HESTER (Vol. 1-3) (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Complete EditionBy Mrs. Oliphant
Length21h 58m
About this audiobook
Published in 1883 as a three-volume novel, Hester is one of Margaret Oliphant's most searching studies of family, money, and female power within the Victorian domestic world. Centred on Hester Vernon, a spirited young woman drawn into the orbit of the Vernon banking family, the novel explores inheritance, social dependence, thwarted affection, and the moral ambiguities of commerce. Oliphant's style is lucid, ironic, and psychologically acute, replacing melodrama with finely observed tensions of drawing room, counting house, and conscience; in the context of late-Victorian realism, it offers a subtle alternative to sensation fiction. Margaret Oliphant Wilson Oliphant (1828–1897), a prolific Scottish novelist, critic, and biographer, wrote from intimate knowledge of precarious finance and familial responsibility. Widowed early and supporting children and relatives by her pen, she understood both the dignity and exhaustion of women's labor. That experience informs Hester's attention to economic vulnerability and to women who must negotiate authority without secure institutional power. Readers interested in Victorian fiction beyond the established canon will find Hester richly rewarding. It is especially recommended to those drawn to George Eliot's moral intelligence, Trollope's social networks, or novels that examine how character is tested by money, loyalty, and ambition.
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
GenreLiterary Classics, General Fiction
Length21 hrs 58 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateAug 29, 2020
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
9Volume 2 (pt. 2)
2Introduction
10Volume 2 (pt. 3)
3Synopsis
11Volume 3 (pt. 1)
4Historical Context
12Volume 3 (pt. 2)
5Volume 1 (pt. 1)
13Volume 3 (pt. 3)
Show all chaptersShow less
6Volume 1 (pt. 2)
14Analysis
7Volume 1 (pt. 3)
15Reflection
8Volume 2 (pt. 1)
16Memorable Quotes
The Cuckoo in the Nest (Annotated)Mrs. Oliphant16h 41m$2 · $0.00
Sons and DaughtersMrs. Oliphant3h 39m$2 · $0.00
The Last of the MortimersMrs. Oliphant15h 25m$1 · $0.00
The Laird of Norlaw; A Scottish StoryMrs. Oliphant17h 8m$1 · $0.00
Sir Robert's FortuneMrs. Oliphant17h 10m$1 · $0.00
Jeanne D'Arc: Her Life And DeathMrs. Oliphant11h 13m$1 · $0.00
Who Was Lost and Is FoundMrs. Oliphant10h 45m$2 · $0.00
MadamMrs. Oliphant18h 14m$1 · $0.00
The Ladies LindoresMrs. Oliphant22h 55m$2 · $0.00
The Curate in ChargeMrs. Oliphant7h 56m$2 · $0.00
A Country Gentleman and His FamilyMrs. Oliphant16h 5m$1 · $0.00
The Story of a GovernessMrs. Oliphant15h 29m$1 · $0.00
The Heir Presumptive and the Heir ApparentMrs. Oliphant15h 48m$2 · $0.00
The Doctor's FamilyMrs. Oliphant6h 19m3.0 (1)$2 · $0.00
The Makers of Modern Rome, in Four BooksMrs. Oliphant18h 13m$1 · $0.00
A Son of the SoilMrs. Oliphant19h 59m$2 · $0.00
The RectorMrs. Oliphant0m$2 · $0.00
The Cuckoo in the NestMrs. Oliphant16h 36m$1 · $0.00
The Ladies LindoresMrs. Oliphant22h 55m$2 · $0.00
At His GatesMrs. Oliphant20h 22m$1 · $0.00
Sherlock Holmes: The Ultimate CollectionArthur Conan Doyle59h 49m$5 · $0.00
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare: All 214 Plays, Sonnets, Poems & Apocryphal Plays (Including the Biography of the Author) (Annotated)William Shakespeare156h 38m$2 · $0.00
The Complete Works of Fyodor Dostoyevsky: Novels, Short Stories and Autobiographical WritingsFyodor Dostoyevsky270h 59m$2 · $0.00
The Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of North America (Annotated)Howard Irving Chapelle, Tappan Adney13h 10m$2 · $0.00
