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The Folding Star

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The Folding Star

By: Alan Hollinghurst
Narrated by: Samuel West
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£5.99/mo after 3 months. Offer ends on 5 July 2026 at 11:59 BST. Cancel monthly.

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Shortlisted for the 1994 Booker Prize.

'An extraordinary book which takes the reader into a world of obsession and mystery . . . The Folding Star is lit by insight and humour' – Evening Standard

Edward Manners – thirty three and disaffected – escapes to a Flemish city in search of a new life. Almost at once he falls in love with seventeen-year-old Luc, and is introduced to the twilight world of the 1890s Belgian painter Edgard Orst.

'As is typical of the best classics, he has fashioned a universal tale of sexual obsession, love and death out of a particular life' – Marie Claire

Pre-order the new novel from Alan Hollinghurst, Our Evenings, now.

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The Pride List of Queer Storytelling

To mark Pride 2023 Audible teamed up with non-profit organisation, Out on the Page, supporter and champion of LGBTQIA+ writers and writing, to release an extensive Pride List of Queer Storytelling. Featuring contributions from some of the UK’s most important and exciting voices from the LGBTQIA+ community, this audiobook is one of the many featured on the list that is available to listen to on Audible.
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Hollinghurst writes literature not mere novels, and Sam West is a consummate actor. I’ve listened to both of his Hollinghurst readings (the other being The Swimming Pool Library). My only gripe is that whenever he’s voicing black characters - even native British ones - he adopts a bestial semi-patois accent which robustly pushes the bounds of bigotry. Why can’t he have them speaking like actual human beings the way God and Hollinghurst intended?

Sam West’s Accents

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A mesmerising story told in language of a beauty and originality I didn’t think possible. Utterly beautiful

Hauntingly descriptive and told.

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While not my favourite of Alan Hollinghurst's novels, The Folding Star contains some of his best writing. I found myself not particularly interested the sub-plot regarding the Flemish artist but a flashback of the protagonist's first love was so sublime that it left me gasping for more. I will definitely revisit The Folding Star.

Another Hollinghurst triumph

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The Folding Star is my favourite novel of Hollinghurst's to date, and quite likely my favourite novel, period. I find it dark and absorbing, and very, very funny. The writing is just sublime, and very evocative of the unnamed Flemish city in which it is depicted.

I intensely love everything about it, so I was delighted to find that Samuel West's narration is absolutely pitch perfect. He portays the story and its protagonist beautifully. I've listened to the entire audiobook twice already. I cannot recommend it enough. I'm looking forward to hearing more of his narrations. I see he reads The Swimming Pool Library. It promises to be a treat.

Samuel West is a marvellous reader of Hollinghurst

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