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  • A Tiny Bit Marvellous

  • By: Dawn French
  • Narrated by: Dawn French
  • Length: 8 hrs and 38 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (1,585 ratings)
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A Tiny Bit Marvellous cover art

A Tiny Bit Marvellous

By: Dawn French
Narrated by: Dawn French
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Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

The hilarious number one best seller by comedian and author of Because of You and According to Yes, Dawn French.

Everyone hates the perfect family - so you'll love the Battles.

Meet Mo Battle, about to turn 50 and mum to two helpless, hormonal teenagers. There's 17-year-old daughter Dora who blames Mo for, like, EVERYTHING and Peter who believes he's quite simply as darling and marvellous as his hero Oscar Wilde. Somewhere, keeping quiet, is Dad, who's just, well...Dad.

However, Mo is having a crisis. She's about to do something unusually wild and selfish, which will leave the entire family teetering on the edge of a precipice.

Will the family fall?

Or will they, when it really matters, be there for each other?

A Tiny Bit Marvellous is the number one best-selling novel from one of Britain's favourite comic writers.

©2010 Dawn French (P)2010 Penguin Audio

What listeners say about A Tiny Bit Marvellous

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
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  • 4 Stars
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  • 3 Stars
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  • 2 Stars
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  • 1 Stars
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Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • 4 Stars
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  • 3 Stars
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  • 2 Stars
    17
  • 1 Stars
    28
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    506
  • 4 Stars
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  • 3 Stars
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  • 2 Stars
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  • 1 Stars
    35

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Indeed a whole lot of marvellous

I started the book a little apprehensively. I mean Dawn French is clearly a very funny lady, loved by millions and I guess moving those talents to a novel, was putting her reputation on the line.

No such fears. The book is excellent. It is broken down into manageable short chapters in a diary format, which make it a very easy listen. Flicking between the characters doesn't detract from you getting to understand them and I defy anyone not to relate to at least one of the members of the modern family. Mum's having a mid-life crisis, an eccentric son, a rebelious daughter addicted to Facebook and dad, somewhat the quiet one (but not for long!)

If you are a middle-aged mum with a teenage daughter I suspect you are going to be reflecting on how true Mo's life is, with all the crisis management and day to day worries she faces.

It's wonderful to hear Dawn reading the book too and expressing her own characters. I can't help wonder how much of it she bases on her own experiences. The book comes together beautifully for the finale.

Dawn French, take a bow.

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38 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Took a while but loved it!

Loved, loved this one. I really like Dawn French and I'd heard great things about this book but initially I found it a bit humdrum. Then suddenly it took off and I loved it. The characters are beautically observed and Dawn's narration is just perfect. I thought the plotline developed really well and it wasn't what I was expecting at all. A poignant ending, I'd really recommend this.

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Why so much bad language??

Am I alone in feeling completely turned off by any book that uses the most crude and awful language in an attempt to be funny.I'm just so saddened that someone as naturally amusing as Dawn French feels the only way to portray a truculent teenager is to have them swear with every other word, don't we realise our young people are beginning to live down to our expectations!!

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

More than a tiny bit marvellous

I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook. Told by godess herself (we bow to thee oh gracious Dawn French) you can imagine everything happening in this household with Dawn playing the leading role. The story is pleasantly dull for the first half of the book, and by that I mean that its a safe, day to day family, something I think all of us would aspire to have, with little drama (accepting the lovely character Dora)- and from half way onwards, becomes very slightly darker. A great twist in this tale, which I confess to not working out until right at the very end and which makes you smile, and sit back in your chair and smile again, and have a cup of tea and a biscuit. Beautifully written and delivered. If you want some light entertainment, I would highly recommend this one.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Very typical Dawn French

As she narrates her own novel and she is such a familiar voice and character herself it is difficult to separate her from the story here. It is very funny and you can clearly identify all the Dawn French alter ego's in the characters. Did find it a bit repetitive in style and the story didn't move on very well for me. Stopped listening at chapter 30 as found my mind was wandering. Will go back to it though.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

disappointing

I thought this would be really funny, clever and.... well ....entertaining...forget it! This is the first audio book that I have actually given up on having listened to just over one hour. I can only describe it as 'strained' as it searches to find the funny side of raising a family through adolescence et al - There is a lot to laugh at on this subject but not in this book which written and read in a haughty arrogant manner. Very disappointing!

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

A little predicatable

I loved Dawn French's autobiography, with it's lovely flowing tone, so I was really looking forward to this book. I have to say I'm disappointed. The story is predicatable and rambling, and the voices of the two teenagers quickly became annoying. The girl was so cliched I found myself flicking through the endless pages of 'omg I hate everything'. The boy's character was the opposite extreme in that is was daft and pointless.

This book was an ok read, but I won't be bothering with any of Dawn's future books.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Listen of the Year!!

I Loved this book. Well written and very very funny- as well as moving and real...I think you will find it is a great big bit marvellous- and the reading is flawless- a must listen.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

I like Dawn French, I wanted to like this, but no.

I must be missing something. It's all just horrible, not funny and not going anywhere. Dawn reads well, shame about the words.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

A Tiny Bit Marvellous

Having enjoyed Dawn's autobiographical work, Dear Fatty, I was terribly disappointed with this and just couldn't get into it.

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4 people found this helpful