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Behind the Scenes at the Museum

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Behind the Scenes at the Museum

By: Kate Atkinson
Narrated by: Susan Jameson
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About this listen

Ruby Lennox was conceived grudgingly by Bunty and born while her father, George, was in the Dog and Hare in Doncaster, telling a woman in an emerald dress and a D cup that he wasn't married. Bunty had never wanted to marry George, but there she was, stuck in a flat above the pet shop in an ancient street beneath York Minster, with sensible and sardonic Patrica, aged five; greedy, cross-patch Gillian, who refused to be ignored; and Ruby...

Ruby tells the story of the family, from the day at the end of the nineteenth century when a travelling French photographer catches frail beautiful Alice and her children, like flowers in amber, to the startling, witty, and memorable events of Ruby's own life.

©1995 Kate Atkinson (P)2014 AudioGo Ltd. Published by Random House Audiobooks
Contemporary Fiction Witty Funny Heartfelt Tear-jerking Feel-Good
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What listeners say about Behind the Scenes at the Museum

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hits the heart

I studied this at A-Level and it will always be one of my favourite books.

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Wonderful

It’s hard to believe that this is Kate Atkinson’s debut novel. I was completely captivated from start to finish. I haven’t read her books in order, in fact this is the sixth and there isn’t one that I wouldn’t read again. The depth of her characters, her detailed observations, her ability to understand human nature in all it’s shades, dark and tragic, witty and wonderfully humorous. Kate Atkinson has an interest in WWI and WWII and is very knowledgeable on the subjects, I feel I’ve had the most interesting of history lessons too! Now looking forward to listening to Human Croquet and delighted Susan Jameson is narrating as she did a great job with Behind the Scenes at the Museum!

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amazing

This is an unusual concept, fascinating, moving, complex, simple. A real joy, couldn't stop listening.

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the characters

a wonderful tapestry of characters, no plot, just life.my 2nd favourite Kate Atkinson, if you love a character novel the life story of Bunty is for you.

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    3 out of 5 stars

Brilliant narration to match the epic story

Having read this years ago, I’d forgotten how brilliant it was. Kate Atkinson’s writing is sublime and her characters so perfectly captured, they become as familiar as your own family. Funny, poignant, superbly read (all kinds of accents and none annoying)… from the first chapter, I dreaded it ending

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Superb

Everything about this novel is superb - from the characters, to the plot, to the narration. It is just an absolute joy and a wonderful way to lose yourself for hour after hour. It must be a couple of years since I last listened to this, and I have enjoyed it even more second time around. Kate Atkinson is a truly wonderful writer and Susan Jameson the perfect narrator.

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Many lives

I thoroughly enjoyed a previous Kate Atkinson book and expected this to be as ‘interesting’. I wasn’t wrong. Susan Jamieson was the perfect reader, bringing the many characters to life so I felt I really knew them. The story starts with Ruby’s conception and follows her life and that of her family present and past until she reaches mid life. All the events are those that could be from any family but the book is so brilliantly written that everything has colour and drama. The book is funny, sad, dramatic and believable. Loved it.

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What a writer!

Loved it, everything about it. Kate Atkinson is such a tremendous writer and Susan Jameson WordPerfect narrator. Wow!

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Intriguing story

Quite different from style of her historical novels. Rather slow paced but there was something that made me keep going. Fairly weak storyline in the end!

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Superb!

Absolutely loved this. Incredibly funny and sad in equal measures. An amazing observation of family life ...... well worth a read

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1 person found this helpful