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The Old Wives' Tale
- Narrated by: David Haig
- Length: 24 hrs and 7 mins
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The Old Wives' Tale
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Summary
Exclusively from Audible
'An old woman came into the restaurant to dine. She was fat, shapeless, ugly, and grotesque. She had a ridiculous voice, and ridiculous gestures. It was easy to see that she lived alone, and that in the long lapse of years she had developed the kind of peculiarity which induces guffaws among the thoughtless.
I reflected, concerning the grotesque diner: "This woman was once young, slim, perhaps beautiful; certainly free from these ridiculous mannerisms. Very probably she is unconscious of her singularities. Her case is a tragedy. One ought to be able to make a heartrending novel out of the history of a woman such as she."'
So said Arnold Bennett when explaining what inspired the creation of The Old Wives' Tale.
Broken up into four parts, the lives of two sisters are laid bare; one timid and unassuming, the other romantic and adventurous. From working as children in their family's drapery shop to their later years, Constance and Sophia's journey through life could not be more different. While one travels the world and defies male expectations, the other becomes a dutiful wife and mother.
Despite this, Bennett's skilful and witty narrative ultimately leads our protagonists in the same direction, making The Old Wives' Tale an intriguing interpretation of the circle of life and, unsurprisingly, his most popular work.
Arnold Bennett wrote over 20 novels and 10 plays, including Anna of the Five Towns, Clayhanger, These Twain, Hilda Lessways and Buried Alive. In June 2017, to mark the 150th anniversary of his birth, the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery commissioned a bronze statue of the author. He was elegantly immortalised sitting in a chair and holding an open book in his left hand.
Narrator Biography
David Haig is a classically trained actor, writer and LAMDA graduate. His film appearances include Two Weeks' Notice, Florence Foster-Jenkins and Four Weddings and a Funeral.
He wrote The Good Samaritan which opened at the Hampstead Theatre in 2000 to great reviews. His first script, entitled My Boy Jack, had also been performed at the Hampstead Theatre in 1997 and later broadcast on ITV, starring David Haig and Daniel Radcliffe.
Haig's theatre credits include Our Country's Good, for which he won a Laurence Olivier Theatre Award, Tom and Viv, which took him to Broadway, and the musicals Mary Poppins and Guys and Dolls.
His notable television roles in series such as Doctor Who, The Darling Buds of May, The Thin Blue Line, and Penny Dreadful have also been exemplary of his varied acting skills and dynamic voice.
Other than The Old Wives Tale, David has also contributed to the narration of The National Archives' In Their Own Words: A History in Letters.
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What listeners say about The Old Wives' Tale
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
- Amazon Customer
- 11-09-21
A good story
How could I have waited so long to discover Arnold Bennett? It’s a great story well told by David Haig who gives a great sense of the self-importance of the characters without ever being unsympathetic. I loved it.
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1 person found this helpful
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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
- S. M. V.
- 07-03-23
Pure enjoyment
A truly wonderful story narrated superbly by David Haig. Bennett at his best. Completely absorbing.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Frances
- 05-04-12
Masterly narration by David Haig
This is a superb work. Bennett‘s sweep of social history in provincial Bursley during the Victorian era is enlightened at all points by gentle irony and sardonic wit. The section which describes the Siege of Paris is fascinating and conveys a picture of conditions under the Siege which is quite different from that which we often imagine. The characterisation is masterly. The contrasting characters of the two sisters are portrayed with sympathy and understanding and the supporting characters are no less compelling. This really is compulsive listening – you won’t want to stop once you have started. David Haig’s narration is superb – his intonation and inflections convey the tone of the work perfectly - and what a joy it is to hear a narrator whose pronunciation of the French language is impeccable! I cannot praise this audio book highly enough.
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24 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- w
- 22-04-16
Moving and Often Very Amusing
Would you consider the audio edition of The Old Wives' Tale to be better than the print version?
I can't comment as I haven't read the print version
What did you like best about this story?
