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King Lear (Abridged) Audiobook
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(3.85) - 26 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
I am a man more sinned against than sinning.
A Shakespeare Society Production.
The complete play in five acts.
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"This is an absolutely terrific edition of King Lear. Slowing picking my through the text (taking pains to absorb all the footnotes along the way) proved to be an enormously rewarding experience. "
— Kelly (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“King Lear is a masterful play, one full of tragic grandeur and which, with all the power that great poetry can muster, points its readers to the bleakness of existence…The final lines are nothing more than a lament for the passing of an old man's life that held no joy: "The oldest hath borne most: we that are young / Shall never see so much, nor live so long.”
— classiclit.com -
“It's a great pleasure to hear Paul Scofield as King Lear in a recording published to coincide with the actor's eightieth birthday. The famous tenderness of his voice is well suited for the intimate medium of recorded drama…Kenneth Branagh, who played Edmond in a 1994 BBC recording of the play, here delivers a compassionate performance as the Fool. Alec McCowen also stands out as Gloucester and conveys the range of the old man's credulity, bitterness, and humanity. John Tydeman's direction oversees a moving production.”
— AudioFile
Awards
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Audie Award Finalist
King Lear Listener Reviews
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" This was required reading in my freshman comp class at Bellarmine. This play was included in our literature anthology, "The Experience of Literature" by Lionell Trilling. "
— David, 5/21/2011 -
" I'd give Lear 4.5 stars if I could. Not five, because only books that mean a lot to me personally get five; but this is a gorgeous play, and definitely in my top five of Shakespeare's works. "
— Leigh, 5/20/2011 -
" Didn't get around to this until my senior year of college. How'd I miss it for 22 years? "
— David, 5/17/2011 -
" I liked reading it but I didn't like reading it for school. "
— Jessica, 5/12/2011 -
" An assault on age and custom. Touching, but not my favorite of the Bard's tragedies. "
— Jbdean, 5/12/2011 -
" I didn't much care for this play. "
— Huma, 5/11/2011 -
" Read for school. <br/>It was sad when Cordelia died - but then it's a tragedy, isn't it? "
— Giselle, 5/6/2011 -
" Still as wonderful as ever. "
— Nancy, 5/1/2011 -
" It is such a pleasure to re-read something and find it to be even better than remembered. I think one must be over 50 to really get this. "
— Clint, 4/29/2011 -
" <br/><strong>Rating: 2,5</strong><br/><br/>I liked it the least from the Shakespeare's play I read so far. Though it is filled with morals I didn't particularly found it interesting. <br/>In this edition there is a lot of extra materials, some more interesting and helpful than others. "
— Magda, 4/28/2011 -
" This was a pretty good tragedy. It was enjoyable to read in class and the story kept moving along. "
— Michael, 4/27/2011 -
" it is a good classic book "
— Yasser, 4/22/2011
About William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare (1564–1616), English poet and dramatist of the Elizabethan and early Jacobean period, is the most widely known author in all of English literature and often considered the greatest. He was an active member of a theater company for at least twenty years, during which time he wrote many great plays. Plays were not prized as literature at the time and Shakespeare was not widely read until the middle of the eighteenth century, when a great upsurge of interest in his works began that continues today.
About Full Cast
Paul Scofield is noteworthy for his striking presence and distinctive voice. He won a Tony Award for his role in A Man for All Seasons, and an Academy Award for the same role in the film adaptation.