The History of Rasselas
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Prime members: New to Audible?Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
The History of Rasselas
Buy for $11.70
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Peter Wickham
-
By:
-
Samuel Johnson
About this listen
Above all, Samuel Johnson’s Rasselas (1759) is concerned with the nature of happiness. Rasselas and his companions remove themselves from the pleasure of the ‘happy valley’ so that they can make their ‘choice of life’. In the course of their travels they come across scholars, astronomers, shepherds, hermits and poets, explore their way of life. Rasselas finds that complete happiness is elusive and, in the words of his mentor Imlac, ‘while you are making the choice of life, you neglect to live’.
In his treatment of this popular tale from the Orient, Johnson deploys his customary wit and perspicacity. Popular in its own day, Rasselas is a journey of the mind and soul, raising important questions concerning the human condition, which remain pertinent today.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
Public Domain (P)2022 Naxos AudioBooks UK Ltd.Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Faerie Queene
- By: Edmund Spenser
- Narrated by: David Timson
- Length: 33 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 89
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 77
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 76
This remarkable poem, dedicated to Queen Elizabeth I, was Spenser's finest achievement. The first epic poem in modern English, The Faerie Queene combines dramatic narratives of chivalrous adventure with exquisite and picturesque episodes of pageantry. At the same time, Spenser is expounding a deeply-felt allegory of the eternal struggle between Truth and Error....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
High Fantasy from the Renaissance
- By Jabba on 10-03-15
By: Edmund Spenser
-
The Iliad & The Odyssey
- By: Homer
- Narrated by: John Lescault
- Length: 28 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 916
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 535
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 536
Little is known about the Ancient Greek oral poet Homer, the supposed 8th century BC author of the world-read Iliad and his later masterpiece, The Odyssey. These classic epics provided the basis for Greek education and culture throughout the classical age and formed the backbone of humane education through the birth of the Roman Empire and the spread of Christianity.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Worth the price, worth the time
- By Sam on 12-31-04
By: Homer
-
Robinson Crusoe
- By: Daniel Defoe
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,038
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,544
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,541
Widely regarded as the first English novel, Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe is one of the most popular and influential adventure stories of all time. This classic tale of shipwreck and survival on an uninhabited island was an instant success when first published in 1719, and it has inspired countless imitations.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great story but with moments that made me cringe
- By Tad Davis on 10-25-12
By: Daniel Defoe
-
Mrs. Dalloway
- By: Virginia Woolf
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 7 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,547
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,349
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 1,337
It is a June day in London in 1923, and the lovely Clarissa Dalloway is having a party. Whom will she see? Her friend Peter, back from India, who has never really stopped loving her? What about Sally, with whom Clarissa had her life’s happiest moment? Meanwhile, the shell-shocked Septimus Smith is struggling with his life on the same London day.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
One Tough Read Perfectly Delivered
- By Chris on 06-11-12
By: Virginia Woolf
-
The Law and the Lady
- By: Wilkie Collins
- Narrated by: Lucy Scott
- Length: 14 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 8
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 7
Incorrectly signing her name in the marriage registry leads Valeria Woodville to discover further disturbing information about her husband, Eustace Macallan. Each revelation leads to further questions as Valeria’s journey prompts her to defy him, taking the law into her own hands as she endeavours to navigate her way through a series of false clues and obstructions.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Well read & a good story
- By Zinnia 12324 on 09-26-24
By: Wilkie Collins
-
Middlemarch
- By: George Eliot
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 35 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,145
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 4,665
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,628
Dorothea Brooke is an ardent idealist who represses her vivacity and intelligence for the cold, theological pedant Casaubon. One man understands her true nature: the artist Will Ladislaw. But how can love triumph against her sense of duty and Casaubon’s mean spirit? Meanwhile, in the little world of Middlemarch, the broader world is mirrored: the world of politics, social change, and reforms, as well as betrayal, greed, blackmail, ambition, and disappointment.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Best Audible book ever
- By Molly-o on 12-25-11
By: George Eliot
-
The Faerie Queene
- By: Edmund Spenser
- Narrated by: David Timson
- Length: 33 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 89
