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The Gold Bug Audiobook
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(3.02) - 1,981 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The grand-prize winner of a writing contest sponsored by the Philadelphia Dollar Newspaper, The Gold-Bug was one of Poe’s most popular stories during his lifetime. Similar to his ratiocination tales—early versions of what we now call detective fiction—The Gold-Bug is full of mystery and adventure and includes a cryptogram, invisible ink, a scarab-like bug, and pirate treasure.
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"I first read The Gold Bug several years ago, when I was only about ten years old, maybe even younger. I remember making -- or more accurately, trying to make -- my own treasure map and riddle after I finished it. At that time, I didn't know who Edgar Allan Poe was, but I decided after reading this story that he is a brilliant writer. I can see now that The Tell-Tale Heart is better written, words- and tone-wise, but The Gold Bug was what made me like Poe as a writer. No doubt, The Gold Bug strengthened my interest in riddles, and started my interest in ciphers."
— Pam (4 out of 5 stars)
The Gold Bug Listener Reviews
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" I went through a Poe phase when I was young. This is one of the stories that got under my skin. I liked to sit in the sun and read it out loud, using my 'I am reading Poe' voice, which sounded kind of creepy. I wanted to write like him when I grew up, but unfortunately I am still waiting! "
— Alyssa, 2/17/2014 -
" I must have been about 9, on a family camping trip, when I read this. It was a struggle, but the story was awesome. I should have read it a little older. I probably would have gotten more out of it. I just remember the excitement of knowing what happened next was enough to keep me plugging away! "
— Kandice, 2/15/2014 -
" An unbelievable mysterious adventure,which finally turns out that in fact, has nothing to do with the gold bug! "
— Ginny, 2/10/2014 -
" One of my Poe favorites "
— Mackenzie, 2/1/2014 -
" I read this book when I was eight or nine. It was one of the first pieces of fiction that made me suspend my disbelief. Now that I write about it and remember the joy I felt in reading it, I have the urge to read it again. "
— J, 2/1/2014 -
" Here Poe tells the tale of William Legrand's gold quest after he gets an insect bite "
— Marts, 1/31/2014 -
" I can't believe I had never read this. "
— Barbara, 1/19/2014 -
" i think it's a great book of calculation and comprehensive search that gives results "
— Samuel, 1/11/2014 -
" How can anyone not love part crazy person story, part mystery, part pirate story/gold hunt? Great story. Still love it even though I had not read it in years. "
— Shelley, 12/29/2013 -
" Very strange story about misdirection. "
— Elizabeth, 12/10/2013 -
" It is a good story but I found some parts rambling and a bit off topic. "
— Kellie, 12/7/2013 -
" Great stories don't have to be long. Poe does an excellent job maintaining mystery and suspense in this short story. "
— Bill, 12/3/2013 -
" This is one of my favorite of Poe's stories. "
— Joel, 12/2/2013 -
" This book is an interesting mixture of prose and poetry. This are some of Poe's more moderate works. There was nothing really frightening or chilling. I thought I had read the "Purloined Letter" before, however, I clearly never have or my memory is failing at a greater rate than I suspected. "
— Belinda, 3/3/2013 -
" LOVE THESE! Had a multi CD collection of Poe's work. EXCELLENT "
— Cathy, 11/15/2012 -
" Not my favorite work of Poe but a good read nonetheless "
— Mandie, 11/2/2012 -
" Another great short story by Poe :) a mystery, a treasure hunt and pirates :) in such neat story with a remarkable use of words, I liked it very much. "
— M., 10/9/2012 -
" I love Poe's stories. I would have given this 5 stars, but I got tired of Jupiter's dialect. "
— Alicia, 4/17/2012 -
" Very different from the traditional doom, gloom, gore, and horror that we all expect from Poe. This tale is about cryptology and has a nice little ending that makes you go "Hmmmmm...". "
— Jacqueline, 3/24/2012 -
" Like the Dupin stories, this should be read for historical reasons -- important for the development of American fiction. A fun little read, though certainly of an archaic style. "
— Jc, 2/19/2012 -
" Great book for those who want to know how work the substitution cipher, but otherwise... just an absurd rationale. "
— Max, 9/9/2011 -
" I went through a Poe phase when I was young. This is one of the stories that got under my skin. I liked to sit in the sun and read it out loud, using my 'I am reading Poe' voice, which sounded kind of creepy. I wanted to write like him when I grew up, but unfortunately I am still waiting! "
— Alyssa, 5/17/2011 -
" Great stories don't have to be long. Poe does an excellent job maintaining mystery and suspense in this short story. "
— Bill, 5/3/2011 -
" A nice short story. Good time pass! "
— Aman, 10/27/2010 -
" this is very interesting adventure story "
— Sona, 9/18/2010 -
" One of my Poe favorites "
— Mackenzie, 8/29/2010 -
" A really nice, interesting story. I expected some kind of terror, after all, it <strong>is</strong> E.A. Poe, but I still wasn´t disappointed. "
— Radka, 8/27/2010 -
" Excelentes cuentos de un clasico del horror. <br/> <br/>Great tales from a clasic of horror. "
— Sanson, 8/5/2010 -
" An unbelievable mysterious adventure,which finally turns out that in fact, has nothing to do with the gold bug! "
— Ginny, 4/17/2010 -
" Not one of Poe's better stories, it is a mystery of sorts, in that it describes how someone solves a puzzle, but it's mostly about coincidence and about a man doing seemingly crazy things with only the end explanation putting it into context. "
— This, 2/21/2010 -
" I fell in love with Poe as a teen, and still find him utterly perfect in his genre. "
— Jeni, 1/16/2010 -
" How can anyone not love part crazy person story, part mystery, part pirate story/gold hunt? Great story. Still love it even though I had not read it in years. "
— Shelley, 10/30/2009 -
" Para todos los amantes del Suspenso no tanto del terror, mas bien relatos que te toenen a la espectativa de que algo extraño sucederá "
— MARIAGUADALUPE, 10/27/2009
About Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1848) transformed the American literary landscape with his innovations in the short story genre and his haunting lyrical poetry, and he is credited with inventing American gothic horror and detective fiction. He was first published in 1827 and then began a career as a magazine writer and editor and a sharp literary critic. In 1845 the publication of his most famous poem, “The Raven,” brought him national fame.
About Chris Lutkin
Chris Lutkin has been in and around the business of acting for more than twenty-five years. A member of Ensemble Studio Theater for twenty years, his proud moments include being directed by Jerry Zaks in a play called Buddy-Pals and working with Horton Foote on his play Lily Dale playing Horace, and putting in more than four hundred off-Broadway performances in a Perfect Crime.