Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Rise of Silas Lapham  By  cover art

The Rise of Silas Lapham

By: William Dean Howells
Narrated by: Jim Killavey
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $33.90

Buy for $33.90

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Editorial reviews

William Dean Howells' 1885 novel follows the rags-to-riches story of Silas Lapham, who earns his fortune in mineral paint and builds a fashionable home in Boston's Beacon Hill neighborhood. In spite of his newfound wealth, Lapham isn't as successful at navigating the hierarchy of high society, which he hopes will be remedied by his daughter's marriage into an aristocratic family. Jim Killavey performs with a stentorian force and gives the characters a slight New England accent, perfectly setting the scene of this American classic's view of the tensions surrounding old and new money.

Publisher's summary

William Dean Howells was born in Martin's Ferry, Ohio, of Welch, Irish, and German forebears. Along with Mark Twain, he was one of the great novelists of his time. This book, the realisic saga of the rise and redemptive fall of an American tycoon, is considered to be his best novel.
©1997 Jimcin (P)1997 Jimcin

What listeners say about The Rise of Silas Lapham

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    17
  • 4 Stars
    13
  • 3 Stars
    11
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    7
  • 4 Stars
    4
  • 3 Stars
    6
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    4
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    7
  • 4 Stars
    9
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

excellent book, poor reader

This engrossing book was made stiff and slow by the reader. The story of a self-made man, his aspirations and his family's trials and triumphs is timeless. A classic like this book deserves a good reader to bring the language and mores into the present. I almost gave up listening because of the robotic reading.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Great story, okay narrator

Silas Lapham is a delightful book - Howells crafts a wonderful and engaging story that's much more complex than its new-money-in-Boston-society premise. The plots centered on family/marriage drama, class tension, and business drama are interwoven in rich and gratifying ways.

If I could, I'd give it 3.5 stars, because the narrator is nowhere near as good as most offered on Audible. He's got a strong regional (Boston, I presume) accent that he standardizes a little awkwardly, and the rhythms and intonations of his phrases sometimes seem a little off. The narration didn't ruin it for me, but it took more getting used to than most.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Too slow!

Rather predictable plot, read way too slowly by the reader.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful