The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

By: Anne Brontë

Narrated by: Alex Jennings, Jenny Agutter

Length: 16 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's Summary

Fleeing a disastrous marriage, Helen Huntingdon retreats to the desolate mansion, Wildfell Hall, with her son, Arthur. There, she makes her living as a painter. Finding it difficult to avoid her neighbors, she is soon an object of speculation and gossip. Brontë portrays Helen's eloquent struggle for independence at a time when society defined a married woman as her husband's property.

Public Domain (P)2015 AudioGO

Beautiful Brontë!

I found Tenant of Wildfell Hall Is a marvelous noble filled with subtle intrigues and not-so-subtle commentaries on both virtuous and despotic personalities. One seldom could find a better comparison between virtue and vice as one finds in this book. The story is entertaining and the narrators are exceptional!

10 people found this helpful

Relatable Romance and Dialogue

This is only the second Anne Bronte book that I've read, but I enjoyed it more than Agnes Grey. It is primarily told from a man's perspective which I don't usually see! The book is unique because the main character is a man for the first 15ish chapters then switches to a woman for maybe 10 chapters before going back to the man again. The lover's conflicts in this story are surprisingly relatable for being written in 1848, especially if you have ever suffered mental abuse from a spouse or partner. That being said, the story overall is not dark or depressing at all. Nothing so shocking that it is hard to read. It is mild and insightful!

Plus, loved the two narrators in this version! Very elegant accents and portrayed the emotional scenes very well!

8 people found this helpful

Fantastic

I found the narration to be quite delightful and was sorry when the story came to a close. I'd recommend this to everyone!

8 people found this helpful

Excellent performances of an abridged version

Performances are great. But take note - this is either an abridged version or there is a recording error. Almost all of Chapter 28 is missing.

6 people found this helpful

A really excellent audio version

I’m the sort of person who had tried to read The Tenant of Wildfell Hall once upon a time, before life and other things got in the way and I sort of forgot about it. Honestly this audio book was the best thing to get me back at it again. Where reading the book myself was sometimes a bit tedious, I thoroughly enjoyed having it read to me. I definitely recommend this version to anyone interested in the story. It’s a nice long one for if you do a lot of commuting and the story is, while not always the most exciting, very enjoyable. The two narrators do a good job of helping distinguish between a large cast of characters, and are never dull or monotonous to listen to.

4 people found this helpful

Excellent performances

Alex Jennings and Jenny Agutter share the credit for this beautifully narrated production of Anne Bronte's powerful novel. The story includes within the framework of a traditional courtship plot an unconventional exposure of the plight of a woman trapped in a marriage with an alcoholic abusive man.

9 people found this helpful

Not Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights

In pursuit of educating myself of the classics, my latest endeavors has been the Bronte sisters. I love Jane Eyre. I loved Wuthering Heights: But this novel just didn’t do it for me. It was predictable. The mysterious woman and the man who falls in love with her and the process of revealing her mystery through misleading assumptions and secrets is the storyline. I understand well the Brontë sisters were innovators as female novelists of their times. I believe this novel reflects the scope of life and it’s limited attainable accomplishments for women of the time. But I conclude that this novel was the romance novel of the day and the reinforcement of morality of the period. I read it. Check.

4 people found this helpful

Bronte books are the best

never fail to enthrall and bring my mind to a distant time and place. love it

1 person found this helpful

Highly Recommended

I was unfamiliar with Anne Bronte's writings until I listened to this recording. The themes in The Tenant of Wildfell Hall will be familiar to a 21st Century reader - spousal abuse, alcoholism, and a woman's attempt to maintain her own identity - and are more modern than in her sisters' better known Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. Due to the organization of the story, the use of two narrators is very effective and both narrators are outstanding.Although it is a long book and at times disturbing, I highly recommend the book and this recording. I look forward to reading/listening to Anne Bronte's other novel Agnes Grey.

1 person found this helpful

Excellently performed Greatest of fiction novels!

The Tennant of Wildfell Hall has long been my favorite fiction novel and this audio version is my favorite version of the kind.

This is a story that should be read by every young adult before marriage, as it shows the presumptuous folly of a woman having men as close friends without any romantic sentiment or notions developing.

One of the best themes is the consequences of decisions made in one's youth and the effects it can have on many others.

The best themes though are Love, patience, and redemption.

Abridged Version

What disappointed you about The Tenant of Wildfell Hall?

My overall review is only 1 star and this has everything to do with the audiobook which claims to be unabridged.The narration is pleasing as far as I have endured to listen, and the story of the original book is excellent.To my disappointment, I started realising that the audio book was missing several parts, as I also have a printed copy which at some points consulted along with the audio. I stopped listening altogether and turned to the print book when I saw that Chapter 28 is almost entirely taken out of the audio book.I feel extremely cheated in my purchase and I will not recommend to anyone who's after an unabridged version of the book.

12 people found this helpful

Too long

Far too long I did stick with it until the end but I cannot say that I enjoyed the book. I found it quite frustrating. Excellent narration as you would expect from two eminent actors but even they could not bring the book to life for me.

Fantastic stuff!!!

I loved this audio book.
I have just listened to it twice through.
Truly amazing that Anne Bronte wrote this when she was only in her mid twenties. Published the year before she died, age 28.
She must have had wisdom well beyond her years. I very much enjoyed both narrators.
I couldn't stop listening.
I very highly recommend!

Anne Brontë is underrated

Anne is overlooked. she has fast become my favourite Brontë sister. this audio book had me hooked from the start

amazing book!

I have never read any Brontë novels and it is a bit strange to start with this one but it was very well written. the moral perfection in the book could be a little annoying at times but other than than it was great and didn't matter enough to knock a star off

No One Should Miss This!

Alex Jennings, outstanding! Jenny Agutter, excellent. Together they bring a moralistic Classic vividly to life and make the plot totally convincing. I cannot recommend this 'reading' too highly.

enjoyable enough listen...

read the book in my twenties. ..re read (or listened ) and still enjoyed but now I'm 20 years on anne brontes young age shows in her writing more .....enjoy hearing my fave old classics read to me tho.

A great book. I can't believe she dared write it

Wowed. Feels so ahead of its time. Thoughtful, indignant yet tender. Passion with brains. YES.