No Name

By: Wilkie Collins

Narrated by: Nicholas Boulton, Rachel Atkins, Russell Bentley, John Foley, David Rintoul, Lucy Scott

Length: 27 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

Magdalen and Norah Vanstone have known only comfort and affluence for their entire lives. Orphaned suddenly following the unexpected deaths of their parents, the illegitimate sisters find themselves flung into the other extreme of living: their father had neglected to amend his will following their parents' recent marriage, leaving them with nothing, and their bitter, estranged uncle, the legal inheritor of the family fortune, mercilessly refuses them support.

They have no money, no rights and no name. Norah, the elder of the two, looks for work as a governess and accepts her fate. Fiery and headstrong Magdalen, however, does not. She vows revenge and schemes a series of traps to recover the fortune, no matter the cost....

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Public Domain (P)2020 Naxos Audiobooks

Character descriptions

Thé hours go by quickly! An interesting story with remarkable characters. Would love to meet these people again.

Even at 20+ hours it’s still not enough! ❤️

I was so enthralled that I listened to this at every opportunity, needing to know how it turned out. Now that it’s done I almost want to start over! You can feel the desperation, the greed, and the love. The narrators are exceptionally good. Absolutely wonderful escape. Clever twists and turns that never feel forced, just exciting and rewarding. I’m making my way through all of Wilkie Collins’ works and I’m glad he was such a prolific writer!!

Magnificently captivating!

I rarely take the time to write a review, but this book is more than worth the time! The characters were realistically flawed and compelling, even those with more minor roles in the twisting plot. The narration was perfection to the point I felt I was actually watching a beautifully staged play or movie! cannot wait to listen to another Wilkie Collins masterpiece.

Fascinating! Captivating!… too much suspense…

In this story we delve into the heroic attempt of a talented beautiful young woman to save her family. The tale begins with uproarious fun, the scene of family idyll, And this beginning falls apart with exquisitely written storytelling. Our heroine Magdalen Makes choices that bring her face to face with one of the most fascinating villains in literature, Madame Lecount, who fights toe to toe with one of the most endearing scoundrels in literature and his hilariously endearing and helpless wife. Throughout the story, one terrifying situation leads to another and after a while, the reader may wonder if they have strength to continue. The very satisfying and lovely ending comes up too short when weighed against all of the suspense; but W Collins’ mastery And his clear connection with Dickens shine through. The performances in this piece are stunning. There will be laughter, there will be tears, and there will be trembling…

Fabulous

This book is seemingly endless, intricate and well read. Some amusing characters and all characters well drawn. A delight!

Great tale if revenge and redemption

One of the best Wilkie Collins novels finally gets a recording and it is everything you could wish for. Beautifully narrated by a brilliant cast, this novel shines.

Captivating and Clever--I did not want it to end!

I didn't know what to expect with NO NAME. I'd read Wilkie Collins's two most well-known masterpieces, THE WOMAN IN WHITE and THE MOONSTONE and really enjoyed them both, but I'll admit I wondered if any of Collins's other novels were worth reading (after all, no one seems to talk about the others when Collins's name is mentioned). But, I think I enjoyed NO NAME more than either of his two most well-known books!

The first hour or so, where characters and threads are set up, was a bit slow, and I was considering whether it would be worth 27+ hours of my time, but after the characters are introduced, I soon started to wonder what the "big secret" was and how it would affect the rest of the story. The first big section leads up the reveal of the secret, and I did not come anywhere near to guessing it (I definitely recommend not reading too many reviews with spoilers if you can).

Nicholas Boulton's narration works so well here--his voices for Captain Wragg and Mrs. Wragg were some of my favorites. I had more than a few laughs from the oddness of Captain Wragg who almost single-handedly kept the long middle section of the story from dragging (Collins uses a number of clever devices throughout to sustain the long story, but Captain Wragg's intrigues were some of the most entertaining). There's a lot going on in this book and threads come, disappear for a while, and then return to rear their heads in spectacular fashion.

Collins clearly thought that his readers would find his heroine morally repugnant for a lot of her actions throughout the book, so there is a lot of moral justification for things she does, which would not be so necessary in a novel today. By most modern standards, many of the things she does just aren't very shocking, but it's clear from other characters' reactions that we're in a Victorian world, and you have to listen to the book with that frame of reference. Yet, this book was so enjoyable. I fell in love with most of the characters, and it felt very much like listening to a stage play--just what I want in such a long novel. I couldn't stop listening so I could hear what would happen next, and yet I was so sad when it ended because I wouldn't be able to spend more time with these characters I'd grown so attached to. If you like Victorian novels, complicated heroines, or Wilkie Collins's other novels, definitely give this a try!

Narration Note: The first time one of the other narrators picks up the story by reading one of the many letters, it's a bit jarring. However, the other narrators only read the characters' letters, so if you're having trouble reconciling the voices they use with the voices you've been hearing Boulton use for hours, keep in mind that most of the letters don't last very long.

Great novel, Fantastic Performance

Narrator was the best!!!! Story was very very good. With the exception of a couple of moments where you’re aware it’s a man writing about females (a few general comments about the limitations of the female mind). But an otherwise fantastic journey with unexpected twists and turns.

Highly enjoyable!

Great story- the narration added drama and intrigue and was highly enjoyable. If you like Wilkie Collins, you won’t be disappointed.

Extraordinary

Of all the Victorian Novels I have listened to, this is my absolute favorite. As daunting as a 28-hour novel was to undertake, I was always enthralled to take up where I left off and be swept away with the gifted narration of Nicholas Boulton/cast. This narration was
a "performance" which brought life to all characters and intrigue to the story At times I was holding my breath in anticipation, at times laughing aloud but always thankful I had selected this novel to enrich my life. Of Collins' three best novels , Moonstone, The Lady in White and No Name, I vote No Name #1. I will continue to read Willie Collins novels for masterful literary enrichment and personal enjoyment.