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The Slaves of Solitude

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The Slaves of Solitude

By: Patrick Hamilton
Narrated by: Lucy Scott
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About this listen

Measuring out the wartime days in a small town on the Thames, Miss Roach is not unattractive but no longer quite young. The Rosamund Tea Rooms boarding house, where she lives with half a dozen others, is as grey and lonely as its residents. For Miss Roach, 'slave of her task-master, solitude', a shaft of not altogether welcome light is suddenly beamed upon her, with the appearance of a charismatic and emotional American Lieutenant. With him comes change - tipping the precariously balanced society of the house and presenting Miss Roach herself with a dilemma.

©1947 Patrick Hamilton (P)2017 Little Brown Book Group Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Fiction

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Critic reviews

"All his novels are terrific, but this one is my favourite." (Sarah Waters)

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So enjoyable in both its historical and psychological breadth & depth. The characters are incisivey drawn and they interact in their war - driven world to tell a gripping story

Insightful

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Set outside WW2 London, this tale is a wonderful portrayal of people (still in the age of deference) trying their best to rub alongside relative strangers when thrown together in the adult version of evacuation. Hamilton's observation and ear for dialogue come across very well thanks to Lucy Scott's excellent narration. Without spoiling the story, there are characters and behaviours you imagine Hamilton hopes and expects us to dislike and Scott really assists this process. Age, gender and accent pose absolutely no problems for her.

Boarding House Tensions in the Uncertainty of War

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A novel which is, in turns, funny and terribly sad; immaculately written by a master of fiction. It shines a light on the normal lives lived by the English during the Second World War so vividly I felt that they were real people. Lucy Scott reads the novel with wit and a fastidiousness which does justice to the book. This is a great comedy of manners. If Jane Austen wrote in the 1940s it might very well be like this. A wonderful Audible experience.

A window on the past

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Completely loved this, actually preferred it to Hangover Square which is regarded as a classic. The empathy with which the author describes the scattered thoughts of the bullied Miss Roach is unforgettable. Tragicomic. The narration by Lucy Scott is really superb and does justice to this richly drawn novel of terrible and comic characters.

Superb

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Everything about this book was just wonderful, including the narration!
Didn't want it to end.

Excellent

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A lower "intensity" of living, perhaps, but beautifully portrayed; I love Patrick Hamilton's prose and understanding of people.

Another era but......

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Lucy Scott is a successful actress I believe & her talent shines brightly in the reading of this brilliant novel. Each of the many characters, including an American & a German, has their own voice both subtle & strong. Scott is clearly one of those audiobook readers that prompt you to follow their work. As for the book itself, its a masterpiece. Hamilton was recognised in his lifetime but I'm surprised he's not more famous today. How many writers could take a rivalry between two middle aged spinsters living in an English boarding house and turn it into a novel like this, one which is both an exquisite study of manners & a rivetting thriller?

Superb reading

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I love Patrick Hamilton books and this is quintessentially English, repressed, obsessive, polite, restrained etc
the narrator is simply one of the best and really makes this novel even better

amazing English story and narration

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