Thérèse Raquin

By: Emile Zola

Narrated by: Kate Winslet

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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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)

Excellent reading of difficult material

This is a psychological story typical of its time. Not as accomplished as a crime and punishment and lengthier than I would have appreciated, I still enjoyed Zola's colorful exacting descriptions and character profiles. This is a book for slower comprehension to get the full impact. I recommend to those who like entertainment with contemplation.

Hauntingly beautiful

Where does Thérèse Raquin rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the best because of Kate Winslet's narration - it was so well dramatized - I was lost in the times and the story.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Madame Raquin - she was selfish - but she just wanted happiness for her son and niece. Everyone else was so dastardly.

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

Her passion in retelling a story she remembers reading as a teenager.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Compelling, Complex, and wickedly dark.

Any additional comments?

I want to read more Emile Zola :)

Performance can't save unconvincing story

Kate Winslet's strong, measured performance here couldn't fully mask the extreme melodrama of this story. The characters all seemed flat and false, just vessels for unrestrained, almost hypothetical-seeming emotion. For all the build-up, it was still impossible to buy into that level of hysteria.

Predictable, yet satisfying

Although not very imaginative, it is a satisfying tale of sorrow, selfishness and agony. Well written and thoroughly descriptive, it is an excellent work of writing.

Only slight room for improvement in pronunciation

Beautiful story. Well read. Just slightly disappointed that there wasn't the correct English pronunciation of some words, such as "physiognomy" (with a silent G).