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David
David Member Since 2006
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  • A Tale of Two Cities

    "The best of books, the best of readers"

    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    Possibly Dickens' greatest work, certainly English literatures greatest opening AND closing lines 'A Tale of Two Cities' may also be the incomparable Martin Jarvis's greatest reading.
    His characterisation enhances the written text, bringing life to the already lively players in this masterpiece.
    Possibly the best of the hundreds of auido books I have enjoyed.

    More

    A Tale of Two Cities

    • UNABRIDGED (14 hrs and 18 mins)
    • By Charles Dickens
    • Narrated By Martin Jarvis
    Overall
    (150)
    Performance
    (6)
    Story
    (6)

    "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times"; "It is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known"; so the novel begins and ends with some of Dicken's best-known words, and between the two is every Briton's view of the worst excesses of the French Revolution.

    David says: "The best of books, the best of readers"
  • Hard Times

    "Another masterpiece"

    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    This is another masterpiece from the master storyteller. Although this is not his finest work (it peters out towards the end). Nevertheless the story moves along at a good pace drawing the listener into the lives of this carefully intertwined group of classic Dickens characters.
    As ever Martin Jarvis produces a tour de force of characterisation which enhances the story wonderfully.

    More

    Hard Times

    • UNABRIDGED (10 hrs and 38 mins)
    • By Charles Dickens
    • Narrated By Martin Jarvis
    Overall
    (67)
    Performance
    (2)
    Story
    (2)

    Despite the title, Dickens's portrayal of early industrial society is less relentlessly grim than that in novels by contemporaries such as Elizabeth Gaskell or Charles Kingsley. Hard Times weaves the tale of Thomas Gradgrind, a hard-headed politician who raises his children Louisa and Tom without love; of Sissy, the circus girl with love to spare who is deserted and adopted into their family; and of the honest mill worker Stephen Blackpool and the bombastic mill owner Josiah Bounderby.

    Julia says: "Fantastic book - wonderfully read"
  • The Return of the Native

    "That was a surprise"

    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    As ever Thomas Hardy uses the English language with beauty and restraint. Alan Rickman reads well, with confidence and within the limits of characterisation.
    Surprisingly the end of the story did not leave me feeling that fate was bound to leave everyone in complete desparation.

    More

    The Return of the Native

    • UNABRIDGED (15 hrs and 11 mins)
    • By Thomas Hardy
    • Narrated By Alan Rickman
    Overall
    (33)
    Performance
    (3)
    Story
    (3)

    Eustacia Vye is cut off from the world in her grandfather's lonely cottage. Clym Yeobright seems to offer everything she dreams of: passion, excitement and the opportunity to escape. However, Clym's ambitions are quite different from hers, and marriage only increases Eustacia's destructive restlessness.

    Pauline says: "Marvellous."
  1. A Tale of Two Cities
  2. Hard Times
  3. The Return of the Native
    4. .

A Book to Haunt You Down the Years

A True Old Fashioned Hero

What's Trending in Classics:

Best Sellers

(More Classics Best Sellers) All Classics Best Sellers
  • The Great Gatsby
    Play The Great Gatsby
    The Great Gatsby
    UNABRIDGED
    • F. Scott Fitzgerald

    The Great Gatsby

    • UNABRIDGED (4 hrs and 52 mins)
    • By F. Scott Fitzgerald
    • Narrated By Jake Gyllenhaal
    Overall
    (54)
    Performance
    (44)
    Story
    (44)

    F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic American novel of the Roaring Twenties is beloved by generations of readers and stands as his crowning work. This new audio edition, authorized by the Fitzgerald estate, is narrated by Oscar-nominated actor Jake Gyllenhaal (Brokeback Mountain). Gyllenhaal's performance is a faithful delivery in the voice of Nick Carraway, the Midwesterner turned New York bond salesman, who rents a small house next door to the mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby. There, he has a firsthand view of Gatsby's lavish West Egg parties - and of his undying love....