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 77
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 76
This remarkable poem, dedicated to Queen Elizabeth I, was Spenser's finest achievement. The first epic poem in modern English, The Faerie Queene combines dramatic narratives of chivalrous adventure with exquisite and picturesque episodes of pageantry. At the same time, Spenser is expounding a deeply-felt allegory of the eternal struggle between Truth and Error....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
High Fantasy from the Renaissance
- By Jabba on 10-03-15
By: Edmund Spenser
-
The Iliad & The Odyssey
- By: Homer
- Narrated by: John Lescault
- Length: 28 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 916
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 535
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 536
Little is known about the Ancient Greek oral poet Homer, the supposed 8th century BC author of the world-read Iliad and his later masterpiece, The Odyssey. These classic epics provided the basis for Greek education and culture throughout the classical age and formed the backbone of humane education through the birth of the Roman Empire and the spread of Christianity.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Worth the price, worth the time
- By Sam on 12-31-04
By: Homer
-
Robinson Crusoe
- By: Daniel Defoe
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,038
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,544
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,541
Widely regarded as the first English novel, Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe is one of the most popular and influential adventure stories of all time. This classic tale of shipwreck and survival on an uninhabited island was an instant success when first published in 1719, and it has inspired countless imitations.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great story but with moments that made me cringe
- By Tad Davis on 10-25-12
By: Daniel Defoe
-
Mrs. Dalloway
- By: Virginia Woolf
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 7 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,547
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,349
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 1,337
It is a June day in London in 1923, and the lovely Clarissa Dalloway is having a party. Whom will she see? Her friend Peter, back from India, who has never really stopped loving her? What about Sally, with whom Clarissa had her life’s happiest moment? Meanwhile, the shell-shocked Septimus Smith is struggling with his life on the same London day.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
One Tough Read Perfectly Delivered
- By Chris on 06-11-12
By: Virginia Woolf
-
The Law and the Lady
- By: Wilkie Collins
- Narrated by: Lucy Scott
- Length: 14 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 8
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 7
Incorrectly signing her name in the marriage registry leads Valeria Woodville to discover further disturbing information about her husband, Eustace Macallan. Each revelation leads to further questions as Valeria’s journey prompts her to defy him, taking the law into her own hands as she endeavours to navigate her way through a series of false clues and obstructions.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Well read & a good story
- By Zinnia 12324 on 09-26-24
By: Wilkie Collins
-
Middlemarch
- By: George Eliot
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 35 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,145
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 4,665
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,628
Dorothea Brooke is an ardent idealist who represses her vivacity and intelligence for the cold, theological pedant Casaubon. One man understands her true nature: the artist Will Ladislaw. But how can love triumph against her sense of duty and Casaubon’s mean spirit? Meanwhile, in the little world of Middlemarch, the broader world is mirrored: the world of politics, social change, and reforms, as well as betrayal, greed, blackmail, ambition, and disappointment.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Best Audible book ever
- By Molly-o on 12-25-11
By: George Eliot
-
The Book of Margery Kempe
- By: Margery Kempe
- Narrated by: Lucy Scott
- Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 14
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 12
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 12
The Book of Margery Kempe is the extraordinary account of a medieval wife, mother, and mystic from Norfolk. Having married in c. 1393, given birth to 14 children, and pursued unsuccessful ventures in brewing and milling, Kempe made a vow of chastity and embarked on a life of prayer, penance, and pilgrimage.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Memoirs of a 14th Century Christian
- By S. Cremona on 03-15-23
By: Margery Kempe
-
The Life of Samuel Johnson
- By: James Boswell
- Narrated by: David Timson
- Length: 51 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 143
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 130
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 125
Charming, vibrant, witty and edifying, The Life of Samuel Johnson is a work of great obsession and boundless reverence. The literary critic Samuel Johnson was 54 when he first encountered Boswell; the friendship that developed spawned one of the greatest biographies in the history of world literature. The book is full of humorous anecdote and rich characterization, and paints a vivid picture of 18th-century London, peopled by prominent personalities of the time.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Wonderful!
