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Excellent Women

'I'm a huge fan of Barbara Pym' Richard Osman

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Excellent Women

By: Barbara Pym, Alexander McCall Smith - introduction
Narrated by: Gerri Halligan, Jonathan Keeble
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INTRODUCED BY ALEXANDER McCALL SMITH

'I'm a huge fan of Barbara Pym' RICHARD OSMAN

Mildred Lathbury is one of those excellent women who are often taken for granted. She is a godsend, 'capable of dealing with most of the stock situations or even the great moments of life - birth, marriage, death, the successful jumble sale, the garden fête spoilt by bad weather'. Her glamorous new neighbours, the Napiers, seem to be facing a marital crisis. One cannot take sides in these matters, though it is tricky, especially as Mildred has a soft spot for dashing young Rockingham Napier. This is Barbara Pym's world at its funniest and most touching.

'One of the most endearingly amusing English novels of the twentieth century' ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH

'Barbara Pym is the rarest of treasures; she reminds us of the heartbreaking silliness of everyday life' ANNE TYLER

'Not only was Pym a comic genius but she was ever so wise' THE TIMES©1952 Barbara Pym Classics Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Women's Fiction Funny Witty Feel-Good
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Critic reviews

I'm a huge fan of Barbara Pym (Richard Osman)
Why shouldn't the lives of cardigan-wearing spinsters and fussy confirmed bachelors be the engines of some of the finest comic writing in English? Not only was Pym a comic genius but she was ever so wise
Barbara Pym is the rarest of treasures; she reminds us of the heartbreaking silliness of everyday life (Anne Tyler)
One of the most endearingly amusing English novels of the twentieth century (Alexander McCall Smith)
All stars
Most relevant
I loved everything about this audio book. I found it extremely witty, clever, relevant and well narrated. A total delight .

Observational humour at its best

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Excellent soothing listen about nothing in particular . A more gentle time with the same passion s heartbreaks and minutiae of everyday life. Very well observed central character. A hint perhaps vicar Julian was in the closet?

A good social history

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Good narration that starts out at a gentle pace, but I started to see the dry humour of a put upon excellent woman too polite to speak her mind and reluctant to say no though resentful of people's presumptuous attitude. A gentle read of a woman's observations. I might try another if it's not ridiculously expensive or find an alternative audiobook service.

Nice gentle read with bite

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This is a wonderful novel, clever, subtle, and hunorous. This is a gem of a novel, and the narration is excellent.

A Brilliant, Subtle.Book

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Not much actually happens in this novel. A spinster living in a small flat gets new neighbours. The local vicar and his sister are close friends. The main character seems to be more absorbed with other peoples lives. But is indeed an excellent woman

Absorbing

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