Large Library of Full Greatest Audiobooks in Classics, British Literature Best Sellers

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Title: Monsieur Maurice

Author: Amelia B. Edwards

Narrator: Cindy Hardin Killavey

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 31 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-28-10

Publisher: Jimcin Recordings

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

In this story, the friendship between a young German girl and a mysterious French prisonero pen a world of possibilities for them both. When a mysterious prisoner arrives at her father's post, young Gretchen's life is changed forever. What shadowy figure protects the mysterious prisoner from harm? Little Gretchen believes she knows and the thought of it opens her mind to the belief that love and loyalty can live beyond the grave.

The novella wears its supernaturalism lightly and focuses on the relationship between the young German girl who narrates the tale and the title character.

Members Reviews:

Exotic, romantic nineteenth-century novella

Nine-year-old Gretchen lives in a cozy suite of rooms in a remote German chateau. Her father, Colonel Bernhard, has retired from active service to serve as steward of this outpost of the King.

One day the Colonel is given the unwelcome task of lodging and overseeing a prisoner on parole, a Frenchman designated by his first name only.

To the Colonel Monsieur Maurice reveals the disciplined habits of soldier. Gretchen can hardly believe it, since he does not smoke, swear or talk loud. There is some political mystery about Monsieur Maurice. Nonetheless, because he is obviously a gentleman, Gretchen is permitted to visit him.

They become great friends. Gretchen is full of hero worship for this cultivated man who has traveled far and wide, draws beautifully, sings French chansons and Spanish ballads, studies wonders of nature under a microscope, and speaks at least ten languages.

How can a little girl help Monsieur Maurice overcome his escalating difficulties? For that you must read the book.

Monsieur Maurice is a charming novella rich in exotic elements: a romantic prisoner, a king, a ghost, and a chateau full of meaningless arabesques and smirking portraits of Electors.

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Title: Silas Marner

Author: George Eliot

Narrator: Freda Dowie

Format: Abridged

Length: 2 hrs and 39 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-18-09

Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Here is a tale straight from the fireside. We are compelled to follow the humble and mysterious figure of the linen weaver Silas Marner on his journey from solitude and exile to the warmth and joy of family life. His path is a strange one; when he loses his hoard of hard-earned coins all seems to be lost, but in place of the golden guineas come the golden curls of a child - and from desolate misery comes triumphant joy.

Public Domain(P)1995 NAXOS AudioBooks Ltd.; ©1995 NAXOS AudioBooks Ltd.

Editorial Reviews:

The noted English actress Freda Dowie (famed from television shows such as Upstairs, Downstairs and Lovejoy) turns in a fine performance in her narration of George Eliot's classic tale. A weaver who has been exiled from his religious community on false charges, Silas Marner cares only for his growing collection of gold coins, until they are stolen and replaced by a golden-haired child. Against the odds, the pair form a powerful bond that transcends money and the petty village characters around them. A tale about the redemptive power of love and the importance of social responsibility.

Members Reviews:

"Hope for the Hopeless . . ."

This was a fine story and novel, almost a novella as it is not lengthy. This is a story about a weaver and the weaving trade in days gone by.

It is a story about a steady personality (the protagonist) who overcomes devastating adversity and personal cruelty under small favourable circumstances which are both unpredictable for the reader and could be true to life. This novel, could be based on a true story for its detail and convincing authenticity of trade and character development. The storyline lent itself well to being dramatized with Sir Ben Kingsley playing "Silas"

in the 1980's BBC production which adheres well to the intention expressed in the novel by George Eliot

The paperback by George Elliot makes a fine gift for a young person starting life.

not just for high school students

Most of my friends read Silas Marner in high school English and still shudder, but my high school marched to a different drummer (or none) and I had never read it. No one would pretend that it is one of George Eilot's masterpieces -- it's no Middlemarch, not by a long shot. But even in its much smaller way, it has all the germs of her intelligence, literary style, and human compassion, even when tainted by a certain predictability and triteness of plot. It also has Eliot's greatest weakness, which is that she seems to lose interest in the central situation she creates once it has been fully developed, and as in many of her (greater) books, rushes to the end once it is in sight.

