Where to Listen to Audiobooks in Classics, British Literature Popular Authors

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Title: Fanny Hill

Subtitle: Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure

Author: John Cleland

Narrator: Justine Eyre

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-24-11

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 20 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Fanny Hill: Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure is one of the most notorious texts in English literature. As recently as 1963, an unexpurgated edition was the subject of a trial, yet in the 18th century, John Cleland's open celebration of sexual enjoyment was a best-selling novel.

Fanny's story, as she falls into prostitution and then rises to respectability, takes the form of a confession that is vividly colored by copious and explicit physiological details of her carnal adventures. The moral outrage that this has always provoked has only recently been countered by serious critical appraisal.

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Title: The Semi - Attached Couple

Author: Emily Eden

Narrator: Peter Joyce

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-20-11

Publisher: Assembled Stories

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Emily Eden was the daughter of the 1st Baron Auckland, a close confidant of Pitt. She was thus well placed to observe the manners and mores of nineteenth century aristocracy. A huge admirer of Jane Austen, her works reflect this in their perception, tongue in cheek humour and benevolence toward the victims of her pen. 'The Semi Attached Couple' is a revealing insight of attitudes and customs within marriage. Miss Eden asks, among other questions, what happens to a man, immediately after marriage, who believes his wife dislikes him? This set in a context in which people 'may all hate, all envy, all rival each other; they may say everything that is ill-natured and do everything that is mischievous but the general effect, as painters would call it, must be harmony'.

Critic Reviews:

About Assembled Stories: Over the years the national press have reviewed Assembled Stories titles as "excellent", "remarkable", "entrancing", "superb", "magic for sure", "masterly", "wonderful", "a class act" and "a splendid example of audio at its best".

Members Reviews:

For Jane Austen readers: witty & great characters

Where does The Semi - Attached Couple rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

An enjoyable witty read. The book is about a young wealthy couple; who like many of their time marry without knowing much about each other. We follow them and their friends, relations, and servants through their first year of a rocky marriage. Much of the story is viewed through the eyes of their neighbors, Mrs. Douglas and Miss Eliza Douglas. Imagine Jane Austen's books with politics thrown in and you get the idea of the book.

Emily Eden wrote two books in the mid 1800's, this one and a Semi-Detached House. Eden's favorite author was Jane Austen and it shows. A sense of humor and great secondary characters make this book stand out. Eden's plots are more contrived than Austen's but her wit makes her a worthy successor. Eden provides more awareness of the outside world and politics than Austen which I found intriguing. There is a detailed description of a election in a small town which is funny and fascinating and well worth reading the book for.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Mrs Douglas is a wonderful character! In Emily Eden's words: "People may go on talking for ever of the jealousies of pretty women; but for real genuine, hard-working envy there is nothing like an ugly woman with a taste for admiration." In general, Eden does a great job with the unlikable characters.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Peter Joyce?

Peter Joyce was an odd choice for this book. He did the older characters, both male and female, very well. But he did not do young people well and the book is populated with primarily young characters. He is particularly bad at young women and so I would have preferred a woman narrator since we so often look through the eyes of Eliza Douglas, a naive girl. His young men are too gruff or whiny. I am glad I read the book before listening to it and could picture the characters in my mind rather than in his voice.

An interesting and enjoyable 'find'

Emily Eden is a neglected 19th century writer. Although not of the standard of Jane Austen, this book is nevertheless worth listening to. It is a gentle story with some humour included.

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Title: Oliver Twist

Author: Charles Dickens

Narrator: John Lee

Format: Unabridged

Length: 16 hrs and 3 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-11-11

Publisher: Listening Library

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 11 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Dickens's classic morality tale of a starving orphan caught between opposing forces of good and evil is a powerful indictment of Victorian England's Poor Laws. Filled with dark humor and an unforgettable cast of characters Oliver Twist, Fagin, Nancy, Bill Sykes, and the Artful Dodger, to name a few Dickens's second novel is a compelling social satire that has remained popular since it was first serialized in 1837-39.

The text for this Modern Library Paperback Classic is taken from the 1846 New Edition, revised and corrected by the author. It includes new explanatory notes and an appendix, A Brief History of the English Poor Laws.