This was a daring subject to write about. On the face of it, it might have been considered a little dull and possibly morbid before reading - a story about two provincial sisters, followed through different stages of their lives, until their deaths, but no, it is so beautifully observed and really is a social commentary, as much as a moving and sometimes beautifully funny account of two, very different lives. It was clever and subtle and I admire the author for his bravery in choosing such a subject. Delivered so very beautifully and with excellent observation.
Which scene did you most enjoy?
I really loved the opening scene, the way that the author took us slowly down, almost it seemed in a 'birds eye view' style, towards the middle part of England, then closer into the Shire and then closer still, into the town and 'The Square' and then finally right into the shop, which was to be that stage setting for us to launch into meeting the two young ladies that we were to follow from then on.
If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
A sedate rollercoaster ride through the lives of two very different, but in their own ways extraordinary, sisters. Moving and Hilarious, all in one beautifully crafted package.
Any additional comments?
When Sofia died, I genuinely felt personally bereaved! I wanted both sisters (and their lovely dogs) to live forever, so I could continue to follow them, through the ups and downs of their lives. The characters are so well defined in this book, that you really feel you know them and even the dogs have their own little personalities and odd ball traits. It is truly charming.
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8 people found this helpful
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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
- R J Elliott
- 19-04-19
Optional heading apparently required.
Bennett is a joy. Cracking story. Now making up the required length, how very silly.
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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
- Kindle Customer
- 20-01-15
Brilliant writing - brilliant performance.
Would you listen to The Old Wives' Tale again? Why?
I was fascinated by the historical detail from the provincial background of the Potteries to the excitement and tension of Paris in the 1870s.
Who was your favorite character and why?
I was intrigued by the character of Sophia - high-spirited and wilful in her youth, but determined and resourceful when circumstances left her destitute. Constance was rather insipid in contrast but provided a perfect foil to her sister. However, all the characters were interesting. Bennett is good at revealing human weakness in a subtle non-judgemental way.
What about David Haig’s performance did you like?
This was a brilliant performance. David Haig managed to give the right tone to every description and every character.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
This was a book to savour in small amounts. Not to be read too quickly or you will miss the flashes of wit, the gentle irony and the exquisite detail in the descriptions.
Any additional comments?
Why is Arnold Bennett so under-rated these days? He combines the wit and irony of Jane Austen with the realism of Dickens' descriptions of the Victorian urban scene.
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12 people found this helpful
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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
- Anonymous User
- 17-01-21
Wonderfully narrated
I studied this for A level 50+ years ago but I’m sure in my youth did not appreciate the richness of Bennett’s language.
Eye opening class distinctions; the banality of small town life; the ease of continental travel, all perfectly depicted.
The five towns dialect made it strange for me. In my head the characters had middle class Received Pronunciation! I stand corrected.
I shall certainly listen to this already well loved book over and over.
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1 person found this helpful
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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
- KLong
- 11-04-21
Totally absorbing story of Victorian family life
Comedy of manners, with exceptionally well written dialogue, read brilliantly by David Haig.
Easy to care about these very human characters. Writing reminds me of Austen, Trollope and Thomas Mann ( just listened to Buddenbrookes).
Heart warming human relationships, with everyone being themselves and doing their best to rub along.
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1 person found this helpful
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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
- Peggy
- 24-05-17
Riveting performance.
David Haig is a wonderful actor, his voice clear and attractive and he magically evokes every tender, witty, humorous, philosophical nuance of this great story.
If you enjoy details of places, old rooms, Victorian attitudes, what motivates a character to make decisions which will affect their life and exploring the mystery of human existence, I would recommend this book. The sisters in the story are both ordinary, and extraordinary.
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5 people found this helpful
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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
- Kindle Customer
- 16-09-22
an amazing surprise
After struggling to get through the first chapters I became totally engrossed by this tale of strong women, their lives and marriages. Can't believe a man wrote it. Think of Bleasdale writing a Victorian version of Shirley Valentine, without the modern humour, but Staffordshire grittiness in the hard times.
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