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Salome Audiobook
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(3.01) - 4,283 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Salomé is a dark tale of hubris, lust, and self-destruction … as told by a man who famously fell prey to those same impulses in his own life. Oscar Wilde wrote his original interpretation of the biblical story of Salomé in French, and the play was so controversial that no theater in England would produce it for nearly four decades.
This audiobook version includes a conversation with director Michael Hackett and Wilde scholar David Rodes, and is an L.A. Theatre Works full-cast production starring: Rosalind Ayres as Herodias, James Marsters as Iokanaan, Andre Sogliuzzo as The Young Syrian and others, Kate Steele as Salomé, John Vickery as Herod, Matthew Wolf as Page of Herodias and others. Music is by Djivan Gasparyan and Lian Ensemble, and it is directed by Michael Hackett and recorded by L.A. Theatre Works before a live audience.
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"Very poetic and I can see why they made an operatic version of it, though I would have to see it staged (or stage it myself) to see what was so upsetting to its contemporary critics. Aubrey Beardsley's illustrations are super cool, but I love the Art Nouveau and the other art movements of the time."
— Daniel (4 out of 5 stars)
Awards
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An AudioFile Best Audiobook of the Year for 2014
Salome Listener Reviews
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" Wicked, Intriguing and Wild. Not like most plays written by Oscar.........Timothy~ "
— Timothy, 2/20/2014 -
" This is definitely not your typical Oscar Wilde play, but it well done. A bit heavy. "
— Eirene, 2/3/2014 -
" Mine is a hardcopy from Three Sirens Press lmtd ed #1314/1500 with drawings by Aubrey Beardsley (some sanitized). "
— Tim, 1/22/2014 -
" Must read with Beardsley's illustrations but because of Wilde's verbosity I was glad it was only a one act play. Good exercise for my brain and tongue (I think all of Wilde's work should be read out loud to have the full effect). "
— Ariane, 1/16/2014 -
" I thought this was a little depressing, unlike some of Wilde's funnier, lighter work. "
— Grace, 12/20/2013 -
" High drama! Which is just fine, because it's a play, you see. And I get Salome. I really do. To a scary extent. If you ask me, our man Jokanaan was asking for it--what a misogynist! Also, true to Wildean form, you could pluck this prose and open a florist's shop with it. "
— Allison, 12/17/2013 -
" Rich and indulgent with language and imagery, expressing the depths of one's depravity and decadence, Wilde's play is a florid and poignant exploration of gender reversal. "
— John, 11/22/2013 -
" wow, very rich and well-written. You fall deeply and easily for this book! "
— Jessika, 11/19/2013 -
" I spent a month obsessed with this play. I read both the French and English but prefer the French as that's the language in which it was written but do an excellent ghetto reinterpretation of Salome trying to seduce ole John. Well worth the half hour it will take to read. "
— Erica, 10/13/2013 -
" This book is pretty dope. With cool gory ink-drawings of the severed head. "
— Patrick, 10/8/2013 -
" This edition has gorgeous illustrations! "
— Adrienne, 9/19/2013 -
" A disturbing play, but still entertaining. "
— Brent, 5/12/2013 -
" Nothing brilliant...but good enough short read.... "
— Amruth, 10/25/2012 -
" Pretty good, though not my favorite Wilde. "
— Marico, 9/2/2012 -
" Just finished reading this tonight for the first time. Oscar Wilde continually blows my mind. This play is so dark and different from his others I've read. I'm totally fascinated with it. I love how he really keeps me so engaged until Salome's wish is revealed. So bloody and beyond brilliant. "
— Chris, 7/21/2012 -
" So really what's most interesting about the book is the packaging, the hand-illuminated-ness and the felt cover. I wish all my books were so pretty. "
— Tatiana, 6/4/2012 -
" It was overly romanticized. I probably would have enjoyed it more if I was familiar with the biblical tale. "
— Sana, 5/3/2012 -
" Creepy, romantic, mysterious, and classic. Telltale signs of Oscar Wilde's work. "
— Bernadet, 3/22/2012 -
" The play based on biblical theme of Judith and beheading of St. John the Baptist. From Wilde's plays this one I liked most. "
— Anna, 1/23/2012 -
" My favourite play ever. -_- I loved the character Salome, the way she used her body to command. It's perhaps Wilde's shortest play, but packed with imagery and beautiful cruelty. "
— Portia, 1/18/2012 -
" The first wilde tragedy i read, was surprised at how much i liked it "
— Keep, 10/5/2011 -
" Mr. Wilde, we're not in London anymore. One of the strangest, most breathtaking plays I have read. "
— Parissa, 9/8/2011 -
" My favorite book of all time. This story speaks to readers today as it did when it was written. I believe it always will. "
— Laura, 6/2/2011 -
" Reminds me of Frankenstein; captivated me from the start. I think, there is a Dorian Gray in all of us. "
— Shams, 6/1/2011 -
" Very interesting book. Excellent but quite well known plot by now. The description is consistently vivid, and at places the crimes are really hideous. Highly recommended. ... What it is to gain the world, if, in the process, a man loses his soul. "
— niloy, 5/30/2011 -
" I thought there were some pretty slow parts that I basically ignored as I listened to it but I thought it was a good book. It shows how vanity and pride can take over your life and make you so selfish and evil. "
— Destiny, 5/30/2011 -
" This book has some fantastic one-liners and is very thought-provoking. Often funny, very relevant to today as well as the time in which it was published. Also reveals fascinating insight into the life of a late-Victorian British gentleman. "
— Erin, 5/28/2011 -
" an interesting insight into the weakness of beauty-wilde's wit failed to disappoint; however, chapter eleven was extremely tediously (read:boring)-the numerous parallels to wilde's own life proved intriguing. "
— Cknot1sk, 5/27/2011 -
" had to read it for an english class but I enjoyed it.. the modern movie version isn't too bad "
— Alissa, 5/27/2011 -
" This book really makes you think. Who are you really? "
— Keri, 5/27/2011 -
" Oscar Wilde! Whatever little I have read of Oscar Wilde I have loved. This is one of his best works. I want to read more of Wilde. "
— Paraskevi, 5/26/2011 -
" Darker than I expected, given my love of "The Importance of Being Earnest." <br/> "
— Erin, 5/25/2011
About Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) was born in Dublin. He won scholarships to both Trinity College, Dublin, and Magdalen College, Oxford. In 1875, he began publishing poetry in literary magazines, and in 1878, he won the coveted Newdigate Prize for English poetry. He had a reputation as a flamboyant wit and man-about-town. After his marriage to Constance Lloyd in 1884, he tried to establish himself as a writer, but with little initial success. However, his three volumes of short fiction, The Happy Prince, Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime, and A House of Pomegranates, together with his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, gradually won him a reputation as a modern writer with an original talent. That reputation was confirmed and enhanced by the phenomenal success of his society comedies: Lady Windermere’s Fan, A Woman of No Importance, An Ideal Husband, and The Importance of Being Earnest, all performed on London’s West End stage between 1892 and 1895. In 1895, he was convicted of engaging in homosexual acts, which were then illegal, and sentenced to two years imprisonment with hard labor. He soon declared bankruptcy, and his property was auctioned off. In 1896, he lost legal custody of his children. When his mother died that same year, his wife Constance visited him at the jail to bring him the news. It was the last time they saw each other. In the years after his release, his health deteriorated. In November 1900, he died in Paris at the age of forty-six.
About a full cast
Pedro Pablo Sacristán was born in Madrid and graduated with an MBA from a prestigious business school. His passion for education and writing led him to create Bedtime Stories, short stories that help teach kids values.