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Roderick Hudson by Henry James

The mid-nineteenth century presented a distinct cultural friction for American travelers seeking artistic enlightenment in Europe. Henry James navigated…

Roderick Hudson by Henry James
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Runtime: 13 hr 21 min · Watch the full audiobook on YouTube · Subscribe to Ion Books

The mid-nineteenth century presented a distinct cultural friction for American travelers seeking artistic enlightenment in Europe. Henry James navigated this tension with remarkable precision in *Roderick Hudson*, his first major novel, which explores the perilous gap between romantic idealism and moral responsibility. The narrative follows a gifted sculptor whose journey from a quiet Massachusetts town to the vibrant chaos of Rome serves as a crucible for his talents and his temperament. James uses this transatlantic movement to examine how environment shapes character, contrasting the restrained pragmatism of New England with the seductive, often corrupting allure of European sophistication. This work stands as an early masterclass in psychological realism, where the true drama unfolds not in external events but in the subtle shifts of perception and desire. The characters navigate complex webs of patronage, loyalty, and unspoken affection, revealing the human cost of pursuing beauty without ethical grounding. As you read alongside the recording, observe how James employs setting as a mirror for internal conflict.

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Public domain & narration

Roderick Hudson was first published in 1875. Works first published before 1931 are in the public domain in the United States, so the text is free to read, share and adapt. The edition shown here comes from Project Gutenberg, which publishes only books that are in the US public domain.

The narration is the LibriVox recording read by Nicholas Clifford (1930-2019). LibriVox volunteers dedicate their recordings to the public domain.

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Chapters

  1. Chapter I, Part A (32:21) · watch
  2. Chapter I, Part B (29:59) · watch
  3. Chapter II, Part A (33:14) · watch
  4. Chapter II, Part B (34:50) · watch
  5. Chapter III, Part A (35:30) · watch
  6. Chapter III, Part B (35:15) · watch
  7. Chapter IV, Part A (36:47) · watch
  8. Chapter IV, Part B (27:08) · watch
  9. Chapter V Part A (35:00) · watch
  10. Chapter V, Part B (32:01) · watch
  11. Chapter VI, Part A (31:16) · watch
  12. Chapter VI, Part B (28:11) · watch
  13. Chapter VII, Part A (32:38) · watch
  14. Chapter VII, Part B (21:27) · watch
  15. Chapter VIII (46:49) · watch
  16. Chapter IX, Part A (24:21) · watch
  17. Chapter IX, Part B (24:59) · watch
  18. Chapter X, Part A (27:30) · watch
  19. Chapter X, Part B (29:18) · watch
  20. Chapter X, Part C (29:36) · watch
  21. Chapter XI, Part A (37:48) · watch
  22. Chapter XI, Part B (35:13) · watch
  23. Chapter XII, Part A (25:12) · watch
  24. Chapter XII, Part B (27:39) · watch
  25. Chapter XIII (47:25) · watch

Full text

This work is too long to show on one page. Read it on Project Gutenberg · download ebook.txt

Sources

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