Trying to find a list of the best classic audiobooks of all time? Check out this list for a variety of educational, entertaining and immersive options…
To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee
A Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, it tells the story of a widower lawyer who chooses to represent a black man falsely accused of rape in the south of the 1960s. It is told through the eyes of the young daughter of this lawyer, who gets exposed to racism and hatred and helps shape her view of the world. The book sold over 30-million copies and was made into a major motion picture, and it is touching, heart-breaking, and unforgettable from beginning to end. A not-to-be-missed story that everyone needs to hear.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Betty Smith
This is a coming-of-age story that centers on Francie, whose poor immigrant parents land in Brooklyn in hopes of a better life. But the life they get instead is filled with hardship and grief. Her dad is often out of work and her mom has to scrub floors to make ends meet. When her dad dies while her mom is pregnant, Francie doesn’t understand how life can go on, but eventually she leaves and goes to college so that her life can be much better. This is a tender, heart-warming story that millions of people have loved.
Where the Red Fern Grows
Wilson Rawls, Author
This is the heart-warming story of a boy and his two dogs that has pleased millions of readers since it first came out over 40 years ago. A story of special friendships and coming of age, it is delightful to listen to and combines adventure, heartache, and bravery as the trio aims to become the finest hunting team in the area. The audiobook brings the story to life and makes it even more unforgettable, and it makes sure that you never forget the story or the characters involved.
The Grapes of Wrath
John Steinbeck
Set in the Great Depression and describing one family’s experience during the Dust Bowl migration of the 1930s, the story tells the tale of the family’s hardships as they head to California even though they aren’t sure what lies ahead. The story also describes other families’ experiences so that you get a total picture of what life was like in the United States during this timeframe. Follow these families through their travels and learn what life was truly like during this significant chapter in American history, and after you listen to this story, your life will never be the same.
1984: New Classic Edition
George Orwell
A futuristic tale that takes place in the United States, the story centers on Winston Smith, who is trying to navigate a world where Big Brother has taken over and even the Thought Police are on the prowl. This is a gray, totalitarian world that can have you grateful that this isn’t happening, yet it is realistic enough to make you realize that it could, in fact, happen if we let it. Although the year 1984 has come and gone, this tale of a nightmarish world is still extremely popular with people who love the classics.
The Indian in the Cupboard
Lynne Reid Banks, Author
Omri is a boy living in England in the 18th century, and he receives a tiny toy cowboy as a birthday present, which he quickly decides he doesn’t want. Then comes along a wooden cupboard and a special key that brings the toy to life and creates some incredible and exciting adventures for the young boy. His life in England is intertwined with the Wild West in America, and this enables him to experience some of the wildest adventures he ever imagined, making him grateful for that tiny toy cowboy in the end.
The Jungle Book (A BBC Children’s Classic)
Rudyard Kipling
Written in 1894, this is a collection of stories by Rudyard Kipling when he was living in Vermont. There is also some evidence that he wrote it specifically for a six-year-old daughter that died in the late 1890s. Although one movie was made based on the book, the book is actually a set of many different stories, three of which center around Mowgli, who was raised by wolves in the Indian jungle. But the stories are more than just entertaining because they also emphasize certain morals, which come through loud and clear in each of the stories he wrote.
Edgar Allan Poe
A collection of some of the best Edgar Allan Poe stories, the book contains stories such as The Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Masque of the Red Death, The Tell-Tale Heart, Annabel Lee, The Raven, The Pit and the Pendulum, and The Cask of Amontillado. They combine both short stories and poetry and were translated and produced by Talking Books. If you’re an Edgar Allan Poe fan – or if you’re simply curious about what made him unique – this is the perfect book to add to your collection.
The Gettysburg Address
Abraham Lincoln
On Thursday, November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. This was only four-and-a-half months after the Union armies defeated the Confederate Army at the Battle of Gettysburg. It is a carefully crafted address that many of us had to learn in school, but with good reason. Brilliantly written and poignant, the Gettysburg Address is heard in its entirely in this amazing book that was published by Audible Studios and narrated by Ryan Vincent Anderson.
The Old Man and the Sea
Ernest Hemingway
Narrated by Donald Sutherland, the novella was written in 1952 and is considered one of Hemingway’s most significant works. It tells the story of a Cuban fisherman who is struggling with a giant marlin far out in the Gulf Stream. It is a story of triumph over disaster and courage over defeat, and it is told simply, but brilliantly, by the author. Hemingway won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954, and many people consider this book to be the main reason why.
A Confederacy of Dunces
John Kennedy Toole
A Pulitzer Prize-winning classic, this is a comic tale that contains true-to-life dialogue, unforgettable and original characters, lots of zany adventures, and accurate descriptions of what life was like in New Orleans. The characters are unique and the story is very entertaining, so regardless of your tastes in literature, this is one book you will never forget. Published by Blackstone Audio, Inc., the pages of this amazing story truly come to life when you hear it read to you by Barrett Whitener.
Stephen Crane
One of the things that makes this story so unique is its realistic depiction of war, especially as it affects the many young men who are sent to fight such wars. The story is about Henry Fleming, who is fighting the American Civil War and who is suffering both physically and psychologically during the battles. He gains strength later and returns to his regiment, even being assigned with the task of carrying the flag in the final battle. A thoroughly realistic story, it gives you a true picture of what life on the battlefield is like, showing what war does to the human psyche and making you feel like you are on the front lines right along with young Fleming.
Gone with the Wind
Margaret Mitchell
One of the most popular books ever written, Gone with the Wind has been translated into more than 25 languages and tells the tale of the Deep South both before and after the Civil War. It is a love story, but it is much more than that. The story takes place in Atlanta, which is also where the narrator of this book is from, so it has a truly authentic and realistic feel to it. Even if you’ve already read the book, listening to the audiobook is something you are not likely to forget because it allows you to enjoy the story in a brand-new way.
10 Masterpieces You Have to Read Before You Die 1
Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, et al.
These 10 books are true masterpieces, and they’re all here for you to listen to over and over again. They include Little Women, Pride and Prejudice, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Treasure Island, The Odyssey, A Tale of Two Cities, Meditations, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Innocence of Father Brown, and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. If you miss the classics and would like to revisit them, this audiobook is the perfect way to do so.
A Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens
A true classic, this story is about a young boy and his poor family. His father works for Ebenezer Scrooge, who hates Christmas and is only interested in making money. But when he is visited in a dream by Christmases past, present, and future, he changes his tune and becomes a new man. There is a good reason why this story is such a loved classic, because it is an amazing story that you will take something from every time you read or hear it, and it’s a story you will certainly never forget.
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