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The Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini
- Narrated by: Robert Whitfield
- Length: 15 hrs and 31 mins
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Publisher's summary
Cellini, according to himself, lived a very full life, and his account of his exploits, though grandiloquent and somewhat suspect, is always entertaining. Historians have considered this work to be a prime example of the emergence of modern individualism during the Renaissance.
Translated by John Addington Symonds.
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Critic reviews
"The minute details recounted by Cellini are gracefully read by Whitfield, who breathes life into this fascinating autobiography." (AudioFile)
"[The Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini] chronicles with unflagging energy and force one of the most tempestuous lives and one of the largest egos in all of history....The vigorous translation is superbly realized by British narrator Robert Whitfield, successfully bringing to [the recording] Cellini's unforgettable story. Highly recommended for all collections." (Library Journal)
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- Length: 35 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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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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Well read, many accents, older recording
- By Elizabeth on 12-16-10
By: Henry Fielding
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Joseph Andrews
- By: Henry Fielding
- Narrated by: John Telfer
- Length: 13 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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In one of the first novels in the English language, we follow the picaresque adventures of Joseph Andrews, a virtuous young man who is keen to maintain his innocence despite being coerced by nearly every woman he encounters.
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Action and Ideas
- By John on 01-27-20
By: Henry Fielding
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The Story of My Life, Volume 1
- By: Giacomo Casanova
- Narrated by: Peter Wickham
- Length: 47 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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The Story of My Life is the explosive and exhilarating autobiography by the infamous libertine Giacomo Casanova. Intense and scandalous, Casanova's extraordinary adventures take the listener on an incredible voyage across 18th-century Europe - from France to Russia, Poland to Spain and Turkey to Germany, with Venice at their heart. He falls madly in love, has wild flings and delirious orgies, and encounters some of the most brilliant figures of his time, including Catherine the Great, Louis XV and Benjamin Franklin. He holds a verbal dual with Voltaire and finds himself hauled before the court multiple times.
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Extraordinarily interesting
- By Ed Pegg Jr on 10-19-19
By: Giacomo Casanova
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Tales from the Arabian Nights
- By: Andrew Lang
- Narrated by: Toby Stephens
- Length: 2 hrs and 14 mins
- Abridged
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Toby Stephens takes us back to the world of cunning, adventure, mishap, and fun. Sheherezade, night after night, weaves her tales and Aladdin and his Magic Lamp, Sinbad the Sailor, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, and other tales come alive. The unforgettable music of Rimsky-Korsakov sets the scene perfectly. A delightful treat for young listeners.
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I AM SINBAD THE SAILOR
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 04-27-17
By: Andrew Lang
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Candide (AudioGO Edition)
- By: Voltaire
- Narrated by: Jack Davenport
- Length: 3 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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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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Guaranteed to keep you smiling if not LOL
- By Robert on 08-09-12
By: Voltaire
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Barry Lyndon
- By: William Makepeace Thackeray
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 13 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Like Tom Jones before him, Barry Lyndon is one of the most lively and roguish characters in English literature. He may now be best known through the colorful Stanley Kubrick film released in 1975, but it is Thackeray who, in true 19th-century style, shows him best.
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A masterful reading
- By BB on 06-14-14
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The Confessions
- By: Jean-Jacques Rousseau
- Narrated by: Frederick Davidson
- Length: 30 hrs
- Unabridged
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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.
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Extraordinary in its ordinariness...
- By Varni-Maree on 08-28-12
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The Three Musketeers (AmazonClassics Edition)
- By: Alexandre Dumas, William Robson - translator
- Narrated by: Guy Mott
- Length: 27 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Young nobleman d’Artagnan has arrived in Paris intent on joining the guardians of King Louis XIII. He befriends the regiment’s most formidable musketeers, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, and together they unite in their commitment to uphold justice. Soon, a royal indiscretion thrusts them into an audacious escapade of courtly intrigue, thwarted romance, and daring rescue. But it’s the Machiavellian schemes of a powerful enemy and the wicked seductions of an ingenious female spy that will be their greatest challenges.
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terrible narrator. every comma is a 3 second pause
- By Anonymous User on 09-21-21
By: Alexandre Dumas, and others
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Oroonoko
- By: Aphra Behn
- Narrated by: Clare Wille
- Length: 3 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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A vivid love story and adventure tale, Oroonoko is a heroic slave narrative about a royal prince and his fight for freedom. The eponymous hero, Oroonoko, deemed royalty in one world and slave in another, is torn from his noble status and betrayed into slavery in Surinam, where he is reduced to chains, fetters, and shackles. But his high spirit and admirable character will not be suppressed.
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Outstanding Narration, Story Less So
- By Carsley on 07-14-18
By: Aphra Behn
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Tales from Shakespeare
- By: Charles Lamb, Mary Lamb
- Narrated by: David McCallion
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb is a retelling of 20 of Shakespeare’s most beloved stories. Within the pages of this book, the 19th-century authors bring to life the Shakespearean plots and characters of another age in an easy-to-understand prose of a newer generation.
