Ruth

De: Elizabeth Gaskell

Narrado por: Eve Matheson

Exclusively from Audible

The orphaned heroine Ruth, apprenticed to a dressmaker, is seduced by wealthy Henry Bellingham who is captivated by her simplicity and beauty. Their affair causes her to lose her home and job to which he offers her shelter, only to cruelly abandon her soon after. She is offered a chance of a new life though shamed in the eyes of society by her illegitimate son. When Henry reappears offering marriage she must choose between social acceptance and her own pride. Ruth ultimately finds a path that affirms we are not bound to repeat our mistakes.

A social audiobook of love, family and hypocrisy, it examines the Victorian views about sin and the social stigma of illegitimacy. Gaskell is compassionate in her portrayal of Ruth who would normally be outcast from respectable society.

Ruth was the first mainstream novel to cast a 'fallen woman' in the role of heroine and inevitably caused controversy when published. It predates Hardy's own such heroine in Tess of the d'Urbervilles by nearly 40 years.

Gaskell was an accomplished writer and had much of her work published in Charles Dickens' magazine Household Words. She was also friends with Charlotte Brontë and after her death, her father, Patrick Brontë, chose Gaskell to write The Life of Charlotte Brontë.

Narrator Biography

As well as a substantial portfolio of voiceover work, Eve Matheson's career spans audiobooks, theatre, television, film and radio. She has narrated several audiobooks, including Tracy Chevalier's Falling Angels and Erica James' Act of Faith, and documentaries including Fermat's Last Theorem (1996) which won several awards including a BAFTA. On screen, she is best known for her roles as Becky Sharp in the 1987 BBC adaptation of the novel Vanity Fair and as Zoe Angell in May to December (1989-1990). She has frequently appeared at the Royal National Theatre and in the West End, playing roles such as Cordelia in King Lear, Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream and as Lady Anne in Richard III. From 2005-2006, she appeared as Mrs. Milcote in the original Royal National Theatre production of Helen Edmundson's Coram Boy. Her recent television appearances have included roles in Silent Witness (2015) and Call the Midwife (2014).

Public Domain (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

This is heart-wrenching, but I'd read it again!

It took me a bit to get into it, I think because the narrator really irked me (not sure what she was trying to do with accents initially), but once I got through the first part I couldn't stop listening.

From a 21st century female perspective, many parts were enraging, and yet some of the shadows of the injustices for unmarried mothers still exist, which is even worse.

Very good

A very good book. I kept forgetting that it was actually written in the mid 1800s.
The performance was excellent, maybe even too good since the accents were sometimes hard to understand.

Enjoyable, sad, but hopeful

Well-written story, heartfelt, thoughtful and for the most part uplifting. The reader was pleasant and did a very good job with all the different characters. Highly recommended.

Touching!

Oh the woah of my heart, be gracious upon us. If only to live a life as giving as the heroine.

Beautiful Story

Beautiful story of forgiveness, grace, and redemption. The humble, long suffering of Ruth made an impact on me. I’m very glad I came across this book. You will enjoy the depth of each character and the Hope you will feel afterwards.

Chapter Mismatch

LOVE this book. However, this audiobook doesn't break up the audio chapters in line with the chapters in the book. Because I like to switch between book and audiobook, this made it hard to find my place. Eve Matheson is great of course.

Exceptional

Listen to the story of humanity and wonder at its depth and its beauty.

Superb Victorian Fiction

Victorian novels aren’t everybody’s cup of tea these days, but if you like them as I do, this is one of the best. Great story, great character development, great writing, great theme and moral. The performance is outstanding and worthy of the great Mrs Gaskell.

Strong themes

I loved the strong themes of forgiveness, love, service, redemption, mercy, grace and hope as the central character struggles through her place in society to overcome shame and poverty. The mercy of others and their own humility make them a witness to their beliefs. Society made the lives of the lower classes miserable, and this story shows that the power to help others does not necessarily come from the wealth of others, but from a willingness to love as Christ loves his Church.

Should be required reading!

This book, which some may criticize as too sentimental, is a moving tale of innocence, vice, betrayal, love, friendship, long-suffering, forgiveness, and hope. The story could hardly be told without great sentiment. It’s reading was sensitive to the material and the interpretation of personality and feeling of each character well performed.