Enjoyed!

It was good to listen to a Joanna Trollope story after many years of reading her books.
Lindsay Duncan is so recognisable by her voice it is hard not to picture her instead of the characters.

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1 person found this helpful

mediocre, clichéd ...

so this was my first joanna trollope and i don't think I'll be going back for more. I didn't really know what to expect, but as a big name perhaps i expected to much. I just found the depth of the characters to be shallow and a bit obvious. perhaps you'd is the wrong genre for me... I just need more psychological complexity, originality... i also found the narration annoying, especially the high pitched teenage voices at times.

there was mild satisfaction at points of character development, however the depth and poignancy of such important changes was absent.

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Good listen

Well narrated, read at a good pace. characters believable. Master class in selfishness, enjoy it.

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1 person found this helpful

Splendid

I read this book years ago, accidentally found it in Audible, liked the sample reading and thought I'd give it a go.

So glad I did. There were bits I'd forgotten, bits I'd remember just before they happened. It's Joanna Trollope doing what she does, showing the sort of mess a family can just slide into, how something quite unexpected can not only awaken them to said mess, but show them a way to sort it out. And brilliantly have them do so. You can't go from one of her books to another without a break, or the pattern spoils the interweaving of the situations. It was good to revisit this one.

It was, also, a delight to revisit it in the more than capable hands (or voice) of Lindsay Duncan. Absolutely spot on! I was particularly entertained by the voices she used for Laura, the difficult mother. Excellent.

It's not intellectual, it's certainly NOT froth. It's keenly observant of personal tangles. It's a good listen not taxing but which will capture your attention.

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4 people found this helpful

Hasn't aged well

I loved this book when it came out, I had devoured all of the authors books. Having listened to this in 2024 I was struck how "wordy" this was. A dozen words used where two would suffice, and the idealistic, primly delivered views of the characters, maybe typical of its time. I wish I haven't revisited this, it made me annoyed at how self centred all the characters were.

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A good Joanna Trollope book well read

As usual this book is entertaining and well written with a good storyline. Lindsay Duncan’s voice suited the story and her calm tones made it a pleasure to listen. I strongly recommend this to others.

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1 person found this helpful

Beautifully written

What a lovely story, very relatable and at times heartbreaking. Very realistic. Lovely characters very amenable and likeable

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An absorbing read

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, beautifully read and full of insight into family psyche

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jack - Because he was growing up and learning from his own and other people's experiences.

Have you listened to any of Lindsay Duncan’s other performances? How does this one compare?

Yes, Brother & Sister. I felt this book was marginally more insightful.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The surprise ending and the reasons behind it.

Any additional comments?

I felt this book showed Joanna Trollope's empathy and amazing insight into the feelings experienced by people in their interactions with others, particularly as they relate to different aspects of love within a family.

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4 people found this helpful

slightly out of date but v enjoyable

I am a Joanna Trollope fan so am biased, but her insightful writing of family life came to the full in this story. Read many years back but so delightfully read by Lindsay Duncan.

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2 people found this helpful

Brilliant analysis of a long term affair

This is a brilliant novel about the ramifications of a long-term affair in which the partners love each other deeply. It examines the problems for them, and for their families, when they are separated by a large age gap.
It includes an excellent portrait of the unhealthy relationship between a possessive, manipulative mother and sensitive, dutiful son. It is perhaps more optimistic about how such involvement turn out than happens in real life.
We get to see it from every point of view: the lover’s children, his wife, his mistress, her mother, siblings and friends. The agony and the ecstasy are both there.
Lindsay Duncan ‘s narration, and the voices she gives to the characters, are beautifully suited to the story. It could not have been bettered.

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1 person found this helpful