The Daisy Chain, or Aspirations
Charlotte Mary Yonge
Read by LibriVox Volunteers
Join the endearing May family in small-town England as each member lives through some pivotal years. How will they face the changes that shake their family to the core?
To quote the preface: "It would beg to be considered merely as what it calls itself, a Family Chronicle—a domestic record of home events, large and small, during those years of early life when the character is chiefly formed, and as an endeavour to trace the effects of those aspirations which are a part of every youthful nature."
The following cast list (including nicknames) may be helpful when first meeting the large May family. Parents: Dick and Maggie, Children: Richard (May), Margaret, Flora, Norman (June), Ethel, Harry (July), Mary, Tom (August), Blanche, Aubrey, Gertrude Margaret (Daisy)
(Summary by HannahMary) (29 hr 54 min)
Chapters
Preface | 1:44 | Read by Hannah Mary |
Part 1, Chapter 1 | 27:04 | Read by Hannah Mary |
Part 1, Chapter 2 | 21:02 | Read by Hannah Mary |
Part 1, Chapter 3 | 33:35 | Read by Gaëlle Gosselin |
Part 1, Chapter 4 | 26:17 | Read by Bhavya |
Part 1, Chapter 5 | 29:31 | Read by Gaëlle Gosselin |
Part 1, Chapter 6 | 27:21 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 1, Chapter 7 | 25:53 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 1, Chapter 8 | 29:13 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 1, Chapter 9 | 37:26 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 1, Chapter 10 | 16:51 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 1, Chapter 11 | 26:46 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 1, Chapter 12 | 24:43 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 1, Chapter 13 | 31:13 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 1, Chapter 14 | 28:06 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 1, Chapter 15 | 32:57 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 1, Chapter 16 | 21:15 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 1, Chapter 17 | 25:39 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 1, Chapter 18 | 36:10 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 1, Chapter 19 | 37:12 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 1, Chapter 20 | 47:12 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 1, Chapter 21 | 25:43 | Read by Hannah Mary |
Part 1, Chapter 22 | 38:05 | Read by Gaëlle Gosselin |
Part 1, Chapter 23 | 19:15 | Read by Gaëlle Gosselin |
Part 1, Chapter 24 | 29:14 | Read by Gaëlle Gosselin |
Part 1, Chapter 25 | 39:45 | Read by Gaëlle Gosselin |
Part 1, Chapter 26 | 46:47 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 1, Chapter 27 | 28:36 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 1, Chapter 28 | 27:10 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 1, Chapter 29 | 26:06 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 1, Chapter 30 | 32:30 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 2, Chapter 1 | 33:24 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 2, Chapter 2 | 14:51 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 2, Chapter 3 | 25:10 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 2, Chapter 4 | 38:11 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 2, Chapter 5 | 26:36 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 2, Chapter 6 | 23:13 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 2, Chapter 7 | 44:37 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 2, Chapter 8 | 28:32 | Read by Hannah Mary |
Part 2, Chapter 9 | 48:04 | Read by Hannah Mary |
Part 2, Chapter 10 | 40:50 | Read by jenno |
Part 2, Chapter 11 | 31:59 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 2, Chapter 12 | 43:32 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 2, Chapter 13 | 35:32 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 2, Chapter 14 | 20:17 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 2, Chapter 15 | 21:02 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 2, Chapter 16 | 28:02 | Read by jenno |
Part 2, Chapter 17 | 43:47 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 2, Chapter 18 | 40:06 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 2, Chapter 19 | 31:39 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 2, Chapter 20 | 43:54 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 2, Chapter 21 | 30:10 | Read by Nancy Gorgen |
Part 2, Chapter 22 | 37:03 | Read by Brooke Favorat |
Part 2, Chapter 23 | 34:18 | Read by Brooke Favorat |
Part 2, Chapter 24 | 41:57 | Read by Brooke Favorat |
Part 2, Chapter 25 | 31:52 | Read by jenno |
Part 2, Chapter 26 | 30:14 | Read by ChadH94 |
Part 2, Chapter 27 | 25:13 | Read by Hannah Mary |
Reviews
ladymcbeath
I’m not sure how I feel about it, honestly. There are parts where I was on the edge of my seat, parts where I cried my eyes out, and parts when I was bored stiff and could barely pay attention. It didn’t make me laugh. I like the May family very much, but they really are very goody two shoes. There is a natural tendency to dislike do-gooders, yet they are not the least Pecksniffian, each totally devoted to the welfare of the others. Even the paralytic manages to survive for seven years. In 1855? I doubt it. Also, you can’t dislike a family that suffers so many tragedies. I am a Believer, so I can appreciate that their faith is the foundation of their lives, their ability to rise above tragedy, their desire to make the lives of the people around them better, and I value the faith of the woman who brought these fictional characters to life. If you are not a believer I think you would find them all ridiculous, preachy, and boring. I can’t recommend the reading. There are a lot of them and only a couple are worth listening to. This is a book I would listen to at double speed on Audible, which you can’t do here, sadly. I might have given it four stars with a professional Reader. At least 3 1/2. Or maybe not. I doubt I will ever read this again, but I will probably never forget it either.
I quit
berenike
Ms Goslin doesn't seem to understand what she's reading and all her emphasis comes on the wrong word. But I quit when the reader of chapter 5 pronounced Blanche Blan-shay.
A LibriVox Listener
Very nice book, takes a little to get into it but there’s actually a lot going on