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Gargantua and Pantagruel
- Narrated by: Bill Homewood
- Length: 34 hrs and 50 mins
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Gargantua and Pantagruel
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Publisher's summary
"Most noble and illustrious drinkers..." Thus begins Gargantua and Pantagruel, a grotesque and carnivalesque collection of exuberant, fantastical stories that takes us from the ancient world through to the European Renaissance. At the heart of these tall tales are the giant Gargantua and his equally seismic son, Pantagruel. Containing magical adventures, maniacal punning, slapstick humor, erudite allusions, and just about any bodily function one can think of, here is quite possibly the zaniest, most risqué book ever written.
Featuring the original translation by Urquhart and Motteaux - celebrated for its fluidity and playfulness.
Bill Homewood gives a virtuosic and delightfully exuberant reading of this extraordinary text - "a narrator so perfectly matched to his material that you can't help but smile." [The Times (London)]
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Author Peter Ackroyd has won the Somerset Maugham Award, the Whitbread Novel of the Year, and the Guardian Fiction Prize, and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Based on Geoffrey Chaucer’s immortal work, this retelling of The Canterbury Tales follows a party of travelers as they tell stories amongst themselves about love and chivalry, saints and legends, travel and adventure. Through allegory, satire, and humor, the tales help pass the time during their journey.
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5 out of 5 stars
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WOW
- By Mitchell Drimmer on 02-25-15
By: Peter Ackroyd
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King Lear
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Paul Scofield, Rachel Roberts, Cyryl Cusak, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 5 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 55
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 29
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 28
I am a man more sinned against than sinning.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
A true classic
- By Stanley Hauer on 07-09-08
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The Arabian Nights
- By: Andrew Lang - translator
- Narrated by: Suehyla El Attar
- Length: 11 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 173
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 155
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 155
Full of mischief, valor, ribaldry, and romance, The Arabian Nights has enthralled readers for centuries. These are the tales that saved the life of Scheherazade, whose husband, the king, executed each of his wives after a single night of marriage. Beginning an enchanting story each evening, Scheherazade always withheld the ending: A thousand and one nights later, her life was spared forever.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Not unabridged Burton--this is Lang
- By Richard and Diana Chicago on 06-25-12
![Lorna Doone [Naxos] Audiobook By R. D. Blackmore cover art](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51VFoCtB8mL._SL320_.jpg)
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Lorna Doone [Naxos]
- By: R. D. Blackmore
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 25 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 137
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 116
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 116
The Doones are a clan of murdering thieves, and among their victims is John Ridd's father. The strong, noble Ridd determines to avenge his father's death; but his plans are complicated when he falls in love with one of the hated family - the beautiful Lorna. Lorna is promised against her will to another; and that other will not let her go lightly. Set amid the political turmoils of the late 17th century, Lorna Doone brings West Country history and legends alive with wonderfully imaginative fiction.
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5 out of 5 stars
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I fell in love with this book
- By Linda on 11-20-12
By: R. D. Blackmore
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The Decameron
- By: Giovanni Boccaccio
- Narrated by: Simon Russell Beale, Gunnar Cauthery, Alison Pettitt, and others
- Length: 28 hrs and 5 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 249
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 219
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 220
The Decameron is one of the greatest literary works of the Middle Ages. Ten young people have fled the terrible effects of the Black Death in Florence and, in an idyllic setting, tell a series of brilliant stories, by turns humorous, bawdy, tragic and provocative. This celebration of physical and sexual vitality is Boccaccio's answer to the sublime other-worldliness of Dante's Divine Comedy.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Not Up to the Usual Naxos Standard
- By John on 11-15-17
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Falstaff
- Give Me Life
- By: Harold Bloom
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 3 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 42
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 38
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 39
Falstaff is both a comic and tragic central protagonist in Shakespeare's three Henry plays. He is companion to Prince Hal (the future Henry V), who loves him, goads him, teases him, indulges his vast appetites, and commits all sorts of mischief with him. Award-winning author and esteemed professor Harold Bloom examines Falstaff with the deepest compassion and sympathy and also with unerring wisdom. He uses the relationship between Falstaff and Hal to explore the devastation of severed bonds and the heartbreak of betrayal.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Falstaff brooks no rebuttal.
