Their Eyes Were Watching God
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from Wish List failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Buy Now for $21.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Ruby Dee
About this listen
This poetic, graceful love story, rooted in Black folk traditions and steeped in mythic realism, celebrates boldly and brilliantly African-American culture and heritage. And in a powerful, mesmerizing narrative, it pays quiet tribute to a Black woman who, though constricted by the times, still demanded to be heard.
Originally published in 1937 and long out of print, the book was reissued in 1975 and nearly three decades later Their Eyes Were Watching God is considered a seminal novel in American fiction.
©1937 Zora Neale Hurston, Renewed 1965 John C. Hurston and Joel Hurston (P)1997, 2000, 2004 HarperCollins PublishersCritic Reviews
"For readers who know Hurston's work, this program will be a joy; for those who are lucky and wise enough to discover her here, it will be an exceptional experience." (AudioFile)
What listeners say about Their Eyes Were Watching God
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Louisa Russell
- 18-01-2023
Beautiful observed
Beautiful recounted - a moving tale told with great care and emotion. Excellent narration thank you
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance2 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Milos
- 31-08-2020
Wonderful book, but the performance is challenging
This is an important book, with a rich and deep story - I can’t recommend it enough.
Unfortunately the performance doesn't match the delicate and patient work of Zora Neale Hurston in telling Janie's story.
It's disappointing the narrator chose to perform most of the female characters in a kind of simpering, childish voice, which especially undermines the impact of Janie. It's hard to get past.
Secondly, even the slightest hint of elevated emotion on page is turned into Shakespearean drama, most of the time employing vocal fry techniques to deliver a 'shaky' emotional voice, that are way too harsh for the task - the effect is jarring, and the subtle workings of the author become a kind of audio pantomime.
There is an entire section during one of the narrative climaxes where the performance is so over-the-top, in terms of both volume and intensity, that it becomes comical, in a profoundly uncomfortable way.
An audiobook is not a radio play, the performance should blend into the story, and, in a way, disappear into it. The opposite happens here.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful