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Title: An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

Author: Ambrose Bierce

Narrator: William Roberts

Format: Unabridged

Length: 25 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-20-13

Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

This is a story from the Classic American Short Stories collection.

Five great American short story writers, dating from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, are represented here. Different in atmosphere and writing style, they nevertheless caught the mood and concerns of the day in a way that was distinctly American. Bierce's "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" leaves echoes in the imagination; the stories by Crane and London recall the themes of the Civil War and the Klondike for which they are well known. Twain's humor is to the fore in "The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County," and O. Henry's sharp observations make his neat tales a joy to listen to. An attractive and accessible collection!

Editorial Reviews:

American author Ambrose Bierce earned himself fame with this work. Best known for its nontraditional timeline, "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" takes place during the Civil War. Confederate sympathizer Peyton Farquhar finds himself condemned to death at the start. Dramatic music sets the chilling ambiance of this story. William Roberts's warm baritone carries the tale. His performance feels both calm and intelligent. As an auditory experience, the tale takes on even greater lyricism than in print. Lovers of the short story will enjoy this production.

Members Reviews:

Good price and fast delivery

Interesting selection from Barnes and Noble. Good price and fast delivery. Thank you.

Wonderful stories, melodramatic readings; nearly unlistenable

It is almost a crime to subject classic short stories such as these to this kind of audio treatment. Each is introduced with cheap sound effects or maudlin music. The reader is hopelessly overdramatic, mispronounces words like "coquettry" and cheapens the narrative with dripping emotion and weird rhetorical lifts in his voice. Worst of all is the dialogue which, as if in a radio play, is read by a variety of voices, women for female characters, men for male. Accents are over-wrought, turning the dialogue of masters like Twain and Fitzgerald into caricature. These great stories should be read and, if they must be read aloud, done with respect rather than fear that listeners might be bored without cheap theatrics.

Excellent Readings

These are very good readings of some good stories. Particularly impressive is Bierce's classic "Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge." This story holds up well on re-reading. On one level it's a cool "Twilight Zone" kind of story: man has out of body experience as he's about to be hanged. But on a deeper level, the story is about the interplay of mind and matter and about how to face death.

The O Henry pieces are all amusing, but his stories are a bit superficial and contrived, and I'm not sure they really deserve to dominate this collection. Nor are the Crane and London pieces their best.

But these are good stories, and the readers are excellent.

Five Stars

Beautiful and loved.

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Title: After Twenty Years

Author: O. Henry

Narrator: William Roberts

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-20-13

Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks

Ratings: 1 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

This is a story from the Classic American Short Stories collection.

Here are eight stories from master American writers of the 19th century. They vary from sinister tales by Ambrose Bierce - why is that window boarded up? - and a reflective moment in the life of a woman without children, but forced to look after children, to classic short stories by O. Henry and Stephen Crane. There is even an elegiac description of an eclipse by James Fenimore Cooper, author of The Last of the Mohicans. Read with sensitivity and skill by Garrick Hagon and Liza Ross.

Editorial Reviews:

AudioFile Earphones Award winner William Roberts' distinctive voice creates a sense of authenticity to this O. Henry story set at the turn of the 20th century. A policeman chances upon a man standing in a doorway who tells him that 20 years ago, he and his friend had made a deal to meet at that spot at that particular date. True to O. Henry's signature writing style, there is more to this story than might be expected. Roberts' performance crackles with energy, and he paces the story expertly, allowing the final plot twist to coil and snap like a whip.

Members Reviews:

Production Ruined

This is a classic story ruined by music placed under the narration at the end of the narration. The point of an O. Henry story is the twist at the end and not being able to hear it destroys it utterly.

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Title: Classic Tales of Horror for Halloween

Subtitle: Annotated Masterworks by Poe, Lovecraft, and Others

Author: H. P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe, Ambrose Bierce, Jerome K. Jerome

Narrator: Daniel H. Vimont

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 45 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-21-13

Publisher: Daniel H. Vimont

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 17 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Classic horror stories from the 19th and early 20th centuries - annotated for modern listeners.

This collection of stories and poems was originally selected with oral readability in mind, making this audiobook a sure-fire hit for listening to around the campfire at night, or to play for students - or for friends and family at Halloween get-togethers. For horror fans of all ages, these stories are guaranteed to intrigue, delight, and frighten! Give them a try, and don't be surprised if a few of them make their way onto YOUR list of all-time personal horror favorites!

Included in this collection: A loner living in the backwoods has a monstrous encounter that does NOT go so well. Revenge comes from beyond the grave to a scientist with scant regard for all things supernatural. The mysterious cats of a small town may offer MORE than meets the eye. A crazed murderer relates a classic macabre tale.

Members Reviews:

Wonderfully Frightful!

Where does Classic Tales of Horror for Halloween rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

I've only listened to a handful of Audiobooks over the years, and this one ranks at the top.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The narrator in the Tell-Tale Heart, because this has always been a favorite story, and his character is performed exactly as I've always imagined.

