The Imaginary Cuckold and School for Husbands
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
Buy for $5.42
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
About this listen
Molière wrote some of the most durable and penetrating comedies of all time. The Imaginary Cuckold and The School for Husbands are two of his grand farces of marriage and misunderstanding, one set in Paris and the other in the provinces.
In The School for Husbands, a tyrannical husband-to-be seeks to isolate his ward, while unwittingly carrying her messages of devotion to her lover. In The Imaginary Cuckold, an enraged husband imagines his wife is unfaithful, but is reluctant to defend his honor.
Translated by Richard Wilbur
Directed by Rosalind Ayres
Producing Director Susan Albert Loewenberg
Two L.A. Theatre Works full-cast performances featuring:
The School for Husbands:
Brian Bedford as Sganarelle
Emily Bergl as Isabelle
Dakin Matthews as Ariste
Juliet Mills as Lisette
Christopher Neame as Magistrate
Lloyd Owen as Valére
Alan Shearman as Notary
Rhashan Stone as Ergaste
Olivia Williams as Léonor
The Imaginary Cuckold:
Brian Bedford as Sganarelle
Dakin Matthews as Gorgibus
Christopher Neame as Magistrate/Gros-Rene
Moira Quirk as Celie
Darren Richardson as Lelie
Carolyn Seymour as Celie’s maid
Alan Shearman as Villebriquin/Madame Ralative
Joanne Whalley as Sganarelle’s wife
Includes an interview with actor Brian Bedford.
Recorded at The Invisible Studios, West Hollywood, in February of 2010.
Lead funding for The School for Husbands and The Imaginary Cuckold was made possible with support from the Sidney E. Frank Foundation.
Public Domain (P)2010 L.A. Theatre WorksListeners also enjoyed...
-
The Misanthrope
- By: Molière, Richard Wilbur - translator
- Narrated by: Brian Bedford, J. D. Cullum, Sarah Drew, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 50 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This timeless comedy of manners is considered one of Molière's most probing and mature works. While it's still an exemplar of 17th century farce, Molière went beyond his usual comic inventiveness to create a world of rich, complex characters, especially in the cynical title character Alceste, played here by the Tony Award-winning actor Brian Bedford.
-
-
Good play, great translation, good performance
- By Timoteo on 03-08-18
By: Molière, and others
-
The Bungler
- By: Molière, Richard Wilbur - translator
- Narrated by: Richard Easton, Adam Godley, Alan Mandell, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 4 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 17th-century Sicily, a clever valet named Mascarille tries to help his boss, Lélie, win the girl of his dreams – only to find that Lélie is a monumental dunce who ruins every one of his intricate schemes. Undaunted, Mascarille invents progressively wilder plots, only to see his best-laid plans go very awry in Molière’s The Bungler, translated by Richard Wilbur.
By: Molière, and others
-
Tartuffe
- By: Molière, Richard Wilbur - translator
- Narrated by: Brian Bedford, JB Blanc, Daniel Blinkoff, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 47 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Initially banned in France by King Louis, Molière's celebrated social satire Tartuffe exposes false piety and hypocrisy in the Catholic Church. When a pious fraud worms his way into a wealthy family and manipulates the patriarch into giving up his fortune, it’s up to his family to expose the truth before they end up in the poorhouse!
-
-
Great!
- By Kevin Pablo on 03-01-17
By: Molière, and others
-
School for Wives
- By: Richard Wilbur - translator, Molière
- Narrated by: William Brown, Wellesley Chapman, Joe Damour, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this biting comedy of errors, the hapless Arnolphe is undone by his own double dealing and double standards. The School for Wives was first performed at the Palais Royal theatre on December 26, 1662, and is considered by many to be Moliere's masterpiece. Richard Wilbur's subtle verse translation illuminates the great master of comedy at his wittiest.
-
-
Butchered
- By Fantod on 05-13-22
By: Richard Wilbur - translator, and others
-
The School for Scandal
- By: Richard Brinsley Sheridan
- Narrated by: Stuart Bunce, Jane Carr, John Francis Harries, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 49 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Beware the gossips! Lady Sneerwell and her hireling, Snake, are certainly up to no good in this timeless send-up of hypocritical manners. Thanks to their scandal-mongering, the comely Lady Teazle must fend off the slanderous barbs that have caught the ear of her elderly husband - as well as every other gossip in London! What follows is a torrent of mistaken identities and sex-crazed scheming in which the upper classes have never looked so low class.
-
-
This is a play for English Lit students!
- By Kemdi on 03-25-15
-
The Importance of Being Earnest (Dramatized)
- By: Oscar Wilde
- Narrated by: James Marsters, Charles Busch, Emily Bergl, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 58 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This final play from the pen of Oscar Wilde is a stylish send-up of Victorian courtship and manners, complete with assumed names, mistaken lovers, and a lost handbag. Jack and Algernon are best friends, both wooing ladies who think their names are Ernest, "that name which inspires absolute confidence". Wilde's effervescent wit, scathing social satire, and high farce make this one of the most cherished plays in the English language.
-
-
Delightfully silly
- By Tad Davis on 09-12-11
By: Oscar Wilde
-
The Misanthrope
- By: Molière, Richard Wilbur - translator
- Narrated by: Brian Bedford, J. D. Cullum, Sarah Drew, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 50 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This timeless comedy of manners is considered one of Molière's most probing and mature works. While it's still an exemplar of 17th century farce, Molière went beyond his usual comic inventiveness to create a world of rich, complex characters, especially in the cynical title character Alceste, played here by the Tony Award-winning actor Brian Bedford.
-
-
Good play, great translation, good performance
- By Timoteo on 03-08-18
By: Molière, and others
-
The Bungler
- By: Molière, Richard Wilbur - translator
- Narrated by: Richard Easton, Adam Godley, Alan Mandell, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 4 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 17th-century Sicily, a clever valet named Mascarille tries to help his boss, Lélie, win the girl of his dreams – only to find that Lélie is a monumental dunce who ruins every one of his intricate schemes. Undaunted, Mascarille invents progressively wilder plots, only to see his best-laid plans go very awry in Molière’s The Bungler, translated by Richard Wilbur.
By: Molière, and others
-
Tartuffe
- By: Molière, Richard Wilbur - translator
- Narrated by: Brian Bedford, JB Blanc, Daniel Blinkoff, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 47 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Initially banned in France by King Louis, Molière's celebrated social satire Tartuffe exposes false piety and hypocrisy in the Catholic Church. When a pious fraud worms his way into a wealthy family and manipulates the patriarch into giving up his fortune, it’s up to his family to expose the truth before they end up in the poorhouse!
-
-
Great!
- By Kevin Pablo on 03-01-17
By: Molière, and others
-
School for Wives
- By: Richard Wilbur - translator, Molière
- Narrated by: William Brown, Wellesley Chapman, Joe Damour, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this biting comedy of errors, the hapless Arnolphe is undone by his own double dealing and double standards. The School for Wives was first performed at the Palais Royal theatre on December 26, 1662, and is considered by many to be Moliere's masterpiece. Richard Wilbur's subtle verse translation illuminates the great master of comedy at his wittiest.
-
-
Butchered
- By Fantod on 05-13-22
By: Richard Wilbur - translator, and others
-
The School for Scandal
- By: Richard Brinsley Sheridan
- Narrated by: Stuart Bunce, Jane Carr, John Francis Harries, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 49 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Beware the gossips! Lady Sneerwell and her hireling, Snake, are certainly up to no good in this timeless send-up of hypocritical manners. Thanks to their scandal-mongering, the comely Lady Teazle must fend off the slanderous barbs that have caught the ear of her elderly husband - as well as every other gossip in London! What follows is a torrent of mistaken identities and sex-crazed scheming in which the upper classes have never looked so low class.
