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Appassionata
- Rutshire Chronicles, Book 5
- Narrated by: Sherry Baines
- Length: 29 hrs and 34 mins
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Appassionata
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Summary
Effervescent as champagne, Jilly Cooper's novel brings back old favourites like Rupert and Taggie Campbell-Black.
Abigail Rosen, nicknamed Appassionata, was the sexiest, most flamboyant violinist in classical music, but she was also the loneliest and the most exploited girl in the world.
When a dramatic suicide attempt destroyed her violin career, she set her sights on the male-dominated heights of the conductor's rostrum. Given the chance to take over the Rutminster Symphony Orchestra, Abby is ecstatic, not realising the RSO is composed of the wildest bunch of musicians ever to blow a horn or caress a fiddle.
Abby finds it increasingly difficult to control her undisciplined rabble and pretend she is not madly attracted to the fatally glamorous horn player Viking O'Neill. And then Rannaldini, arch fiend and international maestro, rolls up with Machiavellian plans of his own.
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Critic reviews
"Delicious: light as a souffle and with divine flashes of wit. I could not put the...thing down." (Sunday Express)
"Appassionata - the divine Jilly Cooper's latest and greatest novel." (The Sunday Times)
"Triumphant...a boisterous tale of sex and Chopin amongst Rutshire folk." (Tatler)
What listeners say about Appassionata
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Julie M.
- 14-07-23
Great book
fab as usual and never ages.wish I was a character on real life. love this book
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Rosemary
- 13-06-21
Not one of her best stories
I plodded through to the end but I think the book could have been a lot shorter and still had a similar story.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 23-05-20
Audio narration oddly stilted
The audio narration on this is oddly stilted. It almost sounds like a computer reading it. I read the book on kindle and bought the audio file to go with it. I had to stop listening and read it instead. I'm sorry to be negative but the narration really didn't do the book justice.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Animal lover
- 30-06-19
Struggled!
Just couldn’t get into this, I’ve listened to about a third of it and have given up. Waste of a credit!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 01-03-24
Excellent escapism
I was hooked to this story and listened to it as I did a charity walk during February - great stuff. Thanks Jilly x
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Kathy J
- 11-03-24
Typical Jilly
I did enjoy this book, but have to agree with a previous review in that it was nowhere near as good as the previous books in this series. However it was very likeable and very Jilly Cooper. I am getting a little fed up with all the puns now, which are becoming very overdone.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- josephine H.Codjoe
- 27-04-21
Fabulous Writing
Loved the story and narrator, Rupert and Marcus reunion . Can't wait for next book.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Lu
- 25-08-18
Totally Fatuous!
Not the best Jilly Cooper but easy listening.
Usual childish behaviour with too much money/ not enough money/ I hate you/ I must have you/ I can't bear it/ Don't be fatuous...
Unfortunately most of the characters are so self-absorbed hideous that it's difficult to care what happens to them. There is a feeling of Ms Cooper stopped caring and just wanted the thing to end too.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Maggie
- 01-11-18
The one where we all learn to love Marcus...
The Rutshire Chronicles continue with one of the most memorable books. For those who have been reading about Rupert Campbell Black, Taggie and all the other inhabitants of Cooper-world for years, this is the one where Marcus finally comes into his own. The rather overlooked, wimpy son of the earlier books (and with a mother like the self obsessed Helen who can blame him?) finally establishes his own character, and his relationship with his father.
Yes, it's fascinating for the picture of how giant orchestras work (or sometimes don't). Yes, it's great to see Rannaldini grow in villainy so we can mentally get to boo and hiss, to meet another self obsessed but undoubtedly gifted character, Abby, and to all fall a little in love with Viking. Nice to see Flora get a happy ending as well. But - for me, it's Marcus's book, and I love it.
Sherry Baines had grown into the narrators role pretty well. I still find her habit of breaking sentences and phrases can be annoying but as the books progress, we get used to that. Compared to the earlier, withdrawn, recordings she's wonderful! I can't imagine how long the poor girl must have spent in the studio this year to record all the series, but I'm grateful she did.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- MS KM DORE
- 28-02-24
Old and new friends.
My only gripe is that there is so much champagne drunk and moet is always mispronounced. A small niggle, but I have never been able to afford moet so I suppose I am just wildly jealous.
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