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

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Title: Pericles

Author: William Shakespeare

Narrator: full cast

Format: Original Recording

Length: 1 hr and 57 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-15-16

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Blackstone Audio is proud to present the Oregon Shakespeare Festival's 2015 production of Pericles, Shakespeare's first romance. This stunning work of audio theater, fully dramatized with performances by the OSF cast, is a must-listen.

Pericles, prince of Tyre, sets out to woo a princess and sails headlong into harrowing adventure. Pursued by an evil king, Pericles is blown from port to exotic port. Along the way he finds the love of his life, then loses her and their infant daughter in a storm-tossed sea.

Happily, this is a romance - Shakespeare's first - where, in true storybook fashion, miracles reunite the lost with those who love them, bringing joy and safe harbor at last.

Members Reviews:

Five Stars

good quality

One Star

Lots of spelling errors. Poorly done edition.

It's Shakespeare

I read this in college and I don't remember much, not one of his best plays, but still worth reading.

Shakespeare Bows Out

Shakespeare's last play. Enjoyable read.

Five Stars

It's Shakespeare.

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Title: Peter Pan and the Inconsiderate Waiter

Author: J.M. Barrie

Narrator: Alison Larkin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-09-16

Publisher: Alison Larkin Presents

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Earphones Award Winner

Award-winning narrator, comedienne, and best-selling author of The English American, Alison Larkin brings the classic story of Peter Pan to a new American audience in this brilliant, "hugely entertaining" recording.

When Peter flies into the Darling home looking for his shadow, he teaches Wendy, John, and Michael how to fly with him back to the island of Neverland, where they embark on an "awfully big adventure".

Followed by J. M. Barrie's short story "The Inconsiderate Waiter."

In the world of the Victorian Club, it does not do for a gentleman to be seen to take an interest in a member of the working class. How dreadfully inconvenient then, when the narrator's waiter begins to reveal a personality and feelings of his own.

Additional commentary by Alison Larkin on life "betwixt and between" England and America.

Title and end music by Emmy Award-winning composer, Gary Schriener.

Critic Reviews:

"The well-known characters in the much-loved story of PETER PAN are enlivened with humor and excitement in this gem. Narrator Alison Larkin breathes a unique personality and voice into each character. Peter's cockiness, Tink's spunk, Hook's rants, and all the other distinctive voices combine for an enjoyable listening experience. The icing on the cake is the less-well-known short story THE INCONSIDERATE WAITER, a humorous look at the British class system of 1898. Larkin gives a perfectly snooty voice to the narrator, an upper-class gentleman who is pulled out of his comfort zone by William, an inconsiderate waiter who has the impertinence to involve him in a personal dilemma. An entertaining look at the battle between a man's social status and his humanity." (AudioFile)

Members Reviews:

great story! plus a great short story

I love the story of Peter Pan! and this is an amazing audio book of it!

such a classic! I grew up reading this book with my grandparents reading it to me. It was such a great memory I have of them, and I couldn't help thinking of them all the way through it. such a good book!

and the narrator does a great job breathing this story to life!

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

Fantastic Classic Storytale Brought to Life!!!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes I would because many people are only familiar with Peter Pan from the Disney Movie or the stage production and those two leave so much of the story out. This audio book you get the full flavor of the story of Peter Pan and the other story the Inconsiderate Waiter both excellent tales for children of all ages.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

My reaction was a smile of course for both stories.

What does Alison Larkin bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

Ms. Larkin does an amazing job that makes these stories come to life. She has the perfect voice and accent for them.

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

The death of Tinkerbell still moves me. She drinks Peters medicine that Hook has poisoned to save him. And the Narrator tells the audience that the only way she can be saved is for children and people to clap their hands.

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Title: The Sign of Four

Author: Arthur Conan Doyle

Narrator: Anthony Goring

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-12-16

Publisher: A.R.N. Publications

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Sign of the Four is one of many fun mystery novels featuring the famous detective Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick, Doctor Watson. In the 1800s, Sherlock's newest client, Mary Morstan asks for Holmes' help because after returning from India, Mary's father had agreed to meet her at a hotel but never showed up. And he mysteriously went missing.

