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Mr Wilder and Me

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Mr Wilder and Me

By: Jonathan Coe
Narrated by: Kristin Atherton
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

The dazzling new novel from the prize-winning, best-selling author of Middle England.

In the heady summer of 1977, a naïve young woman called Calista sets out from Athens to venture into the wider world. On a Greek island that has been turned into a film set, she finds herself working for the famed Hollywood director Billy Wilder, about whom she knows almost nothing. But the time she spends in this glamorous, unfamiliar new life will change her for good.

While Calista is thrilled with her new adventure, Wilder himself is living with the realisation that his star may be on the wane. Rebuffed by Hollywood, he has financed his new film with German money, and when Calista follows him to Munich for the shooting of further scenes, she finds herself joining him on a journey of memory into the dark heart of his family history.

In a novel that is at once a tender coming-of-age story and an intimate portrait of one of cinema's most intriguing figures, Jonathan Coe turns his gaze on the nature of time and fame, of family and the treacherous lure of nostalgia. When the world is catapulting towards change, do you hold on for dear life or decide it's time to let go?

©2020 Jonathan Coe (P)2020 Penguin Audio
Coming of Age Satire Fiction Comedy Heartfelt Thought-Provoking
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Critic reviews

"Coe is a writer of uncommon decency." (Observer)

What listeners say about Mr Wilder and Me

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Great

Great book you don't need to know much about movies to still get stuck into this book (because i know almost nothing). I really really enjoyed it. It was recommended to me by my father and he always directs me to great books.

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Enjoyable melding of fact and fiction

Enjoyed discovering the life of Billy Wilder and his filmography through the eyes of Calista as a young woman and her reflections later in life . The story combines the biographies of both Billy and Callista in a such charming way. The narration of all the character was flawless . Would highly recommend

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A very clear and tender narrative

Wriien in a slightly naive voice, the first person narration is tender and the story is clear. The central character is a good foil for the more nuanced andcomplex Wilder.

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  • Overall
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Gorgeous

Great performance and an interesting story structure. Lots of interesting film facts and now I want to watch Fedora.

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Great

Read this because it was chosen for our book club not familiar with the author probably would have passed me by but so glad it didn't was one of my favourite books this year and I read a lot.
Absolute gem of a story loved every word.
Going to seek out more from this Guy.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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not his best

Whilst I'm a massive fan of Jonathan Coe, I really struggled with this book. Despite a great performance by the narrator, it just didn't grip me.

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HW

A brilliant story which I felt Jonathan Coe wrote just for me. Wistfully nostalgic, wittily realistic, fun with a serious and thought-provoking thread running through it. Marvellous. Absolutely marvellous.

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Usual Brilliant Storytelling by Jonathan Coe

Very entertaining and well read. I have seen most of the films mentioned but not Fedora. I will have track down a copy and watch it with some Brie de Meaux, a baguette and bottle of Pinot Noir 🍷😋

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beautiful, tender, lovely

And artful. Coe writes stories about people you can believe in whose lives are barely more interesting than your own but which breathe because JC knows how to give stories life.

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poignant great uplifting book

great story told in easygoing style. I didn't really know anything about Billy wilder but fascinating

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