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Oh William!

By: Elizabeth Strout
Narrated by: Kimberly Farr
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Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

THE TOP TEN SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2022

The Pulitzer Prize-winning, Booker-longlisted, bestselling author returns to her beloved heroine Lucy Barton in a luminous novel about love, loss, and the family secrets that can erupt and bewilder us at any point in life


Lucy Barton is a successful writer living in New York, navigating the second half of her life as a recent widow and parent to two adult daughters. A surprise encounter leads her to reconnect with William, her first husband - and longtime, on-again-off-again friend and confidante. Recalling their college years, the birth of their
daughters, the painful dissolution of their marriage, and the lives they built with other people, Strout weaves a portrait, stunning in its subtlety, of a tender, complex, decades-long partnership.

Oh William! captures the joy and sorrow of watching children grow up and start families of their own; of discovering family secrets, late in life, that alter everything we think we know about those closest to us; and the way people live and love, against all odds. At the heart of this story is the unforgettable, indomitable voice of Lucy Barton, who once again offers a profound, lasting reflection on the mystery of existence. 'This is the way of life,' Lucy says. 'The many things we do not know until it is too late.'

'A superbly gifted storyteller and a craftswoman in a league of her own' Hilary Mantel

'A terrific writer' Zadie Smith

'She gets better with each book' Maggie O'Farrell

'One of America's finest writers' Sunday Times


© Elizabeth Strout 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

©2021 Elizabeth Strout (P)2021 Penguin Audio
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What listeners say about Oh William!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Strout strikes again!

I feel so comforted by the nuance and paradoxes shared in this story; as though Strout is trying, in the most authentic way, to share what being human is all about. The puzzle, the mystery of our experience and the search for meaning through examining tiny details of her characters lives until you feel so close to them that they have become your intimate friend. Farr’s performance carries all this and brings her own magical quality to Lucy. Incredible!

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A portrait of love, loss and family secrets

I did enjoy listening to Kimberly Farr's reading of Oh William. She read it so well that I was convinced I was listening to the author reading her own novel. Great writing as always from ES . I found the characters credible and the plot moved along at just the right pace.

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another marvellous listen

loved this from beginning to end .Great narration .Wonderful writer .A great insight into interesting characters. A joy to listen to

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moving insightful and helpful

great writing so simple yet tells you everything. more on the life and thinking of lucy barton as she reflects on her marriage to william

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Oh Elizabeth!

Another thoughtful and engaging story from Elizabeth Strout. Excellent narration too, I would thoroughly recommend.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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DEEP RELENTLESS PROFOUNDLY BORING MONOTONY

Such non event boredom. Great to fall asleep to, like white noise. Other than that, just deeply deeply boring. infuriating hours I'll never get back. SOOOOOOOO BORING

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Great book

I felt I was there by the great descriptions. First book I have read by her.

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Empathy Queen!

I love the way that Elizabeth Strout gets into the heads of her characters. The honesty and clarity of the writing is brilliant

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Being let in to the author’s story in such close up way

Love Elizabeth Strout and have read this but the performance definately added something. Feel I got to know Lucy better

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Oh Please!

I found this book to be one long, self indulgent, cheesy waste of time. If I had to hear the narrator say “oh William” one more time, I’d scream. And such snobbery ( is this typically American?) about where people came from and how small their parents’ houses were! Awful narration of a truly awful book.

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1 person found this helpful