C.S. Lewis: The Signature Classics Audio Collection: The Problem of Pain, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, Mere Christianity

Format : Abridged, Audiobook, Unabridged Author : C. S. Lewis Edition : Unabridged Release Date : 2005-10-04 Publisher : HarperAudio List Price : $59.95 Amazon Price : $37.83 Used Price : $39.42

Product Description

Using allegoric narrative, stinging satire, reasoned insight, and his signature wealth of compassion, C.S. Lewis wrote highly entertaining and deeply illuminating essays and books of popular theology that revealed the shared beliefs of Christianity and explored the nature of good and evil. This collection of four of his most imaginative and intelligent works displays a scintillating brilliance that remains strikingly fresh and confirms C.S. Lewis’s reputation as one of the leading writers and thinkers of our or any age.

Collection includes:

The Problem of Pain -- read by James Simmons

The Screwtape Letters -- read by Joss Ackland

The Great Divorce -- read by Robert Whitfield

Mere Christianity -- read by Geoffrey Howard

Customer reviews

timeless truths by .. kc (SAN JOSE, CA. United States)
In a time where deep thought and contemplation of the deeper questions of existence are no longer that attractive, this work is, literally, a God sent!

CS Lewis Audio by .. A. Jun (Chicago)
PROS:
-great for the intellectual on a road trip

CONS:
-none

Would I BUY IT AGAIN:
-yes

Would I give it as a GIFT:
-yes

Wonderful listening... by .. K. Dorsey (Tulsa, OK)
I love Lewis, so of course I love these CD's. Anytime I take a roadtrip, these help me pass the time. They also sharpen my logic and my spiritual outlook. If you're even the slightest bit interested, I highly encourage this as an investment in a higher degree of listening. The voices perform the work well and clearly. It may not be good for workout music, but for what it is, it is amazing.

Deeply theological, 100% Christian by .. MarJan (Texas)
Just as the Bible, these books apply to past, present and future humanity! A very interesting incite to what we already know and need to be reminded of regularly. I will read (listen) to all of them again, as once is just not enough to grab it all! C.S.Lewis is a Master writer!

CS Lewis CD collection of 4 great books by .. Rose (Fredericksburg, VA United States)
The reading of each book was complete and well done. I had started 2 of these as books, "Mere Christianity" and "The Great Divorce", but I never seemed to find time to read them. I can listen to the CDs working around the house or in the car. "The Screwtape Letters" were great. A real reminder how clever satan is at making you think that the issue is solely yourself or others. He is called the deceiver for a very good reason. "Mere Christianity" is a very thoughtful book and one worth discussing with others (Book Club, Book study etc.) "The Great Divorce" has nothing to do with marriage, but our divorce from God and how he wants the best for us and we settle for so much less. After listening to this book you will make decisions differently. "The Problem with Pain" is intense. C.S. Lewis is indeed a critical thinker. Pain is the result of the fall from grace and about how grace restores you (much different from curing you). Each time you listen to one of these CDs you will learn more about yourself, God and your relationship with Him. If you are not certain of who God is and is satan is real these CDs will be very helpful.

Voice of the Poet: T.S. Eliot

Format : Audiobook, Unabridged Edition : Com/Bklt Release Date : 2005-03-29 Publisher : Random House Audio Voices List Price : $19.95 Amazon Price : $11.43 Used Price : $10.99

Product Description

Customer reviews

Voice of the Poet - T S Eliot by .. M. Towner (England)
this is T S Eliot's poetry as he heard it in his own mind, without "interpretation" by an actor, an unmissable experience. The recordings are archive material, so not up to modern standards, but that is a small price to pay!

Reading the peoms the way they were meant to be read. by .. Haina (Boston, MA)
This audio CD is a must-have for all fans of T. S. Eliot. Poetry is supposed to be read out loud; it is a pleasure and privilege to hear one of the greatest poets of the 20th century read his poems out loud, allowing us to hear the lines the way they were meant to be heard--and read.

