Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

$0.00 for first 30 days

Thousands of incredible audiobooks and podcasts to take wherever you go.
Immerse yourself in a world of storytelling with the Plus Catalogue - unlimited listening to thousands of select audiobooks, podcasts and Audible Originals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Camille cover art

Camille

By: Alexandre Dumas fils
Narrated by: Alyssa Bresnahan, John McDonough, Firdous Bamji
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Buy Now for £15.99

Buy Now for £15.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Lady of the Camellias cover art
Swann in Love cover art
Swann's Way cover art
The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo & The Lady of Camellias cover art
La Traviata cover art
The Count of Monte Cristo (Dramatized) cover art
Sodom and Gomorrah (Cities of the Plain), Part I cover art
Vipers' Tangle cover art
Roderick Hudson cover art
Jennie Gerhardt cover art
Elsie Dinsmore cover art
Impossible Love Stories cover art
The Aspern Papers cover art
Daisy Miller cover art
Middlemarch cover art
North and South cover art

Editor reviews

John McDonough captures our interest immediately as he tells us he’s about to recount a story in which "all of the participants are still alive." The energy with which he proclaims this fact snags the curious listener. McDonough is the perfect objective recorder as he lays out the tragic, doomed affair of Marguerite Gautier and her Armand. Firdous Bamji is sensitive and passionate as he tells Armand’s story, while Alyssa Bresnahan is a lovely Marguerite. Her understated performance turns moments of melodrama into poignant vignettes. An excellent audio reflecting the way conforming to a repressive society’s norms can ruin lives.

Summary

First published in 1848, Camille captivated Paris and has inspired countless adaptations. This classic story of love and loss is based on the author’s real-life affair with courtesan Marie Duplessis. Also known as The Lady of the Camellias, the novel follows the courtesan Marguerite Gautier through her tumultuous love affair with handsome—but middle class—Armand Duval. Before their passionate affair is over, one lover must give up everything.

Public Domain (P)2006 Recorded Books,LLC

Love Books? You'll Love Audible.

Transform your day

Transform your day

Replace endless scrolling with endless listening. Chores can be fun.

Listen everywhere

Listen everywhere

You can’t turn pages while you drive—but you can press play.

Carry your entire Library

Carry your entire Library

Your stories go where you go. Audiobooks don’t weigh a thing.

Listen and learn

Listen and learn

Discover stories that can change your mind, your well-being, and your life.

Reach your reading goals

Reach your reading goals

Download titles to listen offline, wherever you are in the world.

Find your niche

Find your niche

WIth thousands of titles to explore, there’s something for everyone.

Try for £0.00 £7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

What listeners say about Camille

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    5
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    5
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    5
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A classic tragic love story

I've always struggled with classics. I've read pieces for school, but the only one I ever managed to finish outside of that setting is The Count of Monte Cristo, penned by the father of this author. For classics, I've found that either the prose is too flowery or the narrative style too literary that I get bored waiting for the plot, the actual story, to kick in. Then I got into the hang of listening to audiobooks, and one day I thought I'd give it a try. If there's a long-winding paragraph that doesn't hold my interest, I can just zone out, right? I'll still be doing my chores (that's when I put on audiobooks) so it's a win-win at the end of the day.

Well, I'm happy to say I might've found my solution for consuming classics!

I picked this one in particular because a friend told me this is actually the basis for Moulin Rouge, a film which I absolutely love. And while this is considered a romantic novel, it doesn't meet the criteria of romance these days so I'm going to call it is a love story. A tragic one, but a love story nonetheless.

The narrative style fascinated me. It started off as a commentary by an old man on a dead woman whose stuff was being sold to pay her creditors. He knew the woman only by sight, having seen her around Paris. Later, the woman's lover arrived, leading to the rest of the tale. The woman's point of view was also eventually revealed in the form of letters she'd penned, which ended up in her lover's possession.

Having seen Moulin Rouge multiple times (and in multiple formats, for I've also seen the musical twice), I had an idea what to expect in terms of the story. But what I didn't expect — and thus loved — was the deeper look into the society the characters lived in. It influenced all their decisions, see. For example, being a courtesan wasn't about dancing in a nightclub, unlike what Moulin Rouge would make you believe; it was, in fact, a whole lifestyle. It was all very interesting to listen to.

Armand annoyed me most of the time — he literally falls in love at first sight (a trope I don't really like) and very quickly spirals into obsession. There were times I wanted to yell at him to leave Marguerite alone since he's acting like a pouty child 😂 Still, his perspective is fascinating. Because there are plenty of men like that, I think. Who believe they love — and they probably do, in their own way — but their love is threaded with jealousy and anger and the need to demand and be in control.

I could go on and on with the social commentary in this novel... which I guess is why classics are so beloved, because they spark thought and discussion and a deeper look into things. (No shade against genre romance, as I recognize the intentions are different.) I'm definitely going to check out more classics now via audiobooks. But if you like your tragic love stories, you might want to give this a listen. (I thought the narrators were very good too, Marguerite particularly. Her letters were heartbreaking.)

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A great story based on real facts

Awesomely romantic, a true story written by Dumas.What could you ask more?Intense,dramatic,well narrated,I highly recommend this book.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!