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Commonwealth

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Commonwealth

By: Ann Patchett
Narrated by: Hope Davis
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About this listen

 Bloomsbury presents Commonwealth by Ann Patchett, read by Hope Davis.

'Dazzling … life-affirming and compulsively readable' Sunday Times

'Patchett blends wisdom and humanity jointly with the icy forensic gaze of someone not afraid to expose the frailties of human behaviour ... Read it' Jojo Moyes

'An outstanding novel ... a master of her art' Observer

It is 1964: Bert Cousins shows up at Franny Keating’s christening party uninvited and notices a heart stoppingly beautiful woman. When he kisses Beverly Keating, his host’s wife, he sets in motion the joining of two families, whose shared fate will be defined on a day seven years later.

In 1988, Franny Keating, now twenty-four, is working as a cocktail waitress in Chicago. When she meets the famous author Leon Posen one night at the bar, and tells him about her family, she unwittingly relinquishes control over their story…©2016 Ann Patchett (P)2023 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Heartfelt

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Have already listened to Tom Lake, Dutch House and Bel Canto. This book is just as good.

Ann Patchett is an exceptional writer. All her books are wonderful. It is hard to believe they are fiction. Every character seems so real.

Wonderful writing

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Carefully crafted story which pulls you in. Well written and lovely performance. I’ll miss the characters in the story..

Great story

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The endless intergenerational fallout within families. The tragedies and damage caused by 2 marrieds who leave their respective families.

Lovely premise of the danger of beauty.

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I don't know what took me so long to read a second Ann Patchet. I must have read State of Wonder about 10 years ago and also loved it but have only now picked up Commonwealth. Don’t think it will be leaving it another ten years

This novel is bookended by two parties 50 years apart, and we follow the Keatings and the Cousins' over those intervening years.

This is a meditation on how the briefist of moments can change the course of life entirely and how differing parenting styles can affect each child differently, both as children and adults.

I will say the plot does jump around somewhat without much signposting, but I think think this was intentional to make the reader route themselves in the story and encourage them to focus on character rather than plot.

A Beautifully Written Family Saga

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Loved the long prose in this. Production of the audio also terrific. Excellent Patchett novel

Beautiful

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Excellent A truly amazing book. Thank you


Such a good author The children’s characters development is so sensitive

The development of the story

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Writing excellent as all her books and great set pieces but the structure and number of characters with complicated relationships to each other made it hard to grasp as a whole listening experience.

Good but maybe too complicated for an audio experience

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I really enjoyed this book, knew nothing about it so it was an unexpected surprise!

Family saga

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