    Adam says: "Wonderful Adaptation"
  • Middlemarch
    Play Middlemarch
    Middlemarch
    UNABRIDGED
    • George Eliot

    Middlemarch

    • UNABRIDGED (35 hrs and 40 mins)
    • By George Eliot
    • Narrated By Juliet Stevenson
    Overall
    (197)
    Performance
    (10)
    Story
    (9)

    Dorothea Brooke is an ardent idealist who represses her vivacity and intelligence for the cold, theological pedant Casaubon. One man understands her true nature: the artist Will Ladislaw. But how can love triumph against her sense of duty and Casaubon's mean spirit? Meanwhile, in the little world of Middlemarch, the broader world is mirrored: the world of politics, social change, and reforms, as well as betrayal, greed, blackmail, ambition, and disappointment.

    Caroline says: "All consuming"
  • Les Miserables
    Play Les Miserables
    Les Miserables
    UNABRIDGED
    • Victor Hugo

    Les Miserables

    • UNABRIDGED (57 hrs and 51 mins)
    • By Victor Hugo
    • Narrated By Frederick Davidson
    Overall
    (103)
    Performance
    (22)
    Story
    (22)

    Set in the Parisian underworld and plotted like a detective story, Les Miserables follows Jean Valjean, originally an honest peasant, who has been imprisoned for 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his sister's starving family. A hardened criminal upon his release, he eventually reforms, becoming a successful industrialist and town mayor. Despite this, he is haunted by an impulsive former crime and is pursued relentlessly by the police inspector Javert.

    Nick says: "Epic journey through life."
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Volume 1
    Play The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Volume 1
    The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Volume 1
    UNABRIDGED
    • J.R.R. Tolkien

    The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Volume 1

    • UNABRIDGED (10 hrs and 26 mins)
    • By J.R.R. Tolkien
    • Narrated By Rob Inglis
    Overall
    (501)
    Performance
    (42)
    Story
    (43)

    In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as his elderly cousin Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must leave his home and make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose.

    Ian says: "Superb production"
  •  
  • Brave New World
    Play Brave New World
    Brave New World
    UNABRIDGED
    • Aldous Huxley

    Brave New World

    • UNABRIDGED (8 hrs and 5 mins)
    • By Aldous Huxley
    • Narrated By Michael York
    Overall
    (200)
    Performance
    (18)
    Story
    (18)

    On the 75th anniversary of its publication, this outstanding work of literature is more crucial and relevant today than ever before. Cloning, feel-good drugs, anti-aging programs, and total social control through politics, programming and media: has Aldous Huxley accurately predicted our future? With a storyteller's genius, he weaves these ethical controversies in a compelling narrative that dawns in the year 632 A. F. (After Ford, the deity).

    Nick says: "Better than a gram of soma...."
  • A Brief History of the Greek Myths
    Play A Brief History of the Greek Myths
    A Brief History of the Greek Myths
    UNABRIDGED
    • Stephen P. Kershaw

    A Brief History of the Greek Myths

    • UNABRIDGED (14 hrs and 2 mins)
    • By Stephen P. Kershaw
    • Narrated By Cameron Stewart
    Overall
    (20)
    Performance
    (5)
    Story
    (5)

    A Brief Guide to the Greek Myths leads the listener through the vibrant stories of ancient Greece, from the origins of the gods through to the homecomings of the Trojan heroes. All the familiar narratives are here, along with some less familiar characters and motifs. In addition to the tales, the audiobook explains key issues arising from the narratives and discusses the myths and their wider relevance.

    Mrs says: "A hard one to judge"
  • The Hobbit
    Play The Hobbit
    The Hobbit
    ABRIDGED
    • J.R.R. Tolkien

    The Hobbit

    • ABRIDGED (6 hrs)
    • By J.R.R. Tolkien
    • Narrated By Martin Shaw
    Overall
    (324)
    Performance
    (24)
    Story
    (24)

    Whisked from his comfortable hobbit-hole by Gandalf the wizard and a band of dwarves, Bilbo Baggins finds himself caught up in a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon.

    Paul says: "The Hobbit"
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Volume 2
    Play The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Volume 2
    The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Volume 2
    UNABRIDGED
    • J.R.R. Tolkien

    The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Volume 2

    • UNABRIDGED (7 hrs and 17 mins)
    • By J.R.R. Tolkien
    • Narrated By Rob Inglis
    Overall
    (266)
    Performance
    (26)
    Story
    (28)

    Frodo and the Companions of the Ring have been beset by danger during their quest to prevent the Ruling Ring from falling into the hands of the Dark Lord by destroying it in the Cracks of Doom. Now they continue their journey alone down the great River Anduin, alone, that is, save for the mysterious creeping figure that follows wherever they go.

    Carl says: "One 'Book' To Rule Them All!"
  •  
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Volume 1
    Play The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Volume 1
    The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Volume 1
    UNABRIDGED
    • J.R.R. Tolkien

    The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Volume 1

    • UNABRIDGED (9 hrs and 23 mins)
    • By J.R.R. Tolkien
    • Narrated By Rob Inglis
    Overall
    (313)
    Performance
    (28)
    Story
    (32)

    Frodo and the Companions of the Ring have been beset by danger during their quest to prevent the Ruling Ring from falling into the hands of the Dark Lord by destroying it in the Cracks of Doom. Now they continue their journey alone down the great River Anduin, alone, that is, save for the mysterious creeping figure that follows wherever they go.

    Carl says: "One 'Book' To Rule Them All!"
  • Animal Farm
    Play Animal Farm
    Animal Farm
    UNABRIDGED
    • George Orwell

    Animal Farm

    • UNABRIDGED (3 hrs and 11 mins)
    • By George Orwell
    • Narrated By Simon Callow
    Overall
    (121)
    Performance
    (14)
    Story
    (14)

    Animal Farm is George Orwell's great socio-political allegory set in a farmyard where the animals decide to seize the farmer's land and create a co-operative that reaps the benefits of their combined labours. However, as with all great political plans, some animals see a bigger share of the rewards than others and the animals start to question their supposed utopia.

    Peter says: "A brilliant reading of a classic work"
  • Of Mice and Men
    Play Of Mice and Men
    Of Mice and Men
    UNABRIDGED
    • John Steinbeck

    Of Mice and Men

    • UNABRIDGED (3 hrs and 40 mins)
    • By John Steinbeck
    • Narrated By Clarke Peters
    Overall
    (87)
    Performance
    (4)
    Story
    (4)

    Streetwise George and his big, childlike friend Lennie are drifters, searching for work in the fields and valleys of California. They have nothing except the clothes on their back, and a hope that one day they'll find a place of their own and live the American dream. But dreams come at a price. Gentle giant Lennie doesn't know his own strength, and when they find work at a ranch he gets into trouble with the boss's daughter-in-law. Trouble so bad that even his protector George may not be able to save him....

    liam says: "A true classic"
  • The Woman in White
    Play The Woman in White
    The Woman in White
    UNABRIDGED
    • Wilkie Collins

    The Woman in White

    • UNABRIDGED (24 hrs and 38 mins)
    • By Wilkie Collins
    • Narrated By Ian Holm
    Overall
    (99)
    Performance
    (13)
    Story
    (13)

    Late one moonlit night, Walter Hartright encounters a solitary and terrified woman dressed all in white. He saves her from capture by her pursuers, and determines to solve the mystery of her distress and terror. This gripping tale of murder, intrigue, madness and mistaken identity has never been out of print since its publication.

    Anthony says: "Fantastic"

New Releases

(More Classics New Releases) All Classics New Releases
  • Shirley
    Play Shirley
    Shirley
    UNABRIDGED
    • Charlotte Bronte

    Shirley

    • UNABRIDGED (21 hrs and 41 mins)
    • By Charlotte Bronte
    • Narrated By Silvia Cecchini
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    Shirley è un "romanzo sociale" del 1849 pubblicato dopo il primo fortunato romanzo della stessa autrice, Jane Eyre (che peraltro era stato pubblicato, come questo, sotto lo pseudonimo di Currer Bell). Il romanzo è ambientato nello Yorkshire negli anni 1811-1812 e tratta della depressine industriale dovuta alla guerra Napoleonica, con la conseguente reazione operaia sfociante nel luddismo.

