Classic Audiobook Collection

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Sevastopol by Leo Tolstoy ~ Full Audiobook [history] Feb 22, 2023

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Sevastopol by Leo Tolstoy audiobook.

Genre: history

Sevastopol Sketches are three short stories written by Leo Tolstoy and published in 1855 to record his experiences during the Siege of Sevastopol (1854–1855) in the Crimean War (1853-1856). The name originates from Sevastopol, a city in Crimea. The book has also been released under the anglicized title The Sebastopol Sketches and is sometimes titled Sevastopol Stories. These brief 'sketches' formed the basis of many of the episodes in Tolstoy's magnum opus, War and Peace.

Sevastopol in December: In Sevastopol in December, Tolstoy uses second person narrative (with the pronoun 'you') in an introductory tour of life in Sevastopol. The detailed tour is arguably similar to one Tolstoy may have been given upon arrival in Sevastopol in November, 1854…. Tolstoy also uses Sevastopol in December to introduce the reader to the settings, mannerisms, and background he uses in Sevastopol in May and Sevastopol in August. For example, when referring to the enemy, either the British or the French, but only the French are featured in the Sketches; they are referred to as ' 'him', as both soldiers and sailors say'.

Sevastopol in May In Sevastopol in May, Tolstoy examines the senselessness and vanity of war. The story examines many aspects of the psychology of war, heroism, and the misleading presence of humanism in truces (misleading because countries continuously go to war with one another, despite past truces). Tolstoy concludes by declaring that the only hero of his story is truth.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 01

(00:40:55) Chapter 02

(00:49:40) Chapter 03

(01:07:07) Chapter 04

(01:21:14) Chapter 05

(01:29:12) Chapter 06

(01:45:11) Chapter 07

(01:58:31) Chapter 08

(02:07:01) Chapter 09

(02:21:44) Chapter 10

(02:33:17) Chapter 11

(02:44:07) Chapter 12

(02:54:22) Chapter 13

(03:08:45) Chapter 14

(03:21:59) Chapter 15

(03:33:48) Chapter 16

(03:43:39) Chapter 17

(03:53:22) Chapter 18

(04:05:34) Chapter 19

(04:18:54) Chapter 20

(04:32:17) Chapter 21

(04:42:43) Chapter 22

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My Confession by Leo Tolstoy ~ Full Audiobook [philosophy] Feb 22, 2023

Show notes

My Confession by Leo Tolstoy audiobook.

Genre: philosophy

'My Confession' is a brief autobiographical story of Leo Tolstoy's struggle with a mid-life existential crisis of melancholia. It describes his search for answers to the profound questions 'What will come of my life?' and 'What is the meaning of life?', without answers to which life, for him, had become 'impossible.' Tolstoy reflects on the arc of his philosophical life until then: his childhood abandonment of his Russian orthodox faith; his mastery of strength, will, power, and reason; and how, after he had achieved tremendous financial success and social status, life to him seemed meaningless. After despairing of his attempts to find answers in science, philosophy, eastern wisdom, and his fellow men of letters, he describes his turn to the wisdom of the common people and his attempts to reconcile their instinctive faith with the dictates of his reason. The main body of the text ends with the author reaching a compromise: faith, he realizes, is a necessity, but it must be constrained by reason. However, an epilogue that describes a dream he had some time after completing the body of the text suggests that he has undergone a radical personal and spiritual transformation.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 01

(00:09:28) Chapter 02

(00:19:17) Chapter 03

(00:29:52) Chapter 04

(00:41:04) Chapter 05

(00:54:49) Chapter 06

(01:11:46) Chapter 07

(01:23:59) Chapter 08

(01:30:33) Chapter 09

(01:42:12) Chapter 10

(01:50:51) Chapter 11

(01:57:32) Chapter 12

(02:08:15) Chapter 13

(02:16:43) Chapter 14

(02:23:13) Chapter 15

(02:32:28) Chapter 16

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Master and Man by Leo Tolstoy ~ Full Audiobook [drama] Feb 22, 2023

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Master and Man by Leo Tolstoy audiobook.

