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Bitter Orange
- Narrated by: Rachel Bavidge
- Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins
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Bitter Orange
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Summary
Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Bitter Orange by Claire Fuller, read by Rachel Bavidge.
From the attic of a dilapidated English country house, she sees them - Cara first: dark and beautiful, clinging to a marble fountain of Cupid, and Peter, an Apollo. It is 1969, and they are spending the summer in the rooms below hers while Frances writes a report on the follies in the garden for the absent American owner. But she is distracted. Beneath a floorboard in her bathroom, she discovers a peephole which gives her access to her neighbours' private lives.
To Frances' surprise, Cara and Peter are keen to spend time with her. It is the first occasion that she has had anybody to call a friend, and before long they are spending every day together: eating lavish dinners, drinking bottle after bottle of wine and smoking cigarettes till the ash piles up on the crumbling furniture. Frances is dazzled.
But as the hot summer rolls lazily on, it becomes clear that not everything is right between Cara and Peter. The stories that Cara tells don't quite add up - and as Frances becomes increasingly entangled in the lives of the glamorous, hedonistic couple, the boundaries between truth and lies, right and wrong, begin to blur.
Amid the decadence of that summer, a small crime brings on a bigger one: a crime so terrible that it will brand all their lives forever.
Critic reviews
"A twisty, thorny, darkly atmospheric page turner about loneliness and belonging" (Gabriel Tallent, author of My Absolute Darling)
"Incredibly atmospheric, vivid and intriguing. I had to keep reminding myself that I wasn't reading a forgotten classic." (Emma Healey)
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What listeners say about Bitter Orange
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Karen M.
- 22-11-18
Good story, poor narration
I enjoyed the story. It kept me gripped although the ending hardly came as a surprise. The narration however was very irritating. The narrator's voice suited the main character but the portrayal of the upper class accents was excruciating. I thought I had discovered a clue about Cara : namely that she didn't in fact originate from Ireland, because the country "Ireland" was consistently pronounced as "island" missing out the "r" completely - something I'm sure an Irish person would never do. Until I joined Audible I had no idea of the importance of the narration and what a skill the people who can do it well, possess. I'm thinking of Timothy West and Juliet Stevenson. The good ones are in the minority I'm afraid.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- CarolynK
- 04-10-18
Memorable story with an unforgetable character
This is a memorable story with an atmospheric country house setting. There's a slow intriguing build-up to a rather sudden denouement. But it is the supporting character, Caragh who steals the show - an amazing creation! Worth listening to for her alone. The narrator was good apart from giving Victor an annoying voice.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Rocket
- 05-08-22
Gentle and absorbing
Came to this having read and loved Unsettled ground and it did mirror the author's absorbing style and flair for really placing you into the story.
I did definitely enjoy this but not as much as the previous book I'd read by Claire Fuller (I'm sure she won't lose any sleep over me saying that!)
Certainly worth a read though.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 18-02-21
Wonderful....
This reminded me of the novels Ruth Rendell wrote as Barbara Vine. Intruiging, unpredictable, mysterious
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Laura P.
- 10-01-24
Usual good characters
Not my favourite of Clare’s books but still a good read. Good narration and a good character development and sense of place
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Harriet Ellis
- 12-09-18
Wonderful
This is the second audio book I’ve listened to by this writer the other is swimming lessons and it’s just as captivating if not more so.
I was sorry to finish I will miss these characters.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Mandie
- 08-08-22
A reasonable read
The book creates atmosphere and is visual with the house, Lintons, as a main character. But it is slow to engage, more like watching one of those films with a lengthy introduction. By the end the intrigue has developed but I felt it was fourteen chapters before the story started.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Emma Naomi Walch
- 31-01-19
Captivating
Excellent listen, thoroughly enjoyed the story and would recommend. Took a little while to get into it but was soon gripped!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 27-08-18
excellent
A very thoughtful story. Quiet yet deep. Raises a lot of questions. and the narration was well suited. I found it immensely satisfying though sad
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Jo
- 27-10-18
Curious
An interesting story with some surprises.
I can't honestly say that I liked any of the characters but they were well crafted and intriguing, and overall I kept listening to find out what it was all about. I would read another book by the same author.
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1 person found this helpful