The Mule-Bone (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. A Harlem Renaissance Comedy of Southern Black Folklore, Vernacular Wit, and Community JusticeBy Zora Neale Hurston
Length3h 3m
About this audiobook
The Mule-Bone, more commonly known as Mule Bone: A Comedy of Negro Life, is a vibrant dramatic work rooted in African American folk culture, vernacular wit, and communal performance. Set in a Southern Black town, it turns a quarrel between two friends into a comic exploration of rivalry, justice, courtship, and public storytelling. Its style blends theatrical farce, folk sermon, blues-inflected dialogue, and the porch-talk traditions central to the Harlem Renaissance's recovery of Black expressive forms. Zora Neale Hurston brought to the play her deep knowledge of Southern folklore, anthropology, and oral tradition, shaped by her Eatonville, Florida upbringing and her fieldwork among Black communities. Though the work is famously associated with her collaboration—and later conflict—with Langston Hughes, Hurston's distinctive ear for speech, ritual, humor, and cultural self-definition is unmistakable throughout its dramatic texture. Readers interested in African American drama, modernist experimentation, or the literary legacy of the Harlem Renaissance will find The Mule-Bone richly rewarding. It is especially recommended for those who value literature that preserves communal voice without condescension, transforming everyday conflict into artful comedy and cultural testimony.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- An Author Biography reveals milestones in the author's life, illuminating the personal insights behind the text.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★★ 3.7 (417)
Includes Goodreads
GenreLiterary Classics
Length3 hrs 3 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateMay 19, 2020
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
7ACT I
2Introduction
8ACT TWO
3Synopsis
9Analysis
4Historical Context
10Reflection
5Author Biography
11Memorable Quotes
Show all chaptersShow less
6CHARACTERS
More from Zora Neale Hurston
Their Eyes Were Watching God (Annotated)Zora Neale Hurston7h 56m4.2 (468.9K)$2 · $0.00
Their Eyes Were Watching God (Annotated)Zora Neale Hurston8h 2m4.2 (16.3K)$2 · $0.00
Three Plays (Annotated)Zora Neale Hurston1h 46m$2 · $0.00
Their Eyes Were Watching GodZora Neale Hurston7h 38m4.2 (463.4K)$1 · $0.00
The Mule-BoneZora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes2h 41m3.8 (781)$1 · $0.00
The Mule-BoneZora Neale Hurston1h 26m3.9 (732)$1 · $0.00
Their Eyes Were Watching GodZora Neale Hurston7h 45m4.2 (481.1K)$2 · $0.00
Dust Tracks on a Road: AutobiographyZora Neale Hurston8h 53m4.1 (8.6K)$2 · $0.00
The Mule-BoneZora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes1h 38m3.9 (689)$1.99 · $0.00
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee12h 18m4.5 (7.4M)$29 · $0.00
These Precious DaysAnn Patchett11h 14m4.5 (45.2K)$29 · $0.00
The Great Gatsby: Original 1925 Edition (An F. Scott Fitzgerald Classic NovelFrancis Scott Fitzgerald4h 45m4.6 (9.3K)$18 · $0.00
The Complete Histories / History Plays of William Shakespeare (Annotated)William Shakespeare29h 42m4.6 (2.3K)$1.99 · $0.00
Braving the TruthRachel Held Evans11h 31m4.7 (359)$29 · $0.00
The Old Man and the Sea (Annotated)Ernest Hemingway4h 27m4.6 (1.4K)$2 · $0.00
Twelfth Night (The Unabridged Play) + The Classic Biography (Annotated)William Shakespeare, Sidney Lee16h 38m4.6 (1.4K)$2 · $0.00
Henry V (The Play, Historical Background and Analysis of the Character in the Play)William Shakespeare, William Hazlitt8h 40m4.6 (1.3K)$1 · $0.00
H. P. LOVECRAFT Ultimate Collection: Novellas, Short Stories, Poetry & Essays (Annotated)H. P. Lovecraft12h 28m4.6 (2.3K)$2 · $0.00
Time RegainedMarcel Proust15h 54m4.5 (10.6K)$2 · $0.00
TORAH - Bilingual Edition: English/Hebrew (Annotated)Max Margolis, JPS28h 26m4.6 (1K)$2 · $0.00
Betty Crocker picture cooky bookBetty Crocker, Inc. General Mills2h 13m4.5 (6.5K)$1 · $0.00
The Complete Tales of Beatrix PotterBeatrix Potter3h 36m4.5 (75K)$3 · $0.00
Crime and Punishment (The Unabridged Garnett Translation) (Annotated)Fyodor Dostoevsky24h 25m4.5 (15.4K)$1.99 · $0.00
The North American IndianEdward S. Curtis, Frederick Webb Hodge6h4.5 (1.2K)$2 · $0.00
The Picture of Dorian Gray: The Uncensored 13 Chapter Version + The Revised 20 Chapter Version (Annotated)Oscar Wilde16h 12m4.5 (2.8K)$1.99 · $0.00
Grimoire Of The Everyday WitchIsadora Lys / Virginia Santos5h 35m4.5 (3.9K)$9 · $0.00
Winnie-the-PoohAlan Alexander Milne2h 52m4.5 (401.1K)$3 · $0.00
Sitting PrettyRebekah Taussig7h 33m4.5 (18.9K)$26 · $0.00
The Poetic Edda & The Prose EddaSnorri Sturluson, Saemund Sigfusson9h 34m4.5 (4K)$1 · $0.00
You may also like
MAPP AND LUCIA SERIES – Complete Make Way For Lucia Collection: 6 Novels & 2 Short Stories In One VolumeE. F. Benson60h 34m4.4 (1.4K)$1 · $0.00
The Clicking of CuthbertP. G. Wodehouse6h 58m4.1 (3.5K)$2.30
The Complete WorksRobert Burns44h 25m4.4 (549)$1 · $0.00
The Satires, Epistles, and Art of Poetry of HoraceHorace6h 1m4.2 (1.3K)$1 · $0.00
Hot WaterP. G. Wodehouse7h 16m4.1 (3.4K)$17
Miss MappEdward Frederic Benson10h 6m4.1 (3.7K)$1 · $0.00
No One Writes to the Colonel, and Other StoriesGabriel García Márquez5h 46m4.0 (17.9K)$17
The Mule-BoneZora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes2h 41m3.8 (781)$1 · $0.00
The Mule-BoneZora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes1h 38m3.9 (689)$1.99 · $0.00
New ComediesLady Gregory3h 45m$2 · $0.00
John Bull's Other IslandGeorge Bernard Shaw4h 12m3.7 (671)$2.30
Blooming Mayhem A Harrogate Flower Show FiascoAdrian Raistrick1h 21m5.0 (2) Only with Ultra
The Mule-BoneZora Neale Hurston1h 26m3.9 (732)$1 · $0.00
The Puddleford Papers; Or, Humors of the WestHenry Hiram Riley7h 13m$2 · $0.00
More E. K. MeansE. K. Means8h 59m$2 · $0.00
Mr. Dooley in Peace and in WarFinley Peter Dunne5h 24m3.1 (28)$1 · $0.00
A Change of AirAnthony Hope6h 37m3.4 (64)$2.30
The Fables of PhaedrusPhaedrus4h 22m3.8 (458)Free
Ladies Almanack (Annotated)Djuna Barnes2h 34m3.6 (547)$1.99 · $0.00
Three Plays (Annotated)Zora Neale Hurston1h 46m$2 · $0.00