Intricately woven story, superbly read

A great pleasure to delve into this story. Depth and twists and turns. I get a sense of the 19th century events and feel the grumpiness of the 80’s again.
Samuel West delivers the story perfectly.
I would give more stars if available. Enjoy.

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5 people found this helpful

Great to revisit this fascinating book

Really enjoyed Sam West’s sensitive and expressive reading of Possession. I liked this complex novel when I first read it almost 30 years ago. Then I found the poetry quite difficult though and it sometimes slowed the story too much - but this time listening to the poetry made it so much more alive. SW’s voicing of the dialogue is also pretty much spot on and nicely revealed the subtleties that Byatt writes into all the characters. There is a central mystery gradually revealed which keeps you wanting to know more. Really loved the way the Victorian and 20th century lives are compared through the interweaving of the plot too.

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3 people found this helpful

I was enveloped by this novel !

This is an intricate and expertly constructed novel with writing that is rich and substantial. There is a love story, (actually more than one), suspense and mystery with beautiful poetry, woven into the prose and I felt myself enveloped by events, as she reconstructs a Victorian age, flashing between the current and the past. The writing both challenges and respects the reader; a hard copy would be easier, and initially I had to put together a list of characters so that I could follow the structure better. The narration is excellent.

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3 people found this helpful

Magic

A superb novel magically read. The most satisfying book I have listened to. Thank you.

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1 person found this helpful

Brilliant and touching

It captures so much....Victorian gentility, the absurdities of academics, the pathos of unhelpful fate. A very satisfactory end.

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A wonderful story

A vast novel, but worth listening to every minute. Brilliantly narrated.
A wonderful, partially feminist storyline, with lots of surprises

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Superb narration of a superlative novel

Sam West’s narration of this incredible book is nothing short of miraculous. I will be looking for more books narrated by this actor. Possession is a worth winner of the Booker Prize. Such imagination, such style and such a wonderful and complex love story spanning a century. I shall definitely be listening to this title again in the future, it is so rich and sumptuous to listen to.

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Great book made greater by superb performance

Halfway through and completely in love. I don't want this to end!

Possession is the book in which AS Byatt's writing met its match in her choice of subject, inviting a reader to consider the delicious wordplay in the concept of 'literary novel'. It's the playful, thoughtful and wholly delightful work of a writer at the height of her powers. The language in particular invites you to revel in its fluency across a breathtaking range and depth of style and subject matter; entirely appropriate to the story of the romance between two Victorian writers transformed into a detective story by two latter-day literary scholars.

As for Samuel West's performance, if I could give it more than 5 stars, I would. This is pitch-perfect delivery in every possible way: not only the obvious basics of consistent characterisation, attention paid to inflection, etc, but there's a level of nuance in his performance that brings every last glory of Byatt's prose utterly, ravishingly, alive. The first time it's ever crossed my mind to think of audiobooks as their own separate art form... I loved Possession as a book, but if possible I love it even more as Samuel West's performance of it. I'll definitely be looking for more books performed by him.

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44 people found this helpful

Brilliant

I read this book when it first came out and thought that it was incredible. Multi- layered, beautifully written and wholly engrossing. I intended to re-read one day but have now listened instead.

Enough time has passed for me to have forgotten much of the detail of the story which made it fresh and just as absorbing the second time around.

Sam West’s reading is superb. One is never in doubt as to which character is speaking and the intelligence of the reading adds another layer of enjoyment.

I can’t recommend this audiobook enough!

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18 people found this helpful

Absolutely perfect

This, I feel, is one of the best English novels of the 20th C. It's both incredibly clever and deeply moving.

I've read it a few times but this is the first time I've listen to it. I bought the audio version recently simply because it's read by Samuel West, who is such a fine actor.

It's a brilliant pairing. One of those writer/reader combos that add a completely new dimension to the book. I've been a member of A'ble since 2004 and this is one of my top three.

If you think you know the book (and don't go by that really bad movie which cut out all the meat of the story) then have a listen to this. But maybe don't listen to the end on public transport unless you really aren't ever a crier!

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1 person found this helpful