COMPLETE Villette by Charlotte Brontë - mas

[musicalheart1]

Villette (Dramatic Reading) by Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855) .


This project is now complete! All audio files can be found on our catalog page: https://librivox.org/villette-by-charlotte-bronte-2/

After an unspecified family disaster, protagonist Lucy Snowe travels to the fictional city of Villette to teach at an all-girls school where she is unwillingly pulled into both adventure and romance. (Summary by Wikipedia)

• 1. Is there a deadline?
     We ask that you submit your recorded sections within 1-2 months of placing your claim. Please note that to be fair to the readers who have completed their sections in a timely way, if you haven't submitted your recording(s) after two months, your sections will automatically be re-opened for other readers to claim, unless you post in this thread to request an extension. Extensions will be granted at the discretion of the Book Coordinator. I am especially willing to grant extensions to those with larger roles, just make sure to ask me. If you cannot do your section, for whatever reason, just let me know and it'll go back to the pool. There's no shame in this; we're all volunteers and things happen. Please do not sign up for more sections than you can complete within the two month deadline.
     
     Also, please read my first post (after this one) for important information about the project/characters!
  2. How to claim a part, and "how it all works" here
     To find a section to record, simply look at point 5 below at the sections. All the ones without names beside them are "up for grabs." Click "Post reply" at the top left of the screen and tell us which section you would like to read (include the section number from the left-most column in the reader list, please). Read points 6 to 8 below for what to do before, during and after your recording.
  3. New to recording?
     Please read our Newbie Guide to Recording!
  4. Where do I find the text? Source text- http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/9182: SEE MAGIC WINDOW FOR GOOGLE DOCS LINKS (please only read from these)!
  5. Please claim roles (the numbers in the first column below)! Please note: All Librivox recordings are in the public domain. When you submit your recording, you will be placing your recording in the public domain as well.
     
     If this is your first recording, please let me know under which name or pseudonym you'd like to appear in the LibriVox catalogue. We can also link to a personal website/blog.
     
     Please don't download or listen to files belonging to projects in process (unless you are the BC or PL). Our servers are not set up to handle the greater volume of traffic. Please wait until the project has been completed. Thanks!
     
     

     Magic Window:

     
     
     BC Admin
     ===========================================
     This paragraph is temporary and will be replaced by the MC with the list of sections and reader (Magic Window) once this project is in the admin system.
     • Project Code: q07gHwOt
     • Link to author on Wikipedia (if available): (Charlotte Brontë) : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_Bronte
     • Link to title on Wikipedia (if available): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villette_(novel)
     • Number of sections (files) this project will have: 72
     • Does the project have an introduction or preface [y/n]: Yes
     • Original publication date (if known): 1853
     
     ============================================
     
     Genres for the project: Literary Fiction; Dramatic Readings
     
     Keywords that describe the book: French, religion, Gothic, love, teacher, orphan
     
     ============================================
  6. BEFORE recording: Please check the Recording Notes: http://librivox.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6427#6430
     
     Set your recording software to:
     Channels: 1 (Mono)
     Bit Rate: 128 kbps
     Sample Rate: 44.1 kHz
     
     Submit one file per chapter.
  7. Make sure you add this to the beginning of your recording:
     [Role], read by [your name].
     
     Please remember to check this thread frequently for updates!
  8. AFTER recording
     Save files as 128 kbps MP3 villette_[role]_[##].mp3 (all lower-case) where ## is the chapter number.
     
     Transfer of files (completed recordings)
     Please always post in this forum thread when you've sent a file. Also, post the length of the recording (file duration: mm:ss) together with the link.
     • Upload your file with the LibriVox Uploader:
       http://librivox.org/login/uploader
       
       (If you have trouble reading the image above, please message an admin)
     • You'll need to select the MC, which for this project is: maryannspiegel
     • When your upload is complete, you will receive a link - please post it in this thread.
     • If this doesn't work, or you have questions, please check our How To Send Your Recording wiki page.
     Any questions?
     Please post below

[musicalheart1]

This is a fantastic novel, though less well-known than Jane Eyre. The biggest challenge it presents to readers is the degree to which the book is both in English AND French: characters that are English (British) in origin learn French and speak it along with English, French characters speak in both French and English, and so on. It can get confusing, particularly because the story is told from Lucy Snowe’s perspective and sometimes she takes the liberty of “translating” for us.

