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Gentlemen and Players

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Gentlemen and Players

By: Joanne Harris
Narrated by: Steven Pacey
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About this listen

At St Oswald’s, a long-established boys’ grammar school in the north of England, a new year has just begun. For the staff and boys of the school, a wind of unwelcome change is blowing. Suits, paperwork and Information Technology rule the world; and Roy Straitley, the eccentric veteran Latin master, is finally – reluctantly – contemplating retirement. But beneath the little rivalries, petty disputes and everyday crises of the school, a darker undercurrent stirs. And a bitter grudge, hidden and carefully nurtured for thirteen years, is about to erupt.

©2005 Joanne Harris (P)2010 Random House AUDIO GO Contemporary Fiction Genre Fiction Scary Witty Funny Thought-Provoking

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All stars
Most relevant  
Really compelling read. Hard to guess what was next. Brilliant. Fabulos observations of the schooling system and inequalities of our education system.

Enthralling read with kots of twists and turns.

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took me a while to get into the two narratives but a very clever tale. excellent narration really brought all the characters alive. an excellent summer holiday read for a teacher- never trust a colleague!

dual narrative, twisty and clever

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Downloaded this as had read a review of 'Different Class' that sounded promising, so wanted to start from the beginning.This a beautifully paced , gripping thriller which is simultaneously cosy and dark. The players in the St Oswalds staff room are drawn vividly, avoiding caricature and enmeshing the reader in the world of a high end grammar school. I have to say the plot was pretty ingenious and although 'pull back and reveal ' alludes to some things which seem a tad unrealistic/ absolutely ludicrous, it is one of the best psychological thrillers I've read in ages. The next in the series is already warming in my library

Totally absorbing

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I couldn't stop listening!!! The storyline was brilliant, the plots and twists kept you hooked and the narration was superb. I love the characters in the school and could have been taught by Roy Straightly !!! A+

Utterly captivating

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Would you listen to Gentlemen and Players again? Why?

No because once you know the story there is for me no point

What was one of the most memorable moments of Gentlemen and Players?

The twist in the tale

What does Steven Pacey bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Poignant delivery

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The ending chapters

Any additional comments?

Original plot. Gifted writing style

Realistic atmosphere of private school culture

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I loved this book! Superb writing and the narration was brilliant. It managed to be funny as well as gripping.

Fantastic!

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The reading was wonderful. I’d read the book before but I really enjoyed listening to it.

A fantastic reading of a great book.

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Excellent narration lead me through excellent prose with and exciting and unforseen conclusion. Very enjoyable.

As Twisty and Turning as a Twisty Turny Thing

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What made the experience of listening to Gentlemen and Players the most enjoyable?

The thinkthrough-factor: the story was well conceived and the picture fitted perfectly. I wonder if I should listen it again, knowing what I know after reading it to reassess the clues given in the course of the story.

What did you like best about this story?

The showdown is amazing. The story unravels in a completely unpredictable, yet not unrealistic way.

What about Steven Pacey’s performance did you like?

It was good. Sometimes it was difficult for me (no native English speaker) to know at once from whose perspective the story was told.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No really

Surprising

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This is written in duel narrative perspective with alternate paragraphs. The first narrator is nameless and the story begins in the past when the nameless narrator was a child living in the porter's lodge of St Oswalds school. The second protagonist is a master of this exclusive school, Roy Staightley, he is near retirement age but not yet ready to go. The story takes time to build but it is cleverly written and comes together for a very satisfying ending.

Good ending and cleverly written

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