Listen to Most Popular Audiobooks in Classics, American Literature

Listen to this audiobook free with a 30-day trial. Go to http://hotaudiobook.com/free

Title: The Beautiful and Damned

Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald

Narrator: Don Hagen

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 37 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-16-10

Publisher: Gildan Media, LLC

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 26 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

F. Scott Fitzgeralds second novel is a cautionary tale of reckless ambition and squandered talent, set amid the glitter of Jazz-Age New York.

The novel tells the story of Anthony Patch (a 1920s socialite and presumptive heir to a tycoon's fortune), the relationship with his wife Gloria, his service in the army, and his alcoholism.

At once a morality tale, a meditation on love, money, and decadence, and a social document, the novel provides an excellent portrait of the Eastern elite as the Jazz Age begins its ascent, engulfing all classes into what will soon be known as Café Society. As with his other novels, it is a brilliant character study and an early account of the complexities of marriage and intimacy, believed to be largely based on Fitzgerald's relationship and marriage with Zelda Fitzgerald.

Contact me for any questions: [email protected]

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Miss Lonelyhearts

Author: Nathanael West

Narrator: L. J. Ganser, Kevin Pariseau

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 59 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-01-10

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 47 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Miss Lonelyhearts is Nathanael West's second novel. It is an Expressionist black comedy set in New York City during the Great Depression.

In the story, Miss Lonelyhearts is an unnamed male newspaper columnist writing an advice column, which is viewed by the newspaper as a joke. As "Miss Lonelyhearts" reads letters from desperate New Yorkers, he feels terribly burdened and falls into a cycle of deep depression, accompanied by heavy drinking and occasional barfights. He also suffers from the pranks and cynical advice of his editor at the newspaper, named "Shrike", which is also a type of predatory bird. Miss Lonelyhearts tries several approaches as a way out of this depression (including religion, escaping to the countryside, and sex) but only ends up more confused.

The general theme of the novel is one of extreme disillusionment with Depression-era American society, a consistent theme throughout West's novels. However, the novel is essentially a black comedy and is characterized by an extremely dark but clever sense of humor and irony. The novel can be treated as a meditation on the theme of theodicy, or the problem of why evil exists in the world. The novel's protagonist is psychologically overwhelmed by his perception of this evil, which is treated as an explanation for his increasingly desperate psychological condition. Although the characters of Miss Lonelyhearts are grotesque caricatures, the periodic letters sent to Miss Lonelyhearts, which describe real people with real insoluble problems, serve to ground the novel's Expressionism in reality.

Members Reviews:

mixed up

This has an excruciatingly bad ten or twelve minute critical introduction. After that comes one of the creepiest well-known works of modern American fiction, read in a way that clouds but does not obliterate the tone and madness of the story. It's hard to understand why so many audiobook narrators read in cartoon-character voices. Oh well. The gist of Miss Lonelyhearts is here.

A bit Gatsby-ish

Very good look at the time period and the struggles of the people and the despair of so many. Excellent and I hope the rest of West shows up soon. Good and surprising in some ways for the time it was written.

Charged with Meaning, and Far Leftist Leaning

I bought this novella because I read a piece by Harold Bloom, a renowned and prolific lit critic and a Yale humanities professor, describing why he loves MISS LONELYHEARTS. I wasn't nearly as enamored by this 80-page existential black comedy, primarily because the author, Nathanael West, couldn't hide his contempt for all religion nor his dark-red leanings.

As the book begins, an unnamed 1933 NYC male newspaper columnist (I'll call "ML") has been assigned to write an advice column (similar in ilk to Dear Abby). ML thereafter starts suffering severe depression under the collective weight of the genuine agony and burdens thrown upon him in the "Dear Miss Lonelyhearts" letters of the readers.

At after-hours gatherings, his editor, aptly named Shrike, repeatedly hazes ML, condemning his religion (and art) as the "opiate of the masses" and jokes that ML is "an idealist in collision with humanity."

