Wives and Daughters
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Wives and Daughters
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Narrated by:
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Prunella Scales
About this listen
Exclusively from Audible
Molly Gibson, the only daughter of a widowed doctor in the small provincial town of Hollingford, lost her mother when she was a child. Her father remarries wanting to give Molly the woman's presence he feels she lacks. To Molly, any stepmother would have been a shock, but the new Mrs. Gibson is a self-absorbed, petty widow, and Molly's unhappiness is compounded by the realisation that her father has come to regret his second marriage.
Although Molly resents her stepmother, she befriends her new step-sister, Cynthia, who is loveable, but worldly and troubling. The audiobook chronicles their maturation into womanhood within the confines of the gossiping and watchful society of Hollingford.
As Molly matures and falls in love she learns to judge people for what they are, not what they seem. Through Molly, the social values and changes of early 19th-century England are brought to life in this timeless representation of human relationships. The audiobook is more than just a nostalgic story of village life, it offers an ironic critique of mid-Victorian society.
Known as her last, longest, and perhaps finest work, it was not quite complete when Gaskell died suddenly in 1865. The last section was written by Frederick Greenwood.
Narrator Biography
Prunella Scales is a classically trained stage actress but is best known for her role as Sybil Fawlty in the BBC comedy Fawlty Towers (1975-1979) and for her role as Queen Elizabeth II in A Question of Attribution (1991) for which she was nominated a BAFTA. Her film appearances have included Stiff Upper Lips (1997), Howard's End (1992), and Wolf (1994). She was awarded the CBE for her services to drama in 1992 and the Patricia Rothermere Award for her contributions to British Theatre in 2001. More recent appearances have included the mini-series The Shell Seekers (2006), a production of Carrie's War at the Apollo Theatre (2009), Horrid Henry: The Movie (2013) and a guest appearance in the popular BBC radio comedy Cabin Pressure (2013). Julian Barnes' The Lemon Table and Anne Fine's Charm School are among the many audiobooks Prunella Scales has narrated.
Public Domain (P)2014 Audible, Inc.What listeners say about Wives and Daughters
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Katie Beitz
- 28-10-2017
unfinished
Lovely story. A shame it was never finished. I probably wouldn't have listened if I'd known.
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1 person found this helpful
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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
- Maryanne
- 07-08-2022
Enjoyable
Well written with good themes and characters. The Narrator interpreted the story with guesto
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Stephanie Dale
- 04-02-2022
Sublime
This is an opus of sublime writing, wonderfully read by Prunella Scales. Totally unexpected pleasure to listen to.
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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
- Anonymous User
- 06-09-2022
Masterful narration
You won't find a more talented narrator. I utterly believed every character Prunella read.
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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
- Gordon
- 08-10-2023
Extraordinary narration
I really loved this book. It is the narration that takes an excellent novel into the extraordinary.
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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
- Anonymous User
- 31-12-2021
What a joy
Such a wonderful narration as given by Prunella Scales truly brought this English novel to life. It was a joy to listen to.
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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
- Carol Barnard
- 06-02-2023
A great classic
Thoroughly enjoyed it from the beginning, so unfortunate that the story could be finished in Elizabeth Gaskell's own words. I would like to have heard more about the characters and how they faired. Prunella Scales is a wonderful narrator and she brought the individual characters to life for me.
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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
- Linda D.
- 16-02-2023
Brilliant
What can I say what a beautiful story. It has all the poise and reflection of the Times are great loss to society, but the words will always be read. An attribute to herself.
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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
- Daniel Maher
- 08-05-2021
True classic
Beautiful story dynamically performed. The epilogue was excellent and much appreciated, I had no idea...
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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
- Jenny
- 14-10-2018
Completely engrossing
What a beautiful novel - the wonderful characters brought to life in their simultaneously flawed and redeeming ways. Glaskell at her best, by far my favourite of all her novels. It was endearing to the heart.
Prunella Scales narrated it so brilliantly. I have never enjoyed a narration as much as hers in Wives and Daughters. I really felt she was able to convey each of the characters accurately. I enjoyed particularly her narrating Hyacinth Gisbon - her personality was captured to perfection.
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4 people found this helpful