Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

  • The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia

  • By: Samuel Johnson
  • Narrated by: Steven Crossley
  • Length: 4 hrs and 34 mins
  • 3.8 out of 5 stars (5 ratings)
Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia cover art

The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia

By: Samuel Johnson
Narrated by: Steven Crossley
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

Beauty and the Beast cover art
Joseph Andrews cover art
Vicar of Wakefield cover art
The Initiate cover art
Plato's Symposium cover art
Erewhon cover art
Daily Stoic: A Daily Journal cover art
The Mummy! cover art
Northanger Abbey & The History of England and Persuasion & Poems cover art
The Vicar of Wakefield cover art
The Monk cover art
The Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini cover art
The Coming Race cover art
Northanger Abbey cover art
Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus cover art
The Canterbury Tales (Unabridged Selections) cover art

Summary

Rasselas and his companions escape the pleasures of the "happy valley" in order to make their "choice of life". By witnessing the misfortunes and miseries of others they come to understand the nature of happiness and value it more highly. Their travels and enquiries raise important practical and philosophical questions concerning many aspects of the human condition, including the business of a poet, the stability of reason, the immortality of the soul, and how to find contentment.

Johnson's adaptation of the popular oriental tale displays his usual wit and perceptiveness; skeptical and probing, his tale nevertheless suggests that wisdom and self-knowledge need not be entirely beyond reach.

Public Domain (P)2016 Recorded Books

What listeners say about The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    3
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    3
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1
  • 4 Stars
    2
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good stuff

Good listen. like a lecture but more philosophical and the use of language is sure to expand anyone's vocabulary

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!