A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor (audiobook)

Join me for a performance of Flannery O'Connor's short story "A Good Man is Hard to Find." A free audiobook-style narration. A full discussion of the story can be found at • Discussion: A Good Man... .
NOTE: This story is about a racist character who occasionally uses racial slurs including the “n-word." Her racism is important to the story. There will be no sound or video in the spots that are most offensive.
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[@xoJezzyBellyxo]

Thank you for recording this! I have ADHD and it makes it very hard for me to read my assignments in class and I loved how clear the audio was!

[@HannahsBooks]

Thank you so much! I am so glad it was useful to you. Flannery O’Connor was from such an oral culture that her stories really lend themselves to audio!

[@xoJezzyBellyxo]

@@HannahsBooks I really enjoyed it. I took care of a retired American lit professor 4 years ago who had me read this story at his kitchen table. Last week, I wrote a creative non fiction piece about this patient and cherishing my time with him and learning what I learned from him. At the time I could not remember the name of the story he had me read, but I remembered that it was dark. Ill be damned if not a week later we are reading this story in my class.

[@ellessehargreaves7024]

It’s the same for me!

[@ajschykerynec3911]

Same

[@GumdropSugar]

Me too!!

[@dcgirl83]

Thanks for your recording of this. It's easy to understand, read at the right speed, and neither over nor under enunciated. And it helps that you have a nice voice 😊. This ought to be the first reading that comes up when the title is searched!

[@HannahsBooks]

Thank you very much! What a nice comment!

[@DrNancyLivingCoCreatively]

Agree. I have listened elsewhere. ♥️

[@trevormathews6831]

Agreed!

[@ABloodyEyeFull]

On Slide Inn Road - Stephen King's short story brought me here dedicated to Flannery, both brilliant!

[@HannahsBooks]

I haven’t read the King story. Thanks for the recommendation!

[@ABloodyEyeFull]

@@HannahsBooks Read very well nice voice, enjoyed listning!

[@HannahsBooks]

@@ABloodyEyeFull Thank you!

[@ABloodyEyeFull]

Would be interested to hear your opinion of On Slide Inn Road, maybe you could do a reading if you like it!

[@jeanastone6866]

I love the southern gothic writers such as Flannery. This is a great book. In that era the n word and worse are a part of history. Albeit it’s easier to read the words rather than hearing it out loud. Thanks for putting this out there for us. I’ve smashed the sub button. ❤❤❤❤❤

[@HannahsBooks]

Thank you so much!

[@leighannwhitley2646]

I’ve been meaning to read this for years now. With working 2 jobs and having 2 kids and a husband and housework and so on and so on, I hadn’t had the time to sit and read it. I absolutely love your recording and I love it that you’re looking at me while I listen to you. Almost like it’s you’re story. Thank you

[@HannahsBooks]

Thank you so much! I’m glad you liked the reading. FO’C is one of my favorite short story writers!

[@lidyaramirez8218]

I loved the recording. I was able to read the story and hear the audio and understand everything. Usually I have a hard time reading silently and out loud but you made this 1000% better for me thank you!

[@HannahsBooks]

Thank you very much! I am so glad you enjoyed it.

[@timmy18135]

This reading is so timeless

[@HannahsBooks]

💜

[@krzysamm7095]

Well, that was depressing to say the least. I must admit that Grandma got on my nerves but didn’t expect that. Thank you for the story

[@HannahsBooks]

Southern gothic so frequently combines a certain amount of humor, something that looks like evil, and also great empathy. Just wild-and this might be her most brutal.

[@ArielMaldonado-cp6jq]

your reading voice is amazing!!!

[@HannahsBooks]

Thank you so much!

[@harrisonhicks6853]

this is a very pleasant reading! it’s more like you’re recalling the story, telling a friend in casual conversation. it feels very comfortable, despite the subject matter. you have a great talent for story telling :)

[@HannahsBooks]

Thank you very much!

[@HP0529]

Phenomenal. Thanks so much for this. If I closed my eyes, I could imagine being in the story myself.

[@HannahsBooks]

Thank you so much!

[@rileycallaham]

I love your readings, I listen to them for my English Literature class! It’s very helpful

[@HannahsBooks]

Thank you! I’m so thrilled to hear that students enjoy these readings of such wonderful stories!

