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Sorrow and Bliss
- Narrated by: Emilia Fox
- Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
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Sorrow and Bliss
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Summary
The instant Sunday Times best seller.
Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2022.
Everyone tells Martha Friel she is clever and beautiful, a brilliant writer who has been loved every day of her adult life by one man, her husband Patrick.
So why is everything broken? Why is Martha - on the edge of 40 - friendless, practically jobless and so often sad? And why did Patrick decide to leave?
Maybe she is just too sensitive, someone who finds it harder to be alive than most people. Or maybe - as she has long believed - there is something wrong with her. Something that broke when a little bomb went off in her brain, at 17, and left her changed in a way that no doctor or therapist has ever been able to explain.
Forced to return to her childhood home to live with her dysfunctional, bohemian parents (but without the help of her devoted, foul-mouthed sister Ingrid), Martha has one last chance to find out whether a life is ever too broken to fix - or whether, maybe, by starting over, she will get to write a better ending for herself.
Critic reviews
"A brilliantly faceted and extremely funny book that engulfed me in the way I am always hoping to be engulfed by novels. I was making a list of all the people I wanted to send it to, until I realised that I wanted to send it to everyone I know." (Ann Patchett, author of The Dutch House)
"A devastating and sharply funny love story." (Observer)
"Both fantastically dark and almost unbearably funny.... Just read it. It's unforgettable." (India Knight, The Sunday Times)
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What listeners say about Sorrow and Bliss
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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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
- MRS A M L WING
- 19-11-21
Deeply moving and relatable
Beautifully read by Emilia Fox. Very relatable to me; the mental health issues, self sabotaging, strained maternal relationship, desire for a child and partnership. I cried throughout the second half. This book will stay with me for a long time.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Flossie_Chick
- 05-09-21
Slow starter but draws you in
This is a very and compelling, well-written story although it’s a slow burn. The narration really brings it to life and is of the best I’ve heard.
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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
- Sophie
- 17-07-21
Beautiful
Such great writing. Such great story. Such great performances a utterly beautiful.
One of the most enjoyable books I’ve listened to, ever.
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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
- Anita
- 22-01-22
stunning
this wonderfully written, beautifully read book is breathtaking on many levels.
i highly reccomend.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Deb
- 08-01-22
Absolutely loved it!
I adored all of the characters, and Emilia Fox reading it was just perfect
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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
- AM
- 17-02-22
Perfect
Funny, sad, brilliant, devastating, timeless, perfect. The book we all wish we'd written. An absolute joy.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- LAW
- 13-03-22
A really lovely, well written, well narrated story.
Whilst the subject matter is serious, this story has enough dry, wry humour to avoid making it too depressing. I think many people with mental health issues will recognise what Martha goes through when the ‘brain weather’ moves in (excellent description by the way). Emilia Fox is absolutely fantastic as the narrator. Genuinely cannot fault this book.
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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
- Simon Futcher
- 17-01-22
Best book I've listened to in a year!
Emilia Fox as the narrator was simply perfect! A deep, dark but enlightening and at times funny, book which has really made me view mental illness in a whole new light.
So beautifully written and observed.
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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
- christine
- 22-05-22
Outstanding novel outstanding narration
Don’t hesitate to download this audiobook. Despite its sad subject matter this novel is written with great gentle wit. I enjoyed living with this audiobook over a few days and felt a profound sense of sadness when it ended. The mark of a great audiobook.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 06-07-22
my second time listening
The first time I listened I understood the low reviews and on my second I completely understood the five star reviews.
I love the humour, it is subtle- the best kind.
It's a beautiful story and I don't think this will be my last time reading/listening.
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