Henry James has 34 audiobooks on Listento.it, narrated by 54 narrators, with an average listener rating of 4.2★ across 296 ratings. The most-rated is The Turn of the Screw.
The Turn of the Screw
Summary
Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Emmy winner Emma Thompson lends her immense talent and experienced voice to Henry James' Gothic ghost tale, The Turn of the Screw. When a governess is hired to care for two children at a British country estate, she begins to sense an otherworldly presence around the grounds. Are they really ghosts she's seeing? Or is something far more sinister at work? Having performed in films based on some of the greatest works in literature - including Sense and Sensibility, Howards End, Much Ado About Nothing, and Henry V - Thompson is no stranger to the classics, and she lends a graceful eloquence to this moody, macabre story. Joined by listener favorite Richard Armitage, who performs the prologue, Thompson reinvigorates this psychological thriller of life, death, evil, and the unknown.
Public Domain (P)2016 Audible, Inc.
Whose Boat Is This Boat?
Summary
100 percent of The Late Show’s proceeds from this book go to hurricane relief.
Whose Boat Is This Boat? Comments That Don’t Help in the Aftermath of a Hurricane is made entirely of quotations from President Donald Trump in the wake of Hurricane Florence. It is the first children's book that demonstrates what not to say after a natural disaster.
On September 19, 2018, Donald Trump paid a visit to New Bern, North Carolina, one of the towns ravaged by Hurricane Florence. It was there he showed deep concern for a boat that washed ashore. "At least you got a nice boat out of the deal," said President Trump to hurricane victims. "Have a good time!" he told them. The only way his comments would be appropriate is in the context of a children's book - and now you can experience them that way, thanks to the staff of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Whose Boat Is This Boat? is an excellent teaching tool for listeners of all ages who enjoy learning about empathy by process of elimination. Have a good time!
©2018 The Staff of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (P)2018 Simon & Schuster Audio
The Portrait of a Lady
Summary
The Portrait of a Lady tells the compelling and ultimately tragic tale of a beautiful young American woman's encounter with European sophistication. Set principally in England and Italy, the story follows Isabel Archer's fortunes as a variety of admirers vie for her hand. Her choice will be crucial, and she is not wanting for advice, whether from the generous-spirited Ralph Touchett or the charming Madame Merle. The Portrait of a Lady was an immediate success upon publication; it remains the most popular of James' longer works and is generally regarded as the masterpiece of his early period. PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
Public Domain (P)2016 Naxos AudioBooks
The Portrait of a Lady
Summary
Exclusively from Audible When Isabel Archer, a beautiful, spirited American, is brought to Europe by her wealthy aunt Touchett, it is expected that she will soon marry. But Isabel, resolved to enjoy the freedom that her fortune has opened up and to determine her own fate, does not hesitate to turn down two eligible suitors, declaring that she will never be wed. It is only when she finds herself irresistibly drawn to the cultivated but worthless Gilbert Osmond that she discovers that wealth is a two-edged sword. She becomes a victim of her own provincialism and the scheming of her friends, learning only too late that there is a price to be paid for independence. A tragic tale of love and betrayal, it still resonates with audiences today. With its subtle delineation of American characters in a European setting, The Portrait of a Lady is considered the masterpiece of the first phase of James's career and arguably his most popular story. Within it we find a reflection of James's interest in the differences between the New World and the Old, often to the detriment of the former. A film adaptation was made in 1996 by New Zealand director Jane Campion, starring Nicole Kidman, John Malkovich, and Barbara Hershey. Narrator Biography Having begun his career on stage, John Wood spent seven years in television before eventually playing lead roles in Tom Stoppard's teleplays in 1967. After two Tony nominations for his performances in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead and Sherlock Holmes, he won the award for Best Actor for his role in Stoppard's surrealistic farce, Travesties, in 1976. He also had a long career with the Royal Shakespeare Company and continued his theatre work in both America and the UK, eventually receiving a Laurence Olivier Award nomination in 1997 for his role in Stoppard's Invention of Love. In 1996, Wood performed in BBC Radio 3's audio production of Man and Superman by George Bernard Shaw and in 2010 he narrated audiobook The Portrait of a Lady with Audible Studios. His appearances in feature films have included Nicholas and Alexandra (1971) and, later, television appearances have included Foyles's War (2004) and Lewis (2007). In 2007 he was appointed Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE).
