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Middle England

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Middle England

By: Jonathan Coe
Narrated by: Rory Kinnear
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Costa Best Novel Award 2019 Winner.

It was tempting to think, at times like this, that some bizarre hysteria had gripped the British people.
Beginning eight years ago on the outskirts of Birmingham, where car factories have been replaced by Poundland, and London, where frenzied riots give way to Olympic fever, Middle England follows a brilliantly vivid cast of characters through a time of immense change.

There are newlyweds Ian and Sophie, who disagree about the future of the country and, possibly, the future of their relationship; Doug, the political commentator who writes impassioned columns about austerity from his Chelsea townhouse, and his radical teenage daughter who will stop at nothing in her quest for social justice; Benjamin Trotter, who embarks on an apparently doomed new career in middle age, and his father, Colin, whose last wish is to vote in the European referendum. And within all these lives is the story of modern England: a story of nostalgia and delusion, of bewilderment and barely suppressed rage.

Middle England is read by Rory Kinnear.

Following in the footsteps of The Rotters' Club and The Closed Circle, Jonathan Coe's new novel is the novel for our strange new times.

©2018 Jonathan Coe (P)2018 Penguin Books Ltd City Life Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Political Small Town & Rural Urban England Funny Heartfelt Inspiring Thought-Provoking Witty Tear-jerking

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Critic reviews

"Coe is among the handful of novelists who can tell us something about the temper of our times." (The Observer)

"Probably the best English novelist of his generation." (Nick Hornby)

"You can't stop reading....I was haunted for days." (The Independent on Number 11)
All stars
Most relevant
Really enjoyable listen. Recognisable characters living ordinary lives with Brexit hanging over them.
Kinnear's narration is excellent, perfectly complementing a beautifully written book. The beauty that lies in Coe's storytelling is in being able to make you remember moments in time ( I watched the whole of the London Olympics opening ceremony again after listening to the books recall of it), actually laugh out loud several times ( the wardrobe being probably my total favourite moment) and chilling ( Lois's reaction to Jo Cox's death). It manages all of this while not portraying those who voted leave as one dimensional deluded characters or glorifying the pre Brexit era.
For someone who thought he never wanted to hear that Brexit word again, (I was recommending this audiobook by a trusted source) that this audiobook hooked me, and gave me a great 3 weeks commuting listening experience was a very pleasant surprise and this author/narrator combination can't be congratulated enough on this remarkable work.

You won't want to stop listening.

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Really touched by book. At times funny and moving but strong story and characters. Excellent read.

Poignant backdrop to current brexit chaos

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I don't read many novels but was engaged by this one having heard the serialisation on radio 4. What a great book it is. And made even better by Rory Kinnear's subtle reading. Coe's characters are human, believable and generally likeable even when flawed. Just like people in real life. And the course of events too. There are no wild coincidences necessary to keep the plot moving along. Overall the book put me in mind of another modern study of middle England, J K Rowling's book Casual Vacancy. Also available on audible. As for Brexit, Coe's sympathies are clear but left understated. One question he doesnt really address is whether its better to get people's prejudices out in the open as brexit has done. Or better to keep them all shut up as was the case before the referendum. But who knows the answer to that one? This book is a masterpiece of modern fiction and so entertainning with it. If you had to find fault it would be the brummie accent of Benjamin's gaudy girlfriend Jennifer. Ouch!

Masterpiece

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I certainly recommend it to anyone who wants to know feel what it feels like to live through the Brexit years!

A great Brexit novel I

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A great follow on from the Rotters Club, I enjoyed finding out how each character had developed over the years, well worth a listen and a catch-up with a blast from the past.

A Great Sequel

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