Genre: drama

A land owner, Vasili Andreevich, takes along one of his peasants, Nikita, for a short journey to another town. He wishes to get to the town quickly 'for business'. They find themselves in the middle of a blizzard, but the master in his avarice wishes to press on. They eventually get lost off the road and they try to camp. The master's peasant soon finds himself about to die from hypothermia. The master leaves him on the horse to stubbornly try to find the road. When he returns, he attains a spiritual/moral revelation, and Tolstoy once again repeats one of his famous themes: that the only true happiness in life is found by living for others.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 01

(00:19:26) Chapter 02

(00:34:21) Chapter 03

(00:50:31) Chapter 04

(01:05:59) Chapter 05

(01:21:30) Chapter 06

(01:46:19) Chapter 07

(01:52:55) Chapter 08

(02:03:35) Chapter 09

(02:16:45) Chapter 10

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Family Happiness by Leo Tolstoy ~ Full Audiobook [drama] Feb 16, 2023

Show notes

Family Happiness by Leo Tolstoy audiobook.

Genre: drama

In Family Happiness, Leo Tolstoy tells the intimate coming-of-age story of Masha, a motherless young woman growing up on a quiet Russian estate under the kindly guidance of her guardian, the reserved landowner Sergei Mikhailovich. When affection deepens into a sudden, life-altering proposal, Masha enters marriage with bright, romantic expectations and the hope that love will be enough to shape a complete, lasting happiness. But as the couple moves between the calm rhythms of country life and the glittering social whirl of the city, Masha confronts new temptations, shifting desires, and the unsettling realization that devotion can be tested not only by betrayal, but by boredom, pride, and miscommunication. Tolstoy follows the subtle changes in feeling that occur when passion settles into routine, when youth longs for admiration, and when two people discover that they may not be seeking the same kind of joy. Written with psychological precision and quiet emotional force, this novella explores marriage as both refuge and challenge, asking what it truly means to build a shared life when love must grow up alongside the lovers.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 1

(00:13:31) Chapter 2

(00:32:19) Chapter 3

(00:53:34) Chapter 4

(01:10:21) Chapter 5

(01:28:31) Chapter 6

(01:53:28) Chapter 7

(02:14:45) Chapter 8

(02:36:51) Chapter 9

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Boyhood by Leo Tolstoy ~ Full Audiobook [drama] Feb 16, 2023

Show notes

Boyhood by Leo Tolstoy audiobook.

Genre: drama

Leo Tolstoy's Boyhood continues the intimate, semi-autobiographical story of Nikolai Irtenyev as he leaves the relative shelter of childhood and steps into the restless, self-conscious world of early adolescence. Now moving between the routines of study, the expectations of adults, and the sharp hierarchies of aristocratic society, Nikolai begins to measure himself against friends, rivals, and the ideals he longs to embody. Small social missteps feel catastrophic, private feelings take on new intensity, and every glance or comment seems to carry hidden judgment. At home, shifting family dynamics and the presence of tutors, relatives, and visitors expose him to competing models of masculinity, honor, and faith. In school and in drawing rooms alike, he faces the central conflict of growing up: how to be sincere and good when pride, envy, and the desire to belong keep tugging him off course. With psychological precision and quiet emotional power, Tolstoy captures the awkwardness, wonder, and moral searching of boyhood as Nikolai tries to understand who he is becoming.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 01

(00:33:52) Chapter 02

(00:59:44) Chapter 03

(01:26:25) Chapter 04

(01:53:54) Chapter 05

(02:22:12) Chapter 06

(02:37:29) Chapter 07

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Childhood by Leo Tolstoy ~ Full Audiobook [drama] Feb 16, 2023

Show notes

Childhood by Leo Tolstoy audiobook.

Genre: drama

In Childhood, Leo Tolstoy introduces Nikolai Irtenyev, a sensitive Russian boy growing up on a country estate where love, pride, and fear mingle in the ordinary rhythms of family life. Surrounded by affectionate sisters, stern adults, and the quietly powerful presence of his mother, Nikolai begins to notice how quickly feelings shift: a warm moment can turn to shame, jealousy, or sudden loneliness. As tutors and servants shape his days, he watches the complex hierarchies of household and class, learning that kindness can carry hidden cruelty and that admiration can be tangled with resentment. When Nikolai is drawn into new social settings beyond the estate, he struggles to understand who he is and who he wants to become, measuring himself against friends and rivals while longing for moral clarity. Told with intimate honesty and sharp psychological detail, Tolstoy captures the fragile intensity of early memory, the formation of conscience, and the first painful steps toward adulthood.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 01

(00:12:33) Chapter 02

(00:17:59) Chapter 03

(00:26:44) Chapter 04

(00:33:47) Chapter 05

(00:42:50) Chapter 06

(00:48:06) Chapter 07

(00:58:00) Chapter 08

(01:02:26) Chapter 09

(01:05:20) Chapter 10

(01:10:33) Chapter 11

(01:18:22) Chapter 12

(01:24:47) Chapter 13

(01:32:51) Chapter 14

(01:43:10) Chapter 15

(01:49:34) Chapter 16

(02:01:30) Chapter 17

(02:09:09) Chapter 18

(02:17:52) Chapter 19

(02:32:11) Chapter 20

(02:41:04) Chapter 21

(02:49:17) Chapter 22

(02:54:29) Chapter 23

(03:01:52) Chapter 24

(03:05:46) Chapter 25

(03:17:53) Chapter 26

(03:24:17) Chapter 27

(03:35:09) Chapter 28

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Bethink Yourselves by Leo Tolstoy ~ Full Audiobook [religion] Feb 16, 2023

Show notes

Bethink Yourselves by Leo Tolstoy audiobook.

