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For Whom the Bell Tolls
- Narrated by: Campbell Scott
- Length: 16 hrs and 17 mins
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For Whom the Bell Tolls
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The Sun Also Rises
- Written by: Ernest Hemingway, Colm Toibin
- Narrated by: William Hurt
- Length: 7 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 130
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 117
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Story4 out of 5 stars 116
A poignant look at the disillusionment and angst of the post-World War I generation, The Sun Also Rises introduces two of Hemingway’s most unforgettable characters: Jake Barnes and Lady Brett Ashley. The story follows the flamboyant Brett and the hapless Jake as they journey from the wild nightlife of 1920s Paris to the brutal bullfighting rings of Spain with a motley group of expatriates. In his first great literary masterpiece, Hemingway portrays an age of moral bankruptcy, spiritual dissolution, unrealized love, and vanishing illusions.
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5 out of 5 stars
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By far the best book I've listened to
- By Mauro on 2019-09-12
Written by: Ernest Hemingway, and others
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A Farewell to Arms
- Written by: Ernest Hemingway
- Narrated by: John Slattery
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 152
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 131
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 131
The best American novel to emerge from World War I, A Farewell to Arms is the unforgettable story of an American ambulance driver on the Italian front and his passion for a beautiful English nurse.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A satisfying story with great narration
- By Ellen Keith on 2018-09-19
Written by: Ernest Hemingway
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The Old Man and the Sea
- Written by: Ernest Hemingway
- Narrated by: Donald Sutherland
- Length: 2 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 299
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 254
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 254
The Old Man and the Sea is one of Hemingway's most enduring works. Told in language of great simplicity and power, it is the story of an old Cuban fisherman, down on his luck, and his supreme ordeal, a relentless, agonizing battle with a giant marlin far out in the Gulf Stream. Here Hemingway recasts, in strikingly contemporary style, the classic theme of courage in the face of defeat, of personal triumph won from loss.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Well read.
- By Amazon Customer on 2023-06-23
Written by: Ernest Hemingway
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The Grapes of Wrath
- Written by: John Steinbeck, Robert DeMott
- Narrated by: Dylan Baker
- Length: 21 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 325
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 283
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 281
Shocking and controversial when it was first published in 1939, Steinbeck's Pulitzer prize-winning epic The Grapes of Wrath remains his undisputed masterpiece. Set against the background of Dust Bowl Oklahoma and Californian migrant life, it tells of Tom Joad and his family, who, like thousands of others, are forced to travel west in search of the promised land. Their story is one of false hopes, thwarted desires, and broken dreams, yet out of their suffering Steinbeck created a drama that is intensely human, yet majestic in its scale and moral vision.
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5 out of 5 stars
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The harmonica was a bit much!
- By Amazon Customer on 2020-06-13
Written by: John Steinbeck, and others
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East of Eden
- Written by: John Steinbeck
- Narrated by: Richard Poe
- Length: 25 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 480
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 416
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 414
This sprawling and often brutal novel, set in the rich farmlands of California's Salinas Valley, follows the intertwined destinies of two families - the Trasks and the Hamiltons - whose generations helplessly reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Worthy of its reputation
- By M on 2019-01-16
Written by: John Steinbeck
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The Sun Also Rises
- Written by: Ernest Hemingway
- Narrated by: Nathan Osgood
- Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 1
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1
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Story5 out of 5 stars 1
A poignant look at the disillusionment and angst of the post-World War I generation, the novel introduces two of Hemingway's most unforgettable characters: Jake Barnes and Lady Brett Ashley. The story follows the flamboyant Brett and the hapless Jake as they journey from the wild nightlife of 1920s Paris to the brutal bullfighting rings of Spain with a motley group of expatriates. It is an age of moral bankruptcy, spiritual dissolution, unrealized love and vanishing illusions.
