Sympathy for the Devil

I first read this in 1978 and still have my old women’s press copy. Ostensibly this is about witches, but there is much more about the role of older women in society. I was inspired to re-read this after reading Weyward by Emilia Hart. The countryside is both beautiful and macabre and plays an important role. The narration is first rate

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1 person found this helpful

An enchanting witchy story.

I'm not sure how I even found this book but I'm glad I did. Written in an era when women were thought feeble of mind & body and required others to care for them mentally & physically.
This story is about Lolly (Laura) Willowes and how she went about claiming her life and soul back.

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Ahead of its time

I adored this book. It starts as a gentle, if sometimes piercing, satire on post-Victorian upper class family life and turns into something entirely unexpected and brilliant. I think I might be good friends with Lolly, were she real.

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3 people found this helpful

Absolutely beautiful!

What a wonderful surprise this turned out to be! Delightful from beginning to end. Mind: this is the kind of beautiful that needs savouring. It is the literary equivalent to slow food. If you're looking for high drama, this is not your kind of book. But for those who enjoy lyrical prose, subtle irony and fine characterisation, this is an absolute treat! Such an original, unexpected and trenchant social critique contained in the twist at the end, too! The narrator also does the book more than justice, a fabulous performance!

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4 people found this helpful

Delightful tale, Beautifully narrated

An enjoyably witty, strange story of spinsterhood, witchcraft and freedom. The narrator's voice is like liquid gold, just flows through one's mind in such a relaxing way. All over, a great audible experience.,

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4 people found this helpful

Just perfect

One of my all-time favourite books. A wickedly funny, timeless story, beautifully narrated here. Sit back and enjoy!

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3 people found this helpful

Beautifully narrated but failed to engage

Reviews seemed promising but gave up halfway through Pt 2 as story didn’t seem to go anywhere . Maybe I should have stuck with it but life’s too short No idea why Audible recommended this one for me

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1 person found this helpful

I wanted to like it but could not.

Beautifully written and beguilingly read but a feeble story. An allegory for how overlooked individuals can become invisible but too much allegory and too little interesting narrative.

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2 people found this helpful

So many words and so little story

Why do I do this to myself?? Modern classics with feminist messages. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm
Having studied Women's History at Uni, I ought to have known better.
The synopsis of this story is a cosseted but unfulfilled woman reaches menopausal age and decides to become a witch.
An insult to witches everywhere. The story limps on with a day in the life of every jar of jam on the shelf having its boring place in the narrative. It is a sly and provocative psychosis where she imagines all sorts of nonsense as so many feminist writers do and invites us to join in. The highlight is when on a humid day, a jug of milk belonging to her brother goes off. Yes basically that is it. She paints everyone in beige and tries to excite us with her own grey dullness.
A bit like 'The Yellow Wallpaper' or 'Mrs Dalloway' tedious women who we have been duped into paying good money to be bored by. Word salad and no story, insulting to gifted women who are witches, hereditary witches born that way, learned witches, hard working ones. Any spinster can do it apparently and Satan with all the charm of a cheap gigolo says nothing to redeem himself, or the bloody book. Six hours of my life wasted.

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not what expected

not what expected story took far to long to get to the point of the story

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5 people found this helpful