  • Belyj Klyk [White Fang]
    Play Belyj Klyk [White Fang]
    Belyj Klyk [White Fang]
    UNABRIDGED
    • Jack London

    Belyj Klyk [White Fang]

    • UNABRIDGED (8 hrs and 51 mins)
    • By Jack London
    • Narrated By Ilya Bobylev
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    Povest' Belyj Klyk - jeto uvlekatel'noe povestvovanie o zhizni volka po klichke Belyj Klyk. Mnogo ispytanij vypalo na ego dolju prezhde, chem on vstretil nastojashhego druga, cheloveka, kotoryj spas emu zhizn'. I za dobro i zabotu serdce volka otvetilo predannoj ljubov'ju.

  • A Daughter of the Snows
    Play A Daughter of the Snows
    A Daughter of the Snows
    UNABRIDGED
    • Jack London

    A Daughter of the Snows

    • UNABRIDGED (9 hrs and 37 mins)
    • By Jack London
    • Narrated By Dmitry Tairov
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    Roman Doch snegov - eto pervoe proizvedenie Dzheka Londona v zhanre romana, rasskazyvajushhee o zhizni i prikljuchenijah zolotoiskatelej vo vremja «zolotoj lihoradki» na Klondajke. Proizvedenie otnositsja k «severnoj» teme, odnoj iz samyh ljubimyh pisatelem, k kotoroj on ne raz vozvrashhalsja v svoem tvorchestve. Na pervom plane - sil'naja lichnost' i ee bor'ba s prirodoj, bor'ba, v kotoroj individual'nost' zakaljaetsja, terjaet svoju meshhanskuju ogranichennost', vozrozhdajas' fizicheski i duhovno.

  • Mary Louise
    Play Mary Louise
    Mary Louise
    UNABRIDGED
    • L. Frank Baum

    Mary Louise

    • UNABRIDGED (5 hrs and 29 mins)
    • By L. Frank Baum
    • Narrated By Cassandra Campbell
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    Mary Louise is a young girl, very honest and wise beyond her years. This, at times put her at odds with her classmates at school, but she is mature enough to not be bothered by their attitudes for the most part. Mary Louise lived with her mother and grandfather, with whom she was very close. She is upset and then astounded to find out that her grandfather is running from the law. As the other children at school find out the circumstances surrounding her situation, they begin to relentlessly tease and trouble her.

  •  
  • Twinkle and Chubbins
    Play Twinkle and Chubbins
    Twinkle and Chubbins
    UNABRIDGED
    • L. Frank Baum

    Twinkle and Chubbins

    • UNABRIDGED (3 hrs and 1 min)
    • By L. Frank Baum
    • Narrated By Tavia Gilbert
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    Twinkle and Chubbins is a collection of short children's stories written by L. Frank Baum, but published under the pen name Laura Bancroft. The stories included in the collection are: "Mr. Woodchuck", "Bandit Jim Crow", "Prairie-Dog Town", "Prince Mud-Turtle", "Twinkle's Enchantment", and "Sugar-Loaf Mountain".

  • Malen'kaja hozjajka bol'shogo doma [The Little Lady of the Big House]
    Play Malen'kaja hozjajka bol'shogo doma [The Little Lady of the Big House]
    Malen'kaja hozjajka bol'shogo doma [The Little Lady of the Big House]
    UNABRIDGED
    • Jack London

    Malen'kaja hozjajka bol'shogo doma [The Little Lady of the Big House]

    • UNABRIDGED (12 hrs and 4 mins)
    • By Jack London
    • Narrated By Denis Nekrasov
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    Izdanie vydajushhegosja amerikanskogo pisatelja Dzheka Londona (1876-1916) vkljuchaet v sebja roman Malen'kaja hozjajka bol'shogo doma, odno iz samyh liricheskih proizvedenij pisatelja, v osnove sjuzheta kotorogo lezhit «ljubovnyj treugol'nik». Roman javljaetsja odnim iz samyh chitaemyh i ljubimyh proizvedenij Dzheka Londona.

  • Udvalgte fortællinger [Featured Stories]
    Play Udvalgte fortællinger [Featured Stories]
    Udvalgte fortællinger [Featured Stories]
    UNABRIDGED
    • Fjodor M. Dostojevskij

    Udvalgte fortællinger [Featured Stories]

    • UNABRIDGED (6 hrs and 26 mins)
    • By Fjodor M. Dostojevskij
    • Narrated By Karsten Pharao
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    Udvalgte fortællinger omfatter fem mindre fortællinger fra forskellige perioder i Dostojevskijs forfatterskab. Samlingen indledes med En lille helt (1848), som Dostojevskij skrev i fængslet umiddelbart før sin 10 års forvisning til Sibirien. En smuk fortælling om en 11-årig drengs følelser, da han betages af og forelsker sig i den smukke og melankolske Madame M.

