The Old Maid
Sisters facing love, duty, and sacrifice in post-revolutionary FranceBy Honoré de Balzac
Length5h 5m
About this audiobook
In "The Old Maid," Honoré de Balzac masterfully explores the complexities of women's lives in 19th-century France, encapsulating the moral and social dilemmas of the era. Through rich character development and intricate narrative techniques, Balzac delves into themes of unfulfilled desire, societal expectations, and the often harsh realities of marriage and loneliness. The novella serves as a poignant reflection on the plight of women who remained unmarried, presenting a subtle critique of the patriarchal structures that defined their existence during the Restoration period. Honoré de Balzac, a seminal figure in 19th-century literature, is renowned for his ambitious project "La Comédie Humaine," a vast compendium of interconnected stories that dissect French society's complexities. His personal experiences, coupled with keen observations of the social fabric of his time, informed his portrayal of women's roles and the cultural constraints they faced. Balzac's own life, marked by financial struggles and various romantic entanglements, undoubtedly shaped his profound understanding of longing and despair in the context of love and relationships. "The Old Maid" is a compelling read for anyone interested in the intersections of gender, societal norms, and personal identity. Balzac's ability to weave emotional depth with social commentary makes this novella not only a critical aspect of literary history but a timeless exploration of human experience. Readers seeking insight into the evolving roles of women in literature and society will find this work both enlightening and thought-provoking.
Audiobook details
GenreLiterary Classics, General Fiction
Length5 hrs 5 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateApr 10, 2021
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1The Old Maid
5Chapter V
2Chapter I
6Chapter VI
3Chapter II
7Chapter VII
4Chapter III
8Addendum
Junggesellenwirtschaft (Kommentiert)Honoré de Balzac13h 53m$1 · $0.00
The Lily of the Valley (Annotated)Honoré de Balzac12h 22m$2 · $0.00
A Woman of Thirty (Annotated)Honoré de Balzac9h 14m$2 · $0.00
Rise and Fall of Cesar Birotteau (Annotated)Honoré de Balzac12h 11m$2 · $0.00
Der Dorfpfarrer (Roman) (Kommentiert)Honoré de Balzac13h 55m$1 · $0.00
Gesammelte Werke: 15 Romane, 27 Erzählungen, 2 Novellen, 2 Abhandlungen & Essays (Kommentiert)Honoré de Balzac396h 51m$1.50 · $0.00
The Celibates Trilogy (Annotated)Honoré de Balzac21h 37m$2 · $0.00
The Magic Skin (Annotated)Honoré de Balzac12h 19m$2 · $0.00
History of the Thirteen (Annotated)Honoré de Balzac15h 12m$2 · $0.00
Scenes from a Courtesan's Life (Annotated)Honoré de Balzac23h 15m$2 · $0.00
Eugénie Grandet (Roman) (Kommentiert)Honoré de Balzac11h 29m$1 · $0.00
Oeuvres Complètes (Annoté)Honoré de Balzac480h 9m$2 · $0.00
Das Chagrinleder: Valentins Pakt mit dem Teufel (Kommentiert)Honoré de Balzac13h 42m$1 · $0.00
Gesammelte Romane: 15 Romane in einem Band (Kommentiert)Honoré de Balzac196h 24m$1 · $0.00
Die Lilie im Tal (Roman) (Kommentiert)Honoré de Balzac14h 16m$1 · $0.00
Die besten Kurzgeschichten aus Frankreich (Kommentiert)Honoré de Balzac, George Sand, Guy de Maupassant, Alphonse Daudet, Stendhal, Gustave Flaubert, Alexandre Dumas, Charles Baudelaire, Prosper Mérimée, André Gide, Anatole France183h 30m$1 · $0.00
Cousin Betty & Cousin Pons (Annotated)Honoré de Balzac30h 57m$2 · $0.00
Catherine De Medici (Annotated)Honoré de Balzac12h 56m$2 · $0.00
The Best Works of Balzac (Annotated)Honoré de Balzac451h 6m$2 · $0.00
Lost Illusions (Annotated)Honoré de Balzac28h 57m$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 9m$0.99 · $0.00
Charles Dickens: Complete Works (Annotated)Charles Dickens818h 55m$0.99 · $0.00
The Complete Novels of Jane Austen & Brontë Sisters (Annotated)Jane Austen, Charlotte Brontë, Emily Brontë, Anne Brontë204h 15m$0.99 · $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
The Complete Works: Novels, Short Stories, Plays, Articles, Essays, Travel Sketches and Memoirs (Annotated)Anthony Trollope1096h 4m$0.99 · $0.00
Ivanhoe (Annotated)Walter Scott22h 52m$2 · $0.00
The Complete Works of G. K. Chesterton (Annotated)G. K. Chesterton421h 37m$1.99 · $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$0.99 · $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
Body Refinement in a Beast Tamer’s World, Book 1Seth Ring14h 7m$27
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
Dark RisingJeffrey Wilson, Brian Andrews13h 47m$27
WhistlerAnn Patchett10h 45m4.5 (24)$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
The Great Gatsby: Original 1925 Edition (An F. Scott Fitzgerald Classic NovelFrancis Scott Fitzgerald4h 45m$18 · $0.00
The Vineyard BrideKatie Winters5h 5m$15
You may also like
Anthony Trollope: The Chronicles of Barsetshire & The Palliser NovelsAnthony Trollope321h 40m$1 · $0.00
Barchester TowersAnthony Trollope18h 49m$32
Chronicles of Barsetshire (Annotated)Anthony Trollope149h 38m$2 · $0.00
The Secret SonSheila Kaye-Smith10h 33m$1 · $0.00
Miss MappEdward Frederic Benson10h 6m$1 · $0.00
Paying Guests (Summarized Edition)E. F. Benson3h 30m$1
Betsey BobbettMarietta Holley2h 26m$1 · $0.00
The Pool in the DesertSara Jeannette Duncan8h 16m$2 · $0.00
Castle Rackrent (Annotated)Maria Edgeworth5h 35m$0.99 · $0.00
The Keepers of the HouseShirley Ann Grau9h 18m$20
Bel-Ami & Other StoriesGuy de Maupassant50h 37m$2 · $0.00
The Skin Game (A Tragi-Comedy)John Galsworthy2h 58m$2 · $0.00
An Unsocial Socialist (A Political Satire) - Complete Edition (Annotated)George Bernard Shaw17h 8m$0.99 · $0.00
The Custom of the Country (Annotated)Edith Wharton17h 11m$0.99 · $0.00
The Sundered StreamsReginald Farrer13h 43m$2 · $0.00
Frank and Andy at boarding school : or, Rivals for many honorsVance Barnum4h 8m$2 · $0.00
ANTHONY TROLLOPE Ultimate Collection: 100+ Novels & Short Stories; Articles, Memoirs & Essays (Annotated)Anthony Trollope1095h 5m$2 · $0.00
Epicoene, or, the Silent WomanBen Jonson4h 2m$2.30
The Old House and Other Short StoriesAnton Chekhov3h 53m$2.30
The Custom of the Country (Romance Classic)Edith Wharton16h 57m$2 · $0.00