Exacerbating ML's depression is his belief that the Miss Lonelyhearts column is a big farce perpetrated on the public.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Scarlet Letter (Dramatized)

Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne, Thomas J. Cox

Narrator: Shirley Anderson, David Catlin, Raymond Fox, Joy Gregory, Michael Lapthorn, Heidi Stillman, Andrew White

Format: Original Recording

Length: 1 hr and 20 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-21-10

Publisher: L.A. Theatre Works

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 20 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic masterpiece The Scarlet Letter is set in 17th century Salem, Massachusetts, and concerns the public condemnation of Hester Prynne, who bears an illegitimate child. However, the story is not about adultery, nor is it specifically about sin. Rather, it traces the effect of actual and symbolic sin on the mind and spirit of each character. In the end, The Scarlet Letter comes to stand not for adultery, but for the guilt that is the common experience of all humans. An original audio adaptation of the classic American novel.

Members Reviews:

Great Version for People With Attention Deficit

If you could sum up The Scarlet Letter (Dramatized) in three words, what would they be?

Vivid

Straight to the point

Keeps one's attention

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Scarlet Letter (Dramatized)?

When after seven hard, lonely years had passed Hester was still in love with Dimmesdale and was willing to sail away with him and make a new life.

Which character as performed by the narrators was your favorite?

Hester Prynne was by far for me the most liked character. She rose from this sin and became stronger and wiser. She in the story became almost a noble woman and a caregiver to all. After time her noble actions and notable character traits became legendary. Yet her positive society status all stemmed from a sin. Not to say that sin is approved of, however in this particular story God turned the sin into something positive and good.

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

Having gone through different situations in my life I almost related to Hester.

I also at times felt pity for Dimmesdale. The story defiantly struck a chord with me.

why is there only 2 chapters

I would like to know why I paid to get only 2 chapters of the book

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Grapes of Wrath (Dramatized)

Author: John Steinbeck

Narrator: Daniel Chacon, Shirley Knight, Mike Buie, Jeffrey Donovan, Shannon Cochran, Maurice Chasse, Emily Bergl

Format: Original Recording

Length: 1 hr and 59 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-12-10

Publisher: L.A. Theatre Works

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 106 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Based on the epic novel by Nobel Laureate John Steinbeck. Set during the Great Depression, The Grapes of Wrath tells the powerful story of the Joad familys trek from the dust bowl of Oklahoma to the promise of a new life in California. But what they find threatens to rip apart their lives, and sever the ties that bind them together. Starring Shirley Knight as Ma Joad, Frank Galatis heart-wrenching adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel finds its timeless heart in the generous spirit of the common man.

A full-cast production featuring: Shirley Knight, Jeffrey Donovan, Emily Bergl, Mike Buie, Daniel Chacon, Maurice Chasse, Shannon Cochran, Trista Delamere, Francis Guinan, Charlie Matthes, Rod McLachlan, Bob Pescovitz,Joel Rafael, Stephen Ramsey, Nick Sadler, Andy Taylor, Todd Waring, Fredd Wayne, Michael Weston, and Kate Williamson, with live music performed by the Joel Rafael Band.

Members Reviews:

Dramatization killed it for me

This was my first listen to a dramatized version of a book and I realized I do not like them. I thought the story was solid but the acting made it hard to follow for me. I missed the language of it. I enjoy the explanations of setting and character. I think I'd like to try the unabridged, undramatized version to see if I like that any better.

Sad and Beautiful

Where does The Grapes of Wrath (Dramatized) rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

This was so good! There were many recognizable voices to represent each character. This family struggled so hard to survive and went through so many trials and tribulations. I'm not sure I would have been able to get through the book had I read it, but listening to this soundtrack kept it interesting. This was my first time listening to this classic and I was shocked by the ending.

a must for any one

If you could sum up The Grapes of Wrath (Dramatized) in three words, what would they be?

timeless, humane, beautiful.

What other book might you compare The Grapes of Wrath (Dramatized) to and why?

Tim Winton's Cloudstreet. Similar story about human kind.

Have you listened to any of the narratorss other performances before? How does this one compare?

no

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

the ending was beautiful.

Gripping story.