Public Domain (P)2014 Audible, Inc.
Thalia Book Club: The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James, with Jennifer Egan, Siri Hustvedt and Margot Livesey
Summary
Novelists Egan (Pulitzer Prize-winner for A Visit from the Goon Squad), Hustvedt (The Summer Without Men), and Livesey (The Flight of Gemma Hardy) - the trio that brought Middlemarch and Anna Karenina to life at this book club - are back by popular demand to revisit James' classic. With a reading from the novel by Fritz Weaver.
©2013 Symphony Space (P)2013 Symphony Space
Daisy Miller
Summary
Brought to you by Penguin. This Penguin Classic is performed by Ellie Kendrick, known for her role as Meera Reed in Game of Thrones, she has also starred in Vanity Fair, and The Diary of Anne Frank. This definitive recording includes an introduction by David Lodge, read by Roy McMillan. Travelling in Europe with her family, Daisy Miller, an exquisitely beautiful young American woman, presents her fellow-countryman, Winterbourne, with a dilemma he cannot resolve. Is she deliberately flouting social convention in the outspoken way she talks and acts, or is she simply ignorant of those conventions? When she strikes up an intimate friendship with an urbane young Italian, her flat refusal to observe the codes of respectable behaviour leave her perilously exposed. In Daisy Miller, James created his first great portrait of the enigmatic and dangerously independent American woman, a figure who would come to dominate his later masterpieces.
Public Domain (P)2019 Penguin Audio
The Wings of the Dove
Summary
Milly Theale is a young, beautiful, and fabulously wealthy American. When she arrives in London and meets the equally beautiful but impoverished Kate Croy, they form an intimate friendship. But nothing is as it seems: materialism, romance, self-delusion, and ultimately fatal illness insidiously contaminate the glamorous social whirl.
Public Domain (P)2017 Naxos AudioBooks
The Portrait of a Lady (Classic Serial)
Summary
Henry James's novel, dramatised by Rachel Joyce.
Young and beautiful, Isabel Archer thinks that she is in control of her fate. Little does she know, however, that others behind the scenes are pulling the strings. The beautiful and free-spirited Isabel Archer is now a very rich woman. Two men have declared their love for her but she does not want to be married. Resolved to enjoy her fortune, she begins her travels.
Starring Anna Maxwell Martin, Haydn Gwynne, Robert Bathurst, Gayle Hunnicutt, and full cast. Pianist: Duncan Walsh Atkins. Directed by Tracey Neale.
©2013 AudioGO Ltd (P)2013 AudioGO Ltd
The Turn of the Screw
Summary
The Turn of the Screw has been described by many critics as the most sophisticated and terrifying ghost story in the English language. It is considered one of the great intellectual "spook tales" of all time. The story concerns a naive young governess who is hired to take care of two children in a large mansion in the English countryside. Everything is going fine, until she discovers that the children are not as innocent as they seem. The governess believes they have been communing with the ghosts of the former valet and governess. The problem is no one else on the staff can see the ghosts. She alone suspects that the ghosts are controlling the young boy and girl for some evil purpose. The children are evasive when questioned, and the governess begins to fear that the souls of the two children may be in danger. Henry James manages to generate spine-tingling suspense in this mesmerizing tale.
©1898 Public Domain (P)1979 Jimcin Recordings
The Tragic Muse, Volume 1
Summary
"You must paint her just like that... as the Tragic Muse," suggests one of James' characters to Nick Dormer, the young Englishman who, during the course of the novel, will courageously resist the glittering Parliamentary career desired for him by his family, in order to paint. His progress is counterpointed by the "Tragic Muse" of the title, Miriam Rooth, one of James' most fierily beautiful creations, a great actress indifferent to social reputation and triumphantly dedicated to her art. In portraying the conflict between art and "the world", which is his novel's central idea, James engaged obliquely with current debates on the new aestheticism of Pater and Wilde and on the nature of the actor's performance. Through the living complexity of his protagonists, he reveals how much, as Philip Horne puts it, "to take art seriously as an end in itself...is still a provocative course."