In addition, Mary has received a pearl every year since responding to an ad in a newspaper saying that she was wronged in some way. Sherlock discovers that Mary had read this advertisement shortly after her father's friend, Mr. Sholto, had died and that the two must be connected. The only other clue that Sherlock and Dr. Watson have to rely on is Mary's father's map of a fortress. The map has the names of four criminals on it; these criminals are the "four" alluded to in the title of the novel.

Wrapped in mystery, the tale of Mr. Morstan's disappearance is slowly revealed, as Sherlock discovers that Mr. Morstan and his friend, Mr. Sholto, had met to divide a treasure from India on the night of Mr. Morstan's disappearance. Mr. Sholto's son is the one who had been sending Mary the pearls, and the three must uncover who left the words "the sign of the four" in a note on Mr. Sholto's body.

Members Reviews:

Good fun book

I enjoy Sherlock Holmes books and movies. This was a good fun one to read. Good plot and I like books that take place in that time of history.

A Absolute Must Read... also Kindle Version Review

First of all this is a wonderful story and the second in the Holmes canon. This not a short story but a novel, actually the second novel (total of 4 novels) with the other 50+ stories being short stories. This ideally should be read second, afterA Study in Scarlet (Sherlock Holmes Vol. 1)(where Watson and Holmes meet). Sign of Four is where Watson meets his wife but that is not the focus of the strory. After reading The Sign of Four, and assuming you are still into reading SH, and you will be, your next book should ideally be the short stories in theThe Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. This is the order in which they were written and the character introduced to readers in the late 19th century.

This work is a real page turner with 12 chapters - the 12th and final chapter takes up almost 25% of the novel and is the back story which shows the motivation and context for the crime - much like part 2 in Study in Scarlet. The story begins by introducing us to Holmes between cases, where he may sit around all day, everyday, injecting himself with his 7% solution of cocaine to pass the time. Yes, cocaine was legal back then and even Freud prescribed it to patients and used it himself - no wonder he was obsessed with sex. Of course once a case comes his way he no longer needs cocaine or morphine to pass the time and becomes energized unravelling subtle clues missed by Scotland Yard's best. Here is an excerpt...

"My mind," he said, "rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram or the most intricate analysis, and I am in my own proper atmosphere. I can dispense then with artificial stimulants. But I abhor the dull routine of existence. I crave for mental exaltation.

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Title: The Cricket on the Hearth

Author: Charles Dickens

Narrator: George Cole

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 9 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-13-15

Publisher: silksoundbooks Limited

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

There is the warmest of Christmas fires in this hearth. It was reportedly written in a matter of weeks as part of Dickens' journalistic output, to catch the Christmas deadline.

Unlike his other seasonal stories, this is not a supernatural tale but one of the perfect domestic scene with which Dickens was so obsessed throughout his writing. It is all here: the warmth of home, the loving little woman, the children, the food and the laughter. All the things that go to make an idealised Christmas are rolled into one very warming story.

The book was a huge commercial success and the best selling of all five of the Christmas books. At the outset its sales doubled that of both The Chimes and A Christmas Carol. William Makepiece Thackeray described it as "illuminated with extra gas, crammed with extra bonbons, French plums and sweetness"....

Members Reviews:

Amusing

Short cute tale.

Not what I expected, but good read with a simple message. Not a Christmas tale, just general everyday magic.

eye of the beholder

This is one of the few things written by Charles Dickens that I had not read. I enjoyed the book immensely!

The book company makes literature available in various print sizes. This print variations is a huge help! I can share great literature with family and friends that may need larger print. I even find it helpful for myself when my eyes are tired.

I have purchased many books by this company through Amazon and have never been disappointed in their products!

Cricket on the hearth

Charles Dickens books are a wonderful insight into the time in which they were written. The writing can be difficult to understand at times, but that was the language of the day. People had a misunderstanding and doubt with others that we still have today. I enjoyed the positive, cheerful ending.

This is the second OLD copy of Cricket on the ...

This is the second OLD copy of Cricket on the Hearth I have purchased through Amazon--for my two children with new houses and fireplaces. They got the cricket and the book.

