Preview
  • A Great and Terrible Beauty

  • By: Libba Bray
  • Narrated by: Jo Wyatt
  • Length: 4 hrs and 55 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (48 ratings)

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A Great and Terrible Beauty

By: Libba Bray
Narrated by: Jo Wyatt
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Publisher's summary

It's 1895, and after the suicide of her mother, 16-year-old Gemma Doyle is shipped off from the life she knows in India to Spence, a proper boarding school in England. Lonely, guilt-ridden, and prone to visions of the future that have an uncomfortable habit of coming true, Gemma's reception there is a chilly one. To make things worse, she's been followed by a mysterious young Indian man, a man sent to watch her. But why? What is her destiny? And what will her entanglement with Spence's most powerful girls, and their foray into the spiritual world, lead to?
©2003 Libba Bray (P)2004 Random House, Inc. Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group
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Critic reviews

"A delicious, elegant gothic." (Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about A Great and Terrible Beauty

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing story and voice reading

I had read this in high school and still love it 16 years later. Great voice actress and great story of friends, family, and loyalty.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The Narrator Brings This Novel To Life


Although fantasy, this novel is an excellent introduction for girls to understand the strictures of female life and expectations in Victorian society.

It's a real shame that Jo Wyatt didn't narrate all three of the unabridged versions. She brings such distinction and vitality to all of the characters. I love her energetic voice and wish she would narrate more audiobooks. I recommend her rendition of Alice in Wonderland as well.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Wish I knew it was abridged

I can’t make a judgement on the story because I had no intention of listening to an abridged story but apparently I just did! I was left feeling like it was rushed and jumped around too quickly and was disjointed - likely that’s the result of the abridgment. Please mark abridged stories more clearly, Audible. I feel jilted out of the experience of enjoying this book in full.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Abridged

It doesn't tell you that it's an abridged version. It leaves too much out. The narrator is great though,

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I LLLOOOOOOVVVVED, LOVED,LOVED,IT!!!!!!!!!

I absolutely loved this book I listened to it in one day, I listened while I cleaned, and when I was showering lol! I totally recommend it to everyone hee hee.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

NOT THE FULL BOOK

This is an ABRIDGED version and I'm very upset I didn't notice before I bought it and it wasn't clearly marked. I read this trilogy a long time ago and I wanted to listen to it again because I love the adventure and romance. Well it wasn't until I got to the second book that I realized I was still waiting for things to happen that should have already. Although this reader is excellent, don't make the same mistake I did. I promise, the missing passages are absolutely worth including.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Excellent listen

I recently joined audible to listen to stories while at work all day. I got sick of the repeat playlists on my music streaming apps. This book was my first selection. I had tried reading it when I was a teenager but couldn’t follow along even though I really enjoyed the story. The audio version was done in a way where I was able to put the pieces together and fully understand the story. This is a great book for anyone who enjoys young adult fantasy and romance. Very fast paced and thrilling.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

forgetable

I know I read this about 2 years ago. It was very forgetable and I honestly had nothing strike me about it.

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