-
-
This is a play for English Lit students!
- By Kemdi on 03-25-15
-
The Importance of Being Earnest (Dramatized)
- By: Oscar Wilde
- Narrated by: James Marsters, Charles Busch, Emily Bergl, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 58 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This final play from the pen of Oscar Wilde is a stylish send-up of Victorian courtship and manners, complete with assumed names, mistaken lovers, and a lost handbag. Jack and Algernon are best friends, both wooing ladies who think their names are Ernest, "that name which inspires absolute confidence". Wilde's effervescent wit, scathing social satire, and high farce make this one of the most cherished plays in the English language.
-
-
Delightfully silly
- By Tad Davis on 09-12-11
By: Oscar Wilde
-
Don Quixote
- Translated by Edith Grossman
- By: Edith Grossman - translator, Miguel de Cervantes
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 39 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sixteenth-century Spanish gentleman Don Quixote, fed by his own delusional fantasies, takes to the road in search of chivalrous adventures. But his quest leads to more trouble than triumph. At once humorous, romantic, and sad, Don Quixote is a literary landmark. This fresh edition, by award-winning translator Edith Grossman, brings the tale to life as never before.
-
-
My Fourth Try at an Audible Quixote
- By James on 12-24-12
By: Edith Grossman - translator, and others
-
Middlemarch
- By: George Eliot
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 35 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Best Audible book ever
- By Molly-o on 12-25-11
By: George Eliot
-
Innocent Traitor
- A Novel of Lady Jane Grey
- By: Alison Weir
- Narrated by: Stina Nielsen, Davina Porter, Bianca Amato
- Length: 18 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The child of a scheming father and ruthless mother, Lady Jane Grey is born during a time when ambition dictates action. Cousin to Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I, she is merely a pawn in a political and religious game in which one false step means a certain demise. But Lady Jane has remarkable qualities that help her to withstand the constant pressures of the royal machinery far better than most expect.
-
-
Superior listen!
- By Jt on 03-05-07
By: Alison Weir
-
Don Quixote
- By: John Ormsby - translator, Miguel de Cervantes
- Narrated by: Roy McMillan
- Length: 36 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The most influential work of the entire Spanish literary canon and a founding work of modern Western literature, Don Quixote is also one of the greatest works ever written. Hugely entertaining but also moving at times, this episodic novel is built on the fantasy life of one Alonso Quixano, who lives with his niece and housekeeper in La Mancha. Quixano, obsessed by tales of knight errantry, renames himself ‘Don Quixote’ and with his faithful servant Sancho Panza, goes on a series of quests.
-
-
More than funny
- By Colin on 08-21-11
By: John Ormsby - translator, and others
-
The Lady Elizabeth
- A Novel
- By: Alison Weir
- Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
- Length: 20 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Best-selling author Alison Weir turns her masterly storytelling skills to the early life of young Elizabeth Tudor, who would grow up to become England's most intriguing and powerful queen. Sweeping in scope, The Lady Elizabeth is a fascinating portrayal of a woman far ahead of her time - whose dangerous and dramatic path to the throne shapes her future greatness.
-
-
An unbelievably extraordinary tale about a girl!
- By Zhao on 12-31-11
By: Alison Weir
-
The Taming of the Shrew
- Arkangel Shakespeare
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Frances Barber, Roger Allam, Alan Cox
- Length: 2 hrs and 17 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Padua holds many suitors for the hand of fair Bianca, but Bianca may not be married until her spinster sister, Kate, is wed. Could any man be rash enough to take on Kate? The witty adventurer Petruchio undertakes the task. While he sets about transforming Kate from foul-tempered termagant to loving wife, young Lucentio and his clever servant, Tranio, plot to win Bianca.
-
-
Problem play
- By Tad Davis on 01-24-15
-
Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare
- By: Edith Nesbit
- Narrated by: David Thorn, Bobbie Frohman, Laurallee Westaway
- Length: 5 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Edith Nesbit re-tells the stories of William Shakespeare's plays, making them accessible to children, while evoking the drama and excitement of the originals.
