Audio only
The Man Who Tried to Impress Aristotle
On Becoming a Proper SubstanceBy Otto HandleyNarrated by Barry ParkLength2h 16m
About this audiobook
Edgar Blunt is an ordinary man who discovers an annotated anthology of philosophy and becomes obsessed with achieving Aristotelian virtue through rigid, literal interpretations of concepts like potentiality and the Golden Mean. Edgar’s attempts to mathematically calibrate his friendships, diet, and even his sock drawer lead to social isolation and personal paralysis. Through a series of domestic failures, Edgar eventually learns that true flourishing (eudaimonia) cannot be achieved through performance or strict calculation. The narrative suggests that wisdom is found in the messy, unobserved habits of daily existence rather than the obsessive pursuit of abstract perfection. The ultimate conclusion is that philosophy serves as a tool for living rather than a checklist for moral validation.
Audiobook details
GenreFantasy, General Fiction, Humor
Length2 hrs 16 mins
Narrated byBarry Park
FormatAudiobook
Publish dateMar 10, 2026
LanguageEnglish
More from Otto Handley
The Story of GlenOtto Handley2h 35m$15
Escape into SentienceOtto Handley5h 37m$20
The Man Who Tried to Impress G. K. ChestertonOtto Handley2h 39m$15
Sliding into SinOtto Handley8h 6m$23
The Man Who Tried to Impress Jordan PetersonOtto Handley1h 29m$10
The Wombat UltimatumOtto Handley5h 35m$20
The Four Last ThingsOtto Handley5h 56m$20
The Distress of the SharpOtto Handley4h 27m$20
A Papal EmulsificationOtto Handley5h$20
The Fryer AscendsOtto Handley3h 23m$20
Verbosity UnchainedOtto Handley7h 59m$23
Treoir Dragon Chronicles of the Belador™ World: Volume II, Books 4–6Dianna Love21h 17m$30
THE RETURN OF THE KINGJ.R.R. Tolkien21h 5m$7 · $0.00
LegendSever Bronny26h 17m$30
Flint, Book 2Treasure Hernandez4h 13m$20
The Newly Witch GameRobyn Peterman4h 39m$15
MaelstromBethany Adams17h 6m$25
WildfireIlona Andrews12h 45m$33 · $0.00
Rumo & His Miraculous AdventuresWalter Moers24h 6m$35
Demon CopperheadBarbara Kingsolver21h 3m5.0 (1)$46 · $0.00
Lolth's WarriorR. A. Salvatore13h 20m$33 · $0.00
Hell to PayMichael Anderle7h 50m$20
The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du BoisHonoree Fanonne Jeffers29h 49m$8 · $0.00
Conan the Barbarian - The Complete SeriesRobert E. Howard42h 26m$2 · $0.00
The Assassins of ThasalonLois McMaster Bujold9h 59m$20
Lola in the MirrorTrent Dalton13h 40m$33 · $0.00
Going PostalTerry Pratchett13h 36m$33 · $0.00
The Leo Tolstoy CollectionLeo Tolstoy9h 1m$12 · $0.00
Sword and ShadowMichelle Sagara16h 51m$40 · $0.00
The Skull of the WorldKate Forsyth10h 28m5.0 (1)$20
The Story of a New NameElena Ferrante19h 3m$25
Under His ProtectionB. Love5h 7m$15
Heart of IronC. M. Alongi15h 24m$30
Ethic IIAshley Antoinette9h 1m$20
RiversnowTess Thompson8h 11m$20
Supreme ClienteleAshley & JaQuavis8h 58m$20
Body Refinement in a Beast Tamer’s World, Book 1Seth Ring14h 7m$27
EmberJeffrey Wilson, Brian Andrews13h 58m$23
The Complete Works of Jane Austen (Unabridged)Jane Austen88h 8m5.0 (1)$1 · $0.00
Desperate MeasuresBrenda Jackson8h 59m5.0 (1)$28 · $0.00
