad to have revisited this book and will revisit others but don't think they will be by Jane Austen. My book was downloaded onto my Kindle from Amazon.

Its starts off Emma becoming good friends with a girl named Harriet

Emma Woodhouse is a young girl growing up in a family of wealth and high class. Throughout the story, Emma becomes what some would call a matchmaker. Its starts off Emma becoming good friends with a girl named Harriet. Harriet doesnât know her parents therefore she doesnât have money or a high social ranking. Emma attempts to set her up with two different men and both come crashing down miserably. Emma attempts to help everyone Emma falls in love with a man by the name of Frank Churchill. She thinks they will wed, but later on you find out heâs already secretly engaged to a woman by the name of Jane. Emma is devastated by this but begins to reflect upon her feelings. She ends up confessing her love for her brother in law Mr.Knightley who has been guiding her throughout the story and Harriet marries Mr. Martin.

Jane Austenâs writing style was very witty, short, and sweet. She used clever wording that packs a punch in short sentences. The sentences could be unfinished and have dashed, which was used for emphasis on the urgentness and feeling of the character talking. The mood of the story is somewhat ironic. The author seems to have a deep connection with the characters, but likes to show their flaws and insecurities by making fun of them. All the characters seemed believable. I could relate them to people in my life. Their actions and such would be different considering it was written in the 1800s, but if I just changed some things around it made me think of my friends and family. The place was believable.

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Title: The Charge of the Light Brigade

Author: Alfred Tennyson

Narrator: K. Anderson Yancy

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-03-13

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

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

"The Charge of The Light Brigade" - written in 1854 by one of the great representative figures of the Victorian age, Lord Alfred Tennyson - celebrates the heroism of a British cavalry unit mistakenly ordered to attack a vastly superior Russian stronghold amidst the Battle of Balaklava during the Crimean War (1853-1856), a military conflict between Russia and a coalition of Great Britain, France, the Kingdom of Sardinia, and the Ottoman Empire.

Members Reviews:

This is really bad can't understand the poem

What would have made The Charge of the Light Brigade better?

What a waste of money can't understand the reader music way too loud

What was most disappointing about Alfred Tennysons story?

Can't hear the reader

Would you be willing to try another one of K. Anderson Yancys performances?

Who knows couldn't tell what he was saying

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Charge of the Light Brigade?

The background music, way too loud

Any additional comments?

True it wasn't expensive but still a waste of money

WHY?

why make such a mess of a simple yet dramatic poem? I was going to give it to my grandson now I may just erase it. the narrator has gone compleately over the top with reverb and unessesary and overbearing effects, again WHY? the poem is dramatic, read it with passion yes but don't, as in this case, obliterate the words with technical wizardry and for the first 5 minutes make the poem uninteligable, even to someone who has known it for several decades, just WHY?