Mary Barton
A Tale of Manchester Life
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Mary Barton
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Narrated by:
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Juliet Stevenson
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Written by:
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Elizabeth Gaskell
About this listen
Exclusively from Audible
Following the death of his wife and the government's refusal to pass his local trade union's chartist petition, John Barton sinks into a depression so deep that not even his doting daughter can lift him out of it. Seeing the poverty that her family has been reduced to and the desperation in her father's eyes, Mary Barton realises she must reject the proposal of her working-class lover, Jem. Instead, she sets her sights at a master's son, the wealthy heir of a Manchester mill, Henry Carson, in the hope that his situation will improve her own.
In a shocking turn of events, Mary discovers Mr Carson has been shot and her former lover, Jem, accused of his murder. As life-altering secrets emerge and the lives of those around her are put on the line, Mary must decide who to trust and who to denounce.
Elizabeth Gaskell's first novel, Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life, is an emotive condition of English work in which she artfully intertwines the socio-political struggles of the 'hungry forties' with elements of a classic love story. Mary Barton is a pioneering work of fiction which has ensured that Gaskell's name will forever be included in a list of England's greatest authors. Its success was such that it even won the attention of Charles Dickens and Charlotte Brontë, forging a great working relationship between the writers, and later leading Gaskell to write Brontë's biography.
Narrator Biography
Multi-award winning actress, Juliet Stevenson has graced the stage and screen with a myriad of powerhouse performances for over 40 years. Aged nine, she developed a passion for the spoken word after performing a reading of a WH Auden poem in front of her entire school. She graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and later became a member of its artistic council. Her theatre experience is vast and includes parts in Measure for Measure, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Burn This and Death and the Maiden.
She is also known for her film career in works such as Bend It Like Beckham, Emma, Truly Madly Deeply and Mona Lisa Smile. Stevenson has been BAFTA-nominated and been the winner of a Laurence Olivier Award. In 1999, she was awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours List, for her services to Drama.
Juliet's other audiobook narrations include Sense and Sensibility, North and South, The Portrait of a Lady and Madame Bovary. These and many more can be found at Audible.
Public Domain (P)2010 Audible, Inc.What listeners say about Mary Barton
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Vikki
- 2022-02-20
Awesome tale.
Gaskell is so gifted at heart rending story telling. She puts Charles Dickens to shame.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2022-12-27
Marvelous!
I had not read this author before, though I had heard of her. I loved this story. Compelling, moving, and spiritually rich. The prose is marvelous. The more wonderful by virtue of Juliet Stevenson’s brilliant performance. Thank you audible.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- DWard
- 2021-09-01
Wonderful story
Juliet Stevenson is superb! Hands down the best narrator of this genre. I cried many times at the beautiful prose and how she brought it to life.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- VS
- 2023-01-05
Loved it
Loved the performance, story and the moral of it all. Classic, that should be read in schools
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2021-12-08
very romantic
loved it was awesome to listen to. especially in a British accent. narrator was fantastic
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Shayna
- 2021-12-22
Good story but long
I didn't expect such a long novel but enjoyed it. It provided an interesting look into the evolution of labour into the Industrial era.
reader spoke quite quickly so some parts are best played at 90 to 95 % speed.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Marla
- 2022-12-05
Very good narration
Insight into era was clear and descriptive. Be glad we live when we do. Long but enjoyable.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Sharron padden
- 2022-12-30
Mary Barton
A very enjoyable read. The characters are clearly defined, making it easy to keep track of them.
I truly believe that my favourite genre is historical fiction. A real learning experience.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- SusanQQ
- 2021-06-02
Wonderful Narration
I have listened to at least a half dozen or more books narrated by Juliet Stevenson. Her narration is sublime. I did not enjoy this book by the author as much as others. The characters and storyline were bland and seemed to drag. Often predictable and somewhat boring, at least the narration made up for it.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Sylvie S.
- 2021-11-17
Long and depressing
Had to skip to the end after chapter 20...... Drug on forever.....and bloody depressing.
Good thing it was free.
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