Searching For ThanksgivingS.E. Smith4h 24m$20
Naughty 4Brenda Hampton7h 30m$17
The Dance with Me TrilogyShelley Shepard Gray21h 44m$35
Anne Shirley (Complete 14 Book Collection)Lucy Maud Montgomery125h 28m$2 · $0.00
The DopemanJaQuavis Coleman5h 25m$20
Sherlock Holmes: The Ultimate CollectionArthur Conan Doyle59h 49m$5 · $0.00
WhistlerAnn Patchett10h 45m4.3 (18)$29 · $0.00
Grand Opening 2Carl Weber9h 16m$20
Sons of Valor II: Violence of ActionBrian Andrews, Jeffrey Wilson12h 34m$23
Malevolent MagicMildred Abbott7h 13m$17
Bikes, Toys, and Hot BoyzGenesis Woods, Shantaé13h 9m$23
The Jeeves and Wooster Stories: The Complete Collection (33 Books)P. G. Wodehouse21h 57m$15 · $0.00
Birdie & HarlowTaylor Wolfe7h 50m$26 · $0.00
Santa's HusbandDaniel Kibblesmith, A P. Quach5m$4 · $0.00
The Facts of MidlifeRobyn Peterman4h 49m$15
Chaos in a CoupeDivya Dugar9h 18m$18 · $0.00
The Life of DaiDai Henwood, Jaquie Brown8h 2m$26 · $0.00
Poems of ParentingLoryn Brantz42m4.0 (1)$9 · $0.00
What If? 10th Anniversary EditionRandall Munroe7h 29m$23
Welcome to PawneeJim O'Heir6h 24m$24 · $0.00
Going PostalTerry Pratchett13h 36m$33 · $0.00
The Complete Chronicles of Barsetshire: (The Warden + Barchester Towers + Doctor Thorne + Framley Parsonage + The Small House at Allington + The Last Chronicle of Barset)Anthony Trollope140h 13m$1 · $0.00
Woman UninterruptedBrodie Kane7h 1m$24 · $0.00
1984 & Animal Farm (Annotated)George Orwell15h 54m$3 · $0.00
Kingsblood Royal (Annotated)Sinclair Lewis14h 42m$2 · $0.00
Hot Cowgirl Sh*tLacie Evans2h 15m$15
The Complete Novels of Mark Twain - 12 Books in One Volume (Illustrated Edition)Mark Twain154h 17m$2 · $0.00
This Is Going to HurtAdam Kay5h 47m$24 · $0.00
MAKE WAY FOR LUCIA - Complete Mapp and Lucia Series (6 Novels & 2 Short Stories)E. F. Benson60h 25m$1 · $0.00
You Will Get Through This NightDaniel Howell6h 56m$24 · $0.00
Northanger Abbey (Annotated)Jane Austen10h 7m$2 · $0.00
You may also like
The Happiness ProjectGretchen Rubin10h 16m$29 · $0.00
NeuroWisdomMark Robert Waldman, Chris Manning PhD7h 47m$17
The Dry ChallengeHilary Sheinbaum5h 16m$24 · $0.00
How to Live on 24 Hours a DayArnold Bennett1h 33m$12 · $0.00
HOW TO STOP WORRYING & START LIVINGDale Carnegie13h 6m$1 · $0.00
When the Heart WaitsSue Monk Kidd6h 56m$24 · $0.00
Swayam Ki AwaazPrem Rawat8h 34m$26 · $0.00
How to Develop Your Personal Mission StatementStephen R Covey1h 13m$23 · $0.00
The Achievement HabitBernard Roth7h 23m$24 · $0.00
Unlocking Potential: Becoming the Best Version of YourselfMark Cosmo32m$10 · $0.00
We Post Spotify Songs on Instagram Stories Because We Don't Know How to Talk About Our FeelingsRICE media12m$9 · $0.00
It's Not Just About the RibbonsJane Savoie6h 58m$20 · $0.00
Simple StepsLisa Lelas, Linda McClintock, Beverly Zingarella6h 46m$17 · $0.00
Life as CelebrationOSHO1h 24m$6 · $0.00
Success AffirmationsJack Canfield4h 42m$20
How to Get What You Want (Annotated)Wallace D. Wattles1h 24m$2 · $0.00
Life on the BridgeKaelynn Partlow5h 40m$24 · $0.00
How and How Not to Be HappyJ. Budziszewski6h 40m$17 · $0.00
Eat Your AgeIan K. Smith6h 4m$7 · $0.00
Nuggets of the New ThoughtWilliam Walker4h 16m$3.50 · $0.00