Genre: religion

As Russia goes to war against Japan, Tolstoy urges those at all levels of society, from the Tsar down to the common soldier, to consider their actions in the light of Christ's teaching. 'However strange this may appear, the most effective and certain deliverance of men from all the calamities which they inflict upon themselves and from the most dreadful of all—war—is attainable, not by any external general measures, but merely by that simple appeal to the consciousness of each separate man which, nineteen hundred years ago, was proposed by Jesus—that every man bethink himself, and ask himself, who is he, why he lives, and what he should and should not do.'

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 01

(00:06:32) Chapter 02

(00:14:03) Chapter 03

(00:20:24) Chapter 04

(00:26:29) Chapter 05

(00:33:06) Chapter 06

(00:40:39) Chapter 07

(00:45:32) Chapter 08

(00:52:03) Chapter 09

(00:59:31) Chapter 10

(01:06:30) Chapter 11

(01:17:49) Chapter 12

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A Confession by Leo Tolstoy ~ Full Audiobook [philosophy] Feb 16, 2023

Show notes

A Confession by Leo Tolstoy audiobook.

Genre: philosophy

Leo Tolstoy's 'A Confession,' written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 01

(00:06:58) Chapter 02

(00:14:31) Chapter 03

(00:23:24) Chapter 04

(00:32:58) Chapter 05

(00:45:02) Chapter 06

(00:58:42) Chapter 07

(01:07:57) Chapter 08

(01:12:56) Chapter 09

(01:22:12) Chapter 10

(01:28:44) Chapter 11

(01:33:59) Chapter 12

(01:42:21) Chapter 13

(01:48:41) Chapter 14

(01:53:32) Chapter 15

(02:00:54) Chapter 16

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Thralls of the Endless Night by Leigh Douglass Brackett ~ Full Audiobook [scifi] Feb 16, 2023

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Thralls of the Endless Night by Leigh Douglass Brackett audiobook.

Genre: scifi

This is a classic story from the early days of science fiction pulp magazines. Leigh Brackett, a female author who stood with the best of them during the period, always has a quirky way of examining human behavior whether on earth or a distant planet. A 'tribe' composed of Hans, Officers and a Captain have been marooned on a strange place, out of touch with other humans for many generations. They have to eke out a living with great difficulties in a difficult and hostile environment. Does this sound sort of familiar? There are also really neat 'Piruts' in the story who always try to get the supposed benefit of living close to the Ship. I liked it and the ending is cool too.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 01

(00:23:44) Chapter 02

(00:45:42) Chapter 03

(01:10:59) Chapter 04

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The Jewel of Bas by Leigh Douglass Brackett ~ Full Audiobook [scifi] Feb 15, 2023

Show notes

The Jewel of Bas by Leigh Douglass Brackett audiobook.

Genre: scifi

On a harsh, half-forgotten world where legends walk as close as hunger, Ciaran the wandering minstrel and Mouse his sharp-eyed, sharp-fingered wife live by wit, song, and whatever can be stolen back from those who hoard. One evening on the edge of the Forbidden Plains, a campfire tale turns real: the Kalds, savage servants of the sleeping boy-god Bas, drag the pair toward Ben Beatha, the Mountain of Life, where Bas lies dreaming beside the Jewel of Bas, a relic said to hold a destiny for all mankind. Inside the mountain, Ciaran and Mouse find not holy mystery but a ruthless system of chains and labor, ruled by cold intelligences that wear the shape of men. As captives vanish and a vast machine rises in the depths, the couple must gamble everything on escape, on unlikely allies, and on the dangerous question at the heart of every myth: what happens when the god you fear is real, and might not care if mortals live or die? Blending romance, grit, and uncanny science, Brackett spins a swift planetary adventure about love, survival, and the price of immortality.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 01

(00:20:35) Chapter 02

(00:42:43) Chapter 03

(01:03:10) Chapter 04

(01:23:16) Chapter 05

(01:50:35) Chapter 06

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