- By Tad Davis on 02-02-18
By: James Boswell
-
Piers Plowman
- By: William Langland
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 19
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 15
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 15
Piers Plowman, William Langland's visionary medieval work about one man's quest for the true Christian life, is an allegorical journey through dream visions and visions within dreams. During the course of his journey, the narrator (William Langland) meets Piers Plowman, who gradually reveals himself to be the son of God. Through Piers, William learns of the virtues in poverty, the temptations of wealth, and of the perfect society that is to come under the rule of Piers Plowman.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Soul Awakening
- By Justin Poirier on 05-23-24
By: William Langland
-
The Consolation of Philosophy
- By: Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius
- Narrated by: Peter Wickham
- Length: 4 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 42
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 39
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 39
Charged with treason under Theodoric the Great in sixth-century Rome, Boethius served one year's imprisonment, awaiting trial and eventual execution. During this time, he wrote The Consolation of Philosophy, which would go on to be one of the most popular philosophical works of all time, contributing much to medieval thought and influencing the likes of Dante and Chaucer, as well as Renaissance writers, such as Milton and Shakespeare.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The Bestseller for a 1000 Years
- By Ken on 02-05-22
-
David Copperfield
- By: Charles Dickens
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 33 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,698
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2,111
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,119
Based in part on Dickens's own life, it is the story of a young man's journey from an unhappy and impoverished childhood to the discovery of his vocation as a successful novelist. Among its gloriously vivid cast of characters, he e.ncounters his tyrannical stepfather, Mr. Murdstone; his formidable aunt, Betsey Trotwood; the eternally humble yet treacherous Uriah Heep; the frivolous, enchanting Dora; and one of literature's great comic creations, the magnificently impecunious Mr. Micawber.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
"I am born."
- By Barbara K. on 05-21-09
By: Charles Dickens
-
Paradise Lost
- By: John Milton
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,654
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,410
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,407
John Milton's Paradise Lost is one of the greatest epic poems in the English language. It tells the story of the Fall of Man, a tale of immense drama and excitement, of rebellion and treachery, of innocence pitted against corruption, in which God and Satan fight a bitter battle for control of mankind's destiny.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The most accessible reading of Paradise Lost
- By Tony McClung on 02-21-10
By: John Milton
-
Othello
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Emma Fielding, Hugh Quarshie, Anton Lesser
- Length: 3 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 177
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 155
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 154
This widely studied play is one of the "best sellers" of the Shakespeare canon. This production is the sixth Shakespeare play in the series undertaken by Naxos AudioBooks in conjunction with Cambridge University Press.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus
- By Darwin8u on 09-17-17
-
The Diary of a Madman and Other Stories
- By: Nikolai Gogol
- Narrated by: Nicholas Boulton
- Length: 17 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 88
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 70
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 70
The Diary of a Madman and Other Stories is a bizarre and colorful collection containing the finest short stories by the iconic Russian writer Nikolai Gogol. From the witty and Kafkaesque "The Nose", where a civil servant wakes up one day to find his nose missing, to the moving and evocative "The Overcoat", about a reclusive man whose only ambition is to replace his old, threadbare coat, Gogol gives us a unique take on the absurd.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Brilliant writer, fantastic narration, plus TOC
- By Reader on 04-01-22
By: Nikolai Gogol
-
Wuthering Heights
- Penguin Classics
- By: Emily Brontë
- Narrated by: Aimee Lou Wood, Kristin Atherton - introduction
- Length: 13 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 68
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 55
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 55
Lockwood, the new tenant of Thrushcross Grange on the bleak Yorkshire moors, is forced to seek shelter one night at Wuthering Heights, the home of his landlord. There he discovers the history of the tempestuous events that took place years before: of the intense passion between the foundling Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw, and her betrayal of him. As Heathcliff's bitterness and vengeance is visited upon the next generation, their innocent heirs must struggle to escape the legacy of the past.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Beautiful reading made complex language understandable
- By Anonymous User on 08-13-24
By: Emily Brontë
-
She Stoops to Conquer
- Mistakes of the Night
- By: Oliver Goldsmith
- Narrated by: Rosalind Ayres, Adam Godley, Julian Holloway, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 50 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 114
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 105
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 105
Starring James Marsters, this classic comedy of manners from 1773 is still widely performed and studied. Love, lies, and dysfunctional families. Sound like your last family gathering? Try this one on for laughs. Two randy young gents, Charles and George, set out to woo the alluring and upper-crust Kate and Constance. But inexperienced Charles is shy and clumsy around upper-class ladies, so it’s the barmaid who catches his eye. But is she really who she seems?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Wonderful performances and production. Fun story!