Still, no person who wishes to be thought literate in English literature should not have read Silas Marner. For whatever shortcomings it may have, it's a page turner by a literary master.

It's a classic!

I very much enjoyed this classic book. I was never required to read it in school, so had no preconceived opinion about it. It was a sad tale with a happy ending of the "and they lived happily ever after type." The only reasoning I rated it 4 stars instead of 5 is because of all the detail. Like a lot of classics, there was so much detail that I neither wanted nor understood. For the most part, I just skimmed over it.

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Title: Martin Chuzzlewit

Author: Charles Dickens

Narrator: David Case

Format: Abridged

Length: 3 hrs and 11 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-26-09

Publisher: Audio Holdings, LLC

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

This Charles Dickens classic is a powerful satiric novel of selfish hypocrisy and financial speculation as it bloomed in insular England and in the spacious but narrow minds of the U.S. It is a novel that retains its relevance to today's issues.

(P)2009 Audio Holdings, LLC

Members Reviews:

TV and Movies versions were good, but the book is better. . .

One of my co-workers encouraged me to read this since I have only seen the TV/Movie versions. It was a quick read and very enjoyable. Fortunately, the TV/Movie versions weren't too far off the mark. Regardless, there were facets of the story that you would only get through the book, which is why reading the book will always be my favorite option.

BAH! HUMBUG!! "God bless Us, Every One"

A Christmas Carol is a beloved Christmas favorite. Nothing says Christmas like favorite Christmas stories. This timeless tale has been told in many versions. Iâve seen the movie and play but Iâve never read the book. I thought it was about time to finally read this tale.

The illustrations throughout the book were fun to look at. Not common to find illustrations in books today unless they are children stories.

Lots of great quotes come from this story but the most famous is BAH! HUMBUG! followed by:

"God bless Us, Every One!"

Standalone

As great to read vs as to watch as a production.

We've enjoyed many kinds of productions of this classic Scrooge story. The original makes us 'rise to the occasion' - or at least gets us to mentally take the time to step back in that era. Life was so different, so the real factor is (I think) a little richer, than already assembled viewables. Emotional, and the older language adds some incentive to digging into the story.

A must read!

Dickens has always intimidated me. Somehow, I made my way through high school and college without having to read one of his novels. Finally, a few weeks before Christmas, I decided to give this a try when I learned it is relatively short. I figured if it took some work, at least it wouldn't take all that long. I'm sorry I waited so long. It was impossible for me to separate this from the many versions of A Christmas Carol I've seen over the years. I loved it. I enjoyed the glimpse into the time and place of the story. The story and theme are, of course, legendary.

Don't be intimidated. This is a book everyone should read at least once.

Classic I Know

I have tried this one before and was distracted within the first five chapters but with the advise of a colleague I am going to attempt this one again. I am late 30's and sometimes have a tough time focusing for long spans of time unless the story is captivating from the get go, you have to appreciate writing for the sake of verb-age and description to get into this. So, because it is a classic and I think the classics should be read - I'll give it another go but not looking forward to it despite the wonderful reviews. Hated Pride and Prejudice too - just depends on personal taste I suppose. Loved The Divine Comedy....

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Title: A Christmas Carol [Saland Version]

Author: Charles Dickens

Narrator: Frank Pettingell

Format: Abridged

Length: 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-14-09

Publisher: Saland Publishing

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Frank Pettingell reads the classic Christmas tale.

©2009 Saland Publishing; (P)2009 Saland Publishing

Members Reviews:

TV and Movies versions were good, but the book is better. . .

One of my co-workers encouraged me to read this since I have only seen the TV/Movie versions. It was a quick read and very enjoyable. Fortunately, the TV/Movie versions weren't too far off the mark. Regardless, there were facets of the story that you would only get through the book, which is why reading the book will always be my favorite option.

