Excellent biography of Coward

It was a joy to listen to this book from start to finish. The narration was excellent.

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Perfect reading of innovative biography

Read brilliantly by the author, who unlike so many audio readers knows exactly how the structure and emphasis of each sentence should sound. Creatively structured, fond of its subject but clear eyed about him too. Long patches of Coward’s life are slightly depressing and he’s sometimes hard to like, but the book makes a great case for his talent to do much more than amuse.

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Coward in context

Having previously acquainted myself with coward own autobiography and other published biographies, I did wonder if this time would be worth the effort. It was. I feel I am closer than ever to understanding Noel the man, which leads to a greater enjoyment of his work. Perhaps the most interesting element of Soden’s book is that there is at least some degree of distance now on the lived experience of homosexuality in the 20c and therefore co text can be better explored (his experience, his work and his beliefs). Noel is much more than a trope, but the experience was precursors to time and place and necessarily influenced and influences the work and perception of its author.
The breadth and quality of research is impressive, but it’s the clarity of perception that this leads to in Soden’s work that is so engaging. There is a live and appreciation for The Master, but this is no hagiography. That warmth of feeling is tempered always by any records and challenged where necessary by the discovered evidence. Beware any biographer who does not love his subject, for them it always says more about the writer than their subject. Minutiae are a biographers secret weapon, and here the minutiae are lifted from the broad spectrum of contemporary sources and the family that coward made for himself. That ‘family’ context was never so fully explored and understood before.
The case is made (if it needed to be) for Coward as the greatest English dramatist of the 20c, but even for those who choose not to accept it, what is left is a wonderfully engaging, deeply insightful, ge ui Ey learned, legitimately affectionate biography which I think will prove to ignite further interest in Cowards work, which surely must be the point of biography.
Soden is himself a supremely talented writer and reader possessed of a clear voice with a good tone and not without real acting talent too I think. I heartily recommend this audiobook.

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Most enjoyable.

Bit of a who’s who in places but well written and superbly narrated. The final vignette was very good indeed and quite moving. Highly recommended.

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Quite good

Not bad, but the structures in little artificial, and perhaps even annoying at points I found

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A towering literary achievement

A faithful biography of Coward that stays clear of innuendo and speculation, and which clears up a few of the mysteries left from earlier tellings of his remarkable life.

This book is much more than a good biography, though: it falls somewhere between metabiography and biographical criticism, melding form and genre in a way that makes the book both a revealing commentary on a performed life and a memorable performance in its own right. The superb reading by the author only adds to the theatrical effect. It is a beautiful, inspiring listen.

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1 person found this helpful

'Give man a mask and he will tell you the truth'

Superb and touching biography of the Master, expertly narrated by the author. This will be the definitive story of Nöel Coward for years to come. I can't imagine anyone adding anything to the narrative that's not already said by Oliver Soden.

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Marve!!ous

A simply wonderful Biography. Oliver Soden has written a masterpice, and has the perfect voice to read his tour de force.

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Fascinating and honest

Lots for both the Coward fan and for those not at all familiar with him. Enjoyed being given the context of his work in the times they were written and performed.

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OK But Not Great

Mr Soden has written a detailed if uncritical biography of a fascinating life. The author's reading of his own work is generally good if a little hammy at times.
There's much to enjoy in this obviously lovingly researched book but the final chapters drag, weighed down by an unnecessary and overtly theatrical, semi-fictional change in style that was hard going.

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