- By Darwin8u on 02-06-20
By: Harold Bloom
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Don Quixote
- By: Tobias Smollett - translator, Miguel de Cervantes
- Narrated by: Robert Whitfield
- Length: 36 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,094
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 658
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 654
Don Quixote, the world's first novel and by far the best-known book in Spanish literature, was originally intended by Cervantes as a satire on traditional popular ballads, yet he also parodied the romances of chivalry. By happy coincidence he produced one of the most entertaining adventure stories of all time and, in Don Quixote and his faithful squire, Sancho Panza, two of the greatest characters in fiction.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A MUST READ CLASSIC
- By Randall on 04-25-09
By: Tobias Smollett - translator, and others
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Candide (AudioGO Edition)
- By: Voltaire
- Narrated by: Jack Davenport
- Length: 3 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,670
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,482
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,481
When first published in 1759, Candide became an instant best seller and is now regarded as one of the key texts of the Enlightenment. Voltaire’s preoccupations with evil and with various kinds of human folly and intolerance found a perfect vehicle in this philosophical tale. A master storyteller, he combined often wildly entertaining action with profoundly serious sense, parodying the traditional chivalric and oriental tales with which his public was more familiar.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Guaranteed to keep you smiling if not LOL
- By Robert on 08-09-12
By: Voltaire
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Tristram Shandy
- By: Laurence Sterne
- Narrated by: Anton Lesser
- Length: 19 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 221
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 201
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 196
Laurence Sterne’s most famous novel is a biting satire of literary conventions and contemporary 18th-century values. Renowned for its parody of established narrative techniques, Tristram Shandyis commonly regarded as the forerunner of avant-garde fiction. Tristram’s characteristic digressions on a whole range of unlikely subjects (including battle strategy and noses!) are endlessly surprising and make this one of Britain’s greatest comic achievements.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Like discovering Frank Zappa in 250 years
- By Darwin8u on 01-02-14
By: Laurence Sterne
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Finnegans Wake
- By: James Joyce
- Narrated by: Barry McGovern, Marcella Riordan
- Length: 29 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 109
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 87
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 86
Finnegans Wake is the greatest challenge in 20th-century literature. Who is Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker? And what did he get up to in Phoenix Park? And what did Anna Livia Plurabelle have to say about it? In the rich nighttime and the language of dreams, here are history, anecdote, myth, folk tale and, above all, a wondrous sense of humor, colored by a clear sense of humanity. In this exceptional reading by the Irish actor Barry McGovern, with Marcella Riordan, the world of the Wake is more accessible than ever before.
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5 out of 5 stars
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The keys to. Given!
- By hyand on 06-16-21
By: James Joyce
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The Mabinogion
- By: Charlotte Guest
- Narrated by: Richard Mitchley
- Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 92
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 85
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 85
The Mabinogion, the earliest literary jewel of Wales, is a collection of ancient tales and legends compiled around the 12th and 13th century deriving from storytelling and the songs of bards handed down over the ages. It is a remarkable document in many ways. From an historical perspective, it is the earliest prose literature of Britain. But it is in its drama that many surprises await, not least the central role of King Arthur, his wife, Gwenhwyvar, and his court at Caerlleon upon Usk.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
A Wonder Whose Origin is Unknown
- By John on 07-28-17
By: Charlotte Guest
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Don Quixote
- By: Miguel de Cervantes, Gerald J. Davis - translator
- Narrated by: John Hanks
- Length: 20 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 175
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 148
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 149
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, follows the adventures of Alonso Quijano, a hidalgo who reads so many chivalric novels that he decides to set out to revive chivalry, under the name Don Quixote. This is the story that a Nobel Prize Committee survey of one hundred of the world's best writers named "the greatest book of all time."