BAH! HUMBUG!! "God bless Us, Every One"

A Christmas Carol is a beloved Christmas favorite. Nothing says Christmas like favorite Christmas stories. This timeless tale has been told in many versions. Iâve seen the movie and play but Iâve never read the book. I thought it was about time to finally read this tale.

The illustrations throughout the book were fun to look at. Not common to find illustrations in books today unless they are children stories.

Lots of great quotes come from this story but the most famous is BAH! HUMBUG! followed by:

"God bless Us, Every One!"

Standalone

As great to read vs as to watch as a production.

We've enjoyed many kinds of productions of this classic Scrooge story. The original makes us 'rise to the occasion' - or at least gets us to mentally take the time to step back in that era. Life was so different, so the real factor is (I think) a little richer, than already assembled viewables. Emotional, and the older language adds some incentive to digging into the story.

A must read!

Dickens has always intimidated me. Somehow, I made my way through high school and college without having to read one of his novels. Finally, a few weeks before Christmas, I decided to give this a try when I learned it is relatively short. I figured if it took some work, at least it wouldn't take all that long. I'm sorry I waited so long. It was impossible for me to separate this from the many versions of A Christmas Carol I've seen over the years. I loved it. I enjoyed the glimpse into the time and place of the story. The story and theme are, of course, legendary.

Don't be intimidated. This is a book everyone should read at least once.

Classic I Know

I have tried this one before and was distracted within the first five chapters but with the advise of a colleague I am going to attempt this one again. I am late 30's and sometimes have a tough time focusing for long spans of time unless the story is captivating from the get go, you have to appreciate writing for the sake of verb-age and description to get into this. So, because it is a classic and I think the classics should be read - I'll give it another go but not looking forward to it despite the wonderful reviews. Hated Pride and Prejudice too - just depends on personal taste I suppose. Loved The Divine Comedy....

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Title: The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Author: Charles Dickens

Narrator: Paul Scofield

Format: Abridged

Length: 3 hrs and 2 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-01-09

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Dickens's death leaves the rest of the story unknown.

Members Reviews:

Another great Dickens book

Dickens does it again! Here is a good mystery well written. I was hesitant to read an unfinished book but became interested when I saw a pbs adaptation on Amazon video. Like other adaptations they created an ending, which I liked. The book left everything open ended, but led down a different path. There are themes in the story that are timeless: a man obsessed about a young woman that doesn't like him and starts to fear him, jealousy, drug abuse, child abuse, and so on. I wasn't sure where some of the characters fit into the story, probably because the book was never finished. The fact that there are things that will never be resolved doesn't take away from it's being worthwhile to read.

Better than expected

Forced to read this for my college english class. Much better than I expected. Yes, you will be frustrated that there is no ending, but the journey itself will give you chills. If you like a dark, Gothic-esque setting, characters with hidden lives, and mysterious cries in the night you will love this novel.

Five Stars

excellent notes and essays accompany the story itself

Unfinished, but not unsatisfying!

I knew at the outset that Dickens died before he had the chance to finish this novel, but I didn't realize how incredibly frustrated I was going to be because of it! It seems that he was just getting somewhere, and that there was going to be some climactic action coming up shortly, and then poof. No more book. But on the other hand, it was so good getting to that point, and as noted, I am aware that The Mystery of Edwin Drood was unfinished, so I can't say that I was all that frustrated, really. It's the getting to the end (or the leave-off point) that mattered, and it was a great ride.

I won't go over the story/plot here; it is very well known. Movies have been made; I believe there was a stage production or two as well, and there are (as I saw written somewhere) entire websites and pundits devoted to solving the mystery and playing "what-if" in an effort to provide an ending.

This edition has a preface by Peter Ackroyd, a Dickens biographer, and an appendix by GK Chesterton. Chesterton provides several theories about what may have followed if Dickens had been alive to finish his work.

