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The Idiot
- Narrated by: Constantine Gregory
- Length: 24 hrs and 56 mins
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Prince Lyov Nikolayevitch Myshkin is one of the great characters in Russian literature. Is he a saint or just naïve? Is he an idealist or, as many in General Epanchin's society feel, an "idiot"? Certainly his return to St. Petersburg after years in a Swiss clinic has a dramatic effect on the beautiful Aglaia, youngest of the Epanchin daughters, and on the charismatic but willful Nastasya Filippovna. As he paints a vivid picture of Russian society, Dostoyevsky shows how principles conflict with emotions - with tragic results.
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Le Pere Goriot
- By: Honoré de Balzac
- Narrated by: Paul Hecht
- Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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At the shabby boarding house in the rue Neuve-Sainte-Geneviève, petty Madame Vauquer and her tenants wonder at the plight of the aging resident Goriot. Once a well-heeled merchant, Goriot was, at first, afforded special treatment from the Madame. But now something is clearly amiss in his financial affairs, and his increasingly tawdry appearance makes him a subject of ridicule in the household.
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balzac rocks
- By beatrice on 03-12-10
By: Honoré de Balzac
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Swann's Way
- By: Marcel Proust
- Narrated by: Neville Jason
- Length: 21 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Swann’s Way is the first of seven volumes in Remembrance of Things Past. It sets the scene with the narrator’s memories being famously provoked by the taste of that little cake, the madeleine, accompanied by a cup of lime-flowered tea. It is an unmatched portrait of fin-de-siècle France.
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Not a book one reads but inhabits & floats through
- By Darwin8u on 02-24-13
By: Marcel Proust
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The Bostonians
- By: Henry James
- Narrated by: Xe Sands
- Length: 17 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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From Boston's social underworld emerges Verena Tarrant, a girl with extraordinary oratorical gifts, which she deploys in tawdry meeting-houses on behalf of "the sisterhood of women." She acquires two admirers of a very different stamp: Olive Chancellor, devotee of radical causes and marked out for tragedy; and Basil Ransom, a veteran of the Civil War who holds rigid views concerning society and women's place therein. Is the lovely, lighthearted Verena made for public movements or private passions?
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Fantastic reading!
- By FranceyO on 07-15-11
By: Henry James
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The Claverings
- By: Anthony Trollope
- Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
- Length: 20 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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At the opening of The Claverings (1866) the beautiful Julia Brabazon jilts her lover Harry Clavering in order to make a marriage of convenience with a wealthy but dissolute earl. Harry licks his wounds, leaves London to train as a civil engineer, and falls in love with his employer's daughter, to whom he soon becomes engaged. But when Julia returns unexpectedly as a wealthy widow, the flame of Harry's old love is rekindled.
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A classic love triangle in a classic novel...:)
- By Lidia Chymkowska on 12-17-18
By: Anthony Trollope
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The Mill on the Floss
- By: George Eliot
- Narrated by: Laura Paton
- Length: 20 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Maggie Tulliver has two lovers: Philip Wakem, son of her father’s enemy, and Stephen Guest, already promised to her cousin. But the love she wants most in the world is that of her brother Tom. Maggie’s struggle against her passionate and sensual nature leads her to a deeper understanding and to eventual tragedy
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Great compassion
- By nina lalumia on 12-26-16
By: George Eliot
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The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
- By: Anne Brontë
- Narrated by: Mary Sarah Agliotta
- Length: 13 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Probably the most shocking of the Brontës' novels, this novel had an instant and phenomenal success and is widely considered to be one of the first sustained feminist novels. A mysterious widow, Mrs. Helen Graham, arrives at Wildfell Hall, a nearby old mansion. A source of curiosity for the small community, the reticent Helen and her young son Arthur are slowly drawn into the social circles of the village.
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A good story ruined by the narrator
- By i. Ski on 04-17-14
By: Anne Brontë
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Maurice
- By: E. M. Forster
- Narrated by: Peter Firth
- Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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'Ah for darkness...not the darkness of a house which coops up a man among furniture, but the darkness where he can be free!' Maurice Hall knows he must choose between living life in the shadows or denying himself a chance at love and fulfilment. Aware of his attraction to the same sex, in a time where it was considered unlawful and immoral to have homosexual desires, Maurice must decide whether to battle or submit to a prejudiced 20th-century English society.