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5 out of 5 stars
-
A wonderful, magical listen
- By K on 12-01-13
By: Miguel de Cervantes, and others
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Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
- By: J. R. R. Tolkien
- Narrated by: Terry Jones
- Length: 4 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 727
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 609
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 607
A collection of three medieval English poems, translated by Tolkien for the modern-day reader and containing romance, tragedy, love, sex and honour.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
An absolute delight!
- By Shannon Slee on 07-15-18
By: J. R. R. Tolkien
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Waverley
- By: Sir Walter Scott
- Narrated by: David Rintoul
- Length: 17 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 145
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 125
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 124
Waverley by Sir Walter Scott is an enthralling tale of love, war and divided loyalties. Taking place during the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745, the novel tells the story of proud English officer Edward Waverley. After being posted to Dundee, Edward eventually befriends chieftain of the Highland Clan Mac-Ivor and falls in love with his beautiful sister Flora. He then renounces his former loyalties in order actively to support Scotland in open rebellion against the Union with England. The book depicts stunning, romantic panoramas of the Highlands.
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4 out of 5 stars
-
Loved it
- By Tad Davis on 04-12-18
By: Sir Walter Scott
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Household Tales
- By: The Brothers Grimm
- Narrated by: Kelly Lintz
- Length: 26 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 142
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 116
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 118
A collection of German fairy tales first published in 1812 by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, the famous Brothers Grimm. Their most famous tales are instantly recognizeable: "Rumpelstiltskin", "Snow White", "Rapunzel", "Cinderella", "Hansel and Gretel", and "The Frog Prince." The collection is often known today as "Grimms' Fairy Tales".
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4 out of 5 stars
-
Wonderfully read, but most tales not for kids
- By 208 Garner on 08-06-12
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The Decameron
- By: Giovanni Boccaccio
- Narrated by: Simon Russell Beale, Gunnar Cauthery, Alison Pettitt, and others
- Length: 28 hrs and 5 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 249
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 219
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 220
The Decameron is one of the greatest literary works of the Middle Ages. Ten young people have fled the terrible effects of the Black Death in Florence and, in an idyllic setting, tell a series of brilliant stories, by turns humorous, bawdy, tragic and provocative. This celebration of physical and sexual vitality is Boccaccio's answer to the sublime other-worldliness of Dante's Divine Comedy.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Not Up to the Usual Naxos Standard
- By John on 11-15-17
-
Gargantua & Pantagruel (Classic Serial)
- By: Francois Rabelais, Lavinia Murray (dramatisation)
- Narrated by: David Troughton, full cast
- Length: 1 hr and 53 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 19
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 18
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Story4 out of 5 stars 17
Gargantua and Pantagruel by Francois Rabelais. Dramatised by Lavinia Murray. Episode 1: Gargantua. The bawdy, exuburant adventures of medieval giants. A dizzying blend of fantasy, comedy, philosophy and scatological humour. The world's a messy place. The first episode depicts the young life of the giant Gargantua, who is reduced to laughable insanity by an education at the hands of paternal ignorance, old crones and syphilitic professors. Episode 2: - Pantagruel. Concluding the bawdy and scatological adventures of Medieval giants.
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4 out of 5 stars
-
Too many sound effects
- By Itamar Netzer on 12-18-17
By: Francois Rabelais, and others
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Le Morte d'Arthur
- The Death of Arthur
- By: Sir Thomas Malory
- Narrated by: Bill Homewood
- Length: 38 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 38
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 29
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 29
Of all the legends of Western civilization, perhaps the glorious adventures of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table are the best known. The Quest for the Holy Grail, and the undying illicit love between Sir Launcelot and Queen Guenevere, have provided inspiration for storytellers and poets down the ages, and sparked so many films and books of our own time.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Brilliant and powerful
- By Tad Davis on 05-19-21
-
Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship
- By: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
- Narrated by: Leighton Pugh
- Length: 22 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 25
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 20
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 20
Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship was Goethe’s second novel, published 1795-6, almost two decades after The Sorrows of Young Werther. It again focuses on a young man but this time on his growing understanding and maturity as he makes his way in the world. As such, it is regarded as the founding work in the ‘coming of age’ genre: the ‘bildungsroman’ ( a term actually coined some 30 years later), which characterised a philosophical novel tracing the cultural, emotional and educational development of an individual from youth to adulthood.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The ending
- By Angel Ddia on 03-23-24
-
Gargantua
- By: François Rabelais
- Narrated by: Pierre-François Garel
- Length: 4 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Performance0 out of 5 stars 0
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Story0 out of 5 stars 0
Pantagruel censuré, Rabelais récidive avec Gargantua, ogre démesuré et grand seigneur de Touraine dont les aventures paraissent encore suspectes aux théologiens. Monstre de paresse, abruti de religion durant son enfance, il échappe au pédantisme des vieux tousseux de la Sorbonne, dérobe au passage les cloches de Notre-Dame, se cultive enfin auprès de l'humaniste Ponocrates, son maître. Survient la fabuleuse " guerre picrocholine ", née d'une querelle entre vignerons et boulangers tourangeaux, où se distingue le merveilleux frère Jean des Entommeures.
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The Man Without Qualities
- By: Robert Musil
- Narrated by: John Telfer
- Length: 60 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 52
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 42
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 43
In 1913, the Viennese aristocracy is gathering to celebrate the 17th jubilee of the accession of Emperor Franz Josef, even as the Austro-Hungarian Empire is collapsing and the rest of Vienna is showing signs of rebellion. At the centre of this social labyrinth is Ulrich: a veteran, a seducer and a scientist, yet also a man 'without qualities' and therefore a brilliant and detached observer of his changing world.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
An unmatched intellectual epic
- By Delano on 06-23-22
By: Robert Musil
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The Decameron
- By: Giovanni Boccaccio
- Narrated by: Simon Russell Beale, Gunnar Cauthery, Alison Pettitt, and others
- Length: 28 hrs and 5 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 249
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 219
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 220
The Decameron is one of the greatest literary works of the Middle Ages. Ten young people have fled the terrible effects of the Black Death in Florence and, in an idyllic setting, tell a series of brilliant stories, by turns humorous, bawdy, tragic and provocative. This celebration of physical and sexual vitality is Boccaccio's answer to the sublime other-worldliness of Dante's Divine Comedy.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Not Up to the Usual Naxos Standard
- By John on 11-15-17
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Gargantua & Pantagruel (Classic Serial)
- By: Francois Rabelais, Lavinia Murray (dramatisation)
- Narrated by: David Troughton, full cast
- Length: 1 hr and 53 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 19
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 18
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Story4 out of 5 stars 17
Gargantua and Pantagruel by Francois Rabelais. Dramatised by Lavinia Murray. Episode 1: Gargantua. The bawdy, exuburant adventures of medieval giants. A dizzying blend of fantasy, comedy, philosophy and scatological humour. The world's a messy place. The first episode depicts the young life of the giant Gargantua, who is reduced to laughable insanity by an education at the hands of paternal ignorance, old crones and syphilitic professors. Episode 2: - Pantagruel. Concluding the bawdy and scatological adventures of Medieval giants.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Too many sound effects
- By Itamar Netzer on 12-18-17
By: Francois Rabelais, and others
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Le Morte d'Arthur
- The Death of Arthur
- By: Sir Thomas Malory
- Narrated by: Bill Homewood
- Length: 38 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 38
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 29
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 29
Of all the legends of Western civilization, perhaps the glorious adventures of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table are the best known. The Quest for the Holy Grail, and the undying illicit love between Sir Launcelot and Queen Guenevere, have provided inspiration for storytellers and poets down the ages, and sparked so many films and books of our own time.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Brilliant and powerful
- By Tad Davis on 05-19-21
-
Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship
- By: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
- Narrated by: Leighton Pugh
- Length: 22 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 25
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 20
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 20
Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship was Goethe’s second novel, published 1795-6, almost two decades after The Sorrows of Young Werther. It again focuses on a young man but this time on his growing understanding and maturity as he makes his way in the world. As such, it is regarded as the founding work in the ‘coming of age’ genre: the ‘bildungsroman’ ( a term actually coined some 30 years later), which characterised a philosophical novel tracing the cultural, emotional and educational development of an individual from youth to adulthood.