Critic Reviews:

"The power of [Dickens] is so amazing, that the reader at once becomes his captive, and must follow him whithersoever he leads." (William Makepeace Thackeray)

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.

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Title: Trilby

Author: George du Maurier

Narrator: Peter Joyce

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-08-10

Publisher: Assembled Stories

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Full of the author's joie de vivre, this tale revels in the artistic life of 19th Century Paris. Three friends, perfect companions for each other, try to make their way as painters in the Bohemian climate of the left bank of the Seine, but then Little Billee falls in love. The object of his affections is Trilby, a gamine figure of the streets and artists' model.

Trilby is under the influence of the strange Svengali who hypnotises her to make her sing. It is not Svengali, however, who is responsible for Trilby's downfall. Du Maurier surely lays that blame on the class system of the time. It is not Trilby's lifestyle that brings tragedy but Victorian attitudes - the worthy encompassed by the inevitable. It is a love story brim full of rumbustious reminiscence with dark undercurrents about mesmeric possession of the soul - an obsession of the period.

About Assembled Stories: Over the years the national press have reviewed Assembled Stories titles as "excellent", "remarkable", "entrancing", "superb", "magic for sure", "masterly", "wonderful", "a class act" and "a splendid example of audio at its best".

Critic Reviews:

"Peter Joyce is the most remarkable one-man band in audiobook publishing. Joyce, an experienced actor, reads them all himself." (The Independent)

Members Reviews:

tedious Trilby

I have wanted to read this book for many years and was prepared to love it. Unfortunately I gave up after a few chapters as George seems incapable of one word if twenty will do. I was bored by the whole thing, a good edit is required to render this charmless tale interesting. I dont have the time to stick with it, i am moving on. Sorry.

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Title: Cousin Phillis

Author: Elizabeth Gaskell

Narrator: Peter Joyce

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 38 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-26-10

Publisher: Assembled Stories

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 14 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

The tale of a rural habitation in the late 19th century and the effect of industrialisation on the local community.

Seventeen-year-old Phillis lives on Hope Farm with her parents Minister Ebenezer Holman and his simple wife. Her second cousin Paul Manning, at first reluctantly, comes to visit. He is the son of a rising inventor from Birmingham and is employed as a clerk to Edward Holdsworth, the managing engineer of a railway company laying a line close to the farm. When Paul introduces his new employer and friend to Phillis he little realises the traumatic effect this will have on the young girl.

Elizabeth Gaskell is never judgemental and sketches a subtle portrait of an unsophisticated mode of living that once touched by irresistible forces will never be the same again.

About Assembled Stories: Over the years the national press have reviewed Assembled Stories titles as excellent, remarkable, entrancing, superb, magic for sure, masterly, wonderful, a class act and a splendid example of audio at its best.

Critic Reviews:

"Peter Joyce is the most remarkable one-man band in audiobook publishing. Joyce, an experienced actor, reads them all himself." (The Independent)

Members Reviews:

Cousin Phillis

A pretty ordinary Victorian story. Not necessarily one I would recommend or want to read again. It was probably too short for any real development of character.

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Title: Doyle: The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard

Author: Arthur Conan Doyle

Narrator: Rupert Degas

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 14 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-13-10

Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 18 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

With a horse between his thighs and a weapon in his grip, the dashing Brigadier Etienne Gerard, Colonel of the Hussars of Conflans, gallops through the Napoleonic campaigns on secret missions for his beloved Emperor and his country. He encounters danger and hair-breadth escapes but never loses his bravado, his eye for a pretty girl, his boastfulness or his enormous vanity.

Gerard is Conan Doyles most lovable character. At times hilarious, at times touching, these stories are amongst Conan Doyles most popular.

Editorial Reviews:

Conan Doyle originally published the humorous stories in this 1896 anthology in "Strand" magazine, where Sherlock Holmes had long comfortably dwelled. These are the first-person war stories of Etienne Gerard, a dandyish, opinionated, conceited, randy, dull-witted, and fearless officer in Napoleon's army. In the canon of satirical military figures Gerard stands (at attention, of course) squarely between Baron Munchausen and the Good Soldier Schweik. Militarism, English boorishness, and French arrogance get the worst from Conan Doyle here. Narrator Rupert Degas exhibits plenty of vigor but little comic finesse. He plays Gerard with a French accent and fully voices the other characters, playing the various accents convincingly while skimping on characterization.