  • Zheleznaja pjata [The Iron Heel]
    Play Zheleznaja pjata [The Iron Heel]
    Zheleznaja pjata [The Iron Heel]
    UNABRIDGED
    • Jack London

    Zheleznaja pjata [The Iron Heel]

    • UNABRIDGED (11 hrs and 4 mins)
    • By Jack London
    • Narrated By Anna Kozhevnikova
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    Roman-antiutopija Zheleznaja pjata (1908) vydajushhegosja amerikanskogo pisatelja Dzheka Londona s porazitel'noj tochnost'ju opisyvaet obshhestvo, pojavivsheesja vposledstvii v dvuh stranah Evropy, gde k vlasti prishli partii, nazyvavshie sebja rabochimi. On podvergaet unichtozhajushhej kritike amerikanskij imperializm, vlast' monopolij, izoblichaet sistemu belogo rabstva, ekspluataciju zhenshhin i detej, pokazyvaet uzhasajushhie uslovija sushhestvovanija bednjakov.

  •  
  • White Fang
    Play White Fang
    White Fang
    UNABRIDGED
    • Jack London

    White Fang

    • UNABRIDGED (8 hrs)
    • By Jack London
    • Narrated By Peter Husmann
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    Jack London's classic adventure story about the friendship developed between a Yukon gold hunter and the mixed dog-wolf he rescues from the hands of a man who mistreats him. White Fang is a companion novel and thematic mirror to London's best-known work, The Call of the Wild.

  • Edgar Allan Poe Audiobook Collection 12: Hop-Frog, Metzengerstein
    Play Edgar Allan Poe Audiobook Collection 12: Hop-Frog, Metzengerstein
    Edgar Allan Poe Audiobook Collection 12: Hop-Frog, Metzengerstein
    UNABRIDGED
    • Edgar Allan Poe , Christopher Aruffo

    Edgar Allan Poe Audiobook Collection 12: Hop-Frog, Metzengerstein

    • UNABRIDGED (1 hr and 19 mins)
    • By Edgar Allan Poe, Christopher Aruffo
    • Narrated By Christopher Aruffo
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    Included in this collection are two classic short stories as well as two additional stories.

  • Edgar Allan Poe Audiobook Collection 10: Deus ex Machina
    Play Edgar Allan Poe Audiobook Collection 10: Deus ex Machina
    Edgar Allan Poe Audiobook Collection 10: Deus ex Machina
    UNABRIDGED
    • Christopher Aruffo , Edgar Allan Poe

    Edgar Allan Poe Audiobook Collection 10: Deus ex Machina

    • UNABRIDGED (4 hrs and 36 mins)
    • By Christopher Aruffo, Edgar Allan Poe
    • Narrated By Christopher Aruffo
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    From the spiritual to the mechanical, Deus Et Machina gathers many never-recorded stories and essays by Edgar Allan Poe. Included: The Facts In The Case Of M. Valdemar: By the power of a mesmeric spell, an invalid's soul is trapped at the exact moment of death. Von Kempelen and His Discovery: The legendary formula-- pursued by alchemists throughout the ages-- will finally be secret no more.

  • Edgar Allan Poe Audiobook Collection 6-8: The Cask of Amontillado and Other Stories
    Play Edgar Allan Poe Audiobook Collection 6-8: The Cask of Amontillado and Other Stories
    Edgar Allan Poe Audiobook Collection 6-8: The Cask of Amontillado and Other Stories
    UNABRIDGED
    • Edgar Allan Poe , Christopher Aruffo

    Edgar Allan Poe Audiobook Collection 6-8: The Cask of Amontillado and Other Stories

    • UNABRIDGED (3 hrs and 32 mins)
    • By Edgar Allan Poe, Christopher Aruffo
    • Narrated By Christopher Aruffo
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    This audiobook collection contains a selection of eight short stories by Edgar Allan Poe, one of the most influential authors in American literature.