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Passages from the Diary of Samuel Pepys
- Narrated by: Fred Williams
- Length: 13 hrs and 2 mins
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Passages from the Diary of Samuel Pepys
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Summary
A witness to the coronation of Charles II, the Great Plague of 1665, and the Great Fire of 1666, Pepys chronicled the events of his day. His diary provides an astonishingly frank and diverting account of political intrigues, naval, church, and cultural affairs, as well as a quotidian journal of daily life in London during the Restoration. Pepys's vivid, unconscious style, originally written in a cryptic shorthand, reveals an ideal witness: honest, unpretentious, and true.
Critic reviews
"The bald truth about oneself, what we are all too timid to admit when we are not too dull to see it, that was what Pepys saw clearly and set down unsparingly." (Robert Louis Stevenson)
"We can scarcely say that we wish it a page shorter....It is very entertaining thus to be transported into the very heart of a time so long gone by, and to be admitted into the domestic intimacy, as well as the public councils of a man of great activity and circulation in the reign of Charles II." ( The Edinburgh Review)
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What listeners say about Passages from the Diary of Samuel Pepys
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
- Ian1956
- 29-12-08
Review
Nice to have a chance to listen to the full version of the Pepys diaries, though the narration here is very flat. Dividng it into more chapters was needed. At one point it is 2 hours between chapters, so if you hit the wrong button when driving...
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7 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- john
- 22-03-15
Samuel Pepys
Fantastic like going back in your own time machine.
just close your eyes and you are transported to the 17 century.
This book was also very well read.
J.M
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Gusters
- 20-11-14
Had to switch off - monotonal
Would you try another book written by Samuel Pepys or narrated by Fred Williams?
Droning voice of narrator which was lacking any enthusiasm or emotion made intolerable an already drab book.
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You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?
No
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mr. Graham Patchett
- 09-12-14
Great book -lousy narration!
One of the greatest feats of English literature is here mangled by a narration that is practically robotic.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- mollyeyre
- 07-11-13
Interesting dialogue spoiled by the narration
I am really struggling to continue with this book, I do find Pepys' diaries absolutely fascinating and informative, but honestly, I am less than a sixth of the way through, and I have to keep abandoning it for a while as it is so tortuous to listen to this very flat narrator. He sounds as if he has just learned English and is proud of his enunciation, diction and ability. It is absolutely awful, and detracts from the fascination of The Diaries. I wonder ...can I manage the other 11 + hours??
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4 people found this helpful