Billy Budd
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Billy Budd
Buy Now for £9.42
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Narrated by:
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Stefan Rudnicki
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By:
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Herman Melville
Billy Budd, an orphaned, illegitimate child suffused with innocence, openness, and natural charisma, has been impressed into service aboard the HMS Bellipotent. He is adored by the crew but for unexplained reasons arouses the antagonism of the ship’s master-at-arms, John Claggart, who falsely accuses Billy of conspiracy to mutiny. Set in 1797, Billy Budd exploits the tension of this period during the war between England and France to create a tale of satanic treachery, tragedy, and great pathos that explores human relationships and the inherently ambiguous nature of man-made justice.
Melville’s stories are masterpieces to be appreciated on more than one level. They are rich with symbolism and spiritual depth and show the timeless poetic power of Melville’s writing as he consciously uses the disguise of allegory in various ways and to various ends.
(P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.Critic reviews
“A court martial held aboard a ship at sea, the trial, the jury deliberations, and the aftermath are among the most powerful and poignant scenes in all of Melville’s writings. Spoiler alert: the epilogue may make you misty-eyed as you read the words of the ballad sung by sailors around the world in memory of poor Billy.”
(Crime Reads)“In this last of Melville’s works, published posthumously, the author dramatized the clash between natural goodness and innocence as personified by Billy Budd and unprovoked evil as embodied in Claggart.”
(Masterpieces of World Literature)“Billy Budd has excited the most admiration and commentary of any work by Melville except Moby-Dick. It has the translucence and the loose weave of last works. A lifetime sifts into it. Whenever Melville ventures onto shipboard, the reader feels the deck beneath his feet.”
(John Updike)“Reaches straight back into the universal, to a blackness and sadness so trancending our own that they are undistinguishable from glory.”
(E. M. Forster)“No library, public or private, that professes to represent English literature should be without it.”
(John St. Loe Strachey)Difficult but worth sticking with
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Who was your favorite character and why?
Billy Budd, he was so innocent and beautiful.Which scene did you most enjoy?
Enjoy is not a good word, but the scene with Billy, Captain Vere and Claggart was very strange and unsettling.I don't want to give away the plot so I will write no more.If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
Don't believe what you see.Any additional comments?
The book is so short but it was somehow a very long read for me. I mean I had a few attempts. The book wasn't easy for me- very long sentences, a lot of unusual or marine vocab, but I finally succeded (with the help of printed book). As it happens with Melville, the book you read is not the whole story, there is a lot of hidden meaning for you to work out, and I must say that immidiately after finishing my listening I went online and found some very interesting essey, which helped me to understand the book. I love what this book has to offer, this is an exceptional read.Difficult but rewarding read
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If you are a fan of Herman Melville...
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Very good book
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Not for British listening
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