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Therese Raquin

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Therese Raquin

By: Émile Zola
Narrated by: Traci Svendsgaard
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In a dingy apartment on the Passage du Pont-Neuf in Paris, Thérèse Raquin is trapped in a loveless marriage to her sickly cousin, Camille. The numbing tedium of her life is suddenly shattered when she embarks on a turbulent affair with her husband's earthy friend, Laurent. But their passion for each other soon compels the lovers to commit a crime that will haunt them forever.

Thérèse Raquin caused a scandal when it appeared in 1867 and brought its 27-year-old author a notoriety that followed him throughout his life. Zola's novel is not only an uninhibited portrayal of adultery, madness, and ghostly revenge but also a devastating exploration of the darkest aspects of human existence.

(P)2006 Blackstone Audiobooks Classics Marriage Haunted
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Critic reviews

"Zola's gritty portrayal of his eponymous central character Thérèse [is] a brilliantly radical departure from the simpering female prototypes of Victorian convention." (Los Angeles Times)
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Good story but with misogynist overtones. Female sexuality destroys everything around it. Bad French accents.

Meh.

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I was disappointed from the outset as this wonderfully dark short novel was nearly destroyed by the reader, who seemed to have little understanding of how to convey the sinister undertones. Her often cheery voice, rapid pace, along with the terrible French accents used for the dialogue, all diminished the pleasure this reading should have given. There were also a few mis-readings which had not been edited out, which was annoying. I'm glad I'd already read it myself some years ago, and only wanted a 'brush-up' of the plot and main characters, as I felt that their personalities failed to really make it through in this reading.

disappointing rendition!

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