Charles Dickens: Complete Works (Annotated)Charles Dickens819h 4m$2 · $0.00
The Complete Novels of Jane Austen & Brontë Sisters (Annotated)Jane Austen, Charlotte Brontë, Emily Brontë, Anne Brontë203h 52m$2 · $0.00
The Complete Works: Charlotte, Emily, Anne, Patrick & Branwell BrontëCharlotte Brontë, Anne Brontë, Emily Brontë138h 12m$1 · $0.00
The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde (Annotated)Oscar Wilde126h 19m$2 · $0.00
L. M. Montgomery – Premium Collection: Novels, Short Stories, Poetry & MemoirsLucy Maud Montgomery155h 1m$2 · $0.00
The Complete Works of the Brontë Family Charlotte Brontë, Emily Brontë, Anne Brontë140h 13m$2 · $0.00
MARK TWAIN: 12 Novels, 195 Short Stories, Autobiography, 10 Travel Books, 160+ Essays & Speeches (Illustrated)Mark Twain415h 9m5.0 (2)$2 · $0.00
This Side of Paradise - The Original 1920 Edition (Annotated)F. Scott Fitzgerald11h 30m$2 · $0.00
The Great Gatsby: Original 1925 Edition (An F. Scott Fitzgerald Classic NovelFrancis Scott Fitzgerald4h 45m$18 · $0.00
All NovelsGeorge Orwell53h 48m$10 · $0.00
The Complete Works of TolstoyLeo Tolstoy412h 44m$1 · $0.00
The Complete Works of Louisa May Alcott (Annotated)Louisa May Alcott226h 24m$2 · $0.00
Sherlock Holmes series - completeArthur Conan54h 8m$3.50 · $0.00
The Fire Next TimeJames Baldwin2h 25m$15
The Count of Monte Cristo (With Original Illustrations)Alexandre Dumas54h$1 · $0.00
H. P. Lovecraft: The Complete Fiction (Annotated)H. P. Lovecraft50h 45m$2 · $0.00
RiversnowTess Thompson8h 11m$20
Supreme ClienteleAshley & JaQuavis8h 58m$20
Body Refinement in a Beast Tamer’s World, Book 1Seth Ring14h 7m$27
EmberJeffrey Wilson, Brian Andrews13h 58m$23
The Complete Works of Jane Austen (Unabridged)Jane Austen88h 8m5.0 (1)$1 · $0.00
Desperate MeasuresBrenda Jackson8h 59m5.0 (1)$28 · $0.00
Searching For ThanksgivingS.E. Smith4h 24m$20
Naughty 4Brenda Hampton7h 30m$17
The Dance with Me TrilogyShelley Shepard Gray21h 44m$35
Anne Shirley (Complete 14 Book Collection)Lucy Maud Montgomery125h 28m$2 · $0.00
The DopemanJaQuavis Coleman5h 25m$20
Sherlock Holmes: The Ultimate CollectionArthur Conan Doyle59h 49m$5 · $0.00
WhistlerAnn Patchett10h 45m4.3 (18)$29 · $0.00
Grand Opening 2Carl Weber9h 16m$20
Sons of Valor II: Violence of ActionBrian Andrews, Jeffrey Wilson12h 34m$23
Malevolent MagicMildred Abbott7h 13m$17
Bikes, Toys, and Hot BoyzGenesis Woods, Shantaé13h 9m$23
This Side of Paradise - The Original 1920 Edition (Annotated)F. Scott Fitzgerald11h 30m$2 · $0.00
War LordBernard Cornwell13h 21m$33 · $0.00
Ghetto BastardK’wan7h 37m$20
You may also like
LucindaAnthony Hope9h 37m$2 · $0.00
In the Year of Jubilee (Annotated)George Gissing15h 59m$2 · $0.00
Mansfield ParkJane Austen14h 17m$5 · $0.00
Cousin HenryAnthony Trollope7h 23m$2.30
Tales and Novels — Volume 3Maria Edgeworth19h 31m$2.30
Trevlyn Hold A NovelMrs. Henry Wood19h 45m$2.30
Charlotte Brontë: The Complete Novels (The Greatest Novelists of All Time – Book 8) (Annotated)Charlotte Brontë80h 18m$2 · $0.00
Jacqueline — CompleteTh. Bentzon8h 23m$2 · $0.00
The Complete Novels of Henry James (Annotated)Henry James320h 25m$2 · $0.00
Hester (Summarized Edition)Mrs. Oliphant5h 8m$2
The FlirtM. C. Beaton6h 10m$17
Phoebe Deane (Annotated)Grace Livingston Hill11h 50m$2 · $0.00
Self-control (Annotated)Mary Brunton17h 16m$2 · $0.00
BuddenbrooksThomas Mann28h 38m$12 · $0.00
Our Lady of DarknessBernard Capes13h 16m$2.30
Jane Eyre & Wuthering HightsCharlotte Brontë, Emily Brontë34h 46m$2 · $0.00
Madonna MaryMrs Oliphant20h 6m$2.30
Hester A Story of Contemporary Life Volume I-IIIMrs Oliphant21h 10m$2.30
CeciliaF. Marion Crawford12h$2 · $0.00
The Home and the WorldRabindranath Tagore7h 19m$2.30