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Finally!!! It's past time!
- By Christopher P. on 11-18-10
By: E. M. Forster
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Cashelmara
- By: Susan Howatch
- Narrated by: Gary Furlong, Carly Robins
- Length: 27 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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When Edward de Salis travels to America after the death of his first wife, he is astonished to find himself falling in love with Marguerite, a young woman many years his junior. Full of hope for the future, he returns to his Irish estate, Cashelmara, but in 19th-century Ireland - a country racked by poverty and famine - his family eventually becomes trapped in a sinister spiral of violence that Edward could never have foreseen.
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Wonderful Story
- By Ann Marie Taylor on 07-04-20
By: Susan Howatch
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In The Idiot, Prince Myshkin possesses a childlike innocence and trusting nature that leave him vulnerable to abuse by those around him. Returning to St. Petersburg to collect an inheritance, Myshkin realizes he is a stranger in a society obsessed with wealth, manipulation and power.
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Intense and painfully sad
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A predecessor to such monumental works such as Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov, Notes From Underground represents a turning point in Dostoyevsky's writing towards the more political side.
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Awful hero, great narrator
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The murder of brutal landowner Fyodor Karamazov changes the lives of his sons irrevocably: Mitya, the sensualist, whose bitter rivalry with his father immediately places him under suspicion for parricide; Ivan, the intellectual, driven to breakdown; the spiritual Alyosha, who tries to heal the family's rifts; and the shadowy figure of their bastard half-brother, Smerdyakov. Dostoyevsky's dark masterwork evokes a world where the lines between innocence and corruption, good and evil, blur and everyone's faith in humanity is tested.
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Fix an error near the end of chapter 7.
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Intense and painfully sad
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Step into the rich history and culture of Mother Russia with this classic collection by esteemed writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky. With his penchant for gripping prose and powerful themes that unmasked the social struggles and intellectual clashes of his day, this audiobook collection brings his work to life for the contemporary listener.
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Voices
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A Magical Journey
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Young Prince Mishkin is that rare thing - a "completely beautiful human being". He is honest, humble, generous, and selfless, but unfortunately these traits mean he is often mistaken for an idiot. Upon his return to St. Petersburg, after being away at a Swiss sanatorium for the treatment of epilepsy, Prince Mishkin is taken under the wing of the wife of General Yepanchin, who arranges for him to live with the family of her money-obsessed friend Ganya.
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wow.
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The Possessed
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Also known as Demons, The Possessed is a powerful socio-political novel about revolutionary ideas and the radicals behind them. It follows the career of Pyotr Stepanovich Verkhovensky, a political terrorist who leads a group of nihilists on a demonic quest for societal breakdown. They are consumed by their desires and ideals, and have surrendered themselves fully to the darkness of their "demons". This possession leads them to engulf a quiet provincial town and subject it to a storm of violence.
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Womderful
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In early nineteenth-century Russia, the threat of Napoleon’s invasion looms, and the lives of millions are about to be changed forever. This includes Pierre Bezúkhov, illegitimate son of an aristocrat; Andrew Bolkónski, ambitious military scion; and Natásha Rostóva, compassionate daughter of a nobleman. All of them are unprepared for what lies ahead. Alongside their fellow compatriots - a catalog of enduring literary characters - Pierre, Andrew, and Natásha will be irrevocably torn between fate and free will.
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Crime and Punishment
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In this intense detective thriller instilled with philosophical, religious, and social commentary, Dostoevsky studies the psychological impact upon a desperate and impoverished student when he murders a despicable pawnbroker, transgressing moral law to ultimately "benefit humanity".
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Wonderful reading, disturbing book
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By: Fyodor Dostoevsky, and others
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The Idiot (AmazonClassics Edition)
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After being treated for epilepsy at a Swiss sanatorium, Prince Muishkin returns to St. Petersburg to reconnect with a wealthy distant relative and her family. Guileless and charming, Muishkin endears himself to everyone he meets, and they place him in the center of high society’s conflicts. Soon Muishkin becomes caught in a sphere of jealousy, betrayal, extortion, and murder. And he finds his loyalties divided between two women - one needing love, the other salvation.