[@samanthalynch3910]

You have a beautiful reading voice. Thank you for this! 🙏🏽

[@HannahsBooks]

Thank you so much!

[@matthewscully2475]

Excellent reading. Thank you

[@HannahsBooks]

Thank you!

[@irjeco]

I searched though many videos before I found you!!! Perfect voice, speed, and east to understand!! Thank you so much

[@HannahsBooks]

Thank you so much, Irving!

[@lukebusch934]

Thank you so much for reading this! I'm listening to it for my class on it in an hour and a half 😅. God bless you!

[@HannahsBooks]

Thank you! I hope the class goes well!

[@kennedicrawford8019]

here again for another southern gothic lit reading! amazing as always😊

[@HannahsBooks]

Thank you so much! It is so lovely to see these very kind comments!

[@jellyfish2668]

You are such a slay queen for the editing out of the slurs. I appreciate your reading so much. Have a wonderful day! ❤

[@HannahsBooks]

Thank you so much, Jellyfish! I’ve never been called a slay queen before!

[@spyder2383]

You're hilarious, don't Google picaninny.

[@fandyus4125]

Thank you for your service.

[@HannahsBooks]

🤓Absolutely my pleasure.

[@dwightkschrute80]

Very nicely done. I love Flannery O'Connor's writing style. Very unique with funny, eccentric characters. Again, good job on reading this story.

[@HannahsBooks]

Thank you so much, Dwight! She’s such a fantastic writer. A real favorite of mine.

[@hayleyjones3234]

I am studying this drama piece now. tam so glad I found your video. just perfect. I read there story but when I istened to you it brought it all back by hearing it. thank you

[@HannahsBooks]

Thank you very much, Hayley!

[@kamicastillo1451]

That was incredible Hannah! I haven't ever read any of her books before. You did such a great job! Thank you for the introduction to this Author 😊

[@HannahsBooks]

Thank you so much, Kami!

[@rosebud829]

thank you soooo much for this!!! i have such a hard time retaining information when i read by myself and this was the only (goooood) video i could find god bless

[@HannahsBooks]

Thank you so much!

[@jamesfleming6315]

You have a fantastic voice. My ENG200 students have been encouraged to use your recording as a supplement to their reading. I also like to use your voice as a model in my COM101 Public Speaking course. Thanks for the quality of your recording and the quality of your speaking. We need more talented women's voices like yours. You capture the tone of this writing (in your interpretation) in a credible and pleasing way.

[@HannahsBooks]

I am so flattered! Thank you for letting me know your students are using it. What an honor. I was just thinking about making a few more story videos--perhaps one of Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" or perhaps some Poe. Any recommendations? I had been thinking of these stories as performances for my booktube friends, but I definitely would be happy to record a few that you think might be useful for students. Any thoughts on stories that might be widely assigned?

[@brettb205]

@@HannahsBooks Not the same person as the original commenter, but my Eng102 class has used both this story and "A Rose for Emily". I would like to add one vote to that story for everyone who takes this class after me! I appreciate that you made this and with all the effort that you clearly put in!

[@HannahsBooks]

@@brettb205 Wonderful! I am planning to record “Everything that Rises Must Converge” in early March but might try “A Rose for Emily shortly afterwards. Thank you so much for your encouragement.

[@rtiid22]

I had to read this for college 7yrs ago, but til this day I’m still wondering what the heck we were supposed to learn from it.

[@HannahsBooks]

You might check out my discussion video, linked to in the description box.

[@Fawn-mn3zv]

Beautifully read.🌹

[@HannahsBooks]

Thank you!

[@davidklopcic5518]

this a great reading of this story! the one my teacher sent us was recorded by the writer but her accent is hard to understand so finding this is a lifesaver!

[@HannahsBooks]

I am so glad it works for you! Thanks for telling me.

[@thepiewasgood8643]

Thank you ma’am for the reading

[@HannahsBooks]

🤓Thank you!

[@rvguts]

this helped me focus on the story for an assignment i have :D tysm for this !!

[@HannahsBooks]

Excellent! F’OC grew up in a culture rooted in the oral tradition, so it seems perfect for a read-aloud!

[@graham6132]

Good performance. I find many amateurs (non-professional actors) provide better readings of texts like this because they don't try to embellish the accents or emphasize different character voices. It's not about the performer, it's about the text. It's not a play.