I had read this book in eighth grade and now with new interest in refugees and migrants, I decided to revisit it. This is a great story and the dramatization in this audiobook is fantastic. I felt like I was there the whole time

Classic

John Steinbeck's finest. A classic work that tells the important story about what it means to be human. Read it again

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: My Antonia

Author: Willa Cather

Narrator: Cindy Hardin Killavey, Jim Killavey

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-08-10

Publisher: Jimcin Recordings

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 52 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

My Ántonia is considered one of the greatest novels by American writer Willa Cather. It is the final book of the "prairie trilogy" of novels by Cather that also includes O Pioneers! and The Song of the Lark.

My Ántonia tells the stories of several immigrant families who move out to rural Nebraska to start new lives in America, with a particular focus on a Bohemian family, the Shimerdas, whose eldest daughter is named Ántonia. The book's narrator, Jim Burden, arrives in the fictional town of Black Hawk, Nebraska, on the same train as the Shimerdas, as he travels to live with his grandparents after his parents have died. Jim develops strong feelings for Ántonia, something between a crush and a filial bond, and we view Ántonia's life, including its struggles and triumphs, through his eyes.

Members Reviews:

Worst Narrator Ever!

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Cindy Hardin Killavey and Jim Killavey ?

Anybody

Any additional comments?

I have listened to dozens of audio books and I have never heard a narrator this bad. It sounded like "text to talk" half the time. It was so grating I had to stop listening. I decided to just read the book and it was wonderful. I am so disappointed I wasted money on this recording. I will keep note of this narrator to make sure I never have to listen to him again!

Just read the book, the audio version horrible!

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

A friend, no. An enemy who I wanted to suffer horrifically, poorly read narrative by a person with an incongruous accent, poor cadence, and no humanity in their speech, perhaps.

Would you ever listen to anything by Willa Cather again?

Based on this terrible experience, no.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Cindy Hardin Killavey and Jim Killavey ?

Siri would have read this with more emotional depth and conversational rhythm.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No, it would not make an interesting film.

Any additional comments?

I have never before encountered such a horrible narrator! His voice was so lacking in depth or emotion that he quite honestly sounded like an inexpensive text-to-speech robot. His Bostonian accent was completely incongruous with the story, set in the Midwest, and he made listening to the already dry story complete drudgery! Imagine the Mayor of Springfield from The Simpsons, only without any actual human intonation.

Primative beginnings

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I might recommend this to some people who would be interested in the settling of Nebraska but not entertainment value.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

I would have ended the book after the people moved to the town. The first half was fine but the second half was all narrative. The individual people had no character and their stories were too erratic.

Which character as performed by Cindy Hardin Killavey and Jim Killavey was your favorite?

I liked the primary character, Jim, when he was young but not when he was an adult.

Did My Antonia inspire you to do anything?

No.

Any additional comments?

Even where the story was good, the character development was poor.

Stephen Hawking with a Boston accent

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

If they were reading it themselves.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Changed the narrator.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: False Dawn

Author: Edith Wharton

Narrator: Derek Jacobi

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 4 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-01-09

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

The first of four novellas, together called Old New York, set in the mid-1800s.

Lewis Raycie is sent on a Grand Tour of Europe with instructions from his father to acquire a collection of accepted Art Works. His father's dream is to own a Raphael; instead, Lewis returns with a priceless collection of Renaissance masterpieces by Piero della Francesca and others of equal stature. They are, however, unknown in America.

His father is appalled and disinherits him. His family ridicules him. But it is only after Lewis dies that the magnificent collection gets the recognition it really deserves.

Members Reviews:

Classic Wharton

My review is of the Kindle edition, which worked fine. The Table of contents entries are linked to the first page of each novella so you can easily navigate.

If you enjoy Edith Wharton's other books you will like this collection. Each novella is set in a different decade from the 1840's to the 1870's. You can expect well-drawn characters and Wharton's memorable descriptive turns of phrase.

"False Dawn: The 'Forties" and "The Spark: The 'Sixties" are told more from a male perspective, and possibly for that reason are less effective. "The Old Maid: The 'Fifties" is more concerned with female characters, and to me is reminiscent of Wharton's short story "Roman Fever". I thought that "New Years Day: The 'Seventies" was the best of the group. In the middle it has the feel of "House of Mirth". And the ending is unexpected.

