Basil: A Story of Modern Life (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. A Victorian Sensation Tale of Secret Marriage, Forbidden Desire, and Psychological SuspenseBy Wilkie Collins
Length14h 36m
About this audiobook
Basil: A Story of Modern Life (1852) is one of Wilkie Collins's early explorations of secrecy, transgression, and psychological extremity in Victorian society. Framed as a confessional narrative, the novel follows Basil, a young gentleman whose impulsive passion for Margaret Sherwin, the daughter of a linen-draper, leads to a clandestine marriage and a devastating betrayal. Its melodramatic intensity, urban atmosphere, and fascination with class boundaries anticipate the sensation fiction for which Collins would become famous, while its moral unease places it firmly within mid-nineteenth-century debates about respectability and desire. Collins, born in 1824, was trained in law but drawn to literature, theatre, and the unconventional social worlds that later nourished his fiction. The son of the painter William Collins, he possessed both artistic discipline and a sharp eye for appearances. His interest in legal constraints, hidden motives, and social hypocrisy is already evident in Basil, written before The Woman in White and The Moonstone secured his reputation. This novel is recommended to readers interested in the origins of sensation fiction, Victorian psychology, and narratives of forbidden desire. Though less polished than Collins's masterpieces, it is gripping, revealing, and essential for understanding his development.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- An Author Biography reveals milestones in the author's life, illuminating the personal insights behind the text.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★★ 3.8 (3.2K)
Includes Goodreads, LibraryThing, StoryGraph, Amazon
GenreLiterary Classics, Mystery and Thriller
Length14 hrs 36 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateMay 21, 2015
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
9Part II
2Introduction
10Part III (pt. 1)
3Synopsis
11Part III (pt. 2)
4Historical Context
12Part III (pt. 3)
5Author Biography
13Letters in Conclusion
Show all chaptersShow less
6Letter of Dedication to Charles James Ward, Esq.
14Analysis
7Part I (pt. 1)
15Reflection
8Part I (pt. 2)
16Memorable Quotes
Armadale (Mystery Thriller Classic) (Annotated)Wilkie Collins34h 15m4.1 (11.3K)$2 · $0.00
Complete Short Stories of Wilkie Collins (Annotated)Wilkie Collins124h 30m$3 · $0.00
The Law and The Lady (Mystery Thriller Classic) (Annotated)Wilkie Collins17h 16m3.9 (5.2K)$2 · $0.00
Jezebel's Daughter (Annotated)Wilkie Collins12h 21m4.2 (108)$2 · $0.00
Die Frau in Weiß (Kriminalroman) (Kommentiert)Wilkie Collins28h 17m4.4 (1.1K)$1 · $0.00
Blinde Liebe (Kommentiert)Wilkie Collins18h 18m3.8 (341)$1 · $0.00
Armadale (Mystery Classic) (Annotated)Wilkie Collins34h 12m4.1 (10.4K)$2 · $0.00
No Name (Mystery Thriller Classic) (Annotated)Wilkie Collins31h 38m4.1 (14.4K)$2 · $0.00
Gesammelte Werke (Kommentiert)Wilkie Collins115h 47m$2 · $0.00
The Law and The Lady (Thriller Classic) (Annotated)Wilkie Collins17h 22m3.9 (5.9K)$2 · $0.00
Fräulein Minna und der Reitknecht (Kommentiert)Wilkie Collins3h 13m3.7 (21)$1 · $0.00
Die Kasse von Herr Wray (Kommentiert)Wilkie Collins5h 39m4.3 (12)$1 · $0.00
Der Mondstein (Mystery-Krimi) (Kommentiert)Wilkie Collins26h 33m$1 · $0.00
Gesammelte Krimis (Kommentiert)Wilkie Collins70h 30m$1 · $0.00
Ein Tiefes Geheimnis (Mystery-Krimi) (Kommentiert)Wilkie Collins19h 52m4.3 (12)$1 · $0.00
No Name (Mystery Classic) (Annotated)Wilkie Collins31h 42m4.1 (14.7K)$2 · $0.00
The Woman in White (illustrated) + The Moonstone + The Haunted Hotel: A Mystery of Modern Venice (Annotated)Wilkie Collins57h 35m$2 · $0.00
Wilkie Collins: The Complete Short Stories (Annotated)Wilkie Collins124h 33m$2 · $0.00
The Moonstone (Annotated)Wilkie Collins23h 22m4.2 (168)$2 · $0.00
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee12h 18m4.5 (7.4M)$29 · $0.00
These Precious DaysAnn Patchett11h 14m4.5 (45.2K)$29 · $0.00
