A Sweet Romantic Tale

This is a romance in the Victorian style. The characters are rather stylized and in the case of the protagonist, idealized.

Nevertheless it is a sweet tale that drew me in and made me care about the two main characters. The goodness of the heroine might put off some listeners, but if you allow yourself to be pulled in and love her, the rest of the story will keep you in suspense and entertain you.

23 people found this helpful

A Girl Rags-to-Riches story

What did you like best about this story?

I enjoyed this story. It is Horatio Algeristic (Is that a word?) in it's approach. A young woman, who is not petite and beautiful, always works hard for those that hire her to do their shopping and secretarial work. She gets to know some of the leading citizens of her era. She gets invited to a huge week + long party at a very wealthy lady's country place. She is there to work and she does so willingly. Her hard work makes her invulnerable to all the snide remarks that come her way and also makes her much loved by most. This is a fun story that takes place in England in the 1800s. I like the history and the story. You know everything comes out all right in the end, but it is still an enthralling listen. I will listen to this again with the children.

19 people found this helpful

Excellent

Any additional comments?

A well written and enthralling tale. Excellent reader. A unlikely heroine (Emily) goes on a visit to a country manor. She is poor but well bred, handsome and of good blood. She is loved by all the women she comes in contact with because she is good natured and kind - eager to please and never jealous or envious of other's good fortune. You will pull for her to have some good fortune too. Emily is one of the most likable fictitious characters I have come across in many years of reading. There are other well drawn and likable characters such as Mrs. Cup and her daughter Jane and Lady Maria. The writer is truly talented in character development and also has the ability to draw the reader into a well told and interesting story. I highly recommend this book.

14 people found this helpful

A Sweet, Old-Fashioned Story

I really enjoyed this story. You are drawn into it almost instantly. It is a sweet romance with the merest hint of thriller in it. While it is rather predictable, it can be forgiven if you remember that you are reading it for light entertainment and not for the pursuit of intellect. It is very wholesome and sweet, and I liked the characters.

13 people found this helpful

ENJOYED IT

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

Outstanding narrator. Curious story with a very well-drawn heroine. Interest in the heroine kept me reading.

What about Lucy Scott’s performance did you like?

Lucy Scott has a wonderful voice and uses it to full effect.

10 people found this helpful

Victorian romance

A sweet Victorian-era romance, very much a novel of its period. The narration is delightful. By today's standards, the conflicts might seem rather superficial and the heroine is perhaps too sweet to be real. I found it refreshing to listen to a story with an uncomplicated and all-out happy ending.

9 people found this helpful

Adult Gem by well known children's author

While Frances Hodgson-Burnett is best known for her children's books, such as A Little Princess and The Secret Garden, she also wrote books for adult readers. What a pleasure that Lucy Scott and the folks from Persephone Publishers have brought this book to life for modern readers/listeners. Lucy Scott's reading is a perfect compliment for this, perhaps the best of the "adult" novels by Burnett.

13 people found this helpful

Very well narrated story, a bit macabre overall.

Scary in places, full of contrasts, with goid characterization. I couldn't put it down.

5 people found this helpful

o.k. story

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I like Frances Hodgson-Burnett stories from my childhood, but her sentiments towards people of color can be viewed as racist in today's world. This book is quite obvious about the Englishman's fear and distrust of the Indian of dark skin. However, the author is most likely truthfully portraying what the British ladies were saying about Indians at that time.

The narrator did a great job reading the story except when it came to the voice of the main character. She made the character so silly sounding that it was hard to like the character much.

Overall, I am glad I listened to the story. It was not long and did not stress the grey matter while I washed dishes and cooked.

Would you be willing to try another book from Frances Hodgson-Burnett? Why or why not?

yes. But I think I have read the all.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

The voice of the main character.

8 people found this helpful

Fluffy Stuff

This book certainly had its charms, and I can understand why it might have been a popular women's novel in its day (it was originally published in 1901). It tells the story of a refined but impoverished woman in her thirties, Miss Emily Fox-Seton, who scratches out a living by assisting her betters to shop wisely and plan parties while remaining obligingly in the background. Just as disaster seems about to befall (her kindly landlady and her daughter plan to give up the house where Emily rooms), wonder of wonders, she receives an unexpected marriage proposal that catapults her into the upper echelon of society. Lord Waldehurst has been won over by Emily's good taste and unprepossessing nature--undoubtedly the dream of many an aging spinster in 1901.

But, alas, it is at this point that the novel falls a bit short for the 21st-century reader. Emily's kindness and naiveté seem to know no bounds. She tries to befriend Alec Osbourne (who has been Lord Waldehurst's sole heir for the past 30 years or so) and his pregnant half-Indian wife, even coaxing her husband--who is about to leave for business in India--to allow her to furnish a house on the estate grounds for their use. It never enters her head that the Osbournes might see her as a potential threat to the property, money, and title that they hope to inherit, and she is hurt and confused by their often surly manners and Hortense's frequent angry outbursts. (When her trusty maid tells Emily that she fears that Amira, Hortense's ayah, is up to no good, Emily encourages her to read Uncle Tom's Cabin to improve her view of "the blacks.") Following several near-misses--accidents that would have been fatal--plus a confession from Hortense that she sometimes hates the now-pregnant Emily and that Alec wants to kill her, Emily feels that the best solution to her dilemma is to take Hortense's advice to "go away" to stay safe until her child is born. Emily's goodness is just too unbelievable; I started to agree with Alec's estimation that she was just "a big fool," and I wanted to smack her back into reality. And the Osbournes and Amira fall into caricatures of villains so evil that I expected even Hortense and Amira to be twirling long black moustachios.

I'm giving the book three stars as a period piece and an example of early 20th century women's novels, and perhaps with some bonus points for Persephone's quite lovely cover. Read it when you are in the mood for pure fluff.

10 people found this helpful