Audiobook Sample
Listen to the sample to experience the story.
Please wait while we verify your browser...
- Title: Glimpses of the Moon
- Author: Edith Wharton
- Narrator: Elizabeth Klett
- Length: 16:46:00
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 01/01/2016
- Publisher: LibriVox
- Genre: Romance, Historical Romance
- ISBN13: SABLIB9781813
There’s something deliciously subversive about listening to Edith Wharton’s 1922 social satire “Glimpses of the Moon” while scrolling through modern relationship takes on TikTok. This free LibriVox audiobook, narrated with razor-sharp precision by Elizabeth Klett, gave me that electrifying feeling I chase in both literature and digital storytelling – when a century-old text vibrates with contemporary relevance.
“The Audio Alchemy”
Klett’s narration is a masterclass in restrained irony. She captures Susy’s calculated charm in honeyed tones that gradually reveal brittleness, while Nick’s voice carries an appealing roughness that makes his moral awakening believable. The way she subtly shifts between American and European accents creates an audible map of the social climbing central to the story. This performance reminded me why I launched my ‘Future of Stories’ podcast – to celebrate how voice artists can add dimensions even Wharton might not have imagined.
“A Marriage Algorithm from 1922”
Nick and Susy’s ‘open marriage’ arrangement – trading their attractiveness for access to wealthy circles – plays like a proto-influencer partnership. Their transactional relationship mirrors what I’ve observed in digital creator collaborations: carefully negotiated terms, performance metrics (here it’s villa invitations rather than engagement rates), and that creeping realization that emotional ROI isn’t spreadsheet-friendly. Wharton’s genius lies in showing how their spreadsheet cracks under the weight of authentic feeling.
“Cultural Echoes”
Preparing this review, I kept flashing back to my viral TikTok series analyzing “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo”. Both stories reveal how societal structures commodify relationships, but where Taylor Jenkins Reid’s characters weaponize the system, Wharton’s protagonists get crushed by it. The audiobook format makes these parallels pop – hearing Susy’s social calculations delivered aloud underscores how contemporary ‘strategic personal branding’ really is.
“Audio-Specific Revelations”
Wharton’s luxurious descriptions of European settings become immersive through Klett’s pacing. She lingers on tactile details – the rustle of silk, clink of champagne glasses – creating an ASMR-like effect that highlights the emptiness beneath the glamour. This reminded me of my “Project Hail Mary” audio experiment, where sound design transformed my understanding of the story. Here, the absence of elaborate sound effects focuses attention on Wharton’s language and Klett’s interpretive choices.
“Why This Free Audiobook Deserves Your Earbuds”
1. “Social Media Parallels”: The characters’ performance of happiness anticipates our curated Instagram lives
2. “Narrator Nuance”: Klett finds vulnerability in even the most calculating characters
3. “Bite-Sized Wisdom”: Perfect for listening during your commute with startling insights that linger
4. “Historical Fascination”: A portal into 1920s social experiments with eerie modern echoes
“The Verdict”
While not Wharton’s most famous work, this audiobook reveals why she’s the original influencer culture critic. The free LibriVox production (bless them for making classics accessible) does justice to the text without fancy production flourishes. It’s like discovering a perfectly preserved flapper dress that somehow fits our digital age perfectly.
For fellow story nerds who geek out about narrative craft, this audiobook offers a masterclass in how voice performance can illuminate social satire. And for my BookTok community – imagine this as the sophisticated ancestor of all those ‘marriage of convenience’ romances we dissect, with Wharton’s scalpel-sharp commentary cutting through the tropes.
Stay story-curious, keep those earbuds charged, and slide into my DMs with your hottest Wharton takes! ✨ #AudiobookAlchemy
Sophie Bennett
