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Shrines of Gaiety
- Narrated by: Jason Watkins
- Length: 16 hrs and 3 mins
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Shrines of Gaiety
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Summary
Brought to you by Penguin.
1926, and in a country still recovering from the Great War, London has become the focus for a delirious new nightlife. In the clubs of Soho, peers of the realm rub shoulders with starlets, foreign dignitaries with gangsters, and girls sell dances for a shilling a time.
The notorious queen of this glittering world is Nellie Coker, ruthless but also ambitious to advance her six children, including the enigmatic eldest, Niven whose character has been forged in the crucible of the Somme. But success breeds enemies, and Nellie's empire faces threats from without and within. For beneath the dazzle of Soho's gaiety, there is a dark underbelly, a world in which it is all too easy to become lost.
With her unique Dickensian flair, Kate Atkinson brings together a glittering cast of characters in a truly mesmeric novel that captures the uncertainty and mutability of life; of a world in which nothing is quite as it seems.
Critic reviews
"This is the perfect novel for uncertain times."(The Times)
"I can think of few writers other than Dickens who can match it." (Sunday Times)
"Brilliant." (Richard Osman)
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What listeners say about Shrines of Gaiety
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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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
- Lowers
- 20-10-22
Loved it
Really loved this book. The switching narratives are great and written so that they capture the naïve nature of some of the characters. When people pine for a ‘simpler’, ‘more innocent’ time, I feel this book perfectly encapsulates the misconceptions we have about the past. So well written and Atkinson’s style always weaves a web and knits the story together beautifully.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Jac
- 25-10-22
Slow burner
This was a slow story initially but preserved and wasn’t disappointed. Interesting characters and lively storyline.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 03-10-22
really enjoyable
I saved a credit for this and I'm really glad I did.
I'm a fan of Kate Atkinson and she didn't disappoint with her expert storytelling. In fact I listened at every chance I got.
Sometimes a good story can be ruined by the narrator but in this case I think Jason Watkins really did it justice.
Wonderful!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- S P Whitehead
- 30-10-22
Brilliant!
This is such a good story with so many interesting characters brought to life by Jason Watkins, his different voices and accents are superb! I did not want it to end!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Cliente Amazon
- 06-10-22
a cracking read.!
I am a huge Atkinson fan..and this was brilliant! .Jason Watkins was superb and brought all the array of characters to life.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Ianco
- 05-03-23
Good book, good characters
I don’t know why it’s making me write a full review just to rate really really annoying me
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mrs Alison Pryce
- 29-01-23
Great audiobook
Absolutely loved it! Brilliant narration. Fun and gripping story. Interesting history, ending a little unusual but this doesn’t detract from the enjoyment. Would recommend.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Mimi
- 29-01-23
Really enjoyable & entertaining
A great listen. Clever, engaging writing as always from Kate Atkinson. Good narration - the tone & accents suited the novel.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Prim Rose
- 01-03-23
Excellent and entertaining! Jason Watkins is a brilliant narrator!
A wonderful historically based tale of London’s night club world in the 1920’s. There is a breadth of experiences of young and vulnerable girls seeking fame and fortune on the stage and getting caught up in the seedy and exploitative side of London’s night life. All the characters from the Coker family, the policemen, the landladies and the young girls themselves are brought to life by the brilliant Jason Watkins who brings a good deal of humour and warmth to a wonderfully written book.
Thank you Kate and Jason - loved it!!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Essex girl
- 11-03-23
A delight
A brilliantly written novel with a cast of wonderful characters that really brings twenties London to life &, in the audible version, enhanced by first class narration. The overlapping time & story-lines were initially a little confusing but once grasped became part of the joyful immersive experience of listening to & reading this book. And unlike so many books I’ve read lately it was never predictable.
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