The Blithedale Romance


Read by Jacquerie

(4.5 stars; 66 reviews)

The Blithedale Romance is the story of four principal characters who work with -- and sometimes against -- each other on Blithedale, a communal farm antecedent to those that sprang up later in the 1960s, and similar to one on which Hawthorne himself lived in 1841. These communes arose out of the pressures on society and the individual brought by the Industrial Revolution. Some were organized around religious philosophies, some were secular. Among the secularists, the Transcendental movement mentioned in the novel espoused the idea that the individual's intuition, rather than religious dogma, was the true path to spiritual enlightenment. Our four characters, like so many who fled to these communes, struggle to free mankind from bondage as they struggle with the unaccustomed day-to-day tasks of farm life. But they are plagued by a mystery that follows them from the world, and ultimately leads to tragedy. (Summary by Christine Dufour) (8 hr 48 min)

Chapters

00 - Preface 5:41 Read by Jacquerie
01- Old Moodie 8:43 Read by Jacquerie
02 - Blithedale 11:02 Read by Jacquerie
03 - A Knot of Dreamers 19:06 Read by Jacquerie
04 - The Supper-Table 18:04 Read by Jacquerie
05 - Until Bedtime 15:03 Read by Jacquerie
06 - Coverdale's Sick-Chamber 22:09 Read by Jacquerie
07 - The Convalescent 19:08 Read by Jacquerie
08 - A Modern Arcadia 25:42 Read by Jacquerie
09 - Hollingsworth, Zenobia, Priscilla 27:48 Read by Jacquerie
10 - A Visitor From Town 15:43 Read by Jacquerie
11 - The Wood-Path 19:09 Read by Jacquerie
12 - Coverdale's Hermitage 16:12 Read by Jacquerie
13 - Zenobia's Legend 24:33 Read by Jacquerie
14 - Eliot's Pulpit 24:57 Read by Jacquerie
15 - A Crisis 18:29 Read by Jacquerie
16 - Leave-Takings 17:12 Read by Jacquerie
17 - The Hotel 17:03 Read by Jacquerie
18 - The Boarding-House 14:14 Read by Jacquerie
19 - Zenobia's Drawing-Room 17:50 Read by Jacquerie
20 - They Vanish 11:20 Read by Jacquerie
21 - An Old Acquaintance 16:29 Read by Jacquerie
22 - Fauntleroy 26:48 Read by Jacquerie
23 - A Village Hall 22:41 Read by Jacquerie
24 - The Masqueraders 19:39 Read by Jacquerie
25 - The Three Together 18:28 Read by Jacquerie
26 - Zenobia and Coverdale 15:07 Read by Jacquerie
27 - Midnight 18:23 Read by Jacquerie
28 - Blithedale Pasture 14:48 Read by Jacquerie
29 - Miles Coverdale's Confession 6:56 Read by Jacquerie

Reviews

Classic Hawthorne: Mysterious Plot; Great Characterizations


(4.5 stars)

Absorbing mystery involving a romantic triangle, plus the narrator, who's the odd man out. Story holds your interest to the final page, but the narrator is more than a little self-absorbed, which can be a bit tedious at times. Also there are no heroes and no real winners in this one - the main characters are all either deeply flawed or outright evil. That together with Hawthorne's narrator's endorsement of early feminist principles gives this novel a remarkably "modern" feel. Reader's audio presentation was very well presented.


(3 stars)

It’s very well read, however the overall story may not merit the attention the author gets for whatever insight the story might offer. Perhaps it is this listener’s inability to appreciate Hawthorn’s writing and superstitions. Thank Ms. Dufour for your reading. I have listened to all your books and left this one for the end. Please continue to find more novels to read to this appreciative audience.

A FAILED COMUNE DESTROYS ALL


(4 stars)

Hawthorne fans will enjoy this somewhat jaded view of a failed ccommune. The first few chapters give interesting anecdotes of commmunal life, while the remmainder of tho book deals with a tragedy. Very well read..

A bit dull


(2.5 stars)

The book was a bit dull, and made more so by the reader. I'd have stopped listening if there hadn't been an element of mystery to the story that intrigued me enough to stick with it.

A work of genius


(5 stars)

A gem of world literature. Thanks to the fine reader.


(4 stars)

A very good story, interesting and compelling, and read very well.

Beautiful book!!!


(5 stars)

Very well read and very pleasant!