Written by: Ernest Hemingway
-
The Sun Also Rises
- Written by: Ernest Hemingway, Colm Toibin
- Narrated by: William Hurt
- Length: 7 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 130
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 117
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 116
A poignant look at the disillusionment and angst of the post-World War I generation, The Sun Also Rises introduces two of Hemingway’s most unforgettable characters: Jake Barnes and Lady Brett Ashley. The story follows the flamboyant Brett and the hapless Jake as they journey from the wild nightlife of 1920s Paris to the brutal bullfighting rings of Spain with a motley group of expatriates. In his first great literary masterpiece, Hemingway portrays an age of moral bankruptcy, spiritual dissolution, unrealized love, and vanishing illusions.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
By far the best book I've listened to
- By Mauro on 2019-09-12
Written by: Ernest Hemingway, and others
-
A Farewell to Arms
- Written by: Ernest Hemingway
- Narrated by: John Slattery
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 152
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 131
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 131
The best American novel to emerge from World War I, A Farewell to Arms is the unforgettable story of an American ambulance driver on the Italian front and his passion for a beautiful English nurse.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A satisfying story with great narration
- By Ellen Keith on 2018-09-19
Written by: Ernest Hemingway
-
The Old Man and the Sea
- Written by: Ernest Hemingway
- Narrated by: Donald Sutherland
- Length: 2 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 299
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 254
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 254
The Old Man and the Sea is one of Hemingway's most enduring works. Told in language of great simplicity and power, it is the story of an old Cuban fisherman, down on his luck, and his supreme ordeal, a relentless, agonizing battle with a giant marlin far out in the Gulf Stream. Here Hemingway recasts, in strikingly contemporary style, the classic theme of courage in the face of defeat, of personal triumph won from loss.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Well read.
- By Amazon Customer on 2023-06-23
Written by: Ernest Hemingway
-
The Grapes of Wrath
- Written by: John Steinbeck, Robert DeMott
- Narrated by: Dylan Baker
- Length: 21 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 325
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 283
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 281
Shocking and controversial when it was first published in 1939, Steinbeck's Pulitzer prize-winning epic The Grapes of Wrath remains his undisputed masterpiece. Set against the background of Dust Bowl Oklahoma and Californian migrant life, it tells of Tom Joad and his family, who, like thousands of others, are forced to travel west in search of the promised land. Their story is one of false hopes, thwarted desires, and broken dreams, yet out of their suffering Steinbeck created a drama that is intensely human, yet majestic in its scale and moral vision.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The harmonica was a bit much!
- By Amazon Customer on 2020-06-13
Written by: John Steinbeck, and others
-
East of Eden
- Written by: John Steinbeck
- Narrated by: Richard Poe
- Length: 25 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 480
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 416
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 414
This sprawling and often brutal novel, set in the rich farmlands of California's Salinas Valley, follows the intertwined destinies of two families - the Trasks and the Hamiltons - whose generations helplessly reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Worthy of its reputation
- By M on 2019-01-16
Written by: John Steinbeck
-
The Sun Also Rises
- Written by: Ernest Hemingway
- Narrated by: Nathan Osgood
- Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 1
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1
A poignant look at the disillusionment and angst of the post-World War I generation, the novel introduces two of Hemingway's most unforgettable characters: Jake Barnes and Lady Brett Ashley. The story follows the flamboyant Brett and the hapless Jake as they journey from the wild nightlife of 1920s Paris to the brutal bullfighting rings of Spain with a motley group of expatriates. It is an age of moral bankruptcy, spiritual dissolution, unrealized love and vanishing illusions.
Written by: Ernest Hemingway
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Green Hills of Africa
- Written by: Ernest Hemingway
- Narrated by: Josh Lucas
- Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 17
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 17
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 17
His second major venture into nonfiction (after Death in the Afternoon, 1932), Green Hills of Africa is Ernest Hemingway's lyrical journal of a month on safari in the great game country of East Africa, where he and his wife, Pauline, journeyed in December of 1933. Hemingway's well-known interest in - and fascination with - big-game hunting is magnificently captured in this evocative account of his trip.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Relaxing travel log from a time & place now lost.
