Audiobooks Like Beautiful Ruins

10 audiobooks for fans of Beautiful Ruins

1. 1

   

   The Best Short Stories 2024: The O. Henry Prize Winners

   by Amor Towles, Jenny Minton Quigley, Emma Binder, Michele Mari, Brad Felver, Morris Collins, Jai Chakrabarti, Amber Caron, Francisco González, Caroline Kim, Katherine D. Stutzman, Juliana Leite, Kate DiCamillo, Colin Barrett, Robin Romm, Allegra Goodman, Dave Eggers, E.K. Ota, Tom Crewe, Madeline Ffitch, Jess Walter, Allegra Hyde, Brian Robert Moore, Zoë Perry

   Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini, Kristen DiMercurio, Blair Young, Sean Patrick Hopkins, Vikas Adam, Helen Laser, Johnny Rey Diaz, Jeena Yi, Jason Culp, Annette Amelia Oliveira, Dylan Moore, Alana Kerr Collins, Full Cast

   Edoardo Ballerini's nuanced narration brings the same literary sophistication to these award-winning short stories, several of which—including a piece by Jess Walter himself—share the intricate plotting and emotional depth of *Beautiful Ruins*. The collection's mystery-driven narratives maintain that balance of elegance and intrigue that makes the audiobook format feel like settling in with a master storyteller.

   ★ 3.79 ABR Score (1.2K ratings)

   ★ 4.13 Goodreads (1.2K) ★ 4.26 Audible (34)

   13h 56m listening time • Released 2024

   Twenty prize-winning stories with a stellar ensemble cast means you get a different narrator's voice for each gem—perfect for dipping in or binging, and the variety keeps every story feeling fresh.

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2. 2

   

   Martin Eden

   by Jack London

   Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini

   ★ 4.17 ABR Score (56.2K ratings)

   ★ 4.48 Goodreads (56.1K) ★ 4.61 Audible (56)

   14h 7m listening time • Released 2020

   Ballerini's measured, introspective performance captures the raw hunger of a working-class man clawing toward literary success—turning London's ambitious novel into a quietly devastating character study about the cost of ambition.

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3. 3

   

   Table for Two

   Rules of Civility #1.5 incl'd

   by Amor Towles

   Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini, J. Smith-Cameron

   Edoardo Ballerini's masterful narration brings the same richly layered storytelling and atmospheric depth to *Table for Two*, creating an equally immersive listening experience that weaves together mystery and human connection across time and place. Both novels explore the complexities of relationships and secrets with elegant prose and intricate plots that reward close attention, making them perfect companions for listeners seeking sophisticated narratives.

   ★ 4.36 ABR Score (73.6K ratings)

   ★ 4.19 Goodreads (71.8K) ★ 4.6 Audible (1.8K)

   13h 23m listening time • Released 2024

   Towles' short stories showcase his gift for moral complexity and sharp wit, while Ballerini and Smith-Cameron's dual narration transforms each tale into an intimate conversation that catches you off guard.

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4. 4

   

   Playground

   by Richard Powers

   Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini, Robin Siegerman, Eunice Wong, Pun Bandhu, Krys Janae, Kevin R Free

   ★ 4.24 ABR Score (47.6K ratings)

   ★ 4.14 Goodreads (46.5K) ★ 4.53 Audible (1.1K)

   13h 51m listening time • Released 2024

   Richard Powers orchestrates four interconnected lives with a cast of narrators who each bring devastating specificity to their characters, turning a sprawling mystery into something that feels like overhearing four truths at once.

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5. 5

   

   The Divine Comedy

   La Divina Commedia #1-3 • Book 1

   by Dante Alighieri

   Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini

   ★ 4.08 ABR Score (176.2K ratings)

   ★ 4.09 Goodreads (174.4K) ★ 4.25 Audible (1.8K)

   14h 38m listening time • Released 2013

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6. 6

   

   Long Island Compromise

   by Taffy Brodesser-Akner

   Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini, Taffy Brodesser-Akner

   ★ 3.90 ABR Score (48.6K ratings)

   ★ 3.75 Goodreads (47.9K) ★ 4.28 Audible (674)

   15h 23m listening time • Released 2024

   Brodesser-Akner's dual narration with Ballerini cuts between family members wrestling with old trauma, making each voice a distinct conscience arguing with the others—it's the audio format doing the psychological heavy lifting that prose alone couldn't.

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7. 7

   

   The Aeneid

   by Virgil, Scott McGill, Susannah Wright, Emily Wilson

   Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini, Emily Wilson

   ★ 3.89 ABR Score (144.9K ratings)

   ★ 3.88 Goodreads (144.8K) ★ 4.71 Audible (21)

   12h 36m listening time • Released 2025

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8. 8

   

   The Storyteller

   by Jodi Picoult

   Narrated by Mozhan Marno, Jennifer Ikeda, Edoardo Ballerini, Suzanne Toren, Fred Berman

   ★ 4.57 ABR Score (299.1K ratings)

   ★ 4.3 Goodreads (278.1K) ★ 4.61 Audible (21.0K)

   18h 13m listening time • Released 2013

   Multiple narrators bring genuine depth to this emotional story about complicity and forgiveness—each voice makes you feel like you're hearing a different person's truth.

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9. 9

   

   I Must Betray You

   by Ruta Sepetys

   Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini, Ruta Sepetys

   ★ 4.56 ABR Score (103.0K ratings)

   ★ 4.4 Goodreads (101.3K) ★ 4.77 Audible (1.7K)

   7h 10m listening time • Released 2022

   Ballerini's dual narration captures the suffocating paranoia of Cold War Romania so viscerally you'll feel the weight of every impossible choice Cristian makes. A gripping true-stakes thriller about resistance that refuses easy heroics.

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10. 10

    

    Caligula and Three Other Plays

    by Albert Camus, Alyssa Bresnahan, Edoardo Ballerini, John Skelley, Michael Braun, Ryan Bloom - translator

    Narrated by Alyssa Bresnahan, Edoardo Ballerini, Michael Braun, John Skelley

    ★ 4.07 ABR Score (2.6K ratings)

    ★ 4.07 Goodreads (2.6K)

    10h 27m listening time • Released 2025

    Camus's philosophical plays hit harder when performed aloud—these four narrators make the absurdist arguments feel like arguments between real people, not just ideas on a page.

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