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The Invisible Woman: The Story of Nelly Ternan and Charles Dickens Audiobook
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(3.06) - 176 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Charles Dickens and Nelly Ternan met in 1857; she was 18, a hard-working actress performing in his production of The Frozen Deep, and he was 45, the most lionized writer in England. Out of their meeting came a love affair that lasted thirteen years and destroyed Dickens's marriage while effacing Nelly Ternan from the public record.
In this remarkable work of biography and scholarly reconstruction, the acclaimed biographer of Mary Wollstonecraft, Thomas Hardy, Samuel Pepys and Jane Austen rescues Nelly from the shadows of history, not only returning the neglected actress to her rightful place, but also providing a compelling portrait of the great Victorian novelist himself. The result is a thrilling literary detective story and a deeply compassionate work that encompasses all those women who were exiled from the warm, well-lighted parlors of Victorian England.
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"I wish I had half the biographic talent of Claire Tomalin. Every book she comes out with is impeccably & thoroughly written, without any of the personal observations & spin of many current biographers. A fascinating look into the life, times & reinvention of Nelly Ternan. I highly recommend it!"
— Lucie (5 out of 5 stars)
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Captivating. . . . An absorbing book about . . . a character who helps to illuminate the life of a great artist and the life of her times.
— Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times
The Invisible Woman Listener Reviews
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3/12/2024
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3/12/2024
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" Fascinating to learn so much about the 19th century theatre scene and about Nelly and her relationship with Dickens. I'm looking forward to the film with Ralph Fiennes! "
— Jodie, 12/26/2013 -
" It was interesting. So much is made of Dickens as an icon and hero, he was also a flawed human being, just like the rest of us. "
— Robin, 10/13/2013 -
" Wonderful. The beginning is a bit slow, but it does provide good background. I am grateful that the author was upfront about conjectures and when the research was limited. "
— Becca, 8/24/2013 -
" Dickens' affair with the young actress developed at length in a very readable narrative. "
— Jack, 5/30/2013 -
" Well researched and written, quite readable. The story of Charles Dickens' double life as an icon of All That Is Good About England and the keeper of a hidden mistress. Not the potboiler I'm making it look like. Cool stuff about the areas and times. "
— Anne, 1/16/2013 -
" I found this audiobook to be like background music. I turned it on, and found myself zoning in and out. The story was not boring, just not catchy. I fell asleep at one point, and didnt feel like I missed much. Not a bad book, nor was it annoying. It just was. "
— Sarah, 12/9/2012 -
" Brilliant, insightful, informative book. A biography written with style and verve.This is very much a literary page-turner "
— J.S., 11/8/2012
About Claire Tomalin
Claire Tomalin is the author of eight highly acclaimed biographies, including Charles Dickens: A Life and Samuel Pepys: The Unequalled Self, which won the 2002 Whitbread Book of the Year Award. She has previously won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Biography, the Hawthornden Prize, the NCR Book Award for Non-Fiction, and the Whitbread First Book Prize. Educated at Cambridge University, she served as literary editor of the New Statesman and the Sunday Times.
About Wanda McCaddon
Wanda McCaddon (d. 2023) narrated well over six hundred titles for major audiobook publishers, sometimes with the pseudonym Nadia May or Donada Peters. She earned the prestigious Audio Award for best narration and numerous Earphones Awards. She was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine.