The 19th Century Novel Podcast

EPISODE 5: Ellen Wood, "East Lynne" (1861), Part Two

Chapters 20-38. 0:00—Levison sur mer. 4:45—Flushing and blushing. 7:16—Back to East Lynne. 9:13—Levison arrives. 10:57—A Thorny problem. 11:31—That bold, bad man. 13:18—Isabel flees. 15:10—Interlude. 15:52—Reticence & Omission. 17:26—Madame Bovary & Lady Vane. 22:54—Isabel gets no satisfaction. 24:27—Women get no satisfaction. 27:36—The beauty of provocation. 29:30—Adder stings. 33:25—Abandonment & Illegitimacy. 36:57—Narrative train wreck. 38:28—Infanticide. 42:14—Interlude.

Chapters 39-62. 42:56—A governess in Germany. 43:47—Return to East Lynne.  49:26—Motherhood. 51:50—A sick child. 53:20—Consumption. 56:30—Dying children. 1:00:44—Lord & Lady Levison.  1:05:19—Justice Hare & son. 1:05:03—Isabel unveiled. 1:07:40—Instruction for the middle class. 1:11:14—Something off. 11:13:35—The sin of adultery. 1L15:06—Status quo or subversion? 1:23:06—Success in print and on stage and screen. 1:26:50—Losing & regaining favor.

Text: Ellen Wood, East Lynne, 1861. Oxford Univ. Press, 2008.

Interludes: Johannes Brahms, Piano Quartet No. 1, Op. 25 (1861), performed at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 2012, by musicians from the Ravinia Steans Music Institute.

Illustration: Still from East Lynne, starring Theda Bara (1915), moviessilently.com.

Click here for transcript Contact: jimjneilson@gmail.com

EPISODE 4. Ellen Wood, "East Lynne" (1861), Part One

Chapters 1-14. 0:00—The popularity of novels. 8:30—Ellen Wood biography. 12:30—Publication. 14:11—Isabel Vane and her father. 16:00—Carlyle meets Isabel. 16:45—Isabel, Emma & Levison. 19:30—Welcome to East (and West) Lynne. 20:24—Aristocracy, gentry, professional. 28:00—Isabel dazzles. 29:40—Barbara & Carlyle. 30:04—Interlude. 30:47—Corny. 33:05—Death and destitution. 34:00—Anti-Semitism. 40:40—Isabel, Emma & Levison again. 44:23—Carlyle to the rescue.

Chapters 15-19. 45:21—Interlude. 46:05—Mean girls. 52:00—A wild Hare. 54:41—Jealous women. 56:50—Isabel vs. Barbara. 58:00—Murder. 1:00:36—Isabel, Barbara, Carlyle.

Text: Ellen Wood, East Lynne, 1861. Oxford Univ. Press, 2008.

Interludes: Johannes Brahms, Piano Quartet No. 1, Op. 25 (1861), performed at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 2012, by musicians from the Ravinia Steans Music Institute.

Illustration: Ellen (Mrs. Henry) Wood (detail), by Joseph Sydney Willis Hodges (1875), Wikimedia.

Click here for transcript Contact: jimjneilson@gmail.com

EPISODE 3: Anne Bronte, "Agnes Grey" (1847)

Chapters 1-5. 0:00-Governesses in fact & fiction. 5:39-Writing & publishing Agnes Grey. 6:48-Educated middle-class women. 8:40-Anne as governess. 9:28-The novel begins. 10:00-Agnes’s family. 13:20-Leaving home. 14:13-Welcome to the Bloomfields. 15:10-The meating. 17:45-Animal cruelty. 21:00-Class & intelligence. 22:27-Class & violence. 23:30-Male violence. 26:40-Educating boys. 30:30-The Bloomfield daughters. 31:28-Victorian views of children. 33:35-Misbehavior & Miss Grey. 35:00-Governesses remembered.

Chapters 6-16. 38:00-Meet the Murrays. 39:38-Rosalie, the coquette. 42:08-Rosalie torments Hatfield. 44:55-Suitors & power. 47:40-Mathilda, hoyden & tomboy. 52:35-Agnes, anemic & heroic. 54:57-Upper class superiority. 56:15-Class & character. 57:30-Invisible Agnes.