- By MillenniumMike on 10-31-12
By: Oliver Goldsmith
-
Frankenstein
- By: Mary Shelley
- Narrated by: Dan Stevens
- Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 20,425
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 18,392
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 18,322
Narrator Dan Stevens ( Downton Abbey) presents an uncanny performance of Mary Shelley's timeless gothic novel, an epic battle between man and monster at its greatest literary pitch. In trying to create life, the young student Victor Frankenstein unleashes forces beyond his control, setting into motion a long and tragic chain of events that brings Victor to the very brink of madness. How he tries to destroy his creation, as it destroys everything Victor loves, is a powerful story of love, friendship, scientific hubris, and horror.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
ARE WE ALWAYS TO BE UNHAPPY?
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 01-28-16
By: Mary Shelley
-
The Sorrows of Young Werther
- By: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
- Narrated by: Leighton Pugh
- Length: 4 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 155
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 133
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 133
Werther, a sensitive young artist, finds himself in Wahlheim, a quiet, attractive village in Germany where he seeks solace from the turmoils of love. It is a young spring, and he hopes that arcadian solitude will prove a genial balm to his mind. But his romantic tendency rules otherwise, and he falls in love with Charlotte - Lotte - even though he knows she is affianced to another.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great performance for a classical story.
- By Brandon Shaw on 09-15-17
Related to this topic
-
Frankenstein
- The Modern Prometheus
- By: Mary Shelley
- Narrated by: Mark Nelson
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 53
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 47
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 46
During the rainy summer of 1816, the "Year Without a Summer", the world was locked in a long cold volcanic winter caused by the eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815. Mary Shelley, aged 18, and her lover (and later husband) Percy Bysshe Shelley, visited Lord Byron at the Villa Diodati by Lake Geneva in Switzerland. The weather was consistently too cold and dreary that summer to enjoy the outdoor holiday activities they had planned, so the group retired indoors until dawn.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A must read/listen
- By R. Daly on 11-13-23
By: Mary Shelley
-
Self-Reliance and Other Essays (AmazonClassics Edition)
- By: Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Narrated by: Mikael Naramore
- Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 108
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 82
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 81
In this definitive collection of essays, including the poignant title essay "Self-Reliance," Ralph Waldo Emerson expounds on the importance of trusting your soul, as well as divine providence, to carve out a life. A firm believer in nonconformity, Emerson celebrates the individual and stresses the value of listening to the inner voice unique to each of us—even when it defies society's expectations.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
This book is like a series of great quotes!
