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  • Beowulf for Cretins

  • A Love Story
  • By: Ann McMan
  • Narrated by: Christine Williams
  • Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (63 ratings)
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Beowulf for Cretins

By: Ann McMan
Narrated by: Christine Williams
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Summary

2019 LAMMIE Award Winner: Best Lesbian Romance!

English professor and aspiring novelist Grace Warner spends her days teaching four sections of Beowulf for Cretins to bored and disinterested students at one of New England's “hidden ivy” colleges. Not long after she is dumped by her longtime girlfriend, Grace meets the engaging and mysterious Abbie on a cross-country flight. Sparks fly on and off the plane as the two strangers give in to one night of reckless passion with no strings attached and no contact information exchanged.  

Back home at St. Albans, the college rocks Grace's world when it announces the appointment of a new president, the first woman in its 165-year history. Cue Abbie - and cue Grace's collision course with a neurotic dog named Grendel, a fractious rival for tenure, and a woman called Ochre, in what very well might be Grace's last real shot at happiness.  

This full-length novel reimagines and expands on the short story “Falling from Grace”, which was originally published in the award-winning story collection Sidecar, by Ann McMan.

©2018 Ann McMan (P)2018 Audible, Inc.
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: LGBTQ+

What listeners say about Beowulf for Cretins

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Slow sure and steady

I’ll admit I’m a sucker for anything Ann McMam writes. I tried to resist but failed miserably. It was the best decision I’ve ever fought against. I read the blurb and thought there’s going to be woe, angst and much mashing of teeth. Instead she has again crafted a delightful world where characters can grow and be themselves. Where human foibles are nothing to be feared but rather weave themselves into the tapestry that is an Ann McMan story. You’d be foolish to miss out listening to Christine Williams nuanced performance. I found myself sitting in my car listening to the rain and her voice bring everyone to life. That’s how good the story and the narrator meld together and how much they get under your skin.

This is a good first book to listen to if you just want to check the author out. I dare you to be disappointed.

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6 people found this helpful

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

Another winner by Ann McMan

For those of you who loved Jericho you will love this audiobook. Grace and Abbie are in some respects similar to Maddie and Syd, even a couple of familiar phrases creep in, but in other respects they are so much different. It is so refreshing to read/listen to a book that is about the building of a relationship between two women over the age of 45. The story is studded with what is quintessentially Ann's unique sense of humour. Christine Williams narration as always is spot on. Another audiobook to be added to my books to be revisited regularly.

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2 people found this helpful

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

I must be the only one...

Everyone seems to have nothing but praise for this book, but I found it really boring. I didn't feel like the main characters had any chemistry at all. I gave up about halfway through when I realized I hadn't listened to it in a few days and I had no interest in finding out where the story ended up

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

A charming story, but...

Ann McMan is an accomplished writer. I enjoyed much of this novel and the charm, wit and creativity with which it is told. Unfortunately, while acknowledging the novel is about clever women in an academic setting, for me the author's literary aspirations became too pretentious and spoilt what could have been a truly enjoyable story.

The tone of Christine Williams' narration was good enough but she did not give the characters sufficiently varied voices to differentiate between them. This meant that when occasionally she did give a character a different voice it sounded very out of place.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Loved the story and the narration

I loved the story and the narration from the beginnings on a flight to San Francisco to the conclusion. I could identify so much with Grace and I just loved her an Abby's interactions. I'm not going to spoil anything, just going to heartily recommend it and say I regret that it took me two years from buying it on a sale to finally listening to it. I just wish I could listen to it for the first time again. Maybe in a year or two when I've forgotten the details I will listen to it again. I am definitely going to look up more of McMan's books.

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

Great romance.

This is funny and moving and not forgetting very witty. Such a clever written story topped with great narration.
I definitely recommend this audio book.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

So good

Ann Mcman writes really entertaining stories with good characters. I got into this one and actually wanted more past the end.

Great performance by Christine Williams.

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

Typical romance story

I really hoped this would be a bit different. Unfortunately it's a typical mills and boon style book.
Replace handsome, intelligent, successful man with beautiful, intelligent successful woman. That's it.
It's an okay book if you compare it to other mills and boon books.
I didn't like the narrator at all. Thought her voices were pretty terrible.

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

This book is amazing.

The story is perfect. The main characters are brilliant and you can feel the chemistry between them. I have bought the book after. This is one of the best books (lesbian fiction) I’ve ever read.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Another winner!

I've loved this author for years but this is the first time I've enjoyed one of her titles as an Audiobook and it was glorious ☺️

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