This collection contains a short book with an introduction by J. D. McClatchy and the text of all the poem found on the audio CD. The CD contains 9 tracks: La Figlia Che Piange, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, Gerontion, Sweeney Among the Nightingales, The Waste Land, The Hollow Men, The Journey of the Magi, Ash-Wednesday, and East Coker. The poems are arranged in chronological order, offering insights into the development of both language and themes throughout Eliot's career.

The first track, "La Figlia Che Piange," is one of Eliot's earliest poems and explores, like much of his earlier poetry, the frustrations of a young man and thwarted love. It is a lovely short poem, full of the images that Eliot is well known for. Published at the same time (in the same volume in fact) was also "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock." One of the most well known poems, "The Love Song" is a culmination of Eliot's early poetry.

The highlight of the CD is the reading of "The Waste Land." The epic poem is the longest found in this collection, going over 25 minutes. "The Waste Land" by far is one of my personal favorites and I have read it countless of time. However, reading the poem along with this CD has allowed me to shed new meaning to this enormously difficult and marvelous poem. Eliot dramatizes his reading, allowing the dozens of narratives and narrators to come through. Spinning a multifaceted account of the deterioration of society in the early 20th century, a collage of the decay of love and fidelity, a haunting vision of the death of man and his rebirth; all shifting through time and space, drawing upon different histories and languages and cultures, all coalesced through the eyes of Tiresias. Indeed, "a heap of broken images."

"The Hollow Men" is the worst quality recording found on this CD. However it is still evocative as ever. Eliot's hypnotizing monotone, which prevails much of his readings, is exetremely effective in this case, bringing to life the hopelessness and stagnation of the hollow men.

"The Journey of the Magi" is a particularly fitting poem for December and the holiday season. It marks a progression of Eliot's poetry to more theological themes yet still picks on Eliot's fascination with death and rebirth, ending and beginnings.

"East Coker" is the second highlight of the CD. It is the last track and also one of the last poems Eliot composed before his death in 1965. "East Coker" is the second volume in his masterpiece "The Four Quartets." The poem draws upon Eliot's study into Christianity, philosophy, and mysticism. It is a deep exploration of the meaning of time and change. The poem is almost 15 minutes on the CD. Eliot's reading highlights his supreme command of the English language, his sophistication in diction, rhythm and meter. The first and last of the "East Coker" is engraved on Eliot's grave site in England as his chosen epitaph: in my beginning is my end, in my end is my beginning.

This is a well chosen collection of poems which highlights the body of Eliot's work. Hearing the poems being read by their author is a valuable experience. I definitely recommend this to anyone who reads Eliot and would like to learn more about his poetry.

Superb! by .. Demi Grammatopoulos (UK)
This was better than expected. I read a lot, esp TSE, have many cds of recorded poetry and already had recordings of his work by "specialist" or celebrity actors, most absolutely dissappointing: you get the feeling that they were going for an effect without having grasped the essences of TSE's poetry, especially wrt the Wasteland from a recorded version of which I expect a lot of specific nuances and hues. When I ordered this product, I didn't set my expectation too high, as poets, though they are the creators, are not always necessarily the best oral communicators. However, TSE was not only amazing in his delivery, pace and colour, his readings actually gave me fresh insights, in some cases revelatory. This is an absolute must for any lovers of poetry. I must add, I was quite surprised at the extent of his accent's anglification.

Excellent by .. Jeffrey R. Walker ()
You can hear The Waste Land as it was meant to be heard. T. S. Eliot's reading made the poem come alive. Be warned. Not all of the CD is high quality recordings. Some have background noise. Some are low quality. I don't think the tracks are listed anywhere, so I'll list them for you.

1. La Figlia Che Piange
2. The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
3. Gerontion
4. Sweeney Among the Nightingales
5. The Waste Land
6. The Hollow Men
7. The Journey of the Magi
8. Ash-Wednesday
9. East Coker

This is worth it for The Wate Land alone. The rest is just icing on the cake.

Just a wonderful experience. by .. Robert Townsend (Los Angeles, CA)
It is a great experience to hear the voice of this master poet.

