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Following the death of her father, Isabel Archer leaves the comforts of Albany, New York to stay with her aunt Lydia Touchett at her London estate. There she meets Lydia's rich husband, David, her cousin Ralph, and the Touchetts's proud neighbor, Lord Warburton. Soon, too, come marriage proposals from Lord Warburton and Caspar Goodwood, the son of a wealthy mill owner. Although Isabel declines both offers, she eventually gives her hand to Gilbert Osmond, an American ex-pat in Florence.
Henry James (Author), Michael Page (Narrator)
Audiobook
N B C University Theater - The Portrait of a Lady
'NBC University Theater' initially started in Chicago with a remit to bring adaptations of classic novels, usually Anglo-American, to a radio audience. Additionally, if listeners signed up they received college credit to a radio-assisted correspondence course. A study guide, The Handbook of the World's Great Novels, was available for 25 cents. In its later years it also included short stories and plays and went on to win the distinguished Peabody award.Unlike many other radio shows University Theatre did not pursue the glamourous stars for its productions but instead relied on excellent distillations of the novels and first class acting alongside high production values.But now its time to enjoy these timeless novels. Let's begin.
Henry James (Author), Various (Narrator)
Audiobook
N B C University Theater - The Ambassadors
'NBC University Theater' initially started in Chicago with a remit to bring adaptations of classic novels, usually Anglo-American, to a radio audience. Additionally, if listeners signed up they received college credit to a radio-assisted correspondence course. A study guide, The Handbook of the World's Great Novels, was available for 25 cents. In its later years it also included short stories and plays and went on to win the distinguished Peabody award.Unlike many other radio shows University Theatre did not pursue the glamourous stars for its productions but instead relied on excellent distillations of the novels and first class acting alongside high production values.But now its time to enjoy these timeless novels. Let's begin.
Henry James (Author), Various (Narrator)
Audiobook
Henry James' short but much acclaimed suspense novel. Set in Venice, it's the story of an American editor's determination to acquire a collection of unpublished letters at any cost. The letters are to the former mistress of a famous, deceased poet, Jeffrey Aspern. The mistress, Miss Bordereau is now very elderly, living modestly in a dilapidated old palazzo with her shy, awkward and uncomely niece Tita, an unwitting 'pawn' in the plot. The strong characterizations of the three main players in the story make for a compelling story of lies, betrayal and psychological warfare. James' gift for building suspense is evident, the tension builds until the very last moment. AUTHOR Henry James (1843-1916) was an American novelist, a 19th century master of literary realism, a movement to portray ordinary lives and situations devoid of romanticism or stylization. Born in Manhattan to a prominent family, Henry James traveled extensively, and eventually settled in England. The cultural differences between Americans and Europeans were a favorite subject of his."
Henry James (Author), David Thorn (Narrator)
Audiobook
The Portrait of a Lady focuses first and foremost on the character and experiences of its heroine Isabel Archer. She is, in Henry James' words, the 'lighted' character; all the other people in the novel remain relatively obscure. Their dealings with Isabel, for good or ill, serve to reveal more of her character to the reader and to further her along the path of emotional development and maturity. The deep goodness of Ralph and the machinations of Osmond and Madame Merle are revealed only in relation to her. 1. Old World and New - A young American in England. Elderly American banker Mr Touchett is sitting in the garden of his English country home, Gardencourt, with his delicate son Ralph and Ralph's friend Lord Warburton. Touchett tells them that his wife has taken her niece under her wing and is bringing her home from America. The young lady, Isabel Archer, arrives; Lord Warburton pays court to her and invites her to lunch. 