Genius of Mantel and Betinck

The genius of the Writer and the Narrator both makes this an all-star book .

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16 people found this helpful

Phenomenal

I’ve never read or listened to anything like it. I’m usually really turned off by fantasy and magic realism, and there were aspects of the book that I found harder to get into for that reason. But that’s just what’s on the surface. The whole experience of the book is more akin to looking at an immersive piece of contemporary art; you can see the themes but they are more than you can comprehend. There is so much in here about trauma, and women’s trauma specifically. And it also manages to be razor sharp funny at the same time. Just incredible. What an amazing person we have lost in Hilary Mantel. And as for Anna Bentinck - a truly amazing performance. Witty and sensitive and really well characterised.

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Still in the darkness

I’m not sure I followed the story as there were still unsolved questions in the end for me.

I do respect the late author and her ingenious way of telling a deeply troubling story.

I absolutely *love* the performance of the narrator… delicately measured delivery!

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Peculiar......

I did not know what to make of this.....the closest description l can give is that this book reads like one of those dreams l might occasionally have where the content creates a relentless and profound feeling of unease from which l cannot extricate myself. l finished the book some days ago but even now, when l think about it, it makes me shudder. Several times l sought to leave the story, and yet was drawn back, unable to overcome a creeping fascination.......
In my opinion, Collette is every bit as malicious, every bit as twisted as the daemons.....

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Overlong and Unnecessarily Repellant

Enter a bleak, sunless dreary and often horrific world for the final reward of having entered a bleak, sunless, dreary and often horrific world. Beautifully written but very overwritten. Give this one a miss unless you enjoy looking at the world as a horror movie lurking behind the relentless banality of the human condition.

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Very odd

I'm glad I struggled through the self indulgent first chapter. After that, there was a story based on premises that took some getting used to. I Read it all, to the inconclusive end.
No more Mantel for me!

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Brilliant story and characters as always from Hilary Mantell, wonderfully dark.

Anna Bentinck the reader was awesome! Lots of different characters and accents done brilliantly, her voices totally embodied the characters, it really enhanced an already amazing story.

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Fantastic

Beautifully narrated, hilarious, original, dark, mesmerising book. Anna Bentinck is an outstanding narrator and Mantel an outstanding creator of stories.

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One of her most brilliant books!

I absolutely adore all of Hilary M’s work but this and Fludd mean the most to me. Fabulously quirky, brilliantly observed with timeless humour. I first read this in 2005 & have read it several times since but Ms Bentinck’s excellent narration have enriched and given a whole new dimension to this work.

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Sad, Beautiful and Dreamlike

Hilary Mantel is a master. This book took me away from the first chapter and I was very much feeling like I was looking at Alison from an arms distance. She is so in flesh and bone, the way Mantel tells all the characters in this book is outstanding.
This is one of the books that will leave a mark on you. Don't read this if you're after a surprise ending, mysteries, or an action packed thriller. Read it if you want to breathe a slice of Alison's life- she is a medium, she is obese, and had a difficult childhood. She is bullied all the time and both by the dead, and the living.
This is a story of two women and English wastelands, suburbs. The people everyone thinks and the people no one cares about.
A well earned 5 stars. Amazing.

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50 people found this helpful