The Chronicles of Narnia Complete 7 Volume CD Box Set (Unabridged)

Format : Audiobook, CD, Unabridged Author : C. S. Lewis Edition : Unabridged Release Date : 2004-10-26 Publisher : HarperChildrensAudio List Price : $75.00 Amazon Price : $36.00 Used Price : $35.22

Product Description

Journeys to the end of the world, fantastic creatures, and epic battles between good and evil -- what more could any reader ask for? The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe, written in 1949 by Clive Staples Lewis, had all this and more. But Lewis did not stop there. Six more books followed, and together they became known as The Chronicles of Narnia.

For the past fifty years, The Chronicles of Narnia have transcended the fantasy genre to become part of the canon of classic literature. Each of the seven books is a masterpiece, drawing the reader into a land where magic meets reality, and the result is a fictional world whose scope has fascinated generations. Now, some of the most noted actors of our times have come together to read these extra-ordinary works.

This timeless boxed set includes all seven unabridged recordings: The Magician's Nephew; The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe; The Horse And His Boy; Prince Caspian; The Voyage of The Dawn Treader; The Silver Chair; and The Last Battle. Deceptively simply and direct, The Chronicles of Narnia continue to captivate fans with adventures, characters, and truths that speak to readers of all ages, even fifty years after they were first published.

Customer reviews

Classic by .. M. DEBRUYN ()
I have always anjoyed reading the Narnia books, and when I came across this set at the price I jumped. I really love the way all of the actors and actress read each story.

Love it! by .. Maureen A. Busch (Berkley, MI)
I bought two sets. Sent one to my 29 year old daughter in New Mexico and one home to my 24 year old son. They both have enjoyed listening to the set. Well worth the money that I paid for it.

good for all ages by .. J G (Michigan)
Last summer we listened to this series in the car, by borrowing them one by one from the libary. Come Christmas time we decided to buy the set. Both the adults and kids (ages 5&7) enjoyed listening. The readers do a great job, giving differant voices to the characters. We did borrow one book in the "radio style" format. We found the radio style confusing and not as pleasent to listen to.

so much more to me than just a fantasy saga by .. Kelley Hartsell (Irving, TX)
Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

I've wanted to reread the entire Chronicles of Narnia series, back to back, for a long time and just never got around to it. When I found it in audio as a boxed set, I had to have it and it gave me the excuse I needed to revisit my childhood for a little while.

In The Magician's Nephew, we discover the origins of the wonderful land of Narnia and how Aslan the Lion brought it into being. Digory is a young boy tricked by his magician uncle into travelling to another world, where he must rescue his friend Polly who Uncle Andrew trapped there. Thus begins a grand new adventure for Polly and Digory, not all of which is enjoyable, as they jump through various worlds and see the birth of Narnia. Digory knows he caused most of the problems and will not quit until he fixes his mistakes.

It's been so many years since I read any of this series, I can't remember if I read The Magician's Nephew before or not. What a delightful story! Here we have the prequel to one of the most beloved children's books of all time. I enjoyed my foray through worlds with Digory and Polly and especially enjoyed being there when Aslan creates Narnia. I also liked getting to see the origin of the witch and how the division of good and evil in Narnia began.

In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevency are sent to live with a reclusive professor to protect them during the war. A game of hide and seek leads to a whole new world when the children discover a wooden wardrobe that is a door to Narnia. The game grows serious when they learn they are the answer to a prophecy about two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve bringing peace to the land.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is definitely the most popular book in the series and probably every single person of the past few generations has at least heard the name. This is the story that drew me into the world of Narnia and as such, it will always hold a little corner of my heart with the memories of meeting Aslan, the centaurs, the fauns, all the talking animals, and of course the infamous Pevency children.

In The Horse and His Boy, Shasta is a young orphan taken in as a baby by a fisherman and raised to work the fishing boat. When Shasta finds out his master is going to sell him to someone new, he decides to escape. While trying to figure out what to do, he discovers the horse belonging to the man wanting to buy Shasta is a talking horse from Narnia who also wants to be free. So they run away and early in their journey bump into a young girl Aravis who is also running away with Winn, her own talking horse from Narnia. Aravis and Shasta decide to journey together and find themselves in a whole mess of adventures that lead them to bump into King Edmund, Queen Susan and Queen Lucy and even the great Aslan himself.

