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Camille
- The Lady of the Camellias
- Narrated by: Alyssa Bresnahan, John McDonough, Firdous Bamji
- Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
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Camille
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Summary
First published in 1848, Camille captivated Paris and has inspired countless adaptations. This classic story of love and loss is based on the author’s real-life affair with courtesan Marie Duplessis. Also known as The Lady of the Camellias, the novel follows the courtesan Marguerite Gautier through her tumultuous love affair with handsome—but middle class—Armand Duval. Before their passionate affair is over, one lover must give up everything.
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Editor reviews
John McDonough captures our interest immediately as he tells us he’s about to recount a story in which "all of the participants are still alive." The energy with which he proclaims this fact snags the curious listener. McDonough is the perfect objective recorder as he lays out the tragic, doomed affair of Marguerite Gautier and her Armand. Firdous Bamji is sensitive and passionate as he tells Armand’s story, while Alyssa Bresnahan is a lovely Marguerite. Her understated performance turns moments of melodrama into poignant vignettes. An excellent audio reflecting the way conforming to a repressive society’s norms can ruin lives.
What listeners say about Camille
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- luizav
- 17-10-18
A great story based on real facts
Awesomely romantic, a true story written by Dumas.What could you ask more?Intense,dramatic,well narrated,I highly recommend this book.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Marie Sinadjan
- 11-06-24
A classic tragic love story
I've always struggled with classics. I've read pieces for school, but the only one I ever managed to finish outside of that setting is The Count of Monte Cristo, penned by the father of this author. For classics, I've found that either the prose is too flowery or the narrative style too literary that I get bored waiting for the plot, the actual story, to kick in. Then I got into the hang of listening to audiobooks, and one day I thought I'd give it a try. If there's a long-winding paragraph that doesn't hold my interest, I can just zone out, right? I'll still be doing my chores (that's when I put on audiobooks) so it's a win-win at the end of the day.
Well, I'm happy to say I might've found my solution for consuming classics!
I picked this one in particular because a friend told me this is actually the basis for Moulin Rouge, a film which I absolutely love. And while this is considered a romantic novel, it doesn't meet the criteria of romance these days so I'm going to call it is a love story. A tragic one, but a love story nonetheless.
The narrative style fascinated me. It started off as a commentary by an old man on a dead woman whose stuff was being sold to pay her creditors. He knew the woman only by sight, having seen her around Paris. Later, the woman's lover arrived, leading to the rest of the tale. The woman's point of view was also eventually revealed in the form of letters she'd penned, which ended up in her lover's possession.
Having seen Moulin Rouge multiple times (and in multiple formats, for I've also seen the musical twice), I had an idea what to expect in terms of the story. But what I didn't expect — and thus loved — was the deeper look into the society the characters lived in. It influenced all their decisions, see. For example, being a courtesan wasn't about dancing in a nightclub, unlike what Moulin Rouge would make you believe; it was, in fact, a whole lifestyle. It was all very interesting to listen to.
Armand annoyed me most of the time — he literally falls in love at first sight (a trope I don't really like) and very quickly spirals into obsession. There were times I wanted to yell at him to leave Marguerite alone since he's acting like a pouty child 😂 Still, his perspective is fascinating. Because there are plenty of men like that, I think. Who believe they love — and they probably do, in their own way — but their love is threaded with jealousy and anger and the need to demand and be in control.
I could go on and on with the social commentary in this novel... which I guess is why classics are so beloved, because they spark thought and discussion and a deeper look into things. (No shade against genre romance, as I recognize the intentions are different.) I'm definitely going to check out more classics now via audiobooks. But if you like your tragic love stories, you might want to give this a listen. (I thought the narrators were very good too, Marguerite particularly. Her letters were heartbreaking.)
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