Charles Dickins' The Cricket on the Hearth

If you are a fan of the Dickens style or if you like delightful stories where animals have human characteristics you will find The Cricket on the Hearth a fun story to read. I recommend it for enjoyment. This was something I placed in my Kindle reader from Amazon.

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Title: The Chimes

Author: Charles Dickens

Narrator: George Cole

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 8 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-13-15

Publisher: silksoundbooks Limited

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

This is the second in a series of five novels that Charles Dickens wrote for the Christmas season and is the immediate successor to A Christmas Carol.

Filled with an array of comic characters, The Chimes tells the story of Toby Veck, a humble porter whose loses his faith in human nature at the hands of his presumed social superiors but regains it thanks to the spirits of the bells.

The book was actually written while Dickens was living in Italy but remains a quintessentially English tale. Like its predecessor, it carries a heartfelt plea for charity and brotherhood and examines such distressing themes as suicide and infanticide as well as the question of whether the poor have any right to live at all.

The book also continues its predecessor's vigorous satire on the social injustices of its day and is perhaps more explicit and confrontational in its approach.

Contrary to his wish to be buried in Rochester Cathedral, Dickens was buried in Poets' Corner at Westminster Abbey. The inscription on his tomb reads, "He was a sympathiser to the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed; and by his death, one of England's greatest writers is lost to the world."

Members Reviews:

New Year's Day and a Wedding

Not Dickens' best, but still rather good. His writing here has a certain restless, almost hyper, quality. The action takes place over New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Dickens' satiric puncturing of the self-proclaimed 'friends of the poor' is a delight and wouldn't need much changing to bring it up to date for the 21st century. It all ends happily with, appropriately, a wedding.

May each New Year be Happier than the last!

There were a lot of words and phrases I didn't quite understand, but I understood the point and lesson. This book was good and it makes a good companion book with A Christmas Carol. I enjoyed it.

A follow-up to "A Christmas Carol"

This Christmas novella (actually it is a New Year's story) is not as good as Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," but it is a solid book with a moral and a supernatural element (in this case: goblins).

Parts of the story are quite bleak and there is very little humor.

But if you like Dickens' other works, you will probably like this one, too.

A little dark

If you like Dickens then you'll like this little Christmas story. I personally like The Christmas Carol better; I found this one a little too dark for me.

I liked the first half - the second half was too ...

Seemed less complete than A Christmas Carol, and not nearly as memorable. I liked the first half - the second half was too 'dream-like' for me.

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Title: A Christmas Carol

Author: Charles Dickens

Narrator: George Cole

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 53 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-02-15

Publisher: silksoundbooks Limited

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Christmas wouldnt be Christmas without A Christmas Carol.

At the time Dickens was writing it, many of the time-honoured customs linked with Christmas were beginning to disappear. It is largely due to this book that we carry with us much of the imagery that is now associated with the traditional celebration and spirit of Christmas.

When it is said 'that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed that knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us!', it is to the Christmas of Scrooge, of Bob Cratchit, of Tiny Tim, of Christmas trees and roast goose, of the triumph of philanthropy over self-interest and familial love over mercenary considerations that our thoughts turn. But Dickens' intention when writing the story was a far less sugary one. Its working title was The Sledgehammer - so serious was its intent to expose and revile social injustice and poverty.

Dickens suffered considerable hardship and poverty during his childhood - indeed, the Cratchits' house may be modelled on the small four-room house in Camden Town, London, where Dickens lived as a boy, and the character of Tiny Tim is echoed in Dickens' sickly youngest brother, who was known as Tiny Fred. It is a serious book as well as a sentimental one: when we contemplate Bob Cratchit's working conditions, when Scrooge is told that many would rather die than go to the workhouse, and we hear him respond, 'If they would rather die...they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population', the satire is hard hitting.

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Title: Alice Dugdale

Author: Anthony Trollope

Narrator: Flo Gibson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 7 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-19-15

Publisher: Audio Book Contractors, LLC

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Plain Alice suffers in silence while the much sought after Major cavorts with the beautiful Gerorgiana Wanless.

