Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Preview

£0.00 for first 30 days

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

The Altar of the Dead

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

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £9.99

Buy Now for £9.99

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.

Summary

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
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

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

What listeners say about The Altar of the Dead

Average customer ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.