What does Daniel H. Vimont bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

Daniel Vimont's voice and delivery is one of eerie calm, which settles the listener into a relaxed and receptive state. However, beneath that calm is an almost sardonic joy in presenting the horrors of these classic tales, and Daniel uses this as a tool to transfix the listener. When just reading the book, one generally does not experience that kind of almost playful vocal performance in one's mind, especially in a horror story, which is very refreshing.

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

No. As a collection of short, atmospheric terror-tales, I found very entertaining and effective to listen to them over a period of days, during my evening commute from work as it was getting dark.

Well-Done Classic Horror

Perfect for the Fall season! Superb narration.

I was looking for something short, and classic, for the Halloween season, and found these wonderfully narrated classics by Poe, Lovecraft, Jerome and Bierce. I highly recommend if you're an enthusiast of Classic Horror short stories.

Hated the Narration

I found the narration to be horrible on this audiobook, and couldn't turn it off fast enough. Buyer beware!

Dreadful job narrating!

This narrator was PERFECTLY suited to narrate the 'Tell tale heart' but that's the only story in this book he should have narrated. The rest were laughable, and not in a good way.

Classic stories, well read.

Great stories from some of the classics in the genre. The reader does a great job portraying the anxiety of the characters especially in the Tell-tale Heart.

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Title: Gatsby Girls

Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald

Narrator: Jeff Kongs

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-10-13

Publisher: BroadLit

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 12 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

She was an impulsive, fashionable, and carefree 1920's woman who embodied the essence of the Gatsby Girl, F. Scott Fitzgerald's wife, Zelda. As Fitzgerald said, "I married the heroine of my stories." All of the eight short stories contained in this collection were inspired by Zelda.

Fitzgerald, one of the foremost writers of American fiction, found early success as a short story writer for the most widely read magazine of the early 20th century - The Saturday Evening Post. Fitzgerald's stories, first published by the Post between 1920 and 1922, brought the Jazz Age and the flapper to life and confirmed that America was changing faster than ever before. Women were bobbing their hair, drinking, and flirting shamelessly, and Fitzgerald brought these exciting girls to life in the pages of the Post.

A foreword by Jeff Nilsson, archivist for the Post, adds historical context to this wonderful, new collection, which is highlighted by an introduction written by Fitzgerald himself. Listen to the stories that made F. Scott Fitzgerald one of the most beloved writers in America -- and around the world - still today.

Members Reviews:

Excellent and melliflous narration.

Where does Gatsby Girls rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

TOP TWO.

What did you like best about this story?

Fitzgerald 's masterful writing was fully actualized with this narration.

What does Jeff Kongs bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

Perfect intonation and awesome voice acting. Enlivened the entire experience.

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

All. I love Fitzgerald and was pleased the narration did his writing justice.

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Title: The Masque of the Red Death

Author: Edgar Allan Poe

Narrator: Cathy Dobson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 16 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-18-13

Publisher: Red Door Audiobooks

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

The "Red Death" had long devastated the country. No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous. Blood was its Avatar and its seal - the redness and the horror of blood. To avoid the terrible plague which is devastating his kingdom, Prince Prospero locks himself with 1000 revellers in his castle and holds one hedonistic party after another. For months they celebrate their crazed feasts, until one night a stranger appears at the festivities... a stranger who strikes fear into the hearts of all present. Terrifying!

Members Reviews:

great. used it for my h.s. class during the summer

used it for my h.s. class during the summer school course. the students send to enjoy it. the students enjoyed it.

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Title: Elizabeth McGovern reads Little Women

Subtitle: Famous Fiction

Author: Louisa May Alcott

Narrator: Elizabeth McGovern

Format: Abridged

Length: 1 hr and 5 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-11-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Elizabeth McGovern reads this classic American novel. Little Women is one of the best-loved children's stories of all time, based on the author's own youthful experiences. It describes the family life of the four March sisters living in a small New England community. Christmas won't be the same this year for Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, as their father is away fighting in the Civil War, and the family has fallen on hard times.

Meg, the eldest, is pretty and good-natured; Jo, the tomboy, nurses an ambition to be an author; Beth is a delicate child of 13 with a taste for music and Amy, the baby of the family, is a blonde beauty of 12.

The story of their domestic adventures, their attempts to overcome their poverty, their friendship with the neighbouring Lawrences, and their later love affairs has been treasured for generations.

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Title: Edgar Allan Poe Audiobook, Collection 11

Subtitle: The Tell-Tale Heart/Man of the Crowd

Author: Edgar Allan Poe, Christopher Aruffo

Narrator: Christopher Aruffo

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 5 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-28-13

Publisher: Acoustic Learning Inc.

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

"The Tell-Tale Heart:" The unceasing pulse of a mysterious heart drives a man to both madness and murder.

"Man of the Crowd:" Through the dark streets of London, a man is compelled into relentless pursuit of a mysterious figure.

Also included: "THE SPHINX"

Total runtime: 67 minutes.

