Wuthering Heights (version 3 dramatic reading)

Some of the readers let this down

(3 stars)

ladyguinevere

I realize the readers are volunteers and not trained actors but I think if they are going to try to do a dramatic reading they should endeavor to at least find someone better for the main roles. Most of the readers did a great job, with the two main narrators (Mr Lockwood and Nelly) doing especially good jobs. They also importantly had the correct accents for the setting. I felt especially irritated by the Heathcliff reader. Not only is he Canadian or American which is distracting given this is set in rural Yorkshire, but he sounds way too kindly for the mean and bitter and tormented character of Heathcliff. The Edgar Linton character is also way too weak and has a region from a very different part of the uk. Catherine is incredibly petulant throughout, which is correct but I thought lost a little of her subtlety as well. The story is actually a pretty dreadful one but I feel this dramatisation has not conveyed any of the softer moments of the characters which makes it seem worse than the book really is.

on Joseph

(5 stars)

A LibriVox Listener

It's not the reader's fault Joseph sounds like that. he speaks exactly as its written. i found reading most of Josephs words impossible, most books have footnote translations for him.

(4 stars)

A LibriVox Listener

Thank you to all the readers for bringing the story to life. I must say when I first read Wuthering Heights I was 13 years old and I understood it as a sad romantic tale. now forty years on my understanding of this book is very different. heathcliff comes across as a bullying , nasty, resentful beast. Catherine ( the first one) seems to get pleasure in winding people up, selfish and wanting her cake and eating it. They both in need of counselling. poor old Ellen is stuck in the middle of all this. If I were her I would have given my notice in years ago. But still, Emily Brontë writes fantastically well, keeping you listening chapter after chapter. Jackie of Kent.

well...!

(4 stars)

Wintergreen

What a story! I alternated between reading and listening to this one. I must say, there were many occasions when I wanted to slap some sense into some of the characters. Good heaven's! half of them had no sense, and the ones who did were too weak in rank to do anything at all for the foolish ones. Of course, I'm not perfect either, but honestly. Anyway, it's a well-written book. The reading was alright at most parts, but when Joseph is speaking, I advise you to have the text of the book on hand as well, because it is hard to understand.

crazy amazing

(5 stars)

A LibriVox Listener

I watched the masterpiece theatre two part series and fell in love. Wanted to read the book so bad, but came across this in the livribox app so took a chance while on the treadmill. Fell in love with this too of course. Only a few issues. Joseph's voice was indiscernible 95% of the time. HAVE no idea what his part was other then a bible thumping grouchy old crow. Linton Heathcliffs was a tad over the top yet menacing as it was meant to be. With that said totally recommend you give it a try.

A very beautiful reading!!!

(5 stars)

ginger kid

I absolutely loved this book and I loved the dramatic reading of the story! My favorite had to have been Nelly, she is kind of like a 19th Century Yorkshire Aunt Bee! I would say my least favorite would have been Young Heathcliff, but his voice was so bad that it actually turned out to blend with the character of the book. I especially loved how haunting the ending was, as the characters literally saw ghosts walking on the moors and Lockwood coming across the three headstones. Aesthetic, enchanting story.... I loved it.

Weird book, but well acted

(2.5 stars)

A LibriVox Listener

The book itself I didn't care for. All the characters act like children, and thus book takes love triangle to a whole other level. But the actors did great. Accents were well done, the recording was decent quality for most voices. The characters that you were supposed to hate were acted in a way made you hate them more. It kept my attention, and at times I couldn't shut it off, but it was mute because I wanted to see if it ever got better....and it didn't.

A good reading

(4 stars)

Bridget McCleary

An entertaining listen. Some painfully obnoxious sounding characters but I imagine that is true to form. I was unreasonably irritated by the introductory narrator's pronunciation of "Bronte", and there is 1 chapter about half way through that is corrupted (I had to find another reading to get the rest). Nelly was an absolute delight to hear, she was the highlight of the story for me.