[@HannahsBooks]

Thanks. I thought my own southern accent was probably quite enough!

[@graham6132]

@@HannahsBooks Spot on! You can really notice the oral tradition of the American South in her writing, going back to, and culminating in, Mark Twain, whose texts (even his non-fiction) almost seem to beg to be performed.

[@babyhunty]

I love your reading voice. I came here for an assignment and ended up wanting to subscribe to get in some gently read books.

[@HannahsBooks]

Thank you so much! And welcome. I'll warn you that most of my videos are me talking about what I've just read rather than me reading stories aloud. But if you do subscribe, you can keep your eye out for any video filmed in front of the gray barn, which will always be story. (I think I am going to film a new Flannery O'Connor story during October, and I have a couple of other stories lined up, too--probably just one story a month.)

[@glendaw5221]

This is so interesting. I was assigned this story in English Lit 101 and did not know the author was anyone famous. I absolutely hated the story and could not figure out why on earth I was forced to read such a horribly sad story. But I’ve never forgotten it and of course have come to realize it’s well-known. I’m still thinking I don’t want to re-read it although I have to admit it’s tempting with you narrating it. You have a lovely voice. PS I forgot to mention that I’m 72 and took English Lit at 19.

[@HannahsBooks]

Thank you so much! What a wonderful comment! I think the story has a lot of power despite its wildly disturbing plot!

[@AidanRKelly]

It's a story of grace and hope despite its brutality.

[@glendaw5221]

@@AidanRKelly I didn’t see the hope and grace in my 20’s. Maybe I would now but I’m doubtful. Maybe I’ll reread.

[@AidanRKelly]

It's subtle but definitely there. The story shows how God works in the darkest places, even drawing good from horrible atrocities. And often times we have to be shaken to our core, to hit rock bottom, to have a gun pointed at us or even to point the gun, to be open to real change ("she would of been a good woman if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life"). O'Connor loves to showcase moments of initial conversion/grace/redemption in the lives of broken and wicked individuals. These moments are not often full 180's, or complete arcs. It's highly extraordinary for somebody to change entirely from sinner to saint in one moment, so O'Connor doesn't seem so interested in that. IMO the crux of the redemption of both the Misfit and the grandmother revolves around the grandmother's last words/gesture. I don't want to rob you of the fun of illuminating the story's meaning, though, so I'll leave it at that.

[@glendaw5221]

@@AidanRKelly oh man you’ve just given me an excellent reason to listen to it narrated. I am a solid believer in God, redemption and grace but at 19-20 I so totally missed that in the story. I’m going to listen tonight! Thank you!

[@weesas]

Wow! What a treat, I've loved O'Connor's writing since I studied it in high school. I read along with you, her work never seems to lose it's impact. Thank you :)

[@HannahsBooks]

Sarah Flynn I too really love to read and reread O’Connor. She really seems to grow and change with me.

[@audreyh7892]

You did a wonderful job with this. I love your voice. That said, I listened to it on the way to work and was like “well, that was uplifting”.

[@HannahsBooks]

Thank you. Yes, she is not exactly an uplifting writer! When you are in the mood, try our Flannery O'Connor's short story "Everything that Rises Must Converge." I have a reading of it on my channel, and there are lots of free copies of it online otherwise, too. Really an interesting story--but really not any more uplifting...

[@paullarge7152]

Cathedral by Raymond Carver would sound great with your Southern accent.

[@HannahsBooks]

Ooh, great idea! Thanks!

[@ragej3832]

Thanks Hannah

[@HannahsBooks]

🤗

[@azukipaisen]

A lovely reading of a brilliant work by one of America's greatest authors. P.S. Has anyone ever told you that you look like the Girl with a Pearl Earring?

[@HannahsBooks]

Aww… thank you so much!

[@julietaperez4091]

Thank you so much for this excellent reading!

[@HannahsBooks]

Thank you so much! Flannery O'Connor is such an interesting writer!

[@traymonte5306]

Thanks bro

[@HannahsBooks]

😎

[@ellessehargreaves7024]

Thank you for reading this to me.

[@HannahsBooks]

Thank you so much! FO’C is such an interesting writer!

[@emilykrahn3185]

Enjoyed this. you have a very nice reading voice. I wonder what you're looking at in order to read this? Are you looking at a big-screen somewhere?

