The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists

Preview

Failed to add items

Sorry, we are unable to add the item because your shopping cart is already at capacity.

Add to basket failed.

Please try again later

Add to wishlist failed.

Please try again later

Remove from wishlist failed.

Please try again later

Adding to library failed

Please try again

Follow podcast failed

Unfollow podcast failed

Audible Standard 30-day free trial

Try Standard free

Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection.

Listen to your selected audiobooks as long as you're a member.

Get unlimited access to bingeable podcasts.

Standard auto renews for £5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists

By: Robert Tressell

Narrated by: Tony Robinson

Try Standard free

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £12.39

About this listen

There is no other novel quite like The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists. George Orwell called it "a wonderful book"; its readers have become a living part of its remarkable history.

Tressell's novel is about survival on the underside of the Edwardian Twilight, about exploitative employment when the only safety nets are charity, workhouse, and grave. Following the fortunes of a group of painters and decorators and their families, and the attempts to rouse their political will by the Socialist visionary Frank Owen, the audiobook is both a highly entertaining story and a passionate appeal for a fairer way of life. It asks questions that are still being asked today: why do yourwages bear no relation to the value of your work? Why do fat cats get richer when you don't? Tressell's answers are "The Great Money Trick" and the "philanthropy" of an unenlightened workforce, who give away their rights and aspirations to a decent life so freely.

Intellectually enlightening, deeply moving, and gloriously funny (complete with exploding clergyman), The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists is a book that changes lives.

Robert TressellTony RobinsonCSA Word

Classics

Funny

Classics Funny

Critic reviews

"A brilliant and very funny book." ( The Spectator)

Most relevant

Either I have just wasted five hours or I've just save 20 hours. I can't make my mind up which. This is an abridged version of the novel, so without knowing the full version I don't know whether this is the 'best bits' or just the socialist manifesto extracted from it. The choice of Tony Robinson narrating works on one level, he has the right voice for the character, but my association of him with Baldrick did put me off as at times it was as if Baldrick was explaining one of his cunning plans. I don't know who the narrator for Barrington was, but having a second narrator come in 3/4 the way through didn't work for me and the voice didn't fit. I found it hard to pick up the story in between the lengthy socialist tracts, so overall I felt that this version may not have done the full book justice. On the other hand, if the full book is just a lengthier version of this, I'm glad I save the extra 20 hours involved in listening to it!