- By M. Allen on 01-16-19
-
The Monk
- By: Matthew Lewis
- Narrated by: Nigel Carrington
- Length: 15 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 67
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 58
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 59
The Monk is a violent tale of ambition, murder, and incest. The great struggle between maintaining monastic vows and fulfilling personal ambitions leads the monk Ambrosio, into temptation and the breaking of his vows, then to sexual obsession and rape, and finally to murder in order to conceal his guilt. Written when Matthew Lewis was only 19, The Monk was criticised when first published in 1796 for its lewdness and impiety, but this criticism only added to its popularity.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
An Overwritten, Oddly Compelling Gothic Father
- By Jefferson on 01-01-17
By: Matthew Lewis
-
Vicar of Wakefield
- By: Oliver Goldsmith
- Narrated by: Patrick Tull
- Length: 7 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 73
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 47
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 50
The simple village vicar, Mr. Primrose, is living with his wife and six children in complete tranquility until unexpected calamities force them to weather one hilarious adventure after another. Goldsmith plays out this classic comedy of manners with a light, ironic touch that is irresistibly charming.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Snidely Whiplash Ravishes Hapless Maidens
- By Joseph R on 12-26-09
By: Oliver Goldsmith
-
The Last Man
- By: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
- Narrated by: Matt Bates, Anna Bentinck
- Length: 19 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 82
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 66
-
Story3.5 out of 5 stars 66
The Last Man is Mary Shelley's apocalyptic fantasy of the end of human civilisation. Set in the late 21st century, the novel unfolds a sombre and pessimistic vision of mankind confronting inevitable destruction. Interwoven with her futuristic theme, Mary Shelley incorporates idealised portraits of Shelley and Byron, yet rejects Romanticism and its faith in art and nature.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A great book, with a great story.
- By Stephen P. Suelzle on 10-01-16
-
The Memorable Thoughts of Socrates
- By: Xenophon, Edward Bysshe - translator
- Narrated by: Nicholas Tecosky
- Length: 6 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 73
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 60
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 62
Xenophon was a Greek who admired and studied with Socrates. He marched with the Spartans and later was exiled from Athens. He wrote about the history of his times, the sayings of Socrates and about life in Greece. Edward Bysshe translated Xenophone's work in 1702. This translation has continued to have an excellent reputation. In this work Xenophon discusses the views of life taught by Socrates.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Philosopher, Soldier, Historian and Mercenary
- By Darwin8u on 12-04-12
By: Xenophon, and others
-
Frankenstein
- The Modern Prometheus
- By: Mary Shelley
- Narrated by: Mark Nelson
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 53
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 47
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 46
During the rainy summer of 1816, the "Year Without a Summer", the world was locked in a long cold volcanic winter caused by the eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815. Mary Shelley, aged 18, and her lover (and later husband) Percy Bysshe Shelley, visited Lord Byron at the Villa Diodati by Lake Geneva in Switzerland. The weather was consistently too cold and dreary that summer to enjoy the outdoor holiday activities they had planned, so the group retired indoors until dawn.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A must read/listen
- By R. Daly on 11-13-23
By: Mary Shelley
-
Self-Reliance and Other Essays (AmazonClassics Edition)
- By: Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Narrated by: Mikael Naramore
- Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 108
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 82
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 81
In this definitive collection of essays, including the poignant title essay "Self-Reliance," Ralph Waldo Emerson expounds on the importance of trusting your soul, as well as divine providence, to carve out a life. A firm believer in nonconformity, Emerson celebrates the individual and stresses the value of listening to the inner voice unique to each of us—even when it defies society's expectations.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
This book is like a series of great quotes!