Henry V (The Play, Historical Background and Analysis of the Character in the Play)William Shakespeare, William Hazlitt8h 40m4.6 (1.3K)$1 · $0.00
H. P. LOVECRAFT Ultimate Collection: Novellas, Short Stories, Poetry & Essays (Annotated)H. P. Lovecraft12h 28m4.6 (2.3K)$2 · $0.00
Time RegainedMarcel Proust15h 54m4.5 (10.6K)$2 · $0.00
TORAH - Bilingual Edition: English/Hebrew (Annotated)Max Margolis, JPS28h 26m4.6 (1K)$2 · $0.00
Betty Crocker picture cooky bookBetty Crocker, Inc. General Mills2h 13m4.5 (6.5K)$1 · $0.00
The Complete Tales of Beatrix PotterBeatrix Potter3h 36m4.5 (75K)$3 · $0.00
Crime and Punishment (The Unabridged Garnett Translation) (Annotated)Fyodor Dostoevsky24h 25m4.5 (15.4K)$1.99 · $0.00
The North American IndianEdward S. Curtis, Frederick Webb Hodge6h4.5 (1.2K)$2 · $0.00
The Picture of Dorian Gray: The Uncensored 13 Chapter Version + The Revised 20 Chapter Version (Annotated)Oscar Wilde16h 12m4.5 (2.8K)$1.99 · $0.00
Grimoire Of The Everyday WitchIsadora Lys / Virginia Santos5h 35m4.5 (3.9K)$9 · $0.00
Winnie-the-PoohAlan Alexander Milne2h 52m4.5 (401.1K)$3 · $0.00
Sitting PrettyRebekah Taussig7h 33m4.5 (18.9K)$26 · $0.00
The Poetic Edda & The Prose EddaSnorri Sturluson, Saemund Sigfusson9h 34m4.5 (4K)$1 · $0.00
The Complete Satires & Essays of Mark Twain (Annotated)Mark Twain23h 21m4.5 (1.1K)$2 · $0.00
Rilla of InglesideLucy Maud Montgomery10h 58m4.5 (46.7K)$1 · $0.00
The Posthumous Memoirs Of Brás CubasMachado De Assis7h 39m4.4 (120.4K)$5 · $0.00
The Iliad & The OdysseyHomer25h 12m4.4 (39K)$12 · $0.00
The Ladies' Paradise (Vizetelly Translation, Unabridged) (Annotated)Émile Zola19h 34m4.5 (1.2K)$2 · $0.00
The Rose CodeKate Quinn16h 2m4.4 (493.7K)$33 · $0.00
Crime and Punishment (The Unabridged Garnett Translation) (Annotated)Fyodor Dostoevsky24h 25m4.5 (15.4K)$1.99 · $0.00
Three ComradesErich Maria Remarque15h 50m4.5 (47.3K)$2 · $0.00
AngelAnita Waller10h 30m4.6 (672)$30 · $0.00
The BorderDon Winslow29h 8m4.5 (35.7K)$53 · $0.00
FlashpointCatherine Coulter11h 38m4.5 (11.6K)$29 · $0.00
The Man in the Brown Suit & They Came to BaghdadAgatha Christie15h 43m4.6 (495)$33 · $0.00
Fang Si-Chi's First Love ParadiseYi-Han Lin8h 25m4.5 (4K)$26 · $0.00
No Woman Left BehindJulie Moffett8h 49m4.5 (3K)$25 · $0.00
CovertJanie Crouch6h 15m4.5 (2K)$12 · $0.00
Cold Case InvestigationNicole Helm5h 30m4.6 (321)$5 · $0.00
The ReunionJana DeLeon6h 31m4.5 (1.6K)$12 · $0.00
Courage Under FireSharon Dunn5h 50m4.5 (730)$24 · $0.00
Decoding the TruthJulie Miller7h 31m4.6 (350)$12 · $0.00
Murder Gone ColdB.J. Daniels5h 50m4.5 (562)$12 · $0.00
Crime and PunishmentFyodor Dostoyevsky23h 14m4.4 (1.3M)$1 · $0.00
Exit FeeBrad Taylor3h 16m4.5 (1.9K)$18 · $0.00
Sworn to ProtectShirlee McCoy5h 7m4.5 (1K)$12 · $0.00
The Alice NetworkKate Quinn15h 7m4.4 (887.1K)$33 · $0.00
The Last RemainsElly Griffiths9h 41m4.4 (37.3K)$29 · $0.00
You may also like
Basil: A Story of Modern Life (Unabridged) (Annotated)Wilkie Collins14h 22m3.7 (3.6K)$1.99 · $0.00
Unforgivable LoveSophfronia Scott16h 23m3.7 (1.1K)$40 · $0.00
The NeighborsHannah Mary McKinnon8h 57m3.9 (9.5K)$29 · $0.00
BasilWilkie Collins12h 23m3.8 (4K)$2.30
Pretty Little Liars #3: PerfectSara Shepard7h 35m3.9 (83.5K)$26 · $0.00
Twisted EntrapmentN’Tyse7h 28m4.2 (806)$20
Pierre and JeanGuy De Maupassant5h 9m3.8 (11.3K)$2.30
Boring Asian FemaleCanwen Xu10h 14m3.8 (2.6K)$33 · $0.00
The Butterfly SisterAmy Gail Hansen8h 45m3.5 (3.8K)$26 · $0.00
Domestic AffairsEileen Goudge18h 31m3.7 (2K)$30 · $0.00
My Lies, Your LiesSusan Lewis12h 20m4.0 (4.9K)$29 · $0.00
TwistedTracy Brown8h 59m4.4 (2K)$20
The Burning SecretStefan Zweig2h 41m4.0 (16.6K)$2 · $0.00
Creep: A Love StoryLygia Day Peñaflor7h 42m3.6 (1.4K)$26 · $0.00
Sister CarrieTheodore Dreiser18h 4m3.8 (49.9K)$2.30
Sorry for the DeadNicola Upson9h 53m3.8 (2.1K)$20
Great ExpectationsCharles Dickens19h 36m4.0 (993.6K)$2 · $0.00
The John Cheever Audio CollectionJohn Cheever6h 21m4.1 (643)$24 · $0.00
Wuthering HeightsEmily Brontë13h 38m3.9 (1.9M)$4 · $0.00
The ReserveRussell Banks9h 48m3.1 (2.6K)$29 · $0.00