[@HannahsBooks]

Thank you very much. Yes, I practice and practice so I have the words under my tongue, but I have my computer available with the words showing in big letters as I read, for all the moments when I forget what comes next!

[@solitaryvibes2332]

Did not expect that ending ngl

[@HannahsBooks]

It is a surprise, isn’t it? O’Connor often has these transformative moments at the ends of her stories-but few are as intense as this one!

[@janetmario]

OH WMY WOOOORD!!! Wow!!!!

[@HannahsBooks]

An amazing story, isn’t it?

[@janetmario]

Your reading is exactly how this story should be read. Thank you!!@@HannahsBooks

[@HannahsBooks]

@@janetmario Thank you very much, Janet! That is very kind of you. I have a couple of other audio-book style readings on this channel if you’re interested.

[@janetmario]

Oh yes!! You had me at the first line. I've subscribed. @@HannahsBooks

[@HannahsBooks]

@@janetmario Welcome! I’ll warn you that most of what I do here is to talk about books I’ve been reading. I will totally understand if the channel as a whole is not what you are looking for!

[@erikj2738]

Grandma got 'em killed. She had no clue.

[@HannahsBooks]

Yep. I think Flannery O'Connor tries to open her eyes a bit right at the very end!

[@erikj2738]

@@HannahsBooks there is hope for us all

[@tilly.]

Wow. I'm reading this for English class. I enjoyed your reading but what in the world does this story mean? It's confounding...

[@HannahsBooks]

It is a bit confounding, isn't it? I do have a video analyzing it, but there are still so much to think about!

[@tasiah.6402]

Thank you for the time and effort you put into this. I really appreciate the warning for use of slurs and definitely appreciate not having to hear the n-word just to do my homework. It was a wonderful reading.

[@HannahsBooks]

Thank you very much. It is a powerful story and FoC used the word deliberately, but it is really, really hard to hear.

[@DrNancyLivingCoCreatively]

I had naively not seen as racist but an observer.

[@HannahsBooks]

You mean the author’s perspective? I agree with you!

[@DrNancyLivingCoCreatively]

@@HannahsBooks yes Flannery. I remember a short story of a Black man looking over a fence at a bull and she talking with. I see her as someone we might now call a mystic as she saw deeper

[@greatbigmeat4769]

Thank you for not saying the N word :D

[@emilykrahn3185]

Wow. How sad.

[@HannahsBooks]

It is a heartbreaking story--especially seeing her start to make the connection right at the very end...

[@pennycoyote3855]

...an Mae West said a hard man is good to find😊

[@HannahsBooks]

Someone reminded me of this line very recently-a line I had not thought about in years!

[@barblessable]

Story should not cut the the racist words ,this was the ignorance of that time and place ,lest we forget , sorry need to hear it in full .

[@HannahsBooks]

I hear you. I thought about the issue a lot, and have had some interesting conversations along the lines you are talking about with some of the other commenters below. Thanks for sharing your input.

[@barblessable]

@@HannahsBooks you are welcome Hannah ,I like your voice and the way you read but young people need to know that racist and sexist language was used by many best selling authors ,shocking as that is it should not be hidden ot "whitewashed".

[@unknowngirlul2344]

Well you know there’s a racial slur there it doesn’t need to be mentioned.

[@mares3841]

It wouldn't be available here if it had been included.

[@Gagging4Lit]

So glad and grateful that you narrated this. Your voice is perfect for audiobooks such as this this

[@HannahsBooks]

Thank you so much, Edd. Hearing the words aloud in today's world feels so different than reading them within context. I very much appreciate your words. I felt quite uneasy about how I should handle it, and am thrilled that this approach worked for you.

[@Gagging4Lit]

@@HannahsBooks you are welcome x and yes it worked wonderfully 😘

[@gpart]

thank u for censoring urself! appriciate that

[@HannahsBooks]

Thank you for your support.

[@justmistic8007]

6:34 why did u have to change to a red and black background with "racial slur"? it scared me 😦

[@HannahsBooks]

Ha! I just “muted” the light when I was editing. So sorry for the spookiness.

[@Danaluni59]

A hard R is hard to hear, at least these days.

