The Charterhouse of Parma

Read by Peter Dann,

In an astounding act of literary improvisation, Stendhal dictated this complex and innovative novel, combining political and psychological realism with wit, irony and romance, in only 54 days. The result, which Henry James regarded as one of the dozen best novels of all time, feels in many ways like grand opera, an art form to which Stendhal himself was greatly attracted. The tale is set in northern Italy in the early decades of the nineteenth century. The plot revolves around Fabrizio del Dongo, an idealistic young nobleman, his aunt Gina Sanseverina (who loves Fabrizio more than perhaps she ought) and a large cast of other figures (many of them associated with the court at Parma) who have their own designs, romantic and otherwise, upon Fabrizio and his dazzling aunt. Readers who wish to avoid the spoilers in Balzac's delightful but detailed introduction to this edition should begin at section 5. (Summary by Peter Dann)

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M4B Audiobook 01-22 (368MB)

M4B Audiobook 23-37 (232MB)

queue_music Chapters 37

1 01 - A Study of M. Beyle— part 1 55:22
2 02 - A Study of M. Beyle, part 2 42:05
3 03 - A Study of M. Beyle,— part 3 36:24
4 04 - Beyle’s Reply to Balzac 14:53
5 05 - To the Reader 3:37
6 06 - Chapter 1 31:35
7 07 - Chapter 2 45:35
8 08 - Chapter 3 33:20
9 09 - Chapter 4 39:32
10 10 - Chapter 5 46:21
11 11 - Chapter 6 — part 1 43:03
12 12 - Chapter 6 — part 2 44:14
13 13 - Chapter 7 42:33
14 14 - Chapter 8 34:31
15 15 - Chapter 9 19:44
16 16 - Chapter 10 15:12
17 17 - Chapter 11 49:13
18 18 - Chapter 12 31:10
19 19 - Chapter 13 53:51
20 20 - Chapter 14 43:28
21 21 - Chapter 15 36:36
22 22 - Chapter 16 35:35
23 23 - Chapter 17 30:20
24 24 - Chapter 18 41:38
25 25 - Chapter 19 37:06
26 26 - Chapter 20 52:26
27 27 - Chapter 21 44:04
28 28 - Chapter 22 39:23
29 29 - Chapter 23 47:43
30 30 - Chapter 24 40:40
31 31 - Chapter 25 41:35
32 32 - Chapter 26 36:01
33 33 - Chapter 27 32:18
34 34 - Chapter 28 36:43
35 35 - Appendix 7:47
36 36 - Fragment 1: Birague's narrative 13:05
37 37 - Fragment 2: Il Conte Zorafi, The Prince’s “Press” 4:44