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The Spell

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The Spell

By: Alan Hollinghurst
Narrated by: Ben Allen
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About this listen

From the Booker Prize-winning author of The Line of Beauty.

The Spell is a comedy of sexual manners that follows the interlocking affairs of four men: Robin, an architect in his late forties, who is trying to build an idyllic life in Dorset with his younger lover, Justin; Robin's twenty-two year old son Danny, a volatile beauty who lives for clubbing and casual sex; and the shy Alex, who is Justin's ex-boyfriend.

As each in turn falls under the spell of romance or drugs, country living or rough trade, a richly ironic picture emerges of the clashing imperatives of modern gay life. At once lyrical, sceptical and romantic, The Spell confirms Alan Hollinghurst as one of Britain's most important novelists.

Hear the new novel from Alan Hollinghurst, Our Evenings, now.

 Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Small Town & Rural Fiction Witty

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All stars
Most relevant
Not one of his best in my view. None of the characters are that sympathetic.

Okay story

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A pleasant story, full of very sexy characters. Melancholy in places, quite amusing in other places.

The story is quite languid in feel which makes it a more gentle experience rather than many of highly charged literature of today.

A idyll c look on gay life

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Compared to “ The Swimming Pool Library” and”The Folding Star” this lacked depth, purpose and edge. Many of the characters were narcissistic and self-centred making the reader not care what happened to them . I can’t think the book helps the Gay cause at all The narration was likewise very inferior to the polysemic and nuanced performance of Samuel West.

Disappointing

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The narrator was superb. Hollinghurst’s use of simile and description is masterful.
The characters were superbly rounded and easily identified one from the other. Both Dorset and London are vividly brought to life- the sights, the sounds, the light, the smells all brilliantly put to paper.

Excellently written and read

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