- By M. Allen on 01-16-19
-
The Monk
- By: Matthew Lewis
- Narrated by: Nigel Carrington
- Length: 15 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 67
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 58
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 59
The Monk is a violent tale of ambition, murder, and incest. The great struggle between maintaining monastic vows and fulfilling personal ambitions leads the monk Ambrosio, into temptation and the breaking of his vows, then to sexual obsession and rape, and finally to murder in order to conceal his guilt. Written when Matthew Lewis was only 19, The Monk was criticised when first published in 1796 for its lewdness and impiety, but this criticism only added to its popularity.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
An Overwritten, Oddly Compelling Gothic Father
- By Jefferson on 01-01-17
By: Matthew Lewis
-
Vicar of Wakefield
- By: Oliver Goldsmith
- Narrated by: Patrick Tull
- Length: 7 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 73
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 47
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 50
The simple village vicar, Mr. Primrose, is living with his wife and six children in complete tranquility until unexpected calamities force them to weather one hilarious adventure after another. Goldsmith plays out this classic comedy of manners with a light, ironic touch that is irresistibly charming.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Snidely Whiplash Ravishes Hapless Maidens
- By Joseph R on 12-26-09
By: Oliver Goldsmith
-
The Last Man
- By: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
- Narrated by: Matt Bates, Anna Bentinck
- Length: 19 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 82
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 66
-
Story3.5 out of 5 stars 66
The Last Man is Mary Shelley's apocalyptic fantasy of the end of human civilisation. Set in the late 21st century, the novel unfolds a sombre and pessimistic vision of mankind confronting inevitable destruction. Interwoven with her futuristic theme, Mary Shelley incorporates idealised portraits of Shelley and Byron, yet rejects Romanticism and its faith in art and nature.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A great book, with a great story.
- By Stephen P. Suelzle on 10-01-16
-
The Memorable Thoughts of Socrates
- By: Xenophon, Edward Bysshe - translator
- Narrated by: Nicholas Tecosky
- Length: 6 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 73
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 60
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 62
Xenophon was a Greek who admired and studied with Socrates. He marched with the Spartans and later was exiled from Athens. He wrote about the history of his times, the sayings of Socrates and about life in Greece. Edward Bysshe translated Xenophone's work in 1702. This translation has continued to have an excellent reputation. In this work Xenophon discusses the views of life taught by Socrates.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Philosopher, Soldier, Historian and Mercenary
- By Darwin8u on 12-04-12
By: Xenophon, and others
-
Utopia
- By: Sir Thomas More
- Narrated by: James Adams
- Length: 4 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,107
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 946
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 945
Utopia is the name given by Sir Thomas More to an imaginary island in this political work written in 1516. Book I of Utopia, a dialogue, presents a perceptive analysis of contemporary social, economic, and moral ills in England. Book II is a narrative describing a country run according to the ideals of the English humanists, where poverty, crime, injustice, and other ills do not exist.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
More's unobtainable vision of the ideal society
- By Darwin8u on 06-12-13
By: Sir Thomas More
-
Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson
- By: Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Narrated by: Jeff Riggenbach
- Length: 14 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 116
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 105
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 100
Here in one volume are both the Essays: First Series and Essays: Second Series from one of the most influential philosophers in American history. Although Ralph Waldo Emerson, perhaps America’s most famous philosopher, did not wish to be referred to as a transcendentalist, he is nevertheless considered the founder of this major movement of nineteenth-century American thought. Emerson was influenced by a liberal religious training; theological study; personal contact with the Romanticists Coleridge, Carlyle, and Wordsworth; and a strong indigenous sense of individualism and self-reliance.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Riggenbach's Essays, Not Emerson's
- By Jake Behm on 12-01-15
-
Frankenstein
- By: Mary Shelley
- Narrated by: Dan Stevens
- Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 20,425
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 18,392
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 18,322
Narrator Dan Stevens ( Downton Abbey) presents an uncanny performance of Mary Shelley's timeless gothic novel, an epic battle between man and monster at its greatest literary pitch. In trying to create life, the young student Victor Frankenstein unleashes forces beyond his control, setting into motion a long and tragic chain of events that brings Victor to the very brink of madness. How he tries to destroy his creation, as it destroys everything Victor loves, is a powerful story of love, friendship, scientific hubris, and horror.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
ARE WE ALWAYS TO BE UNHAPPY?
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 01-28-16
By: Mary Shelley
-
The Confessions
- By: Jean-Jacques Rousseau
- Narrated by: Frederick Davidson
- Length: 30 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 57
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 49
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 47
Dr. Johnson may have been correct in saying that “Rousseau was a very bad man,” but none can argue that his ideas are among the most influential in all of world history. It was Rousseau, the father of the romantic movement, who was responsible for introducing at least two modern day thoughts that pervade academia. The Confessions is Rousseau’s landmark autobiography. Both brilliant and flawed, it is nonetheless beautifully written and remains one of the most moving human documents in all of literature.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Extraordinary in its ordinariness...
