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The Ballad of Reading Gaol
- Narrated by: Roy Macready
- Length: 25 mins
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Classics
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A stunning new reading of Oscar Wilde's De Profundis (adapted by Frank McGuinness, from the stage production directed by Mark Rosenblatt) and The Ballad of Reading Gaol, performed by one of Britain's greatest actors. One of the most famous and successful writers of his day, Oscar Wilde was celebrated as much for his flamboyant personality and his prodigious wit as for his provocative essays, touching fairy stories and satirical plays.
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Interesting book. Disappointing censorship.
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De Profundis
- By: Oscar Wilde, Merlin Holland - introduction
- Narrated by: Simon Russell Beale, Merlin Holland
- Length: 4 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Written during his time in Reading Gaol, De Profundis is Oscar Wilde's moving letter to Lord Alfred Douglas, whose relationship with Wilde led to the poet's imprisonment. Here Wilde repudiates Lord Alfred and reflects on his ordeal, acknowledging how the depths of his sorrow have helped liberate him toward a fuller, freer wisdom. Brimming with beautiful passages, De Profundis is a profound and inspiring treatise on the meaning of suffering.
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Wilde speaks for himself
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Performance
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In true Dickensian fashion, The Old Curiosity Shop offers a humorous yet devastating depiction of both the most honourable and most corrupt members of 19th-century English society. Hailed by Queen Victoria as being ‘interesting and cleverly written', The Old Curiosity Shop introduces listeners to the uniquely colourful characters of Nell Trent, her young friend, Kit, her doting grandfather and the evil moneylender to whom they all fall prey, Daniel Quilp.
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Glorious narration
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- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A stunning new reading of Oscar Wilde's De Profundis (adapted by Frank McGuinness, from the stage production directed by Mark Rosenblatt) and The Ballad of Reading Gaol, performed by one of Britain's greatest actors. One of the most famous and successful writers of his day, Oscar Wilde was celebrated as much for his flamboyant personality and his prodigious wit as for his provocative essays, touching fairy stories and satirical plays.
-
Oliver Twist
- By: Charles Dickens
- Narrated by: Martin Jarvis
- Length: 16 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A workhouse orphan, Oliver experiences the terror and brutality of the criminal underworld. His companions, a thief, a whore, a pickpocket, and a fence, are destined for gruesome ends, but Oliver emerges unscathed from the darkness of the underworld.
-
-
A classic story read to perfection
- By Ken Hill on 07-10-11
-
Dubliners
- By: James Joyce
- Narrated by: T. P. McKenna
- Length: 7 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was born in 1882 in Dublin but spent most of his life living with Nora Barnacle in various parts of Europe. Apart from a collection of verse, Dubliners was his first published work in 1914. In Dubliners, Joyce portrays quite brilliantly human relationships in Ireland at the turn of the century. His characters are so vital and exciting and the stories so fresh, evocative, and entertaining that they could well have been written today.
-
-
Life, Death and Dublin
- By Francis on 13-04-13
-
The Road to Wigan Pier
- By: George Orwell
- Narrated by: Jeremy Northam
- Length: 7 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A graphic and biting polemic that still holds a fierce political relevance and impact despite being written over half a century ago. First published in 1937 it charts George Orwell's observations of working-class life during the 1930s in the industrial heartlands of Yorkshire and Lancashire. His depictions of social injustice and rising unemployment, the dangerous working conditions in the mines amid general squalor and hunger also bring together many of the ideas explored in his later works and novels.
-
-
Interesting book. Disappointing censorship.
- By J Gillan on 16-12-18
-
De Profundis
- By: Oscar Wilde, Merlin Holland - introduction
- Narrated by: Simon Russell Beale, Merlin Holland
- Length: 4 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Written during his time in Reading Gaol, De Profundis is Oscar Wilde's moving letter to Lord Alfred Douglas, whose relationship with Wilde led to the poet's imprisonment. Here Wilde repudiates Lord Alfred and reflects on his ordeal, acknowledging how the depths of his sorrow have helped liberate him toward a fuller, freer wisdom. Brimming with beautiful passages, De Profundis is a profound and inspiring treatise on the meaning of suffering.
-
-
Wilde speaks for himself
- By Amazon Customer on 27-12-16
-
The Old Curiosity Shop
- The Audible Dickens Collection
- By: Charles Dickens
- Narrated by: Jessie Buckley
- Length: 22 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In true Dickensian fashion, The Old Curiosity Shop offers a humorous yet devastating depiction of both the most honourable and most corrupt members of 19th-century English society. Hailed by Queen Victoria as being ‘interesting and cleverly written', The Old Curiosity Shop introduces listeners to the uniquely colourful characters of Nell Trent, her young friend, Kit, her doting grandfather and the evil moneylender to whom they all fall prey, Daniel Quilp.
-
-
Glorious narration
- By Gabrielle Boland on 16-06-20
Summary
"The Ballad of Reading Gaol" was written by Oscar Wilde in France, where he was in exile after his release from Reading Gaol. Wilde had been imprisoned and sentenced to two years hard labor. A hanging took place while Wilde was incarcerated, and the poem is the narrative of the execution.
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What listeners say about The Ballad of Reading Gaol
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
- Mrs W.
- 03-01-18
Beautifully read
A terrible place to be, Wilde's experience in Reading Gaol changed him. He claimed to be haunted by the pitiful cries of children, it highlights a terrible time in British history.
Beautiful reading by Roy Macready, he really does it justice.