One more thing: I read this on the heels of Dan Simmons' most excellent novel "Drood," and it puts a lot into perspective.

I would definitely recommend it -- if you MUST have an ending, then don't read it, but as I said above...the getting there is most of the fun. Most excellent.

Five Stars

Enjoyed it very much.....

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Title: Oliver Twist

Author: Charles Dickens

Narrator: Paul Scofield

Format: Abridged

Length: 3 hrs and 6 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-05-09

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

This splendid edition of Dickens' most popular novel, carefully adapted for children, is sure to entice a new generation of readers to explore his work.

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Title: Great Expectations

Author: Charles Dickens

Narrator: Paul Scofield

Format: Abridged

Length: 3 hrs and 6 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-30-09

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

On Christmas Eve, young Pip, an orphan being raised by his sister and her husband, encounters a convict in the village churchyard. The man, a convict who has escaped from a prison ship, scares Pip into stealing him some food and a file to grind away his leg shackle. This incident is crucial: firstly, it gives Pip, who must steal the goods from his sister's house, his first taste of true guilt, and secondly, Pip's kindness warms the convict's heart. The convict, however, waits many years to truly show his gratitude.

At his sister's house, Pip is a boy without expectations. Mrs. Joe beats him around and has nothing good to say about her little brother. Her husband, Joe, is a kind man, although he is a blacksmith without much ambition, and it's assumed that Pip will follow in his footsteps. Only when Pip gets invited unexpectedly to the house of a rich old woman named Miss Havisham does Mrs. Joe, or any of her dull acquaintances, hold out any hope for Pip's success.

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Title: David Copperfield

Author: Charles Dickens

Narrator: Paul Scofield

Format: Abridged

Length: 2 hrs and 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-30-09

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

David returns home for the holidays to find out that his mother has had a baby boy. Soon after David goes back to Salem House, his mother and her baby die and David has to return home immediately. Mr. Murdstone sends him to work in a factory in London, of which Murdstone is a joint owner. The grim reality of hand-to-mouth factory existence echoes Dickens' own travails in a blacking factory. His landlord, Wilkins Micawber, is sent to a debtor's prison (the King's Bench Prison) after going bankrupt, and is there for several months before being released and moving to Plymouth. David now has nobody left to care for him in London, and decides to run away.

The story follows David as he grows to adulthood, and is enlivened by the many well-known characters who enter, leave and re-enter his life.

Members Reviews:

Five Stars

Great story, great cast of characters, I plan on looking at it again, love these kinds of good stories.

I can see why this was Charles Dickens personal favorite.

I find the Kindle to be the perfect way to connect with the age old classics (especially when used in the text to speech mode).

In this story young David starts his life six months after the death of his father. His mother is of good character who unfortunately falls under the spell of the charms of a harsh man Murdstone who has an equally despicable sister. Young David is then forced from his home, loving mother and faithful nurse when he is sent first to a harsh boarding school and then to factory work in London. Despite this ill treatment as well as many others, Copperfield remains good nurtured.

Dickens always wrote well rounded characters who often encountered true to life difficulty and abuse from those serving their own bent. Often these characters will meet their just deserts by the stories end. How the main characters learn from these trials is something lacking from much of today's fiction.

Beautiful, flawed

Over long by about 70000 words, David Copperfield nonetheless packs a number of punches along the way. Best line in the book: 'Janet! Donkeys!' Funny, exciting, heartbreaking, plodding, boring, thrilling -- this is the stuff of life in all it's facets.

No quibbles. This is a wonderful version of the novel.

A beautiful filmed telling of this brilliant novel, possibly the best by Dickens thanks to its many believable characters (the flat vs. round discussion aside) and slowly building, suspenseful plot that manages to be both tragic and comic. Armstrong is perfect as Lady Dedlock, but Esther and Jarndyce and Guppy and Woodcourt and Miss Flyte etc. are also exactly as imagined! If you haven't already watched *all* of this rendition of Bleak House, we are jealous that you have it ahead of you!

