The Altar of the Dead cover art

The Altar of the Dead

Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 months free
Try for £0.00
£8.99/mo thereafter. Renews automatically. Terms apply. Offer ends 31 July 2025 at 23:59 GMT.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.

The Altar of the Dead

By: Henry James
Narrated by: Jim Killavey
Try for £0.00

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Offer ends 31 July 2025 23:59 GMT. Cancel monthly.

Buy Now for £9.99

Buy Now for £9.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

The Altar of the Dead was first published in the collection Terminations in 1895. It is a fable of life and death significance which explores what happens when a man tries to keep the remembrance of his dead friends, to save them from being forgotten entirely in the rush of everyday events. He meets a woman who shares his ideals, only to find that the past places what seems to be an impassable barrier between them. Although James was not a religious man, at least in the conventional sense, this story shows a deep spirituality in its treatment of mortality and the transcendent power of unselfish love. Critics have generally rated this tale very high among James' works, with some calling it a "glorious fable," "magnificently written," and "one of his finest." James himself proudly placed the story at the head of volume 17 of the New York Edition (1907 - 09) of his fiction, before even "The Beast in the Jungle". The tale also appeared in a number of later anthologies.Public Domain (P)1986 Jimcin Recordings Classics Fantasy Fiction Historical

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Beast in the Jungle cover art
The Spoils of Poynton cover art
The Other House cover art
The Aspern Papers cover art
The Tragic Muse cover art
The Novel of The Black Seal cover art
The Leavenworth Case cover art
Shadows of Ecstasy: A Novel cover art
The Marble Faun cover art
The Bostonians cover art
The Ultimate Gothic Horror Collection: Novels and Stories from Edgar Allan Poe; Bram Stoker, Henry James, Mary Shelley, Oscar Wilde; and More cover art
The Ambassadors cover art
The Wings of the Dove cover art
The Blithedale Romance cover art
Descent into Hell cover art
The Initiate cover art
No reviews yet