Stories by Heart Audiobook By John Lithgow, Ring Lardner, W. W. Jacobs, P. G. Wodehouse cover art

Stories by Heart

Preview

Try for $0.00
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Stories by Heart

By: John Lithgow, Ring Lardner, W. W. Jacobs, P. G. Wodehouse
Narrated by: John Lithgow
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $7.95

Buy for $7.95

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

What if a world-famous actor came to your home to read you a bedtime story?

In the case of John Lithgow, he’d be reading you selections from his own cherished childhood volume of Tellers of Tales, a famous collection of 100 short stories from all over the world. In the Lithgow household, bedtime stories from this anthology were read aloud to John and his siblings by their father, Arthur Lithgow. It is only fitting then that towards the end of his father’s life, Lithgow read these same stories back to his father, tapping into the power of art to comfort, heal, and transcend.

These stories and remembrances form the basis of Lithgow’s most recent Broadway production, Stories by Heart, with each act anchored by dramatic readings of The Haircut by Ring Lardner and Uncle Fred Flits By by P. G. Wodehouse. In this Audible Original, you will also hear Lithgow narrate a third tale from the anthology, The Monkey’s Paw by W. W. Jacobs. Stories by Heart is a stunning tribute to a father from a son, performed by a Tony, Emmy, and Golden Globe award-winning actor, and now it is available to you, only from Audible.

Please note: "Haircut" by Ring Lardner is included by kind permission of the Estate of Ring Lardner. "Uncle Fred Flits" By by P. G. Wodehouse is included by kind permission of the Estate of P. G. Wodehouse and taken from his collection of short stories, Young Men in Spats (1936).

©2018 John Lithgow (P)2018 AO Media, LLC.
Drama & Plays United States Funny Witty Celebrity
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Go Behind the Scenes of Stories by Heart

0:00

About the Performer

John Lithgow’s celebrated career began on the stage. Weeks after he made his 1973 Broadway debut in David Storey’s The Changing Room, he won his first Tony Award. Since that promising beginning, he has performed on Broadway more than 20 times, with iconic roles in M. Butterfly, The Front Page, Sweet Smell of Success (for which he won his second Tony Award), and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. He’s been nominated for more than ten Emmy Awards and has won six, for unforgettable performances including his portrayals of Winston Churchill on The Crown, serial killer Arthur Mitchell on Dexter, and alien High Commander Dick Solomon on 3rd Rock from the Sun. Lithgow’s extensive television work has also won him two Golden Globes, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, an American Comedy Award, and a Critics' Choice Television Award. A two-time Academy Award nominee for Best Supporting Actor (The World According to Garp, Terms of Endearment), he is also an accomplished painter and the author of the memoir, Drama: An Actor’s Education, and several best-selling children’s books.

Featured Article: Dream Big—Meet the All-Star Cast of The Sandman: Act II


Immerse yourself in the world of The Sandman right now with an unforgettable audio experience. The star power alone is worth the price of admission—the cumulative amount of awards that have been won by the cast over the course of their careers is simply staggering. The cast features some of the most talented and esteemed actors working today. So let's dive right into the who's who of The Sandman: Act II.

No travel, no lines, no pricey tickets. Just the drama.

Audible Theater offers a front row seat to the best plays and performances – anytime, anywhere.
0:00

What listeners say about Stories by Heart

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    318
  • 4 Stars
    122
  • 3 Stars
    90
  • 2 Stars
    42
  • 1 Stars
    35
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    377
  • 4 Stars
    66
  • 3 Stars
    33
  • 2 Stars
    28
  • 1 Stars
    24
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    266
  • 4 Stars
    101
  • 3 Stars
    91
  • 2 Stars
    37
  • 1 Stars
    31

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Superb story telling of lost stories

Thoroughly enjoyed the diverse stories during a long road trip across the country. Hearing how they tied to the Lithgow family made listening a richer experience. More please!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

Excellent reading by John Lithgow. I reallly enjoyed the stories. Everyone should listen to this book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

could have been longer

I love John Lithgow and I love the way he tell stories and I mostly like the stories that are in this book. however not a lot of stories I think there are three I think each of them are pretty well told I think what John has to say about each of the stories is pretty good I definitely enjoyed listening to them but I also did not really get what I wanted I guess I hope there would be more here I should have probably checked before I bought the book but I was so excited after the poet's corner that I just jumped in head first and this is what you get when you do that I would recommend reading it it's definitely a good read it's great listen but it's not very long

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

John Lithgow’s Storytelling Highly Enjoyable

3 short stories read so wonderfully by John Lithgow!! A quick and excellent listen! I recommend

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Big Fan

I had always loved John Lithgow. And since getting into audiobooks, I realize that a really good story is made even greater by a good performer. And he is one of the best.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Entertaining Stories

John Lithgow gives a masterful performance in this collecttion of old stories. Mr Lithgow's personal reflections of his Dad reading to John and his siblings and John returning the favor when he Dad was in poor health near the end of his life was incredibly powerful andoving. A very sweet and excellent performance.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A Lovely Treat

All three stories are classics. It has been over five decades since I’ve read them. They all were like meeting up with old friends.
John Lithgow’s performances were superb. I could listen to him read Webster’s Dictionary and walk away smiling.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Boring show by great actor.

Love Lithgow but he over does it with his rendition of the stories. And why these 3 stories which creak with irrelevance?

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Outstanding storytelling

John Lithgow is a wonderful talent! I had no idea how multi-faceted his skill is. So many expressions, so many voices, so much range. I would love to hear more from John.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Lithgow’s personal reflections are the best part.

Of the three stories read, I found two compelling, one not so much. Though all three are certainly well written, and masterfully narrated, it is a matter of personal taste if these stories speak to you or not,

I found the best part of the book to be the passages where Lithgow speaks from his heart about his childhood, his parents, especially his dad, and his lifelong appreciation of stories. I wish there had been more of that.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!