As previously announced, I offer here a little note on the first audiobook I ever listened to a coast to coast. A reading taken at random and quite unexpected ...
Abstract: Celestine, Maid at the very beginning of the twentieth century, began his newspaper when it arrives at Lelaire, a couple of rich Normans . The small Parisian maid puts us his impressions on the new job on his masters and companions on his past experiences. It presents and domestic life, these little people who see everything that is being operated well and take revenge ...
My opinion:
I must say that living a story through an audio-book is an entirely different way of approaching a novel. I always had a little trouble getting used to a strange voice coming from the text interfere and me. But this time, I definitely need something to occupy my mind effectively for two five-hour journey by car and a weekend of outdoor work. My little iPod had already helped a lot in similar circumstances with a little music and some podcasts, so this time I tried the outright adventure audio book.
So I went around the site Audio.com Literature, which provides free reading books in the public domain. I randomly selected a novel that I knew absolutely not, "Diary of a Chambermaid" in question, because it appeared in the list of audio books the most popular site. And I 've tried the adventure.
At first, I confess, I had a little trouble with the voice of the reader, Victoria, who seemed drawling too pompous. But it quickly passed, when I realized that it fitted perfectly in fact the narrator of the story, Celestine. The little maid nineteenth century was to have a voice like that and diction perfectly mastered the reader is passed with great natural vocabulary of the novel a bit overwhelmed. I came to appreciate more and more the pretty voice and her intonation perfect, and I admire the talent it takes now to lend his voice this way. All can not do it as well: since I tried to listen to "The grand Meaulnes" narrated by a man whose diction forced me to abandon the play as it seemed inappropriate ...
The novel itself is very interesting. As I knew nothing of this novel, I did not know what time it was written and I have long wondered whether an author of the nineteenth century would have dared to write this kind of novel, well, that's the case, since " The Diary of a Chambermaid "was published in 1900. It is far from the Comtesse de Segur! The young Celestine, sassy, brave, and sometimes slanderous calculator is especially lucid on its particular situation and the underside of life of his masters. She talks about the position of servants who are to thank you for their masters and treated worse than dogs, who have denied the most basic rights, those from morning to evening in the shadow of the house without they are regarded as full human beings. Célestine When talking about his experiences and those of other servants she met, it remains appaled, and even if it is at the bottom as a novel, one feels a social condemnation which took to heart the author.
But it's not nice to oppose domestic exploited the wicked bourgeoisie. The picture is much more nuanced. When teachers are too nice, servants do not hesitate to chew, and when the servants find themselves in a strong position, they shamelessly exploit. The criticism is not that of the bourgeoisie, but of humanity that shows his good side when she is in a position of weakness. Celestine itself recognizes its weaknesses without guilt: she knows when she does wrong, she mingles with the gossip of the servants, she admits exhilarated by murder or theft ... And basically very nature frivolle adds a tone of humor throughout her story.
The story revolves around the living room of Celestine in Lelaire and evolution of the situation at that time, but Celestine in his diary offers many flashbacks about his past experiences. ; It does not get lost, and it is a pleasure to discover all sorts of experiences sometimes comic, sometimes cruel. Only the passage about "Mr. George" seemed exaggerated, but unlike j 'I especially liked the stories where Celestine reveals intimate secrets of his mistresses ... I had no idea and the bourgeoisie nineteenth century!
short, a nice reading, listening enjoyment, to whom I owe the rescue of a weekend that would have been particularly unbearable if this story had not occupied the mind. I am indebted to Celestine and Octave Mirbeau, and I was delighted with this unexpected discovery!
For more information:
- " The diary of a chambermaid " to download as audio-book on the site Audio.com Literature;
- The Bibliomania Book plug:
