The Third Miss Symons
F. M. Mayor
Read by Rachel Lintern
The Third Miss Symons is a masterfully crafted novella by F. M. Mayor that explores the life of a young woman navigating the complexities of her social world. Set against the backdrop of early 20th-century England, the story unfolds with a keen eye for detail and a focus on the subtleties of character and environment.
Through the lens of her protagonist, Mayor contrasts the inner life of Miss Symons with the bustling society around her. The narrative is both concise and rich, capturing the essence of her experiences without unnecessary embellishment. This approach allows readers to engage deeply with the themes of identity, belonging, and the often unspoken tensions of social expectations.
With its unique structure and insightful observations, The Third Miss Symons stands out as a poignant reflection on the challenges faced by women of its time, making it a distinctive addition to the literary landscape of the early 1900s.
Chapters
Select a chapter to play
| 01 - Preface | 8:57 | Read by Rachel Lintern | |
| 02 - Chapters 1 - 4 | 59:40 | Read by Rachel Lintern | |
| 03 - Chapters 5 - 8 | 57:04 | Read by Rachel Lintern | |
| 04 - Chapters 9 - 11 | 41:03 | Read by Rachel Lintern | |
| 05 - Chapters 12 - 13 | 31:12 | Read by Rachel Lintern |
Reviews
The Third Miss Symons
TheBookworm
The singular life of a lonely and rather grumpy woman. Sounds depressing? Not at all. It's a masterful work partly because the author resists the temptation to make the character likeable. The introduction by poet John Masefield (The Midnight Folk, etc.) is just brilliant. Having never run into this book before, I downloaded it on the expectation of an excellent reading. I was not disappointed! Rachel Lintern has a soft and pleasing voice, and never hurries. I also recommend her earlier recording http://www.archive.org/details/gonetoearth_0809_librivox Thank you, Rachel, for digging up this small masterpiece. TheBookworm (Manchester, UK)
Bittersweet
TwinkieToes
Henrietta (Etta) Symons grows from childhood into adulthood unloved. She longs for someone to love and who will love her in return, but every relationship she has (friends and family) is dysfunctional in some way - all due to human frailty in one form or other. She reminds me of people in my life who are callous, bitter, and simply hard to love. Very possibly, they're unlovable for the same reason as Etta - no one is able to see beneath the crusty surface to the hurting person underneath. Well written, well read.
Life Without Love
jbrown
The flawless narration makes this short tale come to life and it is well worth a listen. Miss Symons is more than an ordinary person but the author’s great character development makes one care what happens to her. She goes through life without love from seemingly anyone.
Caregiver
A depressing story. Is the purpose to teach us how NOT to be?
Five stars.
Beetzme2
Just to endorse the views of the previous reviewers.