Lady Audley’s Secret

By: Mary Elizabeth Braddon

Narrated by: Nicola Barber

Length: 15 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's Summary

This Victorian best seller, along with Braddon's other famous novel Aurora Floyd, established her as the main rival of the master of the sensational novel, Wilkie Collins. A protest against the passive, insipid 19th-century heroine, Lady Audley was described by one critic of the time as "high-strung, full of passion, purpose, and movement." Her crime (the secret of the title) is shown to threaten the apparently respectable middle-class world of Victorian England.

Public Domain (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Mixed feelings

The reader is skilled and pleasing, although some of her pronunciations are very odd. The book, though. . . The first half is all plot and no character, much heavy-handed foreshadowing, pedestrian language. Somewhere just pass the middle I got more caught up in the story and began to enjoy it more. As is the case with many Victorian novels, it is overlong and quite repetitious. Mrs. Braddon is no Dickens, not even a Wilkie Collins, but the book occupies a niche that is not heavily populated with competitors, at least on audio.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Great audio

Loved the book and the audio was great to listen to, I loved the variations in voice and it was easy to follow along with

Loved it!

I truly enjoyed every moment in this book: the nature descriptions, characters' inner talks, interactions, and of course, the wonderful ending, which brought tears to my eyes! The narration was superb. I shall listen to this 19th century classic yet again!

Entertaining<br />

A great story line and brilliantly narrated. Just when you think you've worked out Lady Audley's secret there comes a twist.

Not Wilkie Collins

I read this book after hearing she was a contemporary of his and wrote stronger female characters. I have to say, I enjoyed his Woman in White and especially the Moonstone so much more. About two months after listening to the Moonstone it was referenced so many times in other books and shows that I was very pleased to have read it here. This was pleasant, however not as engaging as the other author. I have to say the narrator makes a huge difference,

Okay

I purchases this story because it was on sale. I don't think this book would be worth a whole credit. I didn't care for the titles of each chapter as they gave too much away. It's a slow moving book but it does have an interesting plot and some surprising parts. The narrator was really good!

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

Reading style disappointing

What did you like best about Lady Audley's Secret? What did you like least?

If you like Victorian meladrama this is a typical book of the genre. I found the book itself entertaining.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

But ... the narrater has a dreadful reading style. I foudn that she over dramatised the reading (even considering that it is a meladrama), but more irritating than that were regular audible breaths. I ended up skipping to the end to find out what happened because I couldn't stand the reader. A shame really.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Not all that I had hoped

Is there anything you would change about this book?

A better, English narrator is needed, the annoying deep breaths Ms Barber takes, plus the fact she does not know how to read properly and mispronounces simple words like amiable, reconnoitre and clerk

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

as written above

Could you see Lady Audley's Secret being made into a movie or a TV series? Who would the stars be?

There is nothing that cannot be made into a film particularly when 'love' is involved.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful