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The Almost Moon

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About this listen

When all is said and done, killing my mother came easily.

A woman steps over the line into the unthinkable in this brilliant, powerful and unforgettable novel by the author of The Lovely Bones .

For years, Helen Knightly has given her life to others: to her haunted mother, to her enigmatic father, to her husband and now-grown daughters. When she finally crosses a terrible boundary, her life comes rushing in at her in a way she never could have imagined.

Unfolding over twenty-four hours, The Almost Moon explores the ties between mothers and daughters, wives and lovers, the meaning of devotion and the line between love and hate. It is a challenging, moving, gripping story, written with the humanity and fluidity that only Alice Sebold can bring to the page.

 Contemporary Fiction Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Psychological Marriage

Critic reviews

Sebold writes brilliantly . . . The Almost Moon is a mature, salutary and timely novel. (Helen Dunmore)
Exhilarating, unforgettable . . . This is a remarkable novel in which every word is vital, each nuance felt . . . Candid, gut-wrenching, at times horribly funny and often beautifully touching . . . The genius which guides The Almost Moon is its absolute, horrible, multiple truths; its staggering clarity.
As moving as it is unquestionably gripping.
All stars
Most relevant
Not really sure why I listened to all of this. There were some good parts to this book, but I got increasingly frustrated with the endless “he said” “I said” “she said”, wish I had counted them now, but I won’t be listening to it again to find out. The end was rather abrupt and left me thinking, oh is that it?!?

And the point was??

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This is a gruesome and ghastly tale of matricide and more, which is also laugh-out-loud funny. Alice Sebold is a writer not afraid to tell it like it is and her characters are brilliantly formed and very human. The Hollywood actress Joan Allen is the perfect narrator for this gripping story. If you are a fan of films like 'Serial Mom' you'll love this, but if you are a sensitive soul (or elderly parent!) perhaps you had better give it a miss.

Not for the faint-hearted.....

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I immediately realised the mistake I made in purchasing this novel; the narrator blunders on in a droll monotone I could barely stand to listen. However, I gave it a chance and spent eight hours of my life burdened to this drivel. The ending is horribly predictable - no twists nor turns excite or stimulate this story of motherhood.

Monotonous

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Would you try another book written by Alice Sebold or narrated by Joan Allen?

No but the narrator was enjoyable

What could Alice Sebold have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Give it a real ending something tangible its like i only downloaded part one!

You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Yes the narrator

Is there a part 2 to this book?

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Narrator spoils this book with her flat delivery. Predictable ending.

Tedious

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