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Walking Home
- Travels with a Troubadour on the Pennine Way
- Narrated by: Simon Armitage
- Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins
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Walking Home
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Summary
In summer 2010 Simon Armitage decided to walk the Pennine Way. The challenging 256 mile route is usually approached from south to north, from Edale in the Peak District to Kirk Yetholm, the other side of the Scottish border. He resolved to tackle it the other way round: through beautiful and bleak terrain, across lonely fells and into the howling wind, he would be walking home, towards the Yorkshire village where he was born.
Travelling as a 'modern troubadour' without a penny in his pocket, he stopped along the way to give poetry readings in village halls, churches, pubs, and living rooms. His audiences varied from the passionate to the indifferent, and his readings were accompanied by the clacking of pool balls, the drumming of rain and the bleating of sheep.
Walking Home describes this extraordinary yet ordinary journey. It's a story about Britain's remote and overlooked interior - the wildness of its landscape and the generosity of the locals who sustained him on his way. It's about facing emotional and physical challenges and sometimes overcoming them. It's nature writing, but with people at heart. Contemplative, moving and droll, it is a unique narrative from one of our most beloved writers.
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Critic reviews
"He is diligent, prolific and wide-ranging. By balancing humour and gravitas, he generates great affection in his readers. If he is not careful, Simon Armitage will end up becoming a national treasure." (Mail on Sunday)
"Armitage has always been a wonderfully fluent writer, able to riff on almost any subject in either prose or poetry.... The result is a homage to an oddly old-fashioned Britain, full of glorious eccentrics and hearts of gold, but vividly believable for all that." (Financial Times)
"Armitage's great gift is his voice. He is able to make his walk talk as he does and I have never read a more fully inhabited book of walking. It is funny but moving, quiet but strong." (The Observer)
What listeners say about Walking Home
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- M
- 16-02-19
Ok but a bit self indulgent
I got this in a deal and was happy with it based on what I paid but was glad I didnt pay full price. I enjoyed some of it but it felt like it had a fair bit of padding. I found the rationale for the end really self indulgent and also almost a pop at many people’s desire to complete the walk. This is probably unfair and just me being a bit grumpy about the end. Simon does an ok job of narration - a little Alan Bennetish at times. Sadly it hasnt led me to go and seek out any more of his books or poems. Recommended if buying in a deal but probably not at full price.
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2 people found this helpful
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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
- Laura Milne
- 27-11-20
Made me want to get some sturdy boots
It was an almost meditative listen, while stuck inside during a winter Covid lockdown - I was imagining myself going on this great adventure.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 20-12-21
Nowhere to nowhere
I found this was best listened on 1.2 as S A reads very slowly. It was a good listen on runs and dog walks and I was interested throughout. A freebie from audible that I appreciated.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Edward H Hocknell
- 29-08-24
Wonderful metaphors
Jolly good. Armitage is the best poet laureate for ages. He is also the perfect reader.
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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
- BeeCh
- 07-11-24
The lazy walker’s delight
I absolutely loved this Pennine ramble, listened to while I was strolling back and forth along my local -the Southern Upland Way. (Well, just far enough to get to the next bay for a swim and back.) I’m not sure about tackling a big walk and even less sure now - yet it’s so inspiring too.
Simon Armitage is so relatable, funny, honest. I laughed .. a lot.
He’s never glory seeking. Not like the conquering hero walker. There’s no ego here. (Don’t think his dad would suffer that. Clearly Yorkshire dads are a match for south west Scotland dads…)
The writing is a joy of course. Like a long poem… each thought carefully processed and no stray words.
Love his reading of it - all those Yorkshire ‘t’s. Landet, walk’t, dividet.
Total joy.
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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
- Steve R
- 20-10-18
Wonderfully entertaining ramble down the Pennine Way
Simon Armitage is a master craftsman. The book is a joy. It takes you along with him every step of the way. It’s poetic, humerus & full of soul. I could listen to his mournful Yorkshire tones all day long. Brilliant. Thank you for suffering the Pennine Way on foot and in the writing, so we could come with you.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sam T
- 30-08-24
Engaging enough
With interesting facts and a lovely moments.
I had to increase the speed to 1.3 to listen though. Painfully difficult to listen to otherwise.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Steven
- 10-08-22
A great story…
Simon has a fantastic way of narrating but I found his delivery of prose really slow therefore recommend you listen on x1.3 playback speed.
(And I’m a Huddersfield Lad too)
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Roderic
- 07-10-14
Muted content; dire narration
Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
No, though I admit I did finish it.
Would you recommend Walking Home to your friends? Why or why not?
No. I chose it for a perspective about the Pennine Way and that aspect of the book was dolorous. the poetical and observational perspectives were OK, but just OK.
What didn’t you like about Simon Armitage’s performance?
Armitage's voice drones terribly and has very little animation. The main reason I listen to audiobooks rather than read the text equivalent is to get the added value from the narrator: in this case there was none.
Do you think Walking Home needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?
No.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- reeceyp123
- 23-04-18
Plod plod plod blah blah blah
I love poetry and walking. This combines the two so I'm on to a winner but......
The poets describes the 2nd half of his journey as plod, plod, plod, blah, blah, blah. Pretty much sums up the whole experience to me.
Gave up after 6 hours which is the first audio book I have failed to finish in 200 books.
He is articulate, descriptive has an exceptional eye and turn of phrase but he is not a narrator.
It was like being back in the 1980s with the most tedious history professor who lost the passion for his job 30 years previous. He lost me after 5 minutes.
Monotone, quiet and lacking of passion. It seemed like the same sentence from the start to finish.
I understand he planned it, walked it, experienced it, edited it and performed it but I feel his pain and felt I had experienced all that too.
I am giving 3 stars for his effort.
Next time please employ a narrator.
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1 person found this helpful