Members Reviews:

ALICE DUGDALE - A NEAT SHORT STORY FOR LOVERS

I READ THIS AS A SHORT STORY IN A LARGER COLLECTION. IT IS TYPICAL OF ALL TROLLOPE SHORT TALES - IT HAS A PLOT, MUCH CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, MUCH PHILOSOPHY ABOUT LOVE AND LIFE, AND HAS A MEANINGFUL CONCLUSION. TOO MANY SHORT STORIES JUST SEEM TO BE MOOD PIECES AND WANDER. NOT TROLLOPE! THIS STORY CONCERNS THE LOVE BETWEEN A MAN AND WOMAN AND HOW OTHER FACTORS - FAMILY AND SOCIETAL NEEDS AND MORES - EXERT AN INFLUENCE - USUALLY DETRIMENTAL. HOWEVER, IN THE END, TRUE LOVE IS ALL THAT MATTERS, NOT WHAT OTHERS THINK, THE FAMILIES DESIRE, OR SOCIETY DICTATES. IF YOU LOVE TROLLOPE, READ ALICE DUGDALE.

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Title: The Hound of the Baskervilles

Author: Arthur Conan Doyle

Narrator: Michael Page

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-29-15

Publisher: Dreamscape Media, LLC

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

At Baskerville Hall on the grim moors of Devonshire, a legendary curse has apparently claimed one more victim. Sir Charles Baskerville has been found dead. There are no signs of violence, but his face is hideously distorted with terror. Years earlier, a houndlike beast with blazing eyes and dripping jaws was reported having torn out Hugo Baskerville's throat. Is Sir Henry Baskerville, younger heir to the estate, now in danger? Enter Sherlock Holmes, summoned to protect Sir Henry from the fate that threatens the Baskerville family.

As Holmes and Watson begin to investigate, a blood-chilling howl from the fog-shrouded edges of the great Grimpen Mire signals that the legendary hound of the Baskervilles is poised for yet another murderous attack.

Members Reviews:

I envy anyone who has not read this novella.

This is Doyle's longest and most complete story. We get to know several characters besides Holmes and Watson. Doyle describes Dartmoor and the Grimpen Mire with tantalizing details.

If you are not familiar with any of the movies, radio or TV adaptations, you have a rare treat in store. But even if you have been a longtime fan of Sherlock Holmes it is worth another read.

Absolutely Classic Story

The classic Holmes story. It can be a bit wordy at times but the reasoning behind that was to involve the reader in the general moodiness and atmosphere of the story. This isn't THE Holmes story to read if you are just becoming acquainted with Holmes, but it is very worthwhile reading once you've been introduced to him via some of the short stories or perhaps even A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four.

Old school detective story

If you want to start with Holmes, start here. Many old school stories don't hold up well, this does. For cultural literacy reasons alone it's worth the time (it's a quick read) but it's also a good story. Call it up on the Kindle for a buck and enjoy the bus ride.

One of the best

It was fun to have a Holmes novel with Watson taking center stage. This is a classic. Doyle makes you picture and actually feel the moor. Do yourself a favor and read this one. (One star is taken off for the incredible amount of typos.)

Sherlock Holmes rocks

Sherlock Holmes is the best. Read every story over and over again. Love this one because it proves that answers don't have to be fanciful to be right.

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Title: Beowulf

Subtitle: A New Translation

Author: Seamus Heaney

Narrator: Seamus Heaney

Format: Abridged

Length: 2 hrs and 15 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-20-15

Publisher: Faber & Faber Ltd

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Seamus Heaneys new translation of Beowulf is a work that is both true to the original poem and an expression of something fundamental to Heaneys own creative gift.

One of the great classics of English literature, it tells the story of a hero who wins glory and learns wisdom and is then called upon to face a final test against the monstrous.

There are obvious parallels to be found in the history of the 20th century, and Heaneys Beowulf cannot fail to be read partly in the light of his Northern Irish upbringing. But it also transcends such considerations, revealing psychological and spiritual truths that are both permanent and liberating.