Public Domain (P)2010 Audible, Inc.
Washington Square
Summary
Originally published in 1880 as a serial in Cornhill Magazine and Harper's New Monthly Magazine, "Washington Square" is a structurally simple tragicomedy that recounts the conflict between a dull but sweet daughter and her brilliant, domineering father. The plot of the novel is based upon a true story told to James by his close friend, British actress Fanny Kemble. The book is often compared to Jane Austen's work for the clarity and grace of its prose and its intense focus on family relationships. James was not a great fan of "Washington Square" itself. Other readers, though, have sufficiently enjoyed the book to make it one of the more popular works of the Jamesian canon.
©2017 SAGA Egmont (P)2017 SAGA Egmont
Daisy Miller (Spanish Edition)
Summary
Miss Daisy, una muchacha americana hermosa y libre de mediados del siglo XIX, pasa unas semanas en Suiza para continuar después su periplo europeo en Roma. Su belleza y comportamiento desenfadado deslumbran al joven Winterboune, y a su vez irrita a la tía del joven, paradigma de la rígida sociedad de la época. La libertad alegre de Miss Daisy, tan adelantada a su época, es para el círculo de norteamericanos de Roma de un libertinaje y vulgaridad aberrante, lo cual sume a Winterboune en el desconcierto de tomar partido entre la valentía y la cobardía, entre el escándalo y el fastidio. Please note: This audiobook is in Spanish.
©2020 Mediatek SA (P)2020 Mediatek SA
The Beast in the Jungle
Summary
The Beast in the Jungle is a 1903 novella by Henry James, first published in the collection titled The Better Sort. The story addresses themes like fate, loneliness, love and death. The protagonist, John Marcher, anticipates an event that he believes will set him apart from other people. Marcher is frozen by his fears and a sense of impending doom. A haunting tale of egotism, fear of the unknown and unrequited love, the story warns that the only thing one has to fear is fear itself. John’s failure to reciprocate May Bartram’s love condemns him to be “the beast in the jungle.”
Public Domain (P)2019 Museum Audiobooks
The Figure in the Carpet and Other Stories
Summary
Mystery stories - not exactly the genre you'd typically associate with Henry James. The three stories in this collection, however, explore the mysteries of the human psyche and the human heart. "A Light Man" is a surprisingly modern story that examines the relationships between three men, one old and very rich, two young and very poor. After returning from a prolonged period in Europe, Maximus Austin joins his friend Theodore Lisle at the luxurious estate of Frederick Sloane, who has hired Theodore as his secretary. It quickly becomes clear that Sloane's affections are fickle and that his fortune is up for grabs. But what exactly are the motivations of the two young men? Is one of them really more virtuous than the other? Henry James keeps us guessing, right up to the end of the story. "The Madonna of the Future" asks: What does it mean to be an artist? In this classic tale, a young American tourist meets an odd character in Florence. Mr. Theobald clearly knows art, and he claims to be an artist, but no one has seen his work. As Mr. Theobald begins to reveal more and more of his life to his new friend, the mystery only deepens. He claims to have worked for years on his life's masterpiece, a modern version of the Madonna and Child. But what's really going on? Why won't he show the results of his labors? Is the true artist obligated to hide his art until it's reached the heights of perfection? Or should he make it available for others to judge? This story explores these questions as only Henry James can. In "The Figure in the Carpet", author Hugh Vereker momentarily drops his guard and tells a young literary critic that his works contain a common theme, which no one has yet to uncover. But once you see it, like a figure in a Persian carpet, you can’t not see it. This revelation becomes a defining event in the lives of the unnamed narrator and his two friends….