-
-
Frustrating
- By Michele Elliott on 10-08-10
By: Edith Nesbit
-
As You Like It
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Lynn Collins, Alexis Jacknow, Jeff Gardner, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 13 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Love triumphs in As You Like It, Shakespeare's joyous comic adventure! Rosalind, arguably Shakespeare's greatest female character, is banished from court and follows her exiled father into the untamed Forest of Arden. Disguised as a man for safety, Rosalind's great wit and good nature show through her male trappings as she engages with fools and philosophers adrift in the woods, and ultimately falls in love.
-
-
Very entertaining
- By Laurie on 05-25-20
-
The Lady in the Tower
- By: Jean Plaidy
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 16 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of history's most complex and alluring women, Anne Boleyn was irresistible to kings and commoners alike. Daughter of an ambitious country lord, Anne was sent to France to marry well and raise the family's fortunes. She soon surpassed even their greatest expectations when King Henry VIII swore he would put aside his loyal queen to make Anne his wife.
-
-
Lady in the tower. I loved it.
- By Carole on 03-02-09
By: Jean Plaidy
-
Tales from Shakespeare
- By: Charles Lamb, Mary Lamb
- Narrated by: David McCallion
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
A classic
- By Jacque Eddy on 10-07-19
By: Charles Lamb, and others
-
Man and Superman
- By: George Bernard Shaw
- Narrated by: Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes, Juliet Stevenson, and others
- Length: 4 hrs and 16 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Man and Superman was the first drama to be broadcast on the BBC's Third Programme on October 1, 1946. To celebrate Radio 3's 50th anniversary, the play was directed by Sir Peter Hall, and preserved for all time in this lush audio dramatization. 'A comedy and a philosophy', Man and Superman is based on the Don Juan theme, and using all the elements from Mozart's Don Giovanni, Shaw reordered them so that Don Juan becomes the quarry instead of the huntsman.
-
-
One of the best
- By Santino on 06-22-23
-
King Lear
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Paul Scofield, Alec McCowen, Kenneth Branagh
- Length: 3 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The tragedy of King Lear receives an outstanding performance in an all-star cast led by Britain’s senior classical actor, Paul Scofield. He is joined by Alec McCowen as Gloucester, Kenneth Branagh as The Fool, Harriet Walter as Gonerill, Sara Kestelman as Regan and Emilia Fox as Cordelia. This is the ninth recording of Shakespeare plays undertaken by Naxos AudioBooks in conjunction with Cambridge University Press, and is directed by John Tydeman. It was released to mark the 80th birthday of Paul Scofield in January 2002.
-
-
This cold night will turn us all to fools & madmen
- By Darwin8u on 11-01-17
Editorial reviews
Two of Molière's most popular plays see a modern performance from a talented cast in this live recording from L.A. Theatre Works. The School For Husbands is a farce centering around the suitors of two sisters, both of whom employ very different methods to secure their affection, while The Imaginary Cuckold is a relationship comedy about mistaken identity. Both plays benefit from a spirited and humorous delivery from Tony award-winning actor Brian Bedford and a supporting cast including Emily Bergl, Dakin Matthews, and Juliet Mills. Listeners will find these two works by Molière both wise and hilarious.
Related to this topic
-
The Misanthrope
- By: Molière, Richard Wilbur - translator
- Narrated by: Brian Bedford, J. D. Cullum, Sarah Drew, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 50 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This timeless comedy of manners is considered one of Molière's most probing and mature works. While it's still an exemplar of 17th century farce, Molière went beyond his usual comic inventiveness to create a world of rich, complex characters, especially in the cynical title character Alceste, played here by the Tony Award-winning actor Brian Bedford.
