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The Souls of Black Folk
- Narrated by: Richard Allen
- Length: 8 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Essays
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Summary
W. E. B. Du Bois was the foremost Black intellectual of his time. The Souls of Black Folk, his most influential work, is a collection of 14 beautifully written essays, by turns lyrical, historical, and autobiographical. Here, Du Bois records the cruelties of racism, celebrates the strength and pride of Black America, and explores the paradoxical "double-consciousness" of African American life.
When it was first published in 1903, The Souls of Black Folk quickly established itself as a work that wholly redefined the history of the Black experience in America, introducing the now-famous "problem of the color line." In the decades since its publication, its stature has only grown, and today it ranks as one of the most influential and resonant works in the history of American thought.
Critic reviews
"The Souls of Black Folk throws much light upon the complexities of the negro problem, for it shows that the key note of at least some negro aspiration is still the abolition of the social color line." (New York Times Book Review, April 1903; Books of the Century)
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What listeners say about The Souls of Black Folk
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Queen aleta
- 24-09-12
History of African Americans after Emancipation
Where does The Souls of Black Folk rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
It is certainly in the top 5. I love "literature" and this surely classifies. It is definitely not a "beach read", because it requires concentration and thought.
Have you listened to any of Richard Allen’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes, but could not because it is chock full of information and the vocabulary is extensive. It requires one to listen and stop in order to take it all in.
Any additional comments?
Sorry I slept through history class, but this makes up for it.
5 people found this helpful
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- Kindle Customer
- 22-05-21
Relevant and as important to hear as ever
This is as relevant today as when it was written. "Let the ears of the guilty people tingle with truth."
3 people found this helpful
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- Tom
- 08-11-21
Seminal Work of Black and American History
Listening to Richard Allen’s amazing narration of DuBois’ incredible work puts the Reader right in the middle of a 2021 Classroom listening to an essential CRT Lesson.
What DuBois saw and experienced in 1900 is what every American needs to understand about the Black experience after slavery was “abolished”. His calm, professorial tone does nothing to polish the ugliness of Jim Crow Reality. Rather it casts DuBois’ witness as Fact and clothes his aspirations with the robe of Possibility.
It is an astounding work that touches so many aspects of Black Life then and, unfortunately, Now. Every American, Black, White, Red, Yellow should read this book immediately. And the critics of CRT Education should shut the Hell up!
1 person found this helpful
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- Kindle Customer
- 10-12-16
Audible issue
The book is awesome! The audible skips and stops after chapter 10!!!!! It says you've reached the end of the professional reading! 5 chapters still to go! Complete disappointment! My suggestion, buy the book!
1 person found this helpful
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- Halit Pinar, MD
- 25-09-16
A book that must be read by everybody.
Well narrated but repeatedly Dubois was mispronounced. The author never used the French pronunciation of his name and he was very particular about this.
1 person found this helpful
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- Jay Terry
- 26-04-22
pretty good
I really disliked the narrator but the book wasn't bad. it's a bit scholarly so just be prepared to focus but worth the effort
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- ETHAN WEST
- 22-04-22
Interesting critique and time capsule
This was published in 1903. Which is decades after Lincoln is assassinated and Vice President Andrew Johnson quickly strives to return political power back to state and local authorities. These are the same powerful citizens that really wanted to revitalize their economy and society to be as close to what they fought against the union to maintain.
Interestingly, this Massachusetts born, author critiques southern leaders, Booker T Washington and Fredrick Douglass, who were both born slaves. In addition to the basis of this criticism, there is a time capsule open within the book. A part of this text is a travelogue that described settings and individuals very clearly to me.
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- JustDwana
- 12-02-22
Maddening
History has been malaligned with truth. Decades later, still relevant and the inequities remain. Murders, hangings, injustice has never ceased and only now are centuries of Black contributions to this country being honored and properly acknowledged.
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- Utilisateur anonyme
- 29-01-22
Um leitor brasileiro
O Inglês do século passado de DuBois é um desafio especial pra um leitor brasileiro, ouvi o áudio de excelente qualidade mas tive que contar com o suporte do livro traduzido para o Português. A história brasileira tem muitas semelhanças; a sociologia de DuBois é fundamental para uma melhor compreensão de como melhorar as relações entre povos.
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- Proud Mama Mel
- 26-01-22
W.E.B DuBois now has a voice in my head
I do not think I would have made time to read this book in written form, for that reason alone I'm happy overall with this audio book. The performance was a fitting voiceover for the period of time this book was written in. The story was a balancing narrative of the African American lot in the U.S. during this time, a welcoming period piece of perspective that compares and contrasts the variety of African American life and perspective.