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A classic
- By Jacque Eddy on 10-07-19
By: Charles Lamb, and others
What listeners say about The Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Lev Gorens
- 10-10-23
Interesting
Definitely not a good book as one would consider a traditional book. But an incredible glimpse into the life of an artist in the 16 century.
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- Jean
- 10-11-13
The autobiography reads like a novel
I have never read a book written in 1558 before. Benvenuto Cellini was born in Florence on 3 Nov 1500 and died on 13 Feb 1571. He began his autobiography in 1558 and it ended abruptly just before his last trip to Pisa about 1563. He apparently was a talented goldsmith, sculptor and was also a flute player. The first part of the book tells about the battles between Benvenuto and his father. His father was a musician and wanted Benvenuto to follow in his footsteps. He taught him to play but Benvenuto wanted to be an artist. He left Florence when he was 16 to study goldsmithing in Pisa. The story of his life is very interesting as he was a musician, goldsmith, sculptor and a soldier. This book reads like a novel. He mostly likely exaggerated his abilities but his art is in museum today so one can evaluate for oneself. His patron was Cosimo de Medici of Florence, Pope Clement VII and Pope Paul III along with Francis I of France. In the story I got the feeling he felt some key church people were against him and he would flee to another city for awhile. He writes in a complacent way of how he contemplated his murders before carrying them out. Apparently he murder about 5 people. He was in and out of prison as well as in and out of the Vatican. He goes into detail about the art he created and also a good deal about life in general in the 1500. I learned a great deal and enjoyed the style of his writing. I read this as an audio book; Robert Whitfield did a good job with all the Italian names. If you are interested in art history or history you will enjoy this book.
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9 people found this helpful
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- Zenobia Woodlife
- 04-10-21
VERY interesting. Highly recommend!!
I read Cellini's Autobiography back in the 70's and marveled at it. Still feel the same way plus, after all that's happened since then, I wonder at Cellini's supreme arrogance and his seemingly contradictory piety. Obviously a man of his time and the social stature he gained due to his skill as a sculptor, goldsmith and BS Artist! If the Autobiography is to be believed, and from what I've read of that era , it seems to be... well, then he had more lives than an exceptional cat. One vile aspect of the man was his quick andon occadions deadly rage! He preferred to just skewer someone than deal with whatever prompted the anger and discord pre-emptively. And, for the most part he got away with it! My next quest will be to find a good Biography of him to try and understand more of how Cellini fit into the overall historical picture and what his lasting effect was on both the art of sculpture and goldsmithing & if any - on the political. Enjoyed the Narration! Always enjoy listening to Simon Vance. Not sure how he does it, - subtle intonation and changes in pace etc... he just gets any book he narrates, to flow naturally. Wish he'd do more Autobiographies and mysteries instead of so much fantasy tho. I'd love to hear him narrate any of Reginald Hill. Not just the Dalziel-Pasco series but Joe Sixsmith and the stand alone novels. Hill has an ability to find the most descriptive words in the English Language and uses them so adroitly that I think Vance would be the only narrator able to handle that.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Fred
- 09-26-22
Historical Gold
Easy to follow and understand, but of depth and quality worthy of such a grand master of sculpture and engraving.
Not only is this a wonderful picture of a time when we have little information regarding society, but a personal account of a truly fascinating person, to say nothing of his immense skill in the arts.
I have read and now listened to this autobiography. The narrator seems to carry a comparable voice to Cellini.
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- Gabriel Olsen
- 03-14-22
Recording unfinished
The recording is missing parts at the end, ask for a refund is a good idea.
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- Leslie Ross
- 06-07-10
The problem is with Cellini himself.
If I am ever magically transported through time to the world of the Italian Renaissance, I hope I am never seated next to Benvenuto Cellini at a dinner party.
I bought this audiobook expecting a glimpse into that most interesting time in history. I found instead a narcissist's self-aggrandizing list of brags, some of them so ridiculous that I laughed out loud. (He describes himself as pretty much single-handedly defending Rome and the Pope against the invasion of the Holy Roman Emperor.)
After seemingly endlessly mentioning how he, such a devoted son, constantly sent money home to his "poor father"-- he then notes with remarkable unconcern, in half a sentence, that he went home after a short foray out of Florence and returned to discover that his father and sister were dead from plague. He then goes on with his story, rather blithely.
I just didn't like him very much. Okay, I really kind of disliked him a lot. One chapter, he could have skipped by simply saying "And then, in about thirty separate instances, the Pope told me that I was smarter, better-looking, more talented, and more honest than any other man he had ever met, I bowed and left the room, well satisfied that I had pleased him."
Instead, we have to suffer through each of the thirty instances.
I had to stop listening. So if you're considering this book because you think you might get a glimpse into the daily of life of great artists- skip it. He mentions rubbing elbows with Michelangelo, but the only thing we hear about Michelangelo from Cellini is that he was a great admirer of Cellini's wit, beauty, artistry, etc. Just like, apparently, every other person alive in those days.
But not me. Oh, not me.
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21 people found this helpful