The Life and Death of Tom Thumb the Great: Free Audiobook and Listening Guide

The Life and Death of Tom Thumb the Great, credited to Henry Fielding, is available as a LibriVox volunteer audiobook. This guide identifies the recording, its source summary and its audio tracks.

About the work

The LibriVox catalogue summary, preserved with the recording, reads:

LibriVox recording of The Life and Death of Tom Thumb the Great by Henry Fielding. Read in English by TriciaG; Matthew Reece; ToddHW; Alan Mapstone; Sonia; Linda Olsen Fitak; MichaelMaggs; Adrian Stephens; Andrew James; David Purdy; Tomas Peter; Devorah Allen; Pier; Jenn Broda; Shreya Sethi; Wayne Cooke; Andrew Gaunce Tom Thumb, small of stature, great of heart. This play was written as a parody of the tragic heroic biography of a great man, filled with biting satire as to people and events of the time. Note as warned by the title that this is not a happy-ending fairy tale. (Follow the etext link to see how the script is full of fictitious supposedly real researchy footnotes by "H. Scriblerus Secundus" providing fake references to the events and allusions of the play.) Supposedly Jane Austen put on a family performance of this play. - Summary by ToddHW Cast list: King Arthur, a passionate sort of king, husband to queen Dollallolla, of whom he stands a little in fear; father to Huncamunca, whom he is very fond of, and in love with Glumdalca: ToddHW Tom Thumb the Great, a little hero with a great soul, something violent in his temper, which is a little abated by his love for Huncamunca: Matthew Reece Ghost of Gaffer Thumb, a whimsical sort of ghost: Andrew Gaunce Lord Grizzle, extremely zealous for the liberty of the subject, very cholerick in his temper, and in love with Huncamunca: Alan Mapstone Merlin, a conjurer, and in some sort father to Tom Thumb: Wayne Cooke Noodle, courtier in place, and consequently of that party that is uppermost: Andrew James Doodle, courtier in place, and consequently of that party that is uppermost: Adrian Stephens Foodle, a courtier that is out of place, and consequently of that party that is undermost: Linda Olsen Fitak Bailiff of the party of the plaintiff: Pier Follower of the party of the plaintiff: Tomas Peter Parson, of the side of the church: David Purdy Queen Dollallolla, wife to king Arthur, and mother to Huncamunca, a woman intirely faultless, saving that she is a little given to drink, a little too much a virago towards her husband, and in love with Tom Thumb: Sonia The Princess Huncamunca, daughter to their majesties king Arthur and queen Dollallolla, of a very sweet, gentle, and amorous disposition, equally in love with Lord Grizzle and Tom Thumb, and desirous to be married to them both: Jenn Broda Glumdalca, of the giants, a captive queen, beloved by the king, but in love with Tom Thumb: TriciaG Cleora, maid of honour in love with Noodle: Devorah Allen Mustacha, maid of honour in love with Doodle: Shreya Sethi Stage Directions: MichaelMaggs Editing: ToddHW

Recording facts

• Recording title: The Life and Death of Tom Thumb the Great
• Author credits: Henry Fielding
• Language: English
• Original MP3 tracks: 3
• Listed recording duration: 1:19:56

Catalogue topics

• satire
• small people
• performed by jane austen

Track guide

1. 01 - Act 1 — 37:04
2. 02 - Act 2 — 23:18
3. 03 - Act 3 — 19:34

Listen to this recording

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Source and rights

This is a record from LibriVox's official Internet Archive collection, with a public-domain licence recorded in its metadata. LibriVox's policy includes its catalogue summaries as well as its recordings. Its public-domain assessment follows United States law; copyright status can differ elsewhere. The summary and track facts are reproduced and reformatted from that record. Dates attached to the archive upload are not treated as original book publication dates.