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5 out of 5 stars
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The ending
- By Angel Ddia on 03-23-24
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Gargantua
- By: François Rabelais
- Narrated by: Pierre-François Garel
- Length: 4 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Performance0 out of 5 stars 0
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Story0 out of 5 stars 0
Pantagruel censuré, Rabelais récidive avec Gargantua, ogre démesuré et grand seigneur de Touraine dont les aventures paraissent encore suspectes aux théologiens. Monstre de paresse, abruti de religion durant son enfance, il échappe au pédantisme des vieux tousseux de la Sorbonne, dérobe au passage les cloches de Notre-Dame, se cultive enfin auprès de l'humaniste Ponocrates, son maître. Survient la fabuleuse " guerre picrocholine ", née d'une querelle entre vignerons et boulangers tourangeaux, où se distingue le merveilleux frère Jean des Entommeures.
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The Man Without Qualities
- By: Robert Musil
- Narrated by: John Telfer
- Length: 60 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 52
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 42
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 43
In 1913, the Viennese aristocracy is gathering to celebrate the 17th jubilee of the accession of Emperor Franz Josef, even as the Austro-Hungarian Empire is collapsing and the rest of Vienna is showing signs of rebellion. At the centre of this social labyrinth is Ulrich: a veteran, a seducer and a scientist, yet also a man 'without qualities' and therefore a brilliant and detached observer of his changing world.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
An unmatched intellectual epic
- By Delano on 06-23-22
By: Robert Musil
-
The Anatomy of Melancholy
- By: Robert Burton
- Narrated by: Peter Wickham
- Length: 56 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 41
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 31
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 31
First published in 1621, and hardly ever out of print since, it is a huge, varied, idiosyncratic, entertaining and learned survey of the experience of melancholy, seen from just about every possible angle that could be imagined. The Anatomy of Melancholy, presented here with all the original quotations in English, is, at last, available on audiobook in its entirety.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Nam Et Doctis Hisce Erroribus Versatus Sum
- By Darwin8u on 05-26-20
By: Robert Burton
-
Tristram Shandy
- By: Laurence Sterne
- Narrated by: Anton Lesser
- Length: 19 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 221
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 201
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 196
Laurence Sterne’s most famous novel is a biting satire of literary conventions and contemporary 18th-century values. Renowned for its parody of established narrative techniques, Tristram Shandyis commonly regarded as the forerunner of avant-garde fiction. Tristram’s characteristic digressions on a whole range of unlikely subjects (including battle strategy and noses!) are endlessly surprising and make this one of Britain’s greatest comic achievements.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Like discovering Frank Zappa in 250 years
- By Darwin8u on 01-02-14
By: Laurence Sterne
-
Tom Jones
- The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling
- By: Henry Fielding
- Narrated by: Bill Homewood
- Length: 37 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 138
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 126
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 127
Tom Jones, a foundling, is brought up by the kindly Mr. Allworthy as if he were his own son. Forced to leave the house as a young man after tales of his disgraceful behavior reach his benefactor's ears, he sets out in utter despair, not only because of his banishment but because he has now lost all hope of gaining the hand of the beautiful Sophia. But she too is forced to flee her parental home to escape an undesirable marriage and their stories and adventures intertwine.
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4 out of 5 stars
-
terrific story BUT
- By tom on 01-28-14
By: Henry Fielding
-
The Essays
- A Selection
- By: Michel Montaigne, M. A. Screech
- Narrated by: Thomas Judd
- Length: 16 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 6
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 6
To overcome a crisis of melancholy after the death of his father, Montaigne withdrew to his country estates and began to write, and in the highly original essays that resulted he discussed themes such as fathers and children, conscience and cowardice, coaches and cannibals, and, above all, himself.