- By Travis Bennett on 2023-08-10
Written by: Ernest Hemingway
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As I Lay Dying
- Written by: William Faulkner
- Narrated by: Marc Cashman, Robertson Dean, Lina Patel, and others
- Length: 6 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 23
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 23
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Story4 out of 5 stars 23
One of William Faulkner’s finest novels, As I Lay Dying, originally published in 1930, remains a captivating and stylistically innovative work. The story revolves around a grim yet darkly humorous pilgrimage, as Addie Bundren’s family sets out to fulfill her last wish: to be buried in her native Jefferson, Mississippi, far from the miserable backwater surroundings of her married life.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great listen, characters voices and story is 10/10
- By Bryan McGaw on 2020-11-04
Written by: William Faulkner
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Women
- A Novel
- Written by: Charles Bukowski
- Narrated by: Christian Baskous
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 29
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 27
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Story4 out of 5 stars 27
Low-life writer and unrepentant alcoholic Henry Chinaski was born to survive. After decades of slacking off at low-paying dead-end jobs, blowing his cash on booze and women, and scrimping by in flea-bitten apartments, Chinaski sees his poetic star rising at last. Now, at 50, he is reveling in his sudden rock-star life, running three hundred hangovers a year, and maintaining a sex life that would cripple Casanova.
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5 out of 5 stars
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women
- By Dan on 2019-02-02
Written by: Charles Bukowski
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To Have and Have Not
- Written by: Ernest Hemingway
- Narrated by: Will Patton
- Length: 5 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 13
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 12
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Story4 out of 5 stars 12
To Have and Have Not is the dramatic story of Harry Morgan, an honest man who is forced into running contraband between Cuba and Key West as a means of keeping his crumbling family financially afloat. His adventures lead him into the world of wealthy and dissipated yachtsmen who throng the region, and involve him in a strange and unlikely love affair.
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4 out of 5 stars
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excellent
- By JesseNiles on 2020-06-15
Written by: Ernest Hemingway
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Death in the Afternoon
- Written by: Ernest Hemingway
- Narrated by: Boyd Gaines
- Length: 9 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 6
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 6
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Story4 out of 5 stars 6
Still considered one of the best books ever written about bullfighting, Death in the Afternoon reflects Hemingway's belief that bullfighting was more than mere sport. Here he describes and explains the technical aspects of this dangerous ritual, and "the emotional and spiritual intensity and pure classic beauty that can be produced by a man, an animal, and a piece of scarlet serge draped on a stick."
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5 out of 5 stars
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Best way to learn the appeal of bullfighting.
- By Travis Bennett on 2023-08-08
Written by: Ernest Hemingway
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On the Road
- 50th Anniversary Edition
- Written by: Jack Kerouac
- Narrated by: Will Patton
- Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 73
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 68
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Story4 out of 5 stars 69
Few novels have had as profound an impact on American culture as On the Road. Pulsating with the rhythms of 1950s underground America, jazz, sex, illicit drugs, and the mystery and promise of the open road, Kerouac’s classic novel of freedom and longing defined what it meant to be “beat” and has inspired generations of writers, musicians, artists, poets, and seekers who cite their discovery of the book as the event that “set them free”.
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5 out of 5 stars
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This is what audiobooks are meant to be.
- By Andriy on 2018-06-28
Written by: Jack Kerouac
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Beyond Good and Evil
- Written by: Friedrich Nietzsche
- Narrated by: Alex Jennings, Roy McMillan
- Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 143
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 112
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 112
Continuing where Thus Spoke Zarathustra left off, Nietzsche's controversial work Beyond Good and Evil is one of the most influential philosophical texts of the 19th century and one of the most controversial works of ideology ever written. Attacking the notion of morality as nothing more than institutionalised weakness, Nietzsche criticises past philosophers for their unquestioning acceptance of moral precepts. Nietzsche tried to formulate what he called "the philosophy of the future".
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5 out of 5 stars
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Spectacular
- By Anonymous User on 2021-05-19
Written by: Friedrich Nietzsche
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A Moveable Feast
- The Restored Edition
- Written by: Ernest Hemingway
- Narrated by: John Bedford Lloyd
- Length: 6 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 30
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 26
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 26
When Ernest Hemingway died in 1961 he had nearly completed A Moveable Feast, which eventually was published posthumously in 1964 and edited by his widow Mary Hemingway. This new special edition of Hemingway's classic memoir of his early years in Paris in the 1920's presents the original manuscript as the author intended it to be published at the time of his death.