Members Reviews:

Conan Doyle writing style of 1890 - 1910 ish

A gentler, comic, rendition of the Napoleonic Wars from the point of view of a man of those times. "Gerard is modeled on the real-life Baron Jean Baptiste Antoine Marcellin de Marbot, a noted French light cavalry officer during the Napoleonic Wars" (Wikipedia).

Rupert Degas does a good job of hinting at the hubris of Gerard, who is very loath to mention his qualities, unless given the chance. His accents, oral caricatures, are just right; women histrionic, heroes manly. Yet, he does so leaving dignity to them.

Writing of its time; simple, lite and enjoyable.

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Title: The Very Best of Robert Browning

Author: Robert Browning

Narrator: James Mason

Format: Abridged

Length: 1 hr and 34 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-06-10

Publisher: Saland Publishing

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Includes:

'Ring and the Book' (Extract)

'Fra Lippo Lippi'

'The Barretts of Wimpole Street' - The Three Love Scenes

'Andrea del Sarto'

'The Bishop Orders His Tombs'

'My Last Duchess'

'The Pied Piper'

'Love Letter from Robert Browning to Elizabeth Barrett'

'How They Brought the Good News from Ghent to Aix'

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Title: Don Juan in Hell

Author: George Bernard Shaw

Narrator: Charles Boyer, Charles Laughton, Cedric Hardwicke, Agnes Moorehead

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 34 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-06-10

Publisher: The Copyright Group

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

The play Don Juan in Hell originated as Act 3, Scene 2, of Man and Superman and is a spirited debate between Heaven and Hell. It was written by Irish playwright and a master of social commentary George Bernard Shaw (1856 1950), who is probably most famous for Pygmalion amongst his 60 plays. Shaw was the only person to ever win a Nobel Prize in literature and an Oscar.

This famous performance features Charles Boyer as Don Juan, Charles Laughtonas the Devil, Cedric Hardwickeas the Commander, and Agnes Moorehead as Doña Ana.

Members Reviews:

extraordinay rendition of a fascinating story

Where does Don Juan in Hell rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

very high up indeed. the story itself is fasccinating an intensely thought provoking. the performers have got deep into their respective characters

What other book might you compare Don Juan in Hell to and why?

for ideas and phiosophy - gibran's prophet and wanderer.

for performance - code of the woosters by wodehouse

Which scene was your favorite?

towards the end where juan relates the types of people who tried to attract him and then rejected him and why

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

the ideas were so powerful that i listened to it twice in succeession

Any additional comments?

don juan's character, possibly because of hs nationality, has an accent that was not fully clear at times

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Title: The Poetry of Emily Brontë

Author: Emily Brontë

Narrator: Emma Topping

Format: Unabridged

Length: 38 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-27-10

Publisher: Saland Publishing

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Whilst best remembered as the author of Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë was also a celebrated poet. Here, Emma Topping reads her finest poetry.

Members Reviews:

Great narration of Emily Brontë's poetry

Short but excellent overview of some of Emily Brontë's best poems including 'Self-Interrogation' and 'Imagination'

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Title: The Poetry of Wales

Author: Dylan Thomas, George Herbert, Ann Griffiths, Wilfred Owen

Narrator: Sian Phillips, Angharad Rees, Richard Mitchley, Glyn Houston

Format: Unabridged

Length: 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-08-10

Publisher: The Copyright Group NET

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

This proud nation with its long history - sometimes rough, hewn from bleak landscapes, and sometimes gently soft from its comforting voices - has produced a long succession of artists and poets.

In the latter category, Louis MacNeice most probably stands pre-eminent; his words and phrasing are on a plane few can equal and most are in awe of. But in this volume we do put forward others who have their own words and voice to add to this rich tapestry - Wilfred Owen, Henry Vaughan, George Herbert, and Edward Thomas amongst them.

Members Reviews:

Wonderful collection of poetry

Would you consider the audio edition of The Poetry of Wales to be better than the print version?

Poetry is always better read aloud!

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

Yes, and it is a length that one could do it.

Any additional comments?

This collection of Welsh poetry has wonderful narrators. I liked the poem selection. For me, collections like this are great to listen to in the evening when I am winding down.