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Something in Disguise cover art

Something in Disguise

By: Elizabeth Jane Howard
Narrated by: Eleanor Bron
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Summary

May's second marriage to Colonel Herbert Brown-Lacey is turning out to be a terrible mistake. Her children find the Colonel's presence oppressive and leave home. Even Herbert's own daughter tries to escape from her father's sinister behaviour.
©1969 Elizabeth Jane Howard (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about Something in Disguise

Average customer ratings
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Not to be missed....

An excellent novel which I have read many times, beautifully read & well worth listening to. A modern classic, not to be missed.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Unforgettable

Masterful writing. If you like the intricacies of human interactions and the interior worlds of complicated people then read this and marvel.

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11 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Masterfully written but not EJH's best

I enjoyed this story and EJH displays her characteristic insights of relationships. However I felt the plot a little uneven and the novel lacks the great epic perspective of some of her others.

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9 people found this helpful

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30 seconds of audio track missing!

My ratings here speak for themselves about the high quality of the book and the performance by Eleanor Bron, but they do not reflect the fact that there is an error in the audio here. I was reading in conjunction with a physical copy of the book, which ended up being necessary for the last paragraph of Part 2, chapter 4 (pp.214-215 of the Picador edition after the phrase 'unnecessary tasks'). On the audio track here there is a passage of silence about the length that would take us to the end of the chapter, which I think has been recorded in error over the audio.

If you are listening to the audio, you won't miss a huge amount (it is simply Elizabeth musing on each of her family members), but if you want the full text, you'll need a copy of the physical book.

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5 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Subtle, absorbing, thought-provoking

Beautifully read by Eleanor Bron - I would happily listen to her reading the phone directory - this novel effectively teases out the real life muddle of relationships, emotions and motivations and the way in which important life 'choices' are too often decided by politeness, being influenced by others, not wanting to rock the boat etc. It was written and set in the 1960s and says so much about the way that the lives of women were constrained by unspoken expectations and assumptions (which they themselves often unconsciously bought into). Howard is a wonderfully subtle writer who never wastes a word: she demonstrates well the art of 'showing, not telling'. The description of some seemingly trivial domestic incident will speak volumes about power relationships between the characters. There are plenty of plot twists to hold your interest, including a chilling portrayal of gaslighting. Another reviewer complains that Howard never does happy endings, but I felt that the book ended on quite a hopeful note.

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5 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars

Absolutely all of Elisabeth Jane Howards books have a sad ending

Does Elizabeth Jane Howard do Happy Endings? And Amazingly pls stop asking for more words to fill your review

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4 people found this helpful

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Absorbing

A captivating story beautifully written and narrated. The author understands and relates so well, the lives of women in the 1940s and 1950s.

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Subtle, delicate but so insightful

I loved this. I love Elizabeth Jane Howard's intelligence and her piercing and slightly amused commentary on society's attitudes towards women.

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3 people found this helpful

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Beautifully narrated, fabulous writing

Another astute and beautifully told story from one of my recently discovered and new favourite authors. If you like Elizabeth Taylor then you will probably enjoy EJH. Recommended if you like stories in which the characters and writing are more important to you than a fast paced plot.

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1 person found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A glimpse into another world

Beautifully written weaving of one disparate family in what feels like the early sixties - shows how far we’ve changed... tender and engaging.

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