Public Domain (P)2010 Eloquent Voice, LLC
Bloodcurdling Ghost Stories
Summary
A selection of ghost stories which make your blood run cold. "An Account Of Some Disturbances In Aungier Street" - Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu "The Spectre Of Tappington" - Richard Harris Barham "The Man Of Science" - Jerome K. Jerome "The Romance Of Certain Old Clothes" - Henry James "The Spectre Bride" - William Harrison Ainsworth "A Haunted House" - Virginia Woolf "To Be Taken With A Grain Of Salt" - Charles Dickens
©2011 Red Door Audiobooks (P)2011 Red Door Audiobooks
NBC University Theater: The Ambassadors
Summary
NBC University Theater initially started in Chicago with a remit to bring adaptations of classic novels, usually Anglo-American, to a radio audience. Additionally, if listeners signed up, they received college credit to a radio-assisted correspondence course. A study guide, The Handbook of the World's Great Novels, was available for 25 cents. In its later years, it also included short stories and plays and went on to win the distinguished Peabody award. Unlike many other radio shows, University Theater did not pursue glamorous stars for its productions but instead relied on excellent distillations of the novels and first-class acting alongside high production values. But now it is time to enjoy these timeless novels. Let’s begin.
©2019 Deadtree Publishing (P)2019 Copyright Group
La leyenda de ciertas ropas antiguas
Summary
Viola y Perdita son dos jóvenes muy bellas de buena familia que, sin poder evitarlo, se enamoran del mismo hombre: Arthur Lloyd. Y éste se ve en la tesitura de tener que elegir una de entre las dos.Aunque las dos hermanas se aseguran la una a la otra que no sentirán envidia de la que resulte elegida, los sentimientos son difíciles de controlar. Cuando Viola ve que su hermana Perdita es la elegida por el señor Lloyd, no puede evitar sentir un odio, que se va acrecentando con el tiempo, hacia su hermana. Llega el momento en que Perdita da a luz una niña, y está tan grave, que su marido tiene que volver urgentemente de un viaje para estar a su lado. Antes de irse definitivamente, Perdita pide a su marido que le prometa que hará algo por ella, cuando su hija llegue a la mayoría de edad. Después de la muerte de su hermana, Viola empezará a visitar cada vez más la casa de su cuñado...
©2019 SAGA Egmont (P)2019 SAGA Egmont
NBC University Theater: The Portrait of a Lady
Summary
NBC University Theater initially started in Chicago with a remit to bring adaptations of classic novels, usually Anglo-American, to a radio audience. Additionally, if listeners signed up, they received college credit to a radio-assisted correspondence course. A study guide, The Handbook of the World's Great Novels, was available for 25 cents. In its later years, it also included short stories and plays and went on to win the distinguished Peabody award. Unlike many other radio shows, University Theater did not pursue glamorous stars for its productions but instead relied on excellent distillations of the novels and first-class acting alongside high production values. But now it is time to enjoy these timeless novels. Let’s begin.
©2019 Deadtree Publishing (P)2019 Copyright Group
The American
Summary
During a trip to Europe, wealthy American businessman Christopher Newman proposes marriage to the scintillating and beautiful aristocrat Claire de Cintré. To his dismay, he comes up against the machinations of her impoverished but proud family, who find Newman to be a vulgar example of the American privileged class. Brilliantly combining elements of comedy, tragedy, romance, and melodrama, this tale of thwarted desire vividly contrasts 19th-century American and European manners. Literary critic Leon Edel, considered the foremost authority on the works of Henry James, wrote of this novel: “Behind its melodrama and its simple romance is the history of man’s dream of better worlds, travel to strange lands, and marriage to high and noble ladies. At the same time, the book reveals a deep affection for American innocence and a deep awareness that such innocence carries with it a fund of ignorance.”
Public Domain (P)1992 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
The Wings of the Dove (Dramatised)
Summary
Episode 1: Kate and Merton need money. Milly needs love. How far will they go to get what they want? Kate Croy is in love with Merton Densher; a poor writer. Her rich aunt Maud disapproves. Maud has offered Kate a wealthy existence but if Kate chooses to marry Merton she risks losing it all. When American Heiress Milly Theale steps into her London society, Kate sees a way out.
Episode 2: Milly confides in Kate that she believes herself to be gravely ill and Kate begins to see a way for her and Merton to have a future. When Merton returns to London, Kate sets out to bring her lover and her friend together. With Kate's assurances that there is nothing between them, Milly allows herself to hope that Merton may be the one great passion in her short life.
Episode 3. Milly, now gravely ill, is staying in Venice. Kate's plan to bring Merton and Milly together is gaining pace.
Public Domain (P)2018 BBC Audiobooks Ltd