Theophilus North Audiobook By Thornton Wilder cover art

Theophilus North

A Novel

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.

Theophilus North

By: Thornton Wilder
Narrated by: Richard Poe
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $26.99

Buy for $26.99

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

The last of Thornton Wilder’s works published during his lifetime, Theophilus North is part autobiographical and part the imagined adventures of Wilder’s twin brother who died at birth. This edition features an updated afterword from Wilder’s nephew, Tappan Wilder, with illuminating material about the novelist, story and setting.

Setting out to see the world in the summer of 1926, Theophilus North gets as far as Newport, Rhode Island, before his car breaks down. To support himself, Theophilus takes jobs in the elegant mansions along Ocean Drive, just as Wilder himself did in the same decade. Soon the young man finds himself playing the roles of tutor, tennis coach, spy, confidant, lover, friend, and enemy as he becomes entangled in adventure and intrigue in Newport’s fabulous addresses, as well as in its local boarding houses, restaurants, dives and military barracks.

Narrated by the elderly North from a distance of 50 years, Theophilus North is a fascinating commentary on youth and education from the vantage point of age, and deftly displays Wilder’s trademark wit juxtaposed with his lively and timeless ruminations on what really matters, at the end of the day, about life, love, and work.

©1973 Thornton Wilder; renewed 2000 by the Wilder Family L.L.C. Foreword copyright 2003 by Christopher Buckley. Afterword copyright 2003, 2019 by Tappan Wilder (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers
Coming of Age Fiction Literary Fiction
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

What listeners say about Theophilus North

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    14
  • 4 Stars
    2
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    13
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    12
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

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

I Absolutely Loved It!

I have very much enjoyed listening recently to several Wilder books on Audible, but none so much as this one.

Each chapter is pretty much a challenge the main character has in helping with the spiritual (and other) development of another character in the book.

Theopholus has his own growing and doing to do and giving to give. But he sees life as time he has to help others become their better selves and grow into self-actualized people.

I don’t know whether the author would agree with me. But I think the book is fundamentally about love at its deepest level - how can people use their skill and creativity to help others address their problems and get to where their lives are full and free of the pain and problems others are often out to bring to them.

Mino, as an example, is one of the sweetest and most glorious stories I’ve ever encountered.

The reading of the work, also, is outstanding.

By all means, experience this treasure!

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

I loved this novel

Such an interesting story that weaves thru the fascinating life of the author. I had no preconceived notions when I selected this book, based on a friend’s recommendation, but it fully met my criteria for a book that was well worth reading. In fact, I really missed Theophilus North in my life when the book was finished !!

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!