What are your top two (or three) recommendations for 'best written works to be read aloud'?
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Do you mean as a public poetry reading or a story as a storyteller or to children?
Any and all of James Thurber is wonderful to read aloud. And funny.
Childrens books. I love the "dealing with dragons" books, i forget the author. Also a wrinkle in time.
And David Sedaris.
Top Rec: Haroon and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie
i don't know about "best" but i was listening to Ender's Game (orson scott card) driving back from LA yesterday and it was captivating
for the pure joy of hearing words together, any of Rumi's poetry is wonderful - for plot and story, the Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy is amazing out loud.
I really like listening to Harry Potter books, especially for long car rides.
If you are looking for books on tape, those that are read by Brits usually sound more elegant than American readers..If you are talking about reading yourself as reader, it would depend on yr skills and yr audience. Joyce's Ulysesses would be a challenge, ditto any of the Booker, Nobel Lit. Prize books and some of the Pulizers.
I'm a big fan of Elizabeth Bishop. But William Blake ain't too bad either.
Jeanette Winterson's _Written on the Body_ is fantastic when read aloud. (also when read silently, but especially gorgeous when read aloud.)
For poetry, I love "The Arkansas Testament" by Derek Walcott. Especially "Light of the World". The translations of Anna Akhmatova's poems by Stanley Kunitz also makes for amazing reading aloud.
Anything by e e cummings
Incidents of Travel in Egypt, Arabia Petraea, and the Holy Land - john lloyd stevens
Any of Twain's short pieces.
I'm not sure what makes things good to be read aloud. The best American short work that was intended to be read aloud is The Gettysburg Address. If you haven't read it in some time, or only know it by reputation, it's worth reading it again. It really is incredible.
a cricket in times square, the poetry of anne sexton, anything amos oz ever wrote, neruda.
David Sedaris stories.
and The People Could Fly
our parents read us the Lord of the Rings series and the Hobbit to great success
Douglas Adams is 10 times funnier when heard.
James Thurber short stories (and he has lots of them) are wonderful and funny and a joy to read aloud.
Ernest Hemingway’s Old Man and the Sea. I read it aloud to my 8 year old and he was captivated
Wrinkle in time trilogy, Shel silverstein, and Dr Suess as well as any children’s classic story such as any Pooh bear or Fairy tale kind of story
Hitchiker’s Guide for teens and adults, it just invites imagination and the ability to accept alternative realities while holding your interest with unexpected humor.
For children-The Secret Garden. I still remember my teacher reading it several pages at a time. We never wanted her to stop.
Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede
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