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  • Bartleby, the Scrivener

  • A Story of Wall Street
  • Written by: Herman Melville
  • Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
  • Length: 1 hr and 48 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (15 ratings)

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Bartleby, the Scrivener

Written by: Herman Melville
Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
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Publisher's Summary

Herman Melville’s tale of corporate discontent, Bartleby, the Scrivener, tells the story of a quiet, hardworking legal copyist who works in an office in the Wall Street area of New York City. The business where he works handles the official financial paperwork of wealthy men. One day, Bartleby’s employer requests he proofread one of the documents he has copied. Bartleby declines the assignment with the inscrutable “I would prefer not,” the first of what will become many refusals. The utterance of this remark sets off a confounding set of actions and behavior, making the unsettling character of Bartleby one of Melville’s most enigmatic and unforgettable creations.
Public Domain (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Anthologies & Short Stories Classics Short Stories American Literature
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What the critics say

“Herman Melville is one of American literature’s greatest figures.” ( The Cambridge Guide to Literature in English)

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Profile Image for coffee drinker in Calgary

well done indeed

I'd never heard of this story... and it is one that I will think about in future. Almost a living ghost story, in a way.
Rudnicki is an exceptional narrator, and he brings both to life and understanding his role as Barteleby's boss, a conveyancing lawyer who continues to employ Bartelby, who when requested to work merely says "I would prefer not to." Seeking to understand the lawyer's struggle in putting up with this is for me, more engaging than Bartelby's withdrawal from life.
Very well done.

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