The Spoils of Poynton - Henry James

Category: Classic, Literature
Language: English
Keywords: Family Greed Marriage Naxos Social Drama

Written by Henry James
Read by Juliet Stevenson
Format: MP3
Bitrate: Mixed
Unabridged

Published in 1897, The Spoils of Poynton is one of the quintessential works of James’s middle period. The “spoils” of the book’s title refer to furniture and other objets d’art that the widow Adela Gereth moves to her cottage so that they are kept away from the clutches of her coarse future daughter-in-law, Mona Brigstock.

However, events take an unexpected turn when her married son Owen is attracted to her friend, Fleda Vetch. This tightly constructed novel, one of James’s shortest, depicts the struggle between mother and son, with the idealistic and put-upon Fleda caught in the crossfire.

November 13 2020
8 hrs and 6 mins

(Also check out the narration by Maureen O’Brien)