Audiobook · read by volunteers
Rosary
Florence Louisa Barclay (1862–1921)
Read by Maria Elmvang, rachelellen, Betsie Bush, Deb Bacon-Ziegler, Robin Cotter, Pat Elder, Christine Blachford, Ana Simão · 38 chapters · 10 h 50
About the book
Garth Dalmain is a celebrated, handsome and much-admired artist, and Jane Champion is a quiet young woman who believes herself too plain to be loved. They meet, and a delicate friendship grows into love on his side and, secretly, on hers. But she cannot bring herself to trust the affection of a man who lives for beauty. Just as she begins to hope, news reaches her that changes everything.
Florence Barclay’s 1909 novel was a huge bestseller of its day, a romance of feeling, faith and sacrifice, written with sincerity and a good deal of drama. It is a book that asks what love is when it is separated from appearance. In thirty-eight chapters and almost eleven hours, this recording is an old-fashioned love story in the fullest sense, for listeners who enjoy emotion and a happy turn.
Introduction
Florence Louisa Barclay (1862–1921) was an English novelist whose romances were widely read in the early twentieth century. She was the wife of a clergyman, and her religious faith is often visible in her books. The Rosary, published in 1909, was her most successful novel and sold in great numbers, in Britain and in the United States, and it was later adapted for the stage and for film.
The story centres on the love between Garth Dalmain and Jane Champion. He is a well-known lover of beauty, and she, by her own account, is very plain. Jane is afraid that his affection depends on appearances, and so she holds back, even though she cares for him deeply. The title refers to a song that plays a part in their story. The novel is full of strong feelings, long conversations and moral reflection, and it moves between country-house settings and the world of art and music.
The style is that of popular romantic fiction of the period, and modern listeners may find it sentimental. Yet the book was loved by its first readers because it took emotion seriously, and its central question, whether love can look beyond the surface, is one that has not lost its interest.
The recording has 38 sections and lasts nearly eleven hours. It is read by LibriVox volunteers, who share the chapters among them. Why listen today? Because it is an excellent example of the Edwardian romance, a genre that is often neglected, and because it gives a clear picture of the tastes of a large reading public. If you enjoy period novels with a strong emotional line, this one has plenty to offer.
Public domain
Florence Louisa Barclay died in 1921: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text