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Transcription cover art

Transcription

By: Kate Atkinson
Narrated by: Fenella Woolgar
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Publisher's Summary

Random House presents the audiobook edition of Transcription by Kate Atkinson, read by Fenella Woolgar.

The magnificent new novel by best-selling award-winning Kate Atkinson.

‘Think of it as an adventure, Perry had said right at the beginning of all this.And it had seemed like one. A bit of a lark, she had thought. A Girls’ Own adventure.’

In 1940, 18-year old Juliet Armstrong is reluctantly recruited into the world of espionage. Sent to an obscure department of MI5 tasked with monitoring the comings and goings of British Fascist sympathisers, she discovers the work to be by turns both tedious and terrifying. But after the war has ended, she presumes the events of those years have been relegated to the past for ever.

Ten years later, now a producer at the BBC, Juliet is unexpectedly confronted by figures from her past. A different war is being fought now, on a different battleground, but Juliet finds herself once more under threat. A bill of reckoning is due, and she finally begins to realise that there is no action without consequence.

Transcription is a work of rare depth and texture, a bravura modern novel of extraordinary power, wit and empathy. It is a triumphant work of fiction from one of this country’s most exceptional writers.

©2018 Kate Atkinson (P)2018 Random House Audiobooks

What listeners say about Transcription

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  • 30-09-2018

As you would expect

Another beautifully written book by Kate Atkinson with perfect narration. I am always sad when I come to the end of one of her books.

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Fabulous!

The best book I have read for ages. Absolutely loved it. Loved the voices, loved the story. Just about to buy some more Kate Atkinson titles.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Good story but tediously told

Intricate story of wartime Britain. Interesting plot, extremely well narrated, but the pace was at times painfully slow.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Get swept up in the intrigue

Stirring narration performance combines with a story woven into a satisfying jaunt about one woman's foray into the wiles of WWII espionage. A delight.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Cup of tea anyone?

A quintessential British story beautifully read.

While never boring, parts of this book were quite slow. Loosley based on a true story, with fictional characterisations Atkinson gives a glimpse into war time Britain.

I would not necessarily recommend this title, but I intend listening to another Atkinson title.

Fenella Woolgar was simply OUTSTANDING.

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2 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Acerbic WWII spy novel

I love Kate Atkinson and when I started listening to this I thought ‘oh no, this is it, this is the one I won’t like’.

I was wrong. Once we go back to 1940 the main protagonist Juliette offers an acerbic point of view of her life as an MI5 agent during this time.

I imagine if reading the book, the transcribes could be a struggle to enjoy - but I could listen to Fenella Woolgar read the phone book - so listening to these sections with their ... and ‘inaudible’, was easy.

The book flits about a bit, but I enjoy that style of narrative. It’s like doing a puzzle and filling in the missing sections as and when you find the right pieces.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Intriguing. May I temp you?

Cloak and dagger across the years and across the nations. who will survive the spy games

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Frightfully British Intrigue

Imagine knowing Miss Armstrong. What an enigma. Witty, intelligent, resourceful; no wonder she would have been snapped up by MI5… Narration was perfect. Looking for more of Kate Atkinson’s novels.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Dull, tedious, boring...

I listened to five torturous hours of this book and gave up. Characters are boring, there is only a vague hint at a story that may or may not unfold. Endless dialogue of tea and cakes and typed transcripts about nothing...Life is too short for this drivel..Shame because I am a huge fan of Kate Atkinson's work but she has missed the mark with this one.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

promising but an unfulfilling

This book started promising but it was an unfulfilling story. There were no details, only at the very end we finally understand some things, there were many characters, many dogs, too many names and in the end when you got a bit more of an explanation I still didn't understand how that closed off the story....because it didn't. Disappointed in this book, I have read God in ruins and Life after life and loved them, not this one.

And where was her sentiment, there was no conveyance of her feelings and her life, really it was like a transcription with titbits of humour.

Don't bother with this one.

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1 person found this helpful

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