- By Varni-Maree on 08-28-12
-
The Monk
- By: Matthew Lewis
- Narrated by: Nicholas Boulton, Georgina Sutton
- Length: 14 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 168
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 147
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 146
Father Ambrosio, the most pious and venerated monk in all of Madrid, is held as a paragon of virtue. But after 30 years of study and prayer, evil thoughts begin to permeate his mind. As two plots cleverly converge, torture, murder, incest, rape, poison, and magic prevail, sustained by an elegance in the writing of the 19-year-old Matthew Lewis.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
the Platonic Form of the Gothic novel!.org
- By Mao Dom on 11-15-18
By: Matthew Lewis
-
The Life of God in the Soul of Man
- By: Henry Scougal
- Narrated by: Charles Olsen
- Length: 2 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 58
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 52
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 51
It has been said that this work by Henry Scougal was "almost universally praised by the leaders of the Great Awakening". It is a piece of literature that has been used by God to influence the souls of men for the glory of Christ. Regardless of the times we live in, the great works of the men of God of old are still applicable today. In an age of lukewarm believers, we need the fire of God to burn us afresh and give us a clear vision of his holy will.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Knowing God & Drawing Closer to Him
- By Andrew Lipp on 10-13-18
By: Henry Scougal
-
Dangerous Liaisons
- By: Pierre-Ambroise-François Choderlos de Laclos
- Narrated by: Gabriel Woolf
- Length: 15 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 161
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 120
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 121
The story, composed entirely of letters written by the various characters to each other, tells of the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont, two rivals who use sex as a weapon to humiliate and degrade others, uncaring of those who face social ruin or whose hearts are broken. It depicts a decadent and corrupt aristocracy exposing the perversions of the so-called Ancien Regime. The relevance of this grew due to the ensuing the French Revolution.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Amazing story.
- By Steve Inman on 11-10-09
-
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.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Well read, many accents, older recording
- By Elizabeth on 12-16-10
By: Henry Fielding
-
The Art of Worldly Wisdom
- By: Balthasar Gracian
- Narrated by: Keira Grace
- Length: 4 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 48
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 38
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 36
The Art of Worldly Wisdom was written in 1647. It is a collection of 300 maxims on various topics, each elaborated with a commentary. The sayings offer advice and guidance on how to live well, advance socially, and be a better person.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Terrible Narration
- By John P. Owens on 08-31-22
-
The Gay Science (The Joyful Wisdom)
- By: Friedrich Nietzsche
- Narrated by: Michael Lunts
- Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 161
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 136
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 138
The Gay Science (The Joyful Wisdom) is one of Nietzsche's greatest books. His wonderfully fertile mind roams over mankind, his thoughts, his emotions, his behaviour and his weaknesses with remarkable clarity, with insight - but also with humour!In this work are 383 separate paragraphs, some short, some long, but all singular observations - the epitome of his famous aphoristic style. 'Morality is the herd instinct in the individual.'
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I am now a full-fledged fan of Nietzsche
- By RS on 02-24-18
-
Symposium
- By: Plato
- Narrated by: full cast
- Length: 2 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 441
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 351
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 350
The Greek word sumposion means a drinking party (a fact shamefully ignored by the organizers of modern symposia), and the party described in Plato's Symposium is one supposedly given in the year 416 BC by the playwright Agathon to celebrate his victory in the dramatic festival of the Lenaea. He has already given one party, the previous evening; this second party is for a select group of friends, and host and guests alike are feeling a little frail.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Greek Philosophy over a Good Wine
- By Cathy on 02-16-06
By: Plato
-
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.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
terrific story BUT
- By tom on 01-28-14
By: Henry Fielding