The Horse and His Boy is first and foremost a quest novel, at least in my opinion. Here we have young Shasta who escapes his dreary life to go on the adventure of a lifetime, where he finds out there is such more to him than he ever realized. Aravis too, is trying to get away from her fears and she finds the strength to do so with Shasta at her side. She also has a tendency to speak her mind with n fear of consequences, which gets her into trouble on more than one occasion. I loved the horses, who added so much personality to the story, and experience some adventures of their own.

Centuries after Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy left Narnia they are unexpectedly called back from their world. There is a usurper ruling in Narnia and the true king, Prince Caspian calls for aid in defeating his uncle the phony king, so he can take his rightful place on the throne.

Much has changed in Narnia since the sons of Adam and the daughters of Eve disappeared. Centuries have passed in Narnia though only a little more than a year in Earth time is gone, and Prince Caspian needs their help to bring Narnia back to the way it is meant to be. I especially liked meeting one of my favorite characters, Reepecheep, in this installment of the saga. Anotehr part of this story I loved was seeing the reactions of High King Peter and his family when they realize Narnia is nothing like they remember it. Their friends are gone and their castles in ruins, but we also get to see them overcome their shock to once more step into the roles prophesized to belong to them. They've all grown up a bit and this has quite an impact on their reactions to their beloved Narnia.

Lucy and Edmund are sucked into a painting, with their cousin Eustace in tow, while visiting Eustace's family. They end up in Narnia on The Voyage of Dawn Treader, King Caspian's ship. Caspian is on a journey to the east and The End of the World in the hopes of finding several knights sent out seven years ago by Caspian's uncle, and they hope to finally reach Aslan's country.

The Voyage of Dawn Treader is actually much slower paced then the majority of the books in this series and as a result seems to take an awfully long time for the adventures to begin. Eustace is a spoiled little rich boy who finds everything he believes challenged on this sea voyage. He has to rise above his faults to become the boy he is meant to be. Anotehr nice touch is we see how much Caspian has grown up since he won the throne of Narnia from his uncle. He is destined to be a great king and here we really see this side of his personality.

Eustace Scrubbs (cousin to the Pevency children) has had a complete personality change after his first experience in Narnia. While trying to help a young girl, Jill, being bullied, they run off through a door in the stone wall and end up in the far east of the world, Aslan's country in Narnia. They have been summoned by Aslan to assist King Caspian in finding his long lost son, missing for 10 years. While on their journey they have four signs to follow that Aslan gave them and manage to mess up three of them. They get into scrape after scrape as they search for Prince Rillian and discover The Silver Chair.

Eustace is back in Narnia, quite by accident, and he has changed so much since his last experience. But then, who wouldn't be changed after what he had to go through in the previous story? We also get to visit with Caspian one last time, in the twilight of his life as king. I have loved Caspian since we met him in his first story so while I was pleased to see he had such a wonderfully blessed life, I was a little heartbroken to see him so close to the end, in agony over the disappearance of his son. I had a hard time deciding what I thought of Rillian initially, but he grew on my after a while, especially once I understood the curse he suffered.

When Shift the ape and Puzzle his donkey friend find a lion skin in the water, the ape decides it would be a great idea to dress Puzzle up in the lion skin and tell everyone Aslan has returned. When Shift gets greedy and makes a deal with the Callormens to sell the talking animals into slavery and cut down all of the dryad's trees, the real Aslan sends Eustace and Jill back to Narnia to help the king put an end to Shift's schemes with The Last Battle.

Patrick Stewart narrates this one and he does a fantastic job. He had me cracking up as he brayed like a donkey and barked like a dog, among other little bits he had to perform. The Last Battle starts a little slowly, as Shift and Puzzle put their plan into motion. But once the scheme starts to work, the pace picks up as we fly down the road into battle preparations and the final war.

