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The Monk
- Narrated by: Nicholas Boulton, Georgina Sutton
- Length: 14 hrs and 59 mins
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Publisher's summary
A masterpiece of gothic fiction, The Monk is a cautionary tale of madness, horror, lust, and despair. Father Ambrosio, the most pious and venerated monk in all of Madrid, is held as a paragon of virtue. But after 30 years of study and prayer, evil thoughts begin to permeate his mind.
As two plots cleverly converge, torture, murder, incest, rape, poison, and magic prevail, sustained by an elegance in the writing of the 19-year-old Matthew Lewis.
The book was banned upon its initial publication in 1796, but later caught the attention of Lord Byron and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, with Coleridge naming it "the offspring of no common genius".
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“He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad … “So begins this historical tale of romantic adventure. Andre-Louis Moreau is an orphan and cousin of the beloved Aline. He is raised by his godfather, the Lord of Gavrillac, and matures into an educated lawyer—while Aline sets her mind on marrying the rich but dishonorable Marquis de la Tour d’Azyr. But when Moreau’s closest friend is killed by the Marquis in a duel, Moreau vows vengeance. After publicly denouncing the aristocracy and stirring up the crowds, Moreau is forced to go into hiding.
By: Rafael Sabatini
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The Three Musketeers (AmazonClassics Edition)
- By: Alexandre Dumas, William Robson - translator
- Narrated by: Guy Mott
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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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Tom Jones
- The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling
- By: Henry Fielding
- Narrated by: Bill Homewood
- Length: 37 hrs and 52 mins
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Tom Jones, a foundling, is brought up by the kindly Mr. Allworthy as if he were his own son. Forced to leave the house as a young man after tales of his disgraceful behavior reach his benefactor's ears, he sets out in utter despair, not only because of his banishment but because he has now lost all hope of gaining the hand of the beautiful Sophia. But she too is forced to flee her parental home to escape an undesirable marriage and their stories and adventures intertwine.
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terrific story BUT
- By tom on 01-28-14
By: Henry Fielding
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The Last Man
- By: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
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- Length: 19 hrs and 59 mins
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The Last Man is Mary Shelley's apocalyptic fantasy of the end of human civilisation. Set in the late 21st century, the novel unfolds a sombre and pessimistic vision of mankind confronting inevitable destruction. Interwoven with her futuristic theme, Mary Shelley incorporates idealised portraits of Shelley and Byron, yet rejects Romanticism and its faith in art and nature.
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A great book, with a great story.
- By Stephen P. Suelzle on 10-01-16
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The Talisman
- By: Sir Walter Scott
- Narrated by: David McCallion
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The Talisman revolves around the Third Crusader's camp in the Holy Land whereby there exists a truce between the Christians and the Muslims. The camp, which is led by King Richard I of England (the Lion-heart) who is grievously ill, is being torn apart by tensions between rival leaders.
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a simple story but a joy to listen to
- By Adele Lemmon on 08-23-19
By: Sir Walter Scott
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The Story of My Life, Volume 1
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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 Shakespeare
- By: Charles Lamb, Mary Lamb
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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
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Wuthering Heights
- An Audible Exclusive Performance
- By: Emily Brontë, Ann Dinsdale - introduction
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The unapologetic intensity with which Emily Brontë wrote this story ensures that it will forever be considered one of the greatest works of English literature. A passionate tale of a chaotic and often violent love, Wuthering Heights transcends your average romance and, with its Gothic undertones, takes the listener on a journey through one man's lustful hunt for revenge.
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Almost Peerless
- By Brad Simkulet on 02-04-18
By: Emily Brontë, and others
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The Red and the Black
- By: Stendhal
- Narrated by: Davina Porter
- Length: 20 hrs and 3 mins
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So what would Al Gore choose if he had a book club? Gore named Stendhal's The Red and the Black, a 19th century classic chock full of adultery, betrayal, and moral vacuity, as his favorite book on a recent broadcast of Oprah. It's a bit shocking of a choice, given his wife and running mate's position on clean, wholesome literature. Listen and decide for yourself the merit of this presidential pick.
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Almost perfect
- By Erez on 05-29-08
By: Stendhal
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A new favorite!
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if you like gothic tales of religious folk being tempted this is for you
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As for literary history
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The Monk is a violent tale of ambition, murder, and incest. The great struggle between maintaining monastic vows and fulfilling personal ambitions leads the monk Ambrosio, into temptation and the breaking of his vows, then to sexual obsession and rape, and finally to murder in order to conceal his guilt. Written when Matthew Lewis was only 19, The Monk was criticised when first published in 1796 for its lewdness and impiety, but this criticism only added to its popularity.
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An Overwritten, Oddly Compelling Gothic Father
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The virtuous and loving Emily, the young protagonist, finds herself in the care of her aunt following the death of her father. Her aunt promptly marries the villain Montoni, a cruel and calculating man whose scheming leads him to lock both women in the dark and winding castle of Udolpho. Will they survive to tell of its terrors?
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WARNING! BAD ACCENT ALERT!
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Ambrosio, the worthy superior of the Capuchins of Madrid, falls to the temptations of Matilda, a fiend-inspired wanton who, disguised as a boy, has entered his monastery as a novice. Ambrosio then falls in love with one of his penitents and finally kills her in order to escape detection. However, he is discovered, tortured by the Inquisition and sentenced to death.
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Fascinating
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A new favorite!
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if you like gothic tales of religious folk being tempted this is for you
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As for literary history
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The Monk is a violent tale of ambition, murder, and incest. The great struggle between maintaining monastic vows and fulfilling personal ambitions leads the monk Ambrosio, into temptation and the breaking of his vows, then to sexual obsession and rape, and finally to murder in order to conceal his guilt. Written when Matthew Lewis was only 19, The Monk was criticised when first published in 1796 for its lewdness and impiety, but this criticism only added to its popularity.
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An Overwritten, Oddly Compelling Gothic Father
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WARNING! BAD ACCENT ALERT!
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Bad editing
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Great narration, mediocre story
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Thank You, Audible
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Ups and Downs
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Wonderful Performance of Fantastic Tales
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Fantastic reading of a great work of literature
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A hugely enjoyable, must-listen murder mystery sure to appeal to fans of Elly Griffiths, Anthony Horowitz, and Agatha Christie, with one of the best and most satisfying conclusions you'll ever hear. A classic in Japan, available in English for the first time.
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play it at x1.25 and it's great
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We Will All Go Down Together
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One of Canada’s most acclaimed horror writers, Gemma Files presents a mosaic of interconnected stories about interconnected families. After fleeing Scotland, five clans settled in the fictional town of Dourvale in northern Ontario. Known as the Five-Family Coven, they are the descendants of witches and witch-children, none of whom were spared persecution in their native country. Now shamans, spellcasters, singers, and thieves, the members of the Devize, Druir, Glouwer, Roke, and Rusk families survive by trading their occult powers and talents.
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What listeners say about The Monk
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- BrigBrokenToe
- 06-30-22
Fasten your seatbelt for one helluva ride
How complex and exciting this late 18th-century novel is. Over the years, I've honed my analytical skills by consuming a steady diet of police procedurals, thrillers, and murder mysteries. Usually, I figure out a story's arc right away. Not so with The Monk. As I listened, I thought repeatedly, Boy, I didn't see that coming. But the book offers more.than gothic thrills. It explores themes of piety and superstition and the supposed virtues of monastic life.
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- Paul Preston
- 04-16-21
Scandalous
The Monk is gothic literature from the 1700’s but it is readable and parts were laugh out load funny. With a dark overtone we learn about the adored monk, Ambrosio, and his noble air. He was found as an infant and was raised in the monastery, and now at 30 years old, he has never left the abbey walls and vows to never leave, never give into temptation, never break his chastity.
Written by a 20 year old member of parliament, this book was banned and destroyed by the critics for its profanity and obscenity, which surged it popularity because everyone wanted to see if it was as lurid as reported.
A ghost called the Bleeding Nun, corruption of the pious, scandals, temptation, Spanish Inquisition, deals with Lucifer himself...this book has it all...murder, torture, lust, abuse of power, arrogance, and sexual desire from the most noble of men. Twists you will never see coming. I definitely understand why it was banned, I can’t imagine the church liked this at all.
There was quite a bit of unnecessary filler but it wasn’t over the top. I listened to the audiobook and it was amazing. There are several poems and songs and are actually sung with a guitar accompaniment.
This was recommended by someone in my classic horror book club after she saw it in Danse Macabre by Stephen King.
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- Amazon Customer
- 05-19-21
Excellent and Brutal Gothic Horror
I was enthralled by this book, and the fact that it was written centuries ago was not an obstacle for getting into it. There are many excellent horror moments for the fan of gothic fiction, as well as plenty of humor that still works for modern audiences. I would highly recommend The Monk to anyone interested in the gothic genre who is looking for something substantial with a dark tone.
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- Necrophallic
- 01-04-24
Gripping, and jaw dropping
The less said about The Monk the better. All I want to and will say is, the book is gripping and exciting cover to cover and has been such an engaging listen that I'm tempted to start it over immediately.
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- Billy Brown
- 12-31-21
Exquisitely Sinister
The Monk is the ideal gothic novel with all the shamefully enthralling details.
To mention a few profane parts there's a bloody nun ghost with a grisly history;
a femme fatale hidden under holy robes to corrupt an virtuous Abbot blinded by his vanity.
I disliked the rape and murder of one of the woefully innocent characters.
However, the rest was enthralling and I sampled several of the other narrators and
wasn't disappointed with my choice with Nicholas Boulton. He really held my interest
considering The Monk was written in the 1700's.
Interestingly, Georgina Sutton actually sang the songs that were in the story and
read one or two parts for the female characters, although, mostly read by Boulton.
Definitely, worth the money or credit.
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- Pamela DeMore
- 12-04-20
Crazy Fun
Love 18th century novels and this one is off the chain!! Ghosts, demons, satanic rituals, ancient crumbling castles, crypts with decaying corpses - this is not a Jane Austen! If you want to round out your perspective on the late 18th century, this is a good choice. It's clear that it was written by a 19 year old boy, but in a good way. I have read all the gothic novels of the period and this is my favorite.
The story moves along very nicely without all the excess verbiage of some others. Very well read by the narrator. Great job portraying Satan - perfect voice for it!!
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- Old-school man
- 05-16-22
Very good audiobook,
The story is a bit confusing and I needed to read the summary of the chapters while listening… the music parts are amazing.
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- D. Davis
- 10-11-22
Great story, great production
I loved this book for many years. Decided to pick it up on audiobook. Wow. What a production. Very nice and highly recommended.
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- Dakota Jones
- 04-12-23
Not bad
The narration was good, but I didn't care for the seldom added additional voices. would still highly recommend.
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- Gerald Faist Jr.
- 10-05-17
Awesome story and well read
Great story with adventure, passion, horror, love and hypocrisy, with a flare of the supernatural.
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6 people found this helpful