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  • Title: Lady Windermere’s Fan
  • Author: Oscar Wilde
  • Narrator: LibriVox Volunteers
  • Length: 02:06:08
  • Version: Abridged
  • Release Date: 01/01/2016
  • Publisher: LibriVox
  • Genre: Comedy, Satire & Parody
  • ISBN13: SABLIB9782265
Hey there, culture vultures and audio adventurers!

Here’s what makes this interesting: Oscar Wilde’s “Lady Windermere’s Fan”, a razor-sharp comedy of manners from 1892, still cuts deep in its free audiobook form, thanks to the LibriVox Volunteers. As someone who’s spent years dissecting digital storytelling – whether it’s for my ‘Future of Stories’ podcast or my columns in “The Atlantic” – I couldn’t wait to dive into this Victorian satire and see how it holds up in audio. Spoiler: it’s a delight, with a few quirks worth unpacking.

Let’s break this down. The play follows Lady Windermere, a young wife who suspects her husband of infidelity after discovering payments to the mysterious Mrs. Erlynne. Throw in a dashing Lord Darlington, a gossiping Duchess of Berwick, and a fan that becomes a symbol of moral ambiguity, and you’ve got Wilde at his wittiest. The themes – marriage, morality, and the masks we wear – hit me personally. I remember recording a BookTok video about “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo”, where followers raved about how the narrator’s voice unlocked character depth they’d missed in print. That memory rushed back as I listened to this audiobook. There’s something about hearing Wilde’s epigrams – like ‘Many lack the originality to lack originality’ – delivered aloud that makes them land harder, especially in our era of performative virtue on social media.

The content itself is a masterclass in satire and parody. Wilde doesn’t just poke fun at the upper crust; he skewers their hypocrisy with a glee that feels timeless. The cultural impact here is undeniable – think of it as the 19th-century equivalent of a viral X thread exposing influencer double standards. Drawing from my MIT days analyzing narrative structures, I’d argue the play’s strength lies in its ambiguity. Mrs. Erlynne, voiced with sultry poise by Elizabeth Klett, isn’t a villain or a saint – she’s a mirror for the audience’s own judgments. That complexity, paired with Wilde’s signature one-liners, makes this a listening experience that rewards repeat visits.

Now, the audiobook experience itself. The LibriVox Volunteers bring a scrappy, community-theater charm to the production. Kristin Hughes as Lady Windermere captures her prim indignation perfectly, while Joe Earley’s Lord Windermere balances gravitas and vulnerability. Elizabeth Klett’s Mrs. Erlynne is the standout – her tone drips with knowing irony, amplifying Wilde’s subtext. Simon Taylor’s Lord Darlington adds a flirtatious edge that had me grinning, and Ruth Golding’s Duchess of Berwick is all haughty bluster, stealing scenes with her nasal disdain. The ensemble – over a dozen voices – keeps the pace lively, though the audio quality varies. Some narrators, like Chugosh as Cecil Graham, feel a bit stiff, and the occasional background noise (a chair creak here, a muffled cough there) reminds you this is a volunteer effort. Still, the editing by Rosalind Wills and Ruth Golding ties it together into a cohesive 2-hour-15-minute romp – short enough to binge, rich enough to savor.

Strengths? The free audiobook format makes Wilde accessible to anyone with earbuds and an internet connection – a democratizing move I geek out over as a digital media nerd. The multi-voice cast mirrors the play’s bustling social world, enhancing the comedy. Limitations? The uneven sound quality and occasional flat delivery might irk perfectionists. Compared to a polished Audible production, it’s rough around the edges – but that’s part of its charm, like a zine versus a glossy magazine.

How does it stack up? Think of “The Importance of Being Earnest”, Wilde’s other comedic gem, but with less farce and more emotional stakes. The LibriVox treatment here feels less theatrical than, say, a BBC radio drama, but it’s got a raw energy that suits the satire. I’d recommend this to fans of sharp dialogue – think “Fleabag” or “The Good Place” – or anyone who loves a free audiobook that punches above its weight. Newcomers to Wilde might start here before diving into his denser works.

Reflecting on this, I’m reminded of a podcast episode I did on “Project Hail Mary”. The audiobook’s sound design elevated the alien language in ways text couldn’t. Here, it’s the voices that breathe new life into Wilde’s world – especially Klett’s Mrs. Erlynne, who made me rethink my own snap judgments. As a critic obsessed with how stories evolve across mediums, this free gem proves audio can still surprise us.

Until our next digital deep dive, keep listening and questioning, Sophie Bennett