Benedict Cumberbatch reads Ian Kelly's Casanova cover art

Benedict Cumberbatch reads Ian Kelly's Casanova

A BBC Radio 4 reading

 Preview

Get 30 days of Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30-day free trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options
Buy Now for £7.99

Buy Now for £7.99

About this listen

Benedict Cumberbatch reads Ian Kelly’s biography of one of the most beguiling and controversial individuals of any age.

In this fascinating biography of the notorious libertine, Ian Kelly draws on documents by Casanova, his friends and his lovers (male and female) in order to bring fresh insights to the man’s life and world. The sights and smells of Eighteenth Century Europe are brought keenly to life, as are the colourful incidents of Casanova’s life. As the young cleric he embarked upon a scandalous affair with a married woman, fleeing eventually to Constantinople. He created a stir at the French court of King Louis XV, began intrigues in London that led him to a soaking in the Thames, and sought to meet Catherine the Great at a ball in St Petersburg. His own memoirs ensured his lasting fame, and changed the way we think and write about ourselves and about sex.

Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock; The Imitation Game; Star Trek Into Darkness) is the reader of this abridged edition, first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra.

 Entertainment & Celebrities Entertainment & Performing Arts Historical
All stars
Most relevant
A very interesting story, crafted by Ian Kelly.
I enjoyed every minutes of it.

Great book superbly read by Benedict Cumberbatch

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I have read the book and bought it numerous times as presents - it's superb, as is Benedict Cumberbatch's reading of the content here - however this version is a whistlestop abridged version crammed into one chapter. A nice taster for more though.

Great Stuff but an Incredibly Abridged Version

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Cumberbatch proves an engaging, nuanced reader. The text itself is well condensed and full of interesting multicultural references, making it quite enjoyable. However, even though this short text supposedly highlights the most interesting chapters in Casanova's life, I found his anecdotes and exploits rather trite. All in all, an very good audiobook about a surprisingly overrated figure.

Entertaining, short biography of a flat character

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.