Thérèse Raquin

By: Émile Zola

Narrated by: Traci Svendsgaard

In a dingy apartment on the Passage du Pont-Neuf in Paris, Thérèse Raquin is trapped in a loveless marriage to her sickly cousin, Camille. The numbing tedium of her life is suddenly shattered when she embarks on a turbulent affair with her husband’s earthy friend, Laurent. But their passion for each other soon compels the lovers to commit a crime that will haunt them forever.

Thérèse Raquin caused a scandal when it appeared in 1867 and brought its twenty-seven-year-old author a notoriety that followed him throughout his life. Zola’s novel is not only an uninhibited portrayal of adultery, madness, and ghostly revenge but also a devastating exploration of the darkest aspects of human existence.

(P)2006 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Zola’s blunt, unprettified representation of the most sordid elements of life—infidelity, murder, madness and suicide—seemed revolutionary in the context of his time. Especially remarkable was Zola’s gritty portrayal of his eponymous central character Thérèse, a brilliantly radical departure from the simpering female prototypes of Victorian convention.”

(Los Angeles Times)

A great listen

I have enjoyed the book and narrator both. This is the first Emile Zola I have ever read (although saw Germinal in the cinema). 19-century writers knew their job.

Great reader

I loved the story! I loved the reader! She speaks great French without it being overwhelming!

sounds robotic

I like the story but the narrator sounds robotic.
Honestly can't tell if it's a human reader or computer. sounds like Alexa🤔. pretty sure this is computer generated

Zola is no Dostoyevsky

The author never does attempt an explanation of the remorse that caused the murderers to cease loving one another.

Great Read

The text itself reads like a riveting suspense film. The description and exploration of the human condition through the emotional lens of guilt was compelling. I did not want to stop listening. The performance too of the reader was exemplary. I would certainly listen to this again. This book was a pleasant surprise that I hope others indulge in.