Thérèse Raquin

By: Emile Zola

Narrated by: Kate Winslet

Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

Once upon a time, a teenaged Kate Winslet (The Reader, Titanic, Revolutionary Road) received a gift that would leave a lasting impression: a copy of Emile Zola’s classic Thérèse Raquin. Six Academy Award nominations and one Best Actress award later, she steps behind the microphone to perform this haunting classic of passion and disaster.

Thérèse Raquin is the story of a young woman forced into an unhappy marriage to her dull, sickly cousin and smothered by her overbearing aunt. When her husband’s childhood friend enters her life, it leads to a torrid affair that sets her spirit free for the first time, but with shattering consequences. Steeped in the atmosphere of 19th-century France and with a darkly rich foreboding, it is a story that brings out the best of its narrator’s incomparable talents.

“It is challenging, and it’s a heck of a lot of fun as well”, said Ms. Winslet of the recording experience. "As a listener, being able to tune out and be taken into another world, an atmosphere, an environment that is being created entirely for you by somebody else’s voice is really a wonderful, magical thing.”

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Public Domain (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Kate Winslet reads as though she is relishing every morsel of the drama…She clearly loves the book, and her pleasure in the text is infectious…she grabs listeners and doesn’t let go.” (AudioFile)

Kate Winslet is pure narrative genius!

Had I not the pleasure of listening to the talented voice of Miss Winslet, I might not have loved this story as much having only read it on my own. The woman had me transfixed & her ability to create absolute differences of voice & bring each character to life, is unlike any other. What an absolute pleasure it was to enjoy her telling of such a story... I am only sad to see it end... THANK YOU, AUDIBLE!!

The Reader

Would you consider the audio edition of Thérèse Raquin to be better than the print version?

Yes for sure silly, you added Kate Winslet!

What other book might you compare Thérèse Raquin to and why?

Camille, Lady of the Camellias, inspiration of many art forms by Dumas.

Which scene was your favorite?

Whem Kate Winslet describes taking the potion of a man that says she must before he takes it and how much he disguts her with hts filth!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, seven hours takes me two sittings.

Any additional comments?

Splendid Kate Winslet, the reader being thriller of stage and screen now fills rooms, the whole house actually, her grand voice it flies precise occuping each word of the classic story, with amazon at the mooring. Thank You! lol

Ok Story

Listening to Kate Winslet read to you for seven hours is delicious. I just wish it was a different story. This one was okay. I think it would have been better as a quick read. It seemed to drag on.

Enjoyable listening by a great reader

Winslet's voice and animation bring Therese to life and she is a great narrator for this multi character story.

fascinating exploration of the power of guilt

What did you love best about Thérèse Raquin?

The depth of the exploration of each character's motivations and subsequent sense of guilt.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I'm not sure I really liked any of them. I had sympathy for Therese, and even sympathy for Madame Raquin, but I can't say I really felt there was a favorite.

Which scene was your favorite?

The days after Therese and Laurent get married are a deep and slow journey into the truth of what they've done and how they feel about it. It's a case for understanding how much or circumstances feed or feelings, and how our so called true feelings are actually quite malleable.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The scene when Madame raquin bursts into sudden grief among her friends and they are so self centered and uncomfortable... it was a moment of truly liking no one in the book and yet recognizing the truth of that moment and how people are.

A little dark for my taste...

The story was not necessarily a bad one; it was just a little dark. Nevertheless, the story is a classic and I'm glad I listened. Kate Winslet did a great job as narrator. There was not a lot of dialogue in the story but she still did a good job conveying the emotion of the characters. Worth the purchase.

Want to feel miserable?

This book made me miserable. I’m glad I listened, but I can’t say I enjoyed it. I also don’t see it as Naturalistic, as many scholars do. It’s far too moralistic to be Naturalistic. Kate Winslet is a very good narrator, but the narrator of this book should have been French.

Time travel to Paris of long ago...

What made the experience of listening to Thérèse Raquin the most enjoyable?

Kate is a great reader!

What did you like best about this story?

Character development, felt as though I knew them by the end of the book....

What about Kate Winslet’s performance did you like?

great voicing...

Extreme Guilt Run Wild

What did you love best about Th??r??se Raquin?

I enjoyed the was that the guilt of Therese change her life.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Therese was my favorite character in this book. She was raised in a box without the ability of making decisions on her own or having choices with her life. She is an unfortunate character and her outcome is understandable to her background. Of course, women at the time in history the story is set in, didn't have choices as we do today. I felt sympathy for her character.

Which scene was your favorite?

I do not believe there is a favorite scene in this book, it is all rather tragic. However, the one that sticks in my mind are the scenes in the cornors's office as they look for Comme.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Trying to live with guilt

Any additional comments?

This is not the 'normal' type of book I purchase and listen to. However, it was a good alternative listen to the stories of either mysteries or the more romanic stories I listen to.

A Thin Line Between Love And Hate

A dark and disturbing tale, full of guilt and melodrama, with a complete lack of likeable or even mediocre characters. Adultery and murder drag the protagonists lives further into the grim nightmare that eventually leads to violence and death.

BUT DON'T LET ME PUT YOU OFF! I enjoyed this exploration of the thin line between love and hate.

And above everything, Kate Winslets narration, nuanced and evocative, is a perfect contrast to this delectably noir tale.