Fascinating concept - shame about the inaccurate pronunciations !

This is examination of the lives of the Brontës through some of their personal possessions. It is a well-written and well researched book - with fascinating insights into the private lives of this amazing family in the context of their times. As a Brontë-phile for many years, I found many new and perceptive angles that I had not come across before. However, the narrator's lack of preparation really spoils the listening experience. Firstly, she pronounces the world-famous village of Haworth, as 'Hay-worth', then struggles with the pronunciation of laudanum.
The word 'Papa' makes Mr Brontë sound as though he comes from the Deep South - Ms Windsor puts the stress on the first syllable instead of the second.
She is unaware that the first name 'St John' is not pronounced as 'Saint John' and hasn't worked out that the 'm' in M. Paul Emmanuel, stands for 'Monsieur '. Appalling ! If I was Deborah Lutz I'd be very disappointed.
It's a real shame. I wish I had stuck with the print version !

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5 people found this helpful

Not for Bronte experts

If one is already a true Brontë fan and avid reader, there's not much here they won't have already read. For everybody else, it's certainly helpful.

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2 people found this helpful

Fantastic book!

Highly recommend to those interested in the Brontes as well as all things Victorian. Loved the cultural background explanations, like postal reform which affected Charlotte's letter writing. I only wish it had a pdf file with with illustration of the objects discussed!

I wonder if the previous reviewers listened to a different version from mine, but Haworth is pronounced correctly as 'Ha- worth', and St John as 'Sinj'n', cant fault the narrator wonderful performance emotional where needed,kept me really engaged!

Highly recommend!

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1 person found this helpful

Brilliant Book - Abominable Narrator

What a strange experience listening to this audiobook is.

Fantastic book - material objects and the light they shed on culture. I have read so many books about the Brontes, over four decades maybe every major thing published. This book is right up my street - brilliantly researched, well written and actually full of material I haven't encountered elsewhere.

But where on earth did you find that narrator? I actually checked I hadn't accidentally got the 'robot' narration, she is so poor! How could anyone with such an 'educated' sounding voice, be so ignorant they can't pronounce simple names and placenames like "Keighley", "Haworth", and "Nussey"? (As well as some other spectacular malapropisms - I wish I'd taken notes!)

I was listening to this whilst my husband was still half asleep, this morning, and "Noosey" actually made him laugh so hard he nearly choked.

Unbelievable. I have checked again. Nope, not a robot.

Words like Haworth and Keighley are, you'd have thought, slightly central to the Brontes' story.

And what a shame such an appalling narration distracts from a fantastic book. Sadly it does as I made the unusual decision of buying the Audible book first when I normally buy on Kindle or a print version.

Please please publisher, re-record this with.. you know, someone who can actually... read.

I can't review what seems like a fabulous book, with such atrocious narration standing in the way. This is too embarrassing to listen to, in front of other people.

Awful, awful, awful narrator. To paraphrase Jane Eyre's teacher... "Abominable!"

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3 people found this helpful

Utterly boring

I love anything bronte but this has got to be the most ill-conceived book I've tried to read about them.
Tedious, nothing like the description, no atmosphere created by this narrator.
Sorry, going for refund.

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