Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Unavailable
The Woman Who Wouldn't
Unavailable
The Woman Who Wouldn't
Unavailable
The Woman Who Wouldn't
Audiobook2 hours

The Woman Who Wouldn't

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

()

Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

The beloved actor and screenwriter's second novel, set in 1903, stars a young concert violinist named Jeremy Webb, who one day goes from accomplished adagios with the Cleveland Orchestra to having a complete breakdown onstage. If he hadn't poured a glass of water down the throat of a tuba, maybe he wouldn't have been sent to a health resort in Badenweiler, Germany. But it's in that serene place that Jeremy meets Clara Mulpas, whom he tries his hardest to seduce.

Clara is so beautiful that Jeremy finds it im­possible to keep from trying to detect a chink in her extraordinary reserve and elegance. He realizes he is reflexively flirting to get a reaction-after all, a tease and a wink have always worked before, with women back home. But flirting probably isn't the best way to appeal to a woman who was married to a dumb brute and doesn't want to have anything more to do with men. Jeremy isn't sure how to press his case-but he won't give up.

Wilder's prose is elegant, spare, and affecting. But it's his romantic's eye for the intense emotions that animate a real love story that makes THE WOMAN WHO WOULDN'T an unforgettable audiobook.


From the Compact Disc edition.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateMar 18, 2008
ISBN9781415949085
Unavailable
The Woman Who Wouldn't

Related to The Woman Who Wouldn't

Related audiobooks

Literary Fiction For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for The Woman Who Wouldn't

Rating: 3.3333322222222224 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

45 ratings5 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Simple easy read romance.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A charming tale about the power of love and its ability to change your life, improve your sanity, and stimulate your immune system :)
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    It was the name of the author of this sweet little love story which caught my eye in B&N today. I couldn't help but think of him and his wife, Gilda Radner, as I read it. Turns out this is his second novel.The writing is almost too simple, too "spare" (to quote the dust jacket flap), but the sweetness overcomes it for a quick (too quick?) read at only 166 small pages. This is labeled a novel, but feels more like a short story.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    It’s no surprise that Wilder does a good job reading his own book, but it certainly reinforces the image of Wilder as the main character, which is not a bad thing. The story is very short, two discs and less than 200 pages, and it’s an odd mix of wry humor, romanticism and stilted language – especially during the sex scenes. The story revolves around concert violinist Jeremy Spencer Webb and his nervous breakdown in 1904 which sends him to the famous German health spa, Badenweiler, for recovery. There he meets the “Belgie cutie” Clara Mulpas who he, at first, wants to seduce, but then comes to love. The progression of their love story is slow and deliberate which creates of the necessary drama, but might seem a bit too slow for some readers. Some reviews have called the book a spoof and parody of elitist gentry of the times, but I took it simply as a love story, part of which succeeds very well, especially as read by Wilder, and part feels awkward and stilted. I kept wondering what the point of having Chekov at the spa served, but in an interview Wilder said that fact was one of the things that sparked his imagination for the story. Overall the characters are fairly endearing and the reader will be rooting for their recovery. This book will probably only appeal to a limited, literary or Wilder-fan audience.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Short, formulaic romance with no surprises. I found the rather modern language off-putting to the idea that it was set in the early 1900s. Throwing in Anton Chekov as a character was rather interesting, but the trite ending left me flat. It was hard to imagine the character of Jeremy as anyone other than Gene Wilder. Recommend this only for die-hard Wilder fans.