What Maisie Knew
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- $2.99
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- $2.99
Publisher Description
Henry James's novel "What Maisie Knew" is the story of Beale and Ida Farange and their daughter Maisie. When the two divorce the court orders that the custody of Maisie be split between the two. Spending six months with each, Maisie finds herself in an unstable position as the immoral and frivolous Beale and Ida use Maisie to intensify their animosity for each other. "What Maisie Knew" is a tragic tale of the consequences of a child caught between two unloving parents.
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Young Maisie Farange finds herself the unwitting pawn in her parents' divorce, as her mother and father use her as a tool for personal attacks. As both parents find new romantic partners, Maisie, who is mature beyond her age, is thrust even further into an adult world of betrayal and sexual gamesmanship. In this audio edition, Maureen O'Brien delivers a standout performance of James's classic novella. Even for audiences who might not enjoy James's prose, O'Brien's narration is both gripping and suitably melancholy. She captures the boiling anger of the adult world, as well as Maisie's sadness and confusion. Maisie's relationship with her governess Mrs. Wix, the sole point of emotional consistency in the young girl's life, is particularly poignant, thanks to O'Brien's reading. Though there's relatively little dialogue in James's work most of the action takes place through narration, filtered through Maisie's point of view O'Brien excels at creating unique personalities for the different characters. Her Maisie, in particular, sounds like a child intelligent but also extremely vulnerable.
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