2. Suitors Abound - A friend from afar - Declarations of love. Isabel's excitable friend Henrietta Stackpole reveals that Caspar Goodwood, Isabel's American admirer, has followed her to England. Isabel is disturbed as she does not share his feelings. He writes, asking to see her. As Isabel reads the note in the grounds of Gardencourt, Lord Warburton arrives and proposes to her. She refuses him, seeing marriage as the end of her new-found freedom. Henrietta suggests Isabel accompany her to London and there Goodwood renews his advances. Isabel learns that Henrietta has encouraged him and feels betrayed. Later, Ralph informs Isabel that Mr Touchett is ill and together they leave London for Gardencourt. 3. Inheritance - A new-found friend - Sudden riches. At Gardencourt Isabel meets Madame Merle, also an American, and is charmed by her. They are frequently thrown together while Ralph and Mrs Touchett are occupied with caring for Mr Touchett, who wants Ralph to marry Isabel. Ralph refuses because of his heart condition but says he would like her to receive half his father's money so that she may be truly independent. On Mr Touchett's death, Isabel is shocked to learn of her inheritance. Madame Merle believes Isabel to have been 'clever', but Henrietta says that the money will do Isabel more harm than good. Ralph, however, encourages Isabel to enjoy her new wealth. 4. Italian Encounters - A meeting is engineered - Will love bloom? In Florence Madame Merle visits her friend Gilbert Osmond and his daughter Pansy. She tells him about Isabel and arranges for them to meet. Osmond begins to court Isabel, who grows to like him, much to Mrs Touchett's horror. Protective of Isabel, she questions Madame Merle, who defends Osmond. When Ralph and Isabel leave for Rome, the latter suggests that Osmond follow. Osmond cynically discusses Isabel with Madame Merle. In Rome Isabel meets Lord Warburton, whose feelings are unchanged. He is sad to learn that Isabel is attracted to Osmond. 5. An Unpopular Engagement - Deaf to opposition. Isabel travels with Madame Merle, then returns in Rome. Caspar Goodwood comes to see her there, in response to her letter announcing her engagement to Osmond, but she dismisses him. Mrs Touchett voices her opposition, regarding Osmond as a fortune-hunter. Ralph tells Isabel that she is giving up the freedom she once cherished and that he loves her without hope. However, Isabel says that she values Osmond because he has never striven for money, and that she is glad to share her fortune with him. 6. Matchmaking - An unhappy marriage - Hopes of an engagement. Isabel's marriage to Osmond does not prove happy and the child she bears dies in infancy. Three years later, Ralph arrives in Rome with Lord Warburton, who is attentive to Pansy. Osmond is pleased, forbidding Pansy's other suitor, Edward Rosier, to see her, and telling his wife to encourage her old friend. At a dance, Isabel realizes that Lord Warburton still cares for her and notices also that Rosier is in love with Pansy. She tells Rosier that she will help him and asks Lord Warburton to send a letter to her husband asking for Pansy's hand, thus challenging him to prove that he is in earnest. 7. Plans Fail - A suitor departs - Secret intimacy. Lord Warburton fails to propose to Pansy and leaves Rome. Pansy is delighted, but Osmond is furious with Isabel and accuses her of preventing the marriage. Isabel admits her unhappiness to Henrietta, who tells her Goodwood has come to Rome. Isabel asks him to take Ralph home as he is too ill to travel alone. Henrietta, too, volunteers her services. Isabel tells Ralph that she will come to him if he needs her. Madame Merle asks Isabel about Lord Warburton's change of heart. When Isabel says that it is none of her business, Madame Merle insists that it is. She then talks intimately with Osmond about his marriage and her previous relationship with him. 8. A Shocking Discovery - Choosing between love and duty. Osmond sends Pansy back to the convent and Isabel hears that Ralph is dying. Osmond refuses to let his wife go to him. Isabel then learns that Pansy is Madame Merle's daughter. Isabel decides to defy Osmond and visits Pansy to say goodbye. There she meets Madame Merle who tells her that Mr Touchett left the money to her at Ralph's suggestion. Isabel has an emotional reunion with Ralph, who soon dies. Goodwood surprises Isabel and kisses her, but despite being tempted for a moment, she rejects him again. Two days later, he follows her to London, only to learn that she has returned to Rome.