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5 out of 5 stars
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I want to give it a 10
- By Roberta W on 2022-12-13
Written by: Ernest Hemingway
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The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories
- Written by: Ernest Hemingway
- Narrated by: Stacy Keach
- Length: 4 hrs and 54 mins
- Abridged
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Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 10
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 8
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Story4 out of 5 stars 8
The ideal introduction to the genius of Ernest Hemingway, The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories contains ten of Hemingway's most acclaimed and popular works of short fiction. Selected from Winner Take Nothing, Men Without Women, and The Fifth Column and the First Forty-Nine Stories, this collection includes "The Killers," the first of Hemingway's mature stories to be accepted by an American periodical.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Another Good One
- By Logan McDonell on 2023-12-01
Written by: Ernest Hemingway
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The Master and Margarita
- Written by: Mikhail Bulgakov
- Narrated by: Julian Rhind-Tutt
- Length: 16 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 119
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 103
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 105
The Devil comes to Moscow, but he isn't all bad; Pontius Pilate sentences a charismatic leader to his death, but yearns for redemption; and a writer tries to destroy his greatest tale, but discovers that manuscripts don't burn. Multi-layered and entrancing, blending sharp satire with glorious fantasy, The Master and Margarita is ceaselessly inventive and profoundly moving. In its imaginative freedom and raising of eternal human concerns, it is one of the world's great novels.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Amazing masterpiece
- By Robert on 2018-12-31
Written by: Mikhail Bulgakov
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Slaughterhouse-Five
- Written by: Kurt Vonnegut
- Narrated by: James Franco
- Length: 5 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 550
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 495
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 495
Traumatized by the bombing of Dresden at the time he had been imprisoned, Pilgrim drifts through all events and history, sometimes deeply implicated, sometimes a witness. He is surrounded by Vonnegut's usual large cast of continuing characters (notably here the hack science fiction writer Kilgore Trout and the alien Tralfamadorians, who oversee his life and remind him constantly that there is no causation, no order, no motive to existence).
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2 out of 5 stars
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Where’s the old version?
- By S.S. on 2022-02-17
Written by: Kurt Vonnegut
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This Side of Paradise (AmazonClassics Edition)
- Written by: F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Narrated by: Dick Hill
- Length: 9 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 9
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 8
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 8
Young midwesterner Amory Blaine is certain he is destined for greatness. On his quest, he enrolls in Princeton, finds an ephemeral first love, fulfills his duty in war, and becomes enraptured by debutante Rosalind Connage, who defines all that Amory has desired and everything he could lose. As conventions, romance, and money fail him, Amory's restless pursuit of enlightenment takes him down a dark path, but closer to understanding himself and his place in the world.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great book; Great narrator
- By Arthur Gruszko on 2020-03-08
Written by: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Publisher's Summary
The story of Robert Jordan, a young American in the International Brigades attached to an antifascist guerilla unit in the mountains of Spain, it tells of loyalty and courage, love and defeat, and the tragic death of an ideal. In his portrayal of Jordan's love for the beautiful Maria and his superb account of El Sordo's last stand, in his brilliant travesty of La Pasionaria and his unwillingness to believe in blind faith, Hemingway surpasses his achievement in The Sun Also Rises and A Farewell to Arms to create a work at once rare and beautiful, strong and brutal, compassionate, moving, and wise.
"If the function of a writer is to reveal reality," Maxwell Perkins wrote Hemingway after reading the manuscript, "no one ever so completely performed it." Greater in power, broader in scope, and more intensely emotional than any of the author's previous works, it stands as one of the best war novels of all time.
What the critics say
"This is the best book Ernest Hemingway has written, the fullest, the deepest, the truest. It will, I think, be one of the major novels in American literature." (The New York Times Book Review)
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What listeners say about For Whom the Bell Tolls
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2019-01-10
Disappointed
I am not criticizing the story in the least. This was my first attempt at Hemingway and I gave up disappointedly after half an hour. This is the worst narration I have come across. The computer sounding voice destroyed anything this book may have had to offer.
