Deerbrook (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. A Victorian Village Novel of Rival Sisters, Social Gossip, Moral Trials, and Provincial RealismBy Harriet Martineau
Length24h 6m
About this audiobook
Harriet Martineau's Deerbrook (1839) is a capacious novel of provincial life, centering on the rival affections, moral trials, and social misunderstandings surrounding the Ibbotson sisters, Hester and Margaret, and the village surgeon Edward Hope. Written in a lucid, analytical style, it combines domestic realism with ethical inquiry, anticipating later Victorian studies of community, reputation, and conscience. Its close attention to gossip, class feeling, medical duty, and women's emotional education places it in the lineage between Jane Austen and George Eliot. Martineau (1802–1876) was already renowned as a political economist, journalist, and social theorist before turning to full-length fiction. Her deafness, Unitarian background, reformist commitments, and disciplined habits of observation shaped her understanding of social interdependence. In Deerbrook, she transforms the methods of the moral essay and sociological sketch into narrative form, dramatizing how private conduct is never separate from public consequence. This novel is recommended to readers interested in the origins of Victorian realism, women's writing, and fiction as moral investigation. Patient, intelligent, and socially acute, Deerbrook rewards attention with a richly textured portrait of community life and the difficult education of sympathy.
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.
- 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 (436)
Includes Goodreads
GenreLiterary Classics, General Fiction
Length24 hrs 6 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateJul 24, 2020
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
26Chapter XXII.
2Introduction
27Chapter XXIII.
3Synopsis
28Chapter XXIV.
4Historical Context
29Chapter XXV.
5Chapter I.
30Chapter XXVI.
Show all chaptersShow less
6Chapter II.
31Chapter XXVII.
7Chapter III.
32Chapter XXVIII.
8Chapter IV.
33Chapter XXIX.
9Chapter V.
34Chapter XXX.
10Chapter VI.
35Chapter XXXI.
11Chapter VII.
36Chapter XXXII.
12Chapter VIII.
37Chapter XXXIII.
13Chapter IX.
38Chapter XXXIV.
14Chapter X.
39Chapter XXXV.
15Chapter XI.
40Chapter XXXVI.
16Chapter XII.
41Chapter XXXVII.
17Chapter XIII.
42Chapter XXXVIII.
18Chapter XIV.
43Chapter XXXIX.
19Chapter XV.
44Chapter XL.
20Chapter XVI.
45Chapter XLI.
21Chapter XVII.
46Chapter XLII.
22Chapter XVIII.
47Chapter XLIII.
23Chapter XIX.
48Chapter XLIV.
24Chapter XX.
49Chapter XLV.
25Chapter XXI.
50Analysis
More from Harriet Martineau
Society in America (Vol. 1&2) (Annotated)Harriet Martineau28h 51m3.9 (37)$2 · $0.00
Feats on the FiordHarriet Martineau4h 5m4.3 (142)$2 · $0.00
How to Observe: Morals and MannersHarriet Martineau4h 5m3.9 (53)$1 · $0.00
The Billow and the RockHarriet Martineau6h 3m$2 · $0.00
Son ChristopherHarriet Martineau4h 49m$2 · $0.00
The HampdensHarriet Martineau6h 57m$2 · $0.00
The Essential Faith of the Universal Church; Deduced from the Sacred RecordsHarriet Martineau4h 29m$2 · $0.00
Principle and Practice: The Orphan FamilyHarriet Martineau3h 56m$1 · $0.00
