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Love Letters of Great Men Audiobook
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(3.02) - 662 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Remember the wonderfully romantic book of love letters that Carrie reads aloud to Big in the recent blockbuster film, Sex and the City? Fans raced to buy copies of their own, only to find out that the beautiful book didn't actually exist. However, since all of the letters referenced in the film did exist, we decided to publish this gorgeous keepsake ourselves. Love Letters of Great Men follows hot on the heels of the film and collects together some of history's most romantic letters from the private papers of Beethoven, Mark Twain, Mozart, and Lord Byron. For some of these great men, love is "a delicious poison" (William Congreve); for others, "a nice soft wife on a sofa with good fire, & books & music" (Charles Darwin). Love can scorch like the heat of the sun (Henry VIII), or penetrate the depths of one's heart like a cooling rain (Flaubert). Every shade of love is here, from the exquisite eloquence of Oscar Wilde and the simple devotion of Robert Browning, to the wonderfully modern misery of the Roman Pliny the Younger, losing himself in work to forget how much he misses his beloved wife, Calpurnia. Taken together, these letters show that perhaps men haven't changed all that much over the last 2,000 years--passion, jealousy, hope and longing still rule their hearts and minds. In an age of e-mail and texted "i luv u"s, this timeless and unique collection reminds us that nothing can compare to the simple joy of sitting down to read a letter from the one you love.
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"The letters in this book demonstrate true romance. This is not your Twilight triangle. These letters are sent by men to their lovers or wives. These people are separated by war or just distance in general and it's just beautiful to see how true love made its way through the envelope. "
— Lindsay (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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Under the bright sun, lie back, shut your eyes, and listen to the lovesick likes of Beethoven, Keats, and Napoleon. Whether the missives are stoic or sweetly goofy, British stage actor Lesser gives them timeless resonance.
— O, The Oprah Magazine, named one of four "terrific audiobooks -
Anton Lesser narrates with energy and sensitivity to the text, shifting his delivery to match the tone of each letter.... A great collection with a great narrator. Don't wait until Valentine's Day for this one!
— AudioFile -
“Anton Lesser reads these extraordinary missives in his mellifluous, British-brushed voice...A perfect Valentine gift to give or get.
— BookPage
Awards
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Among shortlisted titles for Audie Award Finalist, 2010
Love Letters of Great Men Listener Reviews
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" I'm not quite sure what I had expected from this book when I picked it up on a whim. That's why, I think, I'm not really sure what I think of it. There were some of the letters that were immensely sweet and loving, and some that were hardly love letters at all. There were some letters that were truly written by great men and some that were just written by men. Funnily enough my favourite was actually one of the letters that wasn't a love letter; the letter written by Daniel Webster to Josephine Seaton. I found it quite endearing and heartfelt. So all in all it was a pleasant read but not a great one. "
— Maja, 2/12/2014 -
" Loved this collection of letters!!! Such good choices, put together so well! "
— Ania, 2/9/2014 -
" I enjoyed this book but couldn't rate it higher simply because I mean it is just a collection of love letters. Some made me laugh out loud. Some of the history was interesting. Some of the letters were a bit dry. "
— Angela, 2/6/2014 -
" Saw this book on Sex in the City movie and had to read it. Does not disappoint. "
— Lynne, 1/9/2014 -
" Because of this book I started to love Keats, so I owe it SOMETHING "
— Marina, 12/22/2013 -
" What can I say, I'm a sap for romance! "
— Aida, 12/19/2013 -
" Possibly the best thing about this were Mozart's 'almost obsessively scatological' jokes. "
— Isabelle, 12/16/2013 -
" Nice little bedtime reading.... "
— Jo, 11/29/2013 -
" bought with a giftcard from bertrand "
— Inês, 9/6/2013 -
" This book was cited in the Sex and the City, so I thought I'd give it a read. It's interesting how much more feeling comes across in letters something that our technology advanced world is missing. "
— Deb, 7/27/2013 -
" Very cute read for the summer or on the beach, I loved the collection. "
— Jessie, 7/19/2013 -
" Wonderful book and letters. So romantic! Love it! "
— Monica, 1/15/2013 -
" meh. skimmed it and tossed it aside. "
— Claire, 11/14/2012 -
" It's more entertaining than I thought it would be. However, I thought the book might have been better if some of the responses have been included. "
— jen8998, 1/31/2012 -
" I bought this as a Valentine's Day gift for my hubby. Has some interesting letters, and some unexpected ones. He likes it, and that's what counts. "
— Kishanna, 9/3/2011 -
" It's amazing how in the past it was with the art of writing letters how people fell and stayed in love. "
— Yessy619, 6/9/2011 -
" Gostei bastante do livro, de conhecer as "lamechices" de alguns notáveis! Ainda me ri com algumas dela... "
— TaniaM, 4/24/2011 -
" This book is definitely for keeps. This reminds me how powerful a love letter can be because it tells you who you are, raw and naked, or who you preferred to be. I definitely loved Beethoven's love letter to his Immortal Beloved. "Ever thine.. ever mine.. ever ours..."<br/> "
— Carmela, 3/21/2011 -
" I wish there had been more. I couldn't stop smiling while reading it. "
— Olivia, 3/20/2011 -
" So interesting to me to learn how people lived their lives in the 16,17,18th centuries. Very eloquent writing. Writing to one another was really all they had and they made it count! "
— Trina, 2/21/2011 -
" An amazing collection of love letters penned by some of the most impressive men in history. Touching and insightful, the language of both ancient and modern times filled my romance perscription entirely. "
— Helena, 2/7/2011 -
" A bunch of real love letters which are not so lovely. "
— Faizah, 10/11/2010 -
" In my opinion these letters were okay. Don't think I would title this book "Love Letters of Great Men" "
— Karen, 5/7/2010 -
" I enjoyed this book but couldn't rate it higher simply because I mean it is just a collection of love letters. Some made me laugh out loud. Some of the history was interesting. Some of the letters were a bit dry. "
— Angela, 5/3/2010 -
" bought with a giftcard from bertrand "
— Inês, 5/2/2010 -
" It's amazing how in the past it was with the art of writing letters how people fell and stayed in love. "
— Yessy619, 4/8/2010
About Anton Lesser
Anton Lesser has, as an associate artist with the Royal Shakespeare Company, played many of Shakespeare’s most demanding roles, including Troilus (Troilus and Cressida), Edgar (King Lear), Petruchio, Romeo, and Richard III. He is a frequent radio contributor and has recorded many audiobooks, including much of the work of Charles Dickens. Lesser’s narration has won him seven AudioFile Earphones Awards.