Cousin Bette

  • Author Honoré de Balzac
  • Narrator Lucy Scott
  • Publisher Naxos AudioBooks
  • Run Time 16 hours and 5 minutes
  • Format Audio
  • Genre Classic fiction.
Get in the xigxag app
Already purchased

Click to open directly in the xigxag app.

This book is not purchasable in your country. Please select another book. Pre-order Buy Now £{{ price }} Send as a gift
How does xigxag pricing work?

Listen to a sample

What to expect

Lisbeth Fischer has lived in the shadow of her beautiful cousin Adeline for much of her life. Pampered while Lisbeth works in the fields, Adeline makes an enviable leap in status when Baron Hulot offers her his hand in marriage. Out of kindness, they bring Lisbeth to Paris, where she falls in love with the artist Wenceslas, her protégé. However, when she is jilted for Adeline’s daughter Hortense, her jealousy and rage exponentially intensify, and she resolves to bring the Hulot family to ruin, employing the cold seductress Valérie Marneffe as her vehicle for revenge. A classic tale of obsession, self-destruction and unabated desire, Cousin Bette is a blazing portrayal of libertine France, and the fatal excesses which drive the novel to its dark end.

Critics Review

While it was written in 1846, this novel gets a modern vibe with Lucy Scott’s narration. Yet she remains true to the original text, and something in this combination lends this audiobook a timeless air. The titular cousin is ageing and unmarried – an unthinkable status in Post-Napoleonic France – and her simmering resentment fuels the intrigue that permeates the story. Scott’s pacing and accents are reliable and listener friendly. There is an initial adjustment period, as there is with many audiobooks of classics like this, but Scott’s patient interpretation secures the listener’s engagement. Her distinct character voices enliven the dialogue, and subtle vocal twists capture the snippets of irony and social commentary.

L.B.F., AudioFile

More from the same

Author

Narrator

About xigxag

Enjoy the best audiobooks on xigxag, an innovative, user-friendly audiobook platform that makes it easy to find, purchase, and enjoy your favorite books in audio format. xigxag’s flexible pricing model offers bestselling audiobooks for less – affordable prices and the best audiobook deals with no subscription required.  Give the perfect gift with our audiobook gift cards and in-app audiobook gifting options.

 

xigxag’s commitment to sustainability and ethical practices ensures a guilt-free listening experience from an exceptional digital book platform – an exciting alternative to big tech.  Enjoy audiobooks from the only B Corp certified UK audiobook service and a leader in audiobook innovation.

 

Search effortlessly, read honest audiobook reviews evaluating both the book and the narration, and discover hidden gems.  Download or stream top audiobook titles anytime, anywhere and get the best possible listening experience on the UK’s best independent audiobook app.  Experience the future of audiobooks today.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up to get tailored content recommendations, product updates and info on new releases. Your data is your own: we commit to protect your data and respect your privacy.