Sweet Caress
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Sweet Caress
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Narrated by:
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Juliet Stevenson
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By:
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William Boyd
About this listen
Brought to you by Penguin.
Amory's first memory is of her father doing a handstand. She has memories of him returning on leave during the First World War. But his absences, both actual and emotional, are what she chiefly remembers. It is her photographer, uncle Greville, who supplies the emotional bond she needs, and, when he gives her a camera and some rudimentary lessons in photography, unleashes a passion that will irrevocably shape her future.
A spell at boarding school ends abruptly and Amory begins an apprenticeship with Greville in London, living in his flat in Kensington, earning two pounds a week photographing socialites for fashionable magazines. But Amory is hungry for more, and her search for life, love and artistic expression will take her to the demi monde of Berlin of the late 1920s, to New York of the 1930s, to the Blackshirt riots in London and to France in the Second World War, where she becomes one of the first women war photographers. Her desire for experience will lead Amory to further wars, to lovers, husbands and children as she continues to pursue her dreams and battle her demons.
In this enthralling story of a life fully lived, William Boyd has created a sweeping panorama of some of the most defining moments of modern history, told through the camera lens of one unforgettable woman, Amory Clay. It is his greatest achievement to date.
©2015 William Boyd (P)2020 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about Sweet Caress
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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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
- Amazon Customer
- 07-06-22
A great listen.
Excellent narration, as ever, from Juliet Stevenson and a great story as well..Make the most of the good times in life and endure the others.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Ged
- 29-12-23
Fascinating life story, beautifully narrated
This story of the life of (fictional) Amory Clay is a detailed and comprehensive account of a photographer dealing with the events of the time, and of her own life. Ponderous at times, it is nonetheless beautifully told by the narrator, Julie Stevenson.
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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
- JOHN
- 25-05-23
Superb
Any Human Heart is one of my all-time favourite novels; Sweet Caress is just as good, if not better. This is storytelling of the first rank and it is brilliantly narrated by Juliet Stevenson. Outstanding.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Pinkers
- 22-02-24
A wonderful journal
Almost as good as Any Human Heart, another great fictitious diary. Juliet Stevenson simply brilliant. A great performer. Nobody comes close.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- LK
- 28-02-22
not as good as I'd hoped
I read this following reading restless, and while enjoyable, neither the story nor the performance lived up to Restless.
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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
- Alun C.
- 14-01-24
Classic William Boyd (or what I’ve read/listened to so far.
A story of a life, a compelling and moving narrative, full of thoughtfulness and compassion for being human.
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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
- mr
- 06-12-22
Cracking book
Boyd creates a wonderful enigmatic character. This is a cracking book. You feel for her.
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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
- WomanoftheWorld
- 03-06-23
brilliant book, brilliantly narrated
Boyd is such a marvel narrating from a woman’s POV. Great story grasping the key existential issues throughout a life spanning three-quarters of the 20th Century and two wars.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- G. Shute
- 15-10-23
Compulsive listening
Loved this reading by Juliet Stevenson. Characters and story quite believable, except for Amory’s stint in Vietnam. Juliet Stevenson’s reading and portrayal of characters kept one listening even through the less believable parts of the plot.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- DartmoorDiva
- 17-07-21
Not my favourite William Boyd
William Boyd is an absolutely brilliant writer and Juliet Stevenson a great actress so I was expecting to be completely enthralled by this book. However, a number of things just didn’t work for me, the main one being that I did not like the main character Amory. William Boyd’s female characters are usually excellently drawn, as in his wonderful novel Restless, but here I just didn’t find Amory a convincing character. The relentless descriptions of her feelings of longing for the men she is attracted to just didn’t ring true, nor her sudden changes of heart and continual poor judgment. She was really pretty annoying!
To my surprise, I also found Juliet Stevenson‘s voice pretty irritating after the first few hours. She gets very nasal and at the beginning her female characters were all incredibly clipped and brittle and sharp and it got very wearing.
Sorry, this one was not for me but it’s all completely subjective and I’m sure many people will love it.
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1 person found this helpful