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3 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
- Alexander Turner
- 2021-08-16
Hemmingway at his finest
This book stands out above many classics it is that good!
it really brings together the complex relationships of people during a complex and stressful event where the war and life are one in the same, that beauty and bravery and betrayal and tragedy are inseparable
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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
- Amazon Customer
- 2021-03-18
Great story, masterful reading by Campbell Scott
When the story of the takeover of the fascist town was told by Pilar in the book, I was totally immersed in the story. Although it is wordy at times I loved the book untill it's last line. This is a classic for a reason
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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
- Amazon Customer
- 2020-12-30
Incredible
Incredible story, incredible writing. There is only one Ernest Hemingway. Gripping, emotional and riveting. Absolutely Fantastic listening
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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
- Cole
- 2023-02-22
A work of fiction that rings true
This was my first Hemingway book, and it’s easy to see why he has the reputation that he does. This story taps into a deep sadness of human experience—particularly the individual loss caused by war, and it’s beautifully honest.
The narrator carries the story with an understated performance and a wonderful use of Spanish and the Spanish accent throughout; I don’t think I would have appreciated the Spanish one-liners as much if I was reading it rather than listening to it from a bi-lingual narrator.
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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
- Alex
- 2022-12-23
Moving and gripping story
Hemingway’s style is minimalistic yet powerful. The narrator did an excellent job voicing the dialogue of multiple characters.
This novel shows the cruel and mechanical nature of war and how it is navigated by people with great courage, strength and vulnerability while surrounded by nature in the mountains of Spain.
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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
- Ali K.
- 2021-09-23
excellent
excellent story, very well narrated, keeps you engaged, gives a good account of a page in Spanish civil war
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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
- Alex Sims
- 2020-10-03
A fine story
Good inner monologues throughout. Had a knack for giving you a sense of observing your own surroundings with a sense of importance and situational awareness.
Some really good lines of honest reflection and importance; thoughts you may wish you came up with.
Moments of dryness and socio-political issues relevant to any historical novel. But great for the process of placing yourself into a mindset more historically relevant than current political obscenity. And if not then go obscenity in the milk of thy mother.
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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
- Kritch
- 2020-07-06
Guerilla Warfare Goodness
This is my first book by Hemingway and I wasn't sure what to expect. His style is extremely efficient and clear, choosing his words with precision. this makes the story very clear, and gives it an emotional resonance that lands like a gut punch. Also extremely tender and often funny. The internal dialogue Jordan has throughout lends great Insight to his character, and the supporting cast is well thought out and distinct. If you are looking for classic military fiction this is a great choice.
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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
- Anonymous User
- 2020-04-25
hated the ending
finished in 2 days, warning: end is very emotional but it is a very good book
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
- John W. Aldis, MD
- 2009-08-13
Don't "Clean Up" Hemingway
Editing out the rough language from this book was annoying and unnecessary. I don't even undertand how it was legal!
Selling me this edited audiobook without first telling me that somebody had "cleaned up" Hemingway's lively and realistic language was also unfair to me, your customer.
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312 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- arye orona
- 2014-07-27
Incorrect charges of censorship.
Any additional comments?
Having read some of the previous reviews about censorship, and the editing out of curse words in this audio version, I felt that I should add a quick note on Hemingway's use of language in this novel. To give a sort of Spanish feel to the language, he writes a good portion of his dialogue a though it were directly translated from Spanish. So, "What passes with you?" can bear some getting used to. Also, he uses "thou" and "thy" at times in place of "you" to represent the moving between formal (usted) and informal (tu) Spanish. But, the big kicker (the one that seems to be making listeners upset) is the way he handles cursing. I believe that lines like, "I obscenity in the milk of thy tiredness," and "Where the un-nameable is this vileness I am to guard" are causing people to think that the audiobook has been censored in some way. It hasn't. Although, I'm not entirely clear on why Hemingway decided edit his English curse words in this way (strangely, the ones in Spanish are left intact), they are part of his original text; I checked my paper-bound version to be sure.