"False Dawn" and "The Spark" concern the artistic blindness of the rich and powerful. They both treat underestimated and unappreciated historical literary or artistic figures. "The Old Maid" and "New Years Day" both cover the familiar Wharton subject of societal censure.

I rate "Old New York" somewhere between the group "House of Mirth", "Age of Innocence", "Ethan Frome" and the group "The Reef", "Twilight Sleep", "Summer". This is, of course, a matter of taste. If you like good, classic American literature, you can't go wrong with this one.

A must for any Wharton fan

What can be written about Edith Wharton's uniquely American point of view of a New York that has long since disappeared that hasn't already been elaborated on. She is by far my favorite author and any bibliophile will truly benefit from incorporating Wharton into their personal libraries. She captures a woman's voice like few authors have, describing it in brilliant and accurate terms. I wish I had Wharton's ease with descriptive language to convey how fortunate we are to have such literature at our disposal. Do yourself a favor and read anything Wharton.

Five Stars

great, thank you!

A Classic, Can Be Read and Reread Many Times

I ordered this by accident (I already have a copy). This book is a wondeful book about social class and the barriers that woman faced in the era in which it was writte. Fast forward, I often see similar barriers today.

I love the complexity of these short stories. Even if you are familiar with the author's writings, you will be glad you read this small book.

Subtle, deep analysis of relationships

Edith Wharton never leaves her theme of independent women and the costs they pay in life, love and society for being honest.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Last of the Mohicans

Author: James Fenimore Cooper

Narrator: Jonathan Oliver

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 50 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-21-09

Publisher: RNIB

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 99 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

The Last of the Mohicans is a historical novel by James Fenimore Cooper, first published in January 1826.

James Fenimore Cooper (1789 - 1851) was a prolific and popular American writer of the early 19th century.

Please note: This is a vintage recording. The audio quality may not be up to modern day standards.

Members Reviews:

Great voice. Struggles with dialect.

Although I think I could listen to the soft purr and swift precision of the narrator's speech for years on end, to my ears, he fails to render the dialog in this book authentically. Most of it is overwrought, sounding more like caricatures than characters. There's no evidence of an authentic accent in the Native American characters and, worst of all, Hawkeye, the central character, is performed as if he were some transplanted Cajun rather than a colonial American frontiersman. For an example of what I mean, listen to Raymond Todd's reading of The Deerslayer. To me he gets it right. Todd's dialog sounds more authentic and carries the story better. Mr. Oliver doesn't even approximate the characters' speech as the author renders it on the page. It ruined the experience for me. I downloaded a different version.

Cooper is Poorly Understood

James Fenimore Cooper's books require a respect for the political tensions of an early formed nation and an appreciation for the racial and ethnic mix of people who were shaping it. Unfortunately, Jonathan Oliver seems to have little understanding of these subtleties. In his reading, he pauses in the wrong places, gives the wrong dialect to Hawkeye, and pays little homage to the Native Americans. He also mispronounces American place names. I gave up listening to him after Chapter Four and found another reader.

Sweet

Reasonably well read, and of course this is a beautiful and timeless story. I wish we had more authors like this fellow. One for the ages.

Frustrating

The narration was so bad that I couldn't understand what was being read. Might just be me, but I had to turn it off after 20 minutes of strained hard listening. Extremely frustrating, very let down.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Daisy Miller

Author: Henry James

Narrator: Peter Marinker

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-31-09

Publisher: RNIB

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 25 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Published in 1878, portrays the courtship of the beautiful American girl Daisy Miller by Frederick Winterbourne. Winterbourne's pursuit of her is hampered by her own flirtatiousness, which is frowned upon by the other expatriates they meet in Switzerland and Italy. The novel coments on the contrast between American and European society that is common to James's work.

American-born English author Henry James (1843- 1916), was one of the founders and leaders of realism in fiction and is considered to be one of the great British novelists.

Please note: This is a vintage recording. The audio quality may not be up to modern day standards.

Members Reviews:

Great story!