By: Michel Montaigne, and others
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The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling
- By: Henry Fielding
- Narrated by: Kenneth Danzinger
- Length: 35 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 262
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 206
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 205
A foundling of mysterious parentage, Tom Jones is brought up by the benevolent and wealthy Squire Allworthy as his own son. Tom falls in love with the beautiful and unattainable Sophia Western, a neighbor’s daughter, whose marriage has already been arranged. When Tom’s sexual misadventures around the countryside get him banished, he sets out to make his fortune and find his true identity.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Well read, many accents, older recording
- By Elizabeth on 12-16-10
By: Henry Fielding
-
Selected Poems
- Volume 2
- By: Jorge Luis Borges, Alexander Coleman - editor
- Narrated by: Juanita Devis
- Length: 14 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Performance0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Story0 out of 5 stars 0
Though universally acclaimed for his dazzling fictions, Jorge Luis Borges always considered himself first and foremost a poet. This new bilingual selection brings together some two hundred poems, including scores of poems never previously translated. Edited by Alexander Coleman, it draws from a lifetime's work--from Borges's first published volume of verse, Fervor de Buenos Aires (1923), to his final work, Los conjurados, published just a year before his death in 1986.
By: Jorge Luis Borges, and others
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The Red and the Black
- By: Stendhal
- Narrated by: Bill Homewood
- Length: 22 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 142
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 121
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 120
Young Julien Sorel, the son of a country timber merchant, carries a portrait of his hero Napoleon Bonaparte and dreams of military glory. A brilliant career in the Church leads him into Parisian high society, where, 'mounted upon the finest horse in Alsace', he gains high military office and wins the heart of the aristocratic Mlle Mathilde de la Mole. Julien's cunning and ambition lead him into all sorts of scrapes.
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1 out of 5 stars
-
Slow and wordy
- By Chrissie on 08-30-14
By: Stendhal
-
The Golden Ass
- By: Apuleius, E. J. Kenney - translator
- Narrated by: David Timson
- Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 110
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 98
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 98
In this ancient picaresque adventure, Lucius, an insatiably curious young man, finds himself transformed into a donkey after his fascination with black magic and witchcraft goes awry. While trapped in his new body, he becomes the property of thieves, farmers, cooks, soldiers and priests, and observes the hypocrisy and ineptitude of Imperial Roman society.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Not Wiser…But Very Well Informed
- By John on 10-03-17
By: Apuleius, and others
-
The Ambassadors
- By: Henry James
- Narrated by: John Chancer
- Length: 19 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 40
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 33
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 33
American Lambert Strether is sent to Paris on behalf of Mrs. Newsome, his fiancée, to collect her son, Chad. When Strether finds Chad, he discovers an altered man and becomes introduced to a free and unconventional style of life that soon intoxicates him. His views begin to change; the morality of Woollett, his hometown, becomes foreign, and the "ambassador" loses sight of his mission....
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3 out of 5 stars
-
Interesting but unfulfilling
- By Michael on 05-21-19
By: Henry James
-
Sentimental Education
- By: Gustave Flaubert
- Narrated by: Andrew Wincott
- Length: 20 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 22
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 20
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Story4 out of 5 stars 20
Upon arriving home in Normandy, Frederick catches his first glimpse of Marie Arnoux, a mysterious and beautiful woman who leaves a lasting impression on him. Eventually they make each other's acquaintance and Marie becomes a symbol of unattainable perfection for Frederick, whose unrequited infatuation leaves him bouncing from one passion to another, falling in and out of love, money and society.
