Trilby

By: George Du Maurier

Narrated by: Bianca Amato

Trilby opens in the Latin Quarter of Paris where Trilby O'Ferrall works as an artist's model. Her grace and ingenuous charm make a poignant contrast to the cruel magnetism of Svengali, under whose spell she falls. Using hypnotic powers, Svengali shapes her into a virtuoso singer, the toast of Europe, but her golden voice, and even her life, become fatally tied to him.

Public Domain (P)2016 Recorded Books

Listen all the way to the end...

Because the ending will make you weep. Trilby is one of the most poignant stories I have heard.

The 50 Shades of Gray of 1894

A splendid parody of 19th Century English artists, three of them, who spend an unforgettable time and meet the unforgettable Trilby. Svengali is a super-villain of mysterious origin, and a stock character now. It’s easy to see why this was so insanely popular— but readers in the 19th Century knew all the Dickens characters by heart, and this novel throws Dickens references around casually that modern readers won’t get. The reading performance is splendid and I didn’t bother seeking out English translations of the brief snippets of French that are untranslated in this recording since they were read so well.

Bianca Amato needs more books to read

This story is very much of its time. The main events and interest are buried in waaay too much verbiage. Honestly, you get a better version that is still true to the story by watching Svengali the black and white movie from 1931. The effects are awesome for the time with the sense of bohemian Paris. If not for the velvety soft voice of Ms Amato, I might not have made it through this listen.