The Virgin in the Garden cover art

The Virgin in the Garden

Frederica Potter, Book 1

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The Virgin in the Garden

By: A. S. Byatt
Narrated by: Sophie Aldred
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About this listen

In Yorkshire, the Potter family are preparing to celebrate Elizabeth II’s arrival on the throne. Its three youngest members, however, are preoccupied with other matters. Stephanie has grown tired of their overbearing father and resolves to marry the local curate. Anxious teenager Marcus gains a new teacher and suffers increasingly disturbing visions. Then there is Frederica. On the brink of adulthood, a love affair with a young playwright may offer the freedom she desperately desires.

The first Frederica Potter Novel.

©1994 A. S. Byatt (P)2018 Audible, Ltd Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction

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Far too long and could have done without the Marcus Lucas plot and all the existentialism which was very heavy going and hard to follow

The characters are interesting and well drawn .

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This was hard going at times. Too much descriptive text and found I had stopped listening or lost the thread of the story / situation.

Hard going at times

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It took me months to get through this, almost as long as the period spanned by the events of the book; by the end I had a real sense of companionship with the characters. It’s a densely-written novel, which follows the interleaved stories of the three Potter siblings, each of whom seeks a different escape from a home life dominated by their opinionated and anger-prone father. It’s also a retrospective portrait of England in 1953, setting the coronation year in context and dropping knowing hints as to the future.
The narrator is in her element with characterisation and dialogue (often very funny) - I ended up feeling surprisingly sympathetic towards the unlikable Frederica Potter, and exasperated with the charming but cowardly Alexander. The codependence that develops between Marcus Potter and the Lucas Simmonds is also convincingly portrayed. In contrast I found it difficult to maintain concentration through the many long descriptive passages, often heavy with literary and classical references. Definitely a Learned book.

Long but rewarding listen

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