Chapters 17-25. 1:02:40-Hatfield vs. Weston. 1:05:28-Hatfield & Rosalie vs. Weston & Agnes. 1:07:23: Mathilda & the forbidden regions. 1:09:00-Rosalie & heartlessness. 1:10:12-Rosalie, Lady Ashby. 1:12:10-Dissipation & daughter. 1:18:00-On the beach with Edward & Snap. 1:19:00-Married with children. 1:20:05-No happy ending.

Text: Anne Bronte, Agnes Grey. 1847. Oxford Univ. Press, 2010.

Interludes: Frederic Chopin, Polonaise-Fantasy in A-flat major, Op. 61 (1846), performed by Jonathan Bliss, 2009.

Illustration: Anne Bronte, by Charlotte Bronte (c. 1845), Wikipedia.

Click here for transcript Contact: jimjneilson@gmail.com

EPISODE 2: Anne Bronte, "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" (1848), Part Two

Chapters 23-44. 0:00-Sexuality & subservience. 5:57-Women & marriage. 7:15-Annabella teases & torments. 8:45-Double standard. 12:00-Branwell. 13:02-Mortality & morality. 15:50-Universal salvation. 16:44-Annabella. 18:30-The affair. 20:48-Helen vs. Annabella. 22:08-Piano playing. 26:00-Monstrous Annabella. 32:00-Admirable Annabella. 33:27-Trapped. 34:40-Coarse masculinity. 36:41-Escape.

Chapters 45-53. 38:51-Gilbert’s letter. 39:37-Helen nurses Huntingdon. 42:42-Helen & Gilbert reunited. 44:27-Literary legacy.

Text: Anne Bronte, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, 1848. Oxford Univ. Press, 2008.

Interludes: Frederic Chopin, Posthumous Waltz, no. 19 in A minor (1847), performed by Harald Vetter.

Illustration: Possible photo of Anne Bronte. For more information: https://brontesisters.co.uk/

Click here for transcript Contact: jimjneilson@gmail.com

 

EPISODE 1: Anne Bronte, "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" (1848), Part One

Chapters 1-15. 0:00-Background. 7:07-Gilbert, Helen, Eliza. 14:07-Women’s education. 15:16-Why a letter? 17:01-Gilbert, Jane, Eliza. 18:01-Gilbert & Helen. 18:43-Helen & Frederick. 20:08-Anne in love? 23:43-Gilbert & Helen. 24:44-Why letter & diary? 25:33-Print culture. 26:49-Male narrative.

Chapters 16-22. 28:43-Helen enters society. 29:56-Helen meets Huntingdon. 31:04-Victorian vices. 33:09-Prostitution. 33:46-Annabella. 34:37-Helen & Huntingdon. 35:13-Three questions. 39:39-Huntingdon proposes.

Text: Anne Bronte, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, 1848. Oxford Univ. Press, 2008.

Interludes: Chopin, Posthumous Waltz, no. 19 in A minor (1847), performed by Harald Vetter.

Illustration: Portrait of Anne Bronte (detail), by her brother Branwell (1834), Wikipedia.

Click here for transcript Contact: jimjneilson@gmail.com

Preface

 

Illustration from Punch magazine, 27 January 1877, from the  Victorian Web.

 

About this podcast: A retired professor of English discusses 19th Century novels: plot summary, literary analysis, author biography, historical and cultural context. Each episode closely examines one 19th Century novel or focuses on important background material.

All music in this podcast is in the public domain.

Opening theme: Beethoven, Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor (1803), performed by Arthur Rubenstein, 1955.

Closing theme: Gustav Mahler, Symphony 3 (1896), performed by the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Hermann Scherchen, 1960.

Podcast images: Man on Balcony, Boulevard Huassmann, by Gustave Caillebotte, 1880; La Lecture, by George Croegaert, 1890.

To contact me: jimjneilson@gmail.com