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lack of story and depth
- By RF on 11-01-20
By: Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and others
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Crime and Punishment
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A century after it first appeared, Crime and Punishment remains one of the most gripping psychological thrillers. A poverty-stricken young man, seeing his family making sacrifices for him, is faced with an opportunity to solve his financial problems with one simple but horrifying act: the murder of a pawnbroker. She is, he feels, just a parasite on society. But does the end justify the means? Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov makes his decision and then has to live with it.
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A masterpiece
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Crime and Punishment
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With the same suppleness, energy, and range of voices that won their translation of The Brothers Karamazov the PEN/Book-of-the-Month Club Prize, Pevear and Volokhonsky offer a brilliant translation of Dostoevsky's classic novel that presents a clear insight into this astounding psychological thriller. This audio edition of Crime and Punishment is expressively brought to life by Peter Batchelor.
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waited for this translation
- By L. Kerr on 12-22-20
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The Fyodor Dostoyevsky Complete Collection
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- Unabridged
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This audiobook, read by Audie award-winning narrators, includes unabridged recordings of all Fyodor Dostoyevky's greatest works: 15 novels and novellas, 18 short stories, a short study of Dostoyevsky by Virginia Woolf, and two books of non-fiction - his Letters and European travel journal.
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The Idiot [Tantor]
- By: Fyodor Dostoevsky
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- Unabridged
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Just two years after completing Crime and Punishment, which explored the mind of a murderer, Fyodor Dostoevsky produced another masterpiece: The Idiot. This time the author portrays a truly beautiful soul and one of Dostoevsky's greatest characters---Prince Muishkin, a saintly, Christ-like, yet deeply human figure. The story begins when Muishkin arrives on Russian soil after a stay in a Swiss sanatorium.
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A Beautiful and Yet -- Ultimately a Flawed Novel
- By Darwin8u on 11-01-15
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The Brothers Karamazov
- By: Fyodor Dostoevsky, Constance Garnett - translator
- Narrated by: Frederick Davidson
- Length: 34 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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The Brothers Karamazov tells the stirring tale of four brothers: the pleasure-seeking, impatient Dmitri; the brilliant and morose Ivan; the gentle, loving, and honest Alyosha; and the illegitimate Smerdyakov: shy, silent, and cruel. The four unite in the murder of one of literature's most despicable characters - their father. This was Dostoevsky's final and best work.
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A long work and a great work, but boy is it long
- By David on 03-01-11
By: Fyodor Dostoevsky, and others
What listeners say about The Idiot
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Theo
- 05-02-18
Moments of surprise.
Reading Dostoyevsky is like hiking up a vast mountain. Much of the path appears to be like the past couple of steps - and like the next couple of steps. Every now and then, you come upon a lookout point in a moment of amazement and awe - and then return to hiking. Throughout the story, there are masterful moments of descriptions, dialogues or monologues that have such remarkable significance that they are likely to stay with the readers for the rest of their lives. And then, as is also often the case with Dostoyevsky - there is the summit - completely unexpected, surprising and in some instances shocking to the bone yet no less amazing. Dostoyevsky is a hike up a mountain - not a hike in the park. Not easy to read but with no ordinary reward.
As for Constantine Gregory - BRAVO! I doubt if there is a single other narrator that could quite master Dostoyevsky as he as come to do quite comfortably. The ever so slight changes in intonation to distinguish the (many and sometimes confusing) characters, and his grasp of the cultural and linguistic peculiarities is masterful.
The Idiot is not the most rewarding of the great Dostoyevsky works - but is in every way extremely satisfying and ultimately rewarding. I always feel like I have been rewarded with some form of insight or prize after having completed a Dostoyevsky book - and the Idiot is no different.
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193 people found this helpful
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- Reademandweep
- 02-03-18
Narrator Gregory is up to the task.
Dostoyevsky’s words matter. There are no car chases or sex scenes. His stories are a psychological and philosophical examination of life, which can be ruined by a reader who doesn’t “get it”. I purchased 2 versions
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83 people found this helpful
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- Erin
- 08-22-19
Not his best, but it is still Dostoevsky.
I enjoyed the ending. The rest of the book is filled with the deep character building Dostoevsky is been known for. A little too much, because at some point you are thinking "why am I finishing this?" I almost didn't a few times. Constantine Gregory does a decent job at trying to let you know who's talking, by attempting to changing his voice. He does what he can with the numerous characters Dostoevsky has created in this book.
