The Head of the House of Coombe


Lu par LibriVox Volunteers

(4.8 stars; 16 reviews)

While renowned for her beloved children's literature, Frances Hodgson Burnett's talent extended to historical novels. Originally serialized in 1920 in Scribner's Monthly, 'The Head of the House of Coombe' was met with immense popularity, leading to its full publication in 1922 in two volumes, as it distinctly deals with two epochs. The first, The Head of the House of Coombe, deals with social life in London during the evolutionary period between the late Victorian years and the reign of Edward VII and that of his successor, previous to the Great War. It brings Lord Coombe and Donal, Feather and her girl Robin to the summer of 1914. It ends with the ending of a world which can never again be the same. The second novel, Robin, to be published later continues the story of the same characters, facing existence, however, in a world transformed by tragedy, and in which new aspects of character, new social, economic, and spiritual possibilities are to be confronted, rising to the surface of life as from the depths of unknown seas. Readers of The Head of the House of Coombe will follow the story of Robin with intensified interest. (Summary by Rapunzelina, plus Publisher's Note) (11 hr 20 min)

Chapitres

Chapter I 19:28 Lu par Noreen
Chapter II 27:32 Lu par Cbteddy
Chapter III 14:45 Lu par Cbteddy
Chapter IV 22:35 Lu par Sylviamb
Chapter V 12:59 Lu par Sylviamb
Chapter VI 25:40 Lu par Sylviamb
Chapter VII 28:27 Lu par Cbteddy
Chapter VIII 21:05 Lu par Cbteddy
Chapter IX 24:59 Lu par Cbteddy
Chapter X 21:46 Lu par Cbteddy
Chapter XI 26:20 Lu par Sylviamb
Chapter XII 16:16 Lu par Sylviamb
Chapter XIII 16:43 Lu par acousticwave
Chapter XIV 17:54 Lu par Victoria Scrimer
Chapter XV 26:32 Lu par Belinda Mc
Chapter XVI 18:58 Lu par Sylviamb
Chapter XVII 32:56 Lu par James Oligney
Chapter XVIII 18:12 Lu par Cbteddy
Chapter XIX 23:16 Lu par acousticwave
Chapter XX 26:34 Lu par Sylviamb
Chapter XXI 31:51 Lu par Sylviamb
Chapter XXII 22:06 Lu par Sylviamb
Chapter XXIII 15:43 Lu par Sylviamb
Chapter XXIV 19:28 Lu par Sylviamb
Chapter XXV 17:11 Lu par Tim Rowe
Chapter XXVI 15:20 Lu par Sylviamb
Chapter XXVII 17:38 Lu par Sylviamb
Chapter XXVIII 17:05 Lu par Sylviamb
Chapter XXIX 15:05 Lu par Sylviamb
Chapter XXX 10:06 Lu par Stacey Malcolm
Chapter XXXI 27:54 Lu par Sylviamb
Chapter XXXII 28:09 Lu par Sylviamb

Critiques


(5 stars)

This is a story about a woman whose husband dies and leaves her without a penny. It's a story about a neglectful mother who hands her baby over to the nanny as soon as the baby is born and only bothers to glance at it once or twice a month after that. It's a story about a little girl who sits in a bare nursery on the third floor for years with no toys and no books only a nanny who feeds and clothes her and walks away as soon as she can. A girl who at the age of almost six finds out for the first time what a mother is. She's never known her mother or that she even has one. All she knows is that The Pretty Lady Downstairs sometimes comes to the nursery door and vaguely asks if the child is alright and then turns away to welcome another man in the drawing room for the next party. This is also the story of The Head of the House of Coombe who realizes what is going on and rescues the child from her nanny and provides a kind loving nanny and an affectionate intelligent governess. And the girl grows up into love.


(5 stars)

It was really interesting. A well-written story.