Vanity Fair

De: William Makepeace Thackeray

Narrado por: Jill Masters

"I do not say there is no character as well drawn in Shakespeare [as D'Artagnan]. I do say there is none that I love so wholly."
--Robert Louis Stevenson

"The lasting and universal popularity of The Three Musketeers shows that Dumas, by artlessly expressing his own nature in the persons of his heroes, was responding to that craving for action, strength and generosity which is a fact in all periods and all places."
--Andreé Maurois(P)1989 Books on Tape, Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"I do not say there is no character as well drawn in Shakespeare [as D'Artagnan]. I do say there is none that I love so wholly."
--Robert Louis Stevenson

"The lasting and universal popularity of The Three Musketeers shows that Dumas, by artlessly expressing his own nature in the persons of his heroes, was responding to that craving for action, strength and generosity which is a fact in all periods and all places."
--Andreé Maurois

Fine recording of brilliant novel

I'm only writing this because I was initially put off buying this production by Simonal's review saying the production quality was poor, and I notice many customers are still finding his comment useful. There are some of bad recordings out there (e.g. Short Stories of Katherine Anne Porter) and they are no fun but I found this reading flawless. It is a worthy production of one of the great novels in the English language.

Improved quality recording?

This is a fantastic book, and I am so glad to be able to replace my 24-cassette version with a download! I didn't download it before because the quality was poor (#2).. I think Audible must have upgraded it. The previous reviewer should contact Audible and try to get a new download.

This book proves that people have not changed in a hundred years. It is a satire on social climbing. The only comparable book, one I hope Audible will buy, is The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope.

Second time was the charm

The first time I tried to listen to this, I just couldn't do it. But I had been told it was a classic, so I gave it another shot, and this time I picked up on the irony -- that Becky Sharp, the one everyone pities and scorns, is really the finest person in the story -- and that is the quality that makes it a classic. The reading is good and unobtrusive, letting this "novel without a hero" make its acute social observations through Thackeray's opinionated narration.

Jill Masters

Jill Masters' main narration is steady, and although her characterizations are a little halting and undifferentiated, I enjoyed her voice and performance much more than Fredrick Davidson's in the other audiobook option.

The sound quality is only medium.

Georgian England's Gone With the Wind

The narrator: very talented with her array of accents. The sound quality: GOOD (not perfect), the only thing is one can discern the volume and background static which changes levels periodically, presumably from when a master tape ended and another began during the digital conversion process. The clarity and speech is excellent. The plot: classic. Imagine what might happen if Gone with the Wind was written by Jane Austen - with certainly a twist in the ending. Book vs. Movie: The two are certainly different, the movie leaving out major plots of the book, and rewriting the ending. The movie misses the intention of Thackeray's book, read the book to get the author's point of the story.

There's But One

In all of English literature there is only one Becky Sharp and a world known as Vanity Fair. Oh there are other Vanity Fairs, but the one worth reading or listening to is in this novel.

Fine english voice

Contrary to other opinions, I found this an easy audiobook to listen to. If you enjoy english accents you'll find this delightful to listen to.

Bell clear and bright

I was put off ordering this by the warning about sound quality above and took a chance only after reading Ihalper's comment. Ihalper is right. There is nothing technically wrong with the recording; it is crisp, clear and perfectly read. As to the English accent, I would point out it is an English book. It is rather chauvinistic to infer the classics of other lands should all be read with a familiar Yankee twang. Anyway, a great book, justifiably called the British War and Peace, except it's a lot more entertaining than W&P. Becky Sharp has to be the most memorable literary scamp this side of Sally Bowles. Hours of listening pleasure here.

Uneven

Odd intonation and emphasis, often on unimportant words. Glottal stops all over the place. Can't seem to say three words in a row without one. Can't do male voices... all her men sound like they're choking to death. Very irritating. I would have stopped listening early except that I'd paid for it. Why is a woman reading a book by a man written from a man's point of view?

Don't Purchase

The title says it all. This version is impossible to understand. THe narrator sounds as if she is being recorded while submerged underwater.