-
-
Good play, great translation, good performance
- By Timoteo on 03-08-18
By: Molière, and others
-
Tartuffe
- By: Molière, Richard Wilbur - translator
- Narrated by: Brian Bedford, JB Blanc, Daniel Blinkoff, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 47 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Initially banned in France by King Louis, Molière's celebrated social satire Tartuffe exposes false piety and hypocrisy in the Catholic Church. When a pious fraud worms his way into a wealthy family and manipulates the patriarch into giving up his fortune, it’s up to his family to expose the truth before they end up in the poorhouse!
-
-
Great!
- By Kevin Pablo on 03-01-17
By: Molière, and others
-
The Taming of the Shrew
- Arkangel Shakespeare
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Frances Barber, Roger Allam, Alan Cox
- Length: 2 hrs and 17 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Padua holds many suitors for the hand of fair Bianca, but Bianca may not be married until her spinster sister, Kate, is wed. Could any man be rash enough to take on Kate? The witty adventurer Petruchio undertakes the task. While he sets about transforming Kate from foul-tempered termagant to loving wife, young Lucentio and his clever servant, Tranio, plot to win Bianca.
-
-
Problem play
- By Tad Davis on 01-24-15
-
Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded
- By: Samuel Richardson
- Narrated by: Clare Corbett, Full Cast
- Length: 21 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Samuel Richardson's epistolary novel Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded, published in 1740, tells the story of a young woman's resistance to the desires of her predatory master. Pamela is determined to protect her virginity and remain a paragon of virtue; however, the heroine's moral principles only strengthen the resolve of Mr. B and Pamela soon finds herself imprisoned against her will. The young woman's affection for her captor gradually grows and she becomes aware of a love that combines eros and agape.
-
-
The one, the only, Pamela!
- By Eve Howard on 09-07-17
-
As You Like It
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Lynn Collins, Alexis Jacknow, Jeff Gardner, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 13 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Love triumphs in As You Like It, Shakespeare's joyous comic adventure! Rosalind, arguably Shakespeare's greatest female character, is banished from court and follows her exiled father into the untamed Forest of Arden. Disguised as a man for safety, Rosalind's great wit and good nature show through her male trappings as she engages with fools and philosophers adrift in the woods, and ultimately falls in love.
-
-
Very entertaining
- By Laurie on 05-25-20
-
The Lady in the Tower
- By: Jean Plaidy
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 16 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of history's most complex and alluring women, Anne Boleyn was irresistible to kings and commoners alike. Daughter of an ambitious country lord, Anne was sent to France to marry well and raise the family's fortunes. She soon surpassed even their greatest expectations when King Henry VIII swore he would put aside his loyal queen to make Anne his wife.
-
-
Lady in the tower. I loved it.
- By Carole on 03-02-09
By: Jean Plaidy
-
The Misanthrope
- By: Molière, Richard Wilbur - translator
- Narrated by: Brian Bedford, J. D. Cullum, Sarah Drew, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 50 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This timeless comedy of manners is considered one of Molière's most probing and mature works. While it's still an exemplar of 17th century farce, Molière went beyond his usual comic inventiveness to create a world of rich, complex characters, especially in the cynical title character Alceste, played here by the Tony Award-winning actor Brian Bedford.
-
-
Good play, great translation, good performance
- By Timoteo on 03-08-18
By: Molière, and others
-
Tartuffe
- By: Molière, Richard Wilbur - translator
- Narrated by: Brian Bedford, JB Blanc, Daniel Blinkoff, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 47 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Initially banned in France by King Louis, Molière's celebrated social satire Tartuffe exposes false piety and hypocrisy in the Catholic Church. When a pious fraud worms his way into a wealthy family and manipulates the patriarch into giving up his fortune, it’s up to his family to expose the truth before they end up in the poorhouse!
-
-
Great!
