Coningsby, or The New Generation
Gelesen von Nicholas Clifford (1930-2019)
Benjamin Disraeli
(4,167 Sterne; 9 Bewertungen)
Coningsby is the first of trilogy of political novels that Disraeli published in the 1840s, and gives an insight into his views of the political turmoil following the passage of the Great Reform Bill by the Whigs in 1832 (a second Reform Bill was passed in 1867 under Disraeli’s Tory leadership as prime minister). While Coningsby looks primarily at political questions, its successor -- Sybil, or the Two Nations -- was concerned with the “condition of England” question and the growing social and economic imbalance between rich and poor that in tje writer's view was hastened (though not begun) by the industrial revolution. Granted that Disraeli was not Dickens or Trollope or Eliot or one of the other giants of British letters in the nineteenth century, it’s a bit unfair to suggest (as some have) that the plots are thin and only there to provide the writer with a podium for setting forth his political and social views. It’s true that Boy Meets Girl, Boy Loses Girl, Boy Gets Girl, but much else happens as well, particularly thanks to the role played by the mysterious figure of the Jewish Sidonia, who in addition to enormous wealth and widespread international connections embodies a kind of wisdom that transcends the mere knowledge acquired by even the best educated Englishmen. Coningsby, himself a product of both Eton and Cambridge, is fortunate enough to be taken under his wing, and intelligent enough to accept his guidance. (Nicholas Clifford) (17 hr 53 min)
Chapters
Bewertungen
Social upheaval in 1830s Britain
JD
(5 Sterne)
Disraeli's novels are not well crafted, however they contain some of the most fascinating material about the cultural and political life of the English aristocracy in 19th century Britain. Coningsby begins with a lot of meandering but skip to Book 3 Chapters 3&4 for a discussion of the Poor Laws as an example of the gems that are scattered throughout the book. The past really is a foreign country. There is so much to learn about our ancestors' peculiar ideas from this author. And Nicholas Clifford's reading is excellent.Many thanks!
Coningsby
TheBookworm
(5 Sterne)
This was one of those books that I've always thought that i should read, but couldn't get past the first few pages. Thank goodness for Librivox! The novel isn't sure if it's a coming-of-age tale or a lesson in British political/economic history. Consequently, a found myself Googling Whig/Tory politics, the Reform bill, Chartism, etc., and got lost in the politics all the same. D'Israeli was the consummate politician of his day so his insights into the politics of his generation are fascinating. The writing is a bit stilted even for this era (surely no one ever actually talked like that...) but it's an enjoyable read all the same. One notable character in the book is the wealthy Jewish philosopher/adventurer Sidonia, who expounds many of the writer's own views. A Christian convert, D'Israeli was of Sephardi Jewish descent. As usual, Nicholas Clifford does a good job as narrator, not injecting himself into this 17-hour recording and making sense of all those run-on sentences. Thanks Nicholas! TheBookworm (Manchester, UK)
Boring in Parts, but Great Reader
TwinkieToes
(4 Sterne)
Yep, Disraeli is no Dickens or Trollope. There are lots of passages of politics, as was expected. But even his passages of narrative and description bored me. I didn't feel as emotionally connected to the characters as I do with other authors. Still, I'm glad I listened. It was a bit of an education, and there's enough story there to keep me interested. The reader is excellent.
Glad he switched careers
Asger Thi
(3 Sterne)
Nice and high quality recording of a mediocre work. At parts the book is engaging, but the political swings and motives are boring. Ironic that politics eventually became Disraeli's career. Drama is good around the middle books, but gets terribly predictable towards the end. Were I not reading it for a class, I would probably have put the book away earlier.
Elaine
(3 Sterne)
Nor what I expected; long passages of narrative with little dialogue; however well written given his age and I’ll try the second one in the trilogy