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)

Winslet Saves It

I loved hearing Kate Winslet narrate this book. However, the plot is too long and drawn out in the last half of the book. Basically this is a story like "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allen Poe, but it's a lot longer. Then there are elements of "The Scarlet Letter" thrown in there, too. In the end it seems more like a drawn out morality tale. I did like the descriptive writing of Zola, although I guess that is due to the translator, as well.

Sooooo Depressing!

What would have made Thérèse Raquin better?

This tragic account of love, yearning, loss, murder which culminates in horrific sado-masochistic behavior (abuse). It was disturbing yet oddly compelling. The overall revue would be to spend your time in a better place than with The Raquins. Ugh!

Would you ever listen to anything by Emile Zola again?

No

Which scene was your favorite?

No favorites in a book that was 'barely bearable'.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Certainly written with prose. One could feel the dank oppressiveness and deep sadness of the situation. The skill of the writer and the times were reflected well.

On and on and on

What would have made Thérèse Raquin better?

I just didn't enjoy the the story

What do you think your next listen will be?

Art of running

Have you listened to any of Kate Winslet’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but she was the best part of this listen

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment, and boredom

Any additional comments?

I think I should download the excerpt...but this would not have helped I don't think

Boring!!!

The only good thing about this book was that it was narrated by the very talented Kate Winslet. The interesting parts of the book occurred in the first half, leaving the second half of the book to go on and on and on about the same things over and over. The characters were unlikable and the story was so repetitive and uninteresting. I would not recommend at all, even to someone who typically enjoys classic novels.

Couldn't spend 1 more minute with those characters

What disappointed you about Th??r??se Raquin?

I read that Zola set out to make a study of character, and not personality. But he has created deeply flawed and uninteresting characters.

Has Th??r??se Raquin turned you off from other books in this genre?

I'm not sure I'll read more Zola, but he hasn't ruined a genre for me.

Have you listened to any of Kate Winslet???s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the first and I love the way she reads.

What character would you cut from Th??r??se Raquin?

All of them. I'd rather read a travelogue of Paris in that era.

Not my type of book

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

The narration was fine. The story, although interesting in a historical sense, was not of interest to me.

What could Emile Zola have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Get off his high moral horse.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

nothing

You didn???t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

perhaps in a literary-historical sense.

Any additional comments?

I Read this book because it was assigned in a class. Not a book I would have bothered with otherwise.

Soooooo depressing

Any additional comments?

Kate Winslet was really good, but this story was too much of a downer for me. I didn't really care about the characters. There was nothing very likable about any of them and I couldn't find any reason to care about any of them. Except the cat. I felt bad for the cat. I had no reason to dislike the cat though I didn't really care much about it either.

unlikable characters make the story drag

Generally I'd like this kind of novel, where deeply conceived characters develop slowly towards a horrible finale. But I didn't like this book. As many other reviewers have mentioned, there isn't one redeeming feature in any of the characters. You really can't care about what happens to them. So, while the story seems to be building, it's really just dragging on and on (and on). Even the big finale seemed disappointing by the time I got to the end of the book. Kate Winslet does a great job narrating, and she seems to really love the atmosphere and the book. Unfortunately, her passion wasn't enough to save the book.

Great narration, miserable story

I bought this book mainly for Kate Winslet's narration, and because I figured that (supposedly) great literature by a famous author like Zola could not be too bad.

Kate Winslet is indeed a great narrator, so my five stars are for her.
However, the story is dismal. The characters are very one-dimensional, even if it's only a study of the ancient Greek four temperaments - Melancholic, Phlegmatic, Choleric and Sanguine - more than a psychological character study (which I only found out after having finished the story).

All characters are deeply egocentric and unsympathetic and I did not care for any of them. Moreover, these characters lead extremely boring lives and the author doesn't know what else to do with them except have them repeat actions and conversations and thoughts over and over and over and... To quote Laurent: "Bah!"

I kept waiting for a plot resolution or climax or any satisfying ending for the hours I invested in this dreary mud flat of a story, but was offered none.

If you would like to listen to Kate Winslet, I suggest you try another novel and SKIP this one.

Very unsatisfying waste of my time.

Kate Winslet-Excellent Book-Meh

What would have made Thérèse Raquin better?

ONE likable character. Just ONE.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I heaved a sigh of relief my suffering was over.

What does Kate Winslet bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Humanity. Sweetness. Joy. Tenderness. None of which are found in any of the leading characters. Give her Jane Austen next time.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment.