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The Pursuit of Love

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The Pursuit of Love

By: Nancy Mitford
Narrated by: Bessie Carter
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

One of the funniest, sharpest novels about love and growing up ever written, Nancy Mitford's classic is now major a BBC and Prime Video series directed by Emily Mortimer and starring Lily James, Andrew Scott and Dominic West.

'He was the great love of her life you know.'

'Oh, dulling,' said my mother, sadly, 'One always thinks that. Every, every time.'

Oh, the tedium of waiting to grow up! Longing for love, obsessed with weddings and sex, Linda and her sisters and cousin Fanny are on the lookout for the perfect lover.

But finding Mr Right is much harder than any of the sisters had thought. Linda must suffer marriage first to a stuffy Tory MP and then to a handsome and humourless communist, before finding real love in war-torn Paris.

Nancy Mitford's wickedly funny series continues in Love in a Cold Climate and Don't Tell Alfred.

©1945 Nancy Mitford (P)2021 Penguin Audio Contemporary Contemporary Romance Literature & Fiction Romance Comedy Funny

Critic Reviews

"Utter, utter bliss." (Daily Mail)

"A pleasure as intense as inheriting a perfect pearl necklace, or finding a silk dress in a vintage shop that fits like a glove." (Caitlin Moran, Harper's Bazaar)

"Peerless." (Zoe Heller)
All stars
Most relevant  
Narration was perfect for the story, and brought the characters to life. Highly recommend this audiobook.

Excellent narration of an amusing tale

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Wonderful narrator and of course a delightful tale, makes you smile at the absurdity of life

Delightful

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I think this is a wonderful story, perfect beginning for Love in a Cold Climate. Thank you, Nancy

Magic

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I was feeling quite low about the grim recent news of war and politics and needed a fictional escape. I’ve never read Nancy Mitford before but love period books like Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters.
I was interested to see what the fuss was about as I had heard so much about Nancy and her sisters as the book is said to have been largely autobiographical.
I’d read in some reviews that the writing is not that brilliant and agreed that it is reasonably light but still so thoughtful, each character beautifully communicated, I could easily pictures so many of the characters, scenes and settings of their odd aristocratic world that seems light years away from today. Maybe for some people it’s not!
I loved it from start to finish and very much enjoyed the narrator’s interpretation. I’m keen for another Nancy Mitford tale.

A wonderfully funny and romantic escape from the current news of the world

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Despite being a profoundly boring storyline, i soldiered on through this book to the end.

I cannot think why the author ever thought that the lives of the ruling classes were of interest enough to put pen to paper. There is no plot to this rambling rubbish - there are merely aimless, bland characters whom have no depth or purpose in constructing a plot.

Linda, a main character, died and i could not have cared less - not a tear was shed. I couldn’t connect to any of the characters on any level because they were one dimensional.

Boring doesn’t even begin to describe

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