Lolly Willowes cover art

Lolly Willowes

Penguin Modern Classics

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Lolly Willowes

By: Sylvia Townsend Warner
Narrated by: Olivia Darnley
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Lolly Willowes, so gentle and accommodating, has depths no one suspects. When she suddenly announces that she is leaving London and moving, alone, to the depths of the countryside, her overbearing relatives are horrified. But Lolly has a greater, far darker calling than family: witchcraft.

©1926 Sylvia Townsend Warner (P)2021 Penguin Audio Classics Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Fiction

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Critic reviews

A great shout of life and individuality. (Justine Jordan)
The book I'll be pressing into people's hands forever is Lolly Willowes [. . .] Starting as a straightforward, albeit beautifully written family saga, it tips suddenly into extraordinary, lucid wildness. (Helen McDonald)
Sylvia Townsend Warner moves with sombre confidence into the realm of the supernatural, and her prose, in its simple, abrupt evocations, has something preternatural about it (John Updike)
All stars
Most relevant
I first read this in 1978 and still have my old women’s press copy. Ostensibly this is about witches, but there is much more about the role of older women in society. I was inspired to re-read this after reading Weyward by Emilia Hart. The countryside is both beautiful and macabre and plays an important role. The narration is first rate

Sympathy for the Devil

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The narrative is as quirky as the central character. Comparisons and observations are delightful and Lolly's psyche is delicious. And at the bottom of the novel is a truly relatable account of the status and plight of the "maiden aunt". Worth more than a single listen!

Subtle, ever, relevant!

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What a wonderful surprise this turned out to be! Delightful from beginning to end. Mind: this is the kind of beautiful that needs savouring. It is the literary equivalent to slow food. If you're looking for high drama, this is not your kind of book. But for those who enjoy lyrical prose, subtle irony and fine characterisation, this is an absolute treat! Such an original, unexpected and trenchant social critique contained in the twist at the end, too! The narrator also does the book more than justice, a fabulous performance!

Absolutely beautiful!

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Reviews seemed promising but gave up halfway through Pt 2 as story didn’t seem to go anywhere . Maybe I should have stuck with it but life’s too short No idea why Audible recommended this one for me

Beautifully narrated but failed to engage

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I'm not sure how I even found this book but I'm glad I did. Written in an era when women were thought feeble of mind & body and required others to care for them mentally & physically.
This story is about Lolly (Laura) Willowes and how she went about claiming her life and soul back.

An enchanting witchy story.

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