A Journal of the Plague Year
Daniel Defoe
Read by Denny Sayers (d. 2015)
The novel is a fictionalised account of one man's experiences of the year 1665, in which the Great Plague struck the city of London. The book is told roughly chronologically, though without sections or chapter headings. (12 hr 4 min)
Chapters
| Part 1 | 36:32 | Read by Denny Sayers (d. 2015) |
| Part 2 | 32:27 | Read by Denny Sayers (d. 2015) |
| Part 3 | 27:34 | Read by Denny Sayers (d. 2015) |
| Part 4 | 32:57 | Read by Denny Sayers (d. 2015) |
| Part 5 | 31:14 | Read by Denny Sayers (d. 2015) |
| Part 6 | 33:31 | Read by Denny Sayers (d. 2015) |
| Part 7 | 28:57 | Read by Denny Sayers (d. 2015) |
| Part 8 | 23:28 | Read by Denny Sayers (d. 2015) |
| Part 9 | 27:47 | Read by Denny Sayers (d. 2015) |
| Part 10 | 23:20 | Read by Denny Sayers (d. 2015) |
| Part 11 | 28:50 | Read by Denny Sayers (d. 2015) |
| Part 12 | 21:09 | Read by Denny Sayers (d. 2015) |
| Part 13 | 32:21 | Read by Denny Sayers (d. 2015) |
| Part 14 | 35:30 | Read by Denny Sayers (d. 2015) |
| Part 15 | 25:32 | Read by Denny Sayers (d. 2015) |
| Part 16 | 31:07 | Read by Denny Sayers (d. 2015) |
| Part 17 | 31:22 | Read by Denny Sayers (d. 2015) |
| Part 18 | 29:12 | Read by Denny Sayers (d. 2015) |
| Part 19 | 26:24 | Read by Denny Sayers (d. 2015) |
| Part 20 | 33:12 | Read by Denny Sayers (d. 2015) |
| Part 21 | 27:17 | Read by Denny Sayers (d. 2015) |
| Part 22 | 23:59 | Read by Denny Sayers (d. 2015) |
| Part 23 | 26:56 | Read by Denny Sayers (d. 2015) |
| Part 24 | 31:23 | Read by Denny Sayers (d. 2015) |
| Part 25 | 23:03 | Read by Denny Sayers (d. 2015) |
Reviews
Hair raising read
Maria
It's hard to pinpoint what this work is - the consensus is this is a work of historical fiction, though I read sonewhere that it was speculated that Defoe may have based it off a diary left behind by a relative, since Defoe was too young to have actually made record of the plague year. None the less, the account is riveting and in some respects, profoundly moving and gut wrenching as Defoe details the human costs of the plague. in particular, it was hard to listen to the account of a man who watches his wife and children succumb to the plague and be buried in a pit, to truly grasp the devastation. we have strange ifeas about how hardened people in the past must have been, but I conclude this is not the case at all. Pain is fresh and personal through any age, and Defoe, though writing from anither age, still manages to paint an account that highlights rhis very human struggle of surviving in this world. Well worth the read.
JMDinOKC
The “Journal” in the title says it all: There was a time (and it still may be the case) when a journalism curriculum invariably started with this book, which, although it was written well after the events it describes, has long been considered the first work of true journalism in English. As for the reviewers who characterize this narrative as harrowing: Well, you sort of have to expect that when you pick up a book with “plague year” in the title. The reader in this LibriVox version starts out sounding terrible, but surprisingly, his voice and delivery grow on you.
wow
A. Freeman Wood
what a dreadful tale. I have listened to this twice. I cannot help but think of Jeremiah or The Book of Lamentations in comparison. as in the later, there is also a message of hope in the former. extremely informative and inspiring. the tale shows the best and worst of mankind and all that lies in between. the reader did a phenomenal job and is my favorite on LibriVox.
Did not complete chapters in certain ones so only got part of story
great version
Chloe
Excellent narration. Very informative and engaging.