Henry James (Author), William Roberts (Narrator)
Audiobook
The Ultimate Ghost Stories Collection: Novels and Stories from Poe; M.R. James, Charles Dickens, Hen
The Ultimate Ghost Stories Collection is a fully-indexed collection of classic ghost stories, read by three Audie-winning narrators. Included here are stories by Henry James, M.R. James, Edgar Allan Poe, Charles Dickens, Edith Wharton, and Washington Irving. - The Turn of the Screw, Henry James - x14 M.R. James Stories - Canon Alberics Scrap-Book; Lost Hearts; The Mezzotint; The Ash-tree; Number 13; Casting the Runes; Count Magnus; Oh Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad; A Warning to the Curious; A View From a Hill; A Neighbour's Landmark; The Uncommon Prayer-Book; Wailing Well; The Fenstanton Witch. - x4 Edgar Allan Poe Stories - Morella; Ligeia; The Mask of the Red Death; The Oval Portrait. - The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Washington Irving - The Empty House, Algernon Blackwood - How It Happened, Arthur Conan Doyle - The Fullness of Life, Edith Wharton - The Signalman, Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens, Edgar Allan Poe, Edith Wharton, Henry James, M.R. James, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Washington Irving (Author), Jonathan Keeble, Juile Teal, Malk Williams (Narrator)
Audiobook
The heroine of this powerful novel is the spirited young American Isabel Archer. Blessed by nature and fortune, she journeys to Europe to seek her future, but what she finds may prove to be her undoing. She is courted by three men: an English aristocrat, an American gentleman, and a sensitive expatriate. Her invalid cousin becomes her benefactor and adviser. But it is after the ingenuous Isabel falls prey to the schemes of an infinitely more sophisticated older woman that her life takes shape. Rich in character and the interplay of tensions, The Portrait of a Lady is a brilliant, timeless, and essential American novel.
Henry James (Author), Laural Merlington (Narrator)
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Perhaps the most brilliantly successful ghost story ever written, The Turn of the Screw creates a terrifyingly believable impression of innocent children so corrupted by evil that they remain deceptive pictures of innocent beauty. Their governess must struggle alone to confront and exorcise the demons which she believes possess their souls...
Henry James (Author), Ben Elliot, Penelope Rawlins (Narrator)
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Dealing heavily with the then very timely political issue of feminism and the changing role of women in society, Henry James's The Bostonians is the story of Civil War veteran Basil Ransom's conflict with his cousin Olive Chancellor for the allegiance and affection of Boston feminist Verena Tarrant.
Henry James (Author), Xe Sands (Narrator)
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Frederick Winterbourne, an American expatriate visiting at Vevey, Switzerland, meets commonplace, newly rich Mrs. Miller from Schenectady, New York, her mischievous small son and her daughter, Daisy, an 'inscrutable combination of audacity and innocence.' The Millers have no perception of the complex code that underlies behavior in European society, and Winterbourne is astonished at the girl's innocent naivet' and her mother's unconcern, both of which lead to trouble for Daisy.
Henry James (Author), Susan O'Malley (Narrator)
Audiobook
In this chillingly memorable tale, Henry James employed his trademark subtlety and ambiguity to create a masterpiece of double meanings. The novel is written in a strangely complex form; a narrative by a governess, which is introduced by another narrator, who recounts the story to a party of house guests. Through all the twists and turns of the plot, the brooding sense of ghostly evil and menace deepens until the final crisis point is reached. Even then, the difference between truth and illusion is impossible to discern. 1. OLD MEMOIRS. At a house party, the host, Douglas, tells him guests about meeting a governess, whom he found attractive, and how she confided in him. Then the reading of her memoirs commences. She is bowled over at meeting her prospective employer in his grand Harley Street house and, despite initial qualms about rural solitude, agrees to take on the post of governess at Bly, the country house that is home to his two wards. When she arrives, however, Bly appears delightful. She also likes Mrs Grose, the housekeeper, and Flora seems enchanting. 2. ENCOUNTERS GOOD AND BAD. The governess's joy is blighted by a letter from Miles' boarding school, which announces that he has been expelled. She consults Mrs Grose, who declares that he must be innocent. The governess learns a little about the fate of her predecessor, but all is forgotten in the excitement of Miles' arrival. He is even more delightful than his sister. One evening, wandering in the garden, the governess sees a strange man at the top of the tower of the house and assumes that he must be an intruder. 