Adventures Among Books

Adventures Among Books by Andrew Lang opens a lively doorway into the pleasures and politics of literary taste, offering a veteran critic’s keen recollections and cultural sleights of hand. Lang’s collected essays, first appearing in late 19th-century periodicals, form a readable history of reading that blends memoir, criticism, and anecdote. Listeners will find essays on Robert Louis Stevenson and other literary friends, close readings of Smollett and Nathaniel Hawthorne, reflections on Mrs. Radcliffe’s novels, William Morris’s poetry, and even The Confessions of Saint Augustine. Lang ranges from the mechanics of storytelling and the place of the supernatural in fiction to lighter pieces—“Enchanted Cigarettes,” “Paris and Helen,” and notes on psychical research—illuminating how stories shape public taste. His voice is personal but erudite: conversational, witty, and rooted in the Victorian-Edwardian literary scene. Ideal for lovers of literary history, bibliophiles, and students of criticism, this audiobook is a charming companion for anyone curious about how books make us who we are. Listen for thoughtful context, memorable portraits of writers, and a spirited defense of bookishness.