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Marrying the Mistress

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Marrying the Mistress

By: Joanna Trollope
Narrated by: Lindsay Duncan
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About this listen

Merrion Palmer has been Judge Guy Stockdale's mistress for the last seven years and his wife and two grown-up sons know absolutely nothing about her. Up until now, Guy and Merrion have enjoyed a blissfully, uncomplicated relationship in stolen moments in Merrion's flat, and to the rest of the world, Guy has played the part of model husband, father and grandfather.

But now the time has come for things to change. Guy has become conscious of wasted years and he wants to share his relationship with Merrion with the world. He wants, dammit, to marry her. Yet he is quite unprepared for the storm that will follow...

©2009 Joanna Trollope (P)2014 Audible, Inc. Romance Marriage

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Critic reviews

"The court official leaned closer. 'What's gone past', he said, 'is not just an advocate, any old lady advocate. What's gone past is his Honour's totty.'" And what's going past is the life of Guy Stockdale, a 62-year-old judge, who has been married forever, has two sons--Simon and Alan--and three grandchildren. For the past seven years, he's also had a mistress. Merrion Palmer is intelligent, attractive, and half Guy's age, which also makes her younger than both Simon and Alan. Her dad died when she was a toddler and she's well aware that Guy is something of a father substitute. For years the role of mistress has suited her, but, suddenly, this style of relationship isn't enough for either of them. They've both had enough of sneaking around and avoiding people, so Guy has momentously made up his mind to leave his wife, Laura, and marry Merrion. Marrying the Mistress dives into the shock waves that buffet the Stockdale family after Guy leaves Laura. The novel addresses the question of how his sons are going to cope, the explosive opinions of his forthright daughter-in-law Carrie and what his teenage grandchildren make of it all. Can any of them avoid taking sides? Should they? And what about the abandoned wife, Laura, a woman apparently so long-sufferingly self-sacrificing she makes Mother Teresa look selfish? From queen of the saga Joanna Trollope comes a dexterous portrayal of the causes and effects of marital breakdown." (Amazon.com review)
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It was good to listen to a Joanna Trollope story after many years of reading her books.
Lindsay Duncan is so recognisable by her voice it is hard not to picture her instead of the characters.

Enjoyed!

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so this was my first joanna trollope and i don't think I'll be going back for more. I didn't really know what to expect, but as a big name perhaps i expected to much. I just found the depth of the characters to be shallow and a bit obvious. perhaps you'd is the wrong genre for me... I just need more psychological complexity, originality... i also found the narration annoying, especially the high pitched teenage voices at times.

there was mild satisfaction at points of character development, however the depth and poignancy of such important changes was absent.

mediocre, clichéd ...

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Well narrated, read at a good pace. characters believable. Master class in selfishness, enjoy it.

Good listen

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I read this book years ago, accidentally found it in Audible, liked the sample reading and thought I'd give it a go.

So glad I did. There were bits I'd forgotten, bits I'd remember just before they happened. It's Joanna Trollope doing what she does, showing the sort of mess a family can just slide into, how something quite unexpected can not only awaken them to said mess, but show them a way to sort it out. And brilliantly have them do so. You can't go from one of her books to another without a break, or the pattern spoils the interweaving of the situations. It was good to revisit this one.

It was, also, a delight to revisit it in the more than capable hands (or voice) of Lindsay Duncan. Absolutely spot on! I was particularly entertained by the voices she used for Laura, the difficult mother. Excellent.

It's not intellectual, it's certainly NOT froth. It's keenly observant of personal tangles. It's a good listen not taxing but which will capture your attention.

Splendid

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I loved this book when it came out, I had devoured all of the authors books. Having listened to this in 2024 I was struck how "wordy" this was. A dozen words used where two would suffice, and the idealistic, primly delivered views of the characters, maybe typical of its time. I wish I haven't revisited this, it made me annoyed at how self centred all the characters were.

Hasn't aged well

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As usual this book is entertaining and well written with a good storyline. Lindsay Duncan’s voice suited the story and her calm tones made it a pleasure to listen. I strongly recommend this to others.

A good Joanna Trollope book well read

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What a lovely story, very relatable and at times heartbreaking. Very realistic. Lovely characters very amenable and likeable

Beautifully written

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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, beautifully read and full of insight into family psyche

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jack - Because he was growing up and learning from his own and other people's experiences.

Have you listened to any of Lindsay Duncan’s other performances? How does this one compare?

Yes, Brother & Sister. I felt this book was marginally more insightful.

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

The surprise ending and the reasons behind it.

Any additional comments?

I felt this book showed Joanna Trollope's empathy and amazing insight into the feelings experienced by people in their interactions with others, particularly as they relate to different aspects of love within a family.

An absorbing read

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I am a Joanna Trollope fan so am biased, but her insightful writing of family life came to the full in this story. Read many years back but so delightfully read by Lindsay Duncan.

slightly out of date but v enjoyable

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This is a brilliant novel about the ramifications of a long-term affair in which the partners love each other deeply. It examines the problems for them, and for their families, when they are separated by a large age gap.
It includes an excellent portrait of the unhealthy relationship between a possessive, manipulative mother and sensitive, dutiful son. It is perhaps more optimistic about how such involvement turn out than happens in real life.
We get to see it from every point of view: the lover’s children, his wife, his mistress, her mother, siblings and friends. The agony and the ecstasy are both there.
Lindsay Duncan ‘s narration, and the voices she gives to the characters, are beautifully suited to the story. It could not have been bettered.

Brilliant analysis of a long term affair

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