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I Capture the Castle

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I Capture the Castle

By: Dodie Smith
Narrated by: Jenny Agutter
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In this coming of age story, Dodie Smith introduces the visionary and eccentric character of seventeen-year-old Cassandra Mortmain. The youngest daughter in a family of impoverished artists, it is her imagination and writing that takes us away from the ramshackle old English castle where they live, and towards an intriguing tale of husband-hunting and light-hearted sibling rivalry.

With the arrival of their new landlords, the impossibly handsome and wealthy American brothers, Neil and Simon Cotton, the Mortmains are roused from their stupor and moved to action. Despite developing feelings for the younger of the two brothers, Cassandra's beautiful sister, Rose, plots to marry the eldest heir in a desperate attempt to escape the poverty which surrounds her.

When Cassandra finds herself falling in love for the very first time with the same man as her sister, she explores her mixed emotions through her writing, making this a story which revels in irony and ambiguity.

A deceptively complex and intelligent story, I Capture the Castle is Smith's first published work and one which will undoubtedly and simultaneously make listeners tut, laugh and reminisce.

Narrator Biography

Jenny Agutter is a celebrated English stage, film and TV actress who was first brought to the attention of British audiences as a child, starring in East of Sudan and The Railway Children. She made her Hollywood debut in the critically acclaimed film Walkabout, in 1971, followed by Logan's Run, An American Werewolf in London and Child's Play 2.

Her TV career includes appearances on Spooks, Call the Midwife and The Man in the Iron Mask. Alongside this, Jenny is also considered one of the best classical actors of her generation and has performed with both the Royal Shakespeare Company and The National Theatre. She is an Emmy and BAFTA award winner and was awarded an OBE on the 2012 Queen's Birthday Honours List for charitable services.

Jenny's other Audible audiobook narrations include Jane Austen's Emma, Anne Brontë's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and E. Nesbit's The Railway Children.

©2000 Dodie Smith (P)2014 Audible, Inc.
Classics Romance Celebrity Heartfelt
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Critic Reviews

"A good story, flourishing characters, and the most persuasive narrative voice." (Guardian [London])
"This book has one of the most charismatic narrators I've ever met." (J.K. Rowling)

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Had never heard of this in the classics!
Cast an eye on it at a library only to be told it wasn’t registered! This intrigued me so that I had to get a copy. I was very surprised I quite enjoyed it. Normally I’m English literature or non fiction books so this really made a change.

Had never heard of this in the classics!

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In my ongoing flirtation with epistolary reads… no, this isn’t just another girl’s coming-of-age diary.

Cassandra’s voice is a delight - wry, observant, and quietly tender - as she captures the peculiar cast of characters orbiting her small world inside a crumbling castle. There’s plenty of absurdity, but none of the grand, polished glamour you might expect from castle life. Instead, everything feels charmingly unvarnished: a little threadbare, a little chaotic, and all the more endearing for it.

What really lingers is Cassandra’s generosity as a narrator - she sees people kindly, even when they’re at their most ridiculous. It gives the whole novel a warmth that sneaks up on you.

I suspect you’ll race through it as I did - not because it’s breathless or plot-driven, but because it’s so quietly captivating. Think Pride & Prejudice meets Howard’s End, with a splash of the Durrells in Corfu thrown in for good measure.

Delightfully good

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Topaz is the most beautifully crafted character ever written in any book, I love her,
This is well read in a lovely voice. Huge thumbs up from me.

This is my favourite book of all time

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I’d have liked to have been more thoughtful in describing my listening experience of this book. Essentially because it deserves it. The book content and narration are both a joy!

I enjoyed every minute

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This book has everything I love. Great story line, wonderful text, and wonderfully read by by Jenny Agutter. I was so sorry when it ended.
Enjoy this great read.

Such a lovely story, and so well read by Jenny

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