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Octavia

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Octavia

By: Jilly Cooper
Narrated by: Anna Parker-Naples
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About this listen

As soon as Octavia caught a glimpse of Jeremy, she knew she just had to have him. It didn't matter that he'd just got engaged to an old school friend of hers, Gussie.

An invitation to join Gussie and Jeremy for a cosy weekend on a canal barge came like a gift from the gods. However, the other part of the foursome was tycoon Gareth Llewellyn, and he certainly managed to thwart her plans....

©1977 Jilly Cooper (P)2018 W.F. Howes Ltd Women's Fiction Fiction Funny Witty Feel-Good

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All stars
Most relevant  
How do you know this book is over thirty years old . Say about a Gary Glitter poster 🤣 very enjoyable to listen
To it on audible

Read this book more than 30 years ago was nice to listen to it again on audible

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As with almost all of the recent Jilly Cooper releases, the narration leaves a lot to be desired. I read this book when I was a teenager, and it's still fun. The Welsh accent was at first annoying, and then amusing :D

hilarious Welsh "accent"

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It’s not easy to get it right reading a Jilly Cooper book so I tried to be fair while listening. However, once the breathy Gussy and welsh Gareth interpretation was read I nearly sent the book back. All Jillys stories are so close to my heart so I persevered and once I managed to train my brain to ignore the way it was read I was able to finish the story. The book itself is beautifully satisfying for any Jilly fan and was a welcome familiar treat in the gloom of this pandemic and the winter!
Thank you Jilly for all your stories that give humour and romance escape. I no longer have the time to read them for myself so an audiobook is the next best thing!

Always love Jilly

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I first read this years ago and loved it. although it now feels dated it's still entertaining. the downside is the narration which features the worst Welsh accent in the history of audio

a good story ruined by the narration

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I loved this book as a young woman and enjoyed it again, although some parts jar somewhat given the change in attitudes. However the narration was simple awful. The mangled high pitched Welsh accent was painful to listen to and I almost gave up.

Terrible narration

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I first read Jilly Cooper’s short ‘name’ novels as a teenager in the 80s and adored them, and have come back to Octavia many times. Each time I read it, I get more uncomfortable with the sexual politics, which are pretty shocking - even the happy ending concludes with the heroine readily entering a relationship which has all the hallmarks of coercive control.
In addition, as others have said, the narrator’s Welsh accent probably shouldn’t have been attempted.
All that said, there is still something very charming about Cooper’s early work, which carries through into her more substantial novels (including her masterpiece Rivals) and these are: a wonderfully evocative sense of time and place - you can feel the parched heat of a 70s English heatwave summer coming off the pages like wafts of Ambre Solaire and cigarette smoke; some genuine psychological insight into how young love felt back then; her wit; and of course, her real passion for the English countryside which shines through on every page.
Would I recommend to new readers, not sure, but if you read it and loved it back in the 70s/80s, think you’ll probably find much to enjoy

Nostalgic read but v dated

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I’ve read this story oodles of times over the past 30 years and although it is now quite dated, I still love it. The narration is, however, really poor. Incorrect pronunciation, some words changed (I know this story word for word in many places), but the most heinous of all is the appalling “Welsh” accent; as a Welsh person myself, I was cringing through most of it which is a real shame as it spoilt it for me. Still a great story though. :)

Great story; poor narration

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I read this book as a teenager in the 1980s and thought I’d take a stroll down memory lane as I’d loved all of the books in this series.
It’s still a great romp of a story - definitely of its time (circa 1976) however the accents portrayed by the reader, especially the Welsh male accent - is indescribably awful. To the point where I’d have stopped listening had I not loved the story itself.
Instead of sounding like a gruff 40 something male, the voice sounds like Ruth Maddox in Hi-Di-Hi - at once hilarious and off-putting.
Please re-record this audiobook as it really does detract from its quality.

Welsh listeners beware

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Written in the 70s….and it shows in the attitudes, so I can see some might be offended. However I enjoyed the story….predictable but an entertaining listen. The narrator performed Octavia’s voice brilliantly…..Gareth and Gussie’s voices were irritating. Overall I enjoyed it.

Very listenable!

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The narrator has chosen an incredible choice of vocabulary and the storyline is not only gripping and fiery but also shows morals. must listen listen!

absolutely exceptional

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