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No Name
- Narrated by: Nicholas Boulton, Rachel Atkins, Russell Bentley, John Foley, David Rintoul, Lucy Scott
- Length: 27 hrs and 20 mins
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Summary
Magdalen and Norah Vanstone have known only comfort and affluence for their entire lives. Orphaned suddenly following the unexpected deaths of their parents, the illegitimate sisters find themselves flung into the other extreme of living: their father had neglected to amend his will following their parents' recent marriage, leaving them with nothing, and their bitter, estranged uncle, the legal inheritor of the family fortune, mercilessly refuses them support.
They have no money, no rights and no name. Norah, the elder of the two, looks for work as a governess and accepts her fate. Fiery and headstrong Magdalen, however, does not. She vows revenge and schemes a series of traps to recover the fortune, no matter the cost....
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
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- Rachel Redford
- 22-07-20
A brilliant piece of theatre
Published in 1862 between The Moonstone and The Woman in White, I think Wilkie Collins's much less well-known 'sensation novel' No Name is far superior and much more rewarding. With the chapters headed and shaped as acts in a stage play of intrigue and drama, all of its 27 hours are totally absorbing. The cast is brilliant (as would be expected from Naxos) and contributes hugely to the theatrical listening enjoyment.
It is read these days probably primarily as an example of Collins's way-ahead proto-feminism with his creation of a defiant, brave, independent, creative heroine in Magdalen Vanstone, and in his portrayal of women whose lives were blighted by poverty and or pregnancy. The book is all these things, but also a huge amount more is plaited and entwined into the tightly woven complex plot.
Norah and Magdalen Vanstone are left with 'No Name' after both her parents die suddenly and the girls find that they have nothing. Their parents had in fact married only just before their deaths and Mr Vanstone had been killed before he could have his new will signed - so all goes to his hated brother, the girls' uncle, who refuses to help his illegitimate nieces left with 'no name', no home and no money.
Norah resigns herself to becoming a governess, but feisty Magdalen embarks on a mission to retrieve the money rightfully belonging to her sister and herself. It is Magdalen's outlandish adventures which fill the chapters. Wilkie Collins himself kept 2 households with two 'wives' and illegitimate children unknown to one another for 30 years, so the major theme of disguise and duplicity is no surprise and appears in many intriguing forms throughout Magdalen's adventures including marriage on false pretenses.
Collins is frequently compared to Dickens and although he is usually thought to be second to Dickens, I think he's his equal. Collins' women are deeper and more vital than Dickensian women and he doesn't fall back on pure caricature. Collins' range of themes and strands are staggering: the complexity of legal rules particularly those governing wills and money loom large; the theatrical flourish of physical dangers, cliff hangers and curtain falls at the end of chapters; villainy and swindling in all its forms including its exciting, charming faces; the snares of marriage; sea-faring and the psyches of retired sea captains; letters, correspondence, documents quoted in full relating events and feelings; secrets and discoveries; convenient deaths; the intricacies of detail in dress and manners; the inclusion of different social classes... and of course human love in its many heart-warming manifestations!
It's a great 27 hours and makes a wonderful world to lose yourself in if you feel the need to escape our stressful world for a while.
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21 people found this helpful
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- Emma T
- 18-06-20
Entertaining story, brilliant characters, performed superbly!
I throughly enjoyed No Name, and probably more so than The Woman in White and the Moonstone - and I loved those novels. This story has more humour and less mystery than the other two books. The colourful characters are of Dickens standard and are performed superbly, particularly Captain Wragge and his wife - especially his wife! 😂 I highly recommend this audio book.
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10 people found this helpful
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- M
- 13-06-20
Wilkie Collins
After the Woman in White and The Moonstone, this book No Name is just as great. It tells the story of two young daughters who were disinherited because of the laws of the time and the struggle of the youngest at aged 18 to regain their inheritance and place in society. Full of diverse character, audacity and intrigue, would make a great film.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Jo Longley
- 14-03-21
Excellent
I love Wilkie Collins’ novels, but don’t always have the time to read them myself. This is brilliant and I also have this production’s narration of Armadale, too. Nicholas Boulton (who has the majority of the reading) is really excellent, as are all the cast, and it would be great if they did all of Wilkie’s books: I would definitely buy them! First class
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2 people found this helpful
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- C. Bromfield
- 21-03-21
My favourite book read beautifully
Loved it. Nicholas Boulton is wonderful to listen to. Other voices added charm and variety.
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1 person found this helpful
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- brenda Hawker
- 02-09-20
Brilliant
Narration excellent ! the story gripping, I think it would make a great series will try another by this author.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Mrs. Susannah C. Lester
- 27-08-20
I cannot recommend this highly enough
The narrator for this wonderful book is nothing short of a genius. He shines an individual light on all the characters in such a way as to amaze and enchant. Wilkie Collins' writing is classical and complex but so eloquent and beautiful that it carries you along in it's tide, and is a work of art in itself. The story is clever with a few lessons in life to learn along the way. I haven't quite finished it yet but couldn't wait to write a review. I loved this book!
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1 person found this helpful
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- Elizabeth Hedges
- 28-03-24
Loved it!
Have listened to several Wilkie Collins books and this is every bit as good as all the others. Narration was superb too.
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- Mildred B.
- 20-02-24
Brilliant
I so enjoyed this book. I think it is on a par with The Moonstone and The Woman in White. Nicholas Boulton’s narration was sublime.
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- Strawberry
- 11-02-24
Such A Clever And Wonderful Story!
I have a tear in my eye at the end of the novel. I will miss it, and the wonderful characters. I can see exactly why Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins were such good friends. They were both fabulous writers and story tellers. Each of their stories are full of wonderful characters, humour, excellent and clever plots that keep you listening to the end! I love Victorian Literature, so beautifully written. l loved Magdelan and Mrs Wragg!! she was so funny! the chapter with the omelette and when it ended up under the grate! Nicholas Boulton was so good at narrating this novel, the perfect voice to listen to, and fabulous voices for all of the characters! This is my second Wilkie Collins novel, I have also listened to The Woman in White, which was excellent. I highly recommend them both! Now for my next Wilkie Collins, The Law and The Lady!
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