Talking It Over cover art

Talking It Over

 Preview

Get 30 days of Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30-day free trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options
Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

About this listen

Clare Higgins, Alex Jennings and Steven Pacey read Man Booker Prize-winning author Julian Barnes' 'he said, she said' novel.

Introducing Stuart, Gillian and Oliver. One by one they take their turn to speak straight out to the camera - and give their side of a contemporary love triangle. What begins as a comedy of misunderstanding slowly darkens and deepens into a compelling exploration of the quagmires of the heart.

©1991 Julian Barnes (P)2014 Audible, Inc. Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Heartfelt

Critic reviews

“tour de force of alternating monologue…three impeccable actors, Steven Pacey, Alex Jennings, and Clare Higgins…and there isn't a false note anywhere. A wonderful performance.” ( AudioFile)
"An interplay of serious thought and dazzling wit. . . . It's moving, it's funny, it's frightening . . . fiction at its best." ( New York Times Book Review)
"A witty and provocative novel from the author of the masterpiece Flaubert's Parrot.” ( Library Journal)
All stars
Most relevant
Really enjoyed this book, a window into the lives of ordinary people in some way. Characters which aren’t likeable but you want to hear from. Narration was excellent, like hearing a play. Lots of humour and I love Barnes way with words.
It could have done with being a little shorter is my only criticism - the Val section seemed superfluous but maybe there was some intricacy that I missed in that part. Overall, great listen.

Entertaining

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I would make it more emotionally engaging, make characters more interesting and sympathetic, so I could care about them. Of course not every book need to be emotionally engaging and it's characters likable. It could be cold analysis of human behaviour, but I don't think it was the intention of the author.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Although the ending is quite violent it left me indifferent. It clearly suggest that a sequel is coming.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

It is hard to distinguish immediately who is talking Stuart or Oliver. It takes some time to observe 'Oh this is Stuart/Oliver talking!' I didn't like their interpretation of their characters, especially, often excessively brash. Also it doesn't help that the interpreter of the female main character Gillian do also, her mother, landlady, hotel owner etc. All in first-person voice.

Do you think Talking It Over needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Obviously, as I mentioned above, it ends like the end of a first volume of a novel, but I doubt I'll be interested in follow up.

Any additional comments?

I bought this book after listening excellent The Sense of an Ending and I expected something on this level but I was dearly disappointed.

Disappointing

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This good story was performed perfectly by the three voice actors. Going onto the follow up book and hoping it matches this one

Excellent

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Beginning as a menage a trois between three London stereotypes this became increasingly implausible and less interesting.
A promising structure & with good performances...it could have been clever and gripping.
But there were no radical plot developments - no witty twists...on it plodded.
How did it conclude? I'm not really sure - to me it just seemed to peter out, the characters fading into the background.
In the end I didn't really care who did what to whom or what happened as a result.

Predictable, implausible and unsatisfying

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Barnes' work is a delight. Light on the surface but offering profound observations on the vagaries of the human heart.

Wise and witty

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews