Workhouse Characters


Gelesen von LibriVox Volunteers

(3.5 stars; 10 reviews)

In 1904, Margaret Nevinson, a respectable lady and active suffragette, joined the board of guardians in Hampstead Heath. The guardians had responsibility over the parish workhouse. In the UK, before the 1930s, one could not receive welfare assistance unless he or she entered the workhouse. A house for which one had to work. The conditions were so poor, sometimes even poorer then conditions in prison. The workhouse inspired many novels, the most famous is Oliver Twist. This collection of short stories is about the horrors Margaret saw, chiefly about things women had to endure. A married woman collected money and found a house for her and her children, but could not leave the workhouse as she was, by law, "the property of her husband." This particular story was adapted from her one-act play "In The Workhouse" which helped change that law only two years later. In another story, a smart lady who studied at the University Of Cambridge sinks into depression after the death of her husband and finds herself drunk at the workhouse. In 26 tales, Nevinson details the horrors of the system, one after the other, in an engaging and elegant style which appealed to the public. This book is perfect for fans of Charles Dickens, and for all those who love feminism and social history. - Summary by Stav Nisser. (4 hr 8 min)

Kapitel

Preface 2:56 Gelesen von John
EUNICE SMITH—DRUNK 13:48 Gelesen von Florence
DETAINED BY MARITAL AUTHORITY 8:25 Gelesen von KirksVoice
A WELSH SAILOR 9:39 Gelesen von KirksVoice
THE VOW 9:58 Gelesen von KirksVoice
BLIND AND DEAF 12:16 Gelesen von JennPratt
AND, BEHOLD, THE BABE WEPT 9:54 Gelesen von KirksVoice
MARY, MARY, PITY WOMEN! 12:06 Gelesen von Lisanne Lavoie
THE SUICIDE 10:29 Gelesen von Lisanne Lavoie
PUBLICANS AND HARLOTS 10:54 Gelesen von Lisanne Lavoie
OLD INKY 9:34 Gelesen von John
A DAUGHTER OF THE STATE 9:14 Gelesen von John
IN THE PHTHISIS WARD 8:15 Gelesen von KevinS
AN IRISH CATHOLIC 8:35 Gelesen von KevinS
AN OBSCURE CONVERSATIONIST 11:34 Gelesen von Lisanne Lavoie
MOTHERS 9:24 Gelesen von Lisanne Lavoie
YOUR SON'S YOUR SON 9:46 Gelesen von John
TOO OLD AT FORTY 5:56 Gelesen von John
IN THE LUNATIC ASYLUM 14:11 Gelesen von John
THE SWEEP'S LEGACY 5:56 Gelesen von John
AN ALIEN 7:13 Gelesen von John
WIDOWS INDEED! 7:12 Gelesen von John
THE RUNAWAY 11:29 Gelesen von John
A GIRL! GOD HELP HER! 5:15 Gelesen von John
ON THE PERMANENT LIST 9:38 Gelesen von John
THE PAUPER AND THE OLD-AGE PENSION 6:57 Gelesen von John
THE EVACUATION OF THE WORKHOUSE 8:15 Gelesen von John

Bewertungen


(5 stars)

Fascinating glimpses of workhouse life as it came to an end The workhouse was something poor people lived in dread of,people killed themselves to avoid it,yet here we hear the kindly voice of a Guardian who overlooked one


(3 stars)

Interesting stories. I only listened to the ones read by the women. They put in good effort with different voices and reading the tone of the characters, but the man was just blocks of monotone.

Very Interesting


(4 stars)

And it seems that bureaucracies remain the same--impenetrable. Well written and well narrated, regardless of gender.


(1 stars)

Lisa me spoiled the whole book with her very ooor quality recordings which she must surely have realised, but continued imposing the poor quality chapters on us- Just because you volunteer doesn’t mean it can be shoddy!