By: Gustave Flaubert
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Perceval
- The Story of the Grail
- By: Chrétien de Troyes
- Narrated by: Mike Rogers
- Length: 16 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 24
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 18
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 18
Chrétien de Troyes' Perceval is the single most important Arthurian romance. It contains the very first mention of the mysterious grail, later to become the Holy Grail and the focal point of the spiritual quest of the knights of Arthur's court. Chrétien left the poem unfinished, but the extraordinary and intriguing theme of the Grail was too good to leave, and other poets continued and eventually completed it.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Interesting story
- By Chris M. on 06-10-22
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The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman
- By: Laurence Sterne
- Narrated by: John Keating
- Length: 21 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 36
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 31
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Story4 out of 5 stars 31
Laurence Sterne's beloved comic novel, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, is the "biography" of Tristram Shandy - a wonderfully humorous and eccentric narrator who guides the listener from his conception to his birth and on to his life as an adult. The twists and turns of Tristram's life expose him to such memorable characters as Uncle Toby, Corporal Trim, Parson Yorick, Dr. Slop, and the Widow Wadman - whose own stories enrich the central narrative of Tristram's life.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Thick but rewarding
- By DRew on 07-06-17
By: Laurence Sterne
What listeners say about Gargantua and Pantagruel
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mathew Baldwin
- 05-28-23
Well performed, a must read
A masterpiece perfectly read. Rabelais is the 16th century Pynchon for me. I highly recommend. The narration is perfect.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Patrick Zircher
- 03-04-24
Tall tales and satire from the 16th Century
Written from 1532 to 1564, Gargantua and Pantagruel consists of 5 books is commonly gathered in one very large volume--as it is here. This is one of the earliest European works. Rabelais' name became an adjective for earthy, gross, vulgar, hedonistic humor. Indeed, I heard more varying descriptions of genitals, sex, arseholes, sh!t, p!ss, & farts than any book I've read. Yet it's witty; and skewers politics, religion, & war. Gargantua & Pantagruel themselves are giant, Paul Bunyanesqe figures.
Bill Homewood brings it all vividly to life.
As I was reading Gargantua and Pantagruel, I was taking notes. The language is amazing. A million ideas for period fantasy-- I bought a physical copy of the book as well and think it belongs on a fantasy writer's shelf along with Tolkien, Howard, Dunsany, Dumas, and Leiber.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- D. Kirby
- 02-03-18
Relentless, but repays diligence
What made the experience of listening to Gargantua and Pantagruel the most enjoyable?
by all means, google image Gustav Dore's illustrations to go with this title
What was one of the most memorable moments of Gargantua and Pantagruel?
the ode to drinking is worth the price of the whole audiobook, assuming you are a lover of the devils brew
What about Bill Homewood’s performance did you like?
Hard to imagine another audible reader doing justice to Rabelais
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Andrei
- 05-20-23
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That is all that I can say about this very very funny masterpiece. Must read.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jonathan
- 06-01-23
Best narrator ever
It's the classic in all its glory. I've finished 250+ books on Audible and this is the best narration I've heard, bar none.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Josh
- 05-17-24
Incredible performance.
The reader really made the humor of the work come through. I can’t imagine this book being read in another way.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- amazon
- 02-13-20
The king of all the narrators
Oof. Done! Finished my Gargantua & Pantagruel novel. Definitely wouldn’t have made it as a regular book. So much detail, obscure references and endless word play. Parts could be very funny though especially Panurge’s consistent and hilarious though not unreasonable cowardliness. On the last chapter Pantagruel and his friends search and find the the temple of the bottle in which a great book is read by swallowing it’s chapters. Extremely imaginative and a source influence, no doubt, of a great many subsequent great novels. The narrator is the king of all narrators, as far as I’m concerned. Not only giving the the rich langue it’s due but also bringing to life the numberless zany characters that dwell in this remarkable book. One last note, it’s odd that it’s called G&P since Gargantua isn’t in most of the novel but rather his son Pantagruel and and his buddies. I try to imagine this a movie and I simply cannot but I suppose every road movie and novel owes a debt of gratitude.
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11 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- MargaRose
- 01-26-21
Panurge, too merry or to marry, that's a question.
Francois Rabelais - a sublime satirist, salacious master of innuendo & double entendre, and an astute, detailed, unabashed observer of human conduct.
Gargantua & Pantagruel - an immensely surreal, tremendously madcap, enormously outlandish upending of normative behavior by relentless, topsy-turvy, X-rated silliness, interspersed with scientific observation and biting philosophical commentary.
Urquhart and Motteaux translation - jovial, exuberant, luxurious use of English language.
Bill Homewood's reading - an exquisite, stellar, thoroughly delicious performance.
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8 people found this helpful