- By Kevin Pablo on 03-01-17
By: Molière, and others
-
The Taming of the Shrew
- Arkangel Shakespeare
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Frances Barber, Roger Allam, Alan Cox
- Length: 2 hrs and 17 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Padua holds many suitors for the hand of fair Bianca, but Bianca may not be married until her spinster sister, Kate, is wed. Could any man be rash enough to take on Kate? The witty adventurer Petruchio undertakes the task. While he sets about transforming Kate from foul-tempered termagant to loving wife, young Lucentio and his clever servant, Tranio, plot to win Bianca.
-
-
Problem play
- By Tad Davis on 01-24-15
-
Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded
- By: Samuel Richardson
- Narrated by: Clare Corbett, Full Cast
- Length: 21 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Samuel Richardson's epistolary novel Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded, published in 1740, tells the story of a young woman's resistance to the desires of her predatory master. Pamela is determined to protect her virginity and remain a paragon of virtue; however, the heroine's moral principles only strengthen the resolve of Mr. B and Pamela soon finds herself imprisoned against her will. The young woman's affection for her captor gradually grows and she becomes aware of a love that combines eros and agape.
-
-
The one, the only, Pamela!
- By Eve Howard on 09-07-17
-
As You Like It
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Lynn Collins, Alexis Jacknow, Jeff Gardner, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 13 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Love triumphs in As You Like It, Shakespeare's joyous comic adventure! Rosalind, arguably Shakespeare's greatest female character, is banished from court and follows her exiled father into the untamed Forest of Arden. Disguised as a man for safety, Rosalind's great wit and good nature show through her male trappings as she engages with fools and philosophers adrift in the woods, and ultimately falls in love.
-
-
Very entertaining
- By Laurie on 05-25-20
-
The Lady in the Tower
- By: Jean Plaidy
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 16 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of history's most complex and alluring women, Anne Boleyn was irresistible to kings and commoners alike. Daughter of an ambitious country lord, Anne was sent to France to marry well and raise the family's fortunes. She soon surpassed even their greatest expectations when King Henry VIII swore he would put aside his loyal queen to make Anne his wife.
-
-
Lady in the tower. I loved it.
- By Carole on 03-02-09
By: Jean Plaidy
-
Tales from Shakespeare
- By: Charles Lamb, Mary Lamb
- Narrated by: David McCallion
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
A classic
- By Jacque Eddy on 10-07-19
By: Charles Lamb, and others
-
Joseph Andrews
- The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews and His Friend Mr. Abraham Adams
- By: Henry Fielding
- Narrated by: Rufus Sewell
- Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Riotous, sexy and groundbreaking, Henry Fielding's Joseph Andrews: The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews and His Friend Mr. Abraham Adams, published in 1742, was one of the first English novels. Fielding was melding and parodying the two major forces battling for control of the fiction market at the time - the mock heroic, neoclassical tradition as practiced by Pope and Swift and the popular and populist fiction of the new novelists such as Defoe and Richardson.
-
-
A perfect reader for Henry Fielding
- By TiffanyD on 07-27-17
By: Henry Fielding
-
Joseph Andrews
- By: Henry Fielding
- Narrated by: John Telfer
- Length: 13 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Action and Ideas
- By John on 01-27-20
By: Henry Fielding
-
Clarissa, or The History of a Young Lady, Volume 1
- By: Samuel Richardson
- Narrated by: Samuel West, Lucy Scott, Roger May, and others
- Length: 33 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A milestone in the history of the novel, Samuel Richardson’s epistolary and elaborate Clarissa follows the life of a chaste young woman desperate to protect her virtue. When beautiful Clarissa Harlowe is forced to marry the rich but repulsive Mr. Solmes, she refuses, much to her family’s chagrin. She escapes their persecution with the help of Mr. Lovelace, a dashing and seductive rake, but soon finds herself in a far worse dilemma. Terrifying and enlightening, Clarissa weaves a tapestry of narrative experimentation into a gripping morality tale of good versus evil.
