• The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye

  • By: A. S. Byatt
  • Narrated by: Virginia Leishman
  • Length: 6 hrs and 21 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (156 ratings)

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The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye  By  cover art

The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye

By: A. S. Byatt
Narrated by: Virginia Leishman
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Publisher's summary

Glowing with narrator Virginia Leishman’s finely tuned phrasing, The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye is the perfect introduction to A.S. Byatt, an author who continues to receive international awards and acclaim. Her wondrous fairy tales are iridescent stories full of spells, marvelous creatures, and beautiful princesses. The title tale focuses on Dr. Gillian Perholt, a narratologist. The sturdy, middle-aged scholar travels the world, speaking at international conferences about the art of storytelling. She immerses herself in the study of fabulous, archetypical heroes: patient Griselda, lovely Scheherazade, brave Gilgamesh. But when she is given the fairy tale’s three wishes—chances to alter her own story, the choices she makes are both timeless and surprisingly unique.

A.S. Byatt, whose imaginative novels sparkle with layers of imagery and drama, focuses on the magic that is created each time a storyeller speaks. The five stories that comprise The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye are as fascinating and finely crafted as ivory puzzles.

©1994 A. S. Byatt (P)1997 Recorded Books, LLC

What listeners say about The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

The title story is superb

The title story is a novella, the last of several shorter stories in this book, starting at chapter 8.

It is the best thing I have read by A.S. Byatt, and I am an admirer of her lovely writing. This story is of a narratologist -- an academic woman who studies story-telling -- whose husband has recently left her for a younger woman, and a genie in a bottle, and all the stories they tell between them of their lives, and what happens to them. It is about being a woman, and about being a genie, and about charity and love and getting one's wishes fulfilled.

The reader is perfect for this story and reads it beautifully. After reading it several times, I was glad to be able to experience the story in a different way, read aloud by a very good reader.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Not very good

I did not finish this book. I got to the third story hoping that each story was going to be better than the last. Unfortunately that was not the case and I finally decided to stop wasting my time on this book.

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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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    5 out of 5 stars

not a clean recording

it was odd that I could hear talking and movement in the background, it was more recorded cleanly, but she was a lovely narrator.

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

The last story

The last story- The djinn and the nightingale was my favorite. It was a good story.

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

A wonderful and delightful tale.

I wish for more stories like this. And the movie is amazing! Some people are just so creative.

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

it is a fanciful lovely tale

I adore this book it is so imaginative, a relaxing read fantasy ,hope, love ,history, drama,and jovial playfulness allthoughout.great book I will listen to this one again

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

Fantastic!

Incredible stories and the narrator does an amazing job! Very rarely have I been totally transported by stories like the ones in this collection. Loved it!

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

The last story was absolutely beautiful.

This was a great collection of short stories and I enjoyed the last one the most. The narrator also did a great job of portraying each word with care.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

The narrator was great, but other than that...

I have to be honest, I couldn't finish it. the stories in the beginning were good, but when it got past that, I was so bored. I kept listening for a few chapters, hoping it would get better, but it just dragged out her life, travel and such. I always feel I tried to give a book a full chance. this is one of very few that I have never finished. I really liked the narration, but other than that, I wouldn't recommend it.

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

Modern fairytales

Modern fairytales retaining the older form
Well worth a read or listen for fans of fairy tales

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