3. EVIL APPARITION. About to go out one day, the governess sees through the window the face of the man she first noticed at the top of the tower. She rushes out but cannot find him; instead she startles Mrs Grose. The housekeeper is stunned by the governess's description of the intruder, which matches that of Peter Quint, the master's former valet. This devious, evil man had been in charge of Bly - and has since died. 4. A WOMAN IN BLACK. Valiantly, the governess vows to protect the children from the ghost's evil intentions. In the days that follow, she learns that Quint died in the suspicious circumstances on the way home from an evening's drinking. She boldly continues with her plan to screen the children from him. Then, while out in the ground with Flora, the governess sees a women dressed in black gazing fixedly across the lake at the child. She is oppressed by the sense of evil the woman radiates and is alarmed that Flora seems to be pretending not to have seen her. When she next sees Mrs Grose, the governess tells her that she is sure it was Miss Jessel that she saw and learns that her predecessor was thought to have borne Quint's child. The governess is convinced that the children are aware of both Miss Jessel's and Peter Quint's ghosts, and soon after meets Quint again - this time inside the house. 5. INNOCENCE CORRUPTED. Woken by Flora getting up in the night, the governess sees her staring out of the window at Miles, who is on the lawn looking up at the house. When the governess brings him in, he tells her that he did it just to show how 'bad' he could be. She is baffled by his admission, but tells Mrs Grose her suspicions; that the children are regularly in contact with Quint and Miss Jessel and have already been corrupted by them. She decides to write to her employer, but before she posts the letter, Miles charms her completely by playing the piano for her. 6. LAKESIDE DISASTER. Realising that Flora has gone out alone, the governess goes to Mrs Grose and the two set out in pursuit. They find her on the far side of the lake, totally unconcerned. When the governess confronts her, asking her where Miss Jessel is, the ghost suddenly appears. Triumphant, the governess points her out, but Mrs Grose cannot see the ghost. Flora cannot -or will not - see Miss Jessel either and she turns violently against her governess. Mrs Grose takes the distraught child back to the house, leaving the governess alone with grief and horror. 7. DEPARTURE FROM BLY. Back in the house, Miles comes to the governess and sits wordlessly with her two hours, as if about to disclose a secret, but he remains silent. The next morning, Mrs Grose wakes her with the news Flora is ill with a fever and is deliriously abusing her in language she should never have known, which confirms the governess's fears that the children have been influenced by Quint. Mrs Grose takes Flora away to London and reveals that the letter the governess wrote to their employer, and left on the hall table to be posted, has been stolen - obviously by Miles. She believes that theft was the reason for his expulsion from school. 8. FINAL CRISIS. Alone with Miles, the governess is determined to force him to tell her the truth about the stolen letter and his crime at school. The instant she questions him, she sees Peter Quint's ghost appear at the window. Miles confesses that he took the letter and was expelled from school for the thing he had said. He is unable to see the ghost although he looks for it desperately. The governess clutches him in her arms, believing that his confession means he is at last free of Quint. Her triumph however is short-lived, for his heart has stopped.
Henry James (Author), Carole Boyd (Narrator)
Audiobook
The Portrait of a Lady: Penguin Classics
Brought to you by Penguin. This Penguin Classic is performed by Simon Harrison, best known for his roles in Everest, Transformers: The Last Knight and London Has Fallen. This definitive edition includes an Introduction by Philip Horne. When Isabel Archer, a beautiful, spirited American, is brought to Europe by her wealthy aunt Touchett, it is expected that she will soon marry. But Isabel, resolved to enjoy her freedom, does not hesitate to turn down two eligible suitors. Then she finds herself irresistibly drawn to Gilbert Osmond. Charming and cultivated, Osmond sees Isabel as a rich prize waiting to be taken. In this portrait of a 'young woman affronting her destiny', Henry James created one of his most magnificent heroines, and a story of intense poignancy. (P) 2019 Penguin Audio
Henry James (Author), Simon Harrison (Narrator)
Audiobook
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