Where does Daisy Miller rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

Great story! I love Henry James and Peter Marinker's performance is very good. Nice short novella.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Daisy

What about Peter Marinkers performance did you like?

Very well done.

Great Short American-British Classic to Listen To

I am a fan of British classic novels, and would highly recommend this one. A great and fun short novel to read and even better to listen to. Everything is as described and a twist at the end. I would read more of Henry James' novels and listen to Peter Marinker again.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: McTeague

Author: Frank Norris

Narrator: Wolfram Kandinsky

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-01-09

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 48 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

McTeague, a strong but stupid dentist, marries Trina, introduced to him by her cousin Marcus Schouler. When Trina wins $5,000 in a lottery and increases the sum by shrewd investment, Schouler, who had wanted to marry Trina himself, feels cheated. In revenge, he exposes McTeague's lack of diploma or license.

Forbidden to practice, McTeague becomes mean and surly, but the miserly Trina refuses to let him use her money, and they sink into poverty. What follows is a descent into the ultimate crime - murder - and life as a fugitive, in a tale that moves toward its harrowing conclusion with the grim power and inevitability of classic tragedy.

Critic Reviews:

"Wolfram Kandinsky's razor-sharp narration leaves one eager to hear more of Norris's few but outstanding productions as a novelist." (Library Journal)

"The first great tragic portrait in America of an acquisitive society." (Alfred Kazin)

"The writing is easy and natural, the moral earnestness refreshing and the construction masterful." (Kenneth Rexroth)

Members Reviews:

A Long-Awaited Audio Book

I first bought McTeague as a used book around 1980 because I had read that a great silent film that I had yet to see, Greed, was based on it. It took me a while to get around to reading it, but when I did it grabbed me from the first page to the last. The movie based on it is also great, by the way, which is especially surprising considering how severely cut it was by the studio. I had checked off and on all these years for an audio version of the book, so needless to say I was pleased to see that one had finally been recorded.

As expected, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The story is very dark but frequently very funny. It added to the experience that I listened to most of it in San Francisco, which is where the novel takes place about ten years before the big earthquake of 1906. I was already somewhat familiar with the narrator, Wolfram Kandinsky, and always thought he was pretty good. At the beginning, I found myself wishing that a reader with a more spellbinding voice had been chosen for this book. However, that thought soon went away because Mr Kandinsky is an excellent actor. He's great with all the various characters and the variety of accents. He is also impressive at depicting emotion. Don't miss the wonderful scenery-chewing moment he gives Trina in the latter part of the book. You'll see what I mean when you get to it.

brutal realism

I don't know when I've spent 14 hours with such unpleasant characters (probably not since I listened to Zola's _Nana_, q.v.). It took me halfway through the first part to get used to Kandinsky's style. Though I appreciated that he has the vocal range to do women's voices expressively, his rendition of McTeague reminded me of Ed Brown of Flumdiddle fame. The book picks up with a change of scene halfway through the second (last) part, and I hadn't expected the gut-wrenching ending, so Norris gets points there both for structure and emotion.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Walden

Author: Henry David Thoreau

Narrator: Mel Foster

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-03-09

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 52 votes

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Thoreau's journal is an exquisite account of a man seeking a more simple life by living in harmony with nature. In today's fast-paced consumer-driven society, the austere lifestyle endorsed by Thoreau is as relevant and refreshing as ever.

Members Reviews:

Problem with editing

Although this is generally a good reading of this classic work, I must point out that there is a problem with the way the book has been divided into 2 parts. The end of Chapter 9 has been cut off at the end of Part One. Part Two begins with Chapter 10. Thus someone has made an error and left out a portion of the reading, because the reader is cut off in mid-sentence at the end of Part One.

Early American Beatnik

This is excellent material for the adolescent nonconformist. The language and diction is rather dated, but I got accustomed to it. The reader's style is a believable facsimile of Thoreau himself perhaps, but is a touch clunky and professorial. Great slice-of-life ruminations from an early bohemian living by a deep pond in New England.

Disappointed

I was hoping for something more from what I thought would be a classic. Occasionally interesting, but more often quite boring.