The Adventures of Roderick Random
Gelesen von Arthur Krolman
Tobias Smollett
I am Roderick Random. This is the contemporary story of my struggle against the adversity of orphan-hood, poverty, press gangs, bloody duels, rival fortune hunters, and the challenge to be well-dressed through it all. In the course of recounting my adventures to you, dear reader, I will give you a front row seat to the characters of English eighteenth century life including highway robbers, womanizing monks, debt-laden gallants, lecherous corrupt officials, effeminate sea captains, bloodthirsty surgeons, and my dear friend Miss Williams, a reformed prostitute. Educated in the classics, armed with a confident conscientious attitude and my long-suffering sidekick, Strap, I fight the good fight staying, on the whole, morally upstanding throughout. Today, if there be such a thing as true happiness on earth, I enjoy it -- and without having spent a fortune on college either. After hearing me out, I expect you'll be as wonderfully transported as one dear wealthy gentleman who listened to my whole story and then blessed God for the adversity I had undergone, which, he said, enlarged the understanding, improved the heart, steeled the constitution, and qualified a young man for all the duties and enjoyments of life much better than any education which affluence could bestow. Summary by Arthur Krolman. (19 hr 9 min)
Chapters
Bewertungen
On par with Richardson and Fielding, well-read, too!
GeorgianInterested
Well-read. Reader does many accents and changes tone and quality per character. Sometimes it’s a little silly but a great effort and much higher quality than many recordings. The book itself is very Georgian in scope and style, with a nod to Crusoe, Fielding, Richardson. The plot incorporated several distinct subjects, such as a naval background including slavery shipping, as well as apothecary or early medicine, prostitution, gambling, the advent of debt and debtors prison, the absurdity of social norms on the social ladder of English society. He does this all in a tongue-in-cheek farcical manner which leaves you wincing often at the hero’s obvious blunders in decision making. Smollett should be paired with Fielding and Richardson for a rounded explanation of the era.
Well-written and excellently-read
FB
The book is beautifully read...Many thanks to Arthur Krolman for his beautiful rendition of the book.
Greta
Extremely well read, the characters are all skillfully brought to life.