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The Machine Stops
- Narrated by: Jim Roberts
- Length: 1 hr and 24 mins
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Publisher's summary
The story has proved to be far ahead of its time, with remarkably accurate predictions of modern technologies such as TV, online chat, and the Internet. This is a truly remarkable story and one that has many lessons of caution for today.
After being voted one of the best novellas up to 1965, it was included that same year in the populist anthology Modern Short Stories and in 1973 was also included in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame.
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Story
Set in English society before the 1832 Reform Bill, Wives and Daughters centers on the story of youthful Molly Gibson, brought up from childhood by her father. When he remarries, a new stepsister enters Molly's quiet life, the loveable, but worldly and troubling, Cynthia. The narrative traces the development of the two girls into womanhood within the gossiping and watchful society of Hollingford.
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It's not about the ending!
- By Sandra on 07-25-05
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Jude The Obscure
- By: Thomas Hardy
- Narrated by: Stephen Thorne
- Length: 15 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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This is the story of a young country workman obsessed by his ambition to become an Oxford student, interwoven with his fraught relationships with two women.
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Staggering
- By Tad Davis on 02-16-10
By: Thomas Hardy
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High Rising
- A Virago Modern Classic
- By: Angela Thirkell, Alexander McCall Smith - introduction
- Narrated by: Jilly Bond
- Length: 7 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Successful lady novelist Laura Morland and her boisterous young son, Tony, set off to spend Christmas at her country home in the sleepy surrounds of High Rising. But Laura's wealthy friend and neighbor, George Knox, has taken on a scheming secretary whose designs on marriage to her employer threaten the delicate social fabric of the village.
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Beginning of a journey
- By Jerri C on 11-04-16
By: Angela Thirkell, and others
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The Custom of the Country
- By: Edith Wharton
- Narrated by: Grace Conlin
- Length: 14 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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One of Edith Wharton's most acclaimed works, The Custom of the Country is a blistering indictment of materialism, power, and misplaced values. Its heroine, Undine Spragg, is one of the most ruthless characters in all of literature, as selfishly unscrupulous as she is fiercely beautiful. As she climbs the class ladder through a series of marriages and affairs, she shows little concern for who she has to step on.
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Narrator kills the book
- By Mississippi Malka on 05-24-10
By: Edith Wharton
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Anna Karenina
- By: Leo Tolstoy
- Narrated by: David Horovitch
- Length: 38 hrs
- Unabridged
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Anna Karenina seems to have everything - beauty, wealth, popularity and an adored son. But she feels that her life is empty until the moment she encounters the impetuous officer Count Vronsky.
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Beautiful story, amazing narration
- By Marcus Vorwaller on 08-02-08
By: Leo Tolstoy
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Far From the Madding Crowd
- By: Thomas Hardy
- Narrated by: Jamie Parker
- Length: 14 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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In a remote corner of early Victorian England, where traditional practices remain untouched by time, Bathsheba Everdene stands out as a beacon of female independence and self-reliance. However, when confronted with three suitors, among them the dashing Sergeant Troy, she shows a reckless capriciousness that threatens the stability of the whole community. Published in 1874, and an immediate best seller, Far From the Madding Crowd established Thomas Hardy as one of Britain's foremost novelists.
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A Masterpiece of Culture and Eloquence
- By Andrew on 07-07-14
By: Thomas Hardy
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Anna Karenina
- By: Leo Tolstoy
- Narrated by: Nikolay Trifilov
- Length: 43 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Znamenityj roman vvodit nas v bogatyj, raznoobraznyj, udivitel'no uyutnyj i privlekatel'nyj mir russkoj dvoryanskoj zhizni Moskvy i Peterburga. Tolstoj vystupaet zdes' pevcom povsednevnoj zhizni, kotoruyu on poehtiziruet i v kotoroj vidit filosofskuyu glubinu, primiryayushchuyu stol' razitel'nye protivopolozhnosti, kak tragicheskaya nezakonnaya svyaz' Anny Kareninoj s Vronskim i schastlivaya semejnaya zhizn' Kiti s Cherbackoj i Levina.
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Fantastic narration!
