Literary Criticism audiobooks

The Black Box

By: Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman

Length: 7 hours 7 minutes

Abridged: No

“Henry Louis Gates is a national treasure. Here, he returns with an intellectual and at times deeply personal meditation on the hard-fought evolution and the very meaning of African American identity, calling upon our country to transcend its manufactured divisions.”
— Isabel Wilkerson, author of The Warmth of Other Suns and Caste

“This is a... Read more

Splinters

By: Leslie Jamison

Narrated by: Leslie Jamison

Length: 8 hours 32 minutes

Abridged: No

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Recovering and The Empathy Exams comes the riveting story of rebuilding a life after the end of a marriage—an exploration of motherhood, art, and new love.
 
Leslie Jamison has become one of our most beloved contemporary voices, a scribe of the real, the true, the complex. She has been compared... Read more

The Light Room

By: Kate Zambreno

Narrated by: Kate Zambreno

Length: 6 hours 32 minutes

Abridged: No

“Kate Zambreno has invented a new form. It is a kind of absolute present, real life captured in closeup.“  —Annie Ernaux, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature 

From “one of our most formally ambitious writers” (Esquire), a moving account of caretaking in a time of uncertainty and loss

In The Light Room, Zambreno offers her most profound and... Read more

Ordinary Wonder Tales

By: Emily Urquhart

Narrated by: Anne Wessel

Length: 7 hours 43 minutes

Abridged: No

A journalist and folklorist explores the truths that underlie the stories we imagine—and reveals the magic in the everyday.“I’ve always felt that the term fairy tale doesn’t quite capture the essence of these stories,” writes Emily Urquhart. “I prefer the term wonder tale, which is Irish in origin, for its suggestion of awe coupled with... Read more

Happily

By: Sabrina Orah Mark

Narrated by: Gilli Messer

Length: 5 hours 6 minutes

Abridged: No

WINNER OF THE NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD • A beautifully written memoir-in-essays on fairy tales and their surprising relevance to modern life, from a Jewish woman raising Black children in the American South—based on her acclaimed Paris Review column “Happily”

“One of the most inventive, phenomenally executed books I’ve read in decades.”—Kiese... Read more

Burning Questions

By: Margaret Atwood

Narrated by: Margaret Atwood & Full Cast

Length: 18 hours 59 minutes

Abridged: No

In this brilliant selection of essays, the award-winning, best-selling author of The Handmaid's Tale and The Testaments offers her funny, erudite, endlessly curious, and uncannily prescient take on everything from whether or not The Handmaid’s Tale is a dystopia to the importance of how to define granola—and seeks answers to Burning Questions... Read more

Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops

By: Shaun Bythell

Narrated by: Peter Kenny

Length: 2 hours

Abridged: No

A wickedly witty field guide to bookstore customers by the curmudgeonly shop owner and author of Confessions of a Bookseller. Shaun Bythell knows them all—from the “Person Who Doesn’t Know What They Want (But Thinks It Might Have a Blue Cover)” to the “Parents Secretly after Free Childcare.” The business of books has never been funnier.In a... Read more

Maori Made Easy

By: Scotty Morrison

Narrated by: Scotty Morrison

Length: 29 hours 57 minutes

Abridged: No

Let te reo Maori advocate and expert Scotty Morrison teach you the basics of the Maori language in easy 30-minute lessons - anywhere, anytime.

Scotty's bestselling Maori Made Easy books and workbooks in print have already helped over 100,000 people on their journey to learn te reo Maori.

Now, the same great resource is available in audio, voiced... Read more

Unfinished Business

By: Vivian Gornick

Narrated by: Vivian Gornick

Length: 4 hours 27 minutes

Abridged: No

One of our most beloved writers reassess the electrifying works of literature that have shaped her life.“I sometimes think I was born reading…I can’t remember the time when I didn’t have a book in my hands, my head lost to the world around me.”Unfinished Business: Notes of a Chronic Re-reader is Vivian Gornick’s celebration of passionate... Read more

Books for Living

By: Will Schwalbe

Narrated by: Jeff Harding

Length: 7 hours 3 minutes

Abridged: No

From the author of the beloved New York Times best-selling The End of Your Life Book Club, an inspiring and magical exploration of the power of books to shape our lives in an era of constant connectivity.


Why is it that we read? Is it to pass time? To learn something new? To escape from reality? For Will Schwalbe, reading is a way to entertain... Read more

Thalia Book Club: Emma Donoghue's Room

By: Emma Donoghue

Narrated by: Michael Cunningham, John Connolly & Maria Tucci

Length: 1 hour 28 minutes

Abridged: No

Emma Donoghue discusses her extraordinary new novel with author Michael Cunningham (The Hours and By Nightfall). This wondrous book is told from the point of view of a five-year-old boy who lives with his mother in an 11-by-11 foot room. Performance playlist: Reading by Michal Friedman, a conversation between Emma Donoghue and Michael... Read more

Much Ado About Numbers

By: Rob Eastaway

Narrated by: Liam Gerrard

Length: 5 hours 5 minutes

Abridged: No

Shakespeare's era was abuzz with mathematical progress, from the new concept of "zero" to Galileo's redraft of the heavens. Now, Rob Eastaway uncovers the many surprising ways math shaped Shakespeare's plays—and his world—touring astronomy, code-breaking, color theory, navigation, music, sports, and more.



● How reliable was a pocket sundial?