A timeless classic

David Copperfield is a narrative piece written in the voice of an autobiography that takes you on a colorful journey with the title character, beginning with his harrowing birth and childhood. He instantly attaches you to himself by his earnestness and genuine nature. The fascinating characters that surround his story keep the reader enganged throughout the tale. The character development is so complete that you will close the book feeling like you have a new set of associations and are better for it.

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Title: Tom Jones

Author: Henry Fielding

Narrator: John Sessions

Format: Abridged

Length: 2 hrs and 59 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-09-09

Publisher: Hodder Headline Limited

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Tom Jones is widely regarded as Fielding's greatest novel - a wonderful, picaresque adventure that takes Tom, a foundling, on a hilarious and by turns scandalous journey, rife with amorous encounters that often incur the wrath of those around him.

Members Reviews:

Delightful and entertaining

314. The History of Tom Jones: a foundling by Henry Fielding (Novel-Audible/E Book-Fiction) 5* I read along with the Audible of the novel which I found a highly delightful and entertaining experience.

The narrator, Bill Homewood, who performed the audio version of the work was excellent doing the various characters as well as the invisible narrator (author) of the story. The Synopsis is as follows:

A foundling of mysterious parentage brought up by Mr. Allworthy on his country estate, Tom Jones is deeply in love with the seemingly unattainable Sophia Western, the beautiful daughter of the neighboring squireâthough he sometimes succumbs to the charms of the local girls. When Tom is banished to make his own fortune and Sophia follows him to London to escape an arranged marriage, the adventure begins. A vivid Hogarthian panorama of eighteenth-century life, spiced with danger and intrigue, bawdy exuberance and good-natured authorial interjections, Tom Jones is one of the greatest and most ambitious comic novels in English literature.

It is rather brilliant, and there is no lack of shenanigans as we follow Jones through his history and the reader never knows when and where the author will abruptly go off on a tangent, told in a most eloquent manner, end with a flourish and no doubt tossed his quill down and took a bow. I am either taken in by some farce or thoroughly enchanted by this author. As Fielding is rather the loquacious writer this read comes in Audible time at almost 38 hours or roughly 1,000 pages but worth every minute spent on it.

The book itself is five stars!

This is a review of the Oxford Classic Kindle edition.

The book itself is one of the greatest novels ever written; this is maybe the third time I've read it. Fielding is a master of irony, by which I mean genuine irony, not the mean sarcasm that often passes for irony these days. Fielding is never mean-spirited. His irony is generous and his humor is benevolent. His characters are three-dimensional, never all good or all bad. Before reading this, I had been re-reading several Dickens novels, and the contrast is enormous. A Dickens villain is a villain to the core, and his heroes (and especially his heroines) are saints. Tom instead is a young man with many faults, but a great heart. Sophia, his beloved, is a genuinely good person, but she's got a certain fiery spirit, and has her moments of doubt and remorse.

I advise you to read every word of this novel. It's divided into books, and the first chapter of each book is an address to the reader, expounding Fielding's theories on literature and on human nature. An impatient reader might be tempted to skip these, but that would mean missing a lot of worthwhile and enjoyable reading.

I have some quibbles with the Kindle edition. There were some mistakes in the passage from print to pixels, but they were not excessive. The biggest problem is that the excellent notes often have a reference to another note, with the page number, e.g., a note might be only "See note on page 85." As the book proceeds, more and more of the notes are references to earlier notes.

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Title: Northanger Abbey

Author: Jane Austen

Narrator: Joanna Lumley

Format: Abridged

Length: 2 hrs and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-09-09

Publisher: Hodder Headline Limited

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Northanger Abbey, a satire of Gothic melodrama, is one of Jane Austen's most popular woks. When Catherine Morland is launched into the politics and pitfalls of the Bath social season, she behaves with the cheerful open-mindedness of one of Jane Austen's most eligible classic heroines.

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.