Decent but confusing read

I'm not even sure how to feel about this novel. There were so many times I was just so confused and do wish there was more story. Overall a decent read. I don't know if I would personally recommend this book to anyone but I'm still glad to have read it.

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Solid Performance but the story is meh...

Author seems to have put in too much effort to make it more verbose than required...

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what a performance!

Emma Thompson created the sights sounds, and horror with unsurpassable narration of this frightening story racing to an unexpected end.

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WOW! JUST WOW!

I have ALWAYS loved the beauty and haunting nature of this story, but add an actor that legends are made of, and you have, what I feel, is perfection! Well done Ms. Thompson! and posthumously, well done Mr. Henry James!!

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good-ish, bit not essential

so, it's a classic novel, so you should probably listen to it just so you're in the know. However, I recently read Dracula and the Amityville horror through audible, both of which are way spookier and a way better listen.

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1 person found this helpful

A must for ghost story lovers!!

A wonderful, terrifying, perfect ghost story. Emma Thompson’s performance is brilliant, she grips you until the very last word. I heard it all in one sitting and was sad when it ended. Unmissable, excellent, chilling and so satisfying. Bravo.

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Open-ended story

The narration was absolutely magical. The story itself left a lot to be desired. There are no explanations, no resolutions. I'm extremely disappointed after it started to strongly. It ends so abruptly it felt like they simply forgot to include the last four chapters.

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Do Not Use Earbuds

There are other recordings of this story available on Audible.. I selected this one based on favorable reviews and my respect for Emma Thompson as an actress. Henry James wrote this story in 1898, using all of his 19th century literary skills to build tension and atmosphere while presenting an ambiguous scenario: is this an actual description of ghostly events? ..a fictional entertaining discussion of the 'supernatural' by the protagonist (ie. she knowingly made it up)? ..a conspiracy between the children and paranormal forces ..a psychiatric breakdown? The story is intriguing.
The writing is intentionally verbose (James wanted to stretch the text out - an interesting technique) but, unfortunately, the language is strikingly archaic. Consequently, this story is effective, but noticeably dated. That said, it's well worth a listen ('The Turn Of The Screw' should be on everyone's bucket read list).

Emma Thompson's performance is a mixed bag: Her timbre, tone, cadence, and pacing are excellent (not always the case with Actors reading audiobooks).. but her volume modulation is *brutal* - some lines are delivered at a whisper and others at a near shout. I appreciate her dedication to "performing" the Governess's experiences emotively, but Thompson makes listening to this book with earphones nearly impossible.

I haven't listened to any of the other recordings available, but this one was offered for Free with the 'Plus' initiative and showed up on my 'Recommended' list, so I thought I would give it a go. I'm happy I did: it merits 7.5 stars out of 10. If you're looking for a creditable version of a thought-provoking Classic 'Gothic Horror' story (and willing to put up with some minor sound quality deficiencies), this one is worthy of a download. If you're looking for one you can listen to while jogging, maybe try one of the other offerings.

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Gothic ghost story

I hadn't read this story before despite knowing of this author's other works. Some have said that the plot is too predictable but it wasn't at the time it was written. I enjoy the Gothic stories and did like this one even though it was written in a quite formal style. I was hoping for a better ending but that usually isn't the case with this genre. I did appreciate the narrators as I thoroughly enjoy Richard Armitage and Emma Thompson's work with this story.

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Great voices by Emma Thompson, story needs work

If you can struggle through the first chapter, Emma's performance was great. Truly master the distinct voices of each character.
The ending of the book does not connect with the beginning. Story is good for a short read. Might want to play the story at 95% of true speed. Found myself daydreaming at times during the book.

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