The Ballad of Reading Gaol, (version 2)


Read by Linda Leu

(2.8 stars; 6 reviews)

In 1895, Oscar Wilde was sentenced to 2 years of hard labor for acts of ‘gross indecency’. During his time at Reading Gaol, he witnessed a rare hanging, and in the three years between his release and his untimely death in 1900, was inspired to write the following poem, a meditation on the death penalty and the importance of forgiveness, even for (and especially for) something as heinous as murdering one’s spouse; for even the murderer, Wilde argues, is human and suffers more so for being the cause of his own pain, for ‘having killed the thing he loved’; for everyone is the cause of someone else’s suffering and suffers at the hands of another. It is this that Jesus Christ could see; he could continue to see the beauty of our humanity, despite all that we may do to each other, and encouraged us to love each other just the same

“The Ballad of Reading Gaol” was published in 1898 and would gain Wilde greater recognition as a poet (in addition to being a great playwright); although his only other volume of poetry, one of his earliest works that he’d published, was also well-received. Sadly, ‘The Ballad’ would be his last.
(Summary by Linda Leu). (0 hr 42 min)

Chapters

The Ballad of Reading Gaol 42:51 Read by Linda Leu

Reviews

Where great works go wrong


(1 stars)

I am so sorry to say that this person doing the reading is so negatively intrusive between the author and the hearer that the experience is ruined. The grit, the hoarse, the breathless, the flatness is unbearable; I tried to adapt to her "rendition" (pun intended), but cannot go on. Please, please get someone else to compete with this reader; this is such poignant and descriptive writing, it needs to be enjoyed.

Strange Reading ?


(4 stars)

A bizarre reading ! Strangely effective given the subject matter. The reader gives the impression that she's about to pop her clogs at any moment.

It reaches the extremes.


(1 stars)

Extraordinary. The voice contains these two effects: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sibilant http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vocal_fry_register taken to their extremes and nothing else---no normal speech sounds, just squeaking and croaking.

Very bad reading


(1 stars)

The reader sounds like she needs a nap, and hence I need a nap. One of the most emotionless and boring readings.