• Libby, our amazing DPL, has recorded a Pronounciation Guide for us: http://librivox.org/uploads/maryannspiegel/villette_pronunciation.mp3
• In the pronounciation guide, Libby has said each word/name twice: the first time with a French accent and the second in English, so you can choose accordingly based on your character.
• The pronounciation guide includes the following:
  [Places] Villette, Bretton, Labassecour, Boue-Marine, Rue Fossette, Hôtel Crécy
  [Names] Modeste Maria Beck (née Kint), Isidore, Ginevra Fanshawe, De Bassompierre, Mrs. Cholmondeley, Fifine, Dr. Pillule, Goton
  Rosine, Vashti, Madame Walravens, Père Silas, Justine Marie, Labassecourienne (s), pensionnaire(s)
  [Words] pensionnat, externat, draught, madam [English] versus madame [French]
• Finally, Paulina should be pronounced Pah-LEE-Nuh.

If uncertain about how to pronounce any other words, definitely have a look at http://www.forvo.com (English and French) or http://howjsay.com (mostly British English). In addition, there is the handy-dandy Libribox French pronunciation thread here viewtopic.php?f=23&t=40008

THINGS TO BEAR IN MIND WHEN SELECTING A ROLE:
*The narrator will just read intros/outros (the Librivox disclaimer) and the dramatis personae (list of characters).

*Graham/Dr. John are the same person, as is Polly/Paulina, Mr. Home/Bassompierre. Lucy knows them as their earlier names before coming to Villette and then finds them years later using the latter names.

*I have gone ahead and doubled up certain sections to include two smaller parts rather than having a bunch of singular shorter roles (similar to what I did for Cyrano de Bergerac). If there is any confusion about this, please let me know!

*Additionally, I have indicated a character’s nationality (sometimes this varies for each character with the double-cast roles) to help give an idea of pronunciation/accent in addition to indicating the language in which the character speaks. Don’t worry about it too terribly much: I just wanted to give people the opportunity to be thorough!

I have color coded these indications in the Magic Window for ease of finding the sort of part you'd be interested in (for those who want to avoid French, love French, and so on):

• Blue= Characters are English (British) by nationality, speak both English and moderate amounts of French
• Purple= Characters are French by nationality, speak in both French and English
• Orange= Characters are English (British) by nationality, speak mostly in English but also a bit of some other languages.
• Brown(ish red)= Characters are English (British), speak in English only.
• Pink= Characters are French, but speak only in English
• Yellow= Characters are French, speak in French only

Please let me know if you have any problems! This is a text that has traditionally been challenging for readers to get into, and it is my hope that a dramatic reading will allow it to become more accessible.

[TriciaG]

I just filled my plate, so I won't be MC'ing this, but we will need the source link for the text - the DPL needs it to PL by, the MC needs it to make sure the text you're using is PD, and we'll need it for the catalog.

[musicalheart1]

EDIT: MW is up and ready now!

[musicalheart1]

I just filled my plate, so I won't be MC'ing this, but we will need the source link for the text - the DPL needs it to PL by, the MC needs it to make sure the text you're using is PD, and we'll need it for the catalog.

I used the ProjectGutenberg text to create the GoogleDocs, Tricia. I've updated the first post, let me know if it is okay now.

[Lucy_k_p]

17) Miss Marchmont, looks to be a smallish role that doesn't require me to badly mangle some French, I'd like to claim her please.

[musicalheart1]

17) Miss Marchmont, looks to be a smallish role that doesn't require me to badly mangle some French, I'd like to claim her please.

Thank you! She's yours. I'll assign the role to you once we have a MW

[Loveday]

I have been looking forward to this so much! Villette is my favourite novel. Would it be possible for me to play Mrs Bretton please?

[LibbyG]

DPL reporting for duty. The pronunciation guide is ready to upload as soon as we get an MC. Folks can also ask me any French questions they may have.

[WoollyBee]

Hello!
May I claim Young Lucy?

Thanks!
Sarah

[JoFriday21]

Paulina checking in!

[musicalheart1]

I have been looking forward to this so much! Villette is my favourite novel. Would it be possible for me to play Mrs Bretton please?

Excellent! I have been looking forward to it as well

Welcome aboard, godmother

[musicalheart1]

DPL reporting for duty. The pronunciation guide is ready to upload as soon as we get an MC. Folks can also ask me any French questions they may have.

Thanks, Libby! You are fabulous. I hereby dub thee the project's official protector of the French language

[musicalheart1]

Hello!
May I claim Young Lucy?

Thanks!
Sarah

Definitely! Thank you, Sarah.

[musicalheart1]

Paulina checking in!

Hey there!