A Perfectly Good Man cover art

A Perfectly Good Man

A heartfelt, humane novel of Cornwall, love and forgiveness

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A Perfectly Good Man

By: Patrick Gale
Narrated by: Patrick Gale
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About this listen

 Devastatingly moving and full of psychological insight, A PERFECTLY GOOD MAN is a warm, humane Cornish novel from the bestselling author of A PLACE CALLED WINTER

'A convincing, moving account of man's struggle with faith, marriage and morality' Sunday Times

On a clear, crisp summer's day in Cornwall, a young man carefully prepares to take his own life, and asks family friend, Barnaby Johnson, to pray with him. Barnaby - priest, husband and father - has always tried to do good, though life hasn't always been rosy. Lenny's request poses problems, not just for Barnaby, but for his wife and family, and the wider community, as the secrets of the past push themselves forcefully into the present for all to see.

(P)2018 Headline Publishing Group Ltd©2012 Patrick Gale Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Marriage

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Critic reviews

A writer with heart, soul, and a dark and naughty wit, one whose company you relish and trust
This being Gale there's a compelling tale to be told . . . a convincing, moving account of man's struggle with faith, marriage and morality
A thoughtful and moving novel about love, morality and faith. Marvellous
A heartfelt, cleverly constructed read
Beautifully written
All stars
Most relevant
Patrick Gale can write a good book, the plot and topics discussed were interesting but I was totally put off by his narration. He is truly awful at accents and so wish he hadn't tried at all. It made any of the conversations in the book a bit toe-curling. Which I found annoying as I think with another narrator, I would have enjoyed the book more.

I am sad that he seems to be narrating pretty much all of the books he has written which probably means I won't buy any more of his titles, to be honest! Sorry Patrick, stick to the writing.

Good story, bad narrator!

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I thoroughly enjoyed this book. An excellent story which has major characters from an earlier book playing minor roles.
However, I felt that the final chapter was weak. A poor ending to a beautifully structured story.
There has been criticism of Patrick Gale reading his own books. I disagree with this. He has a warm and compelling voice, and after hearing him read several books, I welcome him like an old friend.

A good story

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The story weaves in and out of Father Barnaby's life , I loved how it went back and forth in time instead of being linear. Evocative descriptions of Cornish settings. It reminded me to accept and appreciate differences and not put too much value in stuff. Thoroughly enjoyed all the characters but especially Mr Hewitt.

sad but heart warming story ...

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This is my favourite of Patrick Gale's books, a tender and engaging exploration of what goodness might look like. I wish it was read by an actor though. I would welcome more variety in tone and character. Gale does not manage to differentiate well and loses accents as speeches progress. He's a fantastic writer though!

Thought provoking and engaging

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A really good listen and a thought provoking book. Patrick Gale has an eye for details that bring his characters and stories alive.

Excellent

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