Should you read this book? Only if you like his other works. It is a big commitment. It's not Notes From The Underground and it's not The Brothers Karamazov. It is just Dostoevsky having random conversation about everything and nothing at the same time. I am not even sure he properly explained what the prince was inflicted with that made him seem like an "Idiot". He talks about his "fits" and very unlike him, he doesn't explain it in detail. Maybe he did, but I listened as best I could and maybe I missed it. I usually enjoy the conversation he creates between the characters, that was not the case for me in this book. That doesn't mean it's not worth reading. If you enjoy him , you may enjoy this book.
This occurred to me just now writing this. Maybe Myschkin is represented as being "naive" about the world he lives in. Maybe that's the whole thing right there, being "naive" may cost you everything you love. Okay now it seems like a good book. I would still get rid of 300 pages. This book is a 3-4-star by any other author, but it is Dostoevsky. Like I said earlier if you enjoy his other books you may enjoy this one.
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- debbie ortiz
- 10-03-17
The Idiot
This was translated very well. The narrator was superb. The characters are very interesting. And it is my 2nd favorite Dostoyevsky.
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38 people found this helpful
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- Doctor
- 11-18-18
Strong Novel. Worth your time
The story is strong if occassionally tedius. However, the performance is wonderful. Take your time with it, though, as it is very dense (mostly in a good way).
Nastasya F. is a wonderful character to dissect and discuss, however the novel could use more of her.
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- Rich
- 07-31-19
Starry, Starry Night
I had 'The Idiot' at one (ONE!) star at the halfway point of this book. No decrepit apartments and bloody axes here in high-society StP: just 400+ pages of Jane Austen he-said-she-said banter with a myriad of characters who seem major but aren't.
But dammit: I stuck it through, and FyDo had a payoff waiting for me at the end. Prince Myshkin resonates with me -very- deeply (for better or worse), especially during my teens and 20s. Some things to know for the embarking reader:
- FyDo wrote this novel serially; even -he- didn't know how it was going to end until it ended. So if it seems that the book is searching for footing in the middle 50%, that's because -it was.-
- Nastasya, Rogozhin, Agayla and the Prince are your main characters (and two of them will not be present for ~75% of the book). For all other minor characters, it might be worth your time to read full analyses online so you can weather the book and understand their foil roles.
- Nastasya's character was based on a real-life tryst that FyDo had with a notably younger woman.
Themes of religion, compassion, love, abnormal psychology, and falsehoods abound. Post-read, I've had trouble getting the themes and characters out of my head. The theme of a society outsider sticks out most for me: Myshkin in Switzerland looking at the outdoors, wanting to be a part of that natural world, then moving to StP.
This was one of the hardest reads I've had to slug through in the past 100 books; Shmoop and the audiobook were very helpful. I'm glad I took the train ride. Pocket notes below.
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Kolya ippolit and Mishkin, honest people living in a world of greed and self interest.
Mishkin thinks he has a read on Nastashya.
Nastashya in the center of a marriage twist, with deals, dowry, and alliances. Ganya and some other guy.
General his wife and the three daughters.
Lebodoskys monologue of the rails creating weaker souls.
Ippolist monologue on the rich wasting their lives away while he only has months to live.
Lizaveta not wanting Myshkin to marry, but silently in her heart she knows it's the right thing.
Aglya acting all manic and Sadie Hawkins in the presence of Myshkin. Accusation of trust with Nastasya is interesting.
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20 people found this helpful
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- David
- 10-15-17
Perplexing, but thought provoking
I can't say that I loved every minute of it, but after a few months I still think of some of the chapters. it is definitely an interesting novel.
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16 people found this helpful
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- Client d'Amazon
- 05-02-18
deep book
I will be thinking about this one for a while. not a simple book by no means
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15 people found this helpful
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- Tobias Mihura
- 06-28-18
incredible
very appropriate reader with an impressive
varied skillset of impersonations. his fluidity in reading is excellent too.
the novel is top notch too
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12 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 10-02-18
Marathon
For English only speakers like myself, this book will be hard to follow at some points. That can be made easier if the listener either marathons sections of this book or regularly comes back to it. The character of the prince is delightful and human and it is his character that push
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11 people found this helpful