How it all began

A good read with lots of dipping in and out of the lives of all these people who make the story come together. Easy to listen to and flows alone nicely. A good story.

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Great listening

Bentinck narration was perfect for this book. I'm a big fan of Penelope Lively's work and this one did not disappoint. I loved the way she developed the ripple effect of a singly incident and gave the look into the lives and behaviours of a cast of very believable characters.

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Amusing, enjoyable, lovely structure

Penelope Lively does a very good job with the 'interconnectedness of all things'. The novel is structured with a lot of balance and movement, from person to person, picking up on their changing fortunes and feelings. The story does have you wondering - will they or won't they? It's a gentle story, told at a good pace, a comedy that strikes a chord with life today, particulalrly I suspect for the over-40s!

The reader, Anna Bentinck, does a lovely, lively job with the large and varied cast, with some neat nuances of accent and tone that really brought them to life for me.

I'd recommend this as a very enjoyable listen, light-hearted and engaging.

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2 people found this helpful

Multi layered and original!

Any additional comments?

So many books on the subject of women's lives and relationships are formulaic. This was a little different. Intelligently written, rich characters and not the usual predictable stuff. The narration was also first class.

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2 people found this helpful

The repercussions of being human

I love the way that Penelope Lively allows one to come to your own conclusion in regard to if you like or approve of a character or not. Superb writing I thoroughly enjoyed listening to How It All Began and the insight into how things worked out. Anna Anna Bentinck as usual gave a worthy performance

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1 person found this helpful

So clever

The plot of this book is so clever. Shows the knock on effect of an event and how many lives can be changed.

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A delightful and insightful listen

Every woman will relate to the characters Penelope Lively draws so sympathetically in this beautifully written novel. Charlotte, in her 70s, is knocked down by a mugger and has to adjust to a sudden loss of independence. Her daughter Rose, middle-aged, falls in love. Stella has to deal with her errant husband, and Marion with the challenges of running a business as the recession bites. All their lives, and those of the men in them, change as a result of that casual mugging. The author understands so well what makes them all tick, and writes with delicacy and humour. It would be a great read but is an even greater listen because of Anna Bentinck's perfectly nuanced reading. All the characters come alive and she respects every word of the text. I have listened to it twice and found it as enjoyable the second time around. Now off to get every other Penelope Lively and anything else read by Anna Benctinck!

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5 people found this helpful

Penelope Lively at her best.

How a single event can trigger a whole chain of other events. This is Penelope Lively at her very best - examining the way peoples' lives are linked together in some sort of web. Excellent portrayal of ageing and memory too. Loved it.

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The butterfly effect

Really lovely story about the knock-on effects of one event- the mugging of an elderly woman. The ripples that spread out have far-reaching effects on many people.
Cleverly interwoven and with Lively’s usual flair this is a compelling listen.

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It didn't work for me

This book is about the impossible to anticipate repercussions of a one off event that happens to Charlotte at the start of the book. I liked the idea and so downloaded the book, but I found the characters both unlikeable and unrealistic. The style of writing was jarring as it moved from one story to the next, an effect emphasised by the narrator with a lot of pauses and some truly dreadful accents. I have since wondered if I would have enjoyed the book a lot more if I had actually read it rather than listened to it being read, I think chances are I would have.

If you like a book that fleetingly touches on a number of concurrent tales then this may well be a book for you. If you prefer singular, more detailed accounts then this might not be your cup of tea. That said, it is a very easy listen (awful accents aside) so would probably also suit as a beach holiday book just fine.

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5 people found this helpful