Second Place cover art

Second Place

 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.

Second Place

By: Rachel Cusk
Narrated by: Kate Fleetwood
Try Premium Plus free

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $27.99

Buy Now for $27.99

About this listen

A woman invites a famed artist to visit the remote coastal region where she lives, in the belief that his vision will penetrate the mystery of her life and landscape. Over the course of one hot summer, his provocative presence provides the frame for a study of female fate and male privilege, of the geometries of human relationships, and of the struggle to live morally between our internal and external worlds. With its examination of the possibility that art can both save and destroy us, Second Place is deeply affirming of the human soul, while grappling with its darkest demons.

©2021 Rachel Cusk (P)2021 Faber & Faber Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Metaphysical & Visionary
All stars
Most relevant  
Cathartic rumination with lovely turns of phrases describing the tricky aspects of existence. Very dramatic Audible reading, a bit OTT for me.

Rumination to the level of art form.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I related to this book so much there was so much meaning and subtlety in so few words. I’m sure I will listen to this again and again.

Wonderful thank you

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The novel is excellent. The reader, and the different voices she allocates, however, bring too much “personality” to the various characters. This is particularly a problem for the ‘L” character. A chief delight of the Cuskian world is its coolness, its distance and precision. The reader’s interpretation is somewhat melodramatic and interferes with this.

Cusk, as always, is brilliant

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
such a beautiful work. so deeply moving and quotable, I will be thinking of ideas put forth in this book forever. it's greatness exceeds definition.

maybe the best book I've ever read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I know that people are raving about this book but I don’t understand why.
The narrator is whiny and boring.
I kept waiting for some amazing insight into life or relationship or the human condition. If it happened, it passed me by. Don’t bother downloading it.
And who is Jeffers?

Ugggh

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Windy literary fiction, which I likely would have enjoyed more in my own voice. The narration is is in an American accent which doesn't suit the story at all. The book is set in England with English characters. The voice put on for L makes him sound like an elderly Disney villain. Bizarre choices.

Poor narration, avoid the audiobook

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Not sure if it’s the times but found it hard to invest in the story. Characters were not very likeable and nothing much seemed to happen. The narration was a laugh - but I don’t think that was intended.

Wasn’t into it

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.