Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

  • The Boy Who Taught the Beekeeper to Read: And Other Stories

  • By: Susan Hill
  • Narrated by: David Holt
  • Length: 4 hrs and 6 mins
  • 3.0 out of 5 stars (10 ratings)
Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
The Boy Who Taught the Beekeeper to Read: And Other Stories cover art

The Boy Who Taught the Beekeeper to Read: And Other Stories

By: Susan Hill
Narrated by: David Holt
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £8.99

Buy Now for £8.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

Hero: A Simon Serrailler Short Story cover art
A Kind Man cover art
Mist in the Mirror cover art
As the Earth Turns Silver cover art
The Old Jest cover art
Happy Valley cover art
After the Storm cover art
Towards Another Summer cover art
When God Was a Rabbit cover art
The Long Gaze Back cover art
Exposure cover art
Scission cover art

Summary

A young school boy visiting his aunt's country house finds company and friendship with the gentle beekeeper and begins teaching the man to read. It seems nothing can ever intrude upon their closeness. A young country girl fights against becoming a downtrodden domestic skivvy like her dead mother, while another young girl reaches a delicate understanding with an elderly blind man as they walk along the beach together. On another beach a more sinister plot unfolds as a gang of boys plan the wicked deed.

Includes:

  1. The Boy Who Taught the Beekeeper to Read
  2. Father, Father
  3. Need
  4. The Punishment
  5. Moving Messages
  6. Sand
  7. Elizabeth
  8. The Brooch
  9. Antonyin's

©2012 Susan Hill (P)2012 Audible Ltd

Critic reviews

"Hill's sentences speak eloquently...the pleasure to be had from [these] stories lies in their carefulness: memories are exactly sustained, small gifts are valued, little words are listened to" (Guardian)
"Hill's stories evoke place, situation and complex emotions with enviable economy... Masterly" (Daily Mail)
"Simple and mesmeric prose" (Observer)
"These very strange, beautiful tales demonstrate a relentless capacity to surprise... The Boy Who Taught the Beekeeper to Read introduces many individual people who will continue to stare back at the reader long after the book is closed" (Times Literary Supplement)

What listeners say about The Boy Who Taught the Beekeeper to Read: And Other Stories

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    0
  • 4 Stars
    4
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1
  • 4 Stars
    4
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1
  • 4 Stars
    2
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

disappointed

I stupidly didn't realise that this was a short story book, but thought I'd try it out as I generally like short stories, however I found the stories and the narrator pretty non descript. Very disappointed as I was expecting more oomph from Susan Hill (not sure if they were all written by her).

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

An interesting collection

Odd thoughts and experiences presented as stories. Much of it felt like familiar territory to me.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!