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Bartleby, the Scrivener

A Story of Wall Street

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
This is a short story about a lawyer with offices on Wall Street in New York City. He runs an advertisement for a scrivener, or professional copyist, for his office and Bartleby responds to his advertisement and comes to work for the lawyer. At first Bartleby appears to be a competent worker, but later he refuses to work when requested, repeatedly uttering the phrase "I would prefer not to." As Bartleby's behavior escalates, the lawyer is confronted with how he will handle and respond to this bizarre behavior. In 2001, the story was adapted into a movie titled "Bartleby".
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  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      January 27, 2014
      When the nameless narrator—an elderly Manhattan attorney—hired another scrivener named Bartleby, he hoped the new employee would have a positive effect on scriveners Nippers and Turkey. However, Bartleby’s curious tendencies and obstinate attitude plagued and confounded the narrator. Lackey turns in a workmanlike performance in this audio edition of Melville’s famous story. His emphasis and delivery will keep listeners engaged, and he lends distinctive voices to the characters. His rendering of Bartlebly’s famous repeated line, “I would prefer not to,” captures the matter-of-fact delivery emphasized in the text. However, Lackey’s voice sounds a bit too young for story’s narrator. Still, this is an enjoyable take on the classic tale.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:1040
  • Text Difficulty:6-8

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