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)

The single focus on guilt can be wearing.....

Certainly this is a classic and Kate Winslet does an admirable job presenting it, but the guilt and the angst in this novel become exhausting to listen to. On the positive side, it can be said, that after listening to this novel, I would never kill my husband, but would opt instead for a nice tidy divorce. Given that, I could see where my husband would find 'Therese Raquin' an even more valuable work than I did.

I loved being pulled down into psychosis

The reading by Ms Winslet created a beautiful study of downward spiral. I loved every minute of this unique story

A very grim classic

I am not opposed to gloomy stories generally, but I found this book so profoundly depressing that it started to affect my quality of life and I was relieved when it was over. Kate Winslet's narration is quite good, but her tone certainly does nothing to relieve any of the darkness from the tale, though I doubt it was supposed to. The book is well written but at times seems directionless and un-anchored, though I think that may have been the point.

If you enjoy some of the more grim classics, this is definitely for you.

Kate Winslet intrigues you!

The story line definilty captures your attention, but without Kate Winslet reading it, the book could have been dull. I loved listening to a well known actress read a classic. I am going to be listening to other A-list books because of this one!

What Did I Do to Deserve this Suffering?

I have rated this with 3 in two categories to prevent an overinflated total score. Listening to this book was torture, not because it was poorly written but because the characters suffer through hell and I suffered right along with them. At one point I caught myself saying aloud, "But what have I done to deserve all this suffering?" If you want to become immersed in their story and have the stomach for what on paper must be about 100 pages of agony, I can recommend this book. It appears that Zola was very concerned with making his morality tale compelling, assuring that those who have sinned do not experience one positive effect from that sin.
Kate Winslet's performance is masterful, however. She captures the personalities, emotions, the tone of the scenes and settings flawlessly.

Kate Could Have Picked a Better Book

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No, there is nothing exceptional about it to recommend, unless the friend is contemplating an immoral act and needs to be cautioned.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Laurent, I guess. None of the characters are meant to be likable, but Laurent is the best villan. He's a little comic, and the most developed.

What three words best describe Kate Winslet’s voice?

attractive, pretentious, versatile

Could you see Thérèse Raquin being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

No, I don't think this is a timeless story. I can't see it being made into a successful modern movie or miniseries.

Any additional comments?

Kate Winslet did an excellent job with the dialogue parts, but this was not a dialogue heavy book. Maybe Zola's prose style doesn't lend well to audiobooks, but I did find most of the narration tiresome. It's not a bad book, it's just that there are so many better ones. The plot was good. If you want a book about guilt, this is probably a good choice.

Outstanding. Compelling. Seriously black...

If you could sum up Thérèse Raquin in three words, what would they be?

A bleak existential nightmare comes to life through Winslet's appreciation for the work and beautiful reading.
The story is a cross between Albert Camus' The Stranger and Edgar Allen Poe's Tell-tale Heart with a bit of Stephen King thrown in!
Definitely worth the ride though. A great experience...

Sinister story which steadily builds suspense

Would you listen to Thérèse Raquin again? Why?

This is not a story for the faint hearted. It is a dark and sinister story that steadily builds suspense right up to a dramatic end. The reading by Kate suits the story perfectly. Apart from a slow start it held my attention all the way to the end.

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

I listen to ebooks while commuting in the car. I found myself sitting in the car in the car park after arriving at work listening to the story. Eventually I dragged myself away.

Powerful story & flawless narration

What did you love best about Thérèse Raquin?

The story itself was quite powerful, but Kate Winslet's narration made it superb. She has a voice of pure silk

What did you like best about this story?

The anguish experienced by the characters following the murder

Which character – as performed by Kate Winslet – was your favorite?

I thought they were all great

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

Definitely

Any additional comments?

Please bring on more A-list narrators. I love old classic books and this is such a wonderful way to experience them.

Kate shines and saves this book

This is one of those rare audiobooks where the performance and audio quality add another star to the review. The story starts out romantic, turns to horror, then languishes in abuse and mental sickness. Even though the story drags on a bit in the final chapters, the reader keeps the listener engaged.