McTeague (Dramatized)

De: Frank Norris

Narrado por: Edward Asner, Ed Begley Jr, Hector Elizondo, Helen Hunt, Amy Irving, Stacy Keach, JoBeth Williams

Stacy Keach stars in this shocking tale of a Polk Street dentist and his wife in 1899 San Francisco. Frank Norris’ powerful insights into the depths of the human soul make this a story of compelling narrative force. This seminal novel about murder, obsession and the destructive effects of greed features an all-star cast including Stacy Keach, Edward Asner, Ed Begley Jr., Bud Cort, Hector Elizondo, Teri Garr, Katherine Helmond, Helen Hunt, Amy Irving, Carol Kane, Marsha Mason, Richard Masur, Judge Reinhold, Joe Spano, Jobeth Williams, and many more.

Public Domain (P)1993 L.A. Theatre Works

This was a big surprise.

CLAP...CLAP...CLAP...Well done! Great story and very well performed, I wasn't expecting something so brilliant! I will be listening to this one over and over again!

Magnificent!

This is the best radio show-type adaptation I have ever heard. The L.A. Theatre Works' cast of actors and actresses outdo themselves in this phenomenal and tragic meditation on greed. Trina McTeague surpasses The Lord of the Ring's Gollum "My Precious." To have Trina sleeping naked on her gold coins was over the top. The whole production, including music and sound effects, riveted me. I liked this production better than Erich von Stroheim's classic film "Greed."

I fault this novel for its racist depiction of the Jewish ragpicker Zerkow. I agree with Donald Pizer, who wrote that this book "included the most vicious anti-Semitic portrayals in any major work of American literature." Norris relied upon racist tropes. Given that he depicted other greedy characters--poor Whites and a Mexican--says more about him than them.

His writing reminds me of a cross between Edgar Allan Poe and the films of Alfred Hitchcock. Suspense. Drama. Tragedy. A bonus was that he depicted San Francisco before the 1906 earthquake. I live in the Bay Area. I pine for the places he saw that no longer exist, such as the public baths, and I laugh at things that have changed, such as the "town" of Oakland.

This production is one I will return to year after year.

Terrific Presentation

Thanks for making this novel come to life! I especially enjoyed the choice of narrators for McTeague and Trina - what perfect voices for their parts. Well cast, bravo!

Old Story Still Spot On!

A spectacular story set down and published in 1899, and yet, it still sparks so spot on and perfectly true to the astonishing twisted ways people come to think and do what they do, adjusting their ethics and true as they scheme their way through life and all kinds of ideas over values! I read a lot of books, and I can say that I did love this one!

The gold standard

I’ve listened to this unabridged version twice. It’s amazing. This is a very long listen, so I actually appreciated the varied cast members alternating, and the introductions helped break it up (I’ve tried Norris’s “The Octopus” and am finding going back to a single narrator difficult). Stacy Keach and Carol Kane completely embody the two main characters, and there’s not a weak supporting character actor in the bunch. Add one of the best, most satisfying endings in literary history, it all adds up to a winning glimpse of turn-of-the-century Bay Area (and beyond). My favorite audio book of all time.

Hard to imagine a more compelling, engaging, immersive experience of this novel then the one presented here.

I have listened to many, many audiobooks, and I feel privileged to have been able to enjoy such an unbelievably stellar cast bringing this novel to life. It's really a new way to read and listen. I wish every book had this sort of treatment to realize it's full potential in conveying it's ideas, historical 'time & place' and ambience to new audiences. Beyond the incredible story, It makes history come to life. I have heard other commenters mention their irritation with the repeating introductions, as this was originally a radio serial type show, but it's a small quibble compared to the overwhelming magnificence of the production. It's like the graphic novel of audiobooks: Accessible, vivid, moving, transcendent, I could go on and on.
I intend to listen to every LA TheatreWorks piece that I can get my hands on. I had listened to Sinclair Lewis' "Babbitt" just before this, and it's equally good.
Again, what a privilege!

Melodrama from old San Francisco

What did you like best about McTeague (Dramatized)? What did you like least?

I liked the melodramatic flourishes of McTeague and his fellow rogues. The naturalism of Frank Norris comes off very strong here, and the narrative feels very dated. That is its strength, as it captures the down and outs of S.F. well, but it's repetitious and heavy-handed.

Would you recommend McTeague (Dramatized) to your friends? Why or why not?

It's probably more entertaining to hear the novel dramatized by an enthusiastic cast. But you need patience, for at eleven-plus hours the plot goes on and on, wearing out its welcome.

Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I liked the L.A. Theater Works' "Babbitt," done in similar form by a cast of (as of the late 1980s) respected actors. Sinclair Lewis' was a bit more skilled at narrative than Frank Norris, but the social message type of novel both men favored is suitable for such radio ensembles.

Was McTeague (Dramatized) worth the listening time?

It was fun, as I chose it for a drive across the California desert. Let's just say it remains in The City for most of its running time, as I cannot give away any plot spoilers. It's a period piece I always meant to read, and hearing it kept me entertained despite repetitious prose.

Any additional comments?

Perhaps this was published as a serial? The novel keeps repeating the same phrases for certain characters, and passages verbatim or near it come again to remind readers of the action or the characters. Still, for all its moustache-twirling menace, it's a reminder of the harsher conditions endured by ordinary men and women in urban California, no romance!

Recommended for greedy folk

a vivid hyperbolic tale focussed on folly of greed and still yet more greed. Helpful if familiar with novel itself, and thus prepared to enjoy this rich dramatized version that is true to story with only a few hours less enjoyment timewise and performed very well.

not recommended

Incredibly annoying recitation of the author (2 times at the beginning of each part) along with the theater company and names of all the cast and characters at the beginning of each part. And then a repeat of the ending of the last part. Annoying sound effects (screaming and yelling). Too many narrators, switching from voice to voice constantly. What were they thinking?
It had moments, but one had to wade through much tedium to get to them.