Washington Square Audiobook By Henry James cover art

Washington Square

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Washington Square

By: Henry James
Narrated by: Jennifer Ehle
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Buy for $17.00

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The battle between a father and a daughter is usually portrayed in literature as a struggle between a headstrong but feisty girl and a tradition-bound lead weight of a father. Henry James, of course, had to do it somewhat differently.

He tells a story of an intelligent man riding the turn of the tide in mid-19th-century New York and watching what he sees as his numbingly dull and conventional daughter making the mistake of her life in her choice of husband.

The fight between these two delicious characters makes this one of James' funniest and most enjoyable of novels, with the suspense carried right up until the last moment as to how the contest will end.

Public Domain (P)2008 Silksoundbooks Limited Classics
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Would you listen to Washington Square again? Why?

No, I wouldn't. The dynamic between the characters is clear and I didn't find subtleties in the plot or the characters to draw me back. And the narrator, Jennifer Ehle, was tremendously disappointing. She spoke as if she had never heard English spoken. It was almost as if she had never heard a human language spoken. The inflections were mannered and odd words emphasized. I loved her performance in Pride and Prejudice, so I hoped for an enjoyable listen, but instead it was simply painful.

Disappointed in narrator

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outstanding in every way! Henry James created the best characters in Catherine, Morris, and Mrs. Penniman. Bravo for strong, independent women like Catherine! The narrator was superb!

very satisfying; superb narration

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ms. ehle is a brilliant reader and actress and the story is a great one.

perfect reading and superb story.

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I had wanted to read Washington Square for years, and in idly looking at audiobooks I found there was a narration available by Jennifer Ehle, best known as Elizabeth Bennet in the 1995 Pride and Prejudice. I'm an Austen fan and Ehle as narrator, in addition to this being touted as "Henry James for those who don't like Henry James" and the most Austen-like of his novels, sold me on listening. Ehle reads a little more quickly than other readers I've heard, but I got used to her pace fast, and what really sells me on her reading is how expressive she is. The later scenes, several of which depict Catherine in misery, are emotionally read. And Ehle's voice for spinster aunt Mrs. Penniman is perfectly delightful. As long as the listener can keep pace with Ehle's slightly quicker reading or doesn't mind slowing the speed manually, I would definitely recommend this title, even to those on the fence about liking Henry James' work.

Expressive reading of a sad story

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I am a film fan and have been drawn to books that have turned into great movies. In this case , 'The Heiress', with Olivia de Haviland, Montgomery Clift, Ralph Richardson, and Miriam Hopkins. 'Washington Square' is excellent--- a chilling story that may be painful to anyone who suffered a domineering parent. Jennifer Ehlw's reading is understated, which is appropriate to Henry James' tone. It's fascinating to see how William Wyler changed plot elements to make it work as a film.

chilling story

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