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The Charterhouse of Parma Audiobook
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Marie-Henri Beyle (January 23, 1783 - March 23, 1842), better known by his penname Stendhal, was a 19th-century French writer. Known for his acute analysis of his characters' psychology, he is considered one of the earliest and foremost practitioners of realism. The Charterhouse of Parma is often cited as an early example of realism, a stark contrast to the Romantic style popular while Stendhal was writing. It is considered by many authors to be a truly seminal work; HonorE de Balzac considered it the most significant novel of his time, AndrE Gide thought it the greatest French novel ever. The Charterhouse of Parma tells the story of the young Italian noble Fabrizio del Dongo and his misadventures during the age of Napoleon. The events center in the town of Parma and a castle on Lake Como, both in Italy, but other sites across Europe are also featured, including the Battle of Waterloo, at which Fabrizio fights for Napoleon. Fabrizio's aunt, the femme fatale Gina, Duchess of Sanseverina, and her innamorato, the scheming Prime Minister, Count Mosca, concoct a plot to advance Fabrizio's career in the court of Parma. Gina is subject to the unwelcome advances of the obnoxious Prince Ranuce-Erneste IV, which she is engaged in repelling. It could easily be argued that Gina and Count Mosca are the true heroes of the novel. Fabrizio is arrested for murder and imprisoned in the Farnese tower, from which he escapes with a rope; he also has a difficult love affair with his jailer's daughter, Clelia. Ostensibly a romantic thriller, interwoven with intrigue and military episodes, the novel also features Stendhal's acute grasp of human nature and psychology. A well-written, thrilling suspense story--a must-have for classic literature fans!
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“An epic tale of war, love, sex, politics, and religion…an action-packed narrative.”
— New Yorker
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About Stendhal
Stendhal, the pen name of Marie-Henri Beyle (1783–1842), was a nineteenth-century French writer. Known for his acute analysis of his characters’ psychology, he is considered one of the earliest and foremost practitioners of realism in his two novels, Le Rouge et le Noir (The Red and the Black, 1830) and La Chartreuse de Parme (The Charterhouse of Parma, 1839).
About Edoardo Ballerini
Edoardo Ballerini, an American actor, director, film producer, and multiaward–winning narrator. He has won several Audie Awards for best narration, including for 2019’s Best Male Narrator of the Year. He was named by Booklist as winner of their 2023 Voice of Choice Award, and was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine in 2019. He has narrated over two hundred audiobooks, from classics to modern masters, from bestsellers to the inspirational, from Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners to spine-tingling series, and much more. In television and film, he is best known for his roles in A Murder at the End of the World, The Sopranos, 24, I Shot Andy Warhol, Dinner Rush, and Romeo Must Die. He is also trained in theater and continues to do much work on stage.