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Title: The Thousand and Second Tale of Scheherazade

Author: Edgar Allan Poe

Narrator: Cathy Dobson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 36 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-20-13

Publisher: Red Door Audiobooks

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

We all know what happened in the Arabian nights. The King's plan to put his wife to death in the morning was always foiled by her telling an exciting but unfinished story the night before the execution... until finally after 1001 nights, he agreed not to have her killed. But at this point the traditional story ends. In this tale, Poe conjurs up an amusing and macabre scenario for what happened on the thousand and second night.

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Title: Edgar Allan Poe Audiobook Collection 1-3

Subtitle: The Black Cat and Other Stories

Author: Edgar Allan Poe, Christopher Aruffo

Narrator: Christopher Aruffo

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 17 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-12-13

Publisher: Acoustic Learning Inc

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

A collection of short stories by Edgar Allen Poe.

The Black Cat: A man overcome by alcohol sinks into wild depravity, goaded by the haunting spectre of a murdered pet.

The Pit and the Pendulum: Imprisoned and subjected to extraordinary torments at the hands of the Spanish Inquisition, one man struggles to keep his sanity... and his life.

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?

The Fall of the House of Usher: At his friend's dire pleading, a man braves a living tomb now beset by madness and unknowable disease.

The Imp of the Perverse: Blinded by the promise of wealth, a man commits the perfect murder.... But how will he keep his secret when his own soul turns against him?

Members Reviews:

Christopher Aruffo Speaks With Poes Voice

I am reviewing this entire series narrated by Christopher Aruffo: Volumes 1 through 13

Some of the volumes have been grouped together. It is therefore possible to acquire all 13 volumes contained in just 7 different audiobook titles.

Since Edgar Allan Poe is such a familiar figure of American literature I will focus my attentions on the quality of this particular audiobook production. The sound is clean and pure. The occasional sound effects are appropriate and enhance the enjoyment of the stories. The pronunciation leans toward the British occasionally, as is justified by the characters, but Christopher Aruffos voice is resoundingly American.

Christopher Aruffo has a fine and versatile voice. His rendering of these Poe stories is wonderful and urgently demands your attention making it difficult for your mind to wander. Aruffos ability to voice different characters makes me wish that Poe had constructed his tales utilizing a larger cast of characters and with more dialog. I had always enjoyed the stories of Edgar Allan Poe but now that I can hear Christopher Aruffo narrate them I find that Poe makes more sense. It seems that it takes a faithful and entirely devoted rendering by a scholar such as Aruffo to get inside Poes head and then voice them for me in order for me to fully appreciate Poe. I do think that Aruffo deeply understands Poe at a level that only someone fully immersed in Poes oeuvre can hope to do. I even found that the many articles included in this collection were made enjoyableeven artisticby Christopher Aruffos sublime delivery.

The HIGHLIGHTS of this collection include the following:

Poes Erueka (Collection 5) reveals that Poe was up to date with the latest scientific discoveries of his day. In it he expounds at length upon the nature of the universe and the primary forces that affect it. It is less dated than I would have supposed considering its nineteenth century origin. Poe calls this a prose poem and wished for it to be judged by the standards of poetry.

In The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar (Collection 10) Aruffo gave me such a shock in delivering the voice of the mesmerized M. Valdemar that I had to go back and listen to it again to hear what was being said.

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Title: The Murders in the Rue Morgue

Author: Edgar Allan Poe

Narrator: David Ian Davies

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 16 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-10-13

Publisher: One Voice Recordings

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

"The Murders in the Rue Morgue" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe published in Graham's Magazine in 1841. It has been claimed as the first detective story; Poe referred to it as one of his "tales of ratiocination".

Members Reviews:

The Alpha Detective Story

The Murders in the Rue Morgue is a very small short story that was originally published in Grahamâs Magazine back in 1841. You could scarcely find a simpler plot. Two women are violently murdered in their own apartment by a killer whose entrance and escape seem impossible. Several male voices are heard during the time of the murder, one of which speaks in a language that none of the witnesses can identify. C. Auguste Dupin and his associate travel to the murder scene and solve the mystery.

Dupin is regarded as the first detective (despite not being an actual detective) in the history of literature and The Murders in the Rue Morgue the first detective story. Itâs a very simple story but Edger Allen Poe has such a deft skill as a writer that it feels perfectly crafted even if the solution is revealed almost immediately after the mystery is presented. Poe would use Dupin in several more stories and he is likely the inspiration from some of literatures most acclaimed sleuths including Sherlock Holmes who first appeared in 1887.

I really enjoyed the story and it can be easily read in its entirety in a single sitting over a coffee drink. If you donât like it, well, you wonât have spent much time from your life.

Classic

The book holds its own after all these years. Edgar Allen Poe is a genius. The story is magical and engaging

Poor contrast, difficult reading.

Just one question: my copy has a very poor contrast, making reading dificult.

Other e-books OK. I think the same is occuring with THE MYSTERY OF MARIE ROGET.

It looks like there is a bakground color, instead of black ink over a white sheet.

Any help ?

The original that others followed.

Poe's character, Auguste Dupin, is the original ecentric detective. Conan Doyle copied him in his writings of Sherlock Holmes. Doyle used the same writing style, story set-ups and even copied some of Poe's plots. The Dupin stories

were written forty years before Holmes.

Five Stars

Good novel.