The Chateau

By: William Maxwell

Narrated by: Karl Miller

Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

It is 1948 and a young American couple arrive in France for a holiday. It is their chance to immerse themselves in the culture and language, and they arrive full of anticipation and enthusiasm. But the countryside and people are war-battered and their reception at the Chateau Beaumesnil, where they begin their stay, is not all the open-hearted Americans could wish for. Every encounter leaves them with more questions. Why are they not welcomed as citizens of the nation that liberated Europe? What are the secrets in the family?

©1961 William Maxwell (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"I can think of few novels… that have such romantic authority as The Chateau, fewer still so adult in vitality, so alight with humour." (Elizabeth Bowen)

"No one else… can capture as Maxwell does a sense of life in the balance, of a moment appreciated…. The beauty of some sentences is like a stab of light." ( Chicago Tribune)

Uninteresting story told in the most perfect way

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. The book is beautifully written.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Make the story somewhat more interesting.

Which scene was your favorite?

The train ride to Paris.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No.

Any additional comments?

No.

My least favorite from Maxwell

I’m no scholar, but in my opinion, this was way way too long. Perhaps it would have been a good novela. Compared to his other excellent works, this should be at the end of your Maxwell reading list.

Subtle story

This was a slow, subtle story. I’m glad I listened as I was very interested in William Maxwell, but it was oddly paced. There were some very funny moments, but they were oddly spaced, although I loved it when he spoke for the inanimate objects (a clock, for instance) or a creature in nature (a bird). The ending was a surprise, quite funny and charming, when the omniscient narrator did a sort of Q&A with the reader, filling in all the mysteries about various characters. But I groaned every time the narrator launched into his heavily accented English to indicate the French characters speaking their native language, it was so painfully difficult to understand. I would not have “heard” it that way if I read it to myself. Yet his voicing of Harold was spot on.

Excellent choice!

Without rehashing the plot, it's an exposition of how an young American couple becomes involved with an extended French family (and other guests) at the chateau, with those relationships largely carried over to their subsequent time in Paris. Loose ends are dealt with via an epilogue format I found ... odd, but it worked, for the most part. The characters are all well differentiated, none of them stock. Overall, a good snapshot of a place and time.

Karl Miller does a great job as narrator, especially with the principal voice of Harold, who could've come off as dopey, or priggish, at times with the wrong reader.

I found this one a great use of a credit.

The Chateau, by William Maxwell

Has The Chateau turned you off from other books in this genre?

No

What didn’t you like about Karl Miller’s performance?

Odd hesitations in all the dialog, mispronounced French words

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed listening to this -- it was soothing and managed to hold my interest somehow even though almost nothing actually happens. It is about a young American couple moving around France as tourists during the years right after World War II, wondering about the oddities of the characters they meet and cultural differences that often baffle them. If you love France and/or William Maxwell, all this will be of interest, but be warned that the story amasses small mysteries which, just as in life, are only explained by conjecture. Because I love this author and his other books, I was willing to accept this but could certainly sympathize with any reader who finds it frustrating. This is not Maxwell's best book by a long shot (try TIME WILL DARKEN IT or THE FOLDED LEAF), but his wonderful voice is fully present. I was less pleased with the reading performance. To my ear, the French accents sounded labored, and I know that many of the words were mispronounced. It should have been possible to find a bilingual reader for this work!