My Dear I Wanted to Tell You
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My Dear I Wanted to Tell You
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Narrated by:
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Dan Stevens
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By:
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Louisa Young
About this listen
Set on the Western Front, in London and in Paris, MY DEAR I WANTED TO TELL YOU is a moving and brilliant novel of love, class and sex in wartime, and how war affects those left behind as well as those who fight.
While Riley Purefoy and Peter Locke fight for their country, their survival and their sanity in the trenches of Flanders, Nadine Waveney, Julia Locke and Rose Locke do what they can at home.
Beautiful, obsessive Julia and gentle, eccentric Peter are married: each day Julia goes through rituals to prepare for her beloved husband’s return. Nadine and Riley, only eighteen when the war starts, and with problems of their own already, want above all to make promises – but how can they when the future is not in their hands? And Rose? Well, what did happen to the traditionally brought-up women who lost all hope of marriage, because all the young men were dead?
©2011 Louisa Young (P)2011 HarperCollins Publishers LimitedListeners also enjoyed...
Critic reviews
‘This is the finest Great War novel since Susan Hill's ‘Strange Meeting’. Louisa Young weaves the experiences of her characters using an urgent, theatrical, staccato style that is probably best appreciated as an audio book, especially when read by the phenomenal Dan Stevens, who invests the characters with an immediately recognisable individuality whether they are thinking, writing, speaking – or, indeed, desperately trying to speak’
Independent on Sunday
‘Every once in a while comes a novel that generates its own success, simply by being loved. Louisa Young’s My Dear I Wanted to Tell You inspires the kind of devotion among its readers not seen since David Nicholls’ One Day’
The Times
‘Birdsong for the new millennium’
Tatler
‘Powerful, sometimes shocking, boldly conceived, it fixes on war’s lingering trauma to show how people adapt – or not – and is irradiated by anger and pity’
The Sunday Times
‘[A] tender, elegiac novel. Others have been here before, of course, from Sebastian Faulks to Pat Barker, but Young belongs in their company’
Mail on Sunday
‘Unmissable … in crisp poignant prose Young explores what war really means in terms of mental anguish, while cleverly commenting on class and sex’
Marie Claire
‘Weaving heartbreakingly painful irony, heroic sacrifice, human weakness, vanity, tragedy and the purest of loves, you’ll be left sobbing and grasping onto any hope that all is not lost amid the poppies, the guns and the hospital beds’
Easy Living
‘A memorable and unusual novel which explores new ground in the literature of the Great War’
Linda Grant
‘This novel is a triumph’
Elizabeth Jane Howard
The story is engrossing and well written. It's the first book I've enjoyed since The Help.
Excellent book
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Outstanding
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Hair -raisingly good
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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
This is an outstanding story, You are transported back in time, the cast of characters are rich and well written, likeable and you can't help but care about them. The war time scenes are of course harrowing in their accuracy but it is the best story of it's era I have ever read / listened to.What did you like best about this story?
It's honesty and the depth of each character, it is precise and exceptionally well written, it does not waffle and is not over long. I found myself unable to stop listening, it kept me gripped from start to finish.Have you listened to any of Dan Stevens’s other performances? How does this one compare?
After listening to this story I downloaded the sequel. Dan Stevens is a wonderful narrator, he brought each character vividly to life in my minds eye, I would go as far as to say he is the best audible narrator in my library.Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
There are of course very few laughs in this book, I did shed a tear at the loss and trauma sustained by what was an innocent and naive generation, on the cusp of huge social and developmental change.Any additional comments?
This is an evocative, emotional roller coaster of a book, exceptionally well written and edited which will move and stay with you long after you have finished listening.An exceptional book.
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On a side note the only other gripe I have is to do with the splitting of the audio into two parts, which I know is done to improve download ability. But do to it practically in the middle of a sentence rather than at the end of chapter is somewhat jarring as you get the audilbe sound bite at the end of it, does take you somewhat out of the story
A fine example in the art of storytelling
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Absolutely perfect.
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A Beautiful Love Story
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If you could sum up My Dear I Wanted to Tell You in three words, what would they be?
Historical WW1 fictionWhat was one of the most memorable moments of My Dear I Wanted to Tell You?
Right at the very end when it all sorted out :)What does Dan Stevens bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
He has an excellent voice for 'period' listens.Somehow without silly voices you can 'hear' the different character's voices much as I do in my own head when reading.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
I almost did as I was decorating a room ;) It really helped me get on with the work in good time.Any additional comments?
This book IS historical, also a romance almost, but nothing like chick-lit which I really do tend to avoid at all costs! It was recommended to me by a slightly older man who I have a lot of respect for so may appeal to men as well as women.My Dear I wanted to tell you
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Where does My Dear I Wanted to Tell You rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
I judge my audiobooks by whether I would listen to the story a second time.The title - My dear. I wanted to tell you, had me at my dear.
What other book might you compare My Dear I Wanted to Tell You to, and why?
This book belong to the rainy/romantic/emotional afternoon which everywomen enjoys at least once a week.Which character – as performed by Dan Stevens – was your favourite?
The author presented two aspect of plastic surgery in the early 19th century. One to enhance the appearance in comparison to the second by improving Riley's physical function. I found I wanted to research this further. What a long way we have come in this field.Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I found the narrator performance comforting and sympathetic to the essence of the story.Would listen too again.
Any additional comments?
I have already listened to this book twice.Skin deep
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What other book might you compare My Dear I Wanted to Tell You to, and why?
Reminiscent of Birdsong and The Night Watch by Sarah Waters, a very strong character led narrative made this gripping from start to finish.What about Dan Stevens’s performance did you like?
Dan Stevens is a very clear and easy to listen to narrator, he did a great job of bringing the author's somewhat unusual use of short, clipped sentences to life.If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
Gripping tale of love amidst the horrors and aftermath of WW1Very engrossing tale
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