NEWARK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Audible Inc., the world’s largest seller and producer of downloadable audiobooks and other spoken-word entertainment, today announced the release of Stanley Tucci’s performance of The Man on the Mountaintop. An inspiring fable that illuminates the human search for happiness as it explores issues of alcoholism and depression, The Man On The Mountaintop tells the tale of an elderly, unassuming holy man who lives in a hermitage on top of a mountain and the visits he receives from thousands of pilgrims who wait for days and weeks for a short audience with him. Structured as a series of self-contained vignettes and life lessons, the recording is adapted from Susan Trott’s novel, The Holy Man.
Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actor Tucci (The Hunger Games, The Devil Wears Prada, Beauty & The Beast) leads a full cast that includes Golden Globe nominee Toby Jones (Sherlock [BBC], Harry Potter, Hunger Games).
“There’s something uniquely compelling about the way this story explores the darker side of human nature, unearthing a compelling truth about mankind in the process,” said Tucci. “Much like Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist it blends parable, myth and morality with powerful and thought-provoking storytelling – it’s a thoroughly enjoyable listen.”
“The tradition of oral storytelling is at the heart of the human experience, and The Man on the Mountaintop brings that tradition vividly to life,” said Audible Chief Content Officer Andy Gaies. “Stanley Tucci and Toby Jones, alongside a phenomenal cast, have created a profound listening experience through this inspirational and witty modern-day fable. We hope our members enjoy it as much as we have.”
With a 30-day membership trial at Audible, new listeners can enjoy any one audiobook, including this performance of The Man on the Mountaintop, free.
In addition to Tucci and Jones, among the acclaimed performers who have narrated works of literature for Audible are Nick Offerman, Zachary Quinto, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Lily Collins, Emma Thompson, James Franco, and Jesse Eisenberg. Audible Studios has won a Grammy Award, for its production of Janis Ian’s memoir Society’s Child, and has also been recognized with the Audie Award for Audiobook of the Year, for Colin Firth’s performance of Graham Greene’s The End of the Affair. Audible invented and commercialized the first digital audio player in 1997, and has since been at the forefront of the explosively growing audiobook download segment. In 2016, Audible members downloaded an average of more than 17 books over the course of the year. More than half of new Audible members are first-time audiobook buyers.
ABOUT AUDIBLE, INC.
Audible, Inc., an Amazon.com, Inc. subsidiary (NASDAQ:AMZN), is the leading provider of premium digital spoken audio content, offering customers a new way to enhance and enrich their lives every day. Audible was created to unleash the emotive music in language and the habituating power and utility of verbal expression. Audible content includes more than 375,000 audio programs from leading audiobook publishers, broadcasters, entertainers, magazine and newspaper publishers, and business information providers. Audible is also the provider of spoken-word audio products for Apple’s iTunes Store.