Spies
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Spies
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Narrated by:
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Martin Jarvis
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By:
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Michael Frayn
About this listen
Winner of the Whitbread Novel Award, 2002.
Winner of the Commonwealth Writers Prize, 2003.
In the quiet cul-de-sac where Keith and Stephen live, the only immediate signs of the Second World War are the blackouts at night and a single random bomb-site. But the two boys suspect that the ordinary houses in the Close and their inhabitants are not what they seem. As Keith, the leader, informs the trusting Stephen, the whole district is riddled with secret passages, hideaways for any number of murderers, unsung war heroes, and secret agents. Then one day Keith announces that the Germans have infiltrated his own family.
©2002 Michael Frayn (P)2002, 2004 BBC Audiobooks LtdListeners also enjoyed...
Critic reviews
"A compelling story about secrecy and betrayal." (Booklist)
"As it plays out to a surprising denouement, this enigmatic melodrama will keep readers' attention firmly in hand." (Publishers Weekly)
"Martin Jarvis's performance is intelligent, precise, and brilliantly nuanced. He captures all of Frayn's sardonic humor, as well as his more serious moments of philosophizing." (AudioFile)
What listeners say about Spies
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer David Harding
- 24-11-21
As skillfully as ever
I first read Michael Freyn in the Observer during my teens. In my seventies I still relish his humour, sensitivity and humanity. It was helped by the brilliant narrator who brought the characters in this wonderful book, alive.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- mj
- 17-06-14
A great yarn - Boys!
Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
I enjoyed listening to this book (it was for book club) and whilst I would never have chosen it, I enjoyed it.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Spies?
The smell of the hedge - I remember it well from my own childhood and knew what it was straight away.
What does Martin Jarvis bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
He has a great storytelling voice.
Do you think Spies needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?
I think it ended well enough - I think all the ends were tied up so that a follow up would not be needed.
Any additional comments?
I would never have chosen this book and am glad that I got to it through a book club - a good way to discover new areas of interest.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Eleanor Evans
- 18-02-21
A lovely “coming of age” story, set in wartime England
This story enthralled me. It’s was gently humorous and captured the fears and emotions of the narrator as a boy, whose playtime adventures took a serious and frightening twist.
Martin Jarvis narrates beautifully, as usual, and paints a vivid picture of the people, place, and era. I can almost smell the privet of his den, his “lookout”. So fabulous.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- PeterB - MK
- 26-03-09
Very different
Just finished this and not what I had expected.
A very different book, gripping in a funny sort of way, enjoyed it and got totally engrossed in the plot.
The world as seen by a child's mind in the last war, difficult to explain without saying too much about the plot.
Would not suit everyone, as at times it requires patience, but recommended non the less.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Andrew Clover
- 18-09-20
I can't remember when I have been so transported
My third time through this book, the first listening to the Jarvis, this version was easily the best. I feel the need now to write some of it down, like old Stephen Wheatley, returning to the Close - to trace some of the patterns and lies and secrets and investigations: how children decode adults' talk; even the countryside holds secrets... And if you have not heard this story, venture in, I urge, seeking out the vulgar smell, find out its secret, down in a stinking place underground...
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
- caya
- 17-03-13
not my cup of tea
I found this tedious. I pushed on to the end and finished with relief. I bought this as. I loved one of his other book, skios. Funny as I notice a review of skios has said the exact opposite and preferred spies!
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