The Corner That Held Them cover art

The Corner That Held Them

Penguin Modern Classics

 Preview
Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection.
Listen to your selected audiobooks as long as you're a member.
Auto-renews at $8.99/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Corner That Held Them

By: Sylvia Townsend Warner
Narrated by: Emma Gregory
Try Standard free

Auto-renews at $8.99/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.99

Buy Now for $26.99

About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

The nuns who enter a medieval Norfolk convent are told to renounce the world, but the world still finds ways to trouble them, whether it is through fire, floods, pestilence, a collapsing spire, jealous rivalries, a priest with a secret or a plague of caterpillars. As we follow their daily lives over three centuries, this masterpiece of historical fiction re-creates a world run by women.

'One of the great British novels of the twentieth century: a narrative of extraordinary reach, power and beauty' Sarah Waters

'As an act of imagined history this novel has few rivals. Also, as it happens, a work of high, frequent comedy' George Steiner, The Times Literary Supplement

'Spellbinding . . . One starts rereading as soon as one has reached the last page' Sunday Times

'Magnificent' Philip Hensher, Daily Telegraph

© Sylvia Townsend Warner 1948 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

 Classics Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Medieval Middle Ages

Critic Reviews

A classic, whose resonance deepens inside the reader in proportion to its austere, luminous discretion. Also, as it happens, a work of high, frequent comedy. As an act of imagined history this novel has few rivals
A spellbinding piece of historical fiction-spare, luminous. . . . One starts rereading as soon as one has reached the last page
A magnificent recreation of the life of a medieval convent
All stars
Most relevant
Swept off into the Middle Ages. Dreamy. Amazing how STW created this. Lovely narration. 👍 good.

No headline

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
unfotunately merely a monologue of events with no storyline character development, action likely to develop an interest really disappointed returned unfinished.

dull,dull,dull

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.