Father Goriot
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Father Goriot
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Narrated by:
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Bill Homewood
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By:
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Honoré de Balzac
About this listen
Impoverished young aristocrat Eugene de Rastignac is determined to climb the social ladder and impress himself on Parisian high society. While staying at the Maison Vauquer, a boarding house in Paris's rue Neuve-Sainte-Genevieve, he encounters Jean-Joachim Goriot, a retired vermicelli maker who has spent his entire fortune supporting his two daughters. The boarders strike up a friendship and Goriot learns of Rastignac's feelings for his daughter Delphine. He begins to see Rastignac as the ideal son-in-law, and the perfect substitute for Delphine's domineering husband. But Rastignac has other opportunities too, as the notorious criminal Vautrin, "The Death Dodger", offers to murder the brother of a wealthy woman, giving the ambitious young lawyer a clear path to her fortune. Profound and realistic, Father Goriot is a startling glimpse into the vanity and selfishness of 19th-century Paris. It is considered one of the finest works of Balzac's La Comedie Humaine.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
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What listeners say about Father Goriot
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
- JellyTot
- 31-05-21
Superb
Wonderful storytelling. Excellent translation and brilliant narration. This story was so compelling, I couldn't wait for each a free moment to continue. The visual picture portrayed through words was extraordinary. A beautiful story which moved me to tears. Especially at the end. I can't believe I have waited so long in my life to read this.
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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
- Mariachi
- 05-02-23
Amazing narration of a timeless novel
Absolutely amazing performance. This novel is as relevant today as when it was first written and the performance brings it to vivid life. Highly recommend!
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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
- jessica
- 27-07-24
A phenomenal read
Balzac is one of the best story tellers and also one the greatest inventors of some of the most magnificent literary characters.
There is also a Realism that shows us that behind a facade things are often uglier or more corrupt than we think.
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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
- Dublin listener
- 04-01-20
Incredible narration of an excellent book
Brilliantly written and scathing account of 19th century Parisian aristocratic life. The narration in particular was excellent, different characters are given different voices so that it is always possible to identify who is speaking. This was my first time encountering Balzac and I will definitely read more
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Cliff Moyce
- 04-04-21
A grim tale of failing bourgeoisie
If your new year resolutions included thinking more kindly of the French, the bourgeoisie or daughters in general, then this might not be the book for you.
Balzac is to Austen as The Mighty Boosh is to My Family. Ie a very (very) much grittier version of the same genre. The only reason I scored it 3 stars rather then 4 is because you end up not caring about the fate of any of the characters (or at least I didn’t). It got to the point where I started looking forward to it all being over, so depressing were the self-serving attitudes and behaviours on display (apart from the selfless Goriot who is exploited to a heart-breaking degree). But real life isn’t like that, and life stories move at their own pace. Balzac excels at real life, with all its unfairness and loose ends.
Just like with Austen, we are reminded constantly of how much everyone is worth (“only a thousand Francs a year”). But unlike Austen - and more like Dickens (think Little Dorrit) - everyone’s worth seems to be tending to zero at a rapid rate. These declines generate the most reprehensible of behaviours, including towards own families.
Balzac’s novels move at a gallop. He was a superb storyteller, and does almost all of it through dialogue. Quite a feat.
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