Essays and Dialogues
Giacomo Leopardi
Play
Length 7 h 55 min
Chapters 33
First published 1882
"We would no more choose to feed the minds of our countrymen and women with the despairing utterances of the pessimist poet, than we would their bodies with hasheesh. Such melancholy as his clothed in such eloquent words may be the luxury of the idle; it is poison to those who have work to do in the world. It shuts out hope, the very spring of energy; it makes the cheerful steady pursuit of duty a thing utterly beyond human powers. For we can none of us stand alone. Either in human or divine love we must find the mainspring of all life worth living. There must be something outside of ourselves which we regard not with despair, but with hope." -- Handwritten dedication in the book, dated Feb. 19th, 1883
Chapters
1
Biographical Sketch, part 1 Read by Mary J 26:37
2
Biographical Sketch, part 2 Read by Mary J 23:24
3
History of the Human Race Read by Jia Jia Yong 27:39
4
Dialogue between Hercules and Atlas Read by chocmuse and 1 other 6:55
5
Dialogue between Fashion and Death Read by Beth Thomas (1974-2020) and 1 other 6:29
6
Price Competition Announced by the Academy of Sillographs Read by Crln Yldz Ksr 10:47
7
Dialogue between a Goblin and a Gnome Read by Peter Tucker and 1 other 7:46
8
Dialogue between Malambruno and Farfarello Read by Zeeshan Reshamwala 6:55
9
Dialogue between Nature and a Soul Read by Beth Thomas (1974-2020) and 1 other 6:50
10
Dialogue between the Earth and the Moon Read by Availle and 1 other 14:17
11
The Wager of Prometheus Read by Linda Dodge 23:24
12
Dialogue between a Natural Philosopher and a Metaphysician Read by Beth Thomas (1974-2020) 10:50
13
Dialogue between Tasso and his Familiar Spirit Read by Rapunzelina and 1 other 12:59
14
Dialogue between Nature and an Icelander Read by Rapunzelina and 1 other 14:34
15
Parini on Glory, Chapters I-III Read by Mary J 14:19
16
Parini on Glory, Chapters IV-VI Read by Mary J 12:32
17
Parini on Glory, Chapters VII-IX Read by Mary J 14:20
18
Parini on Glory, Chapters X-XII Read by Mary J 8:37
19
Dialogue between Frederic Ruysch and his Mummies Read by ToddHW 14:00
20
Remarkable Sayings of Philip Ottonieri, Chapters I-III Read by Peter Tucker 23:13
21
Remarkable Sayings of Philip Ottonieri, Chapters IV-VII Read by Peter Tucker 23:59
22
Dialogue between Christopher Columbus and Pietro Gutierrez Read by Zeeshan Reshamwala 11:19
23
Panegyric of Birds Read by Eric Metzler 15:03
24
The Song of the Wild Cock Read by Eric Metzler 10:31
25
Dialogue between Timandro and Eleandro Read by Rapunzelina and 1 other 17:39
26
Copernicus, Scene I Read by Julia Niedermaier and 1 other 8:58
27
Copernicus, Scene II Read by Mary J 1:39
28
Copernicus, Scene III Read by Rapunzelina and 1 other 2:22
29
Copernicus, Scene IV Read by Mary J and 1 other 9:38
30
Dialogue between an Almanac Seller and a Passer-by Read by Zeeshan Reshamwala 4:40
31
Dialogue between Plotinus and Porphyrius Read by Linda Dodge 36:56
32
Comparison of the Last Words of Marcus Brutus and Theophrastus Read by Eric Metzler 19:37
33
Dialogue between Tristano and a Friend Read by Linda Dodge 25:54
From LibriVox, read by volunteers and in the public domain. LibriVox page (opens librivox.org) , the text (opens archive.org) , all files on the Internet Archive (opens archive.org) .