● Was... Read more

Seasons of Sobriety

By: Amber Michele Giangregorio

Narrated by: Amber Michele

Length: 1 hour 34 minutes

Abridged: No

Seasons of Sobriety was originally written as a therapeutic outlet during a period filledwith darkness. As time went on, however, the writing evolved into something moreenlightened. The purpose of this book, which begins with the journey toward addictionand ends with a sober-curious mindset, is to offer encouragement and inspiration, aswell as... Read more

A Defence of Nonsense

By: G. K. Chesterton

Narrated by: Sarah Bacaller

Length: 12 minutes

Abridged: No

Nonsense, argues G. K. Chesterton, deserves more serious attention than we may initially assume. It is in nonsense that we regain a sense of wonder at the world – by appreciating the pure serendipitousness of the beauty that fills our lives.This essay is one in a series titled The Defendant, first published as a collection in 1901, after the... Read more

The Art of Biblical Narrative

By: Robert Alter

Narrated by: Andy Ingalls

Length: 10 hours 24 minutes

Abridged: No

From celebrated translator of the Hebrew Bible Robert Alter, the “groundbreaking” (Los Angeles Times) book that explores the Bible as literature, a winner of the National Jewish Book Award. Renowned critic and translator Robert Alter’s The Art of Biblical Narrative has radically expanded our view of the Bible by recasting it as a work of... Read more

Jorge Luis Borges: Una invitación a su lectura

By: José Emilio Pacheco

Narrated by: Sergio Alberto Bustos de la Tijera

Length: 3 hours 42 minutes

Abridged: No

Un legado invaluable que nos invita a seguir leyendo, escribiendo y soñando Este libro constituye un acto de gratitud intelectual, una muestra de deslumbramiento —producto de una fervorosa lectura de sus libros—, pero sobre todo es una invitación a acercarse al autor latinoamericano más universal. Escribió Jorge Luis Borges que él se sentía más... Read more

A Defence of Detective Stories

By: G. K. Chesterton

Narrated by: Sarah Bacaller

Length: 9 minutes

Abridged: No

While some may argue that the detective story is an example of cheap, dispensable popular fiction, G. K. Chesterton begs to differ. He is, after all, the author of the Father Brown mysteries! Where else but in detective novels do we appreciate the romance of the city?This essay is from a series titled The Defendant, first published as a... Read more

Taylor Swift by the Book

By: Rachel Feder & Tiffany Tatreau

Narrated by: Tiffany Tatreau

Length: 6 hours 49 minutes

Abridged: No

From the childhood nostalgia of Peter Pan in Speak Now to the haunted halls of Rebecca in Evermore, Taylor Swift’s lyrics are packed with literary connections. Make sure you’re catching them all with this expert guide to the novels, poems, and plays that influenced her songwriting.Let a literature professor and a musical theater artist guide you... Read more

De prijs die we betalen

By: David Grossman

Narrated by: Wilbert Gieske

Length: 1 hour 38 minutes

Abridged: No

Het Israëlisch-Palestijnse conflict door de ogen van David Grossman. In tien korte essays schetst Grossman de (voor)geschiedenis van 7 oktober als een serie van desastreuze beslissingen van een nationalistische en alleen op machtsbehoud gefocuste regering, voor wie taal, cultuur en de vrijheid van het denken geen onbetwistbare waarden meer... Read more

How Sondheim Can Change Your Life

By: Richard Schoch

Narrated by: Shaun Taylor-Corbett

Length: 6 hours 55 minutes

Abridged: No

Discover the powerful and universal lessons from the music and lyrics of Stephen Sondheim, the genius behind such musical theater masterworks as Company, West Side Story, and Into the Woods.

Stephen Sondheim died on November 26, 2021, but for countless fans around the world, he is “still here,” to quote one of his lyrics. With acclaimed revivals... Read more

Speed Reading Secrets: Techniques to Read Faster and Retain More

By: Harper Brooks

Narrated by: Harper Brooks

Length: 3 hours 22 minutes

Abridged: No

The useful book "Speed Reading Secrets: Techniques to Read Faster and Retain More: Boosting Comprehension and Efficiency" aims to help readers become proficient speed readers and realize their full potential. The capacity to read rapidly while retaining important information is a crucial quality at a time when dealing with information overload... Read more

Exploring the Realms of Norse Mythology

By: Abigail Simmons

Narrated by: Abigail Simmons

Length: 3 hours 13 minutes

Abridged: No

Ancient Norse mythology's fabled universe features gods, giants, and mortals living among the cosmic infrastructure of Nine Realms that will, according to the book titled "Exploring the Realms of Norse Mythology: Exploring the Nine Realms: Unveiling the Rich Tapestry of Norse Mythology," reveal itself very soon.There were books covering each and... Read more

Wer hat Angst vor Donald Trump?

By: Hannelore Veit

Narrated by: Michaela Winterstein

Length: 4 hours 47 minutes

Abridged: No

Kommt er zurück?Wir schauen über den Atlantik und wundern uns. Was ist von Donald Trump zu halten? Ist es möglich, dass ein mehrfach Angeklagter noch einmal Präsident der USA wird? Wie ernst muss man diesen Mann nehmen? Die Welt hat jedenfalls mit ihm zu rechnen.Donald Trumps Präsidentschaft 2017–2021 spaltete die US-Nation. Die internationale... Read more

Little Women Podcast: Why Jo And Laurie Don't End Up Together

By: Niina Niskanen

Narrated by: Niina Niskanen

Length: 44 minutes

Abridged: No

Explore the timeless question of Jo and Laurie's relationship in Little Women. This insightful podcast dives deep into why Jo ultimately rejects Laurie's love, unraveling the layers of Jo's character and ambition. While Louisa May Alcott's novel offers readers glimpses of Jo's motivations and Laurie's growth, many film adaptations overlook these... Read more