-
-
Gripping Novel & Performance
- By Harold on 07-29-18
-
Don Quixote
- By: John Ormsby - translator, Miguel de Cervantes
- Narrated by: Roy McMillan
- Length: 36 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The most influential work of the entire Spanish literary canon and a founding work of modern Western literature, Don Quixote is also one of the greatest works ever written. Hugely entertaining but also moving at times, this episodic novel is built on the fantasy life of one Alonso Quixano, who lives with his niece and housekeeper in La Mancha. Quixano, obsessed by tales of knight errantry, renames himself ‘Don Quixote’ and with his faithful servant Sancho Panza, goes on a series of quests.
-
-
More than funny
- By Colin on 08-21-11
By: John Ormsby - translator, and others
-
Don Quixote (Adapted for Modern Listeners)
- By: Miguel de Cervantes
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 4 hrs and 39 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Quixotic is a word that the dictionary defines as "extravagantly chivalrous or romantic; visionary...." and that is a fitting definition, indeed, for this charming retelling of Don Quixote, the 17t- century Spanish classic by Miguel de Cervantes, now updated for the modern listener. The gallant and fragile Quixote will touch listeners, as will his faithful squire Sancho Panza and the tragically beautiful heroine of the gentle Don’s chivalries, the fair Dulcinea.
-
-
Great way in
- By pxriver on 07-12-18
-
Love Letters of Great Men
- By: John C. Kirkland
- Narrated by: Chris Patton
- Length: 2 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When words of love do not come to you on their own, then listen to these letters. Complete, actual love letters of great men like Lord Byron, John Keats, and Voltaire. Leaders like Henry VIII, George Washington, and Napoléon, who wrote to his beloved Joséphine, "I awake consumed with thoughts of you...." Artists like van Gogh, Mozart, and Beethoven, who famously penned, "Though still in bed, my thoughts go out to you, my Immortal Beloved...."
-
-
For all us hopeless romantics!
- By Stitch on 04-12-13
By: John C. Kirkland
-
Candide (AudioGO Edition)
- By: Voltaire
- Narrated by: Jack Davenport
- Length: 3 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Guaranteed to keep you smiling if not LOL
- By Robert on 08-09-12
By: Voltaire
-
Sir Harry Hotspur of Humblethwaite
- By: Anthony Trollope
- Narrated by: Tony Britton
- Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On the death of his son, Sir Harry Hotspur had determined to give his property to his daughter Emily. She is beautiful and as strong-willed and high-principled as her father. Then she falls in love with the black-sheep of the family.
-
-
Sometimes a Great Fall
- By Joseph R on 08-29-09
By: Anthony Trollope
-
The Lady Elizabeth
- A Novel
- By: Alison Weir
- Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
- Length: 20 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Best-selling author Alison Weir turns her masterly storytelling skills to the early life of young Elizabeth Tudor, who would grow up to become England's most intriguing and powerful queen. Sweeping in scope, The Lady Elizabeth is a fascinating portrayal of a woman far ahead of her time - whose dangerous and dramatic path to the throne shapes her future greatness.
-
-
An unbelievably extraordinary tale about a girl!
- By Zhao on 12-31-11
By: Alison Weir
-
The Story of My Life, Volume 1
- By: Giacomo Casanova
- Narrated by: Peter Wickham
- Length: 47 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Extraordinarily interesting
- By Ed Pegg Jr on 10-19-19
By: Giacomo Casanova
-
The Canterbury Tales: A Retelling
- By: Peter Ackroyd
- Narrated by: Keith Moore, Toby Leonard Moore, Colin McPhillamy, and others
- Length: 16 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Author Peter Ackroyd has won the Somerset Maugham Award, the Whitbread Novel of the Year, and the Guardian Fiction Prize, and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Based on Geoffrey Chaucer’s immortal work, this retelling of The Canterbury Tales follows a party of travelers as they tell stories amongst themselves about love and chivalry, saints and legends, travel and adventure. Through allegory, satire, and humor, the tales help pass the time during their journey.
-
-
WOW
- By Mitchell Drimmer on 02-25-15
By: Peter Ackroyd