So, I hope you don't let reviews warning of censorship (or my technical review here) scare you away from a truly wonderful, thought provoking novel. You should read one of the reviews discussing the horror of war, love in the face of death, excitement of battle, camaraderie of soldiers, and think about buying (or not) the audiobook in those terms.
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227 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2009-01-12
The Mountains of Spain
I have long been a Hemingway fan but have not been through all his writings. If you have any doubt that Hemingway was a literary giant you need only listen to this title. Between listens I would find myself thinking about the characters. The thread of their lives, and their very souls, were exposed brilliantly. I finished the listen days ago and still find myself thinking about it. I feel like I was there, with them, in the mountains, dedicated to the cause. In a sense, I'm still there, heart pressed to the pine needles on the forest floor along side Robert Jordan. In this book, at least, Hemingway was that good. Give it a try; I think you'll like this one.
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105 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- T.R.
- 2011-08-15
Wish they hadn't dubed out the swear words
The book is great and Hemingway's descriptions of the landscape and people make you feel as if you are there, but the dubbing over of the curse words was rediculous. It takes away from the force of what some of the characters are trying to express. Really not needed. Just note that it has explicit language. This is how censorship begins.
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96 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Trent
- 2012-04-02
Great audiobook but appalled it's been 'sanitised'
Where does For Whom the Bell Tolls rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
One of the better books
What did you like best about this story?
Great writing, fascinating characters and a wonderful story
What about Campbell Scott’s performance did you like?
Very much likes Scott's narration. Understated with exactly the right tone for the story.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
The story made me contemplative, rather than laugh or cry.
Any additional comments?
It seems an abomination that the language has been sanitised. I assume that was done to meet a certain rating, but it seems like a poor decision to say the least. It's 2012, and we're still butchering books?If you can get past that, a thoroughly recommended listen and one I will surely listen to again.
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79 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Camrog
- 2007-09-09
Should have read this years ago
Wow .. what an astoundingly good book. I had no idea the writing would be so accessible, and at the same time so profound. It is truly a rare thing! I’m left cursing myself for not having read Hemingway years ago. Spend a few minutes refreshing the basics of the Spanish Civil War before jumping in .. then enjoy the ride. Look forward especially to the lengthy description of the smell of death ….it’s a master class in descriptive prose.
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54 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- David Maruska
- 2008-11-03
Wow, what a story
I have read a number of reviews of this book and found them OK. This was one of the first books of this type that I have listened to. It turns out to my surprise, to be my favorite. I have listened may times now and I have a fairly long commute to and from work. I like the description of the people, era, story. I'm not a literary person to dissect the text. It's just a great story, Just let it unfold, it's worth the time... The narrator is great, he's not mundane or mono-tone, he does a great job on the characters.
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53 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Vida T. Yancy
- 2010-03-15
Obsenity thee
What a good book with a great narrator. Why edit the curse words? It is a huge distraction and is not true to an "undabridged version"!
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44 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Joe
- 2006-08-06
Superb!
"For Whom the Bell Tolls," is arguably, one of the best novels of American 20th Century literature. Personally, I like Hemingways "Old Man and the Sea," perhaps a little bit better, but "For Whom the Bell Tolls" is certainly a richer, broader and more in-depth story. Hemingway, of course, is up there with the great luminaries of American literature. Today, there is simply no American writer alive who comes close to him or his contemporaries. The auditory rendition of this novel is quite good and clear. A very minor point, but not enough to really detract, is that at a few points the timing on the spoken narration is slightly out of synch as the characters change. But, it's really quite minor. As for listening to this novel, it is just a superb experience. It is so nice to hear the English language used the way Hemingway does, he is like a Zen master of the English language. In-depth, detailed characters are developed but with such expertise that the character never seems to be over-shadowed by the role. Hemingway is also a rare writer who knows how to speak to men, he understands what drives them and no matter how complicated the character, the inevitable faults and humanity still shine thru. So, if you want to take a break from Podcasts, Global Warming, Spy Novels and Political Thrillers, here is your perfect chance. You will not regret it.
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35 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- GerryO
- 2009-09-29
A great story read by a great voice.
Mr. Scott's narration of this classic is about the best I have heard.
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28 people found this helpful