For years I've heard about The Chronicles of Narnia as being a Christian allegory and the many references to similarities between Narnia beliefs and Christian beliefs. I also know there are many people who spend significant amounts of time studying the books for these Christian references. When I was little, all those hidden meanings were way over my head and the books were just adventure stories. Now that I'm older and wiser (or like to think I am anyhow), I can view the series with new eyes and pick up on many of the references. The allegorical nature of the series is most evident in The Magician's Nephew (the creation story) and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (the rising, crucifixion, and rising again of Jesus Christ) and The Last Battle (the Second Coming of Christ). The Voyage of Dawn Treader also struck me after I looked back on it, as reminding me of Noah and the Ark in some ways.

I loved the opportunity to read Chronicles of Narnia once more and enjoyed the fact that it is now so much more to me than just a fantasy saga.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, January 2008. All rights reserved.

Great Buy - Doesn't come with the books though by .. A. Starnes ()
I ordered this for my middle schooler who has a Learning Disability that prevents her from reading quickly and she has to read and test on many books a quarter to keep her grades up. The teacher said that I could suppliment with books on tape/cd. I love the Chronicles of Narnia myself and thought that she might like them too. She loves them. She would have never been able to get through one of the books by herself but she listens to them without my prompting. That is great.
One thing about this purchase was that in the picture it looked to me like it came with a set of books but it does not. I am not saying that the product was misrepresented I just didn't pay close enough attention. I had a set of books at home anyway so it was no problem.

The Silver Chair CD (Narnia)

Format : Unabridged, Audiobook Author : C. S. Lewis Edition : Unabridged Number of Pages : 6 Release Date : 2004-03-30 Publisher : HarperChildrensAudio List Price : $27.50 Amazon Price : $2.87 Used Price : $2.88

Product Description

Deep underground, a web of evil magic holds a prince in captivity.

Narnia ... where owls speak, where evil weaves a spell ... where sorcery enslaves the land.

Narnia is in peril, and only Eustace and Jill can help. Along with Puddleglum, a gloomy but valiant Marsh-wiggle, they are sent by the mighty lion Aslan to find Prince Rilian, heir to the throne. Their quest leads them past hungry people-eating Giants, and deep into the dark underground. But the true test for this noble band of friends comes when they face an evil witch and her deadly enchantments.

Performed by Jeremy Northam

Customer reviews

A Wild Magical Adventure by .. Douglas P. Murphy (Charlottesville)
This book is part of The Chronicles of Narnia and involves the children Eustace Scrubb and Jill Pole who come into Narnia through the work of Aslan while being chased by bullies at their school. Aslan charges the children with finding Prince Rilian who has disappeared years earlier and gives them four signs to help them in their quest. The fourth involves doing something in the name of Aslan. At one point they find themselves the guests of giants only to later discover that their status will change from guests to items on the menu and they make a difficult escape. The book is written simply but beautifully and is full of strange creatures to beguile and endear or to give one the creeps. Fun reading.

the Empress Strikes Back?? by .. D. COLLIER (Brownwood, TX United States)
THE SILVER CHAIR abounds with excitement, humor, and suspense. Our only returning hero this time is the reformed Eustace Clarence Scrubb from VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER. This time he brings along fellow schoolmate Jill Pole. Together, they embark upon a mission to find the son of Prince Caspian who is being held hostage by an evil enchantment, and they are aided by Puddleglum the Marshwiggle (my favorite Narnian character next to Aslan and Reepicheep). Puddleglum is something of a cross between the Scarecrow from THE WIZARD OF OZ and Eeyore from WINNIE-THE-POOH. Though resourceful and wise, he brings humor to both the best and worst situations in which our heroes find themselves.

THE SILVER CHAIR, not unlike its six companions, also abounds with Christian allegory. The chief examples would have to be the "Signs" given to Jill Pole by Aslan at the beginning of the story (which will often remind the reader of the importance of learning and memorizing Scripture), and at the end of the story blood from Aslan's paw brings...new life to a central character.

