Good performance, not so good plot

I love Juliet Stevenson’s voice. But this book was a waste of her and my time. I listened to the very end hoping for some last minute miracle. No such luck. I cannot recommend it to those who are depressed or bored out of their wits with their own life :-).

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Disappointing

Anything read by Juliet Stevenson is worth listening to, or so I thought. And the pairing of her voice with EJH seemed irresistible but although there were gripping moments the story went nowhere. Still, I stayed with it but found the chapter numbers so out of sync with the narrator’s announcements that I wasted far too long, too often, trying to find my place.

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First book of my favourite author

Could listen to this forever. Maybe not her best novel but a definite precursor of great things to come. Beautifully read and written.

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Stick with it!

You’ll not be disappointed. Yes, you’ll feel like giving the principle character a shake but stay with her. It’s also a sad and sensitive view of the First World War.

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Wonderfully written and narrated.

loved the book from start to finish. wonderfull character's and storyline. would recommed to all fans of EJH.

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A Delight from start to finish

My favourite author provide a another delicious story. A clever enchanting book. Her character rs are so cleverly drawn they become alive. Stronglly recommend

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Beautiful moments but overwhelmingly long

Excellent performance which helped me to complete this epic novel in which very little happens.

Very interesting viewpoint of a gentlewoman's lot post Great War. However, I felt it needed an edit. Beautiful, gentle prose but there is an overwhelming amount of it.

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Disappointing

As a big fan of the Cazalet Chronicles, by the same author, I was really disappointed listening to this book. So much so, I gave up half way through. I’m not sure if it was the story itself or the narration, but there was nothing to grip me and make me want to listen. Shame…

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Another thoughtful and thought inducing book by one of my favourite authors.

I really enjoyed this story. Not action packed but immediately the reader is transported to another world. The narration is first class. I enjoyed being taken back into near history in a realistic way. The characters are realistic, each one drawn with such clarity and defined with precision, reminding me of Emily Brontë.

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Never judge a book by its summary.

What did you like best about The Beautiful Visit? What did you like least?

I liked best the sense of adventure at the start and the protagonist honesty, up to a point. I liked least the microscopic and cringe worthy self consciousness and the mostly dull story.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

If it started where it ended.

What about Juliet Stevenson’s performance did you like?

She kept interested and consistent throughout.

Do you think The Beautiful Visit needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No, most of the characters have been exhausted and a follow up book may do the same to the next lot of characters.

Any additional comments?

I was expecting a kind of Brideshead Revisited type story where the house and the characters would be strong and charismatic, with depth and make me care about what happened to them.

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6 people found this helpful