Castle Richmond


Read by Simon Evers

(4.5 stars; 118 reviews)

Set against the background of the Irish famine in the 1840’s, the novel tells of the tangled relationships between Clara Desmond, Herbert Fitzgerald and his cousin Owen Fitzgerald. Clara – whose previously ‘great’ family is almost bankrupt – is initially attracted to Owen, but whose dissolute lifestyle is a handicap. The matter is further complicated by the fact that Lady Desmond, Clara’s mother, is in love with Owen.

Meanwhile, Herbert supplants Owen in Clara’s affections. Herbert is heir to Castle Richmond and the name and property but this position is threatened for much of the book because of the possible illegitimacy of his parents’ marriage. - Summary by Simon Evers (19 hr 47 min)

Chapters

Chapter 1 18:05 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 2 31:13 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 3 26:03 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 4 24:07 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 5 27:14 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 6 25:58 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 7 27:40 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 8 30:33 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 9 22:50 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 10 27:53 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 11 27:32 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 12 35:08 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 13 31:02 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 14 27:34 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 15 25:30 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 16 36:17 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 17 16:02 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 18 27:43 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 19 29:23 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 20 41:10 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 21 15:42 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 22 28:39 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 23 30:50 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 24 27:04 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 25 24:07 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 26 35:25 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 27 22:14 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 28 28:05 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 29 16:53 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 30 38:18 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 31 24:52 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 32 27:54 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 33 22:40 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 34 31:10 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 35 27:41 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 36 25:39 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 37 31:23 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 38 26:17 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 39 29:43 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 40 18:56 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 41 28:25 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 42 17:40 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 43 37:36 Read by Simon Evers
Chapter 44 10:58 Read by Simon Evers

Reviews

Great story beautifully read


(5 stars)

I'm thinking that Simon Evers could read the phone book and make it wonderfully listenable. I love Trollope and really enjoyed this reading. Thank you and please read more Trollope!


(3 stars)

Ok story. It was just way too long with just too much non-essential information. I did expect a sad ending, as it was written by Tollope, that's what I got.


(5 stars)

Beautifully narrated. A perfect choice for this novel. Intrigue romance-and philosophy. A rich unfolding.

Very well written and read with perfection!


(5 stars)

I enjoyed this story immensely, though I would agree that the cause of the potato famine was not truthfully explained (the British had continued exporting a large portion of potatoes to England, I recently learned) and one wonders how much of this was understood by Trollope. Clara's mother, "the countess" seems to be an important figure in the story, a victim of her own limited self-development. It was creative how Trollope later in the story compared "clever villains" to a hunted fox. However he did not do justice to the fox who is not a villain, but rather a greatly terrorized and unfortunate victim of a fox hunt. (I personally have great distain for the horrible custom of fox hunting, which is so highly regarded in many British novels). It was also interesting how Trollope likes to bring up the issue of women coming to the defense of men who have totally abandoned and/or mistreated their wives and children. Most of all, I greatly admire the wonderful skill and generosity of the reader, Simon Evers. Thank you so much!

One of Trollope's Best


(5 stars)

Whenever you venture into an Anthony Trollope novel you expect to find tangled financial webs complicating the lives of a proud old family. There is that in Castle Richmond. However, I thought there was more depth of emotion in this work. The story is set in the time of the potato famine in Ireland. There is one scene where young Herbert, having lost his land, wealth and name, goes into a horrid shack to get out of the rain. There he finds a woman and small children dying of starvation. Against this backdrop Herbert cannot grieve too much for his loss. There is an important plot development that reminded me of a Fergus Hume novel. If you think the same, realize that Trollope's novel was published some 40 years earlier. This novel is read by Simon Evers. He is an excellent reader and I respect his judgement in the selection of projects to read. Oh, and I enjoyed the birds. Made me feel that I was there.

Castle Richmond


(5 stars)

This tale exemplifies why Trollope is considered one of the great British novelists of the 19th century. Although much of the story concerns the titled aristocracy, the characters are driven by motivations that are mostly understandable to we moderns. Trollope was also a social critic who put himself at some risk by defending Catholics, if not Catholicism (although he was C of E) and bringing home the longterm causes of the Irish Potato Famine, the Gorta Mor. Simon Evers is an excellent narrator who resists the temptation to "do" Irish accents whenever possible. This is a 19 hour recording so goodness knows how long it took him to record and edit. Thank you, Simon! More please. TheBookworm, Manchester, UK.

Extremely ignorant to the causes of the famine


(1 stars)

it's well read but Trollope's observations on the Irish famine are extremely insulting and ignorant..there was enough food in Ireland to avert it but it was exported to England whilst Irish tenant farmers were being evicted from their own land and left to starve whilst the British Government adopted a laissez faire attitude...incredibly he seems to think that the British Government and aristocracy did everything they could to help but the opposite was true..as a story it was fine but I felt his own thoughts on the famine were insulting and ignorant and shows he knew nothing about what really caused and exacerbated the famine

A very long short story


(5 stars)

This is a drama that focuses very much on the characters and their thoughts and feelings, and that’s what makes the book as long as it is. Otherwise, based on the limited developments in the story, it could’ve been told in a few short chapters. But I’m glad I listened, and the narrator did his usual beautiful job reading the story.