Silas Marner

By: George Eliot

Narrated by: Andrew Sachs

Exclusively from Audible

For 15 years the weaver Silas Marner has plied his loom near the village of Raveloe, alone and unjustly in exile, cut off from faith and human love, he cares only for his hoard of golden guineas. But two events occur that will change his life forever; his gold disappears and a golden-haired baby girl appears. But where did she come from and who really stole the gold? This moving tale sees Silas eventually redeemed and restored to life by the unlikely means of his love for the orphan child Eppie.

One of Eliot's most admired and loved works, Silas Marner is a tender and moving tale of betrayal, greed, loss, and redemption, with a finely drawn picture of early 19th-century England before the loss of the simple rural way of life. This moral tale shows the importance of valuing what really matters in life and that the hand we are dealt may ultimately lead to our happiness. Though it is Eliot's shortest book it still retains all the elements which are most recognisable and admirable about her work.

George Eliot was one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. Her novels, largely set in provincial England, are well known for their realism and psychological insight.

Narrator Biography

Beginning his career in repertory theatre, Andrew Sachs made his screen debut in 1959 in the film The Night We Dropped a Clanger. After numerous television appearances, he finally made his name in the 1970s with his role as Spanish waiter Manuel in Fawlty Towers, for which he was BAFTA nominated. A long career in acting and voiceover work followed, including narrating all five series of the BBC's BAFTA award winning series Troubleshooter (1990-1993), ITV's ...from Hell series (1997-2010) and the spoof documentary series That Peter Kay Thing (2000).

Andrew Sachs radio work includes playing Dr John Watson in four series of The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (2002-2010) for BBC Radio 4 as well as appearing in their adaptation of Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency in 2007. In 2009 he starred as Norris' brother, Ramsay Clegg, in Coronation Street. Andrew Sachs audiobook career is extensive and includes many children's titles, such as Judith Kerr's Mog series.

Public Domain (P)2008 Audible, Ltd

Silas Marner

Just enjoyable!! A good pick for the narrator and the story of the redemption of a wronged man turned miserly loner is just beautiful..

Fantastic narrator!

The narrator really made the story for me. He brought all the characters to life so very well!

The story itself is very much character driven. Thought provoking and intriguing for sure.

Victorian fairy tale

Excellently well read. He made the dialects a delight to my ears. as for the story itself, it reads like a fairy tale.

An old favorite

Having been required reading in high school, it’s been 3 decades since I first read Silas Marner. I loved it even more this time, listening to it in the reader’s accent only added to the the experience.

A bit slow at first but a great story

The first half was quite slow and a bit dull but overall this is a great story for fans of George Eliot.

Timeless

I absolutely loved this story and the reading. The writing is beautiful, compact and well-paced. Very few words felt wasted. The characters are so vivid and the themes of redemption, acceptance and the transformative power of love resonated for me. Just a wonderful bit of writing.

More believable than today's news

Though of a long ago historical era, the thoughts and feelings of the characters was what we might expect in today's world...or at least the world of the fifties when I read this in English class (simpler and more courteous than today) Excellently written and performed.

Unusual, but good

This isn't the sort of book I usually listen to, but I listened to Middlemarch this summer and really enjoyed it. I find Eliot to be a very interesting author. Her writing is not what I would call familiar or typical. She takes her time telling the story, taking you with her. This book was shorter than Middlemarch, but it had the same kind of leisurely pacing. With this book I didn't feel like I knew where we were headed, exactly. It wasn't predictable.

I will probably read more by Eliot, but I will wait until I have time to spare. This is not a good book to read in breaks in between work or while distracted with chores.

Excellent Story

The book is a classic and lives up to its notoriety! The narrator does a good job with the voices.

What a way with words

So pleasant to listen to the words and reading of two great masters f the English language - such a great story!