An Academic Question cover art

An Academic Question

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

An Academic Question

By: Barbara Pym, Kate Saunders - introduction
Narrated by: Jilly Bond
Try Premium Plus free

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $20.99

Buy Now for $20.99

About this listen

Introduced by Kate Saunders.

In a provincial university town, Caro Grimstone, a dissatisfied faculty wife, becomes the unwilling accomplice to her husband Alan's ambitions. When she volunteers to read to a blind esteemed anthropologist in a nursing home, Alan seizes the opportunity to steal his papers—research that could both advance his reputation while refuting the findings of a respected colleague. A delightful comedy of manners with a touch of mystery, An Academic Question is prime Barbara Pym territory.

©1986 The Estate Of Barbara Pym (P)2022 Hachette Audio UK Classics Genre Fiction Literature & Fiction Small Town & Rural Fiction Marriage Comedy

Critic Reviews

"She is the rarest of treasures; she reminds us of the heartbreaking silliness of everyday life." (Anne Tyler)

"Beneath the gentle surfaces of her novels is a slow-building comedy, salt wit in a saline drip." (New York Times)
All stars
Most relevant  
The author's novels are ideal for the audio book format. Gentle, charming and often amusing, they provide easy listening and a window on a recent, but now almost forgotten, past. This short novel, which centres on life in a provincial English town and its small university, is not one of Pym's best, but it remains a most pleasant listening experience.

Short, slight, but charming

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.