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Oh William!

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Oh William!

By: Elizabeth Strout
Narrated by: Kimberly Farr
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

THE TOP TEN SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2022

The Pulitzer Prize-winning, Booker-longlisted, bestselling author returns to her beloved heroine Lucy Barton in a luminous novel about love, loss, and the family secrets that can erupt and bewilder us at any point in life

Lucy Barton is a successful writer living in New York, navigating the second half of her life as a recent widow and parent to two adult daughters. A surprise encounter leads her to reconnect with William, her first husband - and longtime, on-again-off-again friend and confidante. Recalling their college years, the birth of their
daughters, the painful dissolution of their marriage, and the lives they built with other people, Strout weaves a portrait, stunning in its subtlety, of a tender, complex, decades-long partnership.

Oh William! captures the joy and sorrow of watching children grow up and start families of their own; of discovering family secrets, late in life, that alter everything we think we know about those closest to us; and the way people live and love, against all odds. At the heart of this story is the unforgettable, indomitable voice of Lucy Barton, who once again offers a profound, lasting reflection on the mystery of existence. 'This is the way of life,' Lucy says. 'The many things we do not know until it is too late.'

'A superbly gifted storyteller and a craftswoman in a league of her own' Hilary Mantel

'A terrific writer' Zadie Smith

'She gets better with each book' Maggie O'Farrell

'One of America's finest writers' Sunday Times

© Elizabeth Strout 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

©2021 Elizabeth Strout (P)2021 Penguin Audio Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Marriage
All stars
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The narrator’s voice and banner had me at hello (so to speak) that I almost forgot about the story.
Her character voices were perfect and the changes between characters are smooth and believable.

I listened to this book mostly at bedtime and falling asleep to it was easy due to the smooth voice. But this is not because the story is boring.

The story was wonderful. I hated finishing it.

This was my first book by this author but I will be reading others.

Loved it from beginning to end

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Strout has a way of describing people and relationships that rings true. You can relate to her books and be absorbed by the intricacies of her characters. Oh William is an example of her skilfullness in doing this and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Another excellent Elizabeth Strout book.

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recommended
a great listen of family relationships and life stories
nuggets of wisdom thrown in
strout has a way of finding the profound in what seems mundane
interesting insights of why relationships continue in the face of infidelities

involving insightful tale of relationships

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I enjoyed it… I can appreciate the writing and the narration was fantastic. But I drifted off a little and ultimately finished it without a lot of enthusiasm.

Great writing but I wasn’t captured

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Firstly Kimberley Farr does a five star narration full of feeling and uses just the right emphasis in just the right places . I’ve read all of the all of the ‘Lucy’ books and enjoyed each and everyone differently but equally . This is a book of reflections and realisations and it will resonate with anyone of a certain age who is looking back over a life lived with different partners . It’s also about how we never really know our parents or their lives or the reasons for the decisions they made . Lucy is for me a beloved character who has been revealed and fleshed out in greater detail with each successive story . The storyline unfolds in a pattern of overlapping ‘pleats’ and will stay with me for some time.

A beautiful piece of writing

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I loved this book so much. Perhaps it helped that it’s an account of a woman in her sixties, as I am - there were many points of resonance for me here. Strout writes with insight and compassion about human foibles and frailties, and I was sometimes moved to tears. The novel’s narrator has a conversational, almost confiding voice that makes the book feel rather like a dramatic monologue, and Kimberley Farr’s brilliant reading ensures that every moment can be savoured.

Poignant and astute

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I loved this book. As someone in her fifties, I really appreciated Strout’s depiction of long flawed (as everyone’s are) relationships. She is simply so good as a writer, you don’t even know she does it. It is at once effortless and humble.

Brilliant profound book with brilliant performance

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I read the reviews...they said it was good...they were right. In fact it's better than good...its fantastic! I listened to the story twice, and both times it held me in a kind of bubble, a Lucy light bubble! Elizabeth Strout is such a wonderful writer and Kimberly Farr a great narrator...I highly recommend.

A deeply reflective and touchinng

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I have now listened to all of the Lucy Barton series by Elizabeth Strout and loved this one too. I like the clever ways in which this author weaves her stories around people, places and times.
For me, the win is always the voice of Kimberly Farr sharing the words that come into my ears!
Thank you both.

A winning title for me to listen to know Lucy more

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I was expecting something more than this really. I would have found a story of the life of my next door neighbour more interesting than this!! I kept going thinking something exciting must happen eventually, but no, it didn’t. Just droned on and on. I’m sorry I bought it TBH!!

Not a very interesting book

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