Critic Reviews:

"Heaney's intelligence, fine ear and obvious love of the poem bring Beowulf alive as a melancholy masterpiece, a complex Christian-pagan lament for duty, glory, loss and transience. Heaney has done it (and us) a great service." (Claire Harman, Evening Standard)

"A wonderfully unfazed and unfussy riding round the great barrow of the text itself." (Paul Muldoon, Times Literary Supplement)

"The whole performance is wonderfully intermediate - poised between the Bible and folk wisdom, between the Light Ages and the Dark Ages - and at the same time pulverisingly actual in its language. He has made a masterpiece out of a masterpiece." (Andrew Motion, Financial Times)

Members Reviews:

Beowulf

This is the version translated and read by Seamus Heaney. I've had the book for years but never ventured in. I will now after hearing of Beowulf's brave exploits and heroic qualities. Heaney read well and the translation loses nothing of the sense of ancient history and myth. A really great introduction to a wonderful take. I listened on my walk to work and was often moved to tears.

Beautiful poem read by one of the greatest poets

Such a pleasure to be able to hear the late, great Seamus Heaney read his version of this classic tale. Wonderful.

Beautiful. Honour without irony. Grave and just.

Better than reading it; lovely to listen to Heaney read it himself. Enjoyed it very much.

Abridged and declaimed

This recording is significantly abridged from the printed text and also differs in small details within the lines that are represented.

While it may be heretical to say so, I'm not sure that Heaney is the best reader of his own text: he appears to have gone for a kind of epic declamatory style that becomes rather monotonous. Of course it's always interesting to hear the author reading their own work, but I'd be interested to hear it in a rendering by an accomplished actor.

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Title: Pride and Prejudice

Author: Jane Austen

Narrator: Harriet Stevens

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-01-15

Publisher: A.R.N. Publications

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 17 votes

Genres: Classics, British Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Romantic scandal, English aristocracy, and familial controversy come together in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice to make for quite the enjoyable listen. As the novel opens, we are introduced to the Bennet Family, whose five daughters have reached the age of marital eligibility. When the dapper (and single) Mr. Bingley and his friend, Mr. Darcy, move into the Bennets' neighborhood, talk in the Bennet house is occupied by musings of engagements, specifically between the eldest daughter, Jane, and Mr. Bingley. As the novel progresses, however, a series of social missteps and faux pas serve to foil some of the plans of the Bennet family, causing engagements to break and characters to turn on one another.

Despite the familial strife, there are a few surprises that Austen cleverly sneaks into the novel, as she proves once again that not all characters can be judged by first appearance. The author beautifully showcases her artistic mastery of the English language as she intertwines plot with suspense and much more. In a time when social standing was of utmost importance, Austen proves there is a certain dynamism that drives each and every one of us.

Members Reviews:

Can you ever have too many copies of P&P?

This book is just gorgeous! I already own a few copies of Pride and Prejudice so I didn't need another but this was too cute to pass up. It's a generous size, the colors are bold and bright and the illustrations are whimsical and fun. A great gift for any jane Austen fan, even if she already owns a few copies ;)

Great classic

Jane Austen is always a good read. Her ability to write and appeal to many angles is impressive. She writes in a sophisticated way, with a great setting and characters. The plot is well crafted and every detail is taken care of. The characters are thought out and grow as the story continues. Not many surprises in that area. But it is a great book to get lost in. Its fun to read again and again. There is a reason it has been made in TV series and movies time and time again. Definitely a book everyone needs to read.

A romance that sugarcoats nothing

"It is a trope universally acknowledged that a romantic hero and heroine who loathe each other will eventually fall passionately in love."

Hundreds of romance novels penned since Pride and Prejudice feature a sparring couple who fall in love despite a strong initial dislike of one another. However, I've never read one that used this trope as wonderfully as Jane Austen's masterwork.

I came to Pride and Prejudice relatively spoiler free, and although it did not engage my emotions like Sense and Sensibility did, and it started out slowly for me, I was soon enthralled by Austen's characters, their witty observations and the story of prejudiced Elizabeth Bennett and proud Mr. Darcy.

Austen had an unerring eye for human foibles, and her writing about them is so spot on I wanted to stand up and cheer.

"For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors, and laugh at them in our turn?"

"We all love to instruct, though we can teach only what is not worth knowing."

"Elizabeth found that nothing was beneath this great lady's attention, which could furnish her with an occasion of dictating to others."

"Marriage ...