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The Dressmaker  By  cover art

The Dressmaker

By: Rosalie Ham
Narrated by: Rachel Griffiths
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Publisher's summary

A darkly satirical novel of love, revenge, and 1950s haute couture - now a major motion picture starring Kate Winslet, Judy Davis, Liam Hemsworth, and Hugo Weaving.

After 20 years spent mastering the art of dressmaking at couture houses in Paris, Tilly Dunnage returns to the small Australian town she was banished from as a child. She plans only to check on her ailing mother and leave. But Tilly decides to stay, and though she is still an outcast, her lush, exquisite dresses prove irresistible to the prim women of Dungatar.

Through her fashion business, her friendship with Sergeant Farrat - the town’s only policeman, who harbors an unusual passion for fabrics - and a budding romance with Teddy, the local football star whose family is almost as reviled as hers, she finds a measure of grudging acceptance. But as her dresses begin to arouse competition and envy in town, causing old resentments to surface, it becomes clear that Tilly’s mind is set on a darker design: Exacting revenge on those who wronged her, in the most spectacular fashion.

©2015 Rosalie Ham (P)2015 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“It’s clear we’re visiting a small 1950s town not of history but as imagined by Tim Burton: the gothic, polarized world of Edward Scissorhands... Ham has real gifts as a writer of surfaces and pictures, bringing Tilly’s frocks to surprising, animated life.” (The New York Times Book Review)

“The book’s true pleasures involve the way Rosalie Ham has small-town living down pat...she channels welcome shades of British novelist Angela Carter’s sly, funny, and wickedly Gothic adornments...Blunt, raw and more than a little fantastical, the novel exposes both the dark and the shimmering lights in our human hearts.” (The Boston Globe)

“With the retribution of Carrie, the quirkiness of Edward Scissorhands, and the scandal of Desperate Housewives, this novel will lend its cinematic qualities to the big screen later this year.” (Booklist)

What listeners say about The Dressmaker

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Difficult to follow as a audiobook

While this is a well-told story, it is about more than just the dressmaker, it is about the town she comes home to. Because of the audio format, I found it difficult to keep the large cast of characters in town straight. The performance was clear, and the pace of reading excellent, but there was no differentiation in voice for each of the characters, which would have helped the listener keep them all straight.

While I would definitely recommend this novel, I would not necessarily recommend the audio format.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Very Enjoyable

The Narrator was very good.
I Loved the references to fabric and sewing.
The very descriptive writing gave a clear visual picture

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great narration

I just love the narrator. Great voice and accent. The book is so unique and memorable. If you've seen the movie already this is much different but the movie keeps mostly in line with this. I saw the movie and wanted more. This was what I was hoping for.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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One of my three things to take to a Desert Island

What made the experience of listening to The Dressmaker the most enjoyable?

The book is a mouth-watering listen, not only for the efforts of Rachel Griffith (what a treat to listen to this narration by her) but because Rosalie Ham is such a pleasure to read/listen to - her prose takes you to another world, another time.

What other book might you compare The Dressmaker to and why?

I'm picking my brains here - whilst there is humour, and there is drama, there is undoubtedly the most incredible description of a small Australian town and the mind-set of small minded, small town people. It is a novel that should be up there as one of Australia's best.

Which character – as performed by Rachel Griffiths – was your favorite?

Oh, I loved them all but I still have Mona in my head - that drawl... "Mother said....."

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

All good things come to those that wait...

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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Too boring to finish

I do understand that this book is now a movie, however, i simply was too bored to get beyond the first few chapters. It is possible that the narrator's accent stood in the way, but i cannot recommend as an audible purchase.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Disappointing

I bought this recorded book after seeing the movie hoping to get an enlarged view of the characters and their internal thoughts. As I read I kept waiting for it to get better, as interesting as the movie was. It didn't. I found the narrator's rate of speech so slow l that, in order for my mind not to wander, I had to listen at 1.25 speed.
Many years ago I watched a 1961 movie called "Town Without Pity." That phrase kept echoing in my ears as I listened to the last half of the book. Dungatar truly was a town without pity.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Loved it !

I've listen to the book about three times!
Loved it!
It's a bit tricky to keep up with the characters as there are so many of them, but it worth it!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Unexpected

Overall I enjoyed. The narration at time felt slow. Unexpected enjoyment. Needed to keep listening and persist. I am glad I kept listening.

Daisy

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Mixed Bag

I almost returned the book due to the narrator's monotone reading style, but hung in there. I felt like the main character, the dressmaker, kept everyone from getting to know her, including the reader. I wanted to have the book read prior to seeing the movie. From the movie trailer, I can already tell that there were liberties taken with the novel to enhance the characters. Will definitely see the movie, since I'm in it for the fashion.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great story - ended too soon.

Any additional comments?

When I finished the book it took me a minute to realize I was really at the end - thought there would be another section - Part II. I guess I'll just have to wait for The Dressmaker continues.

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1 person found this helpful