- By Anastasia Lattanand on 03-10-16
By: Leo Tolstoy
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Dombey and Son
- By: Charles Dickens
- Narrated by: Frederick Davidson
- Length: 36 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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In this carefully crafted novel, Dickens reveals the complexity of London society in the enterprising 1840s as he takes the listener into the business firm and home of one of its most representative patriarchs, Paul Dombey.
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Perfect pair
- By Philip on 03-25-08
By: Charles Dickens
What listeners say about The Machine Stops
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- jill l smiley
- 12-13-22
Thought provoking
I feel fortunate to have stumbled across this reading. I enjoyed it immensely. I would like to share.
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- Nina Carlson
- 02-09-23
Dystopian
HM wrote this Early on in his career too! I like it times of HG wells but crisper/cleaner.
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- G W
- 02-22-24
Accuracy to 2024
From 1909, this story parallels the story of today with alarming accuracy.
From the blue optic plates, to the denial of history, to the religious embrace of science, to the isolation of the individual: these and many more touchstones of the modern world are vividly predicted.
Forester predicted it all.
Even the mechanisms by which the dystopia was enabled: the lecturers (the media), the acceptable ‘ideas’ (the propaganda), the acquiescence to comfort (pervasive technological pandering)… there are uncountable parallels to today’s weakening of the human condition.
Perhaps the story it’s not so much a brilliant prediction of the future, but rather a brilliant assessment of how vulnerable humans are to an ever present lurking of totalitarianism.
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- Mary
- 03-19-12
Stunning Sci Fi
I am a fan of E.M. Forster but this book was a real surprise. I heard about it on NPR and decided to give it a try. It was written close to a century ago and it is as fresh as today's headlines. The story is slight but filled with amazing detail about life in the future; that's today. The narrator was terrific and I will look for him again. I recommend this book for serious readers. It was so thought provoking.
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6 people found this helpful
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- Kindle me this:
- 05-30-14
Ahead of its time, though not sublime
What did you like best about The Machine Stops? What did you like least?
Predictions that come true; somewhat wooden vision and execution of story.
Would you be willing to try another book from E. M. Forster? Why or why not?
Read some years ago.
Did the narration match the pace of the story?
yes
If this book were a movie would you go see it?
no
Any additional comments?
Predictions that come true; somewhat wooden vision and execution of story.
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- Darryl
- 11-04-12
ok story of the "don't become a machine" type
this is a classic story of the genre warning of the slowly transforming human race into mindless automaton type. good from that aspect, don't lose your individuality and vigor etc., but narrator not quite the best, in fact I think if there is another version it might play better and be a little more interesting. it is not a real tension type story, but worth the time to see early depictions of this theme, though it is done perhaps more effectively later, at the moment i'm thinking of 2001 in which the people become more and more complacent and unable to physically do much until forced to by dramatic events.
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- Jackie Houchin
- 04-25-23
Depressing and claustrophobic
I'm not a fan of dystopian books. I had to read this for an assignment. It was hopeless and dark.
Others may enjoy it. I didn't.
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- Edward
- 07-21-09
Great Story
Great Story. Well Read. Who would have thought that E.M. Forster could right something like this?
Unfortunately, this seems to be his only Sci-Fi story.
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21 people found this helpful
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- John
- 07-01-12
I didn't expect a clever Sci-Fi novel from Forster
This short Sci-Fi novel is clever and interesting and well worth reading.
The author tackles some extremely forward-thinking issues considering the novel was first published in 1909 and still reads effectively today.
The concept is that in the future, people's lives are completely controlled by The Machine and people only interact with each other through The Machine.
Then, when The Machine stops working, people are left helpless because they no longer know how to take care of themselves.
The sound quality is not as clear as typical for my Audible downloads. And, I detected a New York accent in the narrator that I did not find appropriate.
The novel is a finalist to be entered into the Prometheus Award Hall of Fame when the award is announced at WorldCon in 2012.
John Christmas, author of "Democracy Society"
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- Me-Me
- 03-09-16
Terrible and Fantastic
Despondent and prophetic this was a great listen. If only the human condition was for the masses to hold ingenuity instead of only the precious few.
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3 people found this helpful