A Simple Story Audiobook By Elizabeth Inchbald cover art

A Simple Story

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A Simple Story

By: Elizabeth Inchbald
Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
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Published in 1791, A Simple Story concerns Miss Milner, who announces her passion for her guardian, a Catholic priest, thereby breaking through the barriers of his religious vocation and society’s standards for proper female behaviour.

Central themes of the novel include the importance of proper education for women. Elizabeth Inchbald was a dramatist and actress and this can be detected in her narrative, particularly her lively dialogue. The novel was well received on its publication, with one reviewer writing that "Mrs Inchbald has discovered the true path which she ought to pursue".

In several respects A Simple Story anticipates the writing of Jane Austen, especially in Inchbald’s concise and ironic style. Here it is given a delightful reading by the acclaimed actress Juliet Stevenson.

Public Domain (P)2022 Naxos AudioBooks UK Ltd. Classics Witty
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Juliet Stevenson is always great. The story, however, drove me crazy. I had to keep reminding myself that the book was written over 200 years ago and things were different then.

Great Narration, Old Story

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I've heard good things about Inchbald and adore Stevenson as a narrator, so I was excited for this audiobook. It definitely did not disappoint. Juliet Stevenson could make reading a phone book sound amazing. Fortunately, she was given a fascinating book to read. Elizabeth Inchbald's background on the stage and translating plays (her most well-known work is translating the German play Lover's Vows that featured in Mansfield Park by Jane Austen) meant that her story was not only structured well, but also had plenty of drama while staying consistent with the characterization and not going over-the-top. The end is rather surprising and leaves the reader on a confused note, but I say that that is more of a feature than a bug. It leaves the ending for the reader to interpret and decide. I'd definitely recommend this to any fan of 18th and 19th century novels, especially Austen

Dramatic, surprising, and beautifully Narrated

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This story certainly does not deserve a 1-star rating. To account for the one review with a 1 star at the time of this writing, I suspect the reader may have had some qualms about the ending sentence...

1st half of the story has a domineering hero sort and a coquettish woman kind of romance. Inchbald's theater background shines through because there is no end to the dramatics and fuss. You'd think it'd go down to the typical ending but prepare to be surprised. The author loves to switch the whole situation around with a time skip. The characters are written with some amount of complexity but don't expect any deep deep dives.

Juliet Stevenson's narration is lovely as usual. In fact, she was the reason I picked up this read. I don't regret it.

Exciting and Dramatic

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