[@KanyeWestwasRight]

they made this poor sweet woman say the N word hahaha, great story

[@roderickfernandez5382]

If I'm reading a book I Don't a bear space where bad words are and if I'm listening to a book I don't want there to be a blank space where the beds were are this is supposed to be for grown-ups intelligent people if Niger is an important word in the book it shouldn't be taken out. And what right do you have to censor batteries work

[@HannahsBooks]

I have such mixed feelings about this issue. I guess I would prefer for young people to be exposed to the story knowing what the author really wrote (and why) rather than having it replaced without their knowledge. I intended this reading for both “grown-up intelligent people” (as you say) and young readers first encountering FO’C.

[@AmmoGus1]

Nooooo not the n-word :( that word is so scary :( it makes me sad :(

[@JCloyd-ys1fm]

Censorship is wrong. And it busts up the flow of the story.

[@HannahsBooks]

I agree with you up to a point. It felt very important to me not to just secretly excise the word from the text of the story (which is what many books and audios do). Yet I felt that if the word were said, young readers would almost certainly not read the story or listen to the audio. And yes, I agree that my choice interrupts the flow. I wish I had come up with a better solution. Thanks for your comment.

[@hannahfitch8977]

Part of what makes the word so offensive is the fact that people like the grandmother said it offhandedly. I doubt Flannery O’Connor put it in there without thought.

[@pedroneruda]

Great read, however, the act of censoring the author's use of the word 'negro' troubles me greatly. Art should not be censored. Censorship represses expression. If we allow this, future editions of renowned works will eliminate any word deemed offensive, regardless of its context or non-offensive usage as seen in this particular work. The potentially offensive words had already been pre-warned, so there was no need to censor or remove them from the original text.

[@HannahsBooks]

Thank you for your comment. I hear you about censorship! But the word I replaced was not “negro”-as you quote in your comment. The word I visibly cut would keep this incredible story from being read. If I had chosen to replace it here instead with a choice like negro, as you do, I feel I would be enacting censorship so intensely that people would not even know that I had made the change.

[@pedroneruda]

«Oh look at the cute little pickaninny!" she said and pointed to a Negro child standing in the door of a shack». This is the sentence. You said «[…] pointed to a child […]». It is not relevant which word is censored, but the act itself. No one has the authority to correct/suppress/change a word used by a great writer who lived in a different historical period. Readers must make an effort to understand the historical period and why she used that word. Removing it only does serious damage to the culture. And for what? To attract more listeners? More likes? We must learn to be more cultured, to understand the nuances of words, and to understand why an author has used them (this is crucial for a better understanding of history). So, with regard to Shakespeare, for example The Merchant of Venice, which is about a bad Jew (politically incorrect to include such a character), what should we do? Censor the word Jew? Or throw out the poem so that even the most conservative Jews can read it? To repeat, editing an author's original text is censorship, according to the dictionary: 'the suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc. that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat to security'. And censorship is the stuff of bad times.

[@michaelrodi8257]

I completely agree with your view on the matter. Art is about taking a subjective view on things. There is an immense difference between saying that a word is offensive to personally finding a word offensive. Things worsen when one will take “personal” liberty in modifying one’s words in order to accommodate their personal feelings. Imagine taking a painting by a famous artist and modifying it just because we don’t agree with a particular aspect. Furthermore, it’s all about context… everything appears logical and homogeneous within its context, after all, we possess the freedom of not having to look or listen to something if we find it offensive, but dare no one instruct others how to talk, express or think!

[@HannahsBooks]

Thank you. We disagree about this issue, I’m afraid. For me, not speaking a word aloud (esp the “n-word” in this story) is quite different from removing the word from formal publication. I fully agree with you that we need to appreciate why authors (and their different specific characters) use particular language. I disagree, however, that inflammatory language spoken aloud in a presentation mostly for high schoolers and college students-who are just starting to learn about the historicity of both language and ideology, and who are also learning about the difference between a prejudiced character and a prejudiced author-would help them learn those lessons. Learning to appreciate the story with the full knowledge that the usage is there seems to me to be a way to introduce this very way of thinking. I understand that you would make other choices.

[@michaelrodi8257]

@@HannahsBooks the problem kicks in when one uses such a word, and is racist.

[@brianjames4169]

But a HARD man is GOOD to fi………that’ll be all!!!

[@HannahsBooks]

I have not heard anyone say that in so long! Thanks for the chuckle.