The French Lieutenant's Woman cover art

The French Lieutenant's Woman

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The French Lieutenant's Woman

By: John Fowles
Narrated by: John Hopkins
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

A remarkable performance.... As gripping as The Collector and The Magus' Observer.

Charles Smithson, a respectable engaged man, meets Sarah Woodruff as she stands on the Cobb at Lyme Regis, staring out to sea. Charles falls in love, but Sarah is a disgraced woman, and their romance will defy all the stifling conventions of the Victorian age.

Widely acclaimed since publication, The French Lieutenant's Woman is the best-loved of John Fowles' novels.

©1969 John Fowles (P)2021 Penguin Audio Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Romance

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All stars
Most relevant  
Love the film, which I saw years ago. The book is so much better. Beautifully read too.

Really enjoyable

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A very strange story with many references to Victorian writers and attitudes of the time.

unusual tale

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A superb reading of an incredible book. The narrator is fantastic, and will be trying other audiobooks where he has been involved. Probably my favourite combination of novel and narrator I have purchased and will revisit many times. I will be trying The Magus next.

Brilliant

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An excellent listen, was anxious to find a happy ending. The author allows one to choose.

Most enjoyable.

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The actor does a great job, however, he whispers for dramatic effect and I could hardly hear him because to overall audio level is too low.

Audio level too low

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The French Lieutenant's Woman is an incredible book and a lifelong favourite of mine so my expectations were high! I wasn't disappointed as this Audible version is stunning. The narration by John Hopkins is absolute perfection ❤️.

Fabulous

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As a lover of 17/18/19thC literature I was a bit dubious about this story but I was so wrong, it's brilliant.

Everyone should read this book

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Loved John Hopkins tone and intent. Great voice with accents. Nice and serious. got it just right.

Great narration

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A good deep book on the human relationship of a rather unsatisfactory kind. To me it's about the contrast between the generosity of spirit of one character (Charles) and barrenness of that of the other (Sarah), of the futility of love for someone who can only need but not love and who is "afraid of knowing herself" as Sarah speaks of herself. I very much doubt that this is how the author intended the novel to be understood; and it is definitely a book that encourages one to listen to various analysis of it.
Great narration too.

Excellent book

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A postmodern take on the Victorian novel written in 1969 but set a hundred years earlier exploring the values and attitudes of the time through its characters and their internal thoughts. The mysterious and enigmatic Sarah Woodruff, (the French Lieutenant’s woman), and the gentleman Charles Smithson lead us through a moral and philosophical examination of life, the role and nature of the genders, science and religion, the known and the unknown. Really well read by the narrator and a thought provoking book.

Great book, we’ll read.

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