C.S. Lewis never explains to his readers whether or not the villainess in THE SILVER CHAIR, the Lady of the Green Kirtle, is a reincarnated White Witch, who made appearances also in THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE, PRINCE CASPIAN, and THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW. But we are led to believe that it is either her or someone of her ilk. Of one thing we may be quite certain: she bears as much, if not much more, evil as Jadis the White Witch, and she has both subtle and very graphic displays of sinisterity.

One very unique thing about THE SILVER CHAIR is that you never know what's going to happen next. There is a surprise around every corner of this book. And because of that, it is never boring and always a pleasure to read.

Eustace improved in this journey through fascinating lands by .. John P. Wright (Seattle)
Although Eustace was quite the annoying little bugger of a character in the 3rd book (Dawn Treader), to the extent that it made that book less enjoyable, his character showed a nice improvement in this book and showed not just personal redemption but also, frankly, made the book more tolerable.

The lands CS Lewis created in this book rival the curious islands of the 3rd book, although most of the really creative lands occur near the end of the book with the gnomes from the Land of Bism in an even lower underworld than where much of the story occurs. There is a great description by the gnomes of Bism of that land and we will have to see if the movie (in a couple of years) explores that land further than the book just to have fun with cool CGI effects. Meanwhile, the mind can imagine some pretty cool lands down under.

Be sure to notice the names of the characters and how they fit their personalities - fun little touches. To give just one example, Puddleglum is appropriate - even when he's trying to be optimistic he's "glum".

The one tough part (a caution for younger readers) is that the main human characters also have nicknames and CS Lewis goes back and forth between their real and nicknames. It confused me somewhat when first reading this book some 30 years ago, and recently rereading it I had to remember to be careful here and not think there are more main characters running around.

This 4th book in the series should be read quickly after the 3rd book - definitely not before or huge amounts of the storyline will be lost. Although the "Chronicles" is not in strict chronological order, reading this 4th book without having read the 3rd will be confusing at best.

I Enjoyed It Very Much by .. Joy (United States)
I have to admit I wasn't expecting to enjoy the read as much as I did The Magician's Nephew or The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. But honestly, I truly did enjoy the read. I had become attached to Lucy, Susan, Edmund, and Peter. But Eustace and his new friend, Jill, won me over.

I liked in the beginning how Aslan appears and sets the story, showing Jill the error of her ways. I enjoyed reading about the giants they first see and laughing about what they do. And it was quite clever of C.S. Lewis to include the lady and the knight. I guess, I wasn't quick enough to make a connection there. Then the underground people is quite neat. I was kind of scared of them, thinking they were really mean and all. But all of my quick judgements had definitely changed in the end.

I also like how some old characters from other Narnia books are brought into the story and how the connection is made. It is another book that I am glad I took the time to read. It is a nice addition to the Narnia Tales.

Thanks.

Good characterizations by .. A. Williams ()
I felt that The Silver Chair gave better character arcs to the "son and daughter of Adam and Eve" than some of the other Narnia books. The focus of the book seemed to be shared between the children, Eustace and Jill, as well as the quest - instead of focusing on the quest alone. Also, the Marsh-wiggle is a well drawn character and pretty unique from Lewis' other personalities in Narnia.
Like the other books in the series, this one continues to touch the surface of the adventures and explanations, but I felt it was more complete than some of the other books in the series. Perhaps I'm just getting more used to Lewis' writing style.
As always though we are taken to wonderful new places and meet interesting new characters, and visits from old friends are always met with a warm heart. Certain parts were somewhat sad, but most of it was happily addressed at the end.
Aslan is always very magnificent! And I found myself very much enjoying the adventures and the characters throughout the book!

J.S. Bach: Selections from Anna Magdalena's Notebook (Book & CD) (Alfred Masterwork Edition)

Author : J. S. Bach Number of Pages : 48 Publisher : Alfred Publishing Company List Price : $9.95 Amazon Price : $5.97

Product Description

Customer reviews

excellent edition by .. Chris Bystroff (Troy, NY, USA)
This is an excellent edition of Bach's simple masterpieces. The decorations are clearly spelled out on separate staffs to avoid clutter. These are great pieces for the intermediate piano student.