Society in America (Summarized Edition)Harriet Martineau6h 55m3.9 (486)$2
The Peasant and the PrinceHarriet Martineau6h 4m$2 · $0.00
L'isola dell'auroraHarriet Martineau2h 18m$8 · $0.00
The History of Western TravelHarriet Martineau23h 17m3.8 (12)$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
WhistlerAnn Patchett10h 45m4.6 (4.6K)$29 · $0.00
Demon CopperheadBarbara Kingsolver21h 3m4.5 (949.4K)$46 · $0.00
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee12h 18m4.5 (7.4M)$29 · $0.00
Remarkably Bright CreaturesShelby Van Pelt11h 17m4.4 (1.7M)$29 · $0.00
Cast in BloodMichelle Sagara16h 35m4.6 (607)$33 · $0.00
The Captain Blood Trilogy (Annotated)Rafael Sabatini29h 20m4.6 (1K)$3 · $0.00
Ship of the Line (Annotated)Cecil Louis Troughton Smith11h 13m4.6 (1K)$2 · $0.00
The George Orwell CollectionGeorge Orwell24h 46m4.5 (14.4K)$12 · $0.00
Time RegainedMarcel Proust15h 38m4.5 (9.2K)$2 · $0.00
Driving ForceElle James4h 58m4.6 (407)$20 · $0.00
When God Calls the HeartBrian Bird, Michelle Cox3h 24m4.6 (439)$10 · $0.00
Five Little IndiansMichelle Good10h 34m4.5 (64.5K)$29 · $0.00
Lolth's WarriorR. A. Salvatore13h 20m4.6 (2.4K)$33 · $0.00
The Things We Cannot SayKelly Rimmer13h 48m4.5 (359.1K)$33 · $0.00
The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du BoisHonoree Fanonne Jeffers29h 49m4.5 (58K)$8 · $0.00
Going PostalTerry Pratchett11h 23m4.5 (189.9K)$29 · $0.00
Glen AffricKarine Giebel22h 51m4.5 (3.2K)$46 · $0.00
The Book Of NegroesLawrence Hill15h 45m4.5 (107.3K)$33 · $0.00
Lieutenant Hornblower (Annotated)C. S. Forester11h 41m4.5 (2.9K)$2 · $0.00
Pride and PrejudiceJane Austen14h 46m4.5 (5.3M)$4 · $0.00
You may also like
North and SouthElizabeth Gaskell19h 35m4.3 (239.7K)$21 · $0.00
Mrs CraddockWilliam Somerset Maugham12h 21m3.9 (2K)$2 · $0.00
The Lost GirlD. H. Lawrence15h 17m3.7 (1.8K)$23
The Clayhanger Trilogy (Consisting of Clayhanger + Hilda Lessways + These Twain) (Annotated)Arnold Bennett51h 28m4.2 (1.3K)$2 · $0.00
The RainbowLawrence, D. H. (David Herbert), 1885-193019h 12m3.6 (26.5K)Free
North and SouthElizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell19h 27m4.3 (228.7K)$2.30
Sons and LoversD. H. Lawrence20h 7m3.9 (120.9K)$2 · $0.00
The Lost GirlD. H. Lawrence13h 48m3.5 (1.2K)$2 · $0.00
The Return of the Native (Annotated)Thomas Hardy15h 56m4.0 (55.3K)$0.99 · $0.00
The Complete Emily Starr Trilogy: Emily of New Moon, Emily Climbs and Emily's Quest (Unabridged) (Annotated)Lucy Maud Montgomery34h 54m4.5 (3.7K)$2 · $0.00
Miss EmilyNuala O’Connor7h 20m3.8 (2.6K)$20 · $0.00
StonerJohn Williams9h 47m4.4 (328.6K)$20
The Mill on the FlossGeorge Eliot22h 16m4.0 (76.5K)$2.30 · $0.00
Ramona the PestBeverly Cleary2h 35m4.3 (74.1K)$18 · $0.00
The RainbowDavid Herbert Lawrence20h 42m3.8 (22.2K)$2 · $0.00
Agnes GreyAnne Brontë6h 27m3.7 (84.8K)$17
These Happy Golden YearsLaura Ingalls Wilder8h 33m4.4 (129K)$2 · $0.00
Little Women - Unabridged with the original illustrations by Frank T. Merrill (200 illustrations)Louisa May Alcott21h 45m4.4 (1.2K)$1 · $0.00
The Story of an African FarmOlive Schreiner11h 36m3.6 (4.6K)$2 